“Well, come on. Oh… shoot! You do not have a weapon, do you?”
Gwenvair shook her head, although she did step forward, obvious nervousness shivering through her limbs. Joe nodded at her and continued, “I’ll get you a spoon spear after this but for now just watch Kilniara for now.”
Gwenvair quickly nodded and Joe watched for the rest of the fight until Kilniara was finally able to put the goblin down on her own.
“Nice job, Kilniara.”
“Thanks… but it’s… a lot harder alone.”
Joe chuckled, “But you will get better. Just a moment before the next one. Let me get Gwenvair a temporary weapon.”
Joe turned away and ran back to their packs and pulled out the spoon spear. He knew she wouldn’t be able to use any other weapon… unless her other job allowed for it? I should ask… Which he did as soon as he returned.
“Make sure to bring the half-staff tomorrow. Or, if you have something… special? But bring what you can use and I should be able to train you. For now, just use this.”
Gwenvair stared at his hand for a bit, looking at it as if he was offering a viper to her, “I… what is that?”
“Uh… it doesn’t really have a name. I kind of call it a spoon spear since it looks a bit like a spoon, but it’s not really… a real weapon… except against slimes, but anyway, you should be able to use this.”
Gwenvair stared up at him, then back at it for a bit before taking a step back, “I cannot wield any weapon but a half-staff.”
Joe smiled then nodded, “I know, but I don’t know why but you can use this.”
“Truly?”
Joe nodded, “I’m not sure why, but Garnedell could.”
She looked up at him, then reached out carefully, fear still obvious in her movement and Joe nodded at her.
“Don’t worry. I’ll hold it firmly so that it cannot harm you or others. Try.”
Gwenvair glanced back up at him, her gaze searching before she nodded, taking hold of the shaft of the spoon spear. She grabbed it very firmly at first, then gasped in surprise as her grip relaxed a bit.
Joe smiled and released his own grip, “See?”
She looked at him with shock before a smile quickly broke over her features and she giggled. Joe chuckled back before continuing.
“Do your best. Try not to hit me or Kilniara, but just hit the goblin as much as you want. For now, you will do poorly, but do as best as you can. Just as a warning, you will likely find poking the goblin much easier than trying to swing at the goblin. But don’t worry about it. Do the best you can.”
Gwenvair quickly smiled with a nod to which Joe replied with his own, “Good. Ready?”
“Yes!”
Joe chuckled and turned to Kilniara. She was staring up at him, a small mysterious smile on her face and Joe cocked his head, a bit confused by her stare.
“You OK?”
Kilinara’s smile burst even more brilliantly, almost as relief seemed to flood through her, “Yes. Very much so.”
“Good. Ready for the next goblin?’
Kilniara turned away, her face fierce, “Yes to that as well!”
Joe chuckled and once again pulled another mob. The next fight and series of fights after were quick and nonstop. Joe even found time to try to infuse his weapons a few times, sliding a bit of mana up into it and then noticed with some shock that the goblin pretty much seized up and died on the spot. He grinned to see it. No wonder… real easy kills with this… He fed more mana into his staff and found the kill to come even more rapidly, it simply dying without being stunned as if shocked by electricity. He stopped after his struggle to emit mana and get it into his staff froze him up a bit, almost allowing a strike to get through to the girls and he focused on defense once again. Right… practice more… get infusion to be… well… mana emission to be normal and easy… infusion seems to be a cinch.
Kilniara fought mostly on her own with Joe supporting her more and more as she began to become tired. Then brought Gwenvair into the fight more and more until the two were fighting well enough together, although Kilniara did most of the fighting and Gwenvair primarily offered diversions and few truly damaging strikes. Their fight continued for quite some time and soon the two boys retreated to the corner to rest but the two girls, having taken a few moments of rest more often, were still good to go for another ten or so minutes until Kilniara retreated, too exhausted to continue. Gwenvair only lasted another fight herself, panting in exhaustion as well. The two girls looked at each other before Kilniara nodded to the corner of the room to rest, even as the two boys bounced excitedly waiting in line for their turn as their rest had long ended.
“Come, let’s rest in the corner,” Kilniara beckoned Gwenvair as she led her.
* * *
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“Come, rest calls us to the corner,” Kilniara called to her and Gwenvair shivered, embarrassment and despair driving her away but propriety not allowing any form of escape. She followed Kilinara to the corner and watched as the girl slithered down the wall to sit on the floor. Gwenvair stared for a bit, waiting for Kiliniara to berate or attack her but nothing came. She simply sat and dropped her head against the wall even as she closed her eyes to rest.
Gwenvair felt her own exhaustion calling her, and despite the impropriety of sitting on the floor of a dungeon, she soon found herself collecting herself primly against the floor and leaning against the wall. Despite the hardness, she found her exhaustion actually made the floor much more comfortable than she expected. She almost relaxed and forgot the predicament she was in until Kilniara spoke.
“You fancy him.”
Gwenvair flinched, the shock of the comment catching her unexpectedly in her relaxation. She said nothing but looked up at Kilniara before finally replying.
“I apologize. I did not understand … your relationship.”
Kilniara looked at her as well but smiled very kindly, “He is... easy to fall for.”
Gwenvair clenched her teeth, but nodded softly, “Yes. He is.”
“You are concerned?”
Gwenvair said nothing, but now noticed Kilniara’s kind face and accepting smile. Her concern quickly disappeared as she realized that things were not as they appeared and her face schooled. When she did so, she saw Kilinara flinch, the easy smile slipping and Gwenvair grimaced and sighed. She dropped her head before looking back up at Kilinara, keeping her face clear but still polite.
“I apologize, but … I’m not sure what you … I’m lost. Please speak plainly.”
Kilniara sighed in response, “I’m… I do not wish to disturb you or please… be yourself and do not be concerned with … other things. He will teach you well and treat you well. You have no need to fear me or what I may do.”
Gwenvair sighed, smiling even as relief slid through her at the resolution while her hope died, “Thank you. I had no intention to … steal a man from any other.”
Kilniara nodded, “I know.”
Gwenvair’s smile was a bit more real with that and she dropped her head back against the wall.
“He’s an eccentric… and so young!”
Kilniara giggled and nodded, “Yes… very young.”
Gwenvair quickly turned her head to look at Kilniara, her eye’s searching her face even as Kilniara’s cheeks flushed, “No!”
Kilniara quickly shook her head, “No. No… nothing of the sort. He refuses.”
“He refuses? You’ve offered?”
“You wouldn’t?”
Gwenvair blushed brilliantly vermillion at Kilniara’s quick reply, shocked at her blunt reply but noticed that Kilniara blushed no less, “I…”
Gwenvair trailed off and turned away, unable to deny Kilniara’s rebuttal. They fell silent for a few moments but Gwenvair was unable to keep her curiosity blunted and returned to her original enquiry.
“So… he refused?”
“Yes.”
Gwenvair remained silent for a moment but pressed on, “Did… do you know why?”
Kilniara giggled and shifted closer to Gwenvair, leaning closer to her, “He refuses to engage in … meaningless? He said meaningless… meaningless sex, but I do not understand clearly his words, but he wished to be certain of our relationship. To be… promised to one another?”
Gwenvair’s brows rose at that, “Promised?”
Kilniara sighed and nodded, “His people are… very different. I am uncertain of his or his people’s culture or traditions, but he wishes for … meaning. I have not… I do not understand his desire.”
Gwenvair looked at Kilniara, noticing her honesty, she leaned close to her to whisper, “It appears he seeks a true relationship. One of honest commitment, of personal commitment, not … not a business or one of melding families. He seeks… love.”
Kilniara’s eyes widened at Gwenvair’s statement then she began to giggle a bit hysterically even as she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She looked at Gwenvair and smiled brightly even as her cheeks flushed once more and Gwenvair reached a hand up to Kilniara’s shoulder before patting her.
“You have a good man.”
Kilniara looked back at Gwenvair and smiled as her manic excitement settled enough that she could reply, “I do… don’t I.”
Gwenvair sighed and leaned her head back but said nothing Kilniara noticed her dejection and sobered a bit before offering her some hope.
“He might have a brother… or a cousin.”
Gwenvair looked up at her and snorted, “Yeah, right.”
Kilniara giggled but then frowned a bit, concern overcoming her joy, “Please… do not retreat. Please… join us. I enjoy your friendship.”
Gwenvair looked up at her, eyes searching her face carefully. Gwenvair stared long and hard but could not find the source of Kilniara’s drive. Despite that, she knew, deep in her bones, that Kilniara was sincere. There was little to no reason for her return. Her hope was stillborn, but Kilniara’s plea touched her, deeply. Besides, mom would still want me to come to at least establish ties. Of course he is.. engaged to one… Kilniara must be… Confusion settled in her mind as she realized that Kilniara claimed to be a simple commoner from her own city. Then… if nothing else, curiosity would bring her back.
The two fell silent and Gwenvair turned her attention to the two boys as they fought with the eccentric. She watched them fight the goblins, the three working in concert to easily clear out the monsters as they came. While the eccentric was inspiring, easily controlling the field and the goblins as they came, his endurance proved to be most incredible to her. Despite his performance, she found herself drawn more to the combat capabilities of his apprentices. She couldn’t truly understand how powerful they all were.
From what she understood, the two acokzau were simple tailors of some kind. She glanced to her side to consider Kilniara before quickly turning her gaze back to the three guys. She… is as competent as her brother… and an adventurer! How does a cloth maker fight equal to an adventurer!? She held her peace, and continued to watch, turning her gaze to the only true combatant amongst the apprentices: Garnedell, the young adventurer. While adventurers were technically combatants, they weren’t known for their capabilities, either. Yet all three were able to work together and fight the goblins decently well. Several times they even showed capabilities of combatting the goblins one on one. But no matter how she watched, she could not see anything that made them unusually capable beyond their simple competence. They struck well and with confidence, if not with skills or any abilities she could recognize. Their infusion was average and nothing too uniquely unusual, striking the goblins quickly, rapidly, and often, aiming for limbs as was appropriate. Only the eccentric took the risky attempt of striking the torso; much more powerful and deadly but just as likely to be deadly for the attacker. The eccentric even rarely used infusion, limiting himself to allow the others more time to practice against the goblins.
Still, she saw little beyond the eccentric cautiously intercepting attacks that proved to push the capabilities of his apprentices. Despite that, the apprentices showed to be unusually competent, equaling some of the better clanners in her guild, and she grew excited to be able to experience his training.
The combat with the eccentric did not stop and that, if anything, was the only unusual aspect to his training as he completely ignored the bodies, allowing the dungeon to reclaim them as it wished. Sometimes, one of the apprentices would butcher the corpse in search of a core, but they only ever found one the entire day, and Gwenvair wondered at the eccentric’s extreme wealth. Must have brought it with him from his clan home… but why would he need… so much?
Gwenvair’s thoughts were interrupted by a call to her side.
“Ready to head back out again? I’m rested pretty well. How about you?”
Gwenvair glanced over at Kilniara then smiled, nodding, “Sure.”
Kilniara’s answering grin was one of happiness and Gwenvair found herself answering in kind, although she said nothing but to hold a hand down to help her up.
* * *