"I know that Teddy Hawks, he left for his hometown when we weren't looking. He is the young man that tracked the goblins or whatever you call them at the ranch. I think he has a mother and two siblings in Jenkins, a postal town about fifty miles to the west. Old man Hendrick was mad that Teddy stole a horse and a bow and left shortly after you left the house last night. He a good kid, a bit of a mama boy, good with a bow, and we ate a lot of rabbits and crow during the winter last year when Hendrick was too cheap to buy extra food for his cowhands."

"Hey, Crow is not bad to eat," hearing Sheila say "eww" in the background.

"Goblins killed one ranchhand. Cindy and I buried him behind the bunkhouse last night. Cindy and I killed the two assholes who tried to rape us after burying the body. You Killed four men here." counting on her fingers, watching Jason touch each of the dead men outside the walls on the ground using his work gloves to keep from burning himself on two of the burning bodies. All the bodies fade away, seeing him holding a small urn.

"There still Hicks and Frank and one more I think his name was Lobo. We were supposed to get another man to work for us next week when he came in from Ohio. Frowning, she watches Jason walk back to the gate, leading a horse looking at an urn.

"What that?" Watching him turn the urn around in his hand, Linda asks.

"William Holt ashes. Not sure what to do with them."

William Surely Holt

Age 32

Warrior 1

Died on October first 1 GO.

"What is GO?" muttered aloud.

"GO is Gate Opening. The ashes are to be used on the altar to bring back people from the dead within the range of the settlement it covers. You get a temple at level five and a priest or priestess in the kingdom." Grace spoke in his head.

"Oh, Hell no." opening all three of the urns, dumping them on the ground, and smashing the urns with his boot. Before jumping onto his horse.

Alice called out, "Why? You do that?"

Jason turned around the horse and spoke. "I was told I can bring back people that died when we build a temple at level five. Since the kingdom started last night, I'm not bringing those assholes back from the dead. They don't deserve to live again. I'm sorry you think that heartless, but we have no jails, and I prefer not to have any living enemy that can hurt those I care about." Seeing Alice frown while nodding as she stares at the broken urns.

Pointing at a young woman wearing a linen cloth dress and a short sword at her hip. With a quiver on her shoulder. Holding a short bow in her hand. The pretty woman has long brown hair in a ponytail and looks to be the same height and age as him but with more muscle definition in her arms.

[Quest Save watch left of the Hendrick family.

Kill Hicks 0/1

Kill Frank 0/1

Kill Lobo 0/1

Reward +1000 experience, 1 settlement orb. 300 Kingdom points, 300 copper bits. Other rewards unknown.]

Whistle at the quest. Turning to the archer woman.

"Jenny, you come with me. Alice, Keith, and Sheila mount up." As the woman's eyes clear.

[Jenny has become human, her soul is now integrated.]

Darla sounded surprised. "Sheila? No, no, she too young." moving over to her side and pulling her behind her.

Sheila's heart pounded loudly as she heard Jason wanted her to follow him. After telling her mom about the kingdom system, she looks surprised that her mother tries to stop her from being close to him. Her mom was all for her to get close to Jason last night since the world has gone to shits. All the guys at school and in town seem like children to her. After talking with Jason last night, she realized that he has the same look in his eyes as hers own when she looks at guys her age. She needs to age herself to get his attention. Thinking she may have found a way in the help menu using physique.

After reading about physique and its ability to change a person's look and strength, she needs more than two to three points invested. It could make her look like she is in her early thirties. She just needs to level up her physique to look older. She knows in her heart that she needs experience in life to age inside as well. But she is determined to show Jason that she will be a good match for him, and she knows winning over Alice will help her do that. She got to convince Alice that more than one wife will be needed to make Jason and the kingdom stronger. If he gets the kingdom to ten, she has a chance to be one of his wives. But she has to get past the hurdle of being seventeen years old. Her birthday is in a month. Then he has no excuse to say she is too young.

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Jason looks at Darla and shakes his head, "She has the spell flame strike. I strongly need her to use it. So I don't use up my mana too quick, so I need her to help. If she wants to be an adult, she needs to learn the hard way and that there is danger. There may be two or more men that may be level two by now, and I need Keith to use his crossbow along with mine. Sheila to cast her flame strike to distract or wound, and Jenny will guard us from behind."

Hearing Alice tell Darla, "I can heal in case someone is hurt."

He does not want to put Alice in danger, but he will not argue all day, knowing he will lose in the end. He dusts his felt hat off and puts it back on. Reaching for the saddle horn.

"Okay, then mount up. I'm sure they will wonder what happens when that dead body arrives after being dragged behind the horse." Staring toward the distance ranch. Turning the horse, he yells toward the guards. "Shut the gate. If you see us running back with trouble behind us, use your bows and get us inside."

After the rest had mounted their horse with Darla looked on anxious as she fussed over her daughter and started crying as we left. Stopping the horse, he said to Darla.

"Name the new guards as they come out of the bunkhouse and have them guard the gate. Okay, Darla?" She nods. "I will bring back your family. Hicks is a threat, and I am not leaving them to attack the girls in the future." Seeing she still worried and hoping not to regret it, he bent low to her and whispered. "I know you want Shiela to be my wife. I've not been blind to you always putting her in my sight. I will consider her one of my ten wives because we are friends, and Kieth once kept me from getting badly hurt or killed a few months ago. I owe him a lot, and I will bring them back." patting her on the shoulder.

Darla looks up, smiles while tears fall, and nods to him.

After leaving the fort, all five of them stop their horses at the end of the road staring at the barnyard in front of Hendrick's southern style manor. The two-story manor with four while columns in front stands imposing to them. Staying outside the range of an arrow or bolt and seeing a horse standing in the middle of the barnyard with the body of the man that he shot laying on the ground nearby. Jason searches the area with his eyes. He knows Lobo is one of Hick's men and has heard he fights with others since he joined the ranch. Beating up twelve people in a bar fight. Seeing movement in the lower front window of the ranch house, he still didn't move.

He knows one is inside the main house. If it were Jason, he would put another man inside the bunkhouse across from the manor in a crossfire. Hearing a woman screaming in the house. He reaches out to stop Alice from moving forward, shaking his head to tell her no.

"It's a trap, dear. Wait a few minutes." staring at the manor, the one inside with the girl is most likely Hicks. That leaves one at the bunkhouse or barn. The barn is too far to do anything until they get closer to the house, then it is within range of the porch. But the barn looks close up, and no way for someone to attack from there. A curtain in the bunkhouse moves again. There you are with a smirk on his face. Hicks is more likely in the house. Lobo would be in the bunkhouse. That leaves Frank. The barn is shut up so the top floor or roof of the manor.

"Their one in the bunkhouse just saw the curtain move. The other is inside the house. More likely, it's Hicks inside since he seems to be torturing the woman to get us into range. Sheila, I want you to cast a flame strike on the bunkhouse roof. Kevin, I want you and Alice to use your crossbow on anyone coming out of the building. I will watch the house and cover for you if you both miss him. If we move closer to the bunkhouse at this angle will give us cover from it, and the ones in the manor will have force Hicks into moving. Sheila, use flame strike when you in range on the bunkhouse and then move back to the road to get out of range." Looking at Jenny, " guard her with your life. I have no urge to face Darla's wrath on Sheila getting hurt or killed." Looking at Keith, Rather walk thru a den of rattlesnake than face her fury.

Sheila was about to argue when she saw her father glared at her. As she moves her horse closer to the bunkhouse, she cast a column of fire that erupts from the roof, spattering fire all over the building. Sheila turns her mount, races back to the road, and stops with Jenny following her as they scan around for danger. A few minutes later, a man wearing a straw hat roars a war cry. as the door bursts open, he rushes out, holding two tomahawks in his hands. Surprising both Keith and Alice ran toward us as another column of fire appeared in front of the man, catching him by surprise as the flame engulfed him. Alice's and Keith's crossbow tang as a bolt smash into the man engulfed in fire. The man screams and the sound of a body hitting the ground, looking back and seeing Shiela sweating from casting the spell.

Jason yells, "Stay here and guard. I will call you if I need your help. Keith, keep an eye on the barn." Riding Rita to the front of the house, slipping low to make himself a small target. He leaps off and rolls against the porch as he gets near the house. As the bolt smashes into the ground near him from inside the manor. Jumping up and pulling his crossbow out, he slams into the wall by the open door and peers inside, seeing the Hick half dragging an unconscious woman crossed the room toward the back door. The stairs in the middle lead upstairs. Hicks toss on the floor an empty crossbow to try to pick the woman and carry her out of the room. Hicks was trying to grab the woman into a better hold when the woman pulled away and slipped as he fell back against the door jam. The woman slams against a table, trying to flee and pass out from the blow.

Growling, Hicks stares at the woman on the floor with a sneer on his face. "I should have killed you earlier like I did your parents. A shame I got no time to deflower your little bitch. Maybe she dies when I torch the barn..."

Stop talking as he stares down at the bolt that suddenly appears to stick out of his chest. The Hicks stumble back through the doors out of sight. Leaving the woman on the ground. Jason reloads his crossbow staring around the room for Frank. Rushing into the room while waving to Alice and the others to come to the door. Crouching down next to the woman, and took the woman's pulse. Noting that it was low, but her heartbeat is still beating strong hoping Alice can heal her as he scans the upper stairs for Frank.

Seeing that the woman is covered in cuts and cigarette burns, he angrily moves to the doorway. Looking in and seeing only blood on the floor and wall of the hallway that leads to the back of the house through the mudroom. Hearing a noise behind him, he sees Alice with Keith kneeling next to the unconscious woman on the floor. Casting a healing spell on the woman Keith stood guard over her.

Alice follows him into the hallway, leaving Keith to contend with the young woman. Jason moves farther into the other hallway. At the end of the hallway, there are more bloody handprints on the door leading to the mudroom that goes outside.

[Tracking +1.]

What the hell? Jason shakes his head. Even a baby can follow this trail. He shook his head in surprise again at the stupidity of the system. Stopping at the outside door of the mudroom. He can see Hicks falling over the wood fence of the large corral about thirty feet away through the door. Peering out the door and ducking back as Alice brushes her chest up against his back behind him. Looking back at her being here.

"Minor wounds," she said after taking a breath, "A quick heal all she needs, and Keith will watch her," as Alice peers outside.

Nodding, he steps out of the house and sees no nearby danger. Watching Hicks pick himself off the ground after crawling over the fence. Hicks must have level one or two times since the arrow didn't kill him. Seeing a flash of light from above as a sense of danger kicks in. He turns and grabs Alice and startle her. Knocking her to the ground, covering Alice as an arrow slammed into his back left shoulder. Grunting in pain. As the pain of the arrow tears through his upper shoulder. He stretches across the ground to the crossbow he dropped and pulls it toward him and lifting it while pain shoots through him. The arrow on his back pushes it farther out his front shoulder from hitting the ground as he rolls back to shoot. Pulling the trigger at the mass on the roof. The bolt slammed into the man's arm as he was pulling another arrow out of his quiver, hearing the man scream as he lost his balance. The sound of a thud as a body face plants into the ground nearby.

[You have acquired Dangersense.]