The group spent the two allotted days preparing gear and rounding up equipment from either the stores in town or buying them off other adventuring parties that didn't need them right away. The Brazen Boys all found themselves light armor of one kind or another and nothing heavier than half chainmail at most. The girls secured water resistant cloaks and bags for food storage and organized who would take and carry what. During all of that Micheal found the time to go out with Leah again, this time to a smithy that specialized in horses.

It was an odd sort of thing to request of the man, or at least that's how he viewed making a harness with removable barding for Jack, but in the end the work did get done. Leah had offered to pay for it and even insisted that 'Jack the Nice Doggy' get armor just as good as what he wore, but Micheal took out a small loan from Vivian that he would pay back with the reward money from this quest to pay for the work as he had last time. They were each set to receive a whole five gold crowns for their part of the mission which was enough to pay back Vivian for both he and Jack's new equipment with even the things she had bought him in Rosebridge at the start.

He could only afford the half barding of chainmail given the time and pieces the tradesmen was willing to give to the project, but the back end was covered in a much lighter gambeson like material used in horse barding. It was thick and resisted blades which was the important part. In the end the hardest part was getting the man to take the measurements on Jack since he was convinced that 'adventures sloppy fingers' couldn't measure it correctly and he was also similarly convinced with certainty that Jack was going to maul him at any given moment.

The head covering was widened and the bulbous slotted eye covers moved. The front limbs were shortened and the chest widened and made to fit with Jack's movements. After a short test the eye covers had to go, they drove Jack nuts, but everything else seemed to be fine enough. Maybe with a little more training or a different design on the eye guards Jack would be able to wear them, but the armor was armor enough for now and certainly better than nothing.

It did make the pair of them look rather menacing as well. That was good for fighting enemies, but villagers might panic if they saw a veiled northern raider with a huge spear coming to their village with a Bear Dog in armor. Vivian assured him it would be alright, but he had his doubts.

Jack did seem to pant a little more than usual, but often watered and with a few hours to get used to the new armor and bags on him he seemed just fine. Micheal did worry about it, maybe wearing on him or wearing down his fur, but the girls, Julia, Luna, and Pel, did show up later with a set of heavy combs they intended to groom Jack with whenever it was needed.

Micheal winced in sympathy, not sure how Jack would take all the attention, but Jack wiggled his big butt over to them when they came to back the adventurers' guild through the gates to stumble across him training Jack in the yard. Many of the other adventurers who had stayed or tented there had moved inside instead of saving gold by camping outside, but the storms had their way. And most of those who had moved in were also now out with the grab bag magical army that would be striking the large orc encampment today and tomorrow.

Micheal was feeling both incredibly anxious and excited. He had always imagined battles, and even played a good deal of strategy games that wouldn't be too far off from what he could expect to see here. The idea of being one, and just part of a strike team was a little sketchy, but honestly...what else would he want to do in this place? Be a farmer? No he could never do that. He had always wanted adventure. He had sought it out in books and his own writing.

He wanted to see magical things and places and fight monsters and foes with a team of close friends. It was time to put that fantasy to the test and see how the real thing fit him, the obstacle of death pushed out of his mind with the dark certainty that he would rather die fighting than be taken again. But he didn't think about that. Not for very long. He thought about this chance given to him to break away from the mundane. -To adventure as he had always dreamed about as a child. He would do it not only for himself, but for his friends. He would protect them and get them through this no matter how hard or scary it got. At least that's what he tried to tell himself and for once it seemed to be working.

That night they had a large group meal and spent a great deal to get everyone the best meal possible the day before the attack. Everyone was focused and subdued. Friends sat near and said things softly, but there was none of the loud laughing or jabbing or the other things he had gotten so used to even after so short a time.

Had it really only been four weeks here?

He would remember this time staying with everyone for the rest of his days. Every moment seemed something so close to him now. Everyone's training had been put aside to practice their formations while fighting in a group. Micheal was on the left flank with Vivian. If need be Vivian and Jack would flank, and Micheal as a heavy front liner now would be the anvil of which that hammer would break their foes upon. Otherwise Vivian was left open to move and dance through the battlefield as she would, and Jack was to stay and help Micheal engage groups or difficult single targets with those in the formation near him. At his side was Mike working much the same with the others, and their backline was Eva and Lindsey giving them direct support.

Eva spent some time with him each day getting him used to her support abilities.

She could conjure a crimson crystalline shield before him, and add magical damage to all of his attacks for a few swings. Other than that she buffed his damage resistance with her aura of similar crystal magic softening the blows that weren't totally prevented by her magically conjured shields. When pressed she could activate it into a higher state of almost pure immunity to damage though after about thirty seconds the effect would fade wholly for around ten minutes before they came back. Under that affect Micheal's chain armor deflected blades and magic like water slipping off a hydrophobic surface. Other than that she specialized in tossing out very temporary, but lethal conjured weapons with similar effectiveness to Lindsey's more traditional spells like her piercing ice lance or flesh devastating fire bolts.

Dexter and most of the Brazen Boys made up the rear guard of each group and the relief section. Dexter was there to make the most use of his bow like the others and to relay information from the scouts that would keep their party from being ambushed from behind while the group fought their way into the temple. It was less action oriented, but fit Dexter well. He knew when to be hidden and when to send people forward to help. He had a keen eye for tracks and a sharp nose too though one of the Brazen Boys scouts did so as well. He was a cat like Fae Born like Julia named David; the one Micheal had winked at before and the same one that still wouldn't meet his eye.

Everyone else was spread out and mixed in groups set to best dish out the worst case scenario for the enemy. Each group had magic and would have only been better if they had a healer for each group, but instead Pelanna acted as part of a central command group with Forgen. They could easily act to aid any flank at once, but they would struggle if all sides were overrun. The idea though was to flee before that happened, and part of the reason they would have people out scouting ahead and behind if possible even during the fighting.

Thinking about it made him more nervous than excited so he stopped that and followed the girls inside. When he got up to the room Luna was brushing and straightening Leah's armor. The nice pink cloth had been carefully removed and replaced with dark green waxed linen. On the chest the crest of the Unbroken Guards cracked shield lay in white sewn into the fabric. The new color made her look dull by comparison, just another little warrior. She was still short, at least to Micheal, and maybe just a little below average to other humans, but the fact remained. She pouted and raised her arms to show him as he walked in. He had to agree the pink was a much better look for her.

“It doesn't make me feel pretty this way.” Leah complained.

Luna stood from checking stitching on Leah's leather tasset, and kissed Leah on the cheek. Leah went immediately red and shied smiling while looking at the floor.

“You're still pretty where it matters though.” Luna told her. “All this new fabric should hold through the worst of what you'll have to face, and you'll stay better blended into cover this way. I don't get to be all that pretty tomorrow, don't worry.”

“Do you think so too, Micheal?” Leah asked.

Micheal crouched near Jack and started working on the belts to free his companion from his new armor. He seemed to very much like the idea of being out of it and didn't move all that much as he worked. He looked up at her and gave her a wry grin.

“You're five foot nothing, have bright blue eyes, and silky black hair. You have nothing to worry about being cute or pretty.” He said with a slightly wry smile on his face. “The fact that you wear heavy armor and use a frankly ludicrous hammer to fight only makes you cuter no matter the colors you wear.”

Leah's smile spread slowly and though she pawed at her gloved and mailed hands nervously she didn't look away from him. She started to jingle as she twisted her hips and began to blush. Luna rolled her eyes at him, and then stood between them getting back to business.

“You like the feel and everything right?” She asked. “Anything we need to adjust before tomorrow? Anywhere too tight or feeling loose?”

Leah actually did a jumping jack that sent her steel mask visor crashing down into place, and twisted and jumped and bent over to touch each ankle before she replied.

“Feels okay. I don't think they had to play with any of the straps to do the work.” Leah said to Luna behind her mask. “I can sleep like this if you don't want to help Pel in the morning.” She added.

Luna put her fists to her hips atop her velvet dress, and then leaned forward toward Leah's masked face. She took one hand and delicately flipped the small swing latch and pushed the visor up. She was giving Leah a very flat look that was obviously taking the little knight aback.

“You are going to sleep in the gown we got you specifically for that. And you are going to get Julia to knock on my door and I will come help with your armor. It's important you sleep well for tomorrow and I won't believe you sleep very well in all this.” Then she carefully reached in and undid the straps to Leah's helmet. “I thought you said you liked cuddling with Pel and Julia at night anyway.”

Leah turned bright red and shushed her starring over the Bunnary princess's shoulder at Micheal who had half an eye on them and listened as he worked. He just shook his head and got the last strap free on Jack's belly and pulled the mail coat off the beast. The beast shook vigorously and then wiggled his butt over to Luna and Leah as they started taking pieces off her too. Leah laughed and wasn't quite as helpful as Luna would have liked as she kept petting and letting Jack lick her hands and gloves.

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It was kind of surreal to see Leah taken in this way by his friends. No one but Vivian knew that she had two marks, and thereby two souls within her body. Without the marks it might have been hard to tell for sure, but they were there. However it had happened and however related to the forbidden arts of necromancy and blood magic it was a fact that Leah was alive, sentient, and had a soul.

Oh she spoke and acted like a child to interact with others, but that too was a choice. Being taken as cute and dumb was an easy cover for her slow adaptation to human interaction. Her slips could be excused for her being dimwitted, and her pleasant girlish voice won over both men and women when used in combination with her innocuous word choice. She was pretty too. Her face was flawless due to her healing properties most likely, but Sarra the base human, had been pretty before Leah came along. So most people took her as a dim witted nobles daughter who had been unfortunately cursed to be an adventurer before she could have been married off to some lord to live out her days quietly. Luckily it was considered very improper to ask about an adventurer's background unless one were close with them so there was no need to come up with a story. With Leah it just kind of wrote itself into people's heads. Though there had been a slowly rising problem after being stationary so long staying in the Adventurer's Guild building.

Leah was pretty. She was definitely innocent too in many ways. When other young adventurers lacked the knowledge of her strength and background she looked the type that might let you sneak off for a little 'kiss and tickle' as some of the boys around the guild called it, but Leah didn't seem to know what anything like that implied. After an incident with a broken finger Micheal thought she might be free of advances, but it only brought more young men to her trying to win her over as some sort of forbidden fruit. Micheal had tried talking to the human side, that cold voice of Sarra again, but she only smiled at him with frozen humor before fading back to sweet Leah.

Micheal came over to the women and grabbed Jack by the head to fondle his ears and pet his big head. He did seem to be growing quite a bit and feeding him was going to have to be a priority once they were outside the city. Right now there was a sort of veggie and fish kibble the cooks made that was a secret recipe of the Adventurer's Guild that they fed to this sort of bonded familiar, but he was sure Jack only ate it because he was hungry so much of the time. He much preferred his food fresh like when the boys brought him a rat or two to eat. Micheal worried it might make him sick, but Jack was fine with no signs of having the runs or other dietary problems even after eating the overgrown and horrible city rats the boys so often went out to hunt in the streets at night.

Jack turned and pawed at him gently until he got down on his knees so the big puppy could lay up against him, try to lick his face, and get his fill of his master's scent. Jack really was just like a dog no matter what bear features he had. From what he remembered of videos online bears raised with humans were similarly affectionate with the humans. He certainly felt that there was less risk of being eaten by Jack than by a real bear whether he was called a monster here or not.

Jack turned and made Micheal scratch his rump and his back and half rolled over with his head on Micheal's lap to have his chest stroked. The truly odd thing was that Jack didn't seem to have any sort of fleas or ticks, or any other sort of infestation. Those first days he, Luna, and Lindsey had found a way to wash him out in the yard using leftover bits of soap from the Legion bath that were otherwise to be discarded after coming back from Rodust, and Lindsey's create water spell to give him an impromptu hose bath. It went well enough with plenty of laughter, but Luna's old farmyard treatments for the parasites went unneeded. Jack didn't even appear to have any sort of worm or other kind of intestinal bug. He was just healthy. And growing. Sometimes Micheal felt he got bigger a little more every day like a certain someone's breasts and appetite for affectionate hugs.

Luna had trimmed and evened out his claws as part of the grooming, but still they looked longer than they had. His fur was a little thicker, and he had enough meat on him now to not have his ribs feel so obvious when he pressed up against you like he was to Micheal just then.

Just then Jack managed to sneak past his guard and licked his face at that moment interrupting his thoughts and slobbering all over his face. Micheal pulled the big dog into a hug and Jack very happily leaned in, scrambling a little until he had his head over Micheal's shoulder. One big paw rested on his arm and Jack nuzzled and rubbed the side of his head against Micheal's. Micheal couldn't help but laugh as the big dog 'bear'ed him over and enthusiastically went after his face with his tongue, even pawing down his arms he used for defense.

He was laughing and howling at Jack by the time the girls, Pel and Julia came out of their room and rushed to his aid each with a comb or brush in hand. Jack spotted them, and bounced away in a playful trot around the table. The two of them split and went either end of the table to chase after him. He charged between Julia's legs haphazardly, throwing her petite frame onto his back to be carried around the room as Pel hurriedly chased after. Micheal got him as he came round and Jack obediently sighed and came to a stop to let the girls brush and groom him. He looked very regal about it for just having run a girl near to screaming around the room on his back.

By then Leah was out of her armor and wearing her new short tunic and trousers with her stocking feet sticking under the open gambeson and mail she wore beneath the brigidine. She felt at the tunic and the loose way it fit on her form before coming over smiling at Jack to pet him softly on the head and behind the ears as his back and legs were combed and brushed.

Then Leah came to Micheal, and seeing him sitting cross legged as he watched, paused. Her eyes shone with cold light and Sarra's cold grin appeared for a moment on her face as she turned and promptly sat in his lap and then seemed to slip control back to Leah who immediately squirmed in place.

Leah went bright red and looked back at him, her cheeks flaming. Luna and the other girls slowly stopped their conversation about Jack and how well grooming made him look to look over at them. There was nothing inappropriate going on, but it was rather odd. They just kind of stared. Julia narrowed her eyes at him and mouthed the words 'greedy boy' at him.

He shook his head slightly at Julia.

“Leah?” He asked.

“Yes?” She asked, clearly embarrassed. She wiggled and fidgeted in his lap.

“I don't think Vivian would like it very much if she saw you just casually sitting in my lap.” He said gently. “It's fine to sit beside me any time, but in my lap it is a little different.”

Leah actually gulped.

“So I can't sit here? You're comfy. I like sitting here.”

He peaked over her shoulder and shook his head at her as she looked back at him. He patted the ground beside him.

Pelanna came over and hurriedly took her by the hand to help her up though she really didn't need it. Pel gave him a wide eyed glance in a moment when Leah wasn't looking and then sat her down beside him. Leah looked to still be embarrassed, but looked to Micheal now and then, seeming unsure of what to do. He sighed and put an arm over her shoulder to pull her in for a brief hug and tussle her short soft hair. Mrs. Arlee back in the Potted Pickle had cut it for her from the mess it had been and the girls helped her with it from there. She calmed under the small show of affection, sighing before she gently leaned against his side.

“You'll have my back tomorrow won't you?” He asked her.

She looked at him startled and a little excited.

“I'm in the middle with Forgen and Pel. I have everyone's back and should go help where Forgen says needs it the most. Then I am to return to the middle once the problem is gone instead of getting caught holding the front line. Once the problem monster is dead or the person holding the front is healed and ready to fight again of course.” She said it all in a slightly listing tone like she was reading it from a list in her head.

“I wanted to be up front, but Veevee was worried that I'm going to get too worked up and accidentally use my other powers I'm not supposed to talk about.”

She grabbed his hand and held it imploring him to believe her.

“I won't, I promise. I've been good. I've been good for so long now. I can keep it inside.”

Micheal nodded and took both her hands in his.

“I know you can. It's just good to be careful. So just focus on taking care of everyone and fighting where we need you most. Don't overdo it and keep yourself safe too.” He said to her leaning over to look her straight in the eyes.

It was all Leah for the moment. Her eyes searched his, she blushed, but then calmed back down again.

“You're going to do great and I'm actually pretty glad to have you with me. You're strong even just fighting with your hammer Leah. I think you know that. You're very strong and very fast.” He reached forward with his left hand and poked where the mark had appeared on the right side of her face by way of her cute slightly plump cheek.

“You're still my friend though so I don't want to see you get hurt okay? Don't do anything reckless and don't charge off after something on your own. Stay with the group so I can see you and don't have to worry about you.”

Leah's hands shot up to her face to cover it and check it briefly, but she was also blushing very deeply. Her pale complexion made that very obvious whenever she did not like Vivian's sun darkened skin tone.

“It's still hidden. You didn't slip.” He laughed softly. “I can just kind of feel where my marks are when I'm close to one of you.”

Leah smiled and nodded, bringing her hands down, but she scooted close to him and leaned against his side a little more.

“You're trying to be nice like Therry aren't you?” Leah asked softly.

“Yeah a little. Most of it is just me though. I try to take care of my friends.” He said, and hugged her to his side for emphasis.

She fell into the embrace leaning against him. She looked at her friends just in front of them and then back up at him. Jack was licking Julia's face much to her dismay and he had one big paw keeping her hand with the brush down to do it. She squealed and twisted to get away but Jack followed very enthused with the game he found worked on most people.

“Therry wouldn't let me sit in his lap either.” She moped. “He never cuddled me like Julia and Pel do. And never kissed me like they do. This is nice though. Reminds me of Sarra's oldest memories on the boat...” Leah murmured through a yawn.

Micheal felt his eyebrows shoot up and noticed Pel's eyes go wide as she was both listening to them and trying to help Julia. She looked back over her shoulder as Jack managed to gently pin Julia and lick her face between her squeals.

“Jaaaaaaccckkk!” Julia yelled getting both hands free and put one over his nose and the other over his eyes. He licked at her hands instead and slowly found his way down her arm making her erupt into giggles.

“Jack!” Luna ordered with a small stamp of her foot.

-And Jack almost surprisingly shot up to sit perfectly still in a seated position leaving Julia panting with laughter and wiping dog slobber from her arm and face flat on her back. His tail wagged still, but he watched Luna with knowing eyes.

Pelanna glanced at Leah and him then as she continued grooming the Bear Dog with the brush she had gotten just for that, but her face was as deep a red as Micheal had even seen on a person. Even Luna noticed and looked around for the cause. Her ears hadn't been pointing in their direction as Leah had mentioned what she had.

Leah caught one of Pel's glances and suddenly turned just about as red. She pulled at his arm and whispered quietly in his ear as Luna faced Jack down until his tail stopped wagging.

“I'm not supposed to tell about that. Sorry. It's Pel and Julia's secret, but I wanted to try. Don't tell anyone.” Leah told him in the conspiratorial nature that only children could really accomplish that kind of sincerity.

Micheal nodded and kept a cool face about it as he made a subtle motion to Pel while moving one hand down to rest on Leah's again. Pel relaxed a little, but there were still questions in her eyes as she slowly focused a little more on brushing.

“And you're happy sleeping with them right?” He asked in a matching whisper.

Leah still seemed to be blushing, but nodded.

“It makes me happy. Even if it's just for play.”

She touched his hand a moment longer and then pulled away sitting upright.

“Maybe that's why...I umm...sat in your lap.” She skipped over the mention of Sarra so near to anyone else.

“Well I do those sorts of things with Vivian and have chosen to do them only with her. So I can't help you there. Things like that can get complicated too if you're not careful. Some other time I can talk to you about them, but not before our big mission. You should be focusing on that.” Micheal thought he managed that quite well despite the cold sweat on his brow.

Leah wanted cuddling that wasn't play from him? Christ. Or maybe he should really think in the terms of this setting rather than falling back on his home world's sayings, but that word circled in his head since it was part of his upbringing. It was no problem though. Just a terrifying mostly immortal bug girl that wanted to learn about the birds and bees with him as an example. He just had to embrace whatever paternal feelings he had, and do a little impromptu parenting. She was like a sister, or niece, or a daughter of some kind. Yeah, definitely not a cute willing young woman. She was one of his creations after all so that was sort of in that category...right? Glancing at her he could see that cold light in Leah's eyes as she watched him. He silently cursed Sarra. He could almost hear her laughing behind that gaze.

Leah nodded and the guild Captains came in to tell everyone to get ready for bathing.