“You brought a what, are you insane, where the void are we going to put her!” Serenity yells.

“She can stay in my room,” Okami says.

“Absolutely fucking not, and you Terror, you are the last person I expected to be dragging a godsdamn goblin girl home,” Serenity yells.

Mateo steps up to Serenity grabbing her hands and pulls her close pressing his lips to hers. She leans back turning her eyes away.

“Honestly I thought Terror was going to kill her, I think he did the right thing, she isn’t like the others, she’s different, Terror saw that in her and,” he looks over at Jade giggling in Terror’s lap as he plays with her hair, “if we don’t do the right thing, who will?”

“Fuck I need a drink,” Serenity says storming off.

“Did he defile the goblin girl, how was it?” Okami asks pulling a notebook from his pants.

“Okami, I am going to find a really high window and toss you through it if you don’t tone down the horniness,” Mateo says stepping past him.

Okami puts away his notebook and joins Serenity at the bar.

“Jade like flowers, Jade like honey swirls and cinnamon sweets,” Terror says with a smile.

Mateo sits beside Terror. Though he hasn’t known him long, he’s never seen Terror act like this. The young Goblin girl seems to have brought some long-lost joy back to his life. Mateo sets a small coin purse on the table infront of Terror.

“What I owe you for the skill tome, and don’t try to give it back, you can use it to get the girl some sweets, and some clothes, she’ll be noticeable in those rags,” Mateo says standing.

He heads toward the door stopping before he opens it as he hears a low grumble from Terror.

“Terror thanks you, Terror has heart of stone, stone is cold and lonely, Mateo brings warm heart of flesh, shows Terror stone can be broken, inside stone is precious gem lost for long time, but no less beautiful.”

Mateo turns with a smile.

“And what precious gem is that?”

“Terror remembers, love.”

Mateo steps into Heroldin headed toward the wagon and every door in Heroldin opens in a hurry. The inhabitants scurry into the streets like insects. They fall to one knee as a large, scaled beast descends upon them.

The creature is a massive reptile with scales of iridescent obsidian. Bright blues, purples, and black covering its body as if it is murky water covered in oil. A single woman steps off it adorned in a pitch-black scaled armor with golden accents. Her long silver hair draped down her back to her seemingly firm buttocks. She pulls a scaled helm from her head revealing an ivory skinned woman with one blue and one green iris. Her ears are pointed like Serenity’s.

“I’m looking for a man, the man who put down an archon of Drakvania, he bears an exact resemblance to the imbecile standing before me,” she says pointing her armored finger at Mateo.

“If you’re looking for a man there isn’t a shortage of them here, in fact my friend Okami is interested in interspecies mingling, I’ve heard he’s a good cuddler,” Mateo says with a smile.

“I didn’t know this town made home to jesters, kneel peasant,” she says raising her hand.

A crushing weight presses against Mateo, and he struggles to keep his form. The woman lowers her hand slightly and the weight increases.

“I will crush you if you do not kneel,” she says angrily.

Mateo leans forward kneeling in-front of her as he grabs her hand starring into her violet eyes.

“I didn’t know you wanted the proposal to be this public my lady, I meant to sweep you away in the night,” he says pulling a small box from his pocket.

“What in the ten fucking trials are you talking about,” she says.

Some of the crowd stand cheering.

“You got this, go for it!”

“Even for a Dragon Knight she’s gorgeous!”

“I wish I was you hero!”

Mateo’s companions step outside seeing him kneeling down holding the hand of a Dragon Knight.

“Fuck,” Okami says with a sigh.

“That bitch is trying to steal my man,” Serenity says crossing her arms.

“Terror thinks you stay here, Terror punches Dragon Knight,” he says patting Jade on the head.

“If you don’t stand right now there will be a public execution,” the woman says angrily.

“I thought you wanted me to kneel,” Mateo says standing at six foot two inches. “Strange, you’re a bit shorter than me, you do exhibit a flawless beauty might I add, a shame you’re rejecting me.”

The crowd boos loudly. The Dragon knight grabs Mateo by the throat lifting him into the air with ease. He looks down at his crotch realizing he has a raging erection. The Dragon Knight releases him, and he coughs loudly.

“What is wrong with you, how did your mother not cast your sickly mind and body into the river?” She says disgusted.

“That’s some cool armor, where’d you get it?” Mateo says rubbing his throat.

“I killed a lot of men and creatures of a power that far outweighs-,” she pauses seeing Natalia floating above him. “You really do have a pixie.”

Mateo stands regaining his composure. He places his hand on the hilt of his dagger.

“What do you want with Natalia,” he says gritting his teeth.

Terror steps up to them pushing Mateo out of the way.

“Terror wants to punch you, Terror punches you.”

She laughs banging her scaled glove against her chest plate.

“Give me your best shot one talon,” she says her mood changing from serious to playful.

Terror equips his metal gauntlets and leaps into the air slamming his fist against the center of her chest plate with such force that the ground beneath her fractures nearly splitting open. His attack sends out a shockwave that sends onlookers tumbling backward. His gauntlets disappear and he shakes his hand rubbing his wrist.

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“Exhilarating!” He yells.

She places her index finger against his chest with a sly grin.

“You’ll have to join me for some light sparring later, we can splinter a few bed frames, that’ll have to wait though as I am here on business with your friend,” she says stepping over to Mateo.

“I didn’t get your name,” Mateo says stumbling to his feet after Terror’s attack knocked him back.

“It’s Jessica, or sir Jessica, anyway, your pixie, she’s adorable, my original party had a Voidwalker in it, she had a pixie too,” she says trying to pluck Natalia out of the air as she avoids her grasp.

“What happened to them?” Mateo asks.

“She fell to the dark arts, and I had to put her down, I was just a two-scale dragoness then,” she replies.

Jessica wraps her fingers around Natalia’s leg and Mateo grabs her wrist his eyes staring into hers fiercely.

“You think you can protect her from me?” Jessica says giving her sword a quick glance.

“No, but I’ll die trying,” he replies.

“You know that will kill her too,” she says clenching her fingers tighter around Natalia’s leg.

Natalia lets out an audible grunt and Mateo’s eyes turn to empty black voids as they stare into Jessica’s.

“There are worse things than death,” he says in a voice that isn’t his own.

Jessica releases Natalia and Mateo’s eyes change back to a murky hazel. He seems unaware of the manner in which he just conducted himself and offers to enjoy a meal with Jessica, and his companions. Jessica agrees to join them in a tavern just outside the village. One that has less ears to listen and fewer eyes to gawk at them. They give short introductions sharing names as they assemble at a large round table.

“We need to talk about the two Archons you dispatched,” Jessica says holding up a small parchment.

The parchment is a menu. Its contents are several appetizing meat plates and sides that include a side of steamed vegetables and fried yama root, something that is not unlike a potato in taste and texture. The second section is filled with drinks squeezed from berries and stout ales. The third and final section consists of sweets not unlike the ones Terror brought.

“What drinks would you like,” a slender ruby skinned woman asks.

Mateo pauses staring at her curiously. She has two short horns protruding from her forehead that curl back against her raven-colored hair. Her lace blouse does a good job of displaying her perky chest which is emphasized by a tight leather corset wrapped around her waist. Below her short pleated skirt she has the furry legs of a goat, her feet hooves. A slender whip like tail with an arrowhead tip darts about behind her.

“Mateo, stop fawning over the fawn, or you will be sleeping in the dirt tonight,” Serenity says squinting her eyes.

The young fawn gives him a nervous look as he inspects her with a hungry curiosity. She gives off a look of discomfort pulling her clipboard closer to cover her chest. A stern palm runs across the back of Mateo’s head, and he snaps out of his trance like curiosity.

“My apologies young maiden, our friend isn’t from around here, so your striking figure is somewhat of a delicacy to him,” Okami says bowing his head slightly.

“My striking figure, thank you mister um?”

“Okami Moonfang, but you can call me Okami, I’ll start with the legs, and a beverage that’s sweet and moist, then see where it goes from there,” he says with a sly wolven grin.

The young woman blushes a little jotting down his order.

“Do the rest of you know what you’d like to order then?” She asks.

“Terror want mead and meat!”

“Roast chikus and fried yama root with a tender white wine,” Jessica says her tone one of majestic beauty.

“Me and stargazer will have Boardrel loin, shredded with bar baste and flour rolls, tarberry juice with a hint of saki if you’ve got it,” Serenity says.

“And for you sweetheart?” The waitress asks leaning down to Jade.

Jade looks up from the upside-down menu in her hands with eyes full of confusion. The waitress pats her on the head with a smile.

“I’ll get you something special.”

She takes our menus and gives a bow.

“Hey, what about me!” Natalia yells.

“My apologies, I didn’t see you there sweetie, what would you like?” She asks.

“She’s got a stomach not unlike the void, vast and unending, so just bring her a whole roasted Boardrel and some sweets, no alcohol though, she gets a bit over sensitive when she’s had a few,” Mateo says regaining his composure.

“Hey, who said you could order for me!” Natalia yells.

“Bring the sweets first, she’s a bit unruly when she’s hangry,” Mateo says with a smile.

The waitress bows again before stepping away. After a few minutes she returns with their drinks and a basket of rolls covered in a sweet salt. It’s slightly bitter with a sweet bite, candy salt they call it.

Jessica takes on a more serious tone as she opens up, or rather leads, the conversation.

“Numerous witnesses gave testimony that you were assaulted first by the Archon of Drakvania, which will remain nameless for reasons I cannot disclose to you at this point, the second archon, Terrius Vesenius, was not of any cult or order, but achieved his rank outside of those parameters, I would take you into custody, but the perversions we found in his cellar were an irredeemable atrocity to the realm of Gottes, though you entered his home and assaulted him and his guard, the Order of the Dragon give you pardon,” she stops as the waitress brings their food.

The waitress lays a large plate of shredded Boardrel covered in a savory sauce resembling barbecue before Serenity and Mateo. Natalia floats from the basket of sweet rolls to a new basket of sweets all her own as she waits for her roasted Boardrel. Jessica’s plate looks like a rotisserie chicken covered in a thick gravy surrounded by thinly sliced fried Yama root. Terror’s plate has no vegetables. Just large portions of varying roasted or seared meats. Okami receives a plate of seared legs from some large animal, a goatlike creature goatveil perhaps. The waitress places Jade’s plate in-front of her last and she claps her hands excited.

“Fried chikus strips and Yama root with toma sauce, it was my favorite when I was little like you,” she says with a smile.

“Thank you nice lady, maybe if I eat like you, I’ll grow up to be a pretty lady too,” Jade says excitedly.

The waitress blushes and gives a short bow before stepping away.

“You were saying,” Mateo says grabbing his three-pronged fork, or as he calls it, thork.

“I would advise that you proceed with due caution, Archons are equivalent to a five-talon or higher adventurer, and it does not go unnoticed when they are killed off, unlike adventurers of that same rank as they are often the spoiled bitches of nobility.”

“Woah woah, watch the language there are children here,” Mateo says giving her a stern look of disapproval.

“My apologies Jade and Natalia,” Jessica replies.

“Hey, I’m not a child!” Natalia yells.

“In any case, only Terror and Serenity are on the cusp of ascending to their second fang, Okami is getting there but you Mateo just received your first fang, it would be wise to stay out of the watchful eyes of the powers that be while your rank is so low, I lost someone early in my adventures because he wouldn’t keep his damn mouth shut,” she says seeming somewhat distraught.

Mateo washes down some Boardrel and wipes his mouth.

“What happened?” He asks.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t come to tell stories, just to set you in line, I still work with a party, one of them is a tinkerer, he made these rune tablets, seeing as you are all such a low rank they’ll collect the most knowledge from you,” she holds out a set of six runed metal tablets.

“Those look expensive, you’re just going to give them to us?” Okami asks.

“No, these will record your data and display it to you, they pull mana from the world around them so you won’t have to charge them, I only ask that if you confront any more Archons, no matter what, do not engage them, the rope you are walking is thin, and there are forces at work that could easily force you from that rope to an early demise, Archons are not outside the laws of Gottes, inform us if they are operating outside of it,” Jessica says taking a bite of her meal.

“I understand, I got these powers, and I felt stronger than I’ve ever felt, I overstepped,” Mateo looks over at Natalia enjoying her overly large meal, “I put people in danger with my ignorance, your words aren’t unheard, thank you sir Jessica.”

The air fills with pleasant conversation and wonder as they converse. Okami barraging Jessica with an endless slew of questions. Serenity playfully flirting with Mateo as he returns her affection. Natalia and Jade fighting over the last of the sweets only to have them stolen away by Terror. After their revery Mateo leaves with Serenity to enjoy a pleasant night. Jessica invites Terror and Jade to her room for the night. Only Okami remains piddling with his new rune tablet like a child with a new toy.

The tavern does a final call and Okami orders a bottle of spirits to enjoy while he examines his new device. The ruby skinned maiden returns to the table taking a seat. She is no longer adorned in her work attire. Instead, a flattering split leg dress forms to her provocative figure. She leans over the table using her finger to push the strange contraction below Okami’s view with a smile on her face.

“Did you enjoy the legs?” She asks.

“Between the legs and the,” he stops noticing her lustful gaze as she twirls her raven-colored hair with her ruby finger.

Sharp teeth almost like pointed fangs bite her bottom lip near breaking the skin.

“Oh, your room or mine?” He asks realizing her desire for intimacy.

She stares at the brilliant silver fur covering his chest and stands with a smile.

“Mine,” she replies with a lustful smile.