CHAPTER 2 – MEETS, GREETS AND LOVE
The laughter died down and Sargent Major Ignacio Sylva stepped into my field of vision and offered me the hand that wasn’t holding his huge ass warhammer. I took it as he effortlessly pulled me to my feet with a grin plastered to his face. Mase, Doze, Ruri circled me, Lola sitting her throne on Doze’s head.
Ruri threw pride and starry eyes my direction. I shimmied a smile in return, her eyes promising naughty things with just a shift, and even in my battered to shit state, electricity up my spine.
Melody and Danny were whispering to each other off to the side and giggling. Gazes of triumph and kick assery plastered everyone’s faces and postures and it was beautiful to see after so many days of heartache and struggle. This was a rush, conquering the Matriarch, this nest, and shoving it down the Spider Bitch’s gullet. She wasted two Divine Favors, whatever the fuck those were. and got nada, not a fucking dime on the dollar.
Mase stepped over and pulled Danny away from Melody, spinning her around, and kissing her hard. Danny laughed then picked him up, spun him around, ending with an even harder lip smacking. A match made in Heaven if I ever did see one.
I looked at Gramps and was in literal awe, now that combat had ended, and I had a chance to catch my breath. This was the guy that had trained both my real Father and Pops, the man who had got them both into collecting weapons, and trained them in said weapons.
“Hey Sargent Major?” He turned towards me and If I didn’t know better, a look of pride reflecting in his eyes.
“I am not in the military any more so no need with the rank son. Call me Gramps, or Ignacio. Even your Father didn’t hold to throwing ranks when we were off duty. He and Jason were my friends first and foremost.”
Holy shit, his relationship with the man who sired me and the man who raised me was really hitting home right about now. I could even see Mase holding off his smooch fest to listen in. I took a deep breath. “Okay Gramps it is. I got to know, well, I want to know a lot of things, but let’s start with how the hell you all found us or even knew to come looking? Don’t get me wrong, you saved our asses big time, just not sure how it all kicked off.”
Danny interjected, her arms still around Mason as if she never wanted him out of her sight again. “Thank your piggy. He’s the bombaliscious. Gramps and I had just arrived, not a half hour, before he just, materialized, in front of the Temple, all disoriented and out of it. Salazar had already given us the low down on where you all were and what ya were up to. We had already planned on coming out and meeting you, as this fuck wasn’t gonna stay off my lips for one second longer then necessary if I got a word to spit on it. We had shit to take care of first though. We had refugees with us and my parents.” Mase interrupted her when she said her parents, a kiss to her cheek and a whisper in her ear, liquid forming in her eyes at his soft parables. She kissed him on the cheek and snuggled closer into him then looked back at me. “Sorry. We would of hammered out to you all immediately but we had to get everyone settled in. Dozer sped the timetable up.”
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Gramps took it from there. “Your beast, once he had shaken off the death fog, started running in circles, obviously agitated, then keyed in on us. He did a snuffle snout shake, dance, something, then tried to get us to follow him. We figured you were in trouble, so did so. He took off like a bat out of hell. We couldn’t keep up but the shadow bird kept coming back and keeping us tethered in the right direction. She also kept the boar from running straight into the Dungeon again.” Danny laughed and eyed Lola.
“She certainly seems to be wearing the pants in that relationship.”
We all laughed and Lola gave us a stare that said ‘Of course’. Doze just snorted as if to say “Let her think that. I have her right where I want her.’. I smiled. Keep thinking that Dozer and you will end up on the ass end of jack and shit. I scratched his ears and Lola squawked as I shook her off her nesting. We all shared a healthy laugh.
Gramps took charge, his voice cutting steel. “Alright everyone, wrap the mission, then celebrate. Dial through your notifications, especially you Dom as the City Ruler of this new location. Level up, then we can all take a look see at that chest that just dropped on the dais.”
As soon as he said chest Mason stopped kissing and his eyes slammed over to the chest, a hungry look shimmy surfing along his features. Of course he was, haha. To be honest though all our eyes drifted to the chest, who doesn’t love some loot?
My Brother was already halfway there when Gramps voice carved the air again. “Did you mishear me Drake? I said notifications, leveling, then chest. One step before the next boy. If I’m gonna do what your Fathers would ask of me, if they were still breathing, and train you two, then you will learn to listen the first time, yes?” Mason froze, the voice and attitude so similar to Pop’s even I stood a bit straighter hearing it. My Brother turned towards the old man and nodded. Gramps smiled. “Good boy, now onto it everyone. Once your done with notifications then wait. We, as a unit, will hit the chest. Understood?!” His voice was granite, immovable and intractable. We all found ourselves nodding, even Melody, who then shook her head, and gestured obscenely to the old man, of course, with his back to her. Dozer was already at Ruri’s hip getting his treats while she gave me a guilty look but a cool smile.
We all looked like punch dolls for Mike Tyson. Hmm, wonder if he was still alive? Focus. Before I did anything I was going to take care of my family. I rolled around using Moonlight’s touch to send health skyrocketing in the right direction while everyone fished out a healing potion to top themselves up after I bottomed my mana.
I was the only healer in the group at at the moment, not the best look, as I was usually in the thick of melee. “Do what you need as you can.” I could hear Pops voice chirping. I know Pops, I know. I wonder what the hell classes Gramps and Danny had?
I’ll find out soon enough. Now to some leveling and hopefully goodies galore.