Chapter 19 – Party Dynamics

Despite the quickness of the quest, Reina felt like a proper adventurer. They returned to the village and informed the chief of their completed task. As an additional show of thanks—of a sort—Chief Gralin allowed them to stay in the village for the evening, spending the night in the shaman's hut.

This place was much more conforming to Reina's expectations. Inside were countless herbs, dried animal and monster bits, and clay potion containers. The space used for the shaman's meditation was used as their sleeping area.

After setting her additional treasure from the dragon's cave inside, Reina went back outside to look around the village. A single order from the chief was all it took for them to treat her friendly. That was probably more directed to that one druid, who seemed to do her best to not be around Reina. The other villagers continued to whisper about her when she looked at them, which was fine by her.

Near one such group was her party wizard, who made eye contact with her. Maria quickly pulled her hat down to cover her eyes and turned away.

"I'm about done with that now." Reina sighed as she started walking to where Maria floated.

The wizard picked up on her movement and drifted away from the nearby Gromnar. She disappeared behind one of the large huts, prompting Reina to quickly go around the other side. They met in the back, startling Maria. Before she could turn to leave again, Reina reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Alright, what's up?" Reina decided to settle things. "Why have you been so quiet? Was that kiss really that big a deal?"

"It's nothing, Boss." Maria tried to pull her arm free, but Reina's grip held firm.

"It's not nothing." Reina argued. Her 180 in attitude could end up being fun, but it was starting to look like a detriment.

Maria struggled for a few moments longer before relenting. She looked to Reina, her cheeks visibly red as her mouth moved in an attempt to form words.

It almost felt awkward holding onto Maria, but Reina thought the flirty wizard would try to flee again if she didn't.

"Boss, do you…" Maria said, barely a whisper. "What do you think of me?"

"Flirty." Reina said the first thing to come to mind. "You're good at magic and you know a lot of things."

"What else?" Maria pulled her hat down again with her free hand.

"You're good in a fight and able to handle being in dangerous situations well. Despite the amount you tried to cram into my head, you're also a good teacher." Reina opted to expand on what she already said.

"T-That's, um…that is to say…" She fumbled with her words.

Reina pulled her closer. "If this is some sort of trick to get me to drop my guard before you get all touchy again, well, it's working, but I'm going to be mad."

That had to be it. No one who was like…that could possibly be so meek after a single kiss. Vyrdrun gave her a kiss on her head and she didn't act anywhere close to this. Hell, Reina handled herself far better after waking up on top of Vyrdrun—naked—when she got hit by the violet rain.

Maria peered at her from beneath the brim of her hat. "Do you…like me?"

Unblinking, Reina just stared up at her.

"This has to be a joke." She reasoned. "One kiss did this to her? I don't buy it."

Reina pulled Maria closer again, gripping her other arm as well. Maria was pushed back against the hut. Her staff clacked against the wall and her hat was pushed at an angle as her head retreated as far back as it could go.

Brown eyes stared into wide red ones, the latter of which were shaking to keep contact. Despite her height, Reina had Maria against the wall at an angle, keeping their heads at the same level. Swallowing, Maria took in a sharp breath. She screwed her eyes shut and kept her mouth slightly open, almost as if she was inviting…

"She's serious!" Reina realized.

All the times Maria messed with her it felt like a joke. It probably was, too. There was fun to be had in messing with someone who was uncomfortable with those types of things, something Reina was truly becoming aware of this day. She was half tempted to continue doing so, but she didn't want to go that far.

"But still…" Truth be told, she didn't hate the times Maria flirted with her. She'd even go so far as saying she was flattered. It wasn't like she was interested in any boys from her class in school, let alone the guys in her gaming group. That wasn't to say she liked girls either, especially not Bo.

That, however, didn't mean she was against the idea. She just never found anyone who shared her interests enough that wasn't also at least eight years older than her. Maria didn't really either, but then again they were living in a deadly adventure together. She also didn't look that much older, still probably college age.

What Reina said before was true. Maria did teach her more about this world, going into far more detail than was strictly needed, or retained. Despite her indignation at the idea of being a body pillow, her sleep was rather relaxing.

"Do I actually like her?" This wasn't something Reina ever experienced before, so she didn't have a clear answer. But, she did have a simple way of getting a clue about it. All she had to do was move her head half a foot closer.

She didn't really feel anything the first time, but that was mostly a way to get Maria to stop her antics. Now, with the flirty wizard there practically begging for a kiss, Reina could feel the difference. That's why, as she slowly inched her face closer, her heart began to beat faster and harder in her chest.

"Almost there." Reina closed her eyes as she neared Maria.

Kiss.

Reina jerked her head to the side. Two Gromnar children quickly backed off, turning about and running away.

"We got them!" The boy yelled while the girl laughed. They disappeared around the building, chatter with other children soon filling the air.

Reina simply blinked as she stood there, rubbing her cheek. "What the hell…"

When she looked back to Maria, she found the wizard doing a similar act. The anticipation from before was muted, replaced with a look of disappointment.

"Okay, explain that right now!" Reina demanded, pointing to where the children fled.

"It's a joke." Maria said, dropping her arm. "Gromnar children kiss each other as a sort of prank."

"Why is that…no, never mind." Reina knew cultures could be very different. That did bring to mind something else highly relevant to their current situation. "Vyrdrun kissed you."

"Oh!" Maria's face reddened at that. "Y-Yes. That was, um, to say…" She was fumbling for an answer again.

"I'm waiting." Reina crossed her arms. If she wasn't going to figure out one thing, she'd settle for another.

Maria pulled her hat down once more. "I made a joke that I was feeling extra anxious about fighting in the Wave, so he did that to help calm me down."

"Explain." That was one of Reina's guesses before.

"It's common for Gromnar parents to do that when their children are scared or worried. Same with older siblings. Shamans are sort of like a backup parent for kids who lose one or both, and it helps the shaman learn to help with small scale matters before going into bigger ones for the tribe." Maria explained. "And Vyrdrun is kind of like the big brother I never had. O-Of course, he's not really an older brother to me!"

"He's not?" Reina asked. That was certainly how it was sounding. "I know Gromnar can be older than they look, so I was starting to think he was somewhere in his late 20s."

"O-Oh…" Maria held her hand to her mouth. "I thought you knew…since the way he looked…"

"What do you mean?" There wasn't anything strange about his appearance. He was tall, just like the other Gromnar. Though, he was quite a bit shorter than the other adults, even a few of what Reina assumed were in their late adolescent years. He also didn't have the head nodules the other men and older boys had…

"Wait." Reina really didn't like where this line of thought was taking her. "He's not a child, is he?"

Sighing, Maria shook her head. "You really don't know that much about Gromnar. I'm not blaming you!" She quickly added, though Reina didn't plan on retorting about that. "I know Gromnar can be a bit difficult to speak with. In terms of Gromnar, he's about the same age as you."

Reina could feel her body recoil at the way she phrased that. "Then…"

"Vyrdrun is likely about 14 years old." Maria hit her with a heavy bit of news.

"He's a kid!" Reina yelled.

Maria shook her head again. "Humans finish growing around 20 years of age at latest, but we're considered adults around 15. For Gromnar, they finish growing at 15, but reach 'adulthood' at about 12." She folded her hands together. "Likewise, we generally live until our 80s, but Gromnar don't usually last longer than 55. Druids are an exception, living to over 100 years."

Reina stood there, staring. It felt like such a short life. True, a world like this would have a lot more death from battle, but it felt like Vyrdrun would miss out on so much.

"That's not all." Maria added. "To become a shaman, Gromnar boys are tested when they're eight. If they have the right qualities, they take a potion made from violet rain as part of their ritual."

"What…does that do?" Reina felt afraid of what the answer might be.

"I'm sure you've guessed some of it." Maria said. "It stunts their growth, preventing them from gaining the same physical traits as other men. Their emotions are also dulled, making them think things through more logically. It helps with coming up with solutions for their tribe's problems. And…it makes them sterile. The ones that survive, anyway."

Reina looked on in horror at what was just described to her. To go through all that, just to be able to do magic, it was all too terrible.

"You probably don't like that." Maria deduced. "I couldn't imagine having to give up the potential of being a parent to gain magic."

"But what about druids?" Reina quickly asked.

"They don't need to do that." Maria told her. "The women who are capable of magic realize it around 40 years old. Then their aging decreases even further."

"Then why go through all that? Druids have magic!" Reina demanded.

"Because shamans are stronger." Maria said, as if it was simply a sad truth of the situation. "And because how few Gromnar have the right traits, about 1 in 10. That's why most Gromnar tribes I've visited have a handful of druids but only one shaman and his apprentice. Druids are primarily the lore keepers, shamans are the mages. It's also part of the reason why that druid was in the city instead of the shaman. If something happened, they couldn't replace the shaman right away, but there were other druids. Shamans tend to stay in and around the tribe's village."

More pieces began falling into place. Reina always thought Vyrdrun was just going out into the world to learn more about it, but that couldn't be right. Shamans were too important to their tribes. If a young shaman like Vyrdrun was out exploring the world, he likely didn't have a home to return to.

"I should have talked with Vyrdrun more." Reina lamented.

"Didn't I tell you? It can be hard talking with Gromnar. Besides, he's not bothered by that sort of thing." Maria reminded.

"Right. Because of their ritual." Reina let out a bitter laugh.

"Yeah…" Maria unfolded her hands, letting one run up her own arm. "But I did think you knew about that before, when you kissed me."

Reina quirked an eyebrow at her, prompting an explanation.

"I thought maybe you talked to Vyrdrun and found out why you couldn't, you know…get with him."

"Oi." That wasn't an incorrect conclusion to draw, seeing as Vyrdrun probably wouldn't be able to reciprocate any romantic feelings sent his way.

"And so maybe you wanted to be with me instead." Maria quickly added. "I know it sounds dumb, but…I don't hate the idea or anything…"

Reina sighed and paused to collect her thoughts. If this was what Gromnar did, it wasn't really her place to complain about it. Vyrdrun did once mention using violet rain to trade with other tribes. It was a good bet that had something to do with the ritual. And it wasn't like she couldn't see the merit in having a strong village mage. Whatever older shamans were capable of, surely it was necessary, especially since Gromnar had to fight against humans at times. It wasn't like she saw any blacksmiths to make weapons or armor here, so they had to rely on simpler weapons and their own greater stats. That, and taking what they could from humans, like the group that went into the abandoned city.

As for Maria's proposition…

"I've never really been interested in relationships." Reina said.

"Oh…" The amount of dejection of Maria's face was plain to see.

"But since I came here, I've apparently gained a big brother." Looking back, that was kind of how Vyrdrun had been treating her, at least by Gromnar standards with their lack of propriety about clothing and personal space. "And sleeping next to you has been…comforting."

Now, Maria's face brightened like she just one some grand prize. "Oh my~! Does that mean you've fallen for me?"

And just like that, her personality was back to what it was before. Fortunately for Reina, she knew how to turn that off. She stepped over to Maria, wrapping her arms around the taller woman by her waist. The effect was immediate, the stuttering from the wizard earning a predatory smile from Reina.

"Maybe I have~." Reina mimicked her tone. "We've been adventuring for a bit now. I'd like to think we've grown a bit…closer."

"Mm, I, that's…" There was tugging at Reina's arms, the wizard desperately trying to float away. This was a fine example of their difference in stats. Strength and attack, in that order, played a role in holding while strength and defense were for breaking out of one. With the ease in which Reina kept Maria in place, she clearly had her beat on both fronts.

"And based on what you mentioned earlier, you plan on having kids one day." Reina added. "What I brought back from the cave can help with that."

She was, of course, referring to the dragon egg that was left untouched by the poison. It wasn't the only one. Three out of the batch were still fine, but two were given to the Gromnar shaman. It wasn't as if Reina's party would be able to handle all of them anyway, and they made for a nice gift. That was likely part of the reason they were welcomed inside the village.

Reina leaned as close as she could to the wizard's ear and whispered. "When the egg hatches, I'll be like its mother. You could be the sister, an auntie, or…mom~."

"Mm!" Maria's mouth was clenched shut. The blush on her face was there for all to see.

Reina gave her another smile before releasing her, allowing her to float back and up away from Reina.

While the air between them wasn't completely cleared, Reina at least now had a good weapon to use. Truthfully, Reina really was becoming fonder of the big flirt. On some level, the loss of potential for anything between her and Vyrdrun may have played a part in her change.

Of course, seeing the flustered face of Maria was a huge perk. She really would consider being closer with the woman. She also saw how truly fun it was to make someone so embarrassed.

"Well, it's her fault she awakened this in me." Reina rationalized as she made her way back to the shaman's home. "And, hey, if I really do end up falling for her, that would be at least one good thing about me being summoned to this world."

~Forging Legends~

The night came and went. After an hour of riding in the cart, the group arrived back in the Adamantine Gate city. They came with the three druids, the shaman, and two dozen Gromnar warriors. Seeing how important the magical giants were, Reina wasn't at all surprised. Chief Gralin stayed behind with the remaining warriors, just in case anything came by.

"Dispersing Winds!" The five Gromnar magic casters summoned wind that swept away the surrounding miasma. Within 10 seconds, the entire area was cleared.

"Wow." Not only was the use of magic impressive, but Reina got to clearly see the gate.

It was a large structure, easily tall enough for Gromnar to fit through. She'd say that wasn't the point of its height, but slavery existed here. The gate was a large circle, the bottom of it going into the ground a few feet. The material itself seemed to glow in the morning light, its green surface shining brightly. The exact shade looked similar to some emeralds she'd seen in jewelry and was about what she expected. The sigils and runes carved into the 'slabs' of the gate were foreign to her, but the look on Maria's face told her she could at least somewhat understand them.

"That's really impressive." The wizard commented, floating next to Reina.

"I take it you've never seen one of these before?" Reina asked, earning a head shake.

"I have, but never this close. They're usually kept under guard so people can't get close to mess with them. It wouldn't be good if they got damaged, you know."

Reina nodded. If golems were expensive to make, she couldn't imagine how much something like this cost.

After speaking with the village's shaman and druids, Vyrdrun walked over. "We'll start powering the gate in a moment. Reina, do you have that talisman from the Demon Lord?"

"Hm? Yeah." Reina pulled the talisman from her weapon's item drops.

She was able to copy it, though her level wasn't high enough to unlock it. Both its weapon name and what her appraisal showed were the same, Talisman of Authority. Given that and what that Demon Lord used it for, Reina had a good idea what the weapon ability was like. Her appraisal wasn't high enough to give any more information about the item, however.

"Good." Vyrdrun held up the talisman. "Emptying the magic from this will let us power the gate more easily. It wasn't designed with our magic in mind."

"I see." Reina nodded.

"One thing first." Vyrdrun crossed his arms and looked down at Maria. "You need to apologize."

"Huh?" Maria looked up at him sheepishly. "W-Whatever do you mean~?"

"I've spoken with the druids about human culture." Reina saw Maria flinch at his words. "Aside from your magic requirements, I had thought your physical contact with us was similar to us Gromnar, but I've learned humans are far less…intimate, I suppose."

Maria seemed to shrink with every word out of Vyrdrun's mouth.

"It wasn't nice to trick your allies like that. I don't mind over something so minor, but you should apologize to Reina for your conduct." Vyrdrun concluded.

"Aw, but it was fun~." Maria tried to argue back, though her bravado quickly wavered with Vyrdrun's stern look.

"I would think you would act more maturely about this." Vyrdrun stated, giving Maria a look Reina wasn't quite sure how to interpret.

With another flinch, Maria lowered herself to the ground and turned to face Reina. "Er…Sorry, Boss…Reina." She said, lowering her head slightly.

Reina couldn't help but smile at the dynamic between the two of them. "I forgive you."

"Good then." With his free hand, Vyrdrun patted Maria's head over her hat and walked back over to the other Gromnar.

Stifling a laugh with her hand, Reina gave Maria a look.

Maria pulled her hat down and turned away. "What? I don't want my big brother to be mad at me."

"You're older than him." Reina pointed out.

Maria simply shrugged.

Preparations were underway, the gate quickly gaining power. The five Gromnar held their hands against the large metal ring, channeling their magic into it. Light appeared in the circle. It brightened before dimming, revealing buildings on the other side. They were translucent, Reina still able to see what was on the other side of the gate on this side. It probably meant the people over there still needed to power their side.

A man in robes walked in front of the portal. He had a familiar amulet around his neck, that of the Crimson Blade. A bit behind him were a number of guards as well.

"Why have you activated your gate without a message? What is your purpose for…Gromnar!" The priest suddenly shouted and pointed.

Reina looked behind her, seeing the numerous Gromnar warriors stationed around them.

"You savages! You dare conquer what rightfully belongs to humanity!?" The priest screamed.

"They didn't do anything." Reina responded calmly. "This city was hit by a plague—"

"And you!" The priest turned his attention to Reina. "You side with these barbarians!?"

Reina took in a deep breath. She could already tell she wouldn't enjoy her time in Keston. As diplomatically as she could, she stood tall and firm. "I am Reina Suzuki, the Spirit Forger. My party and I wish to come to Keston to register with the Dragon Hourglass to fight against the Waves."

"The Spirit…" The priest took half a step back. "Do you have any proof of your claim?" He asked in a measured voice.

In response, Reina pulled out the Black Dragon Meat Totem she was unlocking. "Forge Spirit!" The flaming zombie of a summon appeared in front of her.

"The Spirit Forger!" The priest shouted, notable glee in his voice. "I see! You must have tamed these savage monsters."

With great resistance, Reina didn't comment on that. But, she had to make something known. "One of my party members is a Gromnar. Is that going to be a problem for you?"

"That's…" The priest paused, looking to the side. "A moment, Great Totem Hero."

He walked off to the side, out of view. Reina sighed and dismissed her spirit. She knew there might be some resistance, but she hoped it wouldn't cause so much of a fuss.

Within a minute, the priest returned. "On your word as a hero, do you vow to keep that brute in line?"

Certainly a visible tick mark was on Reina's face by now. "I do."

"Then the holy nation of Keston is happy to welcome you, Spirit Forger." The priest gave a bow before walking out of sight again.

Reina exhaled slowly, not out of relief but of exasperation. She looked to Vyrdrun, who gave her a nod. He walked over to her and Maria.

On the other side of the gate, soft chanting could be heard. Then, the image solidified, blocking out sight of city behind it and fully showing what was in Keston.

"We are ready to receive you, Spirit Forger." One of the guards stepped closer and stood near the side, bowing.

Reina held the reins of the nipeigh with their cart attached. With a bit of reluctance, she and her party walked forward. The passage of space felt seamless, though she could instantly feel the difference in temperature and humidity. Once they were all through, the gate returned to its "viewing only" function, as Reina dubbed it, before powering down completely.

All around them stood a few priests and dozens of guards, many of whom looked to be knights. More accurately, their armor shined like those who were proficient in magic. They also carried amulets of the Crimson Blade.

"Templar." Reina reasoned. "Priest knights of their church."

While not necessarily of noble blood, Maria had said templar are trusted members of the priesthood. Their armor was made of lighter but equally strong metal compared to steel. It went by a different name here, but it reminded Reina of mithril from her game, seeing as it was easier to cast spells in it than regular metal armor.

"Welcome, Spirit Forger." The priest from before bowed after approaching her. "It is a great honor to meet you in person."

Reina gave a light bow as well. "Pleased to meet you."

When the priest returned to a standing position, he looked over her party. His view lingered on Maria for a moment before turning up to Vyrdrun. "I don't see any chains on this Gromnar."

"He doesn't need any." Reina was quick to assert that.

The priest's eyes widened. "Then how will you control this thing?"

It was becoming increasing difficult to restrain herself. "Because he's my friend." The priest looked ready to rebuke that, so she spoke again. "He saved my life during my first week here after the Demon Lord attacked Savia and chased me out. I trust him with my life. I asked you before if him being here was going to be a problem. Did that suddenly change?"

"N-No, Spirit Forger, of course not!" The priest was quick to protest. "However, a Gromnar walking about the capital would spark too much panic. We'll need to visit the palace to make appropriate preparations."

Reina had no idea what that could entail. She looked to Maria, who gave her a satisfying nod. "Okay."

With that, a group of guards and templar formed up around them, the priest just in front of the three and leading them on.

Reina got a look around the area the gate was at. Walls surrounded the entire area, which looked to be on a hill. She could see the vast city above the wall leading to it.

Behind her near the Adamantine Gate, a large statue caught her eye. It was of a person with their arm in the air, a totem of some sort in their hand. Behind and above them was what Reina could only describe as a genie. A large chest with crossed arms over it, a stern look on his face. The entire statue, person and genie, was made of glistening marble and looked to be so finely made that Reina wouldn't be surprised if it cost more than a golem half its size.

At its base were small stone plaques, each with a different symbol on them. Reina immediately recognized three of them, since they were the symbols of the three churches she's met priests of, even if one was only once in Savia.

Reina looked to Maria, who at least had the decency to look away sheepishly. "I may have forgotten to clarify a few things about Keston with you." She said, scratching the back of her head.

"No kidding." Reina deadpanned.

Author's Notes:

Not as much drama, or at least not the kind I originally had in mind. There will be more next chapter, hopefully of the type I was planning.

Javetts, if you're reading this, I've appropriated your 'oi' response. Stop me if you can~.