Dearest readers! You'll all be happy to hear that, after fully annihilating the Spirit of Halloween for stealing my parking spot, I have officially managed to bake and season another chapter for you guys to read.

And WOW, the follows and favs on this thing have really picked up since last time I checked. I'm glad to see so many people are enjoying this little story here. :)

Hope you guys all enjoy the newest read of things.

Warning: The Spirit of Halloween may or may not be eternal/unkillable, and may or may not have sworn vengeance upon Supreme Gamer and any affiliates. Should a 15ft tall Pumpkin man visits any reader while viewing this chapter, Supreme Gamer will take no responsibility. You have been warned.

She was thinking about him.

…..

She was still thinking about him.

…..

Goddammit, she was still thinking about him.

Velka traveled the halls with her hands placed behind her back, intent on making her way to Lord Gwyn's office for her morning report and keeping things business as usual. However, along the way, she found her thoughts kept circling back towards Kaylen's little attempt at chatting her up in the bath.

"Hmph. Flirting. Right. As if I can help it that that fool insists on trying to butter me up with cheap compliments." The goddess thought as she walked with her head held high and a minor bit of pep in her step. "I bet he thinks he was being so cute with such unoriginal flattery. Honestly, "You're wings are amazing"? "You're gorgeous"? Does he truly believe me to be so vain as to fall for such talk?"

Even as she had the thought, even if she continued to rant otherwise, Velka couldn't lie to herself.

The truth was that she did, in fact, find his attempt at conversation to be charming.

Which was something she viewed as an insult to her standards.

That man had taken advantage of her kindness, ruined what was actually turning out to be a nice night of relaxation and has continuously insulted her standing with his actions and words. Even now, she loathed the idea that she had let her guard down so thoroughly and allowed him to get as close as he did before.

There was absolutely no reason someone she should be giving someone like him a single moment of consideration…yet here she was allowing the idea that he was "charming" to enter her mind.

"Ugh, as if I would fall for his little act a second time. Before, his persistence was somewhat amusing, but now his actions against me have made this about getting even. That is the sole reason I'm even thinking of him now. Nothing more." Velka rationalized to herself, blocking out any other possibility that happened to try to creep into her thoughts. "Once I've repaid his transgressions in full, I'll be all to glad to see him kicked to the curb and returned to his little shacks in the woods…the parts of them I didn't break, that is."

Satisfied that she had made sense of her incessant musing on the little human, Velka proceeded through the halls with a bit of a smirk on her lips. Already thinking of ways that she could make him sorry that he'd crossed her at all.

It was only when a familiar blue cloth rounded a corner and she saw an even more familiar face stuffed into paperwork did she pause in her thinking.

"Ah, just who I needed to see. Good morning, Velka." Artorias greeted politely, before he took a noticeable few sniffs of the air around him for a moment. "Uh, you seem to have worked up quite an odor this morn-"

"Good morning to you as well, Artorias. Why would you need to see me? I hope you're not about to ask me to help with anything to do with your share of paperwork. Because if it is, my answer is no." Velka said with equal amounts of respect, purposefully changing the topic away from the smell surround her.

"Help with my paperwork? Heh, quite the contrary actually. I was going to give you a heads up that you should expect a great deal of it to be headed to your office sometime today." The Knight chuckled with clear amusement.

"What? For what reason?" Velka questioned with clear confusion, knowing that any sudden pile of documents can only mean that there has been a sudden and noticeable change within the castle. Which was rare, if not downright nonexistent, without some form of discussion or preparation.

"A change of command within the cleric's faculties. Ornstein nearly ripped the head off the lead medic for his lackluster response time during the spar yesterday." Artorias said with a shake of his head. "He's having him removed from his position and sent away, effective immediately. We need to assign a replacement, but it will require a bit of hurried promotions and shifting of positions among other things. Hence, the extra paperwork that need be signed off on both your end and mine."

"He's kicking out a knowledgeable and experienced cleric over the spar that was ultimately his responsibility to oversee?" Velka said with a small sigh, knowing for a fact that Ornstein would have been more than aware of this fact.

"You know him. He will not let his failings in this go unpunished, but I agree with his decision. It took them nearly ten minutes to get a cleric ready. This time it was but a spar and Lady Gwynevere was luckily there to provide aid, but next time such delay could get someone killed." Artorias said in defense of his friend's decision. "We have to set an example that such negligence will not be taken lightly."

"And set an example we should, but not at the cost of someone with experience in the field. It'll just be a waste of a pair of hands that could save lives in the future. Instead of outright discarding them, I'll put forth the paperwork to simply have them relocated away the city. Perhaps within the mountains in the cold. That way the example is made, and a resource is retained." Velka exclaimed, prompting Artorias to nod his head. Finding himself unable to find a flaw in this line of thinking.

Feeling as if there was nothing more to be said on the matter, Velka moved to walk past her longtime friend with the intention of moving on to matters that awaited her.

"One more thing, Velka." Artorias said, causing the goddess to stop in her track once more and turn back to him. "I hear you received a visitor within your quarters last night."

"Ugh. I told those blabber mouthed knights to speak nothing of what they saw." Velka groaned as she pinched her nose with clear aggravation at this development. "So you know, Ciaran knows, and I'm gonna go ahead and assume that it's eventually going to reach Ornstein's ears is as well. Wonderful."

"Heh, well, it is our responsibility to coordinate the men. So it should be of little surprise that it would not be kept from Ornstein or myself." Artorias said with a shrug and a smile at the goddess humorous reaction. "So is it true then? The young human, Kaylen, is a killer who came here to settle a conflict with you?"

"*Sigh* Truthfully, we haven't discovered definitive evidence that he's a killer just yet. Only that's he's experienced in poisons, small weapons and some sort of alchemy we've yet to identify. And really, who's stupid enough to think a human would walk through the front door with intentions to kill or fight me of all people?" Velka exclaimed with clear exasperation at such a ridiculous notion. "He came here because he just wanted to talk apparently. At least, that was he says."

"Hm. For someone who just wanted to talk, I was told there was a lot of shouting and banging around in your chambers last night. And for quite a long while, at that." Artorias said with clear skeptically.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing at all. I'm just a bit curious as to when any man was welcome in your quarters after the eve of nightfall." Artorias said honestly. "What exactly did you two-"

"None of your business what happened or what we spoke of." Velka interrupted with a point look towards the Knight. "The matter between myself and Kaylen is a personal one, so I would ask that you kindly refrain from any further questioning on the topic."

At this, even as he took note of the very direct and stern look Velka threw his way, Artorias appeared none to perturbed as he marveled at a peculiar little detail in her words.

"Wow~…He's only been here a short while and you're already on a first name basis? It's definitely not like you to get so familiar with someone so quickly." Artorias said heedlessly with genuine interest.

"Ugh, you and Gwynevere will run my nerves with these ridiculous comments. How would you like it if I started poking into your personal affairs and making uncalled for assumptions, hm? Speaking of, how's Ciaran doing by the way?"

"W-What? She's, uh, fine. Why would you even ask that?" Artorias said in a manner that was the opposite of inconspicuous.

"Oh, no reason. You two seem quite close these days is all, so I was just wondering." Velka said as she gave a knowing look and a smile that was clearly forced. "Yes, yes, two very well-acquainted friends and colleagues…and nothing more, right?"

"A-Anyway, I should return to my chambers and finish my morning report. It was well to speak with you about things." Artorias said as he wasted not a second long in turning away from the goddess and walking in the opposite direction of the hall she was headed too. It went without saying that he left in enough of a hurry that it wouldn't allow the conversation to continue no further.

Having triumphed in having the last word for the second time this morning, Velka huffed and thumbed a bit of her black hair behind her ear before continuing on her way. Growing that much more frustrated that she now had a new reason to have Kaylen occupy her thoughts along the way.

"God, does everyone around here think I'm some pent-up harlot with no standards? So what it's a first name basis?! Why would that point to anything?!" Velka thought as she needlessly riled herself up, already having it in her head that this is completely Kaylen's fault. "No, no, letting it get to me will just ruin my day. I'm better than that. It doesn't bother me, it doesn't bother me….It bothers me, it bothers me a lot!"

At this point, the goddess's body was practically storming forward with a heated look in her eye. There was a reason it was well known about the castle that she sported an easily stoked temper. With but Artorias's minor questioning being used as gas for the flame, she'd gone off on a mental tirade that was, in fact, a complete overaction.

"Oh, that little welp! Gorgeous, am I?! We'll see how gorgeous I am when I shove my foot up your-"

Kaylen's body shivered for a moment as a sizable wave of goosebumps suddenly crawled across his back. He didn't know why, but he got the feeling that it wasn't the bit of water that clung to his body that brought on this sensation of unease.

But he was quick to shake off the feeling and return to the situation at hand.

"Alright, off to a bit of a jumpy start, but let's take the good with the bad. On the one hand, Velka and Ciaran know about my "Gwynevere bath time", and I'm now in debt for one favor that will definitely come back to bite me. But on the flip side, I probably don't have to worry about those Lord's Blades blabbing to Gwyn and causing trouble anymore….maybe." Kaylen mused in deep thought to himself as he made his way through the hall and towards what he remembered to be the dining hall. "Gwynevere seemed a little upset about what Velka said, but seemed friendly enough when we were alone. I'll just try to talk her down a bit when I see her again. Easy. Ciaran isn't exactly what I'd call a friend, but she at least doesn't want to actually hurt me. And Velka..."

He thought on the winged goddess for a moment longer than the rest. Long enough that his mind started to drift off a bit at how he'd gotten something of a casual conversation going with her for a minute there.

His mind then naturally traveled to the absolute drool worthy mental image of the goddess in that tight outfit. Sure, Ciaran had more than enough of a figure to turn heads and Gwynevere would probably give him wet dreams whether he liked it or not, but there was something about the attitude and aggression that drew him more towards Velka.

Not to mention she had the most thick and voluptuous thighs he'd ever seen.

"Maybe if I just…No, no, no, I should stay as far away from her possible. Pushing my luck with her is the last thing I wanna do." Kaylen thought to himself rationally, before his mind began to once again dwell on winged goddesses' hips and the way they stretched her tight outfit. "…But then again, was she really all that angry? Sure, she might be just a bit punchy and stabby, but she was calm enough to at least be willing to talk to me now. That's gotta count for something, right?….Wow, with everything I've already got on mt plate, I'm weighing my odds with Velka, the women who probably wants to string me up as her punching bag? Priorities, man."

Even though he said that, the mental image of the woman in question remained squarely at the forefront of his mind. It was only when he took a deep breath to calm himself and decided to get serious did it fade…mostly.

Making his way through the castle and towards the chow hall, Kaylen only gave the briefest nods towards the passing servants. Each of which were quick to quicken their pass as he passed or pretend to not see him all together. Which Kaylen found both very strange and a bit rude.

It was only when he purposefully slowed his pace a bit and listened to a passing pair of maids did he catch a few words of interest.

"That's him."

"Goodness. A lot younger lookin than I thought, but looks fit as a racehorse."

His ears more than sharp enough catch that, Kaylen could only raise an eyebrow in confusion as he turned towards the two maids in question.

"Fit as a what?" Kaylen questioned, not sure if what he heard was a compliment or not.

Not expecting a response to their whispering, the unknown pair of women both perked up a bit, before one of them squeaked out a reply.

"U-Uh, nothing, good sir. Please excuse us." one of them said politely with a bow before both servants hurried away in the opposite direction.

Raising an eyebrow confusion for a few moments, Kaylen eventually decided to just ignore whatever that was and go on with worrying about the bigger issues he should be focusing on.

However, as he at last made his way into the extravagant and gilded chow hall, complete with tables lines with all sort of breakfast meals from sausage to French toast to omelets and practically anything else one might imagine, all thoughts of focusing on any issues he faced went right out the window.

Having never known access to such a wide assortment of delicious morsels, Kaylen was practically salivating at the sight.

"I. am. In. Heaven." Kaylen thought to himself as he swallowed hard at the smell reaching his nostrils.

Stepping further inside and making his way towards the beginning of the serving table, where plates and utensils sat waiting, young Kaylen was so focused of the food before him that he was completely oblivious to the fact that everyone already sitting and eating was currently staring directly at him.

Why were they staring at him?, one might ask. Well, it was quite simple.

Kaylen had unknowingly become a victim of the most dangerous and unpredictable forces known to this world.

A force that went by the moniker of…a rumor.

As many a poor soul understands, if left unchecked, a rumor becomes something akin to a raging fire. No one admits to starting them and before you know it, it's grown completely out of control.

And unfortunately for Kaylen, to say the rumors about him had "grown out of control" would be an understatement.

With his toppling of Smough, his apparent familiarity with many of the most respected gods within the castle and the sight of Princess Gwynevere herself allowing him to use her lap as a pillow, Kaylen's ascension to a mythical icon was all but sealed by word of mouth.

The human servants about the castle all spoke and heard varying tales of Kaylen's origin's, all just as outrageous and incorrect as the last.

Some said that he was a half breed come to prove himself to the gods, with Smough being his first target among many. Others spoke that he was a prisoner that had shown such skill and prowess that Lord Gwyn granted him the chance to earn his life through combat against the executioner. Yet even more others still spoke that he was a gutter rat from the slums that the gods picked up out of pity and trained into a killer in secret.

These were but a few of the tamer tall tales that had made the rounds about the castle, but no matter the version, each one painted him as some sort of dangerous figure that had garnered the respect of many a god around him.

Truly, as Kaylen made himself a plate encumbered with a multitude of breakfast delights and sat at an empty table to enjoy himself with knife and fork in hand, all present could only continue to stare and take in the sight of him. But none wished to approach for fear that some of the darker rumors were true.

After he finished eating most of the food off his plate, with the exception of a single piece of toast. Kaylen took a moment to sit back, release a heavy breath and smile with a pleasant sense of satisfaction.

He thought about getting seconds, but decided that it was best not to overeat and end up vomiting during the captains training session.

Looking around for a moment, Kaylen saw a female servant approaching his table to walk by. Her eye's locked on to him until his own caught sight of her, which was when she quickly averted her gaze and tried to appear as small as she could.

"Hey." Kaylen called out in a friendly manner. Though he was just trying to be polite, but his voice had the effect of causing the woman to stiffen in place.

"O-Oh. Yes, good sir?"

"Takin' it easy today?" Kaylen said casually with a smile, not really overthinking his words.

Unfortunately, "Overthinking it" is exactly what the female servant did at his comment. Taking quick note of his nearly empty plate, she quickly assumed that his comment was to address the fact that no one had come to collect it from his sight.

"Apologies, sir. Right away." The woman said as she bowed her head respectfully, before approaching the table without making eye contact.

"What? Oh. Uh, thanks." Kaylen said awkwardly as the woman unceremoniously proceeded to take up his plate and utensils.

"My pleasure, sir. And if there would be anything else, please do not hesitate to call upon me." the woman said happily as she bowed her ehad for the second time.

"Uh, sure. And you don't have to do the whole "Sir" thing with me. You can just call me by name; Kaylen." the young man said, still trying to make sense on why he was being given such special treatment.

"I shall endeavor to remember it. Please, excuse me." was all the woman said before turning around and scurrying away before Kaylen could even attempt further conversation.

Feeling a bit confused at having someone be nice enough to take his plate, but not interested in at least talking for a minute, Kaylen stood up from his seat and scratched his head in clear befuddlement.

But eventually he decided to just brush it off as the woman probably having other things to do.

"Hope I didn't hold her up from anything important." Kaylen said as he made his way out of the dining hall, ever oblivious to the fact that he'd just added "Shamelessly accosting a woman in the dining hall and sought to take her to his bed chambers" to the list of rumors surrounding his person.

Truly, the imaginations of the servants of Anor Londo were as scandalous as they were outrageous.

Nevertheless, Kaylen wasted no further time in leaving the dining hall, making his way through the castle and finally coming back into the spacious, open courtyard that had been the scene of both his punishment by Ornstein and his beating from Smough.

As he somewhat expected, due to arriving about an hour early, no one was there, and the sun's rays had barely even begun to make their presence known within the sky.

"Okay, day two. I can do this. Take it step at a time and just get through whatever he throws at me. I can do this no problem." Kaylen said as he psyched himself up and prepping his mind for the worst. At the very least, he was confident that he wouldn't be beaten by any workout thrown his way now that he had eaten and was fully energized. "Better warm up a bit before anyone gets here. If my hunch is right, it'll just piss of the captain if I slip up because I got a cramp or pulled something."

Following through with this line of thinking, Kaylen proceeded to begin performing a variety of warm up exercises to get his body ready and his blood pumping. A few lunges, a brief bit of sprints, a hand full of pushups.

Truthfully, he was very much getting into the zone of things. Right up until his ears registered the sound of the door to the courtyard opening and someone entered through.

Turning around and having his eyes fall upon the polished and pristine golden armor of Captain Ornstein, Kaylen immediately stiffened and took note of the straight sword the he carried that was far too small for it to be used effectively by the hands of any god.

"Sir. You're here early." Kaylen exclaimed respectfully, forcing himself to find his voice and ready himself for whatever was to come next.

"Wrong, boy. I'm here on time. As are you." Ornstein said sternly as he walked into the courtyard until he towered directly over the human's form. Taking quick note that though he did seem to hold a bit of tension, Kaylen did not avert his gaze. "I took note of your efforts of preparation before I walked in. Warmup exercises are important, but so are the stretches that are to follow immediately afterwards. Do not neglect them, boy."

"Yes, sir." Kaylen responded before beginning to stretch his arms, legs and back muscles respectively.

"Hm. I see you decided to show up with some semblance of a spine. And here I was expecting to find a welp wallowing in tears."

"No tears here, sir. I'm ready to take on whatever you have for me today." Kaylen said plainly, ignoring the comment of the captain's low expectation of him.

"Oh, I bet you are. After all, you're the would-be assassin come here to settle things Velka herself, right?" The god spoke as he raised his head higher.

"Actually, that a not-"

"Any explanation you have to give is unnecessary and unsought. As I said before, your past is your own and I seek not the right to lay judgment. But even more than that, I have unique eye for discerning a persons true nature with but a simple line of questioning." Ornstein exclaimed firmly as he presented the straight sword between the two of them. "Tell me, what do you think of this weapon, boy?"

Kaylen looked at the blade with a raised eyebrow for a moment, wondering if there was a trick or something that was going over its head.

"It's…very sharp and well made, sir?"

"Correct. But not what I meant." the knight captain said calmly, earning another look of confusion from the young human before him. "If Velka is to be believed, you have at least a small amount of experience with wielding blade. And any who be brave enough to do such thing, finds it leaves a mark upon their very spirit. So I want to hear what this blade represents to you personally. What purpose do you believe it holds?"

At this, Kaylen paused for but a few moments as he looked down upon the blade. He didn't dwell on it for very long before his gaze returned to the captains, and he gave his answer.

"Well…It doesn't really represent anything to me, Sir." Kaylen responded, deciding to just answer things plainly. "It's just a sword. A tool. A weapon to kill."

"Hm. Is that all? Do you truly see nothing beyond it's intended task?"

"I don't pretend to see what's not there, sir." Kaylen replied just as clearly as before, his eye's never leaving those of the gods before him. "Before all else, when you take up a weapon and use it against someone for any reason, you become an instrument with as pure a purpose as the weapon itself; to take what is alive and make it dead. Everything else after is just an excuse to follow through and only matters if you're competent enough to survive using it."

Taking his words and the tone with which he spoke them, Ornstein said nothing until he was certain that the boy had finished. It was only once silence had firmly fallen between them did he speak his thoughts.

"I see…Velka indeed has the wrong idea about you."

"Oh? Did I pass the test then, Sir? Because that's what I've been saying all alo-"

"You are quite damaged for one so young." The captain exclaimed with a sigh and a shake of his head. Causing Kaylen to perk up for a moment in surprise at this statement, before a scowl made its way onto his face. "I tell you now, boy, whatever weight you bear will not be lifted by such cynicism. Here, in this castle, you are offered the opportunity to let go of whatever has scarred you and start again."

Hearing this, Kaylen's expression of clear displeasure and anger deepened that much further….only for it to simmer and fade away with nothing more than a simple sigh from his lips. As if it was nothing more than a mask he could take off with ease.

"Let go, huh? That sure is some speech, sir. You use it on every poor soul that gets sent your way?" Kaylen replied with a smile that did not reach his eye's, seemingly not caring that he was speaking to a god in the slightest or the fact that said god was obviously not pleased at hearing such disrespect.

"Boy…"

"You don't know anything about me beyond my name, yet think you have the right to speak whatever you want about my life? Well, you can save talk like that for someone more gullible and in need of your sanctimonious blessings." Kaylen said with no small hint of malice. "As for me, the last thing I need is some god stepping down from his perfect world to tell me I should just "let go". Least of all, one who was willing to let me be beaten to death just yesterday."

At this, a heavy silence between the two men. Each one having their eye's locked unto the eyes of the other. It was only when Ornstein stabbed the sword he held into the ground and moved to remove his lion shaped helmet, was the silence broken at last.

"You do not know everything, boy. And your blatant lack of respect for your superiors is a matter that will addressed and corrected." The Knight said as a main of short golden hair and a pair of stern brown eyes met Kaylen's eyes once more. "What we have here is a failure to establish trust in leadership….A failure that is mine."

Not expecting to hear an admittance of fault, Kaylen was actually surprised taken aback by such words.

"I told you before that there are no humans or gods under my command, and I meant it. Contrary to what I'm certain you believe, there is not a single knight here that hasn't taken his share of beating and pain. So hear me now when I say it will not get easier and it doesn't matter if that reality is convenient for you, only matter that you grow strong enough to face it." Ornstein spoke without a single hint of restraint about what ahead for the human before him. "However…I can hardly expect you to have faith in your superiors if you believe that your life is of little concern in our eyes. Know that there is none under my command that are considered disposable and that Smough will properly reprimanded for his excessive actions."

Kaylen heard this and before he could convince himself not to do so, he spoke out exactly what he thought of them.

"Properly repri-! Were you paying attention to anything that happened yesterday?! Smough was going to kill me! I'm alive right now purely because my head happened to be tough enough! Contrary to what everyone else thinks, that not just something to brush aside with some cheap speech to make me feel better!" Kaylen replied with a furrowed brow and a clear tone of aggression. "You tell me, what good are your words when you've already shown me exactly what my life's worth when you stood by while my skull was being caved in?"

"….."

"Exactly….but I can take that standing. I'm under no illusion that I'm truly safe here or how little my death or injury would mean to any god. Especially one like you." Kaylen exclaimed outright, not biting his tongue for even a single moment. "I'll follow orders and do what I'm told, but it's clear that trusting you with my life won't end well for me. So let's just get to whatever training you have in mind for the day. I'll be fine watching my own back…Sir."

He threw in that last part as a means to hammer home the point that though he was accepting of his position, he considered "Trusting Leadership" to be nothing short of a joke. As far as he was concerned, he might be forced to stay here, but he wasn't going to play the part of the gullible clown with his life on the line.

At his very direct words, Ornstein merely regarded the young human before him in complete silence for a time before sighing lowly and returning his helm to its place upon his head.

Though he viewed this an obstacle that must be overcome, he could not fault the boy's current disposition and lack of faith. As he already said, he viewed this as a failure on his part. One that he intended to correct by rebuilding a path of trust with his soldier.

But knew he could not force this.

Building trust between those you lead is a process. Built on consistency and prolonged interaction. The problem he faced now was that the boy had it in his mind that he was considered expendable due to his human nature. As his superior, it was his duty to show him that it was just the opposite.

But it would take time.

"Very well. As we have no further need for words, you're training can begin a bit sooner than planned. We'll both begin with twenty laps around the courtyard and move into full body exercise."

"Both?" Kaylen questioned with a raised eyebrow. "You're gonna-?"

"I repeat, we have no further need for words and we will begin with twenty laps. As I am in full armor, if I finish my run before you, you will receive only three minutes to eat chow instead of five. Am I clear?" Ornstein said aloud. Though the question never reached Kaylen's ears as he had already started to run ahead before the captain could finish.

Ornstein gave him a three-lap head start before he himself began.

With that, the day passed by rather quickly. As the first of the Knights made their way in for first formation, Kaylen and the Captain (Mostly Kaylen) had already begun to work up a sweat.

Forming up alongside the other gods, Kaylen didn't even make the time to take in the various looks of displeasure and irritation being thrown towards him. Instead focusing on catching as much of of his breath as he was able with this brief interim.

Not willing to give him such a reprieve, Ornstein ensured the formation concluded just as quickly as it had before, swiftly releasing the knights to their duties and resuming the process of pushing Kaylen's body to it's breaking point.

Though, as he had time to mentally prepare himself to be worked from sunrise to sunset, Kaylen pushed through each exercise with the confidence of knowing the day had to end at some point. Only this time, Ornstein performed each movement alongside him. Being a god, it wasn't a wonder why he was able to perform them with greater ease than a human would.

After a great deal of time, once the sun had long since begun to set and Kaylen lay upon the ground with his chest heaving from exhaustion, Ornstein proceeded to grab him by his collar and force him to his feet in an identical fashion as he had the day before, before telling him that his training would grow in intensity until he could do it all and have enough strength in reserve to face an opponent in combat afterwards, and seeing how progress was going he knew that day was going to be a long damn time from now.

He then reminded Kaylen to not forget to report to the primary faculties about the castle to be of assistance to them, before ensuring that his young protégé held enough strength to be left alone, then moving to leave the courtyard and deal with other affairs the required his attention.

After taking a bit of time to catch his break and regain a bit of his bearings, Kaylen too left the courtyard with the full knowledge that he too more important affairs that he needed to attend too.

"Okay…Deal with the Princess's whims, help the servants with a few duties, then it's off to sleep." Kaylen thought tiredly as he traveled through the castle towards his destination of the Princess's quarters

Unfortunately, his respite was all too brief, as not even a full minute into his making his way through the halls of the castle did his ears catch the faintest shuffle of movement at his rear.

He sighed wearily, but gave no true indication that he knew anything was amiss. If his hunch was correct, it seemed that the Lord's Blades were following him again.

Needless to say, Kaylen was in no mood for this, but knew he couldn't get to where he needed to be with anyone following him. There was no reliable way to know if Ciaran told them the truth of things and he'd bet money that the Princess wasn't the waiting type.

He had to lose them and do it sooner rather than later.

Just as he was beginning to think of ways to give them the slip, the sound of faint movement picked up pace and tempo.

Suddenly realizing this was the sound of someone rushing towards him, Kaylen hastily did an about face and readied himself to defend against any harm that may have bee headed his way.

Only for him to find that the darkened hallway was completely empty and not a soul was moving towards him. He paused for a time to feel out any movement in his vicinity, certain that he would be able to catch even the barest whisper of a breathing if they were close enough, but not a single peep reached his ears.

Relaxing a bit and releasing a soft sigh, Kaylen wondered if he was simply a little too on edge after a long day of being worked. That was the only conclusion he could come too as if they were there, the Lord's Blades wouldn't let him be aware of their presence in such an obvious manner.

Scratching his head and turning back towards the task that awaited him, Kaylen nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a familiar masked woman standing barely two feet away with her head tilted to the side in a curious manner.

"DAH!"

"Impressive. My curiosity was piqued at hearing you noticed my fellow blades, but to be able to notice me, even briefly, as well? Not bad, not bad at all."

"You know, you could have just come out and said 'Hi', Ciaran." Kaylen snarked irritably, while he tried to calm down hi racing heart rate from the sudden appearance of the assassin.

The woman placed a hand to the chin of her porcelain mask in a manner of interest and contemplation, the shadows of nightfall somehow seeming so much deeper upon her body.

Even if he couldn't see her face, Kaylen was almost certain she was grinning from ear to ear at him.

"I will remind you that your body was very much aware of my presence, though I admittedly was testing the limits of your senses, and since you said nothing, I took it as allowance to continue. If at any time you had called out and asked that I reveal myself, I would have." Ciaran said coyly. "On a further note, I have never known a more disruptive person in all my life. Truly, do you have any idea the amount of trouble you've stirred for me and others in such a short time of being here?"

"Ugh, great. What is it this time? Did I breathe too hard and offend someone? Is Gwynevere complaining that I'm not kissing her toes right now? Oh, oh, better yet, Is Velka pissed off again and tearing through the halls looking for me?"

"Hm…No to the first one, the second one is a definite possibility and the third is a somewhat pending scenario."

"What?! I was kidding! Why is the last one pending?" Kaylen cried out in surprise and disbelief.

"Unfortunately, I cannot reveal the details as it could possibly compromise the castles security. Just know that the lack of quick response in healing you after your spar yesterday did not go unpunished and because of that, Velka will be having a sizeable amount of extra work sent her way." The assassin explained with a shrug, causing Kaylen to sigh and lean his back against the wall in an exasperated manner.

"Wonderful. And here I was thinking I made a tiny bit of progress with getting back on her good side again." Kaylen said in a weary tone of voice. "What does a guy have to do to catch a break around here?"

"Heh, well, it's not all bad. You've at least gotten the closest any man has to seeing dear Velka naked. That something to be proud of, right?" Ciaran chuckled with a nudge of her shoulder, causing Kaylen to turn an inquisitive look her way for a moment.

"Yeah…I guess so." Kaylen said as a certain line of thought began to trail into his mind. "Can I ask you something, Ciaran?"

She pauses, slightly hesitant and thought about what words to use before responding. "Certainly. Though I do reserve the right to refuse any question you may have. What do you wish to know?"

"It's just that I suddenly realize that you and Velka seem really close. How exactly do you two know each other?" Kaylen questioned, prompting another pause on Ciaran's part. Though this time it lasted no more than a single breath before she leaned upon him in a casual manner. Of which, Kaylen did his best to not appear perturbed in the slightest.

"And may I ask what brings this specific question up? As you can plainly tell, we're both prominent defenders of this city, so we're going to know each other, no?" She asked plainly, keeping mental tabs on anything he may say next.

"It's different with you though. Velka doesn't seem like the type to take outburst or lack of courtesy lightly, but you've had a few outburst and comments that came at her expense, but she didn't do anything or even snap at you that much." Kaylen responded, remembering how Ciaran acted in the past and comparing it to how Velka acts towards everyone else. "So why is that exactly?"

Ciaran looked into the eyes of the young human to see if anything might betray underhanded intentions. When she couldn't detect any she decided she could answer….loosely.

"We've known each other for a good while. Probably longer than you've been alive. Believe it or not, we held little love for one another initially." She pauses to allow the information to seep in and allow her to phrase the answer to her liking. "I found her approach to things brutish and costly, while I suspect she found my way of doing things to be slow and ineffective. But eventually we found that when used in tandem, our methods worked well together. She brought the violent boom, while I handled more delicate matters behind the scenes. It wasn't long after that we developed a close friendship."

She finished while Kaylen looked on, sort of expecting more. When she said nothing further, he suspected that she didn't wish to continue further.

"I see. Sounds like you two have been through a lot together." Kaylen said respectfully, finding the topic more than a bit interesting to hear. "Is there anything you can tell me about Velka herself exactly?"

"Normally, I believe it you're going to ask those kind of questions, you should go to the source itself. Unfortunately, Velka normally doesn't make the time to dawdle and listen to such trivial questions." Ciaran said with cold indifference, which wasn't lost on Kaylen. Subtly letting him know he needed to pick his words very carefully now or else they might be his last.

"I get that. I just…wanted to know what she was like as a person. You seem to know her best and I'm trying to get back where I was before what happened with the party." Kaylen answered truthfully, not seeing a reason to be dishonest. "And yeah, yeah, I'm a human and she's a goddess, but seeing her smiling and happy kinda stuck with me. And If I can…I'd like to see her like that again."

For the third time with him, Ciaran paused as she contemplated her response to such an admittance. Even going to far as to remove herself from leaning onto him and standing upon her own two feet as she replayed the words over and over again in her mind to detect even a whisper of misgivings within them.

Ultimately finding that her instincts said there were none to be had.

"I don't fully intend on answering your question, though I will grant you that I too took note of how happy she seemed before and, if her reactions to you this morning is any indication, it doesn't seem that she's completely written you off just yet." Ciaran conceded, knowing that her friend made little in the way of time for her own happiness and that she wished for her to find such a thing for herself. "If you try and abuse this knowledge in any form, fashion or way, know that I will personally ensure that you pay the price for it, Kaylen."

"You don't have to threaten me like that. I've got not goals of trying to hurt her or anyone."

"Believe me, it's not you. I simply have firsthand experience that even the smallest piece of misspoken information could mean the difference between life and death. Even for someone like Velka." She explained plainly and when confusion come on Kaylen's face, she sighed before speaking a bit further. "I threaten you because you may be a threat to one I would consider as nothing less than kin to me. As you've come to understand, we've been through a great deal together and I've noticed your behavior towards her, as well as the leeway she allows towards you."

"Leeway? She was ready to tear me in half just this morning."

"You don't get it. That was her hesitating. If it were any other man sitting naked and laying hands upon Princess Gwynevere of all people, he would have been a bloody stain on the wall in a matter of seconds. Nevermind her even considering having a conversation or spewing threats." Ciaran said gently, prompting a look of genuine surprise to appear on Kaylen's face. "Truthfully, I believe that she may value that brief moment of happiness with you more than even she realizes. And you? You're practically drooling at the sight of her…Heh, when you're not cowering in fear, that is."

"W-Well, I don't think I was drooling or anything like that." Kaylen said with clear embarrassment at what he was hearing.

"Right. Believe me, you couldn't be more obvious if you had hearts fluttering over your head. Though I was more than a little surprised you'd try teasing her in the bath with telling her she's gorgeous. Heh, heh, heh, and to do it with two other women present? You truly are a shameless man."

"Alright, alright, I get it. My lack of subtly is abysmal apparently." Kaylen said completely flustered that Ciaran seemed to derive some sick form of amusement by throwing his intentions in his face like this. "So now that we've got that established, can you please answer my question, Ciaran?"

"Forceful, aren't we?" She joked and then laughed at seeing the young human's reaction. "Well, she's very straightforward and likes those who show a bit of guts. Beating around the bush and playing games will only earn her irritation. She also may come off as harsh and ruthless, but it's only a façade that you will only penetrate through persistence. Either show you're man enough to know what you want and stand your ground or don't bother pursuing her at all." She said without holding back in the slightest, her arms crossing in affirmation of her words.

Kaylen thought things over for a moment, letting the words settle in his mind.

"Thanks, Ciaran. I'll keep this in mind and think things over a bit for when I see her again. Hopefully, it won't involve me being turned into a bloody stain or anything like that."

The blonde-haired woman smiled like a fox beneath her mask as she spoke her next words.

"No need to thank me. Besides, contrary to popular belief Velka is still a woman under her rough exterior, and in every woman beats a heart..." She moved closer and whispered right into his ear. "I wonder if you'll be able to touch hers..."

Kaylen shuddered slightly from the seductive way she made it sound and watched her proceed past him and make her way back down the hall.

"By the way, I assume he's not here with good tidings."

"What? Who's not here with-"

"Young Kaylen!" a booing voiced echoed across the walls, prompting said human to quickly turn around to see a powerful looking Silver Knight storming towards him.

"What the-?"

"The Princess has grown weary of waiting for your arrival. She has demanded that you be dragged before her and receive just punishment for your lack of haste."

At this, Kaylen's mouth dropped in disbelief as a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. Turning away from the approaching knight and back towards the now empty hall, he nonetheless shouted his words at the assassin he knew couldn't have gone far.

"No way this was an accident! You held me up on purpose, didn't you! Is this payback because I caught your-GAH!"

His words were cut short as the knight seized him by the collar of his shirt and carried him off with haste, with Kaylen pleading for a chance to explain all the while.

And if anyone was wondering, Yes, Ciaran hide within the shadows to watch the scene in its entirety. And yes, though the conversation went further than she intended, stalling young Kaylen and keeping him talking was payback for his words towards her fellow Lord's Blades.

No matter how she looked at it, it simply rubbed her the wrong way that he looked down on them so blatantly and she felt she owed him for it. And so, she decided that Gwynevere would be her method of dealing out her retribution.

"Eh, I may have been a bit petty here. He really didn't deserve that…Bu~t it's still funny. Heh, heh, heh." Ciaran chuckled lightly as she made to go about her merry way for a good nights rest after a task well done.

NOW WAIT A MINUTE! WAIT A GODDANG MINUTE, I GOT THINGS TO SAY!

Firstly, i had a ton of fun writing up this chapter and that I took a LONG break from writing because I bumped into a massive case of writers block.

Secondly, I'm still leaving things open as to the direction I'm taking things, but I decided to lean a bit more towards the "Romance" kinda angle a bit more and try to delve into certain characters a bit more. But no one worry as THERE WILL BE A MORE TANGET PLOT MOVING FOWARD.

Gonna try and dig a bit more into the serious side of things in the next few chapters, try and introduce a bit of moving parts and maybe up the scale a bit. I've never been one for letting things stall out too much, so I'll try and take things up a notch for you guys.

But anyway, that's all I got to say this time around. I hope this chapter has been a fun little read for you guys.

As always, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you guys thought about this chapter of the story. Was Velka's musings on Kaylen a bit much? Did Ornstein come off a bit too soft towards Kaylen this time around? Did Ciaran seem a bit to helpful with her words of advice?

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

This is Supreme Gamer, Signing out.

P.S. I'd better not hear ONE comment about Velka being a Tsundere as if it's a problem. Maybe the problem is that you guys aren't cultured enough to see the benefits of an angry waifu.

P.P.S. "It's not like I've been thinking about you or anything...Baka!"- Velka, probably.