The next morning Marlin woke up Bright and early and had to admit sleeping in the hay, smell notwithstanding, had been incredibly comfortable. It was like a warm fluffy heated blanket, ow wait that’s Billy.

Marlin got up. Billy was vast asleep, how could he not be? Marlins parents had been a lot louder than usual and he had asked the goat to regale the epic battle, where billy played a pivotal role. Billy had ensued regaling the epic battle to all the other farm animals for hours.

Marlin had to admit, the goat had impeccable timing. He suspected the goat had felt his frantic emotions when his axe throw had barely scratched the man. It had been a good throw too. But it had barely stung the man due to the armor the man had worn. After practically begging his father to not burn the precious loot, father and mother had very strange looks when he looted the bodies with glee, he managed to gather what he needed.

He managed to get a near full set of chain shirt and a ragtag bundle of padded gambeson, gloves and leggings. With some help from his mother he had stitched the loose chainshirt into the ragged patchwork of padded armor including some thick pads of leather, bend over his shoulder for some added protection. he managed to fashion a full set, all he needed now was a pair of snazzy boots and perhaps a helmet to finish it off The system even recognized it

Rugged chainmail

Crudely put together, but functional chainshirt attached to a gambeson of padded armor. The combination of the two materials make it surprisingly effective when dealing with different sorts of weapons

Marlin didn’t care, how ragged and worn-down it was, it was his very first armor that scaled with his bulwark skill.

Trusty serrated axe.

those who have sadistic tendencies or like axes, will feel a sense of calm and peace while wielding this axe. Providing a slight bonus against fear effect.

The bonus against fear was really “slight” Marlin didn’t feel it. He did feel like the axe was trusty. It made a delightful sound when he flung it into a log, the sickening, crunch and crack in the log, was even more Satisfying.

Marlin had come to a realization. He needed real experience killing things and he figured hunting was the best way. With a bit of luck a boar.

“hmm bacon”

He went to the cabin feeling pretty good about himself. He entered and saw his dad sitting at the kitchen table. He looked exhausted and completely bewildered. “Had fun last night”? Marlin couldn’t hide his smirk.

Bradford sighed, after the first 3 years he had given up all hope of pretense and discretion.

“Yes i had fun last night, but i would appreciate it if you didn’t give her anymore ideas. She was rather frightening”.

“Did she tie you up”?

“no the opposite, she…”, Bradford paused and then continued. “Im gonna stop here. Im supposed to uphold her dignity at the very least”.

“If i could find a woman who loves me half as much as she loves and wants you id consider myself lucky”. Marlin looked at Bradford. He saw that Bradford knew how lucky he was.

“In my previous life i never saw women look at their loved ones like mom looks at you. I was probably surrounded by the wrong kind, as perceptive as i was, somehow i still ended up with…”Marlin stopped himself.

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“Father there are a few things we need to talk about. But first a question that has been burning on my mind since last night”.

Bradford motioned for him to continue. “Why…. Why don’t i have any siblings? With the way you two are it should have been inevitable”.

Bradford sighed. “It’s normal for woman after a troubling birth like yours to take a long time to recover. Usually 2 years after they stop breastfeeding the babe. Your mother has missed 3 spring cycles so far”.

“Spring cycles”? Marlin asked already knowing where this might be going.

”Yes it’s the period when most women are ready to conceive. It lasts for about a week”. Bradford had a tender smile on his face. “Your mother. Has her cycle during the summer”.

Mark rolled his eyes. “Yes father i understand how amazing mother is. He was quiet for a moment. It’s oddly fitting for her to have her cycle in the summer. She always lights up when the Lillie’s bloom”.

Bradford nodded. “What else did you wish to speak of”? Marlin continued, “What level where those 4? Could you tell”?

“The lowest was 5 the highest 8”

“and you still killed them all in 1 blow each”?

Bradford looked at his son, his eyes dark.

“your… taunts were critically effective and i took the opportunity. Rarely have i seen someone so… vicious with their tongue. It cut that woman deep, you managed to hit a string of truth”.

“you mean the creepy bitch”?

“yes and you do well not to speak ill of the dead”.

”if you hadn’t been there, she would have cut my balls off but not before they would make me watch them rape mother”.

bradford didn’t have a response. Partly because he knew Marlin was right and partly because he didn’t know how to handle a son with this type of knowledge.

“My old world wasn’t… violent. But ive seen enough sadistic pieces of garbage to put two and two together. Seeing mothers reaction to the whole ordeal im guessing she hasn’t seen or experienced the dark side of the kin”? Marlin asked with a somber tone.

Bradford shook his head his voice raw, “I had hoped you didn’t experience that sort of thing Marlin, the things i saw while on duty. it still haunts me sometimes”.

“I never did personally but cases like this were well documented in our history. Besides the moment i saw that same sadistic glee in their faces that i saw with sadanis i knew they were there to do horrible things”.

“You saw Sadanis”? Bradford asked shocked. “Yea i told you, he seduced me by forcing me to see my wife from my old life sleep with other men, he took great pleasure in showing me how she enjoyed it more with them then with me, afterwards he showed me how she suffered for her misdeeds how she ended up betrayed and i took pleasure from that”. Marlin was getting tired of having to relive it.

Bradford looked stunned. His face pale, “son… no one sees the gods and lives! Not us! not travelers”!

“what do you mean”? now it was Marlin who was surprised. Then it struck him. he had always given the abridged version of what had happened while he was in purgatory.

“Marlin… he made you watch”? Bradford gasped.

“Yea and that briefest of moments where i felt that pleasure… he looked at me straight in the eyes and said GOT YOU! After that i woke up as your beloved three year old. Ow and i should tell you it was the gods Artis and Nirvana who initiated my rebirth”.

Bradford was done being surprised for today. “If you say so Marlin i have no other choice to believe you”. He got up.

“have i ever lied”? Marlin shot back.

Bradford froze in his tracks. “You… haven’t. Good enough for me il believe you”. He moved closer.

”i prefer a stoic shoulder clap, leave the hugs to mother. She kinda fills my hug tolerance quickly”. Bradford smirked and gave a big stinging slap on the shoulder.

“i guess it’s old news to you what happened in the inbetween, im going to take some time to ponder what you told me but lets not tell your mother. Honestly i have no idea how she would take it, she’s so resilient yet so fragile sometimes”. bradford said.

“yea no worries i told you because i knew you would be able to take it”.

“ow and the last thing i wanted to talk about is I wanna go hunting. As much as i enjoy sparring i need real experience to build my foundation”.

“agreed, but first we must get you… what did you call em? Ow yes Snazzy boots. A proper saddle and an actual shield. A proper backpack camping supplies and a bunch of other stuff, if you are going to hunt gotta do it proper”.

Marlin felt like a kid on Christmas morning

“oooooooow. Betty came stumbling into the kitchen all groggy. Her hand on her back”.

“Morning mother care for some coffee”?

“yes please, auw! how am i going to tend to the crops with my back in agony”?

Marlin looked at his dad, who shrugged sheepishly.

“aww does mother dearest need a massage”?

“yes please! You know, you are awfully good at massages for someone with only average dexterity”.

”i’ve got it were it counts mother, no reason to waist it on balancing on a rope, Btw did i tell you father agreed to let me go hunting”?

”It’s about time Marlin, ooooooo that means we are going shopping”! Ah women are the same everywhere.