Chapter 18

Perils on the Road

Year of the Realm 874/312 AC

The Kingsroad. Two thousand miles worth of road from Storm's End all the way to the Wall. Clive said it was the most impressive feat of a logistical nightmare on the voyage over…Cid was starting to think the lad wasn't having him on as they trudged along. Their stay in Winterfell had been comfortable enough, his arm didn't ache so much as once in all that time. Gently rubbing his left arm with his right hand, Cid couldn't help but wince out of reflex. Just thinking of the crystals curse was enough to set old wounds aflame again. "Not that the road ahead isn't injury enough to me," he sighs "How you two holding up?"

Colt and Rex rode just behind him. The Rosarian portion of their travel party firmly planted along the caravan. Three old dogs of war at the back, two of the youngest up at the front with Cody to keep them in line. Rex frowns as they ride past marshland. "If I have to travel any further like this, I might just start using those golden knights for target practice."

"Heh, not a fan of our lion lords?"

Cid chuckles as Rex curses, riding on up ahead. The Lannister knights' part of the royal procession was an acquired taste. No knight would be so vain as a Lannister knight in Cid's humble opinion. He'd never seen knights that spent so much time shining their armor, and so little sharpening their skills. Still, the way they acted as if they were better…Cid wondered if anyone had ever taught these green boys to think before they tempted the sleeping Coeurl.

"What about you Colt? Do you like our lion lords?"

Colt just chuckles, shaking his head "Never seen any lions before, but these look more like mewling kittens rather than the mighty beasts they claim as their sigil."

"Aye, not at all as fierce as those beasts...wonder if they even exist?" Cid smirks as a pair of passing knights bearing the sigil of the lion glare his way "Sorry lads, but it takes more than that to intimidate me."

Colt watched the knights ride off ahead "You sure that's wise?"

"Come now Colt, what's life without some entertainment? Would be boring the whole way south if we just left them alone," Cid smirks "Besides, I don't plan to let them walk all over me just because their armor is shiny and untouched. Where's the fun in that?"

Further up the line, Clive was brooding atop his horse as they continued their march south along the Kingsroad. Word up and down the procession was that the Crossroad Inn would be another day or two's travel away. If they reached it, then that meant they would be another week from Kings Landing and their journey's end. So, what was the problem? The problem was Clive had to watch every unfamiliar face around him, as well as every familiar face. Cody could be trusted to keep an eye on the Stark household for him, and Thorn would keep Goetz out of trouble since Cid was more likely to find it.

Clive!" Rex shouts as he approaches, horse settling into pace with Clive's "How goes it up here?"

"Not too bad…far enough away from the royals to not draw attention…but the lions don't seem to like us very much," Clive eyes a trio riding past towards the back of the line "I get the feeling a certain Queen doesn't like us at all, can't imagine why though."

"I could," the man chuckles "Foreign royals in her kingdom, knights that cannot be bribed and a certain rogue in our band who gets along better with her husband than any of her own people do with her…the lioness will want our heads, I'd bet my axes on that."

"She's free to try and take them then."

Rex chuckles "We still have a few hours of light left today…where are the hounds?"

"Now that you mention it…" Clive takes a quick look around, nothing but the Kingsroad and the caravan "Get Cid and Colt, we might just have a mess to clean up if Torgal and Ghost are missing."

"Still say that wolf is far too quiet," Rex mutters as he heads back down the line to grab the others.

While Rex did that, Clive broke away from the main procession. If Torgal and Ghost both were missing, then they had surely caught on to something. "R'hllor said I had seen through Torgal's eyes at Phoenix Gate…if I am a Warg then surely, I can do so again…I hope." He closes his eyes, gripping the reigns of his horse tight as he could "Focus Clive…just focus on Torgal…Torgal…"

For a moment his body slid back, eyes rolling up into his head before with a jolt it jerks forward. Clive grasps his head, right eye shut as he keeps his left on the path ahead. He hadn't taken control of Torgal like he had hoped, however, he did see a glimpse of where his companions had gotten off to. An open field just east of the Kingsroad, Cid and Colt would likely enjoy the side trip away from the Lannister's.

"I can't believe you dragged us out here into the middle of bloody nowhere," Cid grumbles as he lays in the grass besides Ghost "Couldn't even give us a warning, just had to make a run for it didn't we?"

Night had fallen just after they had found the two wolves. For some reason neither wanted to move from the hilltop they had claimed as their resting place. Rather than force the hounds to move against their will, the trio chose to wait and see just what it was that had brought them to this spot.

Clive sighs "Cid…we've discussed this enough."

"Wolves were tracking something, and you had to check what it was for the safety of the royal procession," Cid repeats almost verbatim what Clive had told him, and all while trying to find a cigar "Blast…guess I'm out."

"Finally, you run out of cigars, perhaps next you'll finally be cooperative instead of arguing with me."

Cid smirks "Tough luck on that, where else am I going to get my entertainment from?"

"If you both are done…I see movement, down the hill." Colt points downhill, down towards the marshes "I count four…no…six people."

Clive nods his head. There were indeed six of them, he could make out their shapes from the torches four carried. It looked like a band of knights but which lord or house they served he couldn't tell from his position. "Now why would you both lead me here?"

"Some say that animals know things we humans just never will," Cid chimes in "Disasters usually…or danger…but never a group of people like this. What you reckon they're here for?"

"Perhaps if you kept your trap shut Cid, we might hear something." Cid gave Colt a flat look, grumbling to himself about being stuck with this knight and not the more fun one.

Down below by the marshes was a strange sight. Amidst this band of five knights was an unarmed man, slightly big around the middle, and looking more morose than one might expect for a nobleman out with his guards. He would say they were his guards, but they were more akin to wardens as their sole purpose was to escort him to his destination…to his fathers' destination.

"Look at him, how did we get stuck with this job?" one knight complains "Can't lift a sword, can't ride a horse proper in a joust, can't even stand tall in the face of danger…all the effort our lordship went through to train him, and he couldn't even learn one skill."

"Probably spent more time around the kitchens, the glutton." Another sneers "What you suppose we should do with him? Killing him here would save us the trip, not like his lordship would care much."

"We do nothing," the other two turned, surprise written on their faces as they look to their leader for this trek across Westeros "We escort him to the wall as our liege lord commands, and we only kill him if he causes trouble for us. On our honor as knights of House Tarly that is what we shall do. Is that clear?"

"Not like we aren't getting paid either way," the first knight grumbles "Fat oaf won't be missed.

"Nor would you be if you failed his lordship."

"Out here? Those stories of Wildlings in the North are surely false," the knight laughs "Nothing out here but bandits and wildlife…doubtful a bandit can handle a real knight."

From atop the hill Clive formulated a plan. With a single look at Colt the two were on the same page as they slowly stood and made their way down the hill. Cid followed closely with the wolves, keeping watch over the band of knights below. They were halfway down the hill, the knights none the wiser, when disaster struck. There was a shout from the marsh, drawing the knight's attention away from the hill, as a group of bandits stormed the little camp.

"Always something," Cid mutters "To arms!"

The shout from the former Lord Commander of Waloed had the desired effect. The knights of House Tarly draw their weapons and prepared to fend off the attackers in the knight. Clive couldn't tell how many bandits there were, he could only see that they had the numbers advantage over the knights. As he and Colt reached the bottom Clive moved to secure the nobleman they were escorting. The lone combatant of the bunch, the man wasn't a fighter judging by his build, but he was smart enough to not draw attention once grabbed.

"You alright?"

"You shouldn't be doing this…you should let me go, they'll kill me if you don't."

"Kill you?" Clive and Colt share a look "Not on our watch they won't. Colt, keep an eye on him, will you?"

Samwell Tarly considered himself smarter than his brother and his father when it came to important matters of the world and how it operates. No one questioned that he was intelligent. As these mysterious knights pulled him away from the presence of his escorts…he wondered if the world was as clear cut as the maesters said it was. Growing up he spent more time with the maesters of Horn Hill than he did in the yard to train. He learned, he observed, he questioned, he grew in a way that his father didn't find good enough for a lord. For all that learning Sam found the world to be easy to explain when thought and time had been put into it. It did not prepare him for this.

There was a rush of heat, the field lit up by the flames surrounding Clive's left arm, as the First Shield of Rosaria stepped into the fight. A bandit, gleefully lunging for a knight of House Tarly, found himself consumed by a ball of fire and hurtled back into the marsh. Another took a sword to the stomach, slumping against Clive as the light left his eyes. But it wasn't just bandits that got their due. One of the knights, having turned to see if Sam was still where they left him, caught sight of Colt leading him back up the hill. Poor fellow could only get the others attention to their charges escape before being cut down by a man with a knife.

"Sorry about that," he says, easing the body gently to the ground "But I couldn't help overhearing your thoughts before, you won't interfere with their plans."

Two more of the knights approached the man "Who are you? Identify yourself!"

The man twirls the knife in his hand "Me? I am…a hunter of sorts. Not much a fan of knights who have no honor, or of lords abusing their power…as for my name, that's not important. What is important is that I'm not the one you should be worried about."

"What are you talking about?"

The man smirks "Oh, you'll figure it out."

The two knights shared a look. Before they could raise their swords, they were knocked to the ground with a boisterous laugh, the great brute standing over them wielding a flail of all things. With a single motion he brought the spiked end of his weapon down, cracking the armor on one knight's back as the spikes dug into the man's spine. "Someone call for a wrecking ball?"

"Easy Wrecker, we want to keep this other one alive and unspoiled…for now," the man gives the knight still conscious and breathing a predatory look "So…how's about you tell me and my big friend here what you were doing travelling with a lordling this far from home, and maybe I won't sell you out to the fine gentlemen slaughtering your comrades."

The knight grits his teeth. Turning his head, he could see what these sellswords meant. The bandits that ambushed them were hardly a threat, being cut down by these other men with an ease he had never seen in his life before. Clive was on a rampage of sorts as he cut down the bandits, blade bloodied and body burning up from the fire within as he pulled Invictus free of a fresh corpse.

"So…who is next?"

Cid frowns, kicking the body of a knight over with his boot "Well…you've managed to slaughter everyone here…everyone except for our three friends over there." He gestures to the stragglers "What? Getting tired already?"

"Colt!" Clive shouts as he approaches the men "With me, we seem to have a development to investigate."

"Always something," the knight sighs as he falls into step with his liege.

As the night began to wane, Clive kept his stern gaze at the two sellswords before him. Torgal and Ghost by his side, the men would not dare to move in any way lest they become dinner for the hounds. Colt had dragged the prisoner away, quite literally kicking and screaming, for an interrogation. Cid was off to the side, checking over the only noncombatant of the bunch. Depending on what they both told him, Clive would have a choice to make.

"So, let me see if I have this right…you both are sellswords, hired by these bandits to assist in some big score on the road. And said score was the capture of a noble's son being escorted to the Wall by a small group of knights…do I have that right?" Clive narrowed his eyes upon the two. The big one seemed nervous enough, but it was the shorter one he was concerned about. That man didn't so much as flinch, the way he stared defiantly back at Clive however…it impressed him.

"Sounds about right so far," the man says slowly.

"You understand that if my comrades tell me something else, something that I do not like…your lives are forfeit. Understand?"

"Long as you make it quick."

Ghost growled at the man, taking a single step forward.

"Clive!"

The First Shield sighs "What now? What is it Cid?"

Cid smiles, arms outstretched as he approaches with the nobleman behind him "Well I just thought since you dragged me out into the middle of nowhere in the night, the least you could do is look pleased to meet a new friend of mine."

"A friend?" he deadpans at the older Dominant "You made a friend? Here?"

"That's right," he claps the nobleman on the back "Say hello to my new friend Samwell Tarly."

"Tarly…why does that name sound familiar?"

"They were Dragon supporters in the rebellion." Three sets of eyes focused on the big man as he spoke up "They supported them against King Robert, Randyll Tarly even had battle plans that would have won the war…but Mace Tyrell botched it when he laid siege to Stannis' army at Storm's End instead."

"Good job Wrecker, you just shocked our captors good with that one," the other man chuckles.

Wrecker, which far as Clive was concerned was more spot on for a name as any, looked sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head "Couldn't help myself Hunter, didn't mean nothing by it."

"No, no…that's very good actually," Cid smiles up at the big man "Tell you what, soon as we get you back to the others, there's a friend of mine I just know you'll like."

"Cid."

"Right, right…" Cid coughs "Well, as it turns out…Sam here is the eldest son, but there's a problem with that."

"What kind of problem?" Clive could feel a headache building. And of course, it just had to be when Cid was left in charge of something or someone rather.

"My father disowned me," Sam says quietly "He…he didn't like that I wasn't the brave knightly type…said I should consider myself lucky to be banished to the Wall, said he'd kill me if I ever returned to Horn Hill again…didn't even let me say goodbye to everyone before he had me escorted out."

"Quite right but get this…Sam here is a brilliant lad, old Tomes himself might just be giddy with the prospect of teaching him. He doesn't belong at the Wall with the criminals, I say we send him on his merry way to the Citadel…what do you think?"

Clive had to resist the urge to smack Cid upside the head. Seeing the smile on that man's face was enough to give him a headache, and that smile just kept growing, like a cat that caught the canary. "I'll bite…why exactly should we send him to the Citadel, Cid?"

"Because, if good ol' Sam here can get inside…he can get us what we need for you."

Realization dawns on Clive. This mad man…this absolute…mad man! "You cannot be serious. Sending in one of our own would be difficult enough but sending in someone we do not know to find something that important…you are certifiably insane!"

"For those of us who do not know what you both are muttering about?" Hunter interjects "An explanation would be appreciated."

Clive gave the man a fierce glare, some of his flames backing it as he whirls on Cid "Absolutely not!"

"Just hear me out first Clive, I promise you this will work."

"I have heard you out, and I say no, that is final!"

"Begging your pardon, Lord Rosfield?" Clive's glare slowly dimmed as he regarded the timid man, Sam, as he tried to muster up the courage to speak further "Ser Cid told me what it is that would be expected of me…I am happy to repay this debt that I owe you, and if what he said was true…I would be even happier to do something my ancestors would be proud of in helping you fulfill your destiny."

Clive wouldn't say this was the worst night of his life. Phoenix Gate surely held that title. Having two sellswords coming too close for comfort with learning details they should not be privy too…that was a close one. Having a grown man practically throwing himself into a life of servitude, or even worse death, for him…that was too much. "Sam…if you do this, you must promise me that at the first sign of danger you will forget about our request. It is not worth your life, do you understand?"

"Of course! I…still, I will do what I can and ser Cid already explained if something happens then I send a coded message."

Cid couldn't help himself as Clive's gaze came back to focus on him. He gave his signature smirk and watched as the lad looked like he might burst into flames just from the sight of it. "I'll even escort him there myself, shouldn't be gone more than a month…or two…maybe less when it's just me though?"

Clive sighs. Fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "If there's nothing else…make sure he gets there in one piece Cid."

"Will do," Cid throws an arm around Sam's shoulders, turning the poor man around "Now…let's see if we can't find some horses left unattended, eh?"

Clive turns back to Hunter and Wrecker. "As for you two…name your price. You're sellswords, you always have a price, we are willing to pay it…but only if you will be loyal to us."

Hunter and Wrecker share a look. A mental debate passing between the pair before they both shrug "Long as you prove to us that you aren't like every other lord in the realms, we'll be loyal, for free too."

As Colt approached, fresh blood from their late prisoner staining his armor, he can't help but feel he has missed something with how Clive looks ready to snap and two more 'strays' have joined their retinue. "I should have switched places with Rex."

Clive enters the Rosarian tent the next morning, nodding his head to Joshua as he does. Jote was seeing to his injuries, darkened patches of skin on his back from an earlier engagement in Valisthea. "How goes it out there?"

Clive frowns, arms folded across his chest "How's your back?"

"It's better than it looks," the boy-king winces as his attendant dabs at his injuries "But if it's an identity you want, I cannot help you…but these old wounds are healing…if I could just use my magic they would be gone by now."

"You didn't finish healing before we arrived here?"

"No…his Eikon, Clive, it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. A great burning flame in the night, not even Phoenix could stand up to it. I dread to think of the damage he could be doing back home if what I believe to have been him holding back could leave such a mark on me." Joshua's hands form into fists as he holds back another wince "Please…worry not for me, I will be fine, they are just scarring now is all."

"Scars that still bother you brother," Clive's frown deepens "Tell me…did he say anything? Do anything strange?"

"No…it's like I said in Port Isolde, and to the others on the voyage here. Whatever his Eikon is, that man wields it like it were a sword in his hand. He is far too powerful a foe for us to face alone." Joshua sighs as Jote ceases tending to his old injuries "What about you? I notice a distinct lack of Cid with you."

"Cid is going to be busy for a while…a month or two perhaps, we gained an ally it would seem, as well as some potential recruits to our cause."

"Recruits? An ally?" Joshua smiles "You've been busy it seems."

Clive shrugs "I wouldn't exactly call it busy…so much as lucky. While Cid escorts our ally to his destination, we did gain unlikely support tonight. Two sellswords, call themselves Hunter and Wrecker…odd names, though for mercenaries who've had to scrap by with what they had I suspect more noble backgrounds. No doubt they wish to remain unknown by their families."

"Agreed...shall we bring them in on our little ruse?"

"No, not yet at least. We'll wait until the tourney is over, then see what their reaction is before we bring them into the fold."

Joshua laughs lightly, Jote giving him a concerned look as he coughs "Well…I'll leave it in your capable hands then. We should get some rest. The coming days will be difficult enough without us all falling over ourselves."

Indeed, the coming days were difficult. Between claims from Prince Joffrey of Torgal attacking him, Cid's sudden trip, and having to deal with the idiocy of the Lannister knights…arriving in Darry was not the wonderful moment Clive was hoping it would be. But there was a saving grace to dealing with the Lannister's; Clive had ample opportunity to spread his name among the smallfolk.

"Better watch yourself in the melee," Clive spared the speaker a glance, looking up at the half-burned face of the prince's sworn shield, the Hound "You won't be so lucky then."

Clive chuckles "If luck were even half of what I had, you might just be right Sandor. But if your masters weren't so underhanded, we wouldn't be crossing swords until then."

Sandor Clegane snorts "That butcher's boy only still breathes because of you. I won't touch him…but when the tourney begins, your head is mine, Rosfield."

Clive watches the brute known as the Hound walk off. Smirking as a lower speaking voice pipes in "He seems pleasant, reckon I should give him a warning?"

"No, I think it best we leave the Hound to his anger for now. His pride is hurt after all, it would be cruel to knock him flat on his back a second time in a week."

Hunter doesn't look nearly as convinced as Clive would have thought he'd be. The man was with them for only a few days, close to a week, and already he had shown himself to be quite intelligent. Something odd given his alleged background as the son of a carpenter. "What about the Melee? Tournament like that one will draw attention; you'd be surrounded by knights loyal to her."

"You just leave that to me; we all have some ideas for that."

"Long as those ideas don't get me and Wrecker killed, I'll follow them accordingly." Hunter's face grew serious, more so than Clive thought it already was "Any word on our supply trouble?"

Clive frowns. Since arriving at Crossroads Inn and then Castle Darry, their procession of people had been hit with a string of missing supplies. The king in his 'infinite wisdom' waved it off as nothing more than rats. Suffice to say that they weren't so easily fooled. "Rex and Colt have a plan for that, we just have to be patient and hope nothing goes awry."

"Knowing them, this plan will be a spectacle." Hunter snorts "What do you suppose it is?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now, would it?"

Hunter smirks, drawing one of his daggers "So, I let you handle the supplies, and you leave me with…the royals? Hard to believe the old man trusts you so much."

"It isn't a matter of trust," Clive corrects "Cid just knows that the majority of our party would follow me…granted I doubt Rex truly follows me out of duty but in hopes to not get in trouble with Cody."

"Smart man, that Cody is not a knight I would want to cross, not even on his worst day."

Clive chuckles as he catches Hunter's shiver. Cody had shown the two sellswords quite quickly just which knight they should obey and fear. He took great pride in getting the two into line with Colt and Thorn. Rex however was another story, that man refused to give either of their new members a chance to rest but he the results spoke for themselves. Wrecker was a strong one, big and large, but he was not as educated as most knights were. According to Hunter, the next of kin were not the greatest of people, nor were they among the living any longer.

As for Hunter, he spoke little of his past or Wrecker's when it wasn't important. Far as Clive could figure, they were nobles from minor houses of little importance, hated the system they lived in, rebelled for a better life…and wound up with them. Something about how smooth that was just rubbed him the wrong way. Unbidden, a memory came to Clive…one that left him feeling even colder inside than normal.

"Everything in its proper place," he mutters, staring off into the distance.

"What was that?"

Clive blinks, coming back to his senses "Apologies…just lost in memory is all."

"I know that look." Clive doesn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction "You miss someone you were close to, you lost them along the way and now you don't know what to do without them."

Clive chuckles "No…just remembering something from the past, before I got this brand and my life was no longer my own."

Hunter let the subject go, his ears twitching as he hears something. Clive froze, hearing it too, as the sound drew closer. Rounding the bend, and tossing a loaf of bread behind them, were two boys. They were young enough, no older than maybe fourteen or fifteen years old. The one at the front dug his feet into the dirt, skidding to a stop before the pair as the other crashed into him from behind, sending them both to the ground.

"There you are!" came an angry shout, a large man huffing and puffing as he approaches, wielding a mallet "Thank you kindly sers for stopping these two thieves!"

"We aren't thieves!" the one on top says, glaring at the man "We paid for that bread, every last coin worth!"

"Technically we did steal that other loaf," the one on the bottom groans "But that was just because he charged us for two instead of one."

"Not the time Jon!" the top boy hisses into the others ear.

Clive and Hunter share a look. With a nod of his head, Hunter steps back, going on a search for Rex. Clive crosses his arms, taking in the situation before him "And just what is the problem exactly? You charge them more than the bread is worth, then complain when they take their fair share for what they paid for? If you ask me…you are the criminal here."

The man sputters, gripping his mallet…he hesitates as the boys get to their feet, daring him to do something. Seeing Clive move to draw his sword the baker lowers his mallet and huffs, stomping off as the boy's grin.

"Ha ha!" one boy cheers, jumping mid exclamation "You see that!? That baker looked like he was going to pop he was so red!"

"Jack?"

"Oh, wait till I spin this one at the tavern."

"Jack."

"I bet that will get a good laugh out of some of those stuffy knights for sure."

"Jack!"

"What!?" the boy, Jack, shouts as he turns, freezing as he sees Clive still looking straight at him "Uh oh."

"Jack, was it?" the boy gulps. Clive smirks, this must be what Cody felt like catching him and Rex when he was a boy "You aren't free just yet. First, you and Jon here have some explaining to do."

"Pft, what do we have to explain to you?" the boy retorts "Jon and I can take you by ourselves."

"That a fact?" The boys froze up as Rex and Hunter returned. The older Rosarian knights glare freezing them in place "If you ask me, you boys are due some training in discipline."

Clive holds up his hand, stopping the man from going further in intimidating the lads "Before Sir Rex makes you regret being troublemakers…tell me, just who are you both?"

The boys grin, Clive narrowing his eyes as identical smiles appear on their faces. "We, are the Voltes Twins!"

Jon sighs "I am Jon Voltes; this is my twin brother Jack Voltes…we are…"

"Runaways," Hunter supplies with a smirk "House Voltes is small, almost nonexistent even, and no lord or lady of a noble house would interact with them. Not even a minor house if I'm honest. If anything, the family is better off without them living under the same roof."

"Hey! You want to say that again!?"

Clive ignores Jack's outburst "Why is that?"

"Because the family is so poor, they are just a step above being smallfolk." Hunter frowns, eyeing the two boys "No doubt you both ran away from home because you thought it would make life better for the family, right?"

Jack looks away, Jon, however, gives a solemn nod of his head.

"Thought so. If you want my opinion, we can't leave them on their own." Hunter narrows his eyes on the pair "But then again…I think I know where our supplies have gone off to. You boy shave been picking away at them, haven't you?"

"Not my fault the king likes salted meat," Jack mutters.

Rex lightly brings his fist down on the boy's head "That mouth of yours surely gets you into worse trouble than it will here…that settles it then. With the way you both are, you will do no one any good out on your own."

Clive laughs "I suppose that you and Cody have an idea?"

"Cody will agree, so will Colt," The look Rex gives the boys elicits a full body shiver "How would you boys like to be knights one day?"

"Jon?"

"Yes Jack?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

AN: ...I am not dead. 17 got delayed BECAUSE this chapter was so f***ing difficult to write. …and I may or may not have gotten sick in the middle of trying to write this. For the record, when I made the guideline for the future of this story there was indeed a chapter 18 but that has since become 19 because I forgot that I needed this abomination to my health because without it we wouldn't be rounding out our cast with some new faces…seriously, just plopping them anywhere wouldn't make sense. But most importantly…we have the set up for a MAJOR moment later with Sam here. What's the moment you may ask? Well…I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the obvious that may or may not be as obvious as I think it is. Let's just say something you all have been waiting for is officially getting a countdown. As of this chapter I would say…11, maybe 12 chapters from now.

Anywho…we've now covered one major plotpoint, introduced four new characters to our growing roster and no doubt offended some people along the way. Let me clear some things up then for those still paying attention rather than leaving early. Hunter and Wrecker…not so much an "I could not resist" decision as they were more planned out. One buddy suggested putting them in and given the background I came up with it kind of works far as the names go. Both are sons of noble lords, not heirs, but don't like how the nobility treats the smallfolk. So they went off on their own and became sellswords, and before you ask YES…Hunter did in fact remove Wrecker's abusive family from the Game of Life. It isn't really a spoiler tbh, nothing planned as of this moment for that to be a big deal…though it will be relevant for things he may say or do or feel. Wrecker is also a bit of an odd ball…not the same as canon for him, but not exactly different either…I kind of wrote him as a blend of a bashful big brute but still with that rough exterior that loves combat…yeah, don't try to make it make sense, not even my brain understands why that just fits.

As for the boys…I actually took two characters of my own and just gave them 'Echo' and 'Fives' for a basis….spoiler alert…they are essentially Echo and Fives…seriously. Twin boys, runaways, one smart and by the book, one not smart and ready to fight…this one is more of a whim because I feel like there just isn't enough chaos in this band of heroes. We have Cid…we just needed more, and with him being gone for a while, this now gives Clive a constant headache and eventual entertainment when the boys meet Cid. Win-win. But don't think that anything I say is for the immediate future, remember there's a LOT of ground to cover between now and the actual finale way in the future.

Just trust me on this, I didn't exactly plan this chapter to be such a brick wall, though I did finish a lot of the bigger project…so you have that to look forward to. Now, lets get to the juicy bits….

Guest (We'll call you 'Frank' for this one): Dear Frank….if it's not for you, why review? No, really, why do it? You said you don't understand why Elwin would adopt Jon…but it was explained why. So, did you not read it? Was it confusing? Because one of those is on you, the other is something I must go back to and correct. So, which was it?

Guest (Tom): I forget if there was another 'Tom' Guest but we'll call you Tom because it is early in the morning and I am too tired to go back and check. Glad you enjoyed it, hopefully the rest of it didn't lose you…and if this chapter somehow doesn't, then that will be a real miracle.

Jebest4781: Somehow, someway, it got done…frankly, I wish I just ignored what I needed and just plead ignorance or something. Would have been a lot less of a hassle.

RedAlpha22: Not going to lie…going into this story, the comparison to the Targaryen's was not something I had thought of. It wasn't until I started to replay the game that I realized the potential it had/has. And well…it isn't going to be any easier in the future.