Chapter 33: Party Crashers

  Riley stretched out, paw over paw.

  “Did my Lady have a nice run?” Humbert asked, standing off to the side, by the door, as if imitating furniture.

  Distantly, the sound of a shower could be heard.

  She yawned, her nose twitching, “My name is Riley. Say it with me now…”

  Humbert turned pale, wincing as if he had been slapped, bowing his head, “I’m sorry, m’l… Riley.”

  His words came out resigned, as if a surrender.

  Riley sighed, “Come over here, stoop down.”

  Without question Humbert did so.

  “Meep,” she giggled, setting her forepaw over his nose.

  With a trembling finger, Humbert returned the simple gesture, inspiring Riley’s nose to twitch.

  “Now, please, sit. You’ve been standing since we got back. You’ve already served us breakfast and cleaned the place. Seriously, take a load off.”

  Riley pointed with a paw to one of the two chairs that sat on either end of their table, which also doubled as a desk.

  The tray Humbert had brought with their breakfast was long gone, obviously taken during their run.

  “Thank you, my…” Humbert cut himself off, sitting down, looking wholly uncomfortable.

  “Are you certain you’re going to be ok coming with us?” Riley probed.

  “I have been assigned, and I must do my duty, Ma’am. Beyond that, you and Master Tobias have been unfailingly kind and to see Calaria... It is not just want, ma’am; it is the stuff of dreams,” the old man’s eyes softened, barely holding back tears.

  “Then work on it, ok? We need to get your self-esteem up. Why is it so hard to think you matter?” She pressed.

  “Because I don’t, Ma’am. I am a servant because I could not rise to my station. Thus it is written, Galdor’s holy order protects the weak, and thus the weak must serve,” Humbert quoted.

  Riley’s ears fell as she felt a fit coming on.

  The water from their small bathroom suddenly cut off.

  “Riley?” Tobias called through the shut door.

  “I’m fine, nerd boy!” She projected back across their shared connection.

  The door cracked open, allowing steam to escape.

  “Humbert, is all prepared?” Tobias called out.

  “Yes, M…” Humbert began, as Riley shot him a look that he could somehow feel, “sir.”

  “It’s clear we have a lot of work left to do,” she muttered to herself.

  “Then return to your barracks and make whatever preparations you need make. Be certain to be in Ecbert’s office on time, though. I do not think he would take kindly to our delaying him.”

  “Yes, sir, and may I just add that I am grateful to you for thinking of me? I will now take my leave!” Humbert’s eyes shot toward Riley before standing.

  He bowed. “Lady Riley,” and quickly scurried out.

  Riley grunted in exasperation.

  “You have to remember, subservience has been beaten into him over the last forty years or so,” Tobias reminded.

  “I know, but I don’t have to like it or perpetuate it,” her whiskers twitched in visible frustration as her ears flattened against her back.

  “And we won’t, but remember, we are only two,” Tobias emerged, looking every bit the part of a Greyblade ranger.

  The Damarian cuirass covered his upper body. Below were matte black pants with armored plates and heavy boots made of the same pebbled leather.

  Dark gray pauldrons rested over the top of his long cloak, which hung down to his ankles. Leather vambraces covered his wrists, with the ward of the summer knight attached, over his left.

  The only thing out of place was the obsidian torc, which still graced Riley’s and his necks.

  “How’s the basilisk leather feel?” Riley asked, brimming with curiosity.

  “Surprisingly soft. It’s less scratchy than my robes and a sight better than what I was issued out of the black blades. Cockatrice hide is tough, and you have to be tough to wear it,” he smiled as he held out his hands, revealing his sword in its scabbard at his hip.

  “Full on official, not even keeping it in your inventory?” Riley teased, all while knocking her forelegs together, the closest she could come to clapping.

  "It seems a day for polish, and you're next," Tobias grinned.

  “I wonder what my armor will be like? “Riley mused in thought while bouncing with excitement.

  A pocket watch appeared in his left hand, “We’re soon to find out, and we best be underway.

  Riley skipped forward toward the door. “Let’s go! I don’t think Edith has anything on Justian in terms of skill, but I’ll take the added defense.”

  “The only thing holding Justinian back is his tier,” Tobias agreed, opening the door and holding it for her.

  “Thank you, M’lord,” Riley giggled.

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  A feeling of giddiness ran through her as her joy proved infectious, inspiring a happy smile on Tobias’ face as her emotions danced across their connection.

  Emerging into the full light of Avalon’s day, it was as much as it had been on their run around the training grounds. The coolness in the air contrasted with the brightness of the light, which still had no discernible source. A cloudless, sunless, blue sky stretched out from horizon to horizon as the sounds of training reached their ears.

  Turning a corner, something felt off. The twinge soon erupted into an alarm bell that rang for the both of them.

  Tobias’ eyes snapped straight ahead as he drew his sword.

  Three rangers emerged from under veil, one right in front of his face.

  He pushed him to the ground.

  “Out of my way, usurper,” he sneered, pulling his sword from his scabbard.

  Each was athletically built and close in age to Tobias. The leader had sandy blonde, close-cropped hair that seemed to be the standard style for Greyblades, a marked contrast to the longer style in which Tobias wore his.

  It was just another thing about them that didn’t quite fit in with Avalon.

  “Hey! Back off!” Riley stomped on her front paws, flattening her ears before drumming angrily.

  Brackets appeared around each within their shared vision.

  Deorwine, Tier 1-4, Lawful Neutral

  Dudda, Tier 1-3, Lawful Neutral

  Leofstan, Tier 1-4, Lawful Neutral

  “He needs a companion like he’s a healer or storage mage,” Dudda said, standing taller than the rest at six feet tall.

  “Look, they’re still wearing their black torcs. What, you think because you’re the chosen, you can just sidestep your trials?” Leofstan said, the shortest of them all, standing at 5 feet 7 with buzz-cut black hair.

  Tobias rose to his feet and then offered out his hand. “Sorry I didn’t see you there, but, point of fact, we just passed our trial. We're on our way to our first assignment now.”

  In response, Deorwine slapped him across his face, “Your presence offends me. You’re second-tier trash that doesn’t deserve to clean my chamber pot.”

  Riley’s rage boiled. She began to pull her mana, reaching out to the roots buried within the soil, as Tobias mentally held her back.

  “They’re just bullies. I’ve dealt with worse, but if we fight, someone might get killed,” he urged, speaking through their bond.

  Tobias wiped at his chin and took a step back, allowing them clear passage by while standing in front of Riley. “Are you done?”

  “I’ll tell you when we’re done,” Deorwine swung a low-thrown punch aimed at Tobias’s gut.

  Reflex ingrained like instinct grabbed him as he stepped to the side, calling forth his Greyblade dagger from their inventory. Using the pommel, Tobias struck Deorwine across the face. His orbital socket gave way with a sickening crack, flattening the young ranger out on the ground.

  He writhed in agony as Tobias kicked him in the stomach, his heavy boots breaking ribs as he did so, before stepping back from his spasming body, only to smash his boot down on his chest, cracking more bones.

  A sickly, mewling sound rose from Derowine as Tobias held up his hands. “It doesn’t have to be any worse. Riley can heal him, and we can all go on with our day.”

  Dudda and Leofstan stared down at the injured Deorwine with bewilderment, only to look up at Tobias with their eyes full of rage.

  "You piece of trash. How dare you strike your better!?!" Dudda’s hands glowed with magic as he stepped over Deorwine’s body.

  ‘I’ll handle him; you take Leofstan,’ Tobias projected toward Riley.

  ‘You got it,” she whispered within.

  Death’s Gardner

  With a roar, a thick vine shot up from the ground, striking Leofstan in the chin as another wrapped around an ankle. As he crumbled, the one around the ankle tensed, pulling and slamming him into the wall with a series of pops and cracks. Ligaments in the leg gave way, and the tibia broke with a muffled thump, causing him to cry out in pain.

  Tobias pulled at one of his new first-tier abilities.

  Flare.

  A bright white flash of flame erupted in Dudda’s face, singing off his eyebrows and setting his hair alight.

  The large man cried out in pain as his flesh sizzled while Riley’s free vine wrapped him around the waist and bounced him into the ground like a ball being spiked, extinguishing the flames. More crunches and pops echoed off the walls as all three now lay prone, writhing in agony, eyes wide in surprise and shock.

  Tobias raised the tip of his sword to his eyes before dropping it back into his scabbard.

  "You do not hesitate. You do not bluster. If you intend to fight, you pick your angle, and you attack without mercy,” he lectured, quoting Cid with a sigh.

  “This could have been avoided. I sought no quarrel and gave you an out. Now, brace yourselves; this is going to hurt.”

  He shook his head in disappointment and looked to Riley, who understood everything he didn’t say.

  Celestial Medic.

  The spell slammed into each of them, resetting bones, and healing ligaments, as triune cries of agony echoed like the screams of the damned. Tears streaked from their eyes as their skin paled, and each drew back to the cliff’s edge of shock.

  “Come on, Riley,” Tobias urged, stepping carefully over their bodies.

  “I trust we can let this matter drop here,” Tobias called back while Riley quickly caught up.

  "Is that wise? Shouldn’t we report this?” She wondered.

  “Do you think it would matter?” He snapped, his hidden anger peeking out.

  She knew better; she could feel him boiling inside while trying to keep it constrained and far from her.

  “It would show weakness on their end as much as ours,” her words trailed off into the ether as the realization took root.

  “Ecbert only cares about results, and as for those three, they’d be too embarrassed that we took them that easily to make waves. Either we’ve just made hidden enemies, or we’ve earned a little respect letting this drop after thrashing them,” Tobias cursed under his breath, turning down the first open juncture and picking a random direction before quickening his pace.

  "Veil us," he ordered.

  Riley pulled the spell, “I hate this shit. We didn’t ask for any of it, but it keeps finding us.”

  "It does. You know, if they hadn’t underestimated us, it would have gone far worse. They didn’t work as a team, and they let us see them coming. That was schoolyard logic playing out on a battlefield,” Tobias said, taking another random turn.

  Cid’s words echoed within his mind: Always stay mobile, don’t let them pin you down, and if you’re on the run, keep moving.

  “You said it yourself; they were bullies, but they were also egged on by our presence here. I don’t think this is going away. Word will spread, and any Greyblade with a chip on their shoulder is going to seek us out,” Riley worried.

  “Possibly, this strongest of all shit is thicker here than anywhere I’ve ever seen it,” Tobias shook his head, bewildered.

  “Probably because they’re steeped in it from birth. For the last three days I’ve been watching six-year-olds run laps like they’re in boot camp. Each one is wearing at least 20 pounds of chain mail, and they act like it’s every day. We crashed their party,” Riley said.

  “We did, but we never asked to be here either. Not that anyone is going to understand that. We keep getting shoved into places. Square peg, round hole,” Tobias threw up his hands as he turned again.

  Distantly, the marshal sounds of the parade ground fluttered in.

  “Yeah, and the fates, or the Gods, or whoever has a target on our ass likes using hammers to make things fit,” a deep-seated resentment echoed through her soul.

  “We’ll be home soon, and then it’s just us on our own hunting for Chadrick,” Tobias soothed,

  “I’ve heard that before. It’s a total pipe dream. We were going to meander as Blackblades, take out some monsters, build up some bounties, and buy Darius an apartment. Do you remember that?" Riley wondered.

  “Yeah,” Tobias’ grief flared across their connection, wilting the edges of Riley’s anger.

  “That’s the problem with plans. The Gods make bigger ones,” she replied, following closely beside him.