Alice swung her sword at me, and I immediately stepped back, making sure to think about my footing. We started trading blows and I saw Paul totally getting his ass kicked next to me. Alice slashed her sword at me and I failed to properly block it, and she made a cut in my right arm, blood splattered over the rubble.

I kneeled and waited, she seemed to be hesitating, but then she slashed her sword down with full force. I rolled against her leg and stabbed my sword in her left foot. For that, I got a kick in my face and I landed on my back as my sword fell away. I saw Alice walk over to me with two swords. I smiled, “your shoe is ruined now.” She raised her two swords, I stretched my left hand and I shot a beam of darkness. She got launched away.

As I got up and grabbed my sword, I saw Paul laying on the ground. Abby, Funk, and Lorraine all had their feet on Paul. Alice got up and smiled, “It seems you found some energy in there after all.”

Alice grinned and charged at me, I immediately went into a defensive stance. As she slashed her sword down, I blocked the incoming strike, and we ended up in a bind. “Come on, Alice, this is enough. We are on the same side, your white robe is covered in blood, want to tell me about that?”

Alice pushed back even harder, “We are not on the same side, and that is none of your business, you ruined the boots I found in the cabin in the woods. Oh, and I don’t kill people!”

While grunting and infusing my sword with dark energy, I pushed back. “And what if you have a villain cornered, and you can kill him to end his terror?”

Alice pushed even harder, and I slipped backwards and fell on my back. She tried to stab her sword down, but I rolled away. She called out, “Just keep still, and I will show you how I will kill a villain!”

I had lost my sword and Alice came my way as she spoke up, confident she had me down for the count, “It is time to end this.”

I grabbed a rock and waited for her to come closer. She kneeled beside me and lifted her sword, then I smashed the rock against her head. She fell backwards while blood splattered around. Slowly I got up while walking over to my sword and grabbing it.

As Alice got up, I threw my rock at her, She used her arms to block it, but it did create a small wound.

Lorraine called out, “Do you need help yet, Steve?”

“No, I got this.”

Alice laughed, “You think you got this? I am just fucking around.”

I smiled, “Is that so? You got this red blotch on your head that says otherwise.”

Alice screamed, and the ground started to shake as red energy infused her whole body, I gulped, “Oh shit, I think I might have made her angry.”

She charged at me at an insane speed, I tried to block her blow. However, she just slashed my sword away and cut a considerable wound across my chest, I fell backwards as blood splattered everywhere. Alice walked over, but she got pushed over, I saw Lorraine look at me, As Alice got up, silver bolts flew towards Alice.

She sighed and let her energy go. “We are done.” Alice stabbed her sword down into the rubble. She walked over to me and stretched her hand out. I took it and she helped me up. I leaned forwards as blood dripped to the ground.

Alice stared at me, “There is only one reason I am not killing you.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I am in love with you.” Then she walked away towards Paul, Funk let him get up.

Alice glanced over her shoulder, “We are going to Goldia,” she threw a rock at me and I caught it. “If you ever need me, call me with that magic rock, and I mean, like, world saving need.”

Then they wandered off, I sat down while stashing the rock in my pocket.

Lorraine ran over to me, “Are you alright?”

I looked at her, “I apologize for ruining your pretty clothes, especially since your shop is gone.”

She giggled, “Don’t even worry about that,” she looked at Abby, “Would you please hand me my backpack?” Abby nodded and did so.

Funk walked over, “I thought Alice was a friend of yours.”

Abby looked at him, “I thought the same.”

Lorraine rummaged through her backpack. “The ground is not very soft, but it has to do, now lean back, and I will patch you up.”

I just closed my eyes and tried to block out the pain while Lorraine patched me up, after a while, she put her hand on my cheek, “You will be fine, but you lost quite a lot of blood. Drink some water, and then we need to find a safe place to sit down for a moment.”

“Thanks, Lorraine,” I looked at Funk, “Where does the train go?”

“It will probably go to Moonhelm.”

Then I looked at Abby, “Do you mind if we make a stop there?”

“Of course not, but what is the plan after that?”

I sighed, “I don’t know, but we should check if Lorraine’s mom is there.”

She smiled at me, “Really?”

“Yes.”

Abby chuckled, “Fine, but I just hope there will be quiches there.”

I laughed, even though it hurts, Funk and Lorraine stared at me, Lorraine helped me up, “We should go north then and head to Moonhelm.”

Funk nodded, “It is best if we leave Brickton.”

While leaning on Lorraine, we started walking to the north.

Once we hit the grasslands, we saw it was already getting dark, Lorraine sat me down against a tree. “Just sit here, you are wounded, that is a nasty cut.”

Stolen story; please report.

Lorraine started setting up tents. Abby walked over towards me, “Funk told me we should expect rocky roads ahead towards Moonhelm, along with a rough road of many monsters and battles.”

I nodded, “After one night of rest, I am good to go.”

Abby looked at Lorraine, “I wonder how old she is, but she looks like our age, are you not bothered by her fur?”

“No, she is just a regular human, well, sort of, you know what I mean.”

She nodded, “I think she is nice, I realize I might not be the one for you, Steve.”

Lorraine suddenly called out, “I heard that Abby, I think you are nice too.”

Abby giggled, “At least those ears are good for something.” Abby let out a sigh, “I am sorry if I kept pressing myself on you so much, you are a strong, independent man, and I know there is a good man in there, even if you are quite a cynic. Perhaps, I am not the woman that can drag that better side out of you.”

“Thanks, Abby, it means a lot to me to hear you say that, you are a good friend.”

Abby wanted to get up, but I grabbed her hand, “What is it, Steve?”

“I am sorry Abby, for being the person who dragged you into this, I know I got you into a lot of trouble and you always followed my lead. If I had not been so blind in our reality, if I had seen how much you really cared for me, how much you loved me and still do, I would have done things differently.” I shed a tear, “We could have been a great pair together, Abby. If it means anything, I am truly sorry for not being the person for you, and I am sorry that you were not the person I needed.”

Abby just stared at me while her eyes started to well up, “Part of the blame is on me, I followed you here out of my free will, and I know I was blind as well. You were always nice to me, and took good care of me, I will never stop loving you Steve, but if good friends is all we can be, then so be it.”

Abby walked over to Funk and started helping him set up the tents. Lorraine walked over with some water, “Here you go.”

I took the bottle of water and I just had to do something to get my mind off Abby while Funk consoled her. I scratched behind Lorraine's ear.

She giggled, “Oh yes, that feels good.”

Funk looked at me as Abby had gone into her tent for a moment, “Seriously? Many people fear wolf people, and you are just, let’s give her a scratch behind her ear?”

I stopped and smiled at Lorraine, “It seems she did not mind.”

She hugged me, “Ouch, that hurt, nah, just kidding.”

She chuckled, “Sorry. I am going to make some fire, is there any food that you need?”

“I could use a pizza, but I am guessing we don’t have wild pizza’s here. Any meat will do, to be honest.”

Lorraine nodded and she ran away on four legs. Funk looked at me, “I think she likes you.”

Abby came out of her tent as she regained her composure and looked at Funk, “No shit, Sherlock.”

After a while, Lorraine came back with two rabbits in her mouth, she put them on a cloth and made a fire, rapidly if I might add.

Funk gave everyone a stick and I came closer, Lorraine leaned on me and I cleaned her mouth, We ate the cooked rabbit together. For some reason, this Lorraine woman is making me feel, much better than I have felt in a long time. We laughed and talked. For some reason, this just felt superb, but I did feel bad for Abby, I got up and took her aside.

“Yes, Steve, what is it?”

“Are we, okay?”

Abby let out a sigh, “Yes, we are fine, I am just feeling a bit, lonely.”

I nodded, “I am sorry if I caused that, I do care a lot for you, it is just, I don't think we are meant for each other.”

Abby let out a wry smile, “I think I already figured that out before stupendously following you on this journey. But when all of this is done, I hope to find someone who can look at me, the same way you look at Lorraine.”

I looked down and shed a tear, “I am sorry for how I treated you, I never meant to treat you as property because you are a remarkable woman, your sister would have been proud of your accomplishments.”

Abby nodded, “Thank you, that means a lot of coming from you, I am certain that Haley would have been proud of you as well.”

I smiled at Abby, “I am not so sure, I feel, guilty about what happened to her.”

Abby put her hand on my shoulder, “I am afraid to be alone, if I could, I would stay with you forever, but we both know that is not going to happen.”

I nodded, “I realize that, but for now, we will follow the same path, right?”

Abby let out a smile, “Yes, there is this voice inside of me saying I should follow you for now, but you have to grow, to learn you can make mistakes and then still be yourself. Give yourself over to Lorraine, you need her, and as I look at her talking with Funk, she looks lonely too.”

I hugged Abby, “Thank you, good friend, I love you.”

Abby grabbed me tight, “I love you too.”

We both let out a few deep sighs and went back to the campfire and sat down to finish our meat with some water.

After finishing my rabbit meat, I looked at the others, “Well, tomorrow we have a rough road ahead of us, are you guys ready?”

All of them nodded, Lorraine smiled at me, “I am tired, shall we sleep together in one tent?”

I looked at the three tents that were set up. “I am not complaining,” I gave Abby a gentle smile and nodded towards Funk, “I will see you in the morning.”

Lorraine and I went into a tent, I lay down and Lorraine immediately started kissing me, “Lorraine?”

“Yes?”

“I am quite hurt, I am uncertain if I can, you know, perform when in pain.”

Lorraine started unzipping my pants, “Just shut up, Steve.”

“But.”

She put a finger on my lip, “That is not shutting up.”