Ernie hesitantly stepped through the broken doorway. The short man looked all over, surveying the damage. Owin immediately noticed that all the Nimble Hogs were calm. Not a single one seemed worried about the sudden appearance of this short man.

Hero

Ernworth Eckelson

Alchemist

Level: 50

Strength: 80

Constitution: 279

Dexterity: 278

Intelligence: 293

Wisdom: 107

Charisma: 96

“I thought Chorsay was against remodeling.” Ernie picked up a piece of wood and held it close to his face. “Should’ve hired an expert.”

“It’s not a good time for your jokes, Ernie.” Sanem leaned her head, looking outside. “Where’s Kat?”

“I’m here.” A woman stuck her head in the doorway. Black hair hung loose and messy. “Ernie wanted to make an entrance.”

Ernie cleared his throat. “No, I didn’t.” He turned back and shushed her. He tossed the piece of wood aside and strode through the rest of the room. “Is the big man here?”

“No. But . . .” Sanem squinted as she looked at Owin. “I have an idea.”

“Oh?” Ernie leaned to the side, looking around Sanem. When he spotted Owin, his eyebrows immediately raised. “Who is that?” His index appeared and hovered just in front of his eyes.

“Well, Ern,” Katalin said as she strode inside. “That’s a damn goblin.”

Ernie held up a finger. “Actually, that’s a hero.”

“What?” Katalin’s index appeared as she also looked over Owin’s information. “Impossible.”

“I’ve heard this a lot,” Owin said.

“It’s been a whole thing,” Sanem said. “The Izylia Unity Force arrested Chorsay for harboring a wanted criminal.” She nodded toward Owin. “For self defense.”

Ernie narrowed his eyes. “And how can I be of any assistance?”

“Cix, can you grab the item from Chorsay’s office?” Sanem asked.

A woman in a purple cloak with her hood up vanished in a puff of smoke just like Vondaire had not long before. Owin flinched as she vanished, not realizing the woman had been an umbra. He hadn’t gotten to know her yet.

Owin watched both newcomers as they confidently stood inside the Nimble Hogs’ headquarters. Clearly, the other Hogs already knew Ernie and Kat, whoever they were. Owin used Examine on the woman.

Hero

Katalin Miksa

Alchemist

Level: 53

Strength: 94

Constitution: 287

Dexterity: 301

Intelligence: 305

Wisdom: 114

Charisma: 101

She was even stronger than Ernie. Both were short and thin enough to not look immediately intimidating, especially compared to someone like Chorsay or Artivan. Katalin looked entirely relaxed. A thick fur shawl hung from her shoulders, covering a jerkin of padded armor. “We saw a crowd leaving,” Katalin said as she poked the tip of her boot against the broken door frame. “Looked like Izylian soldiers.”

“It was,” Sanem said. “They took Chorsay.”

“They did what?” Katalin leaned against the door frame. “Why would anyone want to arrest that giant?”

The woman in purple appeared in the middle of the room, right before Ernie, holding the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth.

Ernie took a step away. “That’s . . . That’s Artivan’s?”

The woman nodded and vanished in another puff of smoke.

“He died protecting Owin in the Great Forest.” Sanem sighed. “Or, we assume he did. Owin didn’t actually see the end.”

“The old man can take care of himself. Who was after the little guy?”

Owin scowled. “Little guy” was not the way he wanted to be known. Ernie wasn’t all that much taller than Owin, especially compared to people like Artivan and Chorsay.

“Void Nexus,” Sanem said.

Ernie’s eyes widened.

“Shit,” Katalin said.

“How long ago was this?”

“A couple days,” Owin said.

Sanem nodded. “No word from Artivan, but a friend of Owin’s with the Unity Force confirmed seeing the Void Nexus hero outside Oriathria. Chorsay has already decided—”

“Stop,” Ernie said. “Give it another week. If the old man isn’t back, then you can tell me. For now, we don’t have a lot of time. Althowin’s deadline is coming up quickly. We were hoping to hire Artivan, but, uh, we can take someone else.”

“You can’t hire anybody with Chorsay gone,” Potilia said. She climbed onto her stool, grabbed a ledger from underneath the counter, and dropped it heavily on top. “You could technically pay for someone, but Chorsay can’t authorize the deal or assign the official job without being here.”

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“That’s where my idea comes in,” Sanem said. “The Unity Force is bringing Chorsay to speak with the council regarding Owin.”

“How did they manage to take him?” Katalin asked. She had pulled a metal tube from her bag and was tossing it idly in the air. Everyone but Owin visibly flinched with each toss.

“A Shard Carrier named Taralim,” Owin said.

“Exactly. An assassin,” Sanem said. “He might’ve had a fusion too. I couldn’t tell.”

Owin kept a straight face. He had been trying to figure out how Taralim had managed to get a shard without ever going inside a dungeon. Obviously he had conquered one of the seven, or else he wouldn’t have been a Carrier, but his description said citizen. It was all confusing. What was he trying to hide?

“Just one shard? He couldn’t be fused,” Katalin said.

“Put the pipe away,” Ernie said.

Katalin rolled her eyes and stuffed it back inside her bag. “How can we help with a Shard Carrier?”

“It’s not Taralim I’m worried about right now. You two, with Althowin’s influence, might sway the Izylian council to let Chorsay go sooner. Owin has a bounty for murders that were undeniably self defense.”

“Self defense with a hammer like that must’ve been quite a show. Is that a real weapon?” Ernie asked. “Goblins usually only have knives or small swords.”

“Don’t underestimate Owin. I don’t think you can even lift that hammer, Ern.” Sanem nodded toward Potilia. “Sort it with Po, and we’ll be off to talk to the council.”

“I didn’t agree,” Ernie said. “I can’t run around using Althowin’s name to get people out of trouble.”

Katalin chuckled. “Well—”

“We can’t keep doing it,” Ernie said.

“We’ll give you a discount,” Potilia said.

Ernie scratched at his mustache and slowly closed the distance to the counter. “Are you authorized to do that?”

“Yes,” Potilia said confidently.

Ernie turned around to face Katalin. Potilia’s eyes immediately widened as her cheeks turned red. She was holding her breath and gripping the ledger far too tightly.

“Fine. We agree,” Ernie said, turning back around.

Potilia let out her breath, blowing it all right into Ernie’s face. The short man frowned as a few bits of spit splattered on his forehead.

“I was lying,” Potilia said, far too loud.

“Chorsay will agree,” Sanem said. “Ignore Po. Are you ready to go?”

“I assume you’re covering our portal fees?” Katalin asked.

“Sure, I don’t care. We need to get to Oriathria as fast as we can. We don’t want to miss the hearing.” Sanem adjusted her shield straps and strode right past Ernie to the broken door. “Come on.”

Ernie sighed and followed behind. “The discount better be significant.”

“Working with us is already a discount,” Sanem said as she disappeared outside.

Katalin waited for Ernie to pass, then followed the others out, leaving the Nimble Hogs sitting in silence.

“Nothing more for us to do,” Miya said.

“We can at least fix the door while they’re gone,” Myrsvai said.

Owin held out the deadbolt, which the magus carefully grabbed.

He turned it over, examining it with his yellow eyes. “Does anyone know how to fix a door?”

“Ugh.” Miya snatched it out of Myrsvai’s hand. “Let me do it.”

“Are you coming?” Sanem asked. She stood in the doorway as a silhouette. “I already paid for your portal.”

Owin looked back and forth. The other Nimble Hogs were all already occupied doing other things. Potilia was hunched over the ledger with a pen moving furiously, Myrsvai and Miya were arguing about something with doors and who should have the deadbolt, and the other two women Owin didn’t know yet had gone back up the stairs.

“Owin, let’s go,” Sanem said.

“Me?”

“How many Owins are there?” Sanem waved him forward. “Myr, we could use another bodyguard if you can spare him.”

Myrsvai stopped mid sentence. Miya took the opportunity to snatch the deadbolt back again. She sprinted into the room beyond the stairs and slammed the door.

Myrsvai sighed. “Can you keep him in check?”

“You know I can.”

Myrsvai lifted his staff and closed his eyes. Yellow flames appeared in a circle around his feet. No heat came off the flames as they danced and grew, releasing yellow smoke in a pattern around Myrsvai. He hit the butt of his staff against the ground, causing the flames to flash and vanish. Just in front of Owin, identical flames appeared with a hunched silhouette in the middle.

Those flames vanished just as quickly, fully revealing an orange, red, and yellow bug-headed figure. Blue crystals sprouted from the top of his head, followed by small frills that almost looked like ears.

“Suta,” Myrsvai said. “Protect Owin.”

The bug-headed creature turned its beady yellow eyes to Owin. “No.”

Myrsvai sighed.

Master Familiar

Suta

Summon of Myrsvai Ryllsion

Level 48

Suta lifted cloth wrapped hands and squared up with Owin. He wore loose cloth all over, looking much different than his magus master.

“Suta,” Myrsvai said.

The familiar turned his head and continued inching toward Owin with his hands up. “What?”

“Owin isn’t a mob. You need to protect him.”

Suta looked back at Owin. His yellow eyes flashed as he dashed forward. The air shifted as the familiar punched with incredible strength. Owin leaned aside, just barely dodging the blow. Suta immediately followed it with another jab that Owin blocked with the edge of the Thunderstrike Maul. He slid back a few inches from the blow.

Suta let his arms fall to his sides. “Okay.”

“The damn thing is going to kill someone,” Miya said.

“No, he’s fine. He’s just rowdy,” Sanem said. “Suta, are you ready to go?”

The familiar adjusted his plain white clothes. “Yes.”

Owin hadn’t moved. His jaw was dropped as everyone returned to what they were doing before as if nothing had happened. Suta walked right out of the building, already in a conversation with Sanem.

Only Myrsvai approached. He slowly crouched, using his staff as support. “Sorry. Suta isn’t a typical familiar.”

“I noticed. He tried killing me.”

“He wanted to test you. He likes to fight hand to hand, which . . .” Myrsvai sighed. “He’s an abyssal magus like me. He has every spell I do.”

“Those were strong punches.” Owin wasn’t sure what would have happened if Suta had caught him in the face with one of the jabs. The little demonic familiar was scarier than the Malignant Spirit.

“You and Suta have some things in common. You are a wizard, after all, Owin.”

Owin grunted. “I wish I wasn’t. Are you sure Suta isn’t going to murder me?”

“He will fight anything he can, but if he knows you’re a friendly, he’ll be fine. Sanem can manage him.” Myrsvai stood up, relying on the staff. “Go get Chorsay. We’ll fix this place.”

“Okay.” Owin slowly walked away, glancing at Potilia, Miya, and Myrsvai, who all got right to work. These people were still strangers, though none had treated him with hostility. They might not be Artivan, but they were kind, and that’s all that mattered. For now.

Sanem, Ernie, Katalin, and Suta had walked away from the Nimble Hogs, past the guards, and waited near a giant portal. Sanem waved to get Owin’s attention. The Stelsodo Security Regime guard at the portal gate eyed Owin warily, but allowed him to pass without a word.

“So, are you coming with us to the Ocean, Sanem?” Katalin asked.

“I’m waiting for Raif to get back. I’m not leaving for a few weeks at least.”

“We’ve got days,” Ernie said.

“I will do it,” Suta said.

Sanem patted the familiar on the head. “You would fight every mob in the dungeon. That’s not what they need. We’ll let Chorsay work it out with you.”

Suta turned as Owin approached. The portals hummed all around the platform. “Goblin is here.”

“We know,” Ernie said.

“You already know how these work?” Katalin asked.

“I took one from Oriathria,” Owin said. It hadn’t been a pleasurable experience, but Owin was willing to suffer a little shock and pain to help Chorsay.

“Let’s get moving. Every minute we waste here is a minute into tomorrow that Chorsay is being questioned.” Sanem took a calming breath, then stepped through. Ernie grinned, faced Katalin, and stepped through backward. She rolled her eyes and followed right after, leaving Suta and Owin.

“Pain is sign of growth,” Suta said.

“What?”

“Pain.” Suta disappeared into the portal.

Owin looked at the destroyed front of the Nimble Hogs' building. It was his fault the Unity Force had broken in and caused so much damage.

Chorsay promised to help him get stronger.

It was time to save Chorsay. The portal ate the world around Owin, tearing at his skin as he was launched into the void.