Lia stood, dragging me to my feet along with her and grumbling under her breath. I was still shot, emotions raw and body reacting without really being driven. Lia left me standing there and helped Rosie over to my cart. I followed them numbly, my only emotion being relief; I was so very happy that my wolf was alright. And Lia, for that matter. I had no idea where she was during the attack, but the fact that she was unharmed was a balm to my soul. I hadn't realized how worried I'd been until the attack was over. Relief flooded me as I moved to the cart, my heart rate beginning to slow. I did feel better, all things considered, like the cloud that had been bearing down on me was finally starting to lift. Not all was hunky-dory, though. The third cart, the one that Zerik and a few of the guardsmen had taken, was really and truly fucked. It sat in a burning heap on the dirt road. There was no way we would be able to repair it and I could hear the occasional moan of pain coming from that direction. I came back to my senses as I helped Lia lift Rosie into the cart, letting her rest. Men from Zerik's cart cried and moaned, and I shut my heart to them, focusing on the people who mattered. I checked Lia for wounds, ignoring her protests and reassuring myself that she was unharmed.
"I'm fine!" she laughed as I check the underside of her arm. She danced out of my grasp and towards the cart, her smile growing dark. Marin sat in in the back of my cart, cowering in the corner, and the two women in the cart with her had faces filled with terror, peeking over the edge at the beasts' corpse. I paid the women no mind, but Lia had other thoughts. She climbed into the cart and marched over to Marin, the smile falling away. The older woman looked up at her former servant and opened her mouth to say something.
SMACK!
My jaw dropped and a huge smile formed on my face as Lia shook her hand out and Marin put hers to her face, covering the large, red welt that was forming on her cheek. Mistress's mouth opened in shock and Lia got in close, grabbing the other woman by the collar and hissing:
"The next time I tell you to be quiet, you be FUCKING QUIET. Do you understand?" Marin nodded her assent, trying to break free from the smaller woman's grasp. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Lia shouted, true anger showing in the small woman. Marin whimpered and curled further into her corner, sobbing quietly. Lia pulled her hand back for another slap, but I caught it before she could. She turned a vicious, hateful look on me, though it softened when she saw my face.
"Enough." I said, looking Lia in her eyes. "Let it go. Nobody died and you fixed Rosie. Let's just be happy the three of us made it through unscathed."
"We all made it through, with only a few burns from those in the third cart. Nothing we cannot treat with herbs and medicines." Kiltont said, coming up from behind. He climbed up next to us and knelt by Marin. "Miss Ameilia, please do not hit my wife." Lia scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, turning her nose up at the Chief.
"She deserved it. Rosie almost died because of her. Don't you know what just attacked us?" Kiltont nodded.
"Yes."
"No." I said at the same time. Lia gave me a dirty look and I held my hands up. She sighed wearily and rolled her eyes.
"Ugh. Marshall, the monster you just killed is known as a Tyrib. It is one of the strongest monsters known to man and roams every known continent, driving other Apex's to extinction or evolution. The Hunter's call it 'The Reaper' for a reason. That whore would have killed us all, yet you saved us with a single shout." Her emerald eyes locked onto mine and held me in place, the fiery ring burning a little brighter. They raked up and down my body and I swore she licked her lips, but I could have imagined it.
"A miracle is what it was." Kiltont said, sitting next to his wife and laughing. "Oh, gods above." He held Marin close to him, shoulders occasionally shaking with laughter. I sighed and stepped down from the cart, looking at the dead Tyrib. The blood pool around the body had grown slightly and a figure was crouched by its head, poking at one of the beast's knife-like teeth. The figure stood, his broad shoulders recognizable. Zerik wiped his brow and turned at my call.
"Marshall. I don't know how you do it, boy. That's twice now you've saved us." I smiled sheepishly.
"Nah, man. It'd have killed me, too. I'm told this is a Tyrib. Can you tell me anything about it?" His massive smile was all I needed.
The Tyrib is a 'Alix-class Predator', as with the Devilk and Alosix. 'Alix' was what they called the top of the food chain predators; Earth's bears and tigers and sharks and the like. Tyrib's were known for traveling all over the world and were Carminal's most common predator. Every known country has them and they travel in pairs; the male guards the ground and the female the sky. The female is distinguished by her wings, purple coloring, and access to wind powers, while the male lacks the wings and is brown in color with flames. They also had different names, with the male being the Tyribom and the female the Tyribm. As the Tyrib I had killed was a male, Zerik focused his lecture on that gender.
The Tyribom was smaller than the female on average, but still stood at an impressive sixteen feet tall at the shoulder and twenty-five snout to tail. The flame organ on the top of the head was fleshy and folded horizontally, giving it a greater surface area to disperse excess heat. It was orange in color and warm to the touch. Zerik didn't know how the flames got from the organ on the head to the exit at the base of the tail without turning its organs into burnt jelly, so I added a question mark next to the organ's section of the notebook page. The tail itself was heavily scaled and covered with a sticky mucus that prevents the tail from burning. My eyes went wide and I turned to Zerik.
"Well, that's how." I said, jotting the info down in my notebook.
"How what?" he asked, looking over at me.
"How the Tyribom keep their insides unburnt. The mucus comes from within and coats what parts of the body touch the flames."
"Why didn't I think of that?" Zerik asked, slapping his forehead. Tyribom were odd for Carminal; they actually cared about their young. Since the females ruled the skies and were the bigger of the sexes, the male took over the housework while his lady guarded their lands. Her job was to hunt and keep the land free of contenders while he kept the nest safe from smaller, more nimble threats. They would occasionally trade places, with the male out hunting like today.
"Do we need to worry about his lady friend coming after us?" I asked, my voice belaying the anxiety building up within me. Zerik shook his head.
"No. She will wait at least one day before heading out to search for her mate, and we will be long gone by that time." I frowned, doubtful, but believed him anyway. When hunting, both sexes exhibited heightened perception and rage, attacking nearly anything that moved and looked big enough to feed their young. When enraged, the Tyribom's flame organ burned brighter and expanded to full capacity, enabling the magic within to fully let loose and turning the flames a bright white color. The organ also turns this color, though the heat makes it far more susceptible to damage. The monster can only hold this state for a few minutes before its magic runs out and it needs to retreat and refuel. Most creatures that come across a Tyrib don't live to see the aftermath of this enraged state, hence the title of 'Reaper'. It attacks everything and everyone, and those who come across it die.
"This concludes my knowledge on the species." Zerik said, standing from his crouch and sighing. "I wish we could butcher it. What a shame to waste all this meat." His words tickled my brain. Hadn't something popped up when I touched the Tyribom? Narrowing my eyebrows, I focused and tried to recall what I had seen. It didn't take much effort and a light blue screen with black lettering appeared in my sight.
Would you like to loot this monster?
That was what the message read. Nothing else but the simple question. My mouth dropped open in shock but I hid it quickly. At least, I hope I did.
"Yes." I whispered. Instantly, pure blue smoke began to rise from the creature. It was the purest blue I'd ever seen, like I was staring into the bluest noonday sky.
"Whoa!" Zerik shouted, jumping away from the Tyribom as the smoke rose from the body. I was unable to hide my shock this time as the very real corpse of the very real beast I had killed began to turn transparent. I could see the bones under the pale-ing skin and even they began to fade. The blood that had pooled around the creature also began to disappear, leaving unstained grass behind. The blue smoke fwoosh'ed up in a huge cloud, dissipating into nothingness about ten feet above the corpse. Within thirty seconds of my confirmation, the entire monster had faded into the shards, and, when the last trace had vanished, I got a message.
You have acquired:
Two tons of Tyrib meat
Seventeen Tyrib bones
One Tyribom flame sack
Two Tyrib claws
Four Tyrib fangs
Three Gold
I blinked, and the message drew a check mark over itself, winking out of existence. My mind was struggling to catch up with what had just happened. What the hell is this place? Zerik looked at me with shock and a little bit of fear. I smiled at him nervously and looked down at my hands which still held my notebook. Still processing a twenty-foot beast vanishing into nothingness, I thought I couldn't be anymore shocked, but I guess the world thought otherwise because the notebook in my hand flashed a golden light. I snapped back to reality, blinking rapidly and taking a deep breath. The notebook flashed again, drawing my attention. There were words on the page that I hadn't written, and some of them I couldn't read at all.
Good Morning! it began. I frowned. It isn't morning.
Thank you for purchasing the Akllo$&@ 78. We value your feedback, and would love to hear from you! Please contact
I couldn't read the next bit as it was all kinds of jumbled. I saw symbols of animals I didn't recognize mixed with numbers that made no sense, so I moved on. The first set of words disappeared and new ones took their place.
We want your usage of the Akllo$&^ 78 to be as enjoyable as possible, so we have prepared a tutorial for new users. Would you like to enable Tips & Tricks?
YES NO
Huh. So it's kind of like a smartphone from home, but magical?
"Yes." I said, and the words blinked away.
Tips & Tricks enabled. Thank you.
Welcome, Marshall Prescott!
New Loot. Please tab over to Inventory. It is the third tab on the right side of the notebook.
The words blinked away for the last time, leaving the Tyribom's entry and my handwriting as the only things on the page. Sure enough, on the right side of the journal, a golden exclamation mark flashed next to the word INVENTORY, so I flipped over to its page. A gasp escaped my lips as I saw that four of the boxes were now occupied. There were different symbols in each square and I pressed the one that looked like a hunk of meat on the bone.
Withdraw Tyrib Meat
Amount?
There was a slider under the word AMOUNT that seemed to be weighted in pounds. At least I could read it. I withdrew ten pounds of meat from the Inventory and gaped in abject wonder as ten chunks of red meat appeared out of thin air in a puff of blue smoke. I heard Zerik gasp and looked over at the man, who was staring at me. I smiled at him and his mouth moved but I couldn't hear the words. Then the wind shifted and I heard:
"Wayfinder."
"Damn, I really suck at blending in, huh?" The big man said nothing, mouth flapping uselessly. I shrugged and left Zerik, walking over to Kiltont, who was watching the third cart burn.
"That sucks." I said, crossing my arms and coming to a stop next to the bird man. He laughed once.
"I am tempted to say that things cannot get worse, but..." he trailed.
"It can always be worse." I said, finishing his sentence. "But hey, I can make it better. I looted ten tons of meat from the Tyribom." Kiltont's jade eyes shot open and locked onto mine.
"What did you say?"
"When I looted the Tyrib, I got ten tons of meat."
"Gods above. You really are a Wayfinder. Even among them, a looting power is rare."
"Yeah, well..." I frowned, a thought occurring. "I wonder why the loot message didn't show up when I killed the Steban?"
"Insufficient level. Power not yet unlocked." Robot Lady said. Well, then. There's my answer. Also, words? And levels? That's the first time she's given me anything useful, and even then it's just more of the same. I guess an improvement's an improvement.
"Never mind. Got my answer." Kiltont shook his head.
"You are strange one. Promise me something, Marshall. Please." He wore the same pleading look he did when he begged me to let the issue with Newendom go.
"What's that?"
"Never, ever use that power again. Some Blessed can use their Spark outside their body, yes, but they are not able to shoot it. Summon swords and spears maybe, but in all my days I have never seen someone fire a blast of energy from themselves."
"The world is a big place, my friend." I said, smiling. "It is full of wonders, don't you think?"
"Some 'wonders' scare people, and scared people act irrationally." I laughed, brushing off his concern.
"It'll be fine, Kiltont. It'll work out or it'll work out. Either way, as long as we keep living, it's a win." Kiltont sighed and walked away from the burning cart, shaking his head, leaving me to stare at the flames.
That night, as we sat around a campfire eating a delicious stew made from the Tyrib meat I had looted and was presented by Zerik, I marveled at the notebook in my hand, wondering how much this little thing was worth. It held my things in a pocket dimension, tracked what I needed to do without me writing it down, allowed me to make entries for new monsters every time I came across one, and gave me a map, all in one! It was priceless. The stupid grin I was wearing dropped from my face at the thought. The words had said something about purchasing. Terrified to find out, I pulled the coin pouch from my pocket and peeked inside. A sigh escaped me as I counted the coins.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"... fifteen, sixteen, seventeen." Seventeen of the starting thirty coins remained. What the hell happened to my money? How much did that notebook cost? And I had made three Gold for killing the Tyrib. I sighed again and returned the coins to my pocket, casting a glance at Newendom. The Merchant had his face in his bowl and I nodded, glad he hadn't seen my stash. Rosie lay on the ground beneath me, munching on three pounds of cooked Tyrib meat. I'd laid it in front of her while it was raw and she'd given me the worst look I'd ever seen from her. The wolf's azure eyes looked up at mine with disgust and offense, and she picked up one of the hunks of meat and took it to the fire. She dropped it into Lia's hand and pointed at the fire, then returned and took the four other chunks to Lia. She spent the rest of the time with Lia, and when the girl brought food for the two of us, Rosie came trotting along after her. Lia sat next to me on the edge of the cart, absolutely fuming. The hand that gripped her spoon was white around the knuckles and she had a barely contained scowl on her face. I laughed, nudging her with my shoulder.
"Come on, you're not still mad, are you? We lived! Who cares?" Lia shot me a murderous glare, though, again, her harsh look softened when she met my eyes. She sighed deeply and looked away, kicking her feet in the air.
"That whore nearly got us killed." Lia grumbled.
"But she didn't."
"She got Rosie hurt!" she shouted at me."Doesn't that make you angry?!" I fought to keep the scowl from my face.
"Yes, it does. Very much so." I growled.
"Don't you want retribution? Some kind of recompense for endangering our lives? Had she stopped screaming, the Tyrib would have followed you and allowed us to escape." I put a hand to my chest and made a face of mock affront, squashing the rage as best I could.
"My Lady cares not for my safety?" The glare she gave me could have cut diamonds, her fiery circles flashing in annoyance. God, she's beautiful. "Oh, the agony!" I feigned fainting and shot her a cheeky grin from under the back of my hand. Lia's face was tight as she fought to keep the smile from her lips, starring down at her food, and I was struck by a feeling of deja vú. Kathrine, my sister, used to get like this before she passed. After a rough day at school or when Mom and Dad fought particularly loudly the night before, she would always be in a funk the next day. I found that the best way to get her out of it was to make her laugh. She was extremely ticklish and this little trick fixed her every time. Granted, she was twelve when it worked, but hey, no harm in trying. Plus, I doubted the Tickle Monster had ever visited Carminal. I leaned in closer to Lia, laughing gently and setting my bowl on the cart as she looked back down at hers. "Mayhaps the Lady needs a visit frooom... The Tickle Monster!" I lunged at the girl, hands stretched out for her sides. She cried out and tried to get away, but I caught her in my arms and ravaged her body with my hands, tickling her sides and body. She was unable to contain her laughter and burst out into high giggles, trying in vain to fend me off. The sound was magnificent and chased away my anger in an instant. We play-fought for a minute or two when she twisted away from me in a certain way and I felt a primal need well up from within. I locked my hands on her wrists and forced her back to me with a growl, leaning over her and pinning her to the cart, breathing heavily. Her emerald eyes stared up into mine, a burgundy sky sparkling behind them. The circle of fire flashed at me again, and I caved.
I pressed my lips to hers hard and kissed her deeply, shoving my tongue into her mouth. She gasped and went rigid but responded quickly, meeting me with more vigor than I had expected. Her lips felt fantastic on mine; soft, warm, and oh so delicious. They somehow tasted like fruit and I smiled against her when the image of a mango popped into my head. She writhed under me and it took a whole lot of restraint not to take it further. There were people around us, after all. I broke the kiss and smiled down at Lia's flushed face. She panted heavily and looked up at me with needy eyes. I almost lost my composure when she moved against my leg, but I was able to contain myself. Burning emeralds begged me to come closer, to kiss her again and I obliged, pressing my lips to her nose.
"You're beautiful." I said, stroking her cheek with one of my hands. I felt the blood rush to it and her blush deepened as she shook her head slowly. Nodding, I kissed her again and chuckled softly, the noise rumbling in my chest. "You are, even if you don't believe it." She scoffed.
"I know I'm pretty, Marshall; you don't have to tell me. But you..." her eyes went a little fuzzy and her pupils dilated as she searched my face. "You are gorgeous. The way your scar shines when you use your Spark or when you speak is like watching a sunset. It gleams and glows, even when you're asleep. Your face looks almost etherial in the dark like this." She trailed a finger over the scar on my neck lightly, barely touching the skin, and I shivered where her fingers touched me. She grinned and moved her hand up my neck, tangling it in my hair and I leaned down, ready to resume our kiss.
"Marshall." a voice said from my right. I turned to find Kiltont standing there with arms crossed and eyebrows raised like a disappointed father.
"What?" I asked a little more forcefully than I had intended.
"What the hell did you do?" he asked, jade eyes glaring at me.
"I didn't do shit." I said defensively. His attitude was flaring my own.
"Then why is Zerik pale as ghost and muttering your name?" I grinned and turned to Lia.
"Did you know that Wayfinder's can loot monsters? They disappear into a blue mist and go into the Inventory when we do." Lia leaned up and kissed me softly.
"I have no idea what you just said," she said, smiling. "but if it makes you happy, I'm happy."
"Marshall!" Kilton snapped, glaring at me. "This is important. I asked you not to use that power for a reason. You must learn to blend in or the nobles will take you for themselves. You will be a Vartin in everything but name. They will keep you as a novelty to show off to others; a living piece of art." A slimy grin slid its way onto my face at the word 'noble' and I ignored everything else the Chief said.
"Noble, you say?" I turned towards Lia. "Looks like I found mine." Her blush deepened.
"Gods above." Kiltont reached out and slapped me hard, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look him in the eyes.
"Listen to me!" he shouted. "I am trying to help you! You must take this seriously, Marshall, or you will regret it. You must become a Hunter as quickly as possible, for your sake and Ameilia's. This is not just about you, boy." His jade eyes bored into mine, fierce and determined. They pleaded with me to listen to him, to take him seriously. I nodded and he let go, taking a step back and coughing. "Forgive me, I do not know what came over me." I waved his words away.
"Nah, it's my fault. You're right, anyway. You three knowing is three too many. But if being owned by a noble is an issue, why not just use Lia? That way we eliminate any chance of us being separated or confined to something we don't want to do." Kiltont opened his mouth to reject me, but he closed it a second later in thought.
"That... is something worth thinking about. Well done, Marshall." I frowned.
"Regardless, Kiltont, I promise I will be better about my identity. I am an American, though, and there's not much I can do about that. Let's get signed up at that Guild as soon as we get to the city. Do not stop, do not pass go, do not collect $200." KIltont shook his head and groaned.
"Gods help him." he grumbled, turning. "Get some rest, you two." he called over his shoulder as he departed. "We leave early." Lia snuck her hand into mine as the Chief walked away and I squeezed.
The morning came far too quickly. I wasn't comfortable per-say, laying on a bedroll on the ground holding Lia with Rosie on her other side, head on the girl's thigh, but it wasn't all that bad. I heard the others start waking as the sun peeked over the horizon and I groaned, sighing heavily. God, I can't wait to sleep in an actual bed again.
Exactly three days after we had left Rivera, a wall came into view. I could tell we'd been getting close over the last few hours as the people's faces got more and more excited as the day grew on. The wall was made of stone and ran as far as I could see in a long line, with a massive gate at the end of our road. The gate itself was wooden, though it was reinforced with metal. It was big, too. A Tyrib could have walked through it with room to spare, and it only got bigger as we drew closer. The cavernous hole in the wall loomed ominously over us as our little group came to a stop in front of the gates. It looked like a mouth waiting to swallow us, blocking the sun. A second, smaller door within the larger door on the right opened and a man walked out, dressed in red and yellow armor. There was some kind of bird of prey on his chest with its wings and claws extended. I frowned 'cause it looked suspiciously like an eagle.
"Identify yourselves." the man said. His voice was loud and commanding, like he had done this many times before.
"I am Lord Marigold Newendom, returning from that shit hole Rivera with my company." The man's face broke into a smile at the name of the town.
"Well? Did those scum finally die out?" I clenched my fist in anger but Kiltont put his hand on my shoulder, clenching hard. I winced as his hand tightened at their words.
"Ha. Were they so lucky." Newendom said, giving me a dark look. "The town is dead, with most of the occupants gone now. These few are all that remain. There will be no more supply runs." Newendom gestured towards us and the guard smiled.
"Excellent. Shall I inform His Majesty?" The Merchant shook his head.
"No, I will handle it myself. I have business with His Majesty as is."
"Yes, my Lord." the guard said with a bow. He turned back to the wall and hollered: "Open the gate!" With a ponderously slow groan, the wooden doors began to open. They swung inward, revealing more of the green-yellow grasslands, though these seemed to be more on the greener side than the fields we had come from.
"The grass is always greener." I muttered as the carts passed through the gate. Rosie whimpered and pushed herself further down into the shadows, hiding from sight. We'd decided it was best to keep her hidden for now. Don't need guards shooting at us on top of everything. I felt a chill slip down my spine as we passed under the gate and the carts came to a stop. I cast a worried glance at Lia who returned it, and I pet Rosie on her back. Everything is going to be okay.
"Tank!" I heard someone call. It wasn't a voice I was familiar with and I turned, looking for who called me. Newendom had dismounted his cart and was waving me over, a tall man standing next to him. It wasn't the dude who had originally spoken to Newendom and I was a little hesitant, but walked over anyway.
"Yes, sir?" I asked as I approached. Sure, I didn't like the guy, but my Mother raised me right.
"This is one of my guards, Colonel. Tell this man about the Tyrib, Tank." I frowned and looked at the guard. He was wearing a red and gold military uniform and stood with a commanding presence. He must be high ranked.
"May I ask who you are?" I asked, addressing the military man.
"I am Colonel Harin Bartom of the Bilimont Empire. It is my job to keep the wilds and the Empire separate, and I hear that you took down a Tyrib single handedly." He crossed his arms and looked at me assessingly. "You do not seem especially strong." I smiled thinly.
"I'm not. Just got lucky, honestly."
"There was no body when we left." Newendom said, a gleeful, self-assured grin on his face. This motherfucker. Bartom's eyebrows shot so far up his head, I thought his bald pate had suddenly sprouted two little worms of hair.
"Really?" he asked, turning on me. "Is this true, boy?" I nodded, thinking quickly.
"Yes, sir. Zerik and I processed it in the field." He gave me an unconvinced look.
"So if I were to make the trek out there, I would find evidence of an attack?" I shrugged.
"Maybe. Depending on various environmental circumstances and factors, there could be nothing left by the time you get there. The scavengers could have gotten to it, or the bugs have rotted it away, or the bones got carried off, any number of things. The attack happened two days ago and it'll take at least that long for you to get out there. Who knows?"
"Hmmm." The Colonel looked at me again, face screwed up in thought. "I suppose."
"You should be on the look out for the female, though. We haven't seen her, and I know she's still out there."
"Noted. And your wolf familiar?" I shot Newendom a murderous look and he cowered slightly.
"Rosie is guarding the others." I said evenly. It was true, in a sense.
"I would like to see this creature." Bartom intoned. He sounded like a scientist looking at a new specimen.
"No."
"No?"
"No. She is not something to be paraded around like an object. She's my friend."
"I will not let you pass until I assess that you are not a threat to this Empire." Bartom said, dropping what little pretenses he had. "Show me the wolf. Now." I snarled at Newendom. I know this is all his fault.
"Fine." I snapped, turning on my heels. "Come on." I walked over to the cart Lia and the other women were riding in, Bartom and Newendom close behind me. Lia heard my approach and turned, giving me a smile, only for it to fall as she caught sight of Bartom. Her caramel face paled and she dropped out of sight behind the cart's panelling. "Rosie!" I called when I got to the edge of the cart. "Come here, girl. Ah, there you are. Hey, sweetie." I devolved into dog-talk as the wolf plodded out from her hiding spot. I'd never seen her this timid before; her tail hung low and she moved carefully, like she was trying to avoid being seen. She came up to me slowly, wagging her tail gently and licking my face. I laughed and pet her head, pushing mine against hers. Her midnight blue fur was soft and comforting, calming me as I pet her.
"Gods above." Bartom said as he came up to us. He had a look of awe on his face. "And it listens to you?"
"When people are nice to her and don't call her 'it', yeah, she does. She's sweet once you get to know her." Bartom scoffed.
"This? A Cave Wolf? Sweet? You must be mad." I smiled at him broadly, petting my wolf.
"Believe what you will, I don't care. We won't cause any trouble, honest. We just want to get to our destination safe and sound." Bartom made a noise of distrust, his hand inching closer to the sword on his hip. My own hand moved towards my pocket, prepping to draw my knife and defend my wolf. Thankfully, though, Newendom stepped in.
"So you see, Colonel, why this man must be allowed in." His words were sharp and forceful, and Bartom's eyes went wide as they met the Merchant's. Something's wrong. Bartom nodded, hiding a sly grin, though I'd caught it before he could. I was staring right at him, after all.
"Yes, I do. You and your company may pass, Lord. Welcome home."
Once both carts were through the gate, the massive doors began to shut, groaning just as loudly as before. And like that, we were through. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as the massive structure receded behind us, hopping off the moving cart to stretch my legs. The grasses came up to my waist and waved in the wind like an ocean of green, the sun glinting off the grasses in waves. The breeze rustled my hair and provided a serene backtrack to the vista as I breathed deep of the fresh air, filling my lungs with its sweetness. I heard a bark and Rosie appeared next to me, panting and smiling up at me. I grinned and withdrew the stick she had found two nights ago from my Inventory, reared back, and launched it down the road. The wolf barked again and peeled off after the stick, streaking forward like a missile. A black line was all I saw as she sped off. I smiled, enjoying the sense of freedom. Lia appeared next to me, matching her pace with mine. We were silent for a while, taking turns throwing the stick to Rosie. The wolf was having a ball, panting and smiling and generally spreading good cheer.
"Newendom is going to betray us." I said out of the blue. Lia stumbled and gave me a shocked look. "He told the Colonel about me and he has a meeting with the Emperor. Fucker is absolutely going to spill the beans. We need to move quickly when we get to Lingholm." Rosie came charging back, stick held proudly in her mouth. Lia took it from her with a pat and threw it. The wolf chased after the stick with a bark.
"I am unsure how to feel about that information." Lia said. I laughed.
"Scared is how I feel. So far, this" I gestured at the world around us. "has felt like a vacation. A really fucked up vacation, but a vacation nonetheless. No school, no exams, no taxes, no practice. But it's not a vacation. This is my life." Rosie appeared again, panting heavily. She dropped the stick at my feet and hopped into the back of the cart, flopping heavily.
"Don't worry. Lingholm is at least a week's travel from the Capital and it will take a day or two after that for Newendom to meet with the Emperor."
"That's good, I suppose. We should still register with the Guild as soon as possible, though."
"Maybe. What you said the other night got me thinking, though. If you were to join..." she trailed off, blushing slightly, and her voice was quieter and a little less confident when she spoke next. "If you were to join me, you would be a part of my family. Do you really want that? We were outcasts, even before..." she trailed off again, grasping at her neck. "Even before they died."
"Died? Your family has passed?" She nodded sharply. I lowered my head.
"I am sorry to hear that. I know how you feel."
"I don't want your sympathy." she snapped, turning burning eyes on me. Her face was angry and adorable, cheeks puffing up in a cute little pout. Her eyes, though, held the promise of violence should I continue to disobey. "I want you to ta..." she cut herself off, blush deepening. I chuckled, guessing where she was going.
"Regardless, I wouldn't mind joining your family. What all does that entail?"
"When a Blessed joins a noble family, that person becomes the family's property. It is better than being a Vartin, but only slightly. A Blessed Champion--that's what you'd be called--does have the ability to negotiate pay and living conditions, but the sponsor family is allowed to say no. The Champion must accept this decision and cannot leave the family's service without the Head's say-so. They must also obey all orders given by the sponsoring family."
"Damn, that doesn't sound fun at all."
"It's not, but it would prevent you from being subject to the Emperor. He could command me to turn you over to him and I would have to obey, but that hasn't happened before."
"There's a first time for everything."
"Still, it is something worth considering. It would announce the Freyolin's return, as well, which is necessary."
"Why is that necessary?"
"I am still alive. My family may be gone, but the name lives on with me. I must reclaim my birthright."
"And you need my help."
"No. I want your help. I want you to stay with me."
"Really?" I asked, giving the girl a cheeky grin. She blushed further and hit me on the arm.
"And just what are you thinking?"
'That a really pretty Lady has asked me to stay with her for the foreseeable future. How could I say no?"
"Because you have a brain and can think for a little more than five seconds." I laughed loudly.
"I don't think very often, sadly. I'm more of an 'act first ask questions second' kind of guy. So, yes, I'll join you." The smile she gave me lit up the world.
"I'm glad. We'll still join the Hunter's in Lingholm, but you becoming my Blessed Champion is our first line of defense." I nodded.
"Alright. So, how do we do this? Just say 'I will join the Freyolin's as their Blessed Champion'?" I half expected it to work, but Lia shook her head no.
"No. There is a ritual we will preform tonight when we set up camp, before we go to bed." I nodded.
"Sounds good." I walked the rest of the day, which was no more than four or five hours. Lia left me to ride after two hours, I'd say. I was left alone after that.
That night, after we had set up camp, Lia came up to me, holding two plates of food with Kiltont behind her, holding two more. I smiled at them and abandoned the firewood I was chopping to eat with them. Rosie perked up at the smell of food and trotted over as well. I reached my hand out to take the plate from Lia but she avoided me with ease, passing me by and giving her spare plate to Rosie. The wolf arf'ed in appreciation and licked Lia's hand before eating.
"Traitor." I mumbled, taking a plate from Kiltont and settling in next to the girls. The chief chuckled and sat across from us. We ate and chatted comfortably, talking and laughing about the events of the day. Finally, after we had finished our food and run out of conversation, Kiltont sighed and set his plate on the grass.
"Well, I suppose we best get on with it, then." he said, rising to his feet. "Are you ready?"