“They’re fightin’,” Copper said, his eyes squinting as he tried to watch the specks in the distance.

  “Why’s he fightin’ foh? He just got married!” Jack said, shaking his head, letting out the kind of disappointed sigh Julia used against him.

  “She’s fightin’ too,” Ginny said.

  “Yeah, but she’s not a Priest,” Copper said.

  “Priests fight,” Ginny replied.

  “Yeah, but ‘e’s…”

  “He’s a Priest of Lady Arya,” the girl said, tapping her forehead with her index and middle fingers in a botched attempt of the Lady of War’s holy gesture.

  The boys tapped their foreheads the same way, relenting to Ginny’s words. He riest of War, after all. They squinted further to check the fights of their Managers, and them.

  Them.

  ‘Where’s all the fire?’ Alex thought, expeg a fsh of fire any moment now.

  No fire came, but the figures, like ants on the horizon, could feel blood sptter against them.

  “Blood after a wedding?” Amira tutted, using the new bde she had been gifted. She barely had to slice the air and the bde struck deep upon her will. It was a strange sensation to strike true at one’s will, even if she could only do so three times per day.

  No.

  It was crazy enough she could do so once per day, never mind thrice.

  “The sign of a long marriage, and our lost innoce,” Dunes joked, distrag her from her ridiculous thought. ‘It’s dangerous to make such jokes when she wields such a bde.’

  ‘What?’ Merl thought, barely holding her shield as she watched a greater shield cut down the bear before her. The wall known as Nobby swung his axe and the bear y dead. It was truly that simple when it came to Nobby.

  Merl gasped as the bear tainst Nobby’s chest with a mighty cw, and Nobby’s arm raised slowly, far too slowly, before swinging down to pletely slice the creature’s arm off. The bear howled in pain, and a swing sile forever.

  Merl had heard again and again about Nobby’s adventures. She had heard how he had e first p the tour, but against those who had yet to tureen, it was just a pyground for boys and girls. He had fought hydras too, but hydras were… something. They were within her imagination and her imagination was wild, but she uood the unknown was more dangerous than the familiar. With how easily they had dispatched so many hydras, perhaps they were truly weaker than she had expected.

  She knew how strong bears were, however. A single bear could sughter three or four vilges with ease. Yet, Nobby stood. Even as two or three bears came to cut him down, their great cws which could kill her with a single swipe, merely pet away at Nobby’s skin, which seemed almost as strong as iron.

  “Jurot,” a voice called through the air, taking Merl’s thoughts for a moment. “ I use my smites?”

  “Yes,” came the other voice, equally as terrifying as the first.

  Whereas Amira and Dunes fought with some sembnodesty, still uanding the threats of the bears, there were two who seemed to enjoy the oning horde of beasts.

  Attack - Wraith (Fnking)D20 + 11 = 17 (6)Hit!Mana: 25 -> 24Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 17 (1, 3)(2, 2)17 damage!

  Attack - Wraith (Fnking)D20 + 11 = 18 (7)Hit!Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 17 (1, 1)(1, 5)17 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack - Wraith (Fnking)D20 + 11 = 30 (19)Hit!Mana: 23 -> 22Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 4D6 + 9 = 36 (2, 3, 3, 3)(1, 3, 6, 6)36 damage!

  Attack - Wraith (Fnking)D20 + 11 = 31 (20)Hit!Mana: 22 -> 21Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 4D6 + 9 = 28 (1, 1, 1, 3)(4, 4, 4, 5)28 damage!

  Mana: 21 -> 20Spell: ShieldMagic SaveD20 + 6 = 17 (11)Pass!Defence: 15 -> 20

  Health: 91 -> 81

  Like a hot khrough butter, but more akin to cold axe through bear, the beasts fell one by oo Adam’s axe. Adam raised his shield to block a bear’s mighty paw, willing forth his magics to protect himself, though the might of the beast pressed him back.

  ‘Damn, it’s really scary to fight without my armour,’ Adam thought, leading with his shield, no longer quite as reckless as when he was within his puthral, though the others did not view him quite the same.

  Adam could feel something slipping away from him as he willed his magic forward, almost as though his magic drew away to an unseen void. ‘What was that?’

  Merl clutched her spear, remaining behind the wall known as Nobby, while skilful ons brought death to the bears, even the Priest, who should not have stepped forward, was swinging his bde with great might and skill.

  Victory!XP Gained: +500XP: 200 -> 700

  ‘That much XP?’ Adam thought.

  Mana: 16HP: 69

  ‘Nice,’ he thought, gng down towards the rest of his attire which had taken quite a battering thanks to the bears. He gnced aside to see Merl was safe and sound within her armour and shield, though it was no doubt Nobby’s presence which had kept her safe.

  “You fought well,” Jurot said, nodding his head to Merl, whose spear would peek through from behind Nobby to strike a bear.

  “I am not quite as strong as you all,” she admitted, gng to Amira, who wiped her magical bde, the bde sparkling like the night sky. Then her eyes so Dunes’ bde, the heavy dwarven bde which had sliced through the bears with ease, though the Priest remained behind.

  “You fought well without magical ons, ic,” Jurot said, his eyes gng to the side towards Adam. “Did you cast a spell?”

  “I cast Shield to protect me, but I felt something weird.”

  “Casting magic this month is dangerous,” Dunes said, gng up towards the te afternoon sky. “Even I hesitate to pray during this month.”

  “Yeah…” He cleared his throat and gowards Merl. “So what do you think of our Nobby? Isn’t he strong?”

  “I ’t deny it. Watg you all, I uand why we vilgers remain within our vilge.”

  “It’s not a big deal,” Adam said, waving his hand almost dismissively. “Just find someone crazy to make you an Expert in a year, and you’ll be almost as strong, especially if you wield Greater Enhanced ons.”

  “You make it sound as though it’s so easy.”

  “Well…” Adam go the rest of his panions. “You’re the only one who hasn’t do here.”

  Merl narrowed her eyes towards Adam, who smirked slightly. The half elf had at least worn his helmet, though he revealed the rge grin on his face for her.

  “Alright, let’s go get everyo the bodies back.”

  “How will we split the bears?”

  “We’ll split it…” Adam thought for a long moment. “We’ll split it into three. One for the business. One for us as a group. One for the vilge.”

  Merl furrowed her brows towards Adam, w why he chose to split it that way. ‘That doesn’t make any sense.’

  Chief Merl held up her hands at the approag group, her heart beating quickly. “That was quick!”

  “There were only about twelve of them,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders as if it was any less impressive.

  “Oh look at you all, you’re all torn up,” the Chief said, before ushering them to sit so they could be fixed up.

  Adam reached up to his chest, before he was stopped by Jurot’s hand on his shoulder. “ht.”

  The Chief gnced up towards her granddaughter who had go to fight and had e back with nary a hair out of pce. She raised her brows expetly.

  The young Merl let out a long sigh and bowed her head. ‘Nobby’s far to to let him go. He’ll make a good protector for the vilge.’

  “Executive Adam, about the marriage between Nobby and Merl…” The Chief smiled towards Adam.

  “Why are you asking me when you’ve got a needle so close to my heart?” Adam replied pyfully, certain they wouldn’t actually try to kill him. “Like I said, I’m not going to force you.”

  “When they marry?”

  “What?”

  “I think it would be best if it was sooner rather than ter, I’m too old!”

  Adam smiled wide. “Not a day over twenty five, I’m sure.”

  “Oh you!” Chief Merl smiled wider.

  “Nobby, what do you think? Do you want to get married?”

  Nobby flushed a deep red. “Okay.”

  “What do you mean okay? Do you want to get married or not?”

  Nobby’s cheeks turned red. “Yes.”

  “Merl?”

  The younger Merl nodded.

  “Don’t just nod, I want to hear an affirmative. This is important. You’ll be getting married, and hopefully lots of children. This is the person you’ll be wanting to spend your life with. Don’t just nod.”

  “Yes.”

  “There we go.”

  “I will inform Nobby of our s,” Chief Merl said. “He must marry over the river. He should bring a gift too.”

  “What kind of gift?”

  “A gift of some worth.”

  Adam thought for a long moment. ‘He has some magical items. He should probably gift that.’

  “Daddy!” called a tiny voice which wished to tackle her father, while her older siblings and youwin also charged towards their father.

  Adam let out a satisfied sigh. ‘I shouldn’t have held back.’

  The marriage arc amplifies!

  Of course we get a little cameo from our favourite troublemaker too.