Day ~100~

Rea woke up first and chose to cook a little breakfast.  Shamelessly shuffling through Lucatiel's cupboard she'd gathered a few ingredients and began to slice, then fry some of the wyvern.  Rea laughed like mad when she'd realized that not only had she gotten [Hero-Martyr], but the precious [Martyrdom] and [Reincarnation] abilities.  At least now, if she died in a fight, it was only losing a year... she could take greater risks.

Lucatiel stirred as Rea was walking back with a plate of meat and cheese.  Sitting up, Lucatiel remarked, "Breakfast in bed?"

Rea cracked a slight smile, sat next to Lucatiel, then leaned against the woman.  "I'm spoiling you, for spoiling me."

Lucatiel scoffed, "Are you kidding, I'm definitely the one getting lucky here."

Rea let her complete weight push against Lucatiel, "Thanks..."

Wrapping her arms around the hopeless ophidian, Lucatiel answered, "don't mention it... plans?"

Rea shook her head, "I want to leave town for a while, but I have to tell..."

Lucatiel cut her off, "Leave Meril to me, anybody else?"

"...  I'd like Sereda to come with me, maybe we can visit her home."  Rea's expression was still pretty despondent.

Lucatiel tightened her grip on Rea and kissed her cheek a few times, "There's a landmark north of town, you can see it jutting from the plains.  It isn't very far away, wait there and I'll send Sereda along."

Rea surrendered herself to Lucatiel's attention and giggled as she fell backwards with the Martyr, "It's a little odd being so close to the ground."  She let out a long drawn sigh, "Meril may need me, we are family..."

"The woman is stronger than you think, and she's taking over for Lark.  I've no doubt that was their intention after Nathaniel was lost.  I'll look out for her as best I can, you, on the other hand, scare me every time your gaze falls on the city.  I'm afraid you'll start stabbing people in the hand to get answers again."

Rea growled under her breath, "I gave them [Elixir] afterwards..."

Lucatiel turned Rea around, gave her a flat look, and complained, "You still stabbed them."

"...my bad."

"..."

Rea rubbed her noggin, "I'm reflecting on it."

Lucatiel looked towards the door, "take as much time as you need away... where's Sereda from?"

Rea smiled gleefully, "Lumansolice!"

Lucatiel grunted, "... I know you'll scour the blacksmith caste for skinwalkers before settling down, please don't go stab happy again, okay?"

Rea chuckled ruefully, "Promise I won't stab anyone."  I'll just break a few bones, hands have plenty of those...

Lucatiel gave her the evil eye, as though sensing what she was thinking, "Rea..." she growled.

"...right, right, I get it.  Don't rough people up."

The martyr sighed under her breath and turned Rea back around, resting her head on Rea's shoulder, "that smells delicious."

Rea kept her right hand on Lucatiel's wrist while picking a piece up with her mouth.  Lucatiel raised an eyebrow, let out a slight laugh, then took it from her by mouth.  Rea smiled as the woman thoroughly enjoyed it, "Wyvern meat, killed one on the way back."

Lucatiel licked her lips, "I've always loved wyvern.  Ophelia used to complain when I'd disappear into the wildwoods for months.  I never told her it was to hunt wyverns."

Rea laughed while surrendering the platter to Lucatiel, "I'll leave the rest of it with you," Rea dumped four blocks of ice on the ground, "just break the ice when you want some... It may be a little difficult to break."

Lucatiel greedily eyed the wyvern meat while finishing her meal, "I'll manage."

Rea eyeballed Lucatiel, "Normally I'd say goodbye in a special way, but I doubt we'll top last night."

Lucatiel actually blushed again, "forty-five years, and I'm still learning."

Throwing an absent remark back and forth the two got dressed, before leaving Rea placed her hands on Lucatiel's cheeks.  "You've drained me for three days, twelve vials... and you look ten years younger."

The martyr grinned from ear to ear while twirling her blonde hair around a finger, "I found the fountain of youth, and it tastes like dragon blood."

Rea scoffed as they walked outside, "don't go telling your martyr friends.... is dragon blood sweet?"

"No, it's more of a savory... sort of salty, tangy delicious flavor.  Happens to be my personal favorite sauce."

Rea sighed audibly, "great..."

Lucatiel's parting remark was, "I've always been a selfish woman, I won't be telling anyone how I'm suddenly more youthful."

Rea called out and yanked her in one more time giving the woman a light kiss goodbye.  "Thanks for cheering me up."

Lucatiel grinned and tapped Rea's abdomen, "I may have a thing for perverted water mages now."

Noticing the look on Lucatiel's face, the obvious timbre of her voice, Rea looked back to the cabin, "Did you want that special goodbye?"

Rea giggled childishly as Lucatiel heaved her up off the ground and charged back inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rea felt a little bit bad about deceiving Lucatiel.  After first noticing the change in her, Rea had inspected the [Restorative Anti-toxins] ability.  She had gained an augmentation that only said "Vitality".  She didn't really understand what had augmented it.  Obviously this was different from a mutation.  It wasn't martyr specific... and Sereda couldn't have as much of her blood anymore, emergencies only.  Rea didn't look forward to that conversation.

In hindsight, she would curse herself for not giving the elven heirloom ring a closer inspection with [Psychometry].  The tree it had been made out of was sacred, perhaps even part of the secret behind near elven immortality.  Rea had, unknowingly, already gained a lifespan that neared one thousand years just by wearing the ring made of ancient mirian tree vines.  She may have even realized what an augmentation was if she'd read it.  But no, Rea didn't find this out until... well, let's just say she was pissed.  Really, really, really, pissed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On her way out of town Rea had restocked on spices and vials.  She also made a few stops at stalls, paid a quick visit to Melody...  Melody had a girlfriend who proceeded to pull out a certain book of misadventures.  Melody sighed and smacked her head before sending Rea off to go see Corn.  The boy seemed particularly interested in that silly blacksmith book she had once tossed aside.  After some slight conversation he shuffled off to the forge.  

Rea then stopped by Lily's, the tailor had, unlike Melody and Corn, heard what happened to her.  Lily was so, so, so very happy she was alive and detained Rea for a while.  She wasn't really sure what to make of Rea's mood and decided to cheer the ophidian up.  It had worked, Rea waltzed out of the tailor's shop with nearly a dozen new cloaks, chokers, gloves, and even a pair of boots.  Her favorite item was a rather plain burgundy hooded traveler's mantle.  Lisa had made a point of fiddling with Rea's new hair color's for a while, the tailor absolutely loved her new look.

Rea had to laugh as she left the northern gate, Ophelia had complained that her mother showed up to show off.  Suddenly Lucatiel had gotten a lot stronger due to the sudden youth.  Chuckling while imagining Lucatiel spanking thirty guardsmen, Rea made her way to the now visible landmark.  Just as she had heard, large square stones jutted out of the ground at random directions.  Monsters seemed to steer clear, probably because it was a well known resting place for adventurers.  Taking up a perch on the second tallest stone she closed her eyes.  The weather was becoming hotter...

Rea had noticed a few similarities from her old world and this one, but the fact that days were slightly longer meant this place was likely a bit farther from its sun... or rotated slower or something.  She wasn't exactly a scientist but, assuming that it still had the four basic seasons, this was the beginning of summer. Bracing herself for the coming heat Rea enjoyed the nice breeze and fresh scent of... sweat?  

Rea peered down from her perch at an idiot... *cough cough*  very excited, fully armored man.  He was hopping up and down while waving at her.  Behind of him were two others, another man and woman.  Rea had gotten used to checking for mana in new people ever since she learned to form lines and hives.  The only one here with any mana was the idiot... *cough* guardian.  Rea laughed a bit, sadly, he would've made a talented mage.  Feeling like this was obviously some sort of jovial greeting Rea raised one hand, and gave him a raincloud.  Seriously, she didn't like his scent messing up her moment of silent contemplation.

Unfortunately, that just excited the armored fool more.  Now he was shouting, "Hey!!! Hey!!!"

Rea gave up and descended, she then looked right at him and replied, "Hey!!!"

By now his two partners were setting up a fire, Rea peered over his shoulder as he laughed like mad.  She then snapped her fingers as the wood they had gathered lit up.  Waltzing by the man she tossed a few pieces of her perpetual coal in and took a seat next to it.  Rea wasn't sure what to make of her first random adventurers, other than Nathaniel... and the suicide dwarves.  A heavily armored guardian wasn't out of the ordinary, but she felt the party was a little lacking in versatility.  The woman was something called a battlemaster, she was wearing light armor without a helmet.  Rea thought that was a mistake till she realized that her rather intimidating facial tattoo was some sort of armor, just not protective.  The last man was a rogue, Rea wasn't sure what to think of rogues yet.

The woman stood next to Rea at her full six foot height and looked down while running a hand through her short blonde hair.  Rea made a note that blonde hair and tan skin is rather alluring on a woman with sharp features and shapely hips.  "Need me for something?"

The Guardian started to shake himself dry as Rea gave the man a few dozen revolving lanterns, he laughed like mad before answering, "We're on our way north to the plains, figured we'd pick up a few more allies on the way."  Sitting down across from Rea while removing his helmet the idiot... man spoke again, "I'm Kalphus, a guardian, the best way to get to know someone is to share a meal with them.  That's what ma' always said, so here we are."

Rea inspected his surprisingly scarred visage...  The bald man with claw marks here and there on his face looked a little silly.  If it wasn't for the more mature looking dark brown eyes and bushy eyebrows he'd be a lost cause.  "Rea, I'm meeting my partner here, then we're traveling to Lumansolice... or at least I think we are.  I haven't talked it over with her yet."

Kalphus grinned while pulling out a bunch of bread as the woman and rogue began to toss stuff into a pot.  Rea instantly boiled it with magic, the woman grinned at her, "you're handy."

Rea chuckled, "The last time a woman told me that was because... no, never mind."

Shaking her hand the woman introduced herself, "Valerie, battlemaster, my job is to control the flow of battle with versatility and support."

Rea eyed her weapon, not unlike a special type of halberd.  Hammer on one side, axe on the other.  The steel shaft had a spiraling grip that led all the way into a pointed spear end.  Rea was a little curious about the weapon and how she'd use it.

A second later she nearly broke a hand that was reaching into her pack, the wincing man looked at her apologetically, "Ralph, rogue.... and kleptomaniac."  Rea couldn't see beneath his hood and assumed he'd like to keep it that way.  Hearing kleptomaniac she laughed a bit and let him go.

Rea accepted a piece of bread and inspected it with psychometry before digging in, there was no poison.  "All close range combatants?"

Ralph laughed, "I throw something once in a while, but yeah we lack versatility."

Kalphus shrugged, "What my little brother means is, we would be very pleased if a mage joins us."  

Rea looked down at her ceremonial garb, she hadn't bothered to wear any of her other sets that would've made her not look like a mage.  She then cursed under her breath, she'd forgotten to get a new spear.  "Like I said, we're likely bound for Lumansolice.  I just went through a rather trying ordeal... two rather trying ordeals, and I'd like to better prepare myself before heading off.  I plan to go to Lumansolice for that reason..."  Rea and her chums all gaped as a steel arrow flew right by her face.  Slowly turning to face the attacker, Rea put a hand on Kalphus' shoulder from behind.  The five foot guardian had quickly gotten in front of her.  Peeking around him again Rea called out, "Sereda!"

Sereda glared at Rea, who then hid behind the guardian, "You've been in town for four days!"

Rea called out sheepishly, "I love you~~~"

Sereda growled, "Rea!"

Coming out from hiding, and ignoring the flabbergasted party, Rea explained, "I was really busy..."

"You could've sent a letter."

"I sent Lucatiel..."

Sereda picked her up by the hem of her garb, Rea dangled off the ground, "four days." Sereda's eyes started to tear up, "I thought you were dead!"

Rea suddenly felt very, very bad.  Wrapping both arms around Sereda as her feet touched the ground again she spoke up, "sorry..."  The ophidian gaped when she caught site of the bow Sereda had just used...

Meriones' WarbowClassificationHeirloom WeaponRankLegendaryEffects-

-[Major Dexterity]

-[Moderate Piercing Power]

-[Increased Draw Strength]Description-

A bow once used by the Demigod Meriones, it was gifted to him by his mother.  The only thing she had ever given him became his partner in life.  Upon ascending to a higher existence as a god, Meriones reluctantly left this bow in the mortal realm.

The bow was made out of an unidentifiable wood and easily seven feet long.  Rea cried out inside when she thought of what might've happened after being hit by that arrow.

Sereda was choking the life out of Rea now... with a hug.  "How have you been?"

"For the most part I was looking for you, Denarius nearly lost his mind with the amount of times we went over that spell circle.  Where did it send you?"

Rea laughed, "I was standing on a giant mushroom to the west of the mountains when I realized what had happened."

Sereda chuckled at the imagery, "Easy journey?"

Rea gave her a flat look, "I'll tell you all about it, for now, mind if we start heading to Lumansolice?"

Sereda grinned, "Only if we can get married, then flaunt it in my dad's face."

Rea sighed, she had hoped to use bridges, not burn them.  "Sure, why not?... how's Meril."

Her bronzed features drooped ever so slightly, "Glad you're alive...  distraught over her father.  She said it was the most conflicting moment of her life.  I left her with Lucatiel.  She gave me this."

Sereda pulled open a bag full of gold coins, Rea looked at Ralph and smacked his paws, "Bad rogue." She then looked back at Sereda, "I see you've got the bow thing figured out."

"Had to keep my mind off you somehow... that's a lie.  Lark gave it to me just after you left, he spent a few days at the academia training me with more than just the bow.  The guy who made that spell circle didn't stop at you... stop looking at me like that, I'll tell you about it later."  Sereda looked down at the pot of soup, "Room for one more?"

Kalphus sat back down, "We cooked with one more in mind after hearing that Rea was expecting company."

Valerie gave the pair, Sereda with Rea in her lap, an inquisitive look, "Getting married, just like that?"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Rea laughed, "We're lovers, and I've never really understood marriage.  It really doesn't bother me."

Sereda shrugged, "I hate marriage thanks to my father.  At least this way he finally hates it as much as I do."

Rea sighed audibly, "Just checking, but your father can't ban us from every forge in the city, can he?"

Sereda shook her head, "Every human forge sure, but he's got no pull with the dwarves."

Rea grinned, "I'm pretty sure I have some pull with the dwarves.  I picked up a new trick on my... journey, and if I'm right I'll see a few familiar faces in Lumansolice."

Kalphus cocked his head at Rea, "It's a shame you aren't coming with us, we could use the ranged support."

Sereda looked right at them, then down at Rea.  "We can't?"

Rea shrugged, "A rather nasty beastie snapped my spear like a twig, not just that.  I want a heavy armor set," she pointed at the gaping guardian, "something like what he has."

Valerie laughed, "Mages use staffs to boost magical aptitude, and lighter armor for confluence.  Heavy armor just gets in the way of casting magic."

Rea learned two new things from that, one she wants a staff.  Two, heavier armor was gonna hurt her spell casting.  "I want the heavy armor to use with my maul.  The spear is for my spearman garb."

"Unless  I'm missing something you're a mage."

Sereda proudly huffed at the three confused people, "Rea is everything, Rea is a genius, Rea is the strongest, Rea is b..."

Rea covered Sereda's offending mouth, they were gonna talk about this later.  "I'm a spellsword with a legendary item that allows me to freely change what I'm wearing.  I set garbs, then instantaneously switch to them."

Kalphus frowned, "Spellsword isn't easy."

Rea ignored him, she was still pondering confluence... it had been a bit easier to use her magic on the door when she was full on nude.  Sereda gave her an odd look when Rea folded her legs, then placed Sereda's hands on her chest.  The look became shock as she poured mana into her exposure rune and started to play with some water, then fire.  As Valerie smacked Ralph around and Kalphus covered his eyes, Rea put her garb back on.  Sereda sighed as Rea said, "Confluence... neat."

Valerie looked over, "You know cloth garbs barely affect it, you didn't have to give us a show."

Rea grabbed Sereda's paws that were still in place, she then squeezed them suggestively, "That's what these were for." Sereda looked at her a bit annoyed as Rea commented, "Thank you for the meal, we'll be on our way now."

As Rea and her bronze giant walked away the group began to talk, "I've heard of a guardian with the same item that she was talking about, if it's true, and she get's stronger.  Well, she'd make a versatile addition to the team."

Valerie looked at the leaving women, "Is it ok to let those two go alone?"

Ralph waved his hand nonchalantly, "The path to Lumansolice is relatively safe."

Kalphus was pondering, "As much as I'd like to have two more women along, long range attackers that we desperately need at that... it is their choice."

Valerie sighed, "We can't go with them?"  It was her first time meeting a woman taller than herself.  She'd have liked to get to know the bronze giant.

Ralph chuckled, "Who knows how long they'll be in Lumansolice, I'm a thief not a beggar.  I won't ask them to pay for my inn fees while we wait around for them to get married, and what ever else they're doing."

Kalphus agreed with his brother, "We head north, to the plains.  I don't see a problem with just going on how we planned from the start.  It's not like we expected to meet someone so close to Vestlei."

After a quick agreement all three packed up and trekked north.  They had come from a village to the east of Vestlei, and they had a reason to fight.  The group had graduated and left behind two members as Rea began her tenure at the academia.  For the past month they had worked small jobs to save up a little money, and now they were beginning their adventure... they would regret deceiving a water mage that met them the next day.  The young girl had asked them if they met Rea.  Still wanting a mage along they told her that Rea and Sereda had gone north, to adventure.  In hopes of meeting Rea again the girl, Selene, eagerly joined them.

Day ~101~

Waking up next to Sereda was a very happy moment for Rea.  After shaking the woman awake and getting decent she dispelled her icy shelter.  Both of them laughed when the crowd their shelter had drawn cried out in shock.  Ignoring the bystanders Rea and Sereda continued on their way.  At some point Rea had decided to ride on Sereda's shoulders while writing down some very important notes.

"What are you writing?"

"Runes, strokes, uses, one of the tricks I picked up."

"The thing you asked me to pray for?"

"Yeah the thing you can't use."

Sereda pursed her lips and picked up the pace, "I wonder why."

Rea shrugged it off and went back to writing.

By afternoon they were passing a rather small gate into the city, Sereda was easily recognized and very welcome.  They had asked where her carriage and luggage was.  Rea chuckled at that, she'd forgotten Sereda's weaker looking self from a month ago.  The woman who hadn't trained her body at all, the one with five suitcases full of clothing.  The first place Sereda led her to also made Rea laugh.

One hour later...

An older bearded man in pristine white robes let out a slight cough, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you woman and wife!  You may now kiss the bride!"

Rea and Sereda shared an intimate kiss as bystanders cheered.  Instead of getting right to work, or going to meet her father, the pair celebrated at one of Sereda's favorite inns.

Day ~102~

Waking up married to the woman felt a little odd, shrugging it off and looking around the rather glamorous room, Rea waltzed up to a window.  She gazed at the city outside, built into the side of a mountain, massive structures of stone protruding from its base.  The craftsmanship of the buildings and towers nearer to the mountain reminded her of the dwarven city, while buildings farther out, as well as the wall surrounding Lumansolice, reminded her more of Vestlei.  There were also places with black smoke rising here and there, Rea figured that those had to be active smithys.  Further in, if Corn hadn't lied to her, the city would have sublevels, some of which even extended into the mountain.  

Those sublevels branched off into massive mines where most of Lumansolice's ore is gathered.  Rea sort of wanted to try her hand at that... she was pretty damn sure that [Psychometry] would let her find some very nice ores, some of which were worth more than their weight in gold.  She knew they had a lot of money thanks to Meril, but that lot was definitely not enough to craft a heavy set of orichalcum armor and buy an apprenticeship with someone who could teach her to properly work with more difficult metals.

As Sereda stirred Rea made her way back to bed and said good morning.  A while later they were off again.  Sereda... seemed to have completely forgotten that she hated marriage, in fact Rea was pretty sure they were no longer flaunting, just informing her father.  Not really sure what to think of that, they had arrived at the mansion.  It really wasn't all that different from the Ainsworth estate, aside from having some intimidating wolf statues and rather large metal work pieces of art laying around the yard and hanging from the building.

As Sereda pounded on the door one small man in a black and white uniform answered, "Mistress Sereda, we had not been expecting your return so soon.  One would think after finally getting your way you would have sooner run, not come back home."  Sereda smiled fondly at the man as he returned her gaze, "You have a guest?"

Sereda gave him a slight nod as they all walked into the foyer, "I brought her to meet father, is he busy?"

The butler nodded, "He has been busy ever since that dwarven runesmithing stuff popped up yesterday.  He sees the potential in it, we still haven't heard the specifics.  Honestly speaking it sounds more like a specialty thing to me, but he doesn't seem to feel like waiting."

Rea glanced at Sereda, then the butler, "Who is he meeting?"  Rea was glad that the dwarves would be spreading their craft to the other races as well, Sereda's father is as good a start as any.

"Assassins, I believe he intends to kill the few dwarves capable of using it," he motioned towards a doorway behind him.

The butler staggered as Rea's face contorted.  Sereda wasn't pleased either, but seeing the look on Rea's face made her take a step back.  Rea spoke to Sereda very calmly while equipping her swordsman garb, "How do you feel about assassins?"

Sereda's voice broke a bit, "bad people."

Rea began to walk towards the meeting place this butler had motioned towards, "I'm about to kill some bad people, stay out of my way Sereda.  I won't hurt your father."

Sereda put a hand on Rea's shoulder, "Bond with me, we'll go in and talk first.  I don't want you charging into a bloodbath at the drop of a hat Rea."

Rea looked back at her and did as told, she then took a deep breath. "Sorry Sereda, I'm still on edge after what happened in Vestlei."

Sereda walked past her and opened the large door.  Walking in behind her Rea took note that it was indeed identical to the Ainsworth estate.  The same empty room, with the same table and long couches.  A place meant to carry out business meetings.  A haggard man looked at them from across the room as Rea picked up on a few people in the shadows, not just the man he was talking with.  The ones in the shadows did have shading sounding jobs, a shadow stalker and knife specialist.  The man meeting her master blacksmith father on the other hand, was just a merchant.

The haggard man, with Sereda's own tall stature spoke up, "Welcome home, I'm in the middle of a meeting.  Go to your room," he glanced at Rea, "with your guest, we can talk later."

Sereda looked him in the eyes, "Is it true you're hiring assassins?"

The man looked angrily at the doorway their butler had closed, "That is none of your business, now go to your room."

The merchant chuckled, "It's not a big secret, no? To be honest you are the first, but I'm sure quite a few around here would have asked us sooner or later.  It's all about business after all."

Sereda shivered as she heard Rea's knuckles crack behind her, "I probably can't help the assassin's representative, judging from my wife's reaction she thinks she can kill you.  I don't think she's the sort that can let you walk away."  Sereda then looked to her father who was glaring angrily at her wife, coating herself in steel she spoke again, "You are no longer my father."

Rea noticed the knife specialist shift slightly, without giving it a second thought she pulled up a wall of ice between them as a flurry of objects flew their way.  Turning her attention to the unknown factor Rea lit half the room ablaze with an inferno.  She ignored the screaming merchant that Sereda knocked out cold as a figure of shadows emerged from her flames unscathed.  Covered in tattered robes, and wearing a mask it charged directly at her.  Rea activated her tech rune and unsheathed the quicksilver blade.  The man attacked her with a sword as well, one strike after the other, Rea was meeting him blow for blow and knew this would get worse as soon as the ice wall broke.  Before she could shout out to Sereda a steel arrow pierced the shadow stalker's thigh.  His body flipped violently and hit the ground.  Not taking any chances by leaving an opponent disabled she quickly finished the assassin off with a single slash before looking back to the ice wall.

The knife specialist, now visible, made a dash for the door.  Rea covered it in ice as he turned to face them.  "You won't get away with this, the guild will come after her father.  Then they'll come for you."

Rea scoffed, "Trying to make the world a safe place for my daughter would have meant stamping people like you out sooner or later.  I don't give a damn if a thousand assassins come for us.  You were being hired to kill some friends of mine, I take that personally."

The man readied a rather large knife as Rea took her sword up in a bluff.  Just before he charged at her the ice behind him became spears.  He hadn't even noticed until a few were jutting through his legs.  The man screamed and struggled as Rea prepared to finish him, she hadn't expected Sereda to fire an arrow at the man's chest.  The ice shattered as his body violently crashed into her frozen wall.  Rea looked at Sereda apologetically, "I never meant to put blood on your hands."

Sereda scoffed, "The necromancer's assassins did that after you were gone."

Rea's eyes saddened as she looked at Sereda, the man that had teleported her obviously tried to kill Sereda as well. "That was my..."

Sereda shot her a hot glare, "none of that was your fault."  She looked back at her father who was staring on in utter shock, his daughter had just shot two people.  His recently innocent and willful daughter... Sereda's steel visage became bronze again, "you and I have nothing to do with each other anymore."  Rea cringed and defrosted the door as Sereda shot a single arrow into the unconscious merchant's back.  Together they slowly walked out of the mansion in silence.

Rea glanced at Sereda, in an effort to lighten the mood she then said something stupid, "So Lark taught you a bit?"

Sereda cursed at that, "Was it Lark?"

Rea cringed, "Probably, I mean he was just before I disappeared...  I doubt a skinwalker would've cared if a couple of assassins killed you."

Sereda smiled fondly at the warbow, "You're right...  Rea, aren't you trying to save your soul?"

The ophidian gazed skywards, "I think killing bad people, and monsters... or not even bad, as long as they mean us or someone else harm, should be fine.  The reason I'm in so much trouble is because I didn't do it for the right reasons, and I got a little out of hand... really out of hand.  I once tortured a man for seven days before putting him on a slow burning fire.  You won't see me torturing someone to death anymore, but I'll still kill evil when I see it."  Rea gave her concerned wife a perplexed smile, "I have been getting a little out of hand, jabbing people here and there.  You may need to yank on my reins now and then."

Sereda chuckled, "I've got the chain now, don't worry about that... it really is nice being bonded with you.  I'm not scared at all and I can use so much magic."

Rea laughed a bit, "We can use quite a bit now,but I nearly died from mana exhaustion a few times on the way home."

Sereda raised an eyebrow at her, "Things got crazy?"

Rea snaked her left hand around Sereda's lower back as they walked on, "Let me tell you a story about a goat... I'm gonna kill that goat.  Anyways, it all started with a snake..."

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Hey guys I've been reading Commoner Online.  If you're like me, and you like VRMMO fic then take a peak at my review on the front page.  I really love it so far.