“Don’t stay away too long,” Rolf said as we clasped arms.

“You’ll hardly notice I’m gone.”

“Look after this,” he said, thumping me in the center of my new breastplate, knocking me back a pace.

I wasn’t sure if he meant my body or his gift; he was proud of his work, so probably the latter. The breastplate was an exceptional demonstration of his skill, high-quality tempered steel meticulously crafted to curve around my chest, providing decent durability while remaining relatively lightweight. It had some slight fluting on the surface to turn incoming blows, and the lower half was articulated where it covered my abdomen to allow for full movement.

It meant I’d had to lose the pauldron I’d taken from the goblins, but the trade-up was more than worth it.

Rolf had blued the armor for me, just like he’d said, staying up much of the night to heat-treat it until the surface was a blue-black. Wearing it still meant a minus two penalty to my stealth, but it was a tradeoff I was happy to make for the greater protection. It would’ve been far worse with a mirror finish – and besides, the darker color looked as cool as fuck. So cool that I didn’t even point out that it was, in fact, a matte finish.

I swung up onto my horse. Lira and Senna were already mounted and waiting.

Rolf had also helped me trade the goblin equipment we’d brought back for horses, acting as the middleman. He’d been overly generous—I was sure most of the armor and weapons would just be melted down—but it meant I didn’t need to dip into the gold from Bjorn. We’d bought a mare from a farmer named Thalor, who also had a spare pony for Senna. Neither animal was as fine as Lira’s, but options were limited in Fernwick. We could always trade them out once we reached Taralith.

Fernwick also lacked a general store, which meant we were light on equipment. We’d packed spare clothes and blankets, rolled and strapped behind our saddles, but I wasn’t too concerned. The warm weather had held, and sleeping under the stars would be no great hardship.

“Stay safe,” I said to Rolf as I turned my horse toward the road north out of the village.

“Don’t worry about us,” Rolf rumbled. “Nothing exciting will happen until you get back.” He gave me a grin.

I nodded to Bjorn, who was sitting outside his house watching, and kicked my mare into a trot. Lira followed, helping guide Senna’s pony until the girl got the hang of riding. I figured a few days in the saddle would see us all sore, but far more proficient. No better way to learn than by doing.

Senna had never been to Taralith, though she roughly knew the way. Directions were basically to head north until we encountered a little hamlet called Heathercrest, then turn northwest. Three days to the hamlet and another day beyond, and we should be there.

The road was wide enough for a cart, but not for three horses abreast. I was content to take the lead for the first leg, then once we’d stopped for lunch, Senna and I followed Lira.

We’d sought comfort in our joint misery for so long that Lira had pulled further ahead, so that she didn’t have to listen to us. She wasn’t suffering as we were, but then she’d ridden far more than either of us.

“My ass hurts,” Senna complained, come mid-afternoon.

“I know how you feel.” My thighs were sore, my back ached. “Beats walking though, doesn’t it?”

“I’m not convinced. My feet are tougher than my ass.”

“For that, I’ll be forever thankful.”

She blushed, then gave me a smile. Damn, but I loved making her smile.

The road wound gently through trees on either side, tall pines and ancient oaks, yellow gorse and thick droves of ferns. It was a dense forest full of life, squirrels in abundance, foxes and birds of all types. We were surrounded by the noises of nature, and it was relaxing.

“This stupid pony stumbles all the time.” Senna said. “Do I really have to steer it around every stone?”

She was half-joking, and it was nice to hear her express herself, her personality slowly beginning to shine through. While the timid, nervous girl hid just below the surface, a new Senna was gradually appearing, and I liked what I saw.

“Do you think they’ll have dress shops in Taralith?” she asked.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“I expect so. Rolf said it was the largest town in these parts.”

“Good. This shift is wearing thin, and Lira’s clothes are much more attractive.”

I raised an eyebrow. Lira’s choices today were also far more revealing, her simple shirt showing an alluring amount of cleavage and stopping short of her trousers to leave a strip of toned midriff. I’d have thought Senna would lean toward something more conservative, but perhaps I’d underestimated her newfound sense of identity. Her resilience was shining through.

“We can go shopping when we arrive.” Rolf had given me more for the goblin equipment than the cost of the horses, despite my protests. Plus, I had the gold from Bjorn. There was the matter of paying Lira back, but for now, we’d pooled our resources.

Ahead, the road narrowed, sunlight dappling through the trees. The hairs on my neck rose.

“Kaelan?”

“Hmm?”

“I said, would you come with me?”

“Oh. Yes, of course I will.”

I frowned as I stared into the thick undergrowth near us. Everything was peaceful, the forest unchanged. So why was I…?

It was silent. All the sounds of the forest had faded away.

Perception has gained a rank. Perception is now level 10.

“Lira!” I yelled, drawing my rapier.

Two men sprang from the trees into her stallion’s path. One man lunged forward, a sword held ready in his hand, grabbing her bridle before she could react. The other was an archer, and he held back a few paces, positioning himself for a clear shot with an arrow already nocked.

Three more appeared behind us, one archer, two swordsmen.

I didn’t wait for them to shoot or make their demands.

“Lie on his neck!” I shouted at Senna, then I struck the hindquarters of her pony with the flat of my blade. The animal squealed, bolting forward. I spared her enough of a glance to see she was clinging on, then leaped from my own animal.

If I’d had enough riding skill, I could’ve wheeled my mare and charged the men behind me. But I knew my limitations; it would’ve earned me an arrow to the head. On foot, they were close enough that I could engage them in a matter of paces.

The men startled, but recovered quickly.

“Shoot her horse!”

They weren’t going for Senna, they were going for her mount. They wanted her alive.

Why couldn’t this world leave my girls alone?

The swordsmen fanned out, weapons held ready, confident that it was two against one. A week ago, I’d have been less sure, but I’d cleared out a mine full of goblins since then. It did wonders for one’s confidence.

A scream came from behind me from one of the girls, and the archer crabbed sideways fast, drawing his bow and releasing.

His arrow shot past me, but I didn’t have the time to look. I had to take these bastards down fast, then go to Lira’s aid. She was outnumbered too, and they’d already grabbed her horse.

The bandolier holding my throwing knives was strapped to my thigh, beneath my dagger, Rolf’s breastplate taking up its old slot. I drew and threw in one smooth motion. The blade skimmed past the man’s face, making him flinch, but he didn’t even need to duck. Fuck. And I had spare skill points, a perk I hadn’t spent, and an attribute point in hand. Why hadn’t I spent them?

Activate God Power. Another oversight. Fucking idiot, Kaelan! I had to be better in this world with the two girls depending on me.

God Power Activated. 5 minutes remaining.

One way or another, this would all be over long before the power deactivated.

I leaped forward, following after my thrown blade, the bandit deflecting my lunge with a parry. The other came in from my left, his blade slashing down. It was a clumsy blow, easy to dodge if I’d wanted.

But I’d learned from fighting Jarek.

I stepped into him instead, brushing his blow wide with my forearm, then crunching my elbow into his face. His head snapped back, nose spurting blood, and I swept his leg. He fell, but before he’d even hit the ground, the other man attacked again. I parried, so much faster than he was, and it was a simple matter to riposte and put the point of my rapier through his throat. He staggered back, clutching his neck, and I stabbed the man on the ground.

Three seconds, maybe five, and they were both dead or dying.

The archer stared wide-eyed, then fumbled for another arrow. He was a half-dozen paces away, and I leaped over the man at my feet and charged him. He dropped the arrow, realizing in panic he’d never nock it in time, and reached for his dagger. I ran him through before he even drew it.

I wasn’t even breathing hard.

Damn, but my speed and skill were so much greater than they had been. But then, these bandits were nothing more than simple thugs. They’d been slow to react, poorly equipped, and reliant on superior numbers. It hadn’t done them any good.

Another scream from behind me, and I turned and ran for Lira. Her horse was thirty paces away … but she didn’t need my help. The screams hadn’t been hers.

The man with the bow was already face down on the ground, unmoving, and even as I watched the swordsman nearest her pinwheeled away, his chest pierced by numerous stone shards.

Lira lowered her staff and kicked her horse into a gallop, having already seen what I had just noticed.

Senna’s pony was disappearing down the road, with Senna hunched over his neck. An arrow protruded from her back, its shaft sticking up high, the fletching swaying with the motion of her ride.

“Senna …” I gasped. “… No …”

Lira galloped after her, quickly gaining ground and leaving me behind.

I could only watch as she caught up, leaning to grab the reins and slow the pony’s wild dash. Senna slumped in her saddle, beginning to slip as the mount skittered to a halt, but Lira was right beside her, supporting her. Lira pulled the arrow out, throwing it to the ground, and her hands glowed green with Restoration magic.

Could Lira even heal a wound like that? It must have punctured a lung, at the very least.

Had I needed to get Senna out of the way? I’d thought I was keeping her safe, but if she’d been nearer, that incompetent archer would’ve hit her pony instead of her.

I ran to my horse, grabbing the reins and pulling myself into the saddle, kicking the mare before my feet were even in the stirrups. She sprang ahead, racing down the road, and in seconds I was pulling up beside Lira.

Senna lay half across Lira’s lap, the back of her shift stained with blood.

And her face … her face was so pale.