Tale of the Outcast Warrior: Morning Halos, Horses, and Blackmail.

DAYS UNTIL WAVE: 87

Tyler and Kaori slept better that night then the pair could ever remember, completely surround by each other's comforting presence. as per the usual, Tyler was the first to waken, only to find Kaori's head on his chest and his arm firmly wrapped around her frame in a protective manner. For the first time in his live he felt completely relaxed, and as he watched her beautiful sleeping face twitch, he wondered what she was dreaming about. He never found out, as she started to waken herself. It was only then that he realized her shirt had rolled up while they were sleeping as her soft breasts were dragged across his chest as she pushed herself up on to one arm. the early morning light hitting her golden hair, giving her an early morning halo, which was enough, in his eyes, to make any angel go purple with envy. She gave a groggy

"Mornin"

before slipping off her arm and burying her face in his chest again. He chuckled as he helped the still half-asleep girl sit up.

"And a good morning to you too, I take it you slept well."

She tried the wack him but was still not awake enough for such effort. She missed and ended up nearly falling to the hard floor, but thankfully Tyler was on watch as always and caught the falling girl just before impact. Sitting her on the bed, he made sure she didn't fall over as he got dressed. As he slung Oblivion across his back again, Kaori finally seemed to waken enough to also began dressing. Tyler waited patiently for his pretty companion to finish. Just as Kaori was fixing her long blonde hair into her how trademark ponytail Tyler retrieved the knife he'd hidden between the bed and wall, sheathed it in his boot, remade the bed, and together the hungry pair headed to the dining hall for breakfast. There they fed upon sausage links, bacon, eggs, toast, and some coffee, which Tyler was surprised this fantasy world even had. As they ate, Tyler laid out their plan, since it was only a matter of time before the king's grace ran out and he ordered their arrest again, plus since they needed a stable source, they would have to join up with a guild eventually, so the plan was to head for the town of Dragul, a three day journey to the west. There they planned to join the local adventurers' guild and begin earning both money and reputation. As well as building levels to fight the incoming monster waves, this last point concerned Tyler immensely, as the waves were coming, and they had wasted about three or four full days already. Kaori felt the same, but felt the need to point out the fact they still had over two full months before the promised assault. Tyler shrugged,

"Either way our best bet is to head for Dragul today, If all goes well we should reach the city in about three days time. Let's see if we can procure some horse's and tack, if not we walk. Sound simple enough?"

Kaori nodded,

"My family raised horses, so i can help you learn to ride, and make sure we don't get screwed by some nag or shoddy gear."

"Kaori have i ever said your awesome?"

"NO…But thank you."

with the plan in place Tyler pulled the map from a pouch and recited the spell, making the map flare to life. Tyler opened the section of the capital map to show the stables, of which there were many, mainly situated in the western part of the city. Tyler thought this a welcome coincidence as west was their desired direction. Tyler closed the map, the pair both stood up, paid and left the tavern.

They passed through a pair of wallgates, getting dirty looks from the guards as they did so, but were able to pass in the Stable Sector without incident. As they walked along the cobblestone streets, the sounds of men and horses were saturating the air. Tyler allowed Kaori to take the lead on this run as horse were outside his realms of knowledge. They walked around for maybe an hour before Kaori found a stable she was satisfied with and entered, Tyler right behind her. The stable in question and a large red barn, with stalls lining both sides of the stone floor, and horses of many shapes and sizes poking their heads out to get an eyeful of the visitors. Kaori walked right up to a larger man speaking with another man about bits and reins. Tyler was clearly out of his element around the large animals and the means to care for them. The large man shook the hand of the smaller one, a clear sign that a deal had been reached, and with that walked over Kaori and Tyler.

"Greetings lad and lass, names Fenworth Neighsir at yer service!"

They shook hands, at which point Kaori took over,

"Greetings Mr. Fenworth, My names Kaori and this is Tyler, and we're in the market for mounts."

At the names, Fenworth's eyes narrowed significantly,

"Well now, I wondered if I'd be seeing you two around here. So Your the two responsible for the death of ole gru eh? well no matter, mounts ya say? Well lassie you appear to know what you want, what about you lad? You happy with the lass calling the shots here?"

Tyler chuckled,

"of course I am, Horses are her area of expertise not mine. I trust her judgement, I'm just here to make sure no one gets taking in by her good looks if ya take my meaning sir."

Fenworth heard the veiled message behind those words loud and clear: She may be tough but its' the boy behind you need be afraid of. He then turn his sights back to Kaori, who was busy acquainting herself with a rather silver roan. Fenworth shallowed nervously, with the hawk like gaze of Tyler trying to dig a tunnel from his back this front.

"Soo ahh miss what was your budget for the horses and tackle?" Kaori had the nod from Tyler to do as she saw fit,

"three gold coins, does that sound fair?"

Fenworth jumped,

"Three gold? Are ya sure you want to shop here? The most expensive horse we sell here is only about seventy silvers!"

Kaori smiled,

"I'm well aware of that, but we need two horses, and the required equipment to care for them. Show your best horses and I'll decide if there worth even that much."

"Uhh right this way miss."

The horse peddler led the eager pair to a pair of stalls near the very end of the barn. In one stall was a massive black thoroughbred that's shoulder was level with Tyler's head, in the other was a not-as-large but still impressive looking sliver horse similar to the Ardennes warhorse. Fenworth presented the two impressive animals to the pair,

"These are Thunder and Gloss,"

pointing to the black beast and the silver horse,

"They are worth about seventy silvers for the thoroughbred and sixty-five for the Ardennes. So what you think?"

Kaori went straight to work, check things like both horse's manes and tails for mats, checking their teeth for cavities, stroking their flanks, examining their hooves for wear, tear and level of care the horse received prior. After her extensive examination of the animals, she looked at Tyler and nodded. Tyler then faced the large man,

"Alright, my partner is satisfied, we'll be taking these two."

Fenworth's face broke into a large smile, until he realized there would be no haggling with the pair as long as the girl had her knowledge and know how. he slumped as he knew that the two horse were worth far more then what he was offering to sell them for. He had kept the price lower to purposely drive potential buyers away so he could keep the horses for himself, as the pair were former prized warhorses of a noble family that had lost everything in a bid for power. Kaori had picked up on how meticulously cared for the two horses had been, and how clean their teeth were. Their respective temperament was good too, as they had allowed her to examine her without a fuss, even though they didn't know her. Next Kaori went over to a wall of saddles, reins, leads, saddlebags and other assorted gear, started pointing various pieces of gear,

"Alright, we'll take that saddle there for the big guy, that one there for the smaller one, those sets of reins for both, oh these bags are pretty decent too we'll take them as well."

She went on until the horses were fully kitted out. Fenworth slumped further into himself, ruing the moment the pair had entered his stables. So at the end of the visit, Tyler and Kaori had Two new horses, full tack for each, and had only spent two and a half gold coins. As Tyler led his new horse Thunder down the street, he was amazed the large animal responded so well to a novice horsemen like him, he voiced as much to Kaori, who had laughed at him,

"haha, I gave him to you cause of how laid back he seem when i looked him over, Don't worry rookie, I'll make a cowboy outta you yet!"

Tyler chuckled,

"Well I look forward to and appreciate your help. Next we need provisions for the journey, like a small tent and basic cookware."

Kaori nodded,

"I spotted a general goods store not too far from here earlier, so we should find the last of what we need there."

"Good eye, come on"

The pair led their horses to the general goods store. Where Kaori showed Tyler the proper way to tie up a horse to a hitching pole. Once the horses were secure they entered the store, where a tall man in an apron greeted them,

"Greetings young'uns what brings you it my shop today?"

Tyler took the lead this time,

"Hi, we're headed for Dragul and need some camping gear."

The shop owner looked at the pair,

"Dragul, ya say? Surely you jest?"

Tyler and Kaori looked at each other,

"Our plan is to travel there yes. Why? Did something happen?"

The man realized the duo had not heard,

"Well, I heard that a dragon had been sighted in the vicinity. That and a large clan of wyverns had recently taken up rostering in the forest along the road. So you see, it's become extremely dangerous for most everyone to travel from Term to Dragul using the main roads."

Tyler's eyes lit up at the prospect of seeing a real life dragon,

"Hasn't the king done anything to restore travel? Like deploy soldier's or the guilds?"

"Fraid not, the crown seems to being focusing all it's resources toward fighting the waves, us normal folk have to fend for ourselves. The guilds are but they are also swamped, since when the waves pop up monster numbers explode, plus any party that tries to clear the forest runs the risk of antagonizing that dragon, and that's as good as certain death."

Tyler took it all in,

"well regardless, we still need that gear. but thanks for the heads up."

"certainly, now what's you budget for the gear and supplies, and are you traveling by carriage or horseback?"

"Horseback, I'm thinking about seventy silver? That seem reasonable?"

"heh, For seventy silver ya say? and by horseback no less so not a whole lot of room...let's see?"

The man disappeared into the maze of his shop, leaving the would-be travelers to their own devices. Tyler had spotted a shelf with tools to sharpen blades, along with a kit to fletch your own arrows, while Kaori walked over to a rack that had some horse treats like sugar cubes. Tyler was considering purchasing a fletching kit for the pair, as he figured they would probably need more arrows eventually, when he spotted a light-blue ribbon made from soft fabric; I bet that would look really good in Kaori's blonde hair. plus it would help her tie her ponytail. He took the two foot strip of cloth, along with the fletching kit over to the counter, placing the ribbon behind the kit so Kaori couldn't see it. as Tyler was mentally adding up the cost of everything, the owner appeared from around the corner, carrying an assortment of gear, a two person tent made of canvas, a small pot, a grate for frying, a waterproofed bag, and two bedrolls. Kaori returned at that moment as well, and she had also found something she wanted, a small pocket mirror. Tyler smiled as the pretty blonde laid the item next to other equipment with some slight red in her cheeks, as if embarrassed to get something for vanity's sake. The shop keeper also put some dry goods with the rest of the equipment as well. A few jars of preserved fruits, nuts and berries, a pair of canteens, a looking glass{binocluars}a large box of matched and a refillable lantern that was powered by a mages' flame spell. As Tyler handed over the ninety-five coins, he realized something rather profound; they had neglected to purchase any fishing equipment, which out in the wilderness, could be a major source of food and coin. So He asked the man for the appropriate gear. That set them back another five silver, along with the twenty coppers spent on crickets. Bringing their grand total up to one gold coin, five copper coins. More then he had wanted to spend, but he figured was worth it in the end. The shop owner was happy with his sale, as the now ready-to-depart pair loaded up Thunder and Gloss with their new equipment. Has Tyler put the tent, pot, and most of the dry food on the larger Thunder, Kaori put the fishing gear, bedrolls, and smaller items on Gloss. Thunder tossed his head, unhappy with his lot as pack mule, Tyler stroked the warhorse's head, speaking soothingly,

"Hey relax, it's just the role of us big guys, we do all the heavy lifting,"

Thunder's eyes rolled and he neighed. The Thoroughbred was an imposing beast too, at little over five feet at the shoulder, lean muscles, a solid black coat and mane, and a long brush of a tail, there was almost a regalness about the animal. whereas Gloss, Kaori's mount, Was an Ardennes' warhorse. The breed was known for their bravery in battle, while smaller then the beastlike Thunder at a mere four feet at the shoulder. Gloss lived up to her name, with a sleek silvery coat, a lighter gray hued mane, a darker shaded tail, and the feathery hair above the hooves common to the breed. Whereas Thunder was an imposing shadow, Gloss was a more gentle light, which was fitting given their respective riders personalities. Once the horses were loaded up, it was time to mount up. This kind of intimidated the normally indomitable Tyler. Whereas Kaori had swung up into the saddle with all the grace of a prancing deer, she made it look so easy. Come on Warrior!! time to nut up. He put a foot in the stirrups and swung into place in the saddle. Thunder gave a low snort, as if mocking his new riders inexperience. Kaori was giggling at him,

"heehee, Wow, have found something that actually makes you nervous? What a discovery! and to think its riding a horse of all things, heh Max's gonna have a cow if he finds out that your more scared of a horse then him!"

Tyler tugged on the reins, turning his mount around to stand next to the laughing blonde,

"ha ha, Kaori, of course I'm nervous I've never done this before. but by all means enjoy yourself Barbie."

Kaori laughed a little longer before her mirth subsided.

"So, are we still going to Dragul? Seems like a bad idea what with the dragon and those wyverns."

She seemed concerned as the pair started out for the west Wallgate,

"I think we still should,"

Tyler explained,

"We need to get to a new city soon, and Dragul is the closest one to us. Plus we need to start building levels if we're gonna survive the coming waves, I would like to go somewhere else, but we don't have either the means nor the funds left for a long journey. We're kinda caught between a rock and a hard place here."

the pair fell silent as the gravity of their proposed path hit them. They passed through the inner Gate, the guards giving them the death glare as usual, which they ignored as usual. Next came the second inner wallgate, which brought a little flavor as the guards confiscated a wagon carrying some illicit goods, the merchant transporting the goods hauled away in chains. Tyler and Kaori both winced at the sight, reminded of their many close calls with the guard in the Tower. They passed through the second Gate without incident and where making their way to the third and final gate to the outside. Both wrapped up in their own thoughts, Tyler thought of the road ahead, and how he might handle any of the coming problems the pair might face all the while protecting Kaori from harm. He smiled at how he had gone from only being concerned with his own survival in his old world, to willingly putting his life on the line for another person, and that person being a girl at that! My how far I've come, or Is it fallen? Strange to think that five days ago I was worried about nothing more then avoiding getting beaten up that day along with the upcoming science exam, now I'm keeping an eye out for everything from pickpockets to dragons! Kaori's line of thought was of the others that had been transported to this world alongside the pair. With a start she realized that this was the very first time she had thought of them since the dinner at the Tower. She wondered how Kazuma was doing and if he was safe, how her friends from class were handling the jarring change from pampered schoolgirl to fending for themselves and probably fighting for their lives. Kazuma's probably fine, he always was strong. I bet Milly as had a breakdown of some kind, Haley's sitting in a corner rocking back an forth, I wonder what they'd say if they knew I'm leaving the city with TYLER of all people? Or the fact we slept together last night? That last one might break them, even though all we did was sleep! Kazuma would probably either lose it on Tyler or congratulate him! Still, though I am kinda glad I don't have to deal with those airheaded harpies anymore. God they were annoying, always chirping about their hair or how their boyfriends cheated on them, even though they'd been blowing every guy on the hockey team on the daily! Or how they hated their parents cause they'd bought them a red car instead of a pink one. I' happy I don't need to hear that shit anymore. I do miss Kazuma though. Kaori smiled at the memory of her brother, who before her journeys with Tyler had been her go-to protector. She then immediately frowned as the memory of her chattering friends swept into her mind. She shook her head to clear it and instead focused her gaze on Tyler, who was awkwardly trying to steer Thunder, who was going along with it with just a hint of an attitude. She finally broke the silence between the two,

"Hey if you want him to respect you, you need to act like you deserve respect."

He turned his head to glance at her, one eye on the road in front of him. Kaori continued educating him horsemanship, laughter in her voice,

"You have to be confident and strong, He can sense your fear and hesitation and that's making him nervous. So just relax."

Tyler nodded and she could see him take a large breath in and let it out, and it seemed as if the tension just left his body. In it's place was the usual quiet confidant strength he radiated. Thunder seemed to settle down a little as well, taking the hint from his now relaxed demeanor. Kaori smiled happily at the sight of the man she had come to depend on so heavily take her advice without hesitation, trusting her word completely. In the other world everyone else she had tried to teach to ride horses at her family's ranch would either argue that they were relaxed or blame the animals. that always made her angry, though she got her sweet satisfaction when the complainers or arguer got thrown or brushed against a tree by the horse. This invariably lead to spluttered curses and the person walking back to camp on foot. She was happy that Tyler wasn't like that, as once she pointed out the problem he accepted it, and corrected it the best he could. He's still inexperienced though.

Tyler was starting to get the hang of using the reins to steer, and since Thunder was such a large imposing animal, most people gave him a wide berth making it easier for Tyler to learn city riding and steering without having to worry too much about accidently trampling someone. He made a mental note to thank Kaori properly once they made camp that night. I'll also give her that ribbon too. The shopkeeper had thoughtfully placed it with Tyler's canteen strap, hidden from the sight of his pretty partner. He reached up and adjusted Oblivion's handle, as he figured he would need the thus-far untouched blade soon.

The pair arrived at the Far West Wallgate around noon, with the sun directly overhead. This gate was different then the interior Gates the friends had passed through previously. For one the Gate was more heavily manned, with the soldiers in full plate, whereas the other gates had between two and three hundred soldiers by Tyler estimate, this one seemed to have three times as many men. They were split into three distinct functions, one third was on watch from the top of the soaring walltop, ready to drop the portcullis at the slightest hint of danger, another third dealt with the greater congestion of travelers and merchants while also keeping guard on the street. The final third were on standby, resting up for their rotation back into duty, which seemed to be every eight hours. The Wallgate was roughly the same size as the other gates, but still a colossal structure. thank the gods we're leaving now at noon, this place must be blinding when the sun sets. Tyler and Kaori approached the outgoing line leaving the city. As they took their place in the que and waited to be processed, a man in a brown tunic, clearly some kind of runner came racing up to the pair. Tyler had already pulled Oblivion several inches from his scabbard before the breathless man spoke,

"Your pardon, I'm a courier with a letter for the master Tyler and the Lady Kaori from the King, be ye they?"

Tyler and Kaori looked at each other, Tyler resheathed his blade,

"we are they, now about this letter?" The runner handed Tyler a rolled scroll emblazoned with the royal seal. Tyler flipped the man a silver for his trouble while Kaori rode her Gloss up beside him,

"What is it now?"

Tyler shrugged as he broke the seal, unrolling the parchment,

To the Murderers

It seems you have been busy preparing for a trip to Dragul. Well if that is the case I am writing to you with a proposal. Now be warned, you are not my first choice or even one I would consider as you have neglected to pay my court a visit with the details of my friends murder, your reasons for that I am most curious to hear when we do meet eventually. For now, I have a task for you, and you WILL accept lest I reinstate the bounty on your heads. The only reason I am forced to turn to such scum as you is because every other Warrior has already scattered to the winds on their journey's, and the local guilds are also overwhelmed with requests. So with a very heavy heart I lay this task on your shoulders: Go to the city of Dragul, make contact with it's leader, a man by the name of Valdic Sharpspike, present this letter to him as prove of endorsement, and then proceed to the forest and put an end to the clan of Wyverns living there. This is your task, refuse and the kingdom will hunt you to the ends of Lectis. But in the slightest chance you succeed in this venture, your reward with be a further ten gold coins, whatever the wyverns give you, and continued free passage in and out of the city.

Yours spitefully

King Ishtar Von Vernillian

King of Vernilla

Upon finishing the king's letter, or more like order, Tyler and Kaori both sighed at the task before them. Putting the letter into his saddlebag, Tyler moved to be processed out of the city. This time instead of death glares from the guards, he got smug looks and a few jeers. Kaori got whistles and catcalls, mocking her fate, Tyler reached for his sword hilt as if to draw it, causing more then a few guards to drop into defensive stances and formations, only for Tyler to flick imaginary dirt from the clean hilt. Kaori rode to his side without another sound, the guard infuriated by getting fooled by the brat. Tyler flashed a smug grin of his own, and together the companions rode out of the city for the first time.

They set out onto the wide road, which at this point was merely padded dirt then the cobblestone highways they were used to. On one side of the road as far as the eye could see was rolling grassland, broken here and there by small dots of forestland. The occasional large boulder would also compromise the seemingly unending flatness. Whereas the other side of the road the same grassland and scattered forest, there was also a massive range of mountains in the far distance, rising up from the horizon like sharp teeth to bite the wool of the clouds. Tyler and Kaori rode at a light canter, a pace that would allow tyler to get the hang of riding horses at a faster speed then walking. Kaori had a look of fear on her face, which was looking decidedly pale.

"Hey you okay?"

Tyler asked, concern for his companion showing his voice. She looked over at him,

" I'm just scared is all, I mean we're basically being blackmailed into fighting monsters that even the king's guard doesn't want to fight! What are we supposed to kill again?...Wyverns right? I don't know what they are which makes it worse, plus that dragon the shopkeeper said was hanging around the area on top of it all? The thought makes my blood run cold, and makes me want to turn around and flee the opposite direction."

Tyler listen quietly, fully aware of their horrible odds. When he finally spoke it was full of a confidence that came from his sheer resolve,

"We'll be fine Kaori, I promise you that. The king deliberately threw us a curve ball hoping to get us killed, that much is obvious, but I'm not gonna give up just cause it seems impossible. I know a thing or two about Wyverns, though how much of what i know translates into this world we'll have to wait and see. As for the dragon, I bet it's using the Wyvern clan as a food source, either that or is looking for a roost, or both. I doubt the dragon will mess with us unless we directly attack it in which case the only thing to do is run like hell, otherwise it should leave us alone. Honestly I'm more worried about the Dragul leader, Valdic Sharpspike, that name sounds awfully similar to a Transylvanian leader who had penchant for sharp sticks. I just hope its a morbid coincidence. But don't worry Kaori, we will be fine, and if we get into a tight spot I will get us out of it."

He was looking at her smiling as he said this, and even though she felt he was just trying to make her feel better, she couldn't help but feel happier knowing he had her back.

"Thanks for that, Tyler, I feel better now. And i'm sorry for asking but what's a Wyvern?"

Tyler chuckled at the pretty normie,

"It's no big deal. But a wyvern is usually a member of the dragon family, significantly smaller, and usually unable to breath fire, though some tales say the can spit poison. They're about the same size as Thunder here, have four legs, no wings and are kinda low-slung. basically a larger edition of the alligator that spits poison. But those are stories from our world, I'm not sure how much that all means here, but at least you have a basic idea on what to expect. Oh and they're covered in scales so there's that."

At his description of the creatures, Kaori's eyes widened a the prospect of fighting such a beast.

"And we're supposed to kill how many?!"

Tyler chuckled,

"A large clan, but that could mean anything from four to forty so either way we got our work cut out for us." Kaori slumped in the saddle,

"let's hope theres only four, otherwise we might be screwed."

Tyler nodded and the pair continued clomping along in silence.

They rode until the sky turned red, as the sun set. The adventurers decided to find a spot to camp. As it was the beginning of the warmest part of summer, which lasted a full year here in Lectis, they didn't have to worry about being cold as even the nights were warm. They found a rather nice spot on a riverbank. The bank itself had a nice sandy area leading into the water, reminiscent of a ocean beach. As Tyler fed and watered the horses like Kaori had taught him, she went and laid out the canvas for the tent, setting it against a large embankment to prevent anyone from attacking from the rear. Finished with the horses, Tyler came over and started gathering large stones for the firepit. The pair labored in silence, enjoying the company and companionship of the other. The camp was set, and Tyler had gathered a rather large amount of firewood nearby, so he began building the fire. Kaori dug out the fishing rod and crickets, planning to catch a few fish in the river to add to dinner. Tyler watched the surprisingly outdoorsy blonde set the rod and line, bait the hook and give a beautiful cast, all in the space of a few minutes. Never took her for the outdoors type. The horse thing I get but, I guess she's full of surprises. He noticed she had removed her boots and was standing ankle deep in the water,

"Hey better to be sure to check for leeches, that spot doesn't seem to have a current."

She flicked him a thumbs up without looking away from the line. He smiled, and went to light the fire. he and built it in the shape of a teepee, with a pile of white birch bark in the center cavity. He also had a layer of logs around the outside of the teepee to keep everything upright. He took a match and struck it, since he couldn't use a fire spell to light the blaze, and lit the conflagration. The spark found the bark and tinder Tyler placed in the center and began to burn, filling the little campsite with the sweet aroma of woodsmoke. He then heard a splash and turned to see Kaori fighting to haul in a large fish, he was about to head over to help when she gave a heave and pulled the fish out of the water. It was a rather large trout, about a foot long, and weighing two pounds or so. Once she had the fish on shore, she replaced the lost cricket with a new a new one and recast back into the water. Tyler enjoyed the sight of the pretty blonde, ankle-deep in the water, sunlight reflecting off her blonde hair turning the yellow lockes to streaks of pure gold, having fun fishing. The fact she looked good doing it helped as well. They continued like that for a little while longer, Tyler tending the fire, while Kaori fished, until Kaori had caught about five of the trout. As she pulled the last one in, she wiped her brow and carried her catches in the pot they had bought at the shop. Tyler handed her a cup of the tea he had brewed for them while tending the now merrily blazing fire. She took the cup, took a sip as Tyler got up and started a walk around the camp, chanting and waving his arms. He was casting one of the spells he had learned from the spell book he'd gotten from Lyrica. it was a Warding spell called; Protective Warning, Spell from his Path of white. It's function was to send a wide net around a perimeter a spot, the net being about fifty meters, and would alert the caster if something hostile were to approach the protected spot. In addition to this early warning system, it would also function to keep insects away from the area until the spell was dispersed. When Tyler had read that in the book it instantly his go to for sleeping outdoors, as mosquitoes were the enemy of all campers. The spell was a strain through, requiring a whooping seventy mana, and a rather complicated chant to be recited:

I besiege thee, oh divine goddess of protection, Lady Weisshelm the pure, grant you protection to this spot, that me and mine may rest easy in your warm gaze, fearing neither the evils of the dark or the horrors of the sky I pray for your merciful will to aid me in this humble endeavor please grant me your benevolence to guard this spot

The chant was to be repeated over and over until the ring around the spotted desired for protection was complete. As it took seventy mana to cast it was quite the powerful spell, as the most mana a novice such as Tyler would normally have only have about one hundred and fifty mana for spellcraft, as that was the average base strength of a human soul, elves have two hundred, demonkind had three hundred. Monster's could cast spells without mana as they were not natural beings and as such were exempt from the rule. Tyler's soul though, had a base stat of two hundred and fifty, both due his status as a Warrior, and the misery he had endured growing up. Kaori had a base stat of two hundred since she too was a Warrior. They would have to exercise their souls further if they wanted to increase their pool, and the way to do so was to have experiences, whether a meaningful adventure, make a friend, or practice their mental discipline. They could also increase their pools by equipping items to boost their count, for example a ring with a mana pool built into it, so the spell would drain that "soul" before touching the real one.

Tyler finished setting the invisible net and returned to find Kaori baking three of the caught fish over the fire using the grate they had also bought from the shop. AS he approached, he noticed she had not put her boots back on and was sitting on a log she had dragged over to the fire. She looked breathtaking in the flickering fire light, with the dancing lights playing up and down hair long hair, her green eyes sparkling with delight at the scent of cooking fish. He wished for the umpteenth time that he had a camera. He sat beside the blonde on the log, weary after casting such a powerful spell, and took a sip of the tea he had brewed earlier,

"Aww that's better! The fish smells good too by the way. I didn't know you were such a good fishermen."

Kaori glanced at him,

"what did you think i was just a pretty face who likes horses?"

He chuckled,

"No of course your more then just a pretty face, your also pretty altogether. I don't think we've ever spent an extended time together in the woods is all."

It might have been his imagination, but when he said she altogether pretty, her eyes seemed to flash as if the simple complement made her extremely happy on the inside. When she spoke it was with her usual, high voice that seemed more at room in a windchime then the mouth of a mere human,

"Well now we ARE going to spend a lot of time in the woods together, so you'd better be prepared to learn alot about me you din't know."

Tyler smiled,

"I'm looking forward to it! by the way where'd you learn this stuff?

"My uncle, you know the one, Clark? The marine vet? You and he would always shoot the breeze about guns and tanks whenever you were together. Well every summer break I'd head up to his cabin and we'd go hunting, fishing, and he'd teach me how to clean and prepare deer, mouse, bear, all kinds of fish and how to catch them. He'd also teach me snares and basic trapping and skinning techniques, at the end he said i was pretty good had skinning deer."

Tyler looked at his beautiful partner with newfound respect.

"Wow Kaori, I had no idea you were that much of a badass. wait you said you could skin a deer?" "Yeah, why"

Tyler eyes flashed as if something clicked,

"Well if you can skin deer, then we can collect pelts, and sell them to tanners. Since deer fur makes good clothing, we could start a business in fur. I mean it'd be a side hustle but at least we could do something when we travel between towns going forward."

Kaori just shook her head at the way her companions mind worked. Typical I tell him of a fond memory with my uncle and he already has a plan to make a profit of it! Seriously...Still though, he called me pretty! yay!! She cheered herself a little internally, thrilled by his praise.

When the fish were done cooking the hungry friends each took one of the three fish and chowed down. As Tyler took his first bite of fire-cooked river-caught trout he noticed the meat was both flaky and tender, with the smell of the fire smoke in his nose, he realized how good fresh fish could taste. especially in this clean world, untouched by the pollution of a oil-dependent world. He devoured his fish in seconds, along with the toasted bread rolls that Kaori had made as a side. Tyler glanced over to see Kaori's face buried in her own fish, and for some reason the sight made Tyler smile. She finished her fish, throwing the leftover head and tail on top of Tyler's, and placed the remaining two fish on the grate to start baking. She then took the third fish she had cooked and, using the Sgian Dao knife Tyler had given her, cut the meat off the cooked fish. The meat parting easily from the body, she then took out a jar of butter, and dipped one fillet into the jar and handed it to Tyler before dipping the other own in it. Tyler waited for her, before devouring the meat in one bite, finding the butter-dipped flesh to be delicious. The pair then sat back, waiting for the second course to be ready. Kaori lifting her bare feet to warm them on the fire, while Tyler added another log to the flames. he then went and laid flat on the ground, head in the grass, looking at the sky. It had fallen completely dark by that point and was a clear, calm night by the river. The only sounds that could be heard was the songs' of night birds, the creaking of trees in the gentle breeze, the babbling of the river as it flowed past the small world lit by the light of the fire, and a strange ringing in Tyler's ears he had never noticed before. As he looked up at the sky he gasped, causing Kaori to look over alarmed, only for Tyler to point at the sky, and when she did she also gasped in shock. The sky was crystal clear, with more stars then either pair could ever remember being there before, even Kaori, with her experience in the forests far from their world's civilizations had never seen a sky as clear as that one. The stars twinkled and blinked, casted a pale light to the terrestrial pair, with a cloud of blue and purple flowing though the center of the picture. The World of Lectis had two moons, the larger one known as Summeris, for in the summertime was the closer of the two, and Cyrislis, the Frozen One, since it seemed to be coated in a sheet of white ice. Now both moons were on full display in all their splendor giving the star-struck friends the leads in this celestial spectacle. Kaori was moved to tears by the sheer beauty of it all, And even Tyler's heart of ice melted slightly at the sight. He felt an overwhelming urge to take Kaori's hand, which she had resting on the log. He considered it, when Kaori leaned back and laid beside him on the ground, her legs resting on their log seat. Now laying next to each other on the ground, the pair had a front row seat to the Lectis night sky. The fish were still a little ways from being ready, so the pair continued looking at the sky. Tyler turned his head to look at Kaori, only to find her looking at him already, and by an unspoken agreement held each other's hands as they gazed up at the sky.

"Hey Tyler,"

her voice soft and quiet, as if to not disturb the tranquility of the moment,

"Hmm?"

His voice equally soft,

"I'm really glad your here with me now."

She squeezed his hand, He replied without looking at her,

"I'm also glad you here with me now too,"

he squeezed her hand as well, though not as hard as he didn't want to break it. They stayed like that hand-hand gazing at the night-sky like a pair of lifelong lovers, until the fish were ready, and with the moment gone, continued feasting on the flaky fish flesh. After the fish were gone, Tyler gathered up the remains and took them beyond the ward he had set and buried them in the dirt, so as not to attract scavengers. Upon returning, he found Kaori refilling their cups with the last of the tea he had brewed, which she promptly gave to him. They clanked the cups together and drank the tea, then both took the cups, grate, and teapot and washed them in the river before returning them to their packs. Now exhausted from the days exertions, the pair headed to the tent. both leaving their boots outside the tent, which Kaori had pitched between two trees so she could use their branches for cover, they entered the shelter. Inside, it warm and cozy, bathed in the gentle light coming from there magic Lantern Tyler had filled with his own mana, giving the light a beautiful Blue-white color. Tyler as usual removed his tunic and chainmail vest while Kaori removed her tunic and put on the thin white shirt she wore to bed. The two friends changed with their backs to each other as at the end of the day, they had yet to state that they were in that kind of relationship despite how close they had become. Once changed, Tyler laid Oblivion beside him within easy reach as usual, although he had put the bow and quiver near the tent entrance, Kaori had lain her katana, Dawn, beside her as well. Her bow and quiver were also by the tent entrance, next to Tyler's. Then she preceded to lay on the bedroll strewn out on the ground near the center of the canvas shelter, and Tyler laid down beside her on his own roll. As they covered themselves with the blanket, Tyler extinguished the lantern and they both fell asleep, lulled by the sounds of the forest.