The rest of the week oozed by and I could hardly wait for Saturday to arrive so I could see my girls again. I distracted myself as best I could by practicing the two powers that I had that were capable of growing with use.

Shape-Shifting was rapidly becoming second nature the more I used it. It was getting to the point that I had to consciously remind myself that I had to still keep an eye out for casual observers before utilizing it.

By contrast, Manipulate Element was more challenging to find time to work on. Since it had a throttle of ten mana at the moment, I generally would just work to utilize it while I was going for my evening run or walking from my truck into work early in the morning.

No one would notice if potholes were filled in overnight or if the baseball diamond at the run-down high-school was suddenly in better condition. At least I hope not. It let me get more flexible with my spell work, which was something that I was rapidly recognizing as a common fact between the powers.

I know the girls work off of structured spells and specifics. I generally just focus on a thing and then just kind of ‘smear’ the mana over it to make it happen. The System power takes it from there. Though I bet the kids will enjoy the newly-leveled soccer field. That was neat to do. I need to keep a better watch on my mana though, it’s all over the place and I’m never sure how much things cost. I thought to myself while eating a Pop-Tart over the sink to contain the crumbs.

I glanced down at the pair of arcane runes imprinted on my right arm and laughed, thumbing them both to check on the girls and getting no strong emotions on touching them. Still need to ask Cari about these when I have a chance…

It was Saturday morning and I’d woken up early, as was becoming a habit even on the weekends. My vastly increased stats were proving themselves now that I’d adjusted to them. The lower amount of sleep wasn’t nearly as crippling as it used to be. The sun was just beginning to lighten my curtains on the east-facing windows in my tiny living room.

“Need to look into boosting my other stats to match. No reason to let things lag behind…or should I specialize already?” I popped the last bite of blueberry-flavored goodness into my mouth and washed it down with the last swig of cooling coffee in my mug.

As if it had been patiently waiting for me, the message that I had been anticipating for the last hour flashed across my vision in its glittering, violet glory.

Kassandra Silverscale and Rieka Coldeye have sent a non-urgent request for your presence regarding training and missions.

Transit? View summoning?

“Sweet. Let's get this party started.” I muttered with a grin.

I checked my cell phone where it was connected to the charger. Since I couldn’t bring it with me there was no reason to keep it in my pocket where the System would hide it while I was gone.

After Jameson’s visit earlier in the week, I’d decided to not keep the phone on me so that people could at least leave a voice-mail if they called.

Confirming that the charging cable was connected, I patted my pockets out of habit to check for my keys before rolling my eyes and mentally tapping the Transit option on the message.

The tugging sensation this time was at an angle rather than directly up and it disoriented me enough that I missed the first part of the visual maelstrom that whipped past me. I thought I caught a glimpse of a massive, wooden ship that was sailing over a choppy sea towards a lone island with a ramshackle village on it. The whole scene was visible for less than a second before mauve light flashed all around me and I landed on grass with a lurch that nearly sent me stumbling.

“Mine!”

Huh, Kassandra’s changed her greeting-cry. I had time to think before the dwarf lamia impacted my side.

Since I was already off balance, her energetic greeting knocked me the rest of the way over. Despite her smaller stature, Kassandra has quite a bit of mass due to her long, serpentine body.

I landed in the grass on my back with a grunt while Kassandra rode me to the ground, giggling the entire time as she burrowed into my chest and rubbed her face back and forth happily.

Just above us, I could see the lightening sky as the sun continued to break the horizon. The morning sun sent streaks of gold, pink, and red through the double handful of puffy clouds that floated serenely above me. It would have been peaceful if not for the fact I was struggling to get my breath back after having several hundred pounds of snake girl land on top of me.

“Kass! You need to be quiet! It’s still super early.” Rieka hissed from nearby and my vision of the sky, complete with swirling dots of color from the impact, was blocked by my wolf kin companion as she bent over us to peer at me with a concerned frown marking her aristocratic features.

Rieka had her platinum-blonde hair braided into a single French braid that hung over her shoulder. Her black-tipped wolf ears were perked upright and focused intently on me as she peered down.

“I am quiet. I didn’t scream his name this time, so no one knows who it is.” Kassandra protested, though her voice was anything but contrite. Her red-brown curls tickled my nose lightly as she burrowed into my neck now and left a couple of kisses on my throat. “Good morning, Liam.” She purred into my ear, nipping at my earlobe lightly. The sensation made a full-body shiver run through me and I sighed, wrapping my arms around her waist and giving her a hug that made her moan happily.

“Still! We need to get moving, Kass. You were the one who wanted to do a short overnight. Which means we need to get moving to get into Kintos for supplies.” Rieka scowled down at us both, though her gaze was directed at Kassandra more than me.

“He’s warm.” Protested Kassandra with the assured firmness of a six-year-old demanding ‘five more minutes’.

“And he’ll stay warm as long as you don’t crush the poor man. How are you going to handle it if you happen to knock him over and actually break something with one of your greetings?” Rieka continued to dig at her friend, but I could see the mirth dancing in her ice-blue eyes. Or maybe it was the remaining spots from the impact still, I wasn’t entirely sure since it was still kind of hard to breathe.

“No! I’d never hurt Liam! He’s far too sturdy to get hurt from just a simple hug.”

“Your hugs aren’t simple, Kass. You are a constrictor after all.” Rieka’s reply was droll and I choked out a laugh once I finally got my breathing under control.

“Ha! He laughed! I’m off the hook!” Kassandra cheered, pushing herself upright with her hands on my chest. “Love you, Liam.” She crooned before leaning down again to press a kiss to my lips. Her mane of curly hair blocked my vision but I caught sight of Rieka rolling her eyes just before all I could see was Kassandra and all I could smell was the musky, cinnamon scent of my lover.

Kassandra dropped several slow pecks across my lips, her hips grinding on top of mine, before finally pulling back to smile at me. The rising sun glowed off her silver-rimmed spectacles and her inquisitive, brown eyes danced with affection for a long moment before she slid off of me and to one side.

“Come on, lazybones!” Kassandra teased, grabbing one hand and giving it a tug. “Let’s get moving! You are slowing us down.”

“Wha? But…!” I tried to protest for a second before sighing. Kassandra continued to urge me upright, giggling to herself the entire time. I shared a commiserating look with Rieka.

“How does she have this much energy this early? I thought Kassandra was cold blooded.” I asked the wolf eared princess.

“I guess she’s just happy to see you, Liam.” Rieka said simply, claiming a hug from me as soon as I was upright and balanced.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“I suppose so. I’m glad to see you both as well. What’s the plan for today?”

“Stopping by town to pick up some things on the way through. I got a lead on a mountain lynx sighting and that mission had its reward bumped up. If we are lucky and can bag it, we might be able to afford one of the dimensional packs and can start planning for the trip back to those ruins.” Rieka’s explanation made my vision flash, words raced into view and I nodded slowly as I read over them.

Assist your contracted companions, Rieka Coldeye and Kassandra Silverscale, with their overnight hunt for the mountain lynx and escort them back to town.

Reward - 650 SP

“Got it. And I’m guessing the hide will be worth more if we don’t damage it much?” Both of the girls made noises of agreement and I nodded as well. “Can’t be worse than the crag hunter, right?”

“Nope. Mountain lynx are much smaller. But, their fur pattern makes them blend in better. The trick is more about finding them rather than surviving them.” Rieka already had her traveling pack on and was dressed in her normal blouse and pants combination in a mixture of tan and gray. She also had a light-gray cloak draped over her shoulders and her pack made a lump under it.

“Fair enough. Let’s get moving then. How far is it from town?”

“Less than half a day. I’m hoping we can make it out there, scout out a good camping spot and then hunt in the hills for the afternoon and into the evening. Sleep overnight, make one more pass if we missed it, then head back to town before midday to give us plenty of time.” Kassandra brought over my gear while Rieka explained and I stopped her when I saw a few differences with the items the dwarf lamia was messing with.

I’d been wearing a worn, but serviceable, leather jerkin with thin metal plates lining it for extra protection. It’d done its job well in the past, but the encounter with first the flame serpents and then the crag hunter had damaged the chest pretty heavily. The girls had done what they could to maintain the armor, something I was still feeling guilty over leaving for them to do since it was my armor after all, but it was still damaged.

Apparently, my bonded companions had decided it was time for an upgrade. My old set of tattered leather was nowhere to be seen and in its place was a gleaming set of dark-brown leather covered in brightly polished studs. Kassandra struggled to lift it from the pile of gear that sat between the road and the front of Rue House.

The leather was supple, but dense, under my fingers as I moved to help her lift it. The armor was a fair bit heavier than my old set. It looked somewhat like one of those old cowboy duster-jackets with flared shoulders that were buckled to the sleeveless leather tunic underneath.

“It’s brigandine. When I mentioned to uncle Silas that your other suit was pretty well trashed, he rattled this together for you, Liam.” Kassandra chirped, giving the armored jacket another yank and hefting it up with a grunt. “Oof. It’s heavier for sure, but that means it’s better protection! The leather is double layered with metal plates riveted between them. I had him make it a bit large so you can shift easier under it, but this should keep you safer than the old suit.”

“But the cost…” I protested quietly while lifting the armor up to inspect it. The jacket was going to be a bit loose. But, with the internal buckles to hold it closed, I didn’t think it would be an issue. Rieka helped me slip it on even as the girls answered the question.

“You are our protector, Liam.” Rieka murmured while helping me shrug into the suit of brigandine like it was a short robe. She secured the internal strap to hold the front closed before folding the double-breast over and buckling it under the left shoulder while Kassandra wrapped my belt around my waist. “You come to help us and look after us. You’ve gotten hurt protecting us while neither Kass nor I have taken any injuries the entire time you’ve been with us. You deserve to be better protected.”

“Don’t argue, Liam.” Kassandra urged. “Uncle Silas said that my parents covered the cost of the armor as a gift, since I was refusing to let them hire guards.”

“Because you can’t trust guards any further than their pay, right?” I repeated the argument that the two had made in the past as to why they hadn’t hired normal guardians.

I rolled my shoulders to help the armor settle into place. It was heavy, but not impossibly so. The tunic fell to my knees and there were internal straps to keep the folds close to my legs to protect them. Not as good as actual leg armor but still better than the nothing I’d had before. There were no gaps for a kobold to stick a spear into my hip with this armor.

“Yes. Also, if you look at it from a more practical standpoint? We have invested in growing your strength and this is just one more way we can secure that investment.” Rieka added, tugging on the shoulder pad slightly before buckling the curved piece of leather down with a quiet creak.

“That and we are both tired of you getting hurt.” Kassandra’s statement was quiet and there was enough pain in her voice that I had to fight back a wince.

Of course they don’t enjoy seeing me get hurt. But, I’d rather it was me being injured than them. I sighed, tousling Kassandra’s hair gently with one hand.

“Thank you both for this. I appreciate the thought. What about yourselves? You mentioned getting armor for yourselves the other day. And weapons?”

“My bow is under my cloak.” Rieka explained, lifting the soft material to show the leather case strapped to the side of her pack. It was only about two or three feet long and narrow, but the leather was clearly well cared for. A quiver of white-fletched arrows hung off her hip just below the case and her pack, concealed beneath the cloak. “As far as armor though, we put orders in but they aren’t done yet. The reason that this was ready is because Silas was working on it since we came back from dealing with the crag hunter. Our orders were put in after the bandits.”

Maybe I should drop those points into strength to help with this weight? No, I’ll wait for a bit. It’ll take a few days to adjust and grow into the changes since the stat boost isn’t immediate. I can use this weekend to decide and then go from there. “Speaking of the bandits…” I started, tugging on my armor to help settle it more comfortably for now.

“No news yet. I sent word to my mother with a courier, as I mentioned before. So I expect to hear back this week sometime. It wasn’t an urgent message so she’ll respond when she’s ready.” Rieka interrupted, hefting my larger pack up to let me slip it on over top of the armor while Kassandra threaded my mace into the loop that was on my belt for it.

“Okay. And your tip about this mountain lynx? Are you sure it’s not a trap?”

“No, I’m not sure.” Rieka sighed. Her ears and tail drooped for a moment before she rallied and her ears popped back upright, but her tail remained limp. “But I trust the source. Lady Valda is the one who told me of the sighting and she said she heard it from a hunter she trusted. Another reason why we are up so early. I want to get into Kintos, get some supplies, and get back out again quickly. I can’t spend my life cowering behind walls if I’m going to make a name for myself.”

My heart went out to the young woman and I pulled her into a hug, being careful not to crush her against the armor.

“That's fair. We just need to be intelligent about the risks we take, right?”

“Yes. That’s what I said in my letter to my mother.” Rieka mumbled into my chest and I could feel the slightest trembles rack her body. It was clear that the whole event was still bothering her, but Rieka was fighting through it.

I glanced around quickly and, finding no observers, began to run my fingers through the hair between her ears to scratch at her scalp. I was careful to not make a mess of the braid while I did it. Rieka melted into the hug at that, her tail beginning to wag slowly at the affectionate caress.

She really does love headpats and scratches, doesn’t she? I thought with a smile. Kassandra gave me a thumbs up while she got her own pack settled and her cloak on while I reassured Rieka.

The dwarf lamia was dressed in her usual outfit. A russet brown blouse of sturdy linen and a matching skirt of a slightly lighter shade with a faun colored underbust corset for support. The colors went well with her red-brown hair and the earthy colors of her scales.

It was only when Kassandra finished securing the dark-blue cloak around her shoulders that Rieka finally got hold of herself and pulled free of my arms regretfully.

“Don’t worry. You can have more later.” I teased her gently, getting a smile from the wolf kin woman and a quiet cackle of amusement from Kassandra. “What about you, Nugget?” I turned my attention to Kassandra, who blushed slightly at her nickname but continued to smile up at me.

“What about me?”

“Weapons?”

“Oh, I have that knife that I got from the crag hunter nest. I’m not skilled with a bow like Rieka but my father taught me to defend myself with a knife. I’m no ‘mistress of the blade’, but I can handle it if something gets close enough that my spells aren’t going to be an option.”

“Hmm. Need to think of some way that Rieka can still cast while using her bow. You can use the knife in an off-hand while the rod is in the other, but…”

“But?” Rieka prompted as we checked each other over once quickly to make sure we hadn’t left anything behind on the grass. Satisfied, the three of us proceeded onto the road and started to head towards the gate that led out towards Kintos from the Juneau academy.

“Well, it would be good if you could use both without a struggle. Means you have more options to defend yourself after all. I know your lightning magic is more dangerous than the arrows but it’s also not subtle. I’ll think about it some more.” I shrugged as we came to the large gate that bored through the wall leading to the open countryside.

A couple of guards stood on the wall above it and they opened the gate using a lever above us when Kassandra called up to them with the request.

While we waited for the large door to clatter open, the chains and pulleys groaning and creaking while it did so in the early light, I glanced back over my shoulder.

I saw movement in one of the windows on the third floor of the dorm across from Rue house. Something sent the curtains behind the closed window swinging and I narrowed my eyes, staring at it.

Focusing, I altered my eyes with Shape-Shifting. The adjustments took a moment but my vision sharpened and I was able to peer closer at the window. The curtains were made of a fine white lace and while I watched, a young woman’s face peered through the window around the edge of one of the curtains. I only got a brief glimpse of pointed ears before the curtains twitched closed once more.

Hmm, who is watching the road up there? I thought in concern as the gates finished their opening dance and the girls led the way into the countryside.