"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" I roared, reaching out for Ava. As I did, I felt the ball in my stomach move. I was still too far; fifteen yards away. I wouldn't make it. Hot, molten pain moved up my stomach and into my chest, and time slowed again as the heat moved from my chest into my left arm. My tattoo began to glow that same golden light it did when John Boy attached it to me, only the pain was infinitely worse. Golden light traced over the black lines of my pistol, pulsing in time with my heart beat. Something within commanded me to touch it, to take hold of it, so I did. I placed my right hand on the grip and felt something that shouldn't have been there. More than just my skin, I felt... plastic. I grinned and grabbed it firmly, and pulled. Agony tore up my arm for a second time and I roared, fighting the urge to quit. Ava needed me. I screamed again, continuing to pull as hard as I could. There was an awful tearing, like that of wet meat being shredded, and a whole lot of blood flew free from my destroyed arm. My left arm hung limply, bones shattered and a good section of my forearm missing. Blood dripped from the eviscerated chunk of meat, but I didn't have time to pay attention to it. I was too busy looking at my other hand.

I looked down at my right hand and found my customized Smith & Wesson 1911, exactly the way it was before I died. Red dot sight, fluted slide for a more stable fire, the personalized grip that fits my hand perfectly (even my new, larger one), and the three initials carved into the wooden handle. AF, KF, and JF. Annabeth, Kathrine, and Jack Farmer, respectively. The barrel was the same, twin dragons coiling around each other with gold enhancements. The silver colored metal shone in the torch light of the room, and an evil smile split my face. A glitched out message popped up, flashing in and out of focus.

Congggradddullllatttions!!...!!!

Yyyou have ccccreattttedddd and NNNNNeewww SPELL. (&#@!^*(&^)^&%) Peacekeeper

Sacrifice 90% of your maximum health and all mana to summon an unknown weapon from another world.

What the fuck?

My eyes flicked between the message and my weapon, my brain struggling to catch up. The world returned to its normal speed as the green checkmark flashed on the screen. It blinked out of existence as my eyes flicked towards Ava, held up by the throat and struggling weakly. The Duke of Rilmon, Invos Winterfoot, laughed with glee as he prepared to murder his wife. His hand was aimed at her chest, ready to pierce her heart like he had my spine. NO.

"Put her down." I said, my voice calm, cold, and full of deadly promise. Invos's grey eyes flicked to me, and his smile fell.

"How the hell are you still alive?" He asked, his voice more curious than afraid. I wavered a little, lightheaded from all the blood loss and flicked black, sweaty hair out of my eyes as leveled my weapon at the elf.

"Fuck you, that's how. Put. Her. Down. Or I will fire." I said, moving my mostly repaired left arm and taking proper hold of my pistol. Invos's crazy smile split his face again, and he tightened his grip around Ava's throat, making her gasp and struggle a little harder. Her lips started to turn blue.

"No." The Duke laughed, his insane smile back on his face. I felt my own lips curl into a smile.

"I'm so very glad you chose this path." I whispered, dropping my aim and firing. An explosion echoed around the room, bouncing around the hard marble. It wasn't nearly as loud as an actual gunshot as I could still hear most things, but it was still pretty loud. Invos dropped Ava, falling to the ground and screaming, his knee destroyed by a bullet. Ava gasped for air, crawling away from the elf as I walked towards him, gun leveled at his chest. He struggled to his hands, his left leg extended as he tried to get away from me. I came to a stop three yards from him, glaring down at the pathetic man as he crawled away. His breathing was ragged and blood poured from his shattered knee, yet still he smiled. He rose up onto his elbows, grinning at me.

"So, you're the one." He gasped in a pain ridden voice. His laugh was choked off by a cough. "Yeful told me about you. How you saved the city by killing the Cycloptic Goblin single handedly. You're a hero. I can give you your reward." No quest popped up, just like with the Captain in Martinlos.

"Reward?" I asked, eyebrows raised. "I'm not seeing a reward. From what I can tell, you're a fuckin' liar and a cheat. I'd use stronger words, but there are ladies present."

"Ladies." he scoffed. "That whore is nothing but a waste of space. She can't even do her job right and give me a son. She bore that curse of a girl instead. I should have dealt with the bitch properly." I shot him in the other knee, without warning and without sympathy. He screamed and arched his back as I knelt beside him, just out of his reach, and shoved my firearm into the waistband on my hip.

"See? Where I come from, we call that being an asshole." He laughed, a little bit of fear leaking into his voice.

"Ha ha, what did she promise you? Wealth? Riches? Herself?" I jerked, unable to stop the reaction, and his grin widened. "Of course she did. That's all she's good for, after all."

"Fuck you." The Duke chuckled and it became a pain filled groan as I pushed one of his legs. When he spoke, his voice filled with confidence, not the pain it had been earlier.

"If it's women you want, I can get you women. A new one every night, if you'd prefer. Or riches! I can get you riches." I considered for a moment, tilting my head back and forth.

"Hmmm, tempting, but I don't think so." I turned a vicious, piercing gaze on the elf. He shrank back, a flash of fear crossing his face. "Now comes the fun part." I jabbed him in the kidney. He screamed, coughed, and spluttered, but I let them all wash over me. This man was the one responsible for Ava's torment. For hurting her. For hurting Lily. Rage ignited in my soul as I knelt next to him.

"It's not that I don't like you." Punch. "I fuckin' hate you. And it's not what you did to Ava." Punch. "I'll let her handle that." Punch. "This is for hurting Lily and Maila and Charlie and Tilly, and all the other children you've hurt." I pushed on one of his shot knees and he screamed again. It was primal and pain ridden. The kind of scream that would make most people stop. I took a deep breath. "Anyone who hurts children goes straight to the top of my Shit List." Punch punch. "And brother, that spot is wide fuckin' open." I leaned into the blows, whaling on the man and enjoying the screams of pain. Blow after blow landed on his handsome face. It wouldn't be so handsome when I was done. I even switched it up and punched him in the chest every once in a while. Finally, I slammed my right fist into his jaw, sending a tooth flying and skittering across the marble floor. He groaned, face bloodied and bruised. Beaten, unfocused eyes looked past me as he mumbled something. I leaned down towards his broken face and listened.

"Please..." he whispered. "Stop... I yield." Rage bubbled up from my chest.

"Yield?! There is no yielding in a fight." Something that wasn't me growled. It felt like it came from deep within my chest, but not my soul. The elf's head fell back against the ground, unconscious. I stood and gazed down at the broken man, breathing heavily. Fury still ravaged my mind, clenching and unclenching my hands over and over again. They had to do something; squeeze, crush, kill something. One of my hands closed around my pistol and I drew it, cocking the hammer and leveling it at the defenseless man. My finger tightened on the trigger. Not enough to fire, but close enough.

A part of me recognized that I was losing my composure. I didn't need to torture this man, just put two in his head and be done with it. Did I really need to kill him? He's surrendered. I took a deep breath and was consumed by the stench of blood. It was thick and metallic and horrible. I hated it. There's been too much blood spilled today. I remembered the suit of armor whose head I punched open, his corpse leaking blood onto the floor, the guy I'd thrown into the wall, and the goo-man I punched. Did I want to spread more death and suffering? Didn't I want to be different in this world? Did I want to kill this guy? Yes, he's an asshole. Yes, he hurt Ava and Lily and Velia and Meltri and Solamon and the kids and most likely hundreds of others. Yes, he runs his city really shitily. But, at the same time, he didn't deserve to be tortured. He should face the justice system, or whatever the fuck this world's equivalent was. Mostly, though, I wanted to be different in this world. I do not want to be a killer in this life. My mother's voice sounded in my head.

"You're a kind boy, Micheal. Always have been. Never forget that." Ava's voice came next.

"I think you will be a great Hero." Little Elizabeth, the green eared Rabbituan's tiny voice came last.

"Thank you for saving us!"

I drew in a deep breath and opened my eyes, coming back to the present. Invos was still unconscious at my feet, and I leveled my firearm at him again. My body wanted to kill the man, but my mind was still hesitant. My face contorted into a snarl as my finger tightened once again on the trigger. A growl grew from my chest as I tried to force my finger into my palm. It resisted the order, remaining firmly where it was. My growl grew to a roar, a wordless scream as I waged war with myself, and finally became a sigh as I lowered my weapon. I disengaged the hammer gently with my thumb and clicked the safety on, then stashed it in my waistband. The elf continued to sleep, knocked the fuck out. I turned around, letting my anger dissipate into the air around me. It worked decently well, and I felt marginally better as I walked over to Ava. She was still on the ground, curled into a ball. She shook occasionally, and hushed voices came from her. I couldn't make out what they were saying, even when I got closer and knelt beside the wood elf, touching her shoulder gently. She gasped and spun, disentangling herself from Lily and putting herself between me and the little girl. Bright, fantastic lavender eyes stared wildly at my face. They softened when she saw it was me and she rushed forward, burying her face in my chest.

"It's ok. I've got you." I said as I wrapped her in a hug. "Is Lily safe?"

"Yes." she replied messily, pulling back. "We both are." She smiled up at me, lavender clouds raining onto a joyous pond. I brushed a strand of jade hair behind her ear, then pressed my hand against her cheek, feeling her warmth. Soft skin melted into my own as Ava sighed and leaned into my touch. She closed her magnificent eyes and parted her pink lips. I grinned and accepted the invitation, tilting her head back and kissing her deeply. Our tongues danced together and my body lit up with pleasure. It was still charged with energy from the fight, and it took a considerable amount of willpower not to take the kiss further.

"We need to go." I said, breaking away from my enchanting elf. "Those gunshots probably woke the whole ass house. We need to leave. Now. Where's Lily?"

"I'm right here." a child's voice said from my right elbow.

"Fuck!" I hollered, jumping away and pulling my gun. "Shit, kid, you can't do that to me. Not when I'm still in Soldier Mode." I holstered my weapon again, looking down at the strange little girl. She had pink hair cut into a pixie bob, and her eyes were the same as her mother's, but less intense. She had the same kind of clouds, though, and I knew some poor boy was in for a ride. I took a deep breath and stood up straight, smiling down at the girl. "Sorry for the late introduction. I'm Micheal."

"The Micheal from the Quest?"

"Unless you know another Micheal."

"No. Why are you with Momma?"

"I saved your mother from a group of bad men. She wanted to come back and get you, and I agreed to escort her." I glanced up and watched as Ava approached Invos's still form. He was alive but still passed out. Ava's hand became wrapped in golden light and she pressed it to one of his legs. "We've been traveling together for a few weeks now, and I trust her. She's a good friend. One of the few I have." The elf groaned and shifted as his knee repaired itself. She did the same with the other leg, but left his face as it was. I watched her work, admiring her. Jade hair sparkled in the moonslight, a galaxy around her head. Her pale skin was flushed red and she moved quickly.

"Do you looooove her?" Lily asked, drawing out the word and giggling. I glanced back down at the kid, her innocent eyes wide and questioning in the way that manipulative children are masterful at. I scoffed and shook my head.

"Yes, I do." I stated with a smile. Lily gave me a genuine smile in return, her white teeth flashing in the candlelight.

"You're telling the truth." she said, complete confidence in her voice, like she was telling me the sky was blue. "Good." She turned and skipped off towards her mother. I sighed heavily and plodded behind the girl, crouching down next to the pair.

"Are you sure you want to heal him?" I asked. Ava turned a glare on me and I held up my hands. "Just asking. He did beat the shit out of your daughter and let Wall Guy touch you. I vote he dies of blood loss."

"'Wall Guy'?"

"The dude I flung into the wall. Wall Guy."

"Ah, I see. An apt expression." The glow surrounding her hands faded and she sat back on her heels. Ava let out a noise of exasperation and gestured at Invos. "Yes, I want to heal him. I hate him, but there's still a part of me that remembers the man he was. The kind and enchanting man I married. I'd catch glimpses of it on occasion and held out hope that things could get better, but I was wrong."

"Then you might want to heal his head. Just a little. His brain might be bleeding."

"I suppose." she sighed, her hands glowing gold again. She pressed them to the side of the Duke's head for maybe ten seconds, then drew them back. "That's enough. He'll be able to walk, assuming he wakes up." Ava stood, looking down at Invos.

"Do you have any rope?" I asked. "Anything to restrain him with? I don't feel comfortable leaving him here." A spike of pain stabbed into my head and I groaned, pressing my hand to it. Ava glanced at me, concerned. I felt something form in my right hand, and once I could see again, I found that I now held a two foot section of black fabric. I grinned.

"Thank you." I whispered to my clothes, and I felt a pulse of satisfaction. I moved forward and hog tied the Duke, arms and legs pulled into one point in the middle of his back. He looked like a fucked up seal, and I nodded, satisfied with his restraints. Rising, I turned back towards Ava, who was looking down at the elf. Her lip quivered and tears filled her eyes, and she brushed them away, sniffling. I stepped back, giving her her space. Lily took my place next to Ava, holding her mother's hand. They both looked down at the Duke and I let them be, waiting patiently for them to be done. After a few minutes, Ava out an 'Ah!', shook herself, and turned to Lily.

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"Alright. Are you ready to leave?" she asked with forced enthusiasm. The girl nodded with actual enthusiasm.

"Yes! I want to see the ocean!" A smile of my own broke out at her words.

"It's unlike anything you've ever seen." I said. "Blue for as far as you can see."

"How big is it?" Lily asked as the two came up to me.

"Big." I replied, looking at Ava and flashing her a grin. "Bigger than this country. Bigger than my homeland, too."

"Woooooow." I smiled at her wonder. Ava led the three of us towards a door I hadn't noticed before, our shoes clicking on the marble floor.

"It's full of life, too. Hundreds of thousands of fish, plus mammals and lizards, and dozens of other things you can only find in the water. Like coral."

"What's that?"

"A bunch of tiny little creatures called organisms working together. They're technically one big creature since each organism is an exact replica of the others, but it's easier to think of them as thousands of buddies building a city." I opened the door, checking the hallway. It was dark and quiet, and nothing stood out to me, so I turned back to the girls. "Clear. Let's go. Lily, may I pick you up? It'd be easier if I could carry you." The little girl nodded, and I picked her up, holding her on my hip. I turned to Ava, nodding, and my face fell. Invos was missing. The bloodstains were still there, but the body wasn't. What the fuck? He couldn't have gotten up already, could he?

"We need to leave. Right godsdamed now." I said, picking Ava up with my other arm. She made a noise of surprise and fought me a little, but I held her tight to my body and began to run.

"Micheal!" she cried, then slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. I growled, scanning the hall. There was nothing, just carpet to either side. Not even the walls were decorated. "What the hell?"

"Which way?" I asked, shutting the door behind me. My breathing was ragged, and I stalled, my feet needing to move but not knowing which way. "Which way?!"

"Right!" I turned and sprinted to the right, rounding the corner.

"He was gone." I panted. "Invos wasn't where we left him. Time to go." We came to a window big enough for me to squeeze through and I stopped, setting the girls down. I grit my teeth and smashed the window, using my arm to clear any remaining glass. Blood spilled everywhere as my arm was lacerated by the shards, but I didn't care. The pain was nothing to the pressure of escaping cleanly. Once I was sure all the glass was gone, I poked my head out and let out a sigh of relief. Thank the gods. We were on the first floor.

"Lily." I said, turning to the girl and picking the largest pieces of glass from my arm. "You first." She nodded and allowed herself to be lifted out of the window. I leaned over the sill and placed her gently on the ground, then came back in and turned to Ava. "You next, love." She blushed and moved by me, exiting the window. I followed close behind her, squeezing my bulk through the smaller than expected window. The night air was cool on my skin when I stepped out and I fought down a shiver, picking the girls up once again.

"I don't plan on stopping for a while." I said as I strode across the yard. The moons were almost out of the sky and the stars had started to fade. Dawn was coming. "Are you two alright with that?"

"Yes. Let's get out of here." Ava said. "And I can walk by myself."

"I wanna see the ocean!" Lily cried at the same time, right into my ear. I ignored the flash of annoyance that rose and kept moving.

"I don't mind carryin' y'all." I said as we came to the hole in the wall. "You know I can handle it." I dropped Ava and took Lily in both arms, cradling her against my chest. With an 'Oorah!' of effort, I vaulted the fence. Ava snuck through the crack and we dashed across the street, hiding in the shadows, and turned back to face the manor. Lights were starting to ignite in various rooms as the night's festivities were discovered. We stood there for a moment, none of us really comprehending what we had just done.

"Where are we meeting Marcie?" I asked, turning to Ava. "We're not out of the woods yet." Ava's face fell into a frown.

"We're not in the woods." she replied as we started to walk away from the manor. I chuckled.

"That's true. Another saying from back home. Means that we shouldn't let our guard down yet. Let's hurry." We picked up the pace, jogging through the dark streets. I held Lily in one arm and my pistol in the other, eyes scanning for threats. Ava jogged along side me, her breathing steady.

"Turn here." Ava said, taking a hard right turn into an alley. I followed close behind, not wanting to lose her in the maze of alleys and backstreets. The alleys were dark and grimy, with buildings closing in on either side. They loomed over me and my heart rate spiked for a second. I felt a little claustrophobic, something I'd never felt before. Did my new body come with new fears? I shook my head clear of the existential crisis and focused back on the bob of green in front of me. Ava led me in what felt like circles, but she seemed certain, so I went with it. The cobblestone streets became rougher and less maintained, potholes and broken windows and the like. Finally, we came to a massive stone wall. Ava slowed, then turned to me and pointed at a tiny little crack in the stone.

"Lily, you first." she said, pulling her daughter from my arms. She set the girl on the ground and gave her a tight hug, then kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, Momma." Lilly replied, hugging her mother just as fiercely.

"I'll be right behind you." Lily nodded, then disappeared into the crack. Ava turned to me and I pulled her into a kiss. Soft lips melted into my own, and I pulled away before I could get lost in them.

"I love you." I whispered, kissing her once more. "Let's go." She nodded and disappeared into the crack as well. I followed without looking back.

We were back in the plains. The open field lay before us, and I smiled. Rolling, grassy hills extended as far as I could see, and somewhere on that horizon was the ocean. We were so close, I could almost taste the salty sea air. The openness of the plains was a nice change to the cramped, people flooded streets of the city, too, and I breathed the first full breath in what felt like forever. I could still smell the stench of trash, people, and all the other unpleasant things in a city, but it was overlaid by a sweetness I could only describe as the Freedom of Summer. It was that first breath after school let out for the summer or laying down after sixty consecutive hours of consciousness. The air was warm and sweet even though it was the middle of the night. I heard someone let out a yawn and turned to Lily, who was struggling to keep her eyes open. We had woken her up, after all.

"Alright. We're in the home stretch now. Let's find Marcie, get the cart, and then y'all two can get some sleep. I'm good to go, and I'll get us at least a few miles from the city before we stop." Ava nodded and placed a concerned hand on my bicep.

"Don't push yourself too hard. I can't have you passing out on the side of the road again."

"Yes ma'am." I said. "I promise."

"Thank you. Come on, I can see the tree where we're meeting Marcie." Lily held her arms up towards me and I bent, picking her up. I'm glad that she's starting to trust me. We walked parallel to the walls, heading South, and I could see Ava physically relax with each step we took. It was like the sun began to break through the storm of worry surrounding her. She walked lighter, her shoulders less tense, and I smiled. What the hell does this woman do to me? How can watching her walk make me smile?

We walked through the grass a couple hundred yards from the walls. The city was actually pretty defensible, now that I looked at it. The surrounding area was flat and open, and the nearest cover was the tree line a half mile away. I felt exposed as we walked, but was comforted at the same time. Anyone who saw us would have just as hard a time sneaking as we would. Lily's head lolled against my shoulder and she snored softly, asleep.

"Ava." I whispered. The wood elf jumped and whirled, then smiled when she saw us. "Sorry. Didn't mean to spook you." She slowed, falling in step beside me. "She's asleep."

"Good. Let's keep it that way. Let her process everything when she wakes." We walked in a comfortable, slightly nervous silence. I could feel Ava's nerves beginning to fray as we walked. Her hands constantly clenched and unclenched and she stared straight ahead. She exuded forced calm, defeating the point. She pointed at a tree in the distance, about five hundred yards away.

"That's where we're meeting Marcie." she said in a controlled, measured voice. I nodded and adjusted Lily in my arms.

"Then let's hurry. Those moons are getting awfully low." I broke into a jog, making sure not to jostle the sleeping child too much. Ava kept pace with me easily, and we closed the remaining distance quickly. Marceline came into view, sitting in the drivers seat of our cart. She heard us coming and turned, her face pale. I slowed, pulling up short. The rotund woman was sweating profusely and lit a lamp, holding up the light, and my heart sank. She wasn't alone. Invos Winterfoot sat beside her, a wide, satisfied grin on his face. He was completely fine, not even a scratch from his earlier beating. I frowned, a little upset that my handiwork had been so easily undone. The Duke held a knife to Marceline's plump neck, and her chubby arm shook from the effort of holding the lantern up.

"Keep her safe." Ava whispered. I barely caught the words and turned to her, mouth open to say something. I didn't get the chance as she pointed her finger, collected a spear of fire, and launched it into her husband's head. It bounced off harmlessly, dissipating into the surrounding air. Ava swore, and I sent a silent 'Thank You' to John Boy that Lily wasn't awake to hear the string of expletives that burst from Ava's mouth. Even my ears turned a little red, and I've lived through high school football in the south and boot camp. Invos sat in the cart all the while, that stupid, shit-eating grin on his face. It made me a little mad to see that he had his tooth back, too. Ava finally ran out of steam and stood there, panting. She gathered herself as the Duke responded.

"Well, that was certainly unladylike of you." he sniffed. He actually sniffed, too, which made me just a tiny bit angrier. I wanted to pull my pistol and shoot him again, but didn't want to wake Lily with an explosion like that. I agonized over what to do when Ava took the initiative. She glared at Invos, rage in her eyes, then opened her portal and withdrew a knife. She pulled her arm back, then whipped it forward, releasing the knife at the perfect time. It flew, making two full rotations, and shunk'ed into Invos' eye. He screamed and released Marceline. Lily woke with a start, her tiny heart pounding, and Marceline toppled out of the cart. I set Lily down gently and sprang into action, racing forward and barely catching the large woman. Well, I say caught. I slid, blocking her landing with my body more than catching her. I grunted and pushed her off me, scrambling to my feet. The Duke was still wailing, clutching at his eye. He swore loudly, and I caught sight of Ava prepping another fire spear. Thinking quickly for the first time, I dashed to the other side of the cart, shouting to get Invos' attention.

"Hey, Dickmuch! Your mom's a hoe!" The jeer did its job, causing the Duke to turn towards me. He glared at me, a singular gray eye staring back at me. I saw rage and disgust in his eye, and then it went empty. A thin spear of white fire flew out from between his eyes, sputtering out before it reached me. The Duke collapsed to the side, tumbling down off the cart and landing on his face. The landing drove the knife further into his eye and squelching into the brain. I shuddered at the sound, memories of being covered in Big Barry's blood and brains rising unbidden. It was overlaid by a flash of Mark's destroyed head, brains leaking onto the dusty floor, but that memory was a world away. I looked towards my elf, and Ava stood on the other side of the cart, her arm raised and finger pointing at me. She lowered it and sighed, then dropped to her knees, sat back on her heels and sobbed once, hugging herself. I moved to comfort her, but Lily beat me to it. She crashed into her mother, knocking both of them to the ground. I slowed, then came to a stop. I'll let them have this moment. I shouldn't ruin it.

Looking around, I saw Marceline trying to hide in the grass a little ways off. The round woman wasn't doing a very good job, and I walked over to her. She looked up at me and tried to scramble to her feet, but she had trouble even sitting up. I sighed and crouched, picking her up and setting her on her feet.

"Thank you." she said flatly, a blank look on her face. She seemed shocked and I smiled.

"Been a while since someone's picked you up, hasn't it?" She nodded dumbly.

"How strong are you?"

"Strong. Strong enough to move the cart." Realization overcame her and she glanced between me, herself, and the cart, and I nodded. "You got a sheet or somethin'?" I asked, moving over to the Duke's body. It still lay where it fell, unmoving. I rolled it over and stared down at his face. It was pretty, if a man's face could be pretty. Fair, I suppose, aside from the knife in his right eye. I crouched and pulled it free, an uncontrollable look of disgust crossing my face as silver brains and pulped eye pulsed out.

"Ugh." I groaned, shaking the knife free of gore, then wiped it on the grass a few times. It still wasn't completely clean, so I wiped it on the Duke's clothes. I heard someone fat come up behind me, huffing and puffing in the way fat people do after rushing around for a few minutes. I glanced behind me to find Marceline holding a blanket. "Excellent. That will do nicely. Thank you." I said as I took the blanket from her. I laid it over the body, covering his face and standing.

"This is not how I expected my night to go." Marceline said, looking down at the body.

"This is about what I expected." I replied. "Maybe a little less death. I wouldn't have been surprised if we'd left the city in flames, though."

"You're a dreary one."

"Nah, just fucked up." I slid the knife into my belt, brushing my hand against my pistol in the process. I drew it, looking down at the firearm. I stroked the barrel gently, smiling slightly.

"You're weird, too." I laughed, loud and boisterous.

"Yes! Yes, I am." Marceline shook her head and moved towards Ava, supposedly to comfort her, and I looked back down at my pistol. "Thank you." I whispered. A golden light shone from the gun and it began to disassemble in front of me, turning back into the golden motes. They flowed into my left forearm, once again becoming a tattoo. Pain free, thank John Boy. I smiled, running my hand over it, feeling the smooth, fresh skin under my palm.

"Hey, weirdo!" Marceline called. I glanced up at her, a frown on my face.

"What?!" I hollered back.

"Get over here!" I grumbled, stomping over to the girls.

"Yes?" Marceline glared at me as I came around the cart. Ava and Lily held each other on the ground, their tears no longer flowing, and I turned what I hoped was a comforting smile on them. "Sorry. Yes, Marceline, how may I help you?" She rolled her eyes.

"Help Lily into the cart."

"Yes ma'am." I walked over to the girls, crouching down beside them. "Lily?" I asked as gently as I could. The child flinched, clutching her mother tighter, and I sighed. Damn this fantastic body. Kids don't like me as much anymore. "Alright. Come on, you two." I scooped Ava up in my arms, bringing both girls up with me. I leaned down into Ava's ear and whispered, "Keep Lily's eyes towards the city. And yours, too, honestly. I covered him, but still." She nodded and turned her head into my chest, and Lily's lavender eyes gazed up at mine as I looked down at the two of them. My arms tightened around them, holding them closer. "My girls." I whispered, barely uttering the words. "I will protect you. I will keep you safe."

Quest Update: Accompanying Avalina has become Protecting Ava.

Protect Ava:

Keep the woman you love safe.

Conditions for Success:

Establish a safe home for your family.

Reward:

Unknown.

Failure:

Excessive harm comes to either Ava or Lily.

Consequences:

Unknown.

Well, shit. I guess I'm attached.

The message blinked a green checkmark as I placed Ava and Lily on the bench. She held her daughter in her lap, kissing the top of the little girl's head and whispering softly. I don't think the words actually mattered, it was more about the comfort. I walked over to Marceline and held out my hand for her to shake. She looked at me questioningly, and I sighed. I took her pudgy hand and mine and shook it twice.

"Thank you, Marceline. You have done us a great favor. I am in your debt." She nodded.

"I will remember that. Doubly so, since I assume you are leaving me to handle the body." I gave her an apologetic smile.

"Yes, ma'am. I hate to do so, but it's probably best that we get going."

"I agree. I'll handle it. It's not the first time I've had to cover up a noble's murder." Her eyes flicked to Ava and she pursed her lips.

"It's alright, I don't think she heard you. I'd tell you where we're going, but..." She waved me off.

"Don't. I don't want to know. Just... give them a good life, alright? They've been through enough, especially Av. Lily's a tough girl and I have no doubt that she'll be alright, but Av... Just, be there for her. Please?" I smiled.

"She's not some damsel in distress, you know. She's saved me just as much as I've saved her. She'll be alright. But I will be there for her when she needs me." We started to walk back towards the cart and I got behind the bars, placing my hands on the smooth wood. I gave Marceline one more smile and started to walk, the cart offering only a slight resistance. The dirt road stretched out before us, and I heard someone rustle behind me.

"Good-bye, Marcie!" Ava called. "Thank you!" Marceline didn't respond, at least not with her voice. I picked up speed, settling into a slight jog. The sun began to rise, casting the plains in a deep red, growing brighter by the second. I inhaled, breathing deep of the warm, sweet summer air. The first rays of sunshine crested the horizon, bringing hope to my heart. We had done it. I had gotten Ava home safely. We rescued her daughter and five others, and managed to not kill everyone in the house while doing so. All in all, a pretty great adventure.

The sun rose to full, shining brightly down onto us. We moved at a decent clip, the miles disappearing under my feet. The warm summer breeze ruffled my hair and a mosquito the size of a small dog flew by. My wood elf shot a line of flame and speared it through the abdomen. It fell from the sky, dead, and I smiled.

I love this world.