Plain opened an eye.

Perhaps it was the shriller than usual squeal from the duo, or maybe Plain was just finished with his nap. Either way, he was up now, and I wanted to inspect him.

Why do my cheeks feel hot when I think I'm going to "inspect" him. I honestly don't know, this is too complicated for me.

"Oh, you're up! Quick, take your shirt off and turn around."

Without questioning me, he pulled the fabric up and over his head, and turned around. When I got to him, the height problem resurfaced, and I had to ask him to sit down. Taking a close look, what I saw was something resembling a black-iron nail driven through the base of his spine. If this was a regular nail, this would have killed him. Not to mention the extra stuff I put in...

...

What stuff...? Anyway, the seal seemed to be working fine. I'd probably have to update it in a couple weeks when his body finishes adapting to the foreign energy. Speaking of which, what did I do to him?

I can fuzzily recall that it has something to do with the elements, and the reason I purified them, but my head hurts right now...I'll think about it later. Maybe something will jog my memory.

"Hmmm...everything seems alright. Damn...I was so close..."

Plain shifted, and touched his back. "Hey, where did you learn to make these shapes?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

He was poking me. "Hey, are you going to answer my question?"

"Hm? What question? And you just woke up, you should be resting your mind. No doubt you had nightmares, and they would have drained you a lot, so just stay sti... actually, how about we go for a run? Maybe do some intense workouts? Get that blood pumping! Hehe!"

He turned back around. "I see. Then, how about we get Jo and Jo down from there."

"You call them both Jo?"

He nodded. "Yeah, even after knowing them all my life, I still can't tell them apart."

"But...they look totally different. They even have different facial hair. Look, the one with the goatee is Jo-"

"Shhh...they are both the same."

"W-whatever you say..."

I'm starting to think these aren't just average bandits. But, then again, I did just barely impale them fatally with large spikes, and yet they're still breathing. Maybe I shouldn't be questioning small personality quirks right now.

Hoof beats.

I turned around, and felt the ground shake just slightly underneath my feet. Must be some pretty big horses, and quite a few of them too.

Moving toward the two, I first cut down Joel-or was it Joses? No, I'm sure it's Joel, cause he's the one with the...the...what did he have again? Was it the goatee or the beard... I really can't tell which is which. They're not even twins! Don't I have perfect memory? And yet, their names and faces just sorta...blend together. I see, this is why Plain calls them both Jo. They are carbon copies of each other.

Once both are on the ground, they run behind Plain and make themselves as small as possible, whimpering and wiping away tears. Such babies...I didn't even get to my dads favorite game-The love stick! "Leverage and momentum is key!" as he would say.

The hoof beats were getting closer. Soon, we would be able to see the riders.

Joses-or was it Joel?-worked up the courage for a question. "H-hey, where is Fen? He was the other guy with us."

I looked back at him, which caused his quivering to increase. "Hm? You mean Thin Nose? Oh, he died a couple minutes after it started. I buried him."

Plain made no movement, but for a simple dip of the head. I guess his 'moment of silence' wasn't any different from any other moment. The two looked surprised, but they seemed to accept it. Death must be a common occurrence where they come from. Then again, death is common anywhere you go.

"Yeah...I always thought that cough of his was going to get him killed some day. I tried to tell him to go to a temple, but he said the strokes weren't that bad...poor guy."

I just shook my head. "He is not the unfortunate one out of you. Rather, he is the luckiest. You are the poor souls confined to this plain of existence."

The two looked at me, then said something that made me want to hit them some more. "Wow...for a little girl, she sure is smart."

But, before I had the chance to give them another thrashing, the owner of the hoof beats arrived.

A dozen brightly shining and radiant warhorses kicked up dust as they came to a stop. They were covered in gold-and-silver armor with intricate designs. The equally radiant men riding the horses stepped out of their stirrups, and slipped to the ground as one.

They certainly are synchronized...

The leading figure, who stood a good six and a half feet, came forward with a swaggering stride. "Hail, peons! You have the honor of addressing his holy magnificence, Sir Paladin Rodrick the Just!"

Hmmm...Rodrick, huh? Well, better not piss him off. Paladins get offended when you so much as spit. Getting down on one knee, and seeing the other three do the same thing, I bring my arm up to my brow in a salute. "Hail, Sir Rodrick!"

Out of the midst of the dozen men, came an even more intricately dressed tin can. The first time I met a paladin, it had been during a spring festival. At first, I thought there were six paladins, but it turns out that paladins only travel alone, except for especially special events. They gather retainers, men and women of renown and skill, to support them. Of course, the retainers are as powerful as a nobles entire retinue, which usually consist of three-five hundred hired thugs, but they aren't the real force. There is a reason they are gathered around a paladin, and are still only support.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I feel the pressure begin to build, and the weight on my shoulders increases until I feel like I am lifting a tree.

There are less than a hundred paladins on the continent, and that is because only those who attain a certain level are awarded this title. On his own, a paladin can level a large town or city. They are an army unto themselves, which is why they only gather for special reasons. Have more than one of these monsters in one place, and things start to get dangerous for the pedestrians. Just the presence of two of these guys would crush all the bones in a normal mans body. Having three would mean your bones turn to jelly. This is why only powerful men and women are chosen as retainers, because they are the only ones who can resist getting crushed just by being near them.

The paladin draws near to me, and just nods, not bothering to take off his helmet. He then walks toward Plain and the two.

The two have started sweating, as they are having a hard time staying on their knees. However, Plain shows no reaction whatsoever to the paladins presence. This obviously interests the paladin.

"Hmmm...you have a strong will. If you ever get the chance, go to a temple and tell them Rodrick sent you. Perhaps after you have completed some training and gained some renown, I can take you as a retainer. Work hard."

Then he turned, and walked back. The two relaxed, and the paladins retainers were chattering, excited at the chance of a new comrade.

I let out a sigh of relief. I'm glad that the paladin didn't notice me-

"What is a spirit doing possessing a girls body?" Rodrick whispers in my ear.

I feel the urge to shake, to run, to get as far away as possible. But, instead I do something that surprises me. Reaching up, I cusp his chin in my tiny hand. The retainers and the two are shocked still, and the air freezes. The pressure coming from Rodrick increases, and if he keeps increasing it my body will collapse. So, leaning close-

""Shal'ko, Do Gura"

Instantly, the pressure disappears. The paladins breathing stops, and I feel his chin tremble slightly. "H-how do you-"

"Shhh...be still, little one. You are worthy of honor, so continue as you have. Do not let darkness consume you."

He started shaking visibly, and stood up as fast as he could. Bobbing his head, he quickly steps back and ignores his retainers questions, ordering them to get back into their saddles. Turning his horse, he rides in the opposite direction. Turning back to look at me one last time, I saw the fear in his eyes.

But, it was not fear of the likes of nightmares. Rather, it was the fear a man has for a being far above his understanding. The fear that is present in all men when they confront a god.

"Kukuku...to fooled by something like that. Still, I guess I did give him good advice."

"Shal'ko Do Gura"

"Turn back, lost lamb."

Maybe I'll think about this more later. But my head feels so fuzzy...

...

Anyway, time to go! I just need to talk with Plain and the two.

---

Plains' POV

Rodrick leaned down towards the little girl that was not, and after a short interchange the paladin stood up abruptly and rode away as fast as he could. The Jo with a beard was saying something.

"Damn...even a paladin is scared of her. And for good reason, she's so cruel..."

I smacked himon the head. "Cruel? Tell me, how do you feel?"

He looked down, and said "I hurt, everywhere."

I nodded. "And, what about your temperature?"

"Feels pretty normal-" He looked shocked.

"You see now."

He nodded. "So, all of that hitting us and flipping us was to get our blood moving, and get rid of the chill. That deathly chill."

This dawned on the other Jo, and he nodded too. "Wow...so she is actually nice! I never would have thought! I should look at her with a new light! She's a really decent person!"

The girl walked over to us. "Yo! Let's go!"

I asked, "Go where?"

"To the city!"

I looked at her, and replied "We would need money, and we do not have any."

She got a proud and mischievious look on her face. "Kukuku! Behold, my spoils!"

Held in her hand was an expensive looking purse, that made an audible clinking sound as it was lifted. One of the Jo's burst out: "Wait! You didn't just steal from a paladin, one of gods chosen!?"

"Hehe, sure did! And he was rich, too!"

"Forget what I said about decency...she really is sadistic. Us getting warm was just a side effect, wasn't it?"

She looked at us in confusion for a second, then swore loudly. "Fuck! I forgot! If I had just let you fall asleep, you would have died from the cold! GODDAMNIT! I WAS THIS CLOSE!"

I watched as the girl chased Jo and Jo with a stick, and idly thought to myself...

When is she going to tell us about her secrets?

---

AN: I would apologize for not posting in three days, but I am not gonna. Excuses are the nails in the house of failure. So, I'm just gonna promise to try and write more often. But, part of this is up to you. Give me ideas, tell me your opinions, tell me what you're thinking. (I promise it's because I care about your opinions, and not just because I want to leech off of my readers)

Suck, suck, suck.

Mmm...give me your lifeforce! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!