I woke up slowly, opening my eyes and blinking the sleep out of them as the morning's golden rays bled through the window to illuminate the room in the light of a new day.

Damn you, Sun.

With a groan, I sat up and stretched, feeling oddly rested. Or at least more rested than most of my mornings that I can recall. I didn't feel sluggish, like I normally do without my coffee. As a matter of fact, I felt like I already had a cup this morning. Once I finished my stretches, I finally mustered up the motivation to actually get out of bed and get ready.

I gave myself a quick wash in the bathroom and got dressed relatively quickly. I had decided against wearing the Guard uniform from yesterday, as I didn't want to get confused for one. I took a sobering breath. Today was the day Celestine was going to tell me about her vision regarding me. The fact that I already had a feeling that I knew what it was gave me no comfort.

But regardless, I opened the doors and decided I ought to start the day right: by finding myself some breakfast.

I remembered the way to what I assumed was Celestine's private dining hall, and after a brief exchange with one of the servants, I was led to the public dining hall. It reminded me of Hogwarts from Harry Potter, only it was made of pearly white stones instead of gray. It was fitting that even this public area seemed almost holy, considering this place doubles as the abode of their Goddess reincarnated.

Anyways, I found a nice, quiet spot; grabbed a plate, some food, and ate in silence. Some people were looking at me like I didn't belong, and for what it was worth, they weren't wrong: I didn't, I wasn't some noble, or high ranking priest. I must have appeared not dissimilar to a peasant dining with high society. Actually, that is more accurate than I meant for an analogy, but I'm getting off topic.

With my belly now full, I set out to find the High Elf. Lo and behold, I managed to do so after what felt like an hour of searching, asking for directions, and getting some outdated information. I eventually found her in the Garden reading to a bunch of little children, Isaac among them.

"And so, the Giants warred against each other. The men wanted to rule the surface, regarding it as their right, but the women protested. 'It belongs to those who were born to it,' they claimed. Unbeknownst to them, however, their war was so loud, and so fierce, that they terrified the skies, making the ground they stood on shiver with fear. At the height of their dispute, their leaders clashed with such might that the ground itself finally shook apart, and the two fell down."

"What happened then?" Eagerly asked one of them.

"The two leaders fell, dropping from their island in the heavens down to our world below. All the way down, they fought against each other until they crashed into the ocean together. The fall mortally wounded them both, dooming them to perish on the surface, so far below their home in the sky. So the Giantess, in her last moments, made a tearful prayer. They would both become one with the world below; their bodies turning into dirt, grass, trees, and mountains."

Ah, I see. She was telling them the Eostia version of the Story of Creation. Only, instead of God making the heavens and earth, it's Giants that made the world. Isaac was the first to speak after Celestine finished the tale.

"If they became the land, then where did we come from?" he asked, coming in with the heavy questions.

Celestine gave a light laugh. "The two Giants' flesh gave birth to all forms of life; from the Creatures of Darkness to even the first High Elf, the Goddess Larentia. But her tale for another day," she said with a kind smile before she spotted me.

"Now, I believe I have something to discuss with Sir James, and I am sure your instructors are wondering where their little class has vanished too," she told them, and with a chorus of groans and small complaints, they each stood and marched away.

Enjoy childhood while you can, kiddos, 'cause being an adult sucks far more. I noticed Isaac giving me a small glance, so I smiled in return.

"They do not yet understand the value of their youth," said Celestine as she approached me, watching the children slowly filter out.

"No, not yet." Was my simple reply.

The High Elf sighed. "And the day they do, they will have lost it," she said, in a voice that almost sounded weary. "Would you care to walk with me, Sir James?" She offered with a small gesture to a stone pathway. I nodded and followed her as she began to walk down said path.

"I trust you have had breakfast, yes?" She asked with a kindly smile. I just gave a simple nod with a quick 'Yes', and watched as her smile faltered slightly, before she turned her gaze back at the path.

"I see. That is good."

We walked in silence until we reached a small, out-of-the-way place, a gazebo that is both not hidden and yet easily overlooked. "I expect you would like to discuss the vision that concerns you, correct?"

Yes, I would.

"If you don't mind."

She closed her eyes. "Very well, then." Her voice had a forced calmness to it.

"I have seen the end of my Kingdom," she said slowly, "I have had this vision of doom for years now, one that I had always kept to myself. I have tried my best to prevent it, but never have I been able to change it in any significant way. Delayed it for a time, maybe, altered it in ways so small that they avoided my notice. However, one thing remains clear: The time of the Seven Shield Alliance is coming to an end." She told me in a careful and low voice.

"You've seen visions of doom and you never told anyone?" I asked, more than a little surprised. I would have figured she would have said something about it at the first sign of trouble.

The High Elf nodded. "I have kept this secret to myself for a long time. I did not wish to rob my people of what little hope for the future they had remaining, and I believed that informing them would have only accelerated the end," she admitted. "I could not bring myself to inform them that they all may be doomed, as selfish as that may be. Their lives have been harsh enough with the ongoing conflict. I felt no need to plunge them further into despair than they already were."

'And what a wonderful job that did,' I thought to myself, knowing just how horrible this story would get.

"I don't agree with letting them have false hope, your people already have problems and don't deserve to be strung along," I argued.

It wasn't much of a debate, though, because the High Queen of Eostia simply bowed her head low and said, "I know," In a pitifully low voice. Now, I might not have nerves of steel (more like nerves of copper), but I felt actually a bit guilty hearing her talk like that.

"However, it is no longer a false hope they have now," she followed up in a slightly more pleasant tone. "After all, you are here now."

"Why does me being here change anything?"

I believe I have already said foreknowledge is a dangerous weapon, but against someone like Vault, I am unsure just how effective it will be. The guy managed to just roll over the kingdom, and I alone am expected to stop him? At best, I can keep him from getting into contact with traitors, and maybe that will be enough to keep him from conquering the fortresses.

But actually defeating his army? I just don't know.

She looked out to the garden, or rather her own private forest here in the castle.

"Because, for the first time in my years of having this vision of my kingdom's downfall, the Creatures of Darkness never reached us. They were stopped, not by the Shields nor by the people, but by a lone man. You." Was her answer.

I looked at her skeptically. "I am not sure if you remember yesterday, but I nearly lost my leg to a bipedal wolf," I said dryly.

The High Elf however, simply smiled. "You choose to take from that encounter the fact that you nearly died. I instead choose to look at the fact that you not only saved young Issac from that same fate, but you also have slain it with nothing more than a knife," she informed me. "Tell me Sir James, do you know why the creatures of darkness that lurk outside our walls are considered most dangerous?"

"Because they outclass humans physically in almost every regard?"

The Goddess Reincarnated shook her head. "No. If that were the case, then this conflict would be over by now, I imagine." She turned her gaze to the small pond by the Gazebo and watched the fish swim by.

"The reason is simple: They do not perish easily," she stated, "They can take one hundred arrows and treat them like an inconvenience. They have been stabbed, and yet move around as if it had never happened. The only way we have found to kill them is by cutting them into pieces or a swift decapitation, two feats that are difficult to accomplish when they charge in the dozens. And their power has only grown since they began working together with the Dark Queen, so much so that their confidence in conquest has risen to the point they threaten to overrun the kingdom." Her gaze turned back to me.

"And despite that, you killed one with nothing but a knife and your own two hands."

I shook my head. "If you stabbed anything in the head, it's going to die," I said, "I don't fathom how anything could survive it."

She frowned sorrowfully. "I have witnessed enough of my children attempt to kill them with the ease that you say. Every time, they fail, and are wounded or killed due to this," she stated as she broke eye contact again. "Trust me when I tell you that you are the first in recent memory to have slain one with such ease."

With a slow nod, I conceded the case to her. "I understand," I said slowly. "So, what does it mean?"

The High Queen held her gaze at the water. "For now, I cannot say for certain. The future is always in motion, and my visions can change from one day to the next. I saw you between us and them in my recent one, but anytime today, tomorrow or the day after, I could foresee any number of things: You could perish against them, hold them back, repel them, or simply vanish altogether. What I do know is, you are important to the future of Eostia, and that the Goddess will guide you in her own way."

I stood there next to her as we fell into silence, trying to think about what she just told me. This was not exactly how I expected this to go. I expected her to be sending me on a quest, like in almost every piece of fantasy media I can recall. Yet, the bottom line is that 'I am important', with no real direction other than that. It leaves me kind of lost as to what to do now: About a hundred doors are open to me, but I believe I would have preferred having only one or two. At least then, I would have an idea on how or where to get started.

While I was having this internal struggle, I noticed Celestine gazing back at me.

"Sir James, might I ask you a question?"

"Didn't you just?" I couldn't help but say in a joking way, and was rewarded when the High Elf blinked at my sarcasm, before giggling lightly.

"I suppose I did," she said with a smile. "My question is, what did you do before you found your way to Geofu's Dungeons?"

That question caught me a bit off guard, since I was fairly sure working at a call center doesn't truly have a medieval fantasy equivalent. But as I was contemplating how to answer, I came to a sudden realization: I could be anything I wanted to be. I looked down at my hands and felt the magic just under my skin, realizing that I could be a simple farm worker, merchant, scholar, engineer, chemist... I could be a sorcerer, an adventurer.

A Hero.

But… did I really want to be one?

I mean, at best, the odds are… not in my favor; there are thousands of them, and only one of me. I… I don't want to die, to throw my life away without doing anything or changing this story for the better, but to do that I need to put my life at risk. If I don't get involved, I can keep my hands clean of any responsibility. Maybe I can run far enough that I can put it out of my mind for the rest of my days…

No…. I refuse.

If I turn my back on this now, I might as well kill myself for being too cowardly to not even try. I don't know how or why I came here, but I do know that I have a chance to be greater than I was in my old life. An opportunity to be the hero I always wanted to be ever since I was a kid. The one that saves damsels, slays monsters, and becomes a legend talked about for all time.

I knew what my answer was now.

"Adventuring... Exploring, helping people where I can."

I saw her eyes light up the instant I said the word 'help'. "You're an adventurer?" she asked in a voice that seemed a bit happier than before.

Her eyes were shining, her smile small, but bright, and I found myself lacking the will power to say no in any real capacity. Not that I was going to anyway.

"Yes?" I responded, sounding a bit unsure of my own answer, so I cleared my throat.

"Yes, yes I am." I replied with more confidence than before.

I watched the High Elf catch her sudden enthusiasm and put a lid on it. "I see," she said, schooling her features back to being the calm and gentle monarch that the people know. "Then perhaps I have a job for you, if you would like it?"

I nodded. "Sure," I said smiling, this was my chance to be exactly like the characters I made. The prospect of facing danger in any capacity was terrifying, but also exciting, in a way. The High Elf nodded.

"Come with me, then." With that, she left the gazebo, with me following behind.

As I did so, I couldn't help but find myself taking glances at her ass. And honestly, who can blame me? She was essentially showing it to the world, it would be unnatural if I didn't look at least once every time I could.

However, as I stared, I found myself wondering just why exactly every woman in this world is dressed in what is essentially medieval lingerie. Not that I am complaining about it right now, mind you; I am a straight man after all, but this is also kind of ridiculous. I heard the High elf say something, but I was being distracted by that bootyiful butt.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I was lost in thought," I half lied.

"I asked if we have your gear in the Dungeons. I could send someone to retrieve anything you had before."

I shook my head. "No, I doubt you'll find something. You're welcome to have someone take a look, but I don't believe anything will come out of it."

"Then I suppose after this, I must make sure you are properly equipped for it."

My eyes snapped to her. Did that mean what I think it means? Am I going to go shopping with a Queen? Internally, I was kinda doing a happy dance about that. If she was footing the bill, high-quality armor and weapons, here I come!

"I appreciate it." I coolly replied, while doing a mental fist pump.

"You are welcome, Sir James," she said with a pleasant grin. Still, I was starting to understand why people loved her if this sort of charity was common.

My thoughts turned sour as that notion went through my head, and I recalled just how 'loved' she was by her people. I gazed down at the marble floor beneath my feet and again began remembering just how little Celestine's efforts and love for her people meant to them in the long run.

I wouldn't let that happen this time around. I'd die first before I let her, or any one of the 'Heroines' get raped.

"Sir James, are you alright?" I heard Celestine ask.

"I'm fine," I answered, "Just got lost in thought."

She led me to a small, office-looking room, where a lady knight was talking to a group of distraught people. "I am sorry, but we have no one we can send. We are spread too thin sweeping the city, repairing the walls, and keeping watch for a second attack."

An older woman, however, did not calm down. "Please, there must be someone!" she pleaded. "My baby girl was taken during the attack, but those wretched Black Dogs charge more than me and my husband make in a year. My husband has already found where they took her, you only need to send someone to go and get her!" She cried out before she caught sight of Celestine and I, and almost immediately fell to her knees.

"Lady Celestine!" she cried, partly in alarm and possibly relief. "Please, your divinity! Please, there must be something you can do!"

"Lady Celestine," the Knight bowed respectfully. "Like I told you earlier, these people have been begging us to help them; but I have told them, like you said, that we have to focus on keeping the people in the city safe."

The High Queen however held up a hand. "It is alright Leliana, I have found someone who can help," she said, gesturing to me. "Leliana, this is Sir James. Sir James, this is Leliana, Captain of the Guard here in Geofu," she introduced. After a brief shake of hands, Celestine continued, "Leliana, if you would please explain the situation, I would appreciate it. I will speak to the people," she told us, before moving away to talk with the crowd.

Leliana was a beautiful woman: Short violet hair in a bob cut, a decent pair of knockers, a little on the short side, and some nice shiny golden bikini that left almost nothing to the imagination.

"Well met Sir James, you may call me Captain Leliana. What do you know of the situation?"

Straight to the point too, I like that.

"Only what I overheard. Missing people, right?"

The Guard Captain shook her head. "Close, but it is actually captured people," she said, before gesturing to her desk. On it was a map of Geofu and the surrounding area. "During the Siege yesterday, some people were unfortunately captured. Normally, these people are considered lost to us. There are far too many caves and places for the beasts to hide for us to find without expending considerable resources on what would ultimately lead to us coming up empty-handed," she told me, and I nodded along before she continued. "However, this last siege, these people encountered a stroke of luck, you see, and they managed to coat one of the captors in goat's blood."

"How did that help?"

"They used a hunting dog. Eostian Hounds are remarkable at honing in on a scent and tracing it to its source."

Again, I nodded, that made sense. "But let me guess, you can't go after them because you don't have the manpower, right?"

Leliana's expression grew grim. "Unfortunately, that is the case," she said as one of her hands curled into a fist. "The one time we know where our people were taken, and we can't do a damn thing about it," she cursed silently.

"That's where I fit into the picture, isn't it?" I said, "You guys want me to go and rescue them right?"

She nodded. "Personally, I would prefer the Knights of Eostia took care of this. But as fate would have it, we have to depend on an outside party. I know how this works, you will be paid for every person saved from them, one hundred coins a head, any treasure you find inside their nest is yours. However, I need to make one thing perfectly clear." She leaned close with a darkening expression.

"I want each and every creature in that cave dead. This is just as much an extermination as it is a rescue. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," I agreed. I had no qualms about purging them if I could. I'll go full Goblin Slayer on their asses if fate wills it.

"Splendid. I'll have one of them meet you by the north gate, they'll lead you from there."

Celestine returned as we finished talking. "So, Sir James, are you willing to lend us your aid?" Asked the Goddess reincarnated.

I simply nodded. "I'll do my best."

The High Elf smiled. "I am glad, I shall ensure that proper care is ready for them when they return. Before you depart, however, we must make sure you are ready for the battle ahead," she told me, gesturing once more for me to follow.

"Come, there is only one place in Geofu that will have everything that you shall need," she said in a sweet voice, as she led me to the only place I could think of that would have had everything I required.

The marketplace.

She led me out of the castle, although there was something… off, about it. When she told the guards she would be going out for a bit, they gave each other strange looks and shrugs. They allowed us to pass, but that didn't exactly look like they weren't sure about it. Maybe I am overthinking it, an attack did just happen, after all. I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't keen on allowing their monarch outside so soon.

We got as far as the castle gates before Celestine stopped dead in her tracks.

"Everything okay?" I asked as I glanced over at her. Her emerald green eyes locked not on any one object or person, but on the area just outside the gates. Beyond a small bridge and moat was a town square with a fountain, the people there walking around on their normal affairs.

Some stopped and noticed Celestine and myself, and stared at us with mouths agape. A minute or so passed before Celestine answered in a voice that would have fooled me, if not for the fact that she froze up for a few moments.

"Yes, I am fine."

She gazed down at the stonework of the bridge and took a single step, almost as if she was afraid it would collapse under her feet. I managed to strangle a chuckle in my throat, this was precious in its own way. Maybe she had a phobia of bridges?

I took a few steps in front of her and reached out my hand. "Come on," I said, "I doubt it will just crumble under our feet."

The High Elf Queen looked up at me. "Yes... Right," she said hesitantly, before taking a slow breath and reaching for my hand. Her grip was gentle, but tight. Slowly, I began leading her over the bridge.

"See? Easy. I don't know about you, but I am glad to finally be out and about," I told her as we crossed. Maybe getting her mind off of it would help.

"Yes…" She replied quietly as she removed her eyes from the stone and looked to the sky. "As am I."

When we reached the other side, I released my grip on her hand. She, however, didn't release mine; in fact, I would say she was holding on tighter.

"You sure you're okay?" I asked, a bit concerned, and she gave a few quick nods. "Alright. Now… which way to the markets?"

Celestine raised her other hand and pointed at the exit of the square. "It's down that road," she said quietly.

I nodded. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's move on," I said as I began pulling her along. Dragging her might have been the better term, though, and she was gripping my hand as hard as she could manage, which wasn't exactly bone breaking. But still, I guess she was nervous?

About what, I've got no idea. Maybe I can ask later?

As we went, we passed a bunch of people, the city was almost cramped with how many folks were out and about. However, one thing struck me as odd as we wandered the paths of the city: Everyone else was staring at us. Even as they cleared the path to let us pass, they openly gawked at us.

"What's their deal?" I asked quietly. Celestine, however, didn't provide an answer, opting to let go of my hand and glue herself to my arm instead. On the one hand, I was taken by surprise at how soft and smooth her skin felt as she trapped my arm between her bosom and arms.

But on the other, this made me suddenly aware of something: My arm was caught between her tits, and I couldn't help but find myself heating up at the idea. My mind was practically screaming 'BOOBS! BOOBS ON THE ARM! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! GOD DAMN IT, RED ALERT!'

Thankfully, I managed to remain in control of my face and thankfully avoided making a fool of myself in front of everyone.

"Sir James?" I heard Celestine say, causing me to look down at that strangely cute and sexy face… and to get a clear view of my arm trapped in her cleavage.

"Can we hurry? Please?" she asked, as she glanced around at all the people. I could tell the stares were making her uncomfortable. I nodded, and hurried my pace, with Celestine holding onto my arm tight enough that I think she was cutting off blood flow.

Or maybe it was just being redirected...

"Cut into this alley, I estimate we can get to the market quicker if we go down that road…" She said quietly, before glancing around. "Less… traffic," she added. I gave a single nod and entered away from prying eyes.

"So, are you alright?" I asked, now that we were —sort of— in private, "You seem… I don't know, a bit nervous?"

Maybe not nervous exactly, but pretty damn close, if I had to guess.

"Yes, it has simply... " She hesitated, taking a few moments to consider her words. "I haven't ventured out in a long time. I never truly had a reason to, everything I would ever want is within the walls of the White Citadel. I cannot recall the last time I set foot outside of it," she told me with drooped ears and a bit of an ashamed face. "When I realized that you would need supplies for your quest, I recognized a chance to leave for the first time in a long while."

I found myself staring at her in pity. "Why don't you leave more often? I am sure the people would love to witness their Goddess strolling around every so often," I suggested.

After all, if she wants to walk around outside the castle, then why can't she? She's the highest authority in the land, right?

Celestine shook her head. "I am afraid that I have few reasons to leave," she told me in a gloomy voice, "I have duties to attend to, children to care for and raise, blessings and prayers to do. And with the war, it is becoming more dangerous for me to venture out, because of—"

"AAAAAHHHH! HELP ME! SOMEBODY!"

A sudden shriek interrupted her.

That scream was close by, and I found my legs moving of their own volition to the source, with Celestine following a few steps behind me.

The screams were persistent, and easily guided me to their source. After running through some more alleys and across the street, I found a small circle of people, and after pushing myself to the front, I beheld what caused the commotion: There was a young girl being dragged across the ground towards an opened sewer grate by a green midget.

Turns out they weren't midgets at all, but Goblins. I wasn't sure what part of my mind identified them, but I just knew that these were Goblins, probably because they looked like the most stereotypical goblin you could think of. Not many, five to be exact, but alarm bells were ringing in my head all the same. What were monsters doing here?! And why wasn't anyone doing anything?!

I saw them getting closer to the grate, and I knew what I had to do.

"Stay back," I told Celestine as I turned to face them. I didn't have a weapon right now, but there wasn't time to go searching for one.

The High Elf did as she was told, and remained back as I approached. "They must have gotten in during the siege yesterday," she deduced, peeking over my shoulder. "But why would they come out now?" She wondered as the small creatures locked their gaze on her.

I had to act swiftly, and rather than run for the girl right away, I went for the grate. One of the Goblins saw me running for it and tried to stop me.

Emphasis on tried.

As it reached me, I had swung my leg back, and with as much force as I could muster, I punted that little bitch like he was a god-damn ball. I couldn't help but smile to myself as I watched it snap its neck as it landed, but I shook off my feeling of pride and got to work pushing the grate closed.

"Oi! Some dick is trying to block the grate!" One of them called out before running at me as I stood up. I didn't want to be on its level when it reached me. Unlike the last one, I wasn't ready to kick it away, so instead I had to struggle with it as it jumped at me. I managed to catch it by its torso, but it began stabbing at my arm with a shiv made from a stick and a stone.

It didn't cut deep, but it did accomplish making me let go of it. I dropped it, and it fell on its butt as it landed on the ground. I glared hatefully at the thing before I raised my foot and stomped on its head, repeating that action over, and over and over again; until the bottom of my boot was now painted a fine, dark red color.

The other three watched with expressions that went from arrogant and cocky, to downright stunned and in disbelief of what they just witnessed. They waited a tense few moments before they realized their brother wasn't getting up.

"You'll pay for that!" Their leader called out as he let go of the girl and ran at me with his two compatriots. I managed to sidestep the first and second to jump, the leader and one of the subordinates, but the other managed to latch onto me. It grabbed onto my back and instantly began tearing my shirt apart and clawing my back up. I reached up to try and grab it, but it ducked under my grip and continued to slash into my rear.

I let out a pained grunt before tripping over the body of the one I curb stomped and landed on my back. Or rather, I squashed the Goblin between me and the ground. Thankfully, it let go and began reeling in pain on the street floor. When I got up, I prepared to stomp its head in just like the other, only to get tackled to the ground by the other two.

'If I live through this, I need a weapon,' I thought bitterly as I began rolling to try and shake them off. It didn't work great, but when they started trying to stab with their tiny knives, I started panicking, and promptly reached behind my head and thanked God for the fact that I managed to grab one. I yanked as hard as I could, pulled it off of my back and tossed it away.

I got up quickly and jumped backwards, slamming the one still on my back into the ground as hard as I could. I heard the bones in its tiny body crack as it let go and groaned in agony. As I watched the two writhe on the ground clutching their broken bodies, I noticed the last one was trying to lift the grate.

I refused to let that happen.

A few short strides, and I was back by the grate, dropping onto the metal disk as the Goblin held it open. It struggled to get through, only to have its entire body crushed between the heavy metal and the solid stone as it dropped the manhole cover. The monster screamed and screamed, before it finally died. The other two had been executed as the guards arrived.

Celestine was staring at me with her mouth ajar, in an expression I could only describe as awe. The crowd that had formed to witness the bloody scene had similar reactions.

"He killed them..."

"With his bare hands..."

"I thought that was impossible..." They whispered among themselves, but I didn't pay them any attention.

I approached the girl that had almost been a victim and offered my hand to help her get up. She took it without a word.

"Thank you..." was as far as she got before she burst into tears and wrapped her arms around me. "They were... They would've..." she said through sobs, "I thought Ken was safe..." she murmured into my shirt before her parents rushed over.

"Samantha!" the mother called out before wrapping her daughter in a hug. "You're okay!" she exclaimed as she enveloped her in a loving embrace. The father grabbed my hand and shook it fiercely.

"Bless you sir, Goddess bless you!" he said as he shook my arm, before quickly taking his daughter away with the girl's mother. The High Elf approached me after they left.

"That was a truly brave thing you did."

"I shouldn't have had to do it at all," I said as I looked at the two guards who were disposing of the bodies. "What took them so long?"

Celestine sighed. "We are spread thin with recent events. I must return to the Palace and take precautions to avoid this in the future," she said before noticing my arm. "You are hurt."

"This is nothing compared to yesterday, I'm fine," I tried to play it off, especially since I could heal myself now.

The Queen, however, would not have that. "Can you spare a few moments for me to heal you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I think I can."

With my acceptance, she began to channel her own magic into my arm.

'Healed twice in the two days I've been here,' I thought idly, 'I hope this doesn't set a running theme.'

Once she was done with my arm, she made me turn around and forced me to strip off the cut and ripped fabric of my shirt. I felt her work her magic on my back, and only then realized that the shirt in my hands wasn't exactly good anymore. I'd need to get a new shirt. I was going shopping anyway, might as well.

"There," said Celestine as she finished healing my arm, "Do you feel any more pain?" I shook my head at the question, giving a few test flexes to be sure.

"No," I replied as I moved my arm around, "Thanks to you, I am right as rain." I told her with a smile, and she returned it with one of her own.

God, how can someone so sexy be so cute? I don't get it.

"So, now that this crisis has been averted, shall we get going?"

Celestine opened her mouth to respond, only for a much louder one to drown out whatever she was going to say.

"LADY CELESTINE!" I heard an older and rougher voice call out as a bunch of men in almost pearly white armor highlighted with yellow accents burst into the scene. The one speaking must have been the leader, given his panoply: His armor was as ornate as it was bright, and clearly designed to invoke thoughts of a holy warrior.

Unfortunately, as he got closer and I got a better look at his faceplate, I could tell this guy was gonna be an ass. It had an angry, open-mouthed expression, the eyes had enough bars in front of them that I was skeptical this guy could even see; and by the sound of his voice, I knew this guy was going to be a pain in the butt.

As he approached, the knights accompanying him; these wearing less regal sets of armor, but still following the same color scheme and similar design, busied themselves by dispersing the crowd of people. They weren't being gentle about it in the slightest.

"What are you doing so far outside of the Citadel, Your Holiness!? It simply isn't safe!" He demanded to know.

You know what? That tone, I didn't like it.

"Who are you?" I asked, gaining the man's attention. He approached me and tried to intimidate me by standing almost a foot away from me and staring intensely at me. It might have worked, had I not already faced something a lot more dangerous than a guy trying to be scary.

"I am the Commander of the Blades of the Church: Maxwell Aufsehner the Thirteenth! Just as my father was before me, and my father's father was before him!" He proclaimed with a mixture of pride and arrogance. "And you are?"

"James Hind."

A part of me was upset I had no fancy title to shove in his face, but one thing at a time, I guess. I met his glare with my own. I could already tell I didn't like this guy. But to be honest, I don't think I can afford to like anyone here.

"Commander," Celestine addressed, "Is everything alright?"

The Holy Knight nodded. "Fine now, but when we received word of you leaving... Forgive me for saying so, but it created a panic, to say the least," he stated in a softer tone, but it was too late to make me change my mind about him.

"You know how dangerous it is to leave the walls of the White Citadel. That girl over there could have easily been you had we not been here."

I saw Celestine frown. "Yes... You are right," she said dejectedly, which made my eyes widen at how easily she caved in to their demands.

"I will accompany you back, but would you allow me a moment to speak with Sir James before we return?"

The Holy Knight gazed at her for a moment, then me, and said in an annoyed tone, "Fine, but be quick. I do not like leaving you in the open like this."

I saw a tiny smile return to her face as she turned and looked at me. "Sir James, thank you for taking me out. It has been far too long since I set foot outside the walls." She performed a slight bow, and… Dammit, I couldn't help but pay attention to her boobs as she bent forward.

"Unfortunately, though, our outing ends here. However, if you follow this street, the market should be at the plaza at the end," the High Elf informed. "I understand you have no money to spend, so have the shops you purchase from bill the Palace, we have more than enough for whatever supplies you deem necessary."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," I told her with a nod, before she returned to the Holy Knight, and the two began to move away, followed by the rest of the Blades that had accompanied this Maxwell guy. But as they went, I noticed the High Elf Queen appeared saddened by this.

"Hey, Celestine!" I called out, making her turn back to look at me, "Maybe we can do this again some other time?" I suggested.

On her face once again dawned a smile. "I believe I would like that, Sir James," she said, before they began going back again, until they were out of sight.

And now I was alone, in a city I didn't know, and the only guide I had was on her way back to the Citadel...

I turned and looked at the blood-stained street, just beginning to truly realize how close this world is to collapse. Not even the fortresses are truly safe due to these monsters, and if I hadn't been there, then that girl would have been abducted and raped.

...

No.

That won't be happening if I have anything to say about it.

But first things first, I have been given a quest, and I do hate leaving them incomplete.

I began following the signs to the Market District, and hoo boy, let me tell you that this was nowhere near what I expected. It blew those expectations out of the water. As I arrived, I saw almost a hundred people walking the square, visiting stalls, shops... Any sort of vendor you can think of, it was here. First though, I needed to find a blacksmith and get some actual armor, and maybe a sword and shield too.

Trudging through the crowd was tough, unexpectedly so, because I was getting pushed and shoved on my way through just as much as I pushed and shoved my way through. Unfortunately, my search for a blacksmith led me in a god-damn circle until I hit a stroke of luck and was bumped right into the smith shop, and into the smith herself.

It was strange, seeing the bare minimum clothing on someone whose livelihood is working with molten metal. But this was Kuroinu, so it was par for the course.

"Hey!" she yelled out as I bumped into her, "Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry Ma'am, just looking for the Blacksmith." I apologized as I backed away from the angry woman holding the hot iron rod.

Her brow furrowed. "What do you want with them?"

"I need armor, a sword and a shield."

The woman sighed. "You're too late, kid, Vault cleaned me out this morning," she told me, "Best I can do is an iron sword and a hide outfit, minus the helmet. Hardly better than what the guards wear."

I gaped. "You're joking."

Unfortunately, she was not. "Nope, the big bad Merc King is buying out all the metal and equipment he has for new hires, so my entire stock has vanished as of this morning."

"Why would he buy all that?" I was worried about the answer.

Thankfully, she shrugged. "Don't know, but word is he's getting ready for something big, and I mean big," she answered truthfully, "I personally think he's just waiting for an official order to storm the Dark Queen's Citadel. But if you want to know more, ask around a tavern, usually one of his members is drinking a fish under the table."

I nodded. "Thanks for the tip, but I can't leave empty-handed," I said, "I'll take the sword and hide, then. Send my bill to the castle."

The blacksmith nodded, before going to the back room. She came out a few moments later holding a dull iron sword and my new outfit, like she said.

"Alright, here you are."

Once she handed me the items, I hooked the sword's scabbard onto my belt, and put on my new outfit in a room she graciously let me use for a moment. Now wearing hide bracers, boots, and a new shirt with a small iron pauldron, I was starting to feel like a real adventurer.

After I left, I began searching for a potion shop, and soon found one. Like before, I found a woman in charge of the shop, and guess what? She was actually a witch, one that wore a dress that would make anyone wonder how in a world full of rape like this one, they still decided to run around wearing the most provocative clothing they can find. I asked her for what she had, but once again received bad news.

"Sorry, besides a few minor healing and stamina potions, I've got nothing," she said. "Kin, the mage of the Black Dogs, came by just the other day and cleaned me out. All the strong stuff takes time and ingredients to brew, and since the latter are hard to come by nowadays, I can only sell you the cheapest I can make."

I already knew why they cleaned her out. "All right, just give me what you can."

The witch nodded. "Why do you need this stuff anyways?" she asked as she grabbed a crate and began putting the bottles in it: six minor healing, and six minor stamina.

"Well, I need this for my new profession of being an adventurer. I have been asked to rescue some people who got captured in the raid yesterday."

I noticed her eye me with an intrigued expression. "An adventurer, you say?" she asked as I saw the cogs turning in her head. "That means you'll be out of the cities a lot..." she trailed off, gazing off into space, before a large grin formed on her face.

"Tell you what, I'll make you a deal," she said as she put the crate down on the counter. She bent over and began searching for something under the counter, and I couldn't resist the urge to peek over and smile at the sight.

Sue me, every woman I've seen has been eye candy here. I am going to enjoy it while I can. The witch jumped back up, holding a satchel in her hands, while I tried to act as if I wasn't checking out her ass.

"You are going to be outside in the wilderness right?" she asked, and I only nodded. "Then I'll make you a deal. I'll throw in this enchanted satchel, it'll let you carry everything without getting any heavier. However, in return you bring me ingredients to replenish my stock of potions and reagents. I'll even throw in a nice discount if you're still not convinced."

An infinity satchel for collecting plants?

"Lady, you've got yourself a deal," I said, holding out my hand for her to shake, and she did so with a smile. "Is there anything I ought to be looking out for?"

"Hawk feathers, giant rat hide and giant crab chitin, I need them to create cure disease potions. With so many people crammed, we are bound to get sick at one point or another. I'd rather have some ready to go just in case."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are giant rats and crabs common here?" I had to ask.

"Common enough, you can find crabs on river banks, they usually won't attack unless you wander too close, or they feel threatened. As for the rats, you can find them almost anywhere: fields, caves, in the forest... They're all over the place, seriously."

I nodded slowly, "Okay, I'll keep an eye out then, but for now I got to go. Places to be, people to save," I told her as I took the satchel and loaded the potions in. "Send my bill to the Castle, they'll cover it."

She smiled. "I look forward to the next time you visit," she said as she leaned over the counter. I stopped for a brief moment, admiring the cleavage presented, but I quickly shook my head and left. I had things to do, and I have ogled the fine women of this land enough for one day.

As I left, I tried out my new satchel, reaching in and feeling nothing, until I thought about the health potions. Hmm, so I have to be thinking about what I want to take it out? Okay, that's pretty cool.

What's next? I've got a sword and some protection, a few potions... Am I missing anything else?

I feel like I am forgetting something, but for the life of me, I can't recall what exactly. I sighed, I know I would remember it when I would need it, but for now, I needed to go. I couldn't afford to wait around and try to remember, especially when there were people suffering while I was trying to figure it out.

With my mind made, I began navigating my way to the north gate, and to no one's surprise, it was a giant fucking gate. There weren't many people there besides the guards, a few people talking about the horses at the stables, and one man standing next to a wagon, who made me nervous just by looking at him.

"You're who I'm supposed to look for?" I asked the fidgety man, who took one look at me and was decidedly unimpressed.

"You're who they are sending?" he asked in an almost annoyed tone. "I was expecting a giant of a man, like Vault!"

It was my turn to be annoyed now. "Well, you got me. Now, do you know where they are or not?"

He sighed. "Yes, but please tell me you're not the only one they've sent. I want my baby girl back, not a corpse!"

Oh... "I'll get her back, or die trying. But we need to go now, I don't want to wait around any longer than I have to." I told him, decidedly more serious than before.

With a nod, the man hopped onto his wagon. "Okay, get on," he told me, "I'll take us most of the way, then guide you to the entrance."

I nodded as I hopped into the back and sat down. A part of me was excited, this was my first actual quest, and another part of me was frightened that this was my first actual quest.

As the wagon began moving, I couldn't help but gaze back at Geofu, and hope that I'd live long enough to see this place again.


Special thanks to LittleWhiteMouse for proofreading this chapter, and helping me revise it.

AN: I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter.

IT SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THIS LONG TO MAKE!

I am so sorry for the wait, I can think of a hundred different excuses as to why it took so long, but the bottom line is I failed myself and I failed you. You all who have read this story, followed and favorited deserve better than what I can provide and I am sorry to say I failed you in that regard.

Know that I am not dead, and that I am still working on these stories, but I cannot promise the speed/consistency they will come out. I am sorry that I cannot make any assurances that they will come out fast or at the quality of others.

I am sorry, but I know that an apology won't really cut it for some of you. But there is nothing else I can offer at the moment other than my own word that I will try and get at least two more chapters out by the end of the year.

And once more I am sorry for being so slow.

Remember to leave a review, inform me of errors, all that jazz.

Have a Happy Halloween, stay safe, and please forgive me for making you wait.