Chapter 8 Part 3

"What happened? Where did she go?" a lady with a staff asks.

"Back to Maranus, she cannot be allowed near King Christopher. So this failsafe was created. However she probably won't be fooled by it again." Jasyn says, offering his hand to the downed man, whom is now rubbing his chin.

The man takes his hand and is pulled up to his feet. "How do you know that woman?"

"It's a long story. An even better question is how we managed to encounter her here of all places?" Jasyn ponders to himself.

A whooshing sound alerts the room to the opening of the Loreafan Dimensional door. Three of the ten are thrown through each one piled on the other as they land. Jill comes through with an annoyed pout on her face. The other five along with the Guild Master appear equally embarrassed and in awe.

Everyone but Jill and the GM stick around as Christopher walks through, giggling to himself. The door gently glides shut behind him.

He opens his eyes and notices the change of atmosphere in the air. "Did something happen out here?"

"Kiana happened." Jasyn says.

"Ah, so you teleported her to the palace back in Maranus I'm guessing?" Christopher asks.

Jasyn nods at his question. "You seemed cheerful when you came back. Care to fill me in?"

Christopher takes a moment before he speaks. "Jill, why don't you tell everyone what happened?"

"*sigh*Some of the guys decided that His Majesty was weak. So Christopher ushered them into a challenge. One they had no chance of winning." Jill says.

"Thank you, I'll take it from here. The deal was that if they could defeat Sephicroth, my other half, I would make them nobles of my kingdom. None of them got close to landing a hit." Christopher boasts.

"That stupid spepicronth, wasn't even trying either." Jill mumbles.

"It's Sephicroth, but yeah that sounds about right." Jasyn comments.

After a brief moment of silence Jill bursts out a request for the King's of Loreafan in front of her. "Will you please allow me to accompany you on your journey?"

"Jill, that's inappropriate! Not to mention suicide!" The Guild Master says.

"I affirmed this to you when you asked me inside my home. There are unpredictable circumstances you could not handle. You would only be a burden." Christopher agrees.

…

"I say we should bring her with us." Jasyn says.

"Explain." Christopher commands.

Jasyn's armour scuffles as a shiver moves up his spine. "It's true they would slow us down a tad, but what we stand to gain from her overwhelmingly outweighs the risks. For instance, She knows how to traverse the thick snowy tundra and can be a guide for anything we could be ignorant of."

Christopher takes a long look at Jasyn through his helmet's eye holes. "*Sigh* Those are all fair points." He looks at Jill with thought. And before too long he makes her a deal. "You can come with us, however you'll be training under Beerwolf as a Battlemaid in training."

"A Battlemaid?" Jill asks, concern on her face.

"Don't worry, that's just the name of the title. It's the female position of a personal guard. So in other words, Your combat training." Christopher pulls out a gold coin. "If you can take this coin from me at any point during the excursion, I will give you the option to officially become a Battlemaid. Or return to your life as an adventurer."

Jill, after some thought, agrees to the offer and Beerwolf drags her outside in a flash.

"I guess he's taking this seriously." Jasyn chortles.

"It seems so." Christopher adds.

Christopher and the others have been going from town to town in Mercter, making sure, blah blah blah.

(Narrator) Look I actually have no idea what the fuck we're doing. I'm too stupid to understand it. This all seems pointless to me. Like, why the fuck would a King have to campain to promote his country, shouldnt that be, everyone else job? Ya know, the other nations of this fucking world? I don't know anymore. I gave up trying to understand this plotline a few weeks ago.

We're heading up to a fishing port town called Larterda. Who knows if it has any significance.

(Nebulon) It might.

(Narrator) Whenever you get involved, something bad happens, go away.

(Nebulon) Oh cmon! I was just answering your query.

(Narrator) Yeah, with a tease of a possible spoiler you prick.

(Nebulon) Oooooh. Moody mc moody pants over here. Fine, I'll leave.

…

Jasyn looks to Christopher, who is vigorously rubbing his temples. "Is everything ok?" He asks.

"Yeah, Just had Tari and Nebulon screaming in my fucking ears, because neither of them understand the point of the fact that I can hear the both of them!" Christopher shouts.

(Narrator) Sorry. I'm trying, I swear.

"If I may, Your Highness. Maybe we should stop here for today, just so you can get some time to yourself." Beerwolf suggests, yelling through the window to the front of the carriage.

"No, if I'm by myself right now I'll go completely insane." Christopher counters.

"Then why not have a rest at home together?" Beerwolf says. "Me and Jill will defend the carriage here while you recuperate.

Christopher looks at Jasyn with an exhausted expression, his eyes wearing heavy.

"You have been quite irritable lately. You deserve a break." Jasyn says.

"*Sigh* Alright, alright. Find a good place to stop, make it difficult to spot." Christopher demands.

The carriage falls silent and Christopher puts his feet up on the long seat, resting the side of his head on Jasyn's lap.

"That can't be very comfortable." Jasyn jokes.

"It doesn't matter. It's my dear husband's legs I'm resting on. Nowhere else in Epusdma could ever be as relaxing or safe to me." Christopher sweetly says.

Beerwolf and Jill, around a campfire in the evening of the same day, guard the carriage while Christopher rests inside his dimension with Jasyn.

"So did you have to do this coin thing too?" Jill asks.

"No, but mine was equally as impossible." Beerwolf says, sitting perfectly straight.

"What was it you had to do?" Jill asks curiously.

"Combat training, same as you. However I was beaten to a pulp every single day, then had to complete all my duties as His Majesty's butler and sword." Beerwolf recollects.

"Who was it that trained you? They sound scary." Jill follows up.

"Beatrice and Fiona, the Royal Maids. You're lucky, a Battlemaid is exclusively a knight and guard to King Christopher Laird. A Royal Maid is basically the secret last defence. There are only a few that I know of that are stronger than those two." Beerwolf explains.

"Gods, and here I thought you were a difficult trainer." Jill mutters.

"Don't get me wrong, I can easily make your life a living hell. However my soul and body belongs to Christopher Laird. And if you're too weak to stand, you'll only be a burden to him. And I can't have that." Beerwolf says, a serious but sombre look spreading across his entire body.

Jill notices the sore spot in the conversation and regrets pushing the conversation. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories or something."

"It's not what you're thinking. I threw away my individuality as a person when I ignorantly bet my freedom away with no chance of winning. I'm technically a slave with the facade of the King's sword and shield. I'm less than nothing in reality. I wasn't even good enough to be an Echo." Beerwolf rambles.

"Echo. The lowest pecking order of the Wolfmen?" Jill asks. Beerwolf nods.

(Narrator) Well that's depressing.

The port town comes fully into view as the carriage breaks away from the treeline.

Beerwolf sniffs the air and stops the carriage abruptly. This confuses both Jasyn and Christopher.

Beerwolf knocks on the door and opens it. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, Your Highness. But you need to see this." Beerwolf holds out his hand.

Christopher accepts his hand and is guided out of the carriage. "What is it Beerwolf?"

The Wolfmen points directly at the town. "In the sky, above the sea."

(Narrator) You have got to be fucking kidding me.

"What the fuck is that?" Jill says, squinting her eyes.

"It smells like demons. It blew in with the smell of the ocean." Beerwolf says.

"How many?" Jasyn asks.

"I don't know, thousands." Beerwolf looks back at the incoming army of demonic entities. "What would you like to do, Your Highness?"

Christopher sighs deeply. "We can't fend off thousands of demons with just the four of us."

Jasyn takes off his helm and smiles. "So it's time to use that."

"Indeed." Christopher says.