Bear pelt trousers are not comfortable in temperate climates. This thought was as persistent as a cockroach, with each step this mantra was branded into Jayce's mind.

"Hold on one second" I said, checking behind us. "What is it now princess? does your arm hurt again?" Zarlessa verbally poked clearly exhausted and dirt covered. Placing the staff next to the still unconscious Agatha on the makeshift cart, then walking into the shrubbery into the side of the road I started to undress to take a bathroom break and saw a broken cart wheel a few meters from my feet. Curious I thought. Putting my pants back on to investigate I placed my hand onto the trunk of a nearby tree and slowly moved my head around it. A cart had clearly ran off the road and was left behind. "Hey naked destroyer of worlds come over here" I said with bravado. Zarlessa walked over and dead armed me with as much strength as she could muster. With her muscle deprived arms it barely hurt. "Watch my back for a sec, look" motioning my head towards to the horizontal cart. "You think my lack of clothing is by choice? Funny how you only minded it AFTER you found out I wasn't trying to ha-" zarlessa jumped back as a plain cotton dress landed on her face. Smoke slowly rose from underneath the fabric covering her flawless skin, as it fully caught into purple flames turning to ash after only seconds. "See... You had the choice to wear that and you burned it instead." Crossing my arms and looking smug. exasperated she began to walk towards me, instead of face the consequences of my actions I climbed into the overturned cart.

Inside the cart was an assortment of general clothing, kitchen ware, and other household necessities. "What do you think happened?" Zarlessa asked with a single eyebrow raised, curiosity quelling her violent reactions. Answering as I opened the multiple trunks and sifting the floor of the wagon, "Probably refugees, people at the work camp would have stories about moving from one place to another and losing everything on the way... or it getting left behind when the Drukon abducted them..." tightening my fist while holding a plain black laced collar cotton shirt. "it doesn't matter, get dressed we take what we can then move on, grab whatever you think Agatha would like" I said, only half loot goblin googles on out of respect for Agatha's condition.

After the raiding session we left with, ten silver coins, two kitchen knives, a back pack, a few changes of clothes, and some fishing supplies. Zarlessa took a blue commoner dress that laced into a corset underneath. black knee high hiking boots and brown leather pants. Taking one of the knives she cut the dress in a reverse V to give her knees room for mobility. I took the black cotton shirt and rough tanned leather pants. Getting back to the road the corrupt world governing birds went silent. The lush forest finally had an end a few more kilometers deeper unfiltered sunlight could be seen which meant a clearing was approaching, yet just out of reach. A quiet rhythmic thud started to come into earshot.

Hoofbeats were approaching. Rounding a bend behind us came an iron plated army filling out the entirety of the road with soldiers so innumerable I couldnt see the end of the four soldier wide marching column. Proudly presenting banners of blue and black, with emblems of an octagon with a raven roosting atop the shape. Led by four horsemen. Large banners wavered in the air on well crafted steel lanes behind their riders. Rise and dips caused by the horses skipping like cantering. Knowing we wouldn't make it to the clearing we quickly got off the road, instead of just passing us they came to a stop near us.

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A surprisingly deep yet still young voice said, "You" pointing his lance eye level to me, "Come into the road to be inspected". The soldiers surrounding the youth looked to one another clearly just as confused as I was. Looking between Zarlessa then to Agatha, realizing fighting wasn't an option and neither was running without leaving Agatha instead I raised my hands above my head and walked into the middle of the road. Having a better view I could see the armor this man boy wore was that of one of the minor human nations Agatha had drilled into me in our frost induced boredom. From atop his horse the same man boy said "Drukon trash! come to abduct more humans you imitation of humanity!" looking towards the tree line I entered the road from and seeing Zarlessa with a worried expression. The child knight decided the time for words was over for him as he spurred his horse towards me. Eyes wide I said "No this is a misunderstanding let-" He wheeled his horse towards me with reckless unrefined technique. Dropping his lance for a pass he missed me by a mile. Zarlessa acted quickly grabbing the staff from the CCC and used her immense mana supply to cast a kilometer high two meter thick . Cutting through the forest at odd angles so it didn't hit any trees. Immediatley after doing so she leaned heavily on the staff as the strain from such a feat was taxing even to someone of her magical prowess. As the now isolated youth saw the wall sprout he lost his prior rage filled vigor. Zarlessa used all of her strength to throw the staff to me I ran at the horseman catching the weapon while in stride. He hesitantly charged his horse for another pass, as his lance dropped he got indecisive about what the best angle would be. Noticing this I slipped the lance and grabbed his leg pulling his foot from the stirrups and throwing the ankle as hard as I could skyward. Making the Horse buck the rider off as he was ejected from the saddle his tower helmet flew far into the air. Landing face first into the dirt then rolling onto his back at an awkward angle like a scorpion being tilted over. Spinning the staff around my back then pocketing it into my armpit with the scythe side on top in a ready stance in case that example of being outclassed wasn't enough. The man boy spit out dirt after getting up. Face to face showed being flung from the horse had broken his nose during the fall.

Pulling out his sword he cast some kind of enchantment magic onto the blade itself causing it to spark with lightning bolts, connecting to the ground but never reaching up or out. Spreading my legs further apart we both studied the others stance before he yelled and went for a frontal assault. Throwing a wide swing towards my waist I blocked with the staff placed vertically meeting it with heavy force making his sword clang off and bruising his wrist with his weapon making a sound like a washboard. Planting the staff onto the dirt road simultaneously wasting as little movement as possible I used it as a foundation for a jumping crescent moon head kick. BOOM. Ice exploded forming a ten meter wide three meter high hole in the ice wall. Icicle shrapnel erupted in every direction right before I hit the kick that would have dealt life time damage. A grizzled voice said, "Typhis! to me. NOW." met swiftly by, "YES GENERAL" as he rubbed the side of his head the kick would have dented.