My health begins to regenerate. I feel my heartbeat slowing to a normal pace. I can still taste the blood on my lips from where I bit my tongue. I feel my shoulder swelling.

It sucks being in the real world, I think as I sheathe my sword back into my scabbard.

I try to stand but lose my balance and drop to my knees. The merchants are looking at me with nothing but shock and awe on their faces. Nine of them survived the onslaught. I'm glad. I smile at them and watch as several take a few steps back. I can sense their fear almost like it's some kind of passive ability. Each and every one of them looks like they have just escaped certain death. Their clothes, mostly old tunics, rags, and a few canvas coats are covered in dirt and blood.

The night is lit up by the moon and the fire of the burning tree. I see two wagons are destroyed. Merchant horse tracks ran off into the woods. Not all of them belong to the Black Knights. Many of them also have a crest sewn onto their clothes that provides the evidence I need to confirm they are all merchants traveling together.

"Any healers?" I stumble over my words.

"No sir," the voice of a youthful woman says from behind an older gentleman. He seems to protect her even as she steps forward toward me with an old beat-up rag. It's the woman from before.

The older man, seemingly her protector, holds his arm out, trying to stop her from stepping forward, but the young woman pushes past him. She has red hair tied back in a band, that drops below her petite breasts and frame, as she comes into the shadow of the starlight to help me. She is wearing an older black and red corset over a torn white bodice. Her thin legs are a pearl white, slender, and long even for her short stature. Her auburn eyes seem almost to glow as she comes up to me and drags the rag across my face, wiping away the blood and grime.

"There, now you don't look so scary," she smiles and turns toward the older man and the other merchants.

I can see her little hands shaking as she uses the rag to wipe away more of the blood that had landed on my neck. I'm grateful none of it is mine.

"There is a river nearby, we should go get cleaned up," she smiles. Her thin lips give way to show her flirtatious smile and teeth. Her smile makes her seem innocent. Turning toward the old man, she says, "I'm taking him to the river. We will meet you at the rendezvous spot in an hour," she pauses and looks back at me, "maybe two."

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I can almost hear her giggling as she glances back at them and stands up. She reaches her hand out toward me. It's the first time I have received such kindness in this world. I feel how soft her fingers are as she wraps them around mine, trying her best to lift me from the ground. I push myself up with my other hand and when I'm finally standing, I notice how much taller I am than her. She's about five foot three, maybe five foot four. I'm practically hunching over, yet she refuses to let go of my hand.

"Esteri, I would like to send Ritese or Bograd with you," the old merchant insists.

"Father, please, I can take care of myself. Don't worry... I'm sure I'm safe in our hero's hands," she looks up smiling at me again.

"Very well, we have much to discuss when the two of you return. Thank you, stranger. We are all in your debt. Anything you desire from us is yours for the taking," the old man says looking towards Esteri.

The others bow their heads and walk in the opposite direction of us as Esteri pulls me in the river's direction. I can already hear the sound of water running over rocks as she tugs me along.

Ambrosia on the other hand is nowhere in sight. Not that I think I could sense her if she wanted to be hidden. I can't see our wagon either but I'm unsure if that is because of the illusion spell or otherwise. Had she run off at the end of the battle? Perhaps she had fed too much or decided going to Lycia with me was no longer worth her time. Either way, I wasn't too unhappy. The merchants seem to think of me as their savior and Esteri is gorgeous. Not as filled out as Ambrosia, but she has an innocence about her that is just begging to be taken.

As we walk into the woods and out of earshot of the others, Esteri apologizes for how the merchants had looked at me. She explains that the old man is actually her father, Immenithes. He is the leader of their merchant group and is very protective of his precious daughters.

"What happened to your supplies?" I ask trying to strike up a conversation as we move away from the light of the burning tree and into the darkness of the woods.

Esteri's skin seems to almost glow as the stars reflect at me in her eyes. "We'll talk about that later, right now I need you to take your clothes off," she giggles as she stares at my crotch.

"My clothes? What? Why?" I protest

"We're at the river silly," she says.

I'm not sure how long we had been walking. Had I been that distracted looking at her while she led me here? It must have been half an hour since the battle came to an end. Now, as Esteri begins to unbutton my vest I feel my heart racing again.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you," she smiles taking my leather vest off and lifting my shirt up. She runs her finger down the scar that had formed where the Black Knight had managed to hit me. On another day it would be gone but right now it is a badge of honor. My shoulder is black and blue but unless you looked close, you wouldn't know I had dislodged it and forced it back into place. There is still a numbing sensation from it but everything goes away immediately as I feel her soft fingers massaging me.

"I can't have our savior getting his clothes wet," she giggles dropping to her knees and I feel my growing erection kicking in.