Ambush

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Priapus, Malcolm Tent, Marethyu

The Guild of Gamers: The Necromancer

Chapter 07: Ambush

– Fran –

Some people would try to tell you that Faunus and Humans were the same, but that was laughably naive. Every race had their own traits and differences, and to paint them all with the same brush was foolish and immature.

Faunus weren't even the same. The differences between a canine faunus and a rabbit faunus were vast. By the Animal God, the difference between a rabbit and a hare faunus was noticeable to those who cared to pay attention, so to claim that faunus were just like humans or elves was laughable at best.

Pulling out the herbs, she watched the camp carefully. These herbs were toxic to rabbit Faunus but not enough to do any lasting damage. If Velvet ate them, she'd be put down for the night at the very least, and humans didn't have a negative reaction to them, so the others wouldn't notice.

Ironically, she'd learnt this trick from those who'd enslaved her people through the stories her mother told her. Her tribe had been captured after a small group of hunters had managed to slip these herbs into the village's communal meal during a celebration. Most of the tribe was left sick and unable to resist as the hunters gathered them up and put them into cages. Her mother had been young at the time and had avoided being sold to work in the mines by being bought by an Atlesian noble who'd enjoyed them young, the man who would become her… father.

Once she had gained her freedom, she'd found the same herbs that the slavers had used. Herbology was a passing interest of hers, and during her time with the White Fang, she'd learnt a lot about how different plants could affect different races. 

When the attack began, Velvet would be forced to protect her owner. Fran didn't want to fight her own daughter, so this would allow her to put Velvet out of commission before the battle started. 

The camp was well-defended by the undead, but she was the best scout the White Fang had ever had. Using the trees, she hopped from branch to branch silently, positioning herself above the pot of stew Velvet was making with the help of the mage. So few people looked up, and all it took was a single distraction, the yellow-haired one calling out, and she had achieved her goal.

The herbs dropped into the pot and sunk into the mixture, unnoticed as she slipped away. She noticed Velvet's ears perking up as Velvet's head snapped towards the trees, but her daughter failed to spot her and passed the noises off as the sounds of the forest. 

Now, the next step. She couldn't attack them alone; she'd almost certainly lose, but who said she had to be the one to attack them? Heading to the dungeon, she got to work. Even this dungeon had some truly powerful monsters within it; all she had to do was get their attention and lure them towards the celebrating adventurers. With Velvet sick, she could abduct her daughter from the chaos. It was far from a perfect plan, but she had heard that Coco planned to head back to Vale soon, meaning her window of opportunity would quickly close. 

– Rowan Blackwood –

"Do you think it was something she ate? The food tasted fine to me," Yang asks, looking at the pale Velvet as Coco fusses over her.

"I doubt it; Velvet always makes our food. She's the only one of our party who can cook. Vel wouldn't be careless enough to use any ingredients that had gone off, doubt Rowan would either," Coco says, stroking Velvet's hair. "Plus, like you said. We all ate the stew, and we're fine."

"I've heard that goblins use poisons. Do you think she got caught by something?" I ask, making Coco pause as she looks over Velvet carefully. Velvet has a few minor scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. The worst injury she has is a small cut on her arm from a goblin arrow, but as we examine the cut, we can't find any sign of poison. It's a scratch, really, barely noticeable.

"I don't know, I don't think so, but what else could it be? I don't suppose you've got a magic trick for this?" Coco asks, and despite her position as Velvet's owner, I can sense genuine concern for Velvet. She just passed out as we were celebrating, seeming fine one moment and falling to the ground in the next. 

"My magic is focused on dealing damage, not healing it. I can heal myself by absorbing life force from other beings, but I don't know how to heal anyone else," I explain, rubbing my chin as I reach for my Grimoire. Death magic isn't exactly ideal for this, but maybe I can find something to help her. "I'll see if my Grimoire has any answers, but don't get your hopes up."

Coco gives me a nod, wiping some of the sweat from Velvet's face as they move the seemingly comatose rabbit girl into one of the tents, using the enchanted blankets to keep her warm despite the cold air.

I can feel Fox and Yatsu's concern for their friend. They may be knights, and she is a slave, but the friendship is genuine. Coco's concern is mixed with something else: a touch of affection that goes beyond friendship.

"Anything?" Coco asks, pausing her pacing as I rub my chin.

"Nothing that would heal her, but I have something that may be able to help her. The Slow Death spell places the target into a form of mild stasis, preventing their condition from getting worse. It won't heal her, but at the very least, it could keep her from getting worse while we get her back to Patch," I explain, making Coco nod.

"Do it. There's a healer in Patch. Hopefully, they'll be able to work out what is wrong with her," Coco agrees. I've learnt from my time in Patch that mages who can heal are incredibly rare and tend to be immediately recruited into their Kingdom's royal service. 

Potions simply don't exist beyond simpler apothecaries using herbal remedies. The idea of a health potion is nothing but fantasy here.

Slow Death

An empathetic spell, it uses necromantic energies to slow down the speed at which the target dies in a form of mild stasis. If the injuries causing death would let the target slip into unconsciousness, that is also delayed. If the caster gives the spell enough energy, they can strengthen it enough to halt death entirely in a full-power stasis.

I don't know what is wrong with Velvet, but I can at least stop it from getting worse as I move to her tent. Coco stripped her down to her underwear to check her for any worse injuries, but it isn't the sight of her nearly nude body that makes me pause but the brand on her stomach.

So, that's the slave brand? It's what binds her to Coco and forces her to obey any order Coco gives. Apparently, it was designed by some royal mage of eras past, who designed the branding iron, which is powered by Dust. I don't show any of my inner turmoil as I cast my spell, placing Velvet into a state of slowed life. Her heartbeat slows to barely a beat a minute, but she'll be fine like this.

In my old world, human civilisation was thousands of years old, and yet slavery had been present and a part of that society until relatively recently. I'd be kidding myself if I said that slavery was entirely abolished; even on modern earth, it's just out of sight of first-worlders like me. Why wouldn't this medieval world practise slavery? 

Especially with multiple races instead of just the human race. Patch is primarily human, but I've heard of elves in the deepest woods and dwarves living beneath the mountains, and that's just the start.

Coco gives me a smile as I tell her the spell worked, going to Velvet's side as I go back to my studies with a frown. I've learnt a little of this world's history, specifically the war between humanity and the beastfolk.

Even the history books tend to refer to Faunus as the 'beastmen', as Faunus is the term Faunus use for themselves, and they were just the beastfolk or beastmen for a long time. The history books claim that the Faunus invaded human lands, starting a long and bloody war where they slaughtered countless humans and enslaved countless more.

The Faunus almost won, until the emergence. Humans started to gain magic at a far greater rate than before, and with the gift from the Gods, the tides were turned, and the alliance of human kingdoms pushed the Faunus back to their island nation of Menagerie and then captured Menagerie itself. The Faunus cities were burnt to the ground, and their kingdom was destroyed. The survivors were put in chains, domesticated, and made to rebuild what they had destroyed. 

I took it all with a grain of salt, of course, since it was written by the humans. History is written by the victors, and that is why the good guys always seem to win. They're the ones left standing to dictate who was in the right.

No Faunus has ever awakened magic, not one. It is seen as proof that the Faunus are not loved by the Twin Gods; some even claim it is proof that they have no soul. That is factually incorrect. I can feel the soul inside Velvet, and it feels no different than the soul inside any of the others.

It is easy to decry slavery, but even a mage cannot hope to change the views of the entire world on the practice alone. That kind of change is always going to be extremely slow, especially when slavery is simply profitable.

I discovered that even some of the larger farms around Patch have their own slave to work the fields. It is prevalent in every industry; wherever there is work to be done, there will be slaves. It's simply more efficient and profitable, especially with the brands enforcing loyalty. 

Getting rid of slavery is by no means an easy thing, especially in a world where nobody sees anything wrong with it. That doesn't mean I can't do something about it, but I have to accept that it will be a slow and arduous process.

In my past life, my final regret was how little I had achieved. The world was indifferent to my passing. If I had never been born, the world would be the same as it was with my presence. I don't want to have that regret in this world. 

I want to leave my mark on the world.

But how can such an industry be removed when it is both profitable and socially acceptable? Well, the first step is to make it obsolete. With Artificer, I could craft golems; with Necromancy, I have my undead.

For matter where physical labour is the goal, I can simply make the slaves obsolete by replacing them with my own workforce. Undead do not need to rest; they do not need to eat. They can work in the most hazardous and hostile of work environments without a care, no matter the conditions. Things will be more complicated when it comes to other forms of slavery, but it would be a first step toward damaging the industry.

This is nothing more than a thought experiment for now. I'm barely even an adventurer, and the idea that someone as small as me could change the entire world is nothing but an idle dream.

Coco comes out of the tent, moving over and sitting next to me on the rock I'm using as a seat.

"She'll be okay," I promise, though it comes off as slightly hollow as we are no closer to learning what is wrong with her.

"I know," Coco agrees, looking lost in thought for a moment. "You know, I was going to invite you to share our tent tonight. You're a good person to know, and I thought a night of… celebrations would be a good way for our two parties to bond."

As she speaks, she squeezes my leg gently. She has a teasing look in her eyes, but her mind is obviously elsewhere, and her words are half-hearted at best. I can't sense any lust from her.

"Despite our success, I don't think anyone is in the mood for celebration tonight," I say, making her nod with a sigh.

"If the village healer can't work out what is wrong with her, I want to hire you to come to Vale with us. I don't want her getting worse on the trip back home, and it's three days by sea to Vale proper," Coco explains. "My family has access to the best doctors in the Kingdom; Velvet will recover."

"I'd have to talk to my party, but I'm willing to take the trip," I promise, making her smile softly. "You really care for her, don't you?"

"Heh, that obvious? My family bought Velvet when she was young. They wanted me to have a personal servant my own age, someone to stay by my side. I was a sickly child, so I couldn't get out much," Coco explains. "Vel has been there for me for as long as I can remember. My parents travel a lot, working as emissaries to other kingdoms for the royal family, so sometimes they could be gone for months, leaving me with just Vel and the servants for company."

"What about Fox and Yatsu?" I ask, making her smile.

"My family hired Fox a couple of years ago after a trip to Vacuo. Yatsu was recruited from Mistral shortly before that. My parents knew I wanted to become an adventurer and wanted me to have a good party to keep me safe. They've been by my side since they were hired, but I've known Velvet for so much longer," Coco explains. 

"She'll be fine," I promise again, making her smile softly.

"I know. Of course, if you come to Vale with me, the nobles will go mad over a new mage," Coco teases. "My parents would probably try to get you to marry me and get some more magic into the family. Our ancestor was one of the mages who awakened during the Beastman Invasion, but no one else in my family has awakened since."

Given how rare magic seems to be, I can't say I'm particularly surprised. 

"Of course, if you said no, they'd probably want me to seduce you anyway. A bastard isn't bad when it has magic in its genes," Coco snorts. "You should probably expect more than a few women to try and get into your pants; a magic baby would improve a lot of womens' lives."

"I'll keep that in mind," I say simply, making her grin.

"Of course, some might not take no for an answer. Watch yourself if you ever head to Vacuo, unless you want to get enlisted by their government and used as a breeding bull," Coco warns, half-playfully and half-dead serious.

"Is that seriously a risk?" I ask, making her nod.

"Vacuo is a brutal place, but then it's mostly hostile deserts and has some of the most dangerous dungeons in the world in its borders. They need every advantage they can get. I know more than most, thanks to my parents, but Vacuo just lost another city to the monsters. They'd kill to get their hands on you, pumping out undead monsters to fight for them, and I doubt they'd take no for an answer if they thought they could grab you by force," Coco warns, making me nod seriously.

This world is a dangerous one, and that danger can push reasonable people to do desperate things. I feared that my necromancy would make me unpopular, but it may just be too appealing for some people to resist.

"That's not even mentioning your weird enchanting. When the royal family and my parents hear about you, I'm definitely going to be ordered to seduce you into becoming a Vale noble," Coco snorts again, but her words carry a hint of bitterness. She catches my look, smiling wryly. "As far as my parents are concerned, this whole adventurer thing is just a phase. They've banned me from leaving Vale or going anywhere that could be truly dangerous, and they're convinced I'll get bored and come home soon. Afterwards, I can marry a nice fellow noble and, more importantly, have some kids. I'm the only child of the Adel family."

With my telepathy, I pick up what she leaves unsaid.

If she doesn't 'get bored' soon, they'll take the choice out of her hands and have her brought home. Fox and Yatsu are both there to keep her safe and to make sure she doesn't do anything silly, like run away. Velvet is bound to Coco's parents, not to her directly; she's just been ordered to obey Coco. For the briefest moment, I catch a glimpse of a somewhat younger Coco arguing with a stern-looking older man before it's gone.

Coco shifts the conversation, telling me tales of the other kingdoms, sharing what she knows from her parent's own stories. Her heart isn't entirely in it, even as the others join us. Yatsu shares stories of Mistral and Fox of Vacuo. Fox makes it clear that, in his words, Vacuo is hell, and nobody should willingly go there. 

He'd been an enlisted fighter in their military before the Adels bought his freedom and took him away. It explains his many scars, as he and the other soldiers would frequently be sent into the deserts to scout the dungeons or guard merchant caravans since Vacuo can't grow everything it needs, and buys a lot from Vale, the only other Kingdom that shares this continent. 

Nautical transport is risky because of pirates harassing trade routes and a considerable number of sea monsters. The fastest route between Vale and Vacuo goes past the Shadow Isles, a large, uninhabited landmass that is rumoured to be the source of all monsters. The entire continent is said to be cursed by the Twin Gods themselves and teeming with monsters.

The only other route would be to go around the continent of Sanus to get to Vale, but that makes the journey take far longer and, as such, is seen as just not worth it for most trade.

So, most trade between Vale and Vacuo is done by land, and that is still a long and dangerous journey, both through the marshes and forests of Vale and then the deserts and jungles of Vacuo. Fox used to be part of a unit that would patrol the main trade route, which meant fighting bandits and monsters that could threaten the trade caravans.

Despite whatever I may think of Lord and Lady Adel after both seeing Velvet and talking with Coco, Fox is clearly thrilled that he caught their eye, and they essentially bought him from the Vacuo military. He's definitely reinforced Coco's warning about the dangers of Vacuo because he's apparently the product of a breeding program himself, his mother being a slave and his father a member of the military that he never even met. 

According to him, his mother was caught stealing and enslaved for her crimes. Vacuo has few prisons because they can't afford to keep a bunch of criminals locked away, draining resources, so their criminals tend to be forced to work off their sentences, ranging from serving in the mines or a penal squad for a few years to just outright a lifetime of enslavement. His mother was sentenced to five years in a breeding camp for her crimes due to her being in good shape and having a Semblance, which increased the chance of her children also gaining a Semblance. 

This world is a dark and scary one, but once again, I find it hard to judge them too harshly. Vacuo is fighting against near extinction, and the other kingdoms aren't doing that much better. Monsters and dungeons are a threat no matter where you go. Every country in my world had a bloody history with countless dark times, and we didn't have to fight against monsters, just ourselves.

When your continued existence is on the line, I can only imagine the depths to which the kingdoms are willing to delve. 

– Fran –

Dashing through the forest, she hoped the herbs had done their job as she headed for their camp. Behind her, the horde pursued. Her speed was a blessing, allowing her to outrun the warg riders, but she had truly riled up the dungeon.

She didn't know if the mage had the power to fight off the raging horde of green skins, but she knew that they'd at least provide her with the distraction she needed. Seeing the group gathered around the fire ahead, she dashed to the side. The noise from the horde would give her all the cover she needed, and she was at home in the dense brush of the forest, going unseen by the panicking adventurers. Her nose twitched, moving around the camp as the undead moved to block the horde's approach, slipping into the tent unseen by the adventurers as she found her daughter.

As she went to grab Velvet, she froze. Her hand came to Velvet's neck, feeling for a pulse, and her heart dropped as she failed to find one. The herbs shouldn't have had that much of an effect unless Velvet had eaten the entire stew without sharing any with the rest of the adventurers. Panic set in, but then she felt it, weak but undeniable a single beat of Velvet's heart. Magic? Had the mage done something to Velvet?

Peeking out of the tent, she watched as the horde descended on the camp, indecision flooding her body before the mage snapped his head toward the tent, his eyes meeting with hers as he shouted in surprise. 

The decision made for her, she raised her bow and fired a single, poison-tipped arrow at the mage. She didn't know what he'd done, but his death should end it, and his cry had given away her position. With a swipe of his hand, the arrow bounced off an invisible force, making her growl, but her mind was set now.

– Rowan Blackwood –

Blocking the arrow by lashing out with my telekinesis, I watch as the white-haired woman comes out from the tent. I sensed a pulse of grief from the tent with my telepathy, but I wasn't expecting this.

Dressed in revealing leathers, the dusky-skinned Faunus takes aim again as I try to yank her bow from her hands, noting the rabbit ears on her head. She grips it tighter, but the struggle makes it hard for her to fire anything as I take aim, watching her dodge to the side as I reluctantly fire at her. She's swift, dashing back into the forest as I lose sight of her in the thick underbrush. I don't get caught off guard as an arrow flies towards me, swiping it from the air and firing in the direction it came from.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Yang leap forward and smash her fist into the ground, unleashing a wave of ice that causes a Warg to slip and dismount its rider. Yatsuhashi doesn't hesitate to decapitate the fallen goblin while Ruby blasts another rider away with a shot from her staff, switching to her scythe to slice at the Warg.

But they are only the scouts, and in the distance, we can see the horde proper, hundreds of goblins descending on our camp. The larger ones must be hobgoblins, and I watch as the horde charges. 

Focusing, I cast Prelude to Doom, and the wailing bells cause some of the horde to hesitate, but with such a numerical advantage and their leaders, most continue their charge. Some try to flee, but they get trampled by their own people or outright executed by the hobgoblins. My momentary distraction is all my assailant needs, and an arrow strikes me in the shoulder as I cry out in pain and surprise. There are too many minds around; my telepathy isn't practised enough to pick hers out.

As one of the Hobgoblins engages Yang in close quarters, swinging his mace at her, I cast a Ray of Enfeeblement at his back, the distraction allowing Yang to duck under his attack and uppercut him in the jaw. Her punch explodes into flames, making the hobgoblin scream. She has an ice runestone in one gauntlet and fire in the other.

Ruby dices the goblins who thought her an easy target, spinning her scythe with considerable skill as she removes limbs and heads without hesitation, a focused look on her face.

My undead are fighting as best they can, but skeletons aren't the strongest warriors, and they're armed with basic weapons. A skeletal goblin can beat a regular goblin. They don't have the ability to feel pain or hesitate, and they're resistant to damage that would end a regular goblin, but there are only five of them and countless goblins. My skeletal ogre is doing better as it crushes one of the hobgoblins, smashing down on the creature with what seems to be a small tree that has been ripped from the ground to be used as a weapon. Another swipe sends half a dozen goblins flying as it roars.

I fire at a warg as it tries to pounce on her from behind, my mind growing heavy as I realise I've been poisoned. It's fine, I can heal myself. The warg yelps in pain, all the warning Ruby needs as she flips backwards and lands on the beast's back, her scythe held under its neck before she ruthlessly slices the creature's throat. She's amazing, but I have bigger concerns.

A goblin rushes me, but he doesn't realise that he's giving me what I need as I shoot him in the kneecap, grabbing him with my free hand as I drain the life from him. I see the woman trying to make her way to Velvet again, and while I have suspicions that she doesn't mean Velvet harm, I won't take that chance.

Firing at her, I see her spin to face me, surprise clear on her face as the shot strikes her in the shoulder. I don't have the most powerful runestones in at the moment, but I suspect it broke her shoulder as she cries out in pain. Her eyes move to my shoulder, the arrow still embedded in it, but she reacts fast as she once again tries to run into the trees for cover, firing an arrow at me as she dashes away. 

I don't knock it away as I take aim, firing a single shot. Her arrow strikes me in the stomach, making me cry out in pain as my shot hits her in the leg and sends her tumbling to the ground.

The goblin in my grasp is dead, every drop of life drained from it, and I don't hesitate to leap at the closest goblin and start to drain him as I grasp the arrow in my stomach and yank it out. I know I should probably leave it in, but I can heal myself by draining, and I don't want my flesh to heal around the shaft.

I catch the woman trying to limp away, but I'm not the only one paying attention to her. So focused on me, she misses Fox as he ambushes her, my mental message having reached him. Without hesitation, he kicks the woman back towards the camp, his foot colliding with the side of her face. Before she can recover, he kicks her in the head a second time just to be sure but then rushes back to the goblins, twin daggers in his hands.

I can see why, as Yatsu struggles against three hobgoblins and a warg rider, an arrow in his armour. Coco shield-bashes a goblin to get it away, but their numbers don't seem to be going down. Coco tanks. She makes openings for her party to finish people off, but with Yatsu and Fox both occupied, she has to go in for the kill herself.

Her blade stabs into the chest of the goblin she bashed, but the horde just keeps coming and another stabs into her leg with a dagger. I fire at it, killing the goblin as I hit it in the head, but the damage is done, and another leaps onto Coco and knocks her down.

Goblins are pack fighters, and the others take advantage of the momentary weakness to yank her shield and sword away. With the others pinning her to the ground, the one on top of her wastes no time in stabbing its blade into her shoulder, and for just a moment, I don't understand why it didn't go for the killing blow even as I fire again, before needing to eject the runestone and swap to a new one.

As I reload, I spot Ruby as the swarm finally gets the better of her, with a goblin holding onto her legs, preventing her from dodging as the horde swarms her, finally yanking Crescent Rose away from her hands. She doesn't give up, but without her weapon, her fists are far less dangerous, and she's quickly brought down. Yang tries to rush toward her as I realise why Coco is still alive. One of the goblins applies its dagger to her corset, cutting it open and causing her modest breasts to be exposed, and I see another pushing Ruby's skirt up as it claws at her stockings and begins to yank them down. A cold realisation runs through me, even as I fire at them to try and free her, gaining the attention of the others who charge me. Another Prelude to Doom tries to drive them away, but they're winning, and they know it. 

Ruby kicks the goblin in the face, knocking it back as she struggles to dislodge the one sitting on her, the horde working to pin her down as they hold her arms in place. Her frantic kicks don't do much but get mocking laughter as her stockings are torn and yanked away, and I see a goblin toss something small, white and torn away from Ruby, her panties being caught by another of the foul creatures. 

Firing at the ones that are pushing toward me, I curse myself for not getting a better melee weapon as I exhaust the runestone once again, not having time to reload. My dagger stabs into the closest goblin, necrotic rot spreading from the wound, even as I watch my giant get pulled down by the horde, too many broken bones to keep fighting. A burst of telekinesis sends another goblin tumbling back, but I'm surrounded and the constant casting is starting to tire me out.

Yatsu takes a sword to the gut, the hobgoblins finally wearing him down, even as Fox dashes in and slices one of their throats, giving Yatsu a moment to bring his greatsword down onto the shoulder of the one stabbing him. The hobgoblin is wearing armour, but clearly, it isn't great armour, as Yatsu cleaves into his body. The greatsword cuts right through the hobgoblin from its collarbone right down until it gets stuck in the hobgoblin's guts. 

The horde finally seems to be thinning out, but when most of us are already down, what does it matter? We're still heavily outnumbered as Fox tries to fight off the other Hobgoblins. I can see Coco desperately trying to fight off her attackers, she managed to break free and get up, but she's still surrounded. Her top is in tatters, and her trousers are around her ankles, which is massively impeding her movement as she fights them back with what I believe is a hobgoblin's sword.

Yang charges into the ones holding Ruby down, unleashing a fiery punch that definitely caught Ruby in the blast, but she's getting tired and wounded herself, eyes blazing as she tries to protect Ruby. One of her gauntlets is simply missing, blood leaking from her unarmoured arm, and she punches again and again until she smashes her fist into the side of a warg, and no fire comes out.

She's exhausted her runestone, and it's only now that I realise that she never replaced it after the troll fight. It's a new weapon; she isn't used to how often she needs to replace the stone. Sure, she has some spares in her pouch, but they're not gonna wait for her to replace it.

The warg pounces, biting into her shoulder as she screams in pain, knocked to the ground with the beast looming over her. The goblins cackle, jeering in a tongue I don't recognise, even as Ruby uses the brief respite to act as I grab the staff with telekinesis and toss it towards her. The distraction costs me another stab wound.

Diving for the staff, she aims it at the warg and fires three bolts of fire into the warg's side, making it howl in pain and giving Yang a chance to finish it as she grabs a dagger from the ground and stabs it into the creature's neck. The goblins dive Ruby again, one taking a shot from the staff before it's pulled away, and she's struck in the stomach by a green fist.

Gasping, she almost folds over, and the horde once more drags her down onto her knees with her face pushed into the dirt. Her skirt is yanked up, a clawed hand groping at her buttocks as my heart pounds and rage fills my body. Ruby's eyes lock with mine, even as a dagger is stabbed into my gut and my own weapon is yanked away. She still looks hopeful, sure I'll save her, as a goblin moves behind her, its intention clear.

Yang isn't in any better position, not five feet from her sister, as she is pinned to the ground on her back. A dagger is at her throat, and her legs are held apart as her clothes are slashed at. The goblins cackle as her breasts are exposed, bouncing freely with each movement, her struggles only entertaining them. One of them leans in, sinking their sharp teeth into her tender flesh, making her let out a pained cry. The remnants of her shorts are ripped away as a goblin eagerly removes its loincloth and moves to mount her before one of the remaining hobgoblins grabs it and tosses the goblin away from her, undoing its armoured greaves as it stares down at Yang, getting ready to take advantage of her helpless state.

Fox lies against a tree, his hand on his gut as Yatsu kneels, coughing up blood. This wasn't supposed to go like this; this was supposed to be an easy quest. Telepathy can be a curse, and the dread I sense from my allies and the cruelty of the horde threatens to overwhelm me. We have left many dead; more than half their numbers fell, but it wasn't enough.

I wasn't enough. Ruby's silver eyes drill into mine, even as I cough up a lungful of blood, the optimism dying as dread finally takes hold. She still looks to me, pleading for me to do something, anything. She's heard such tales about mages, so how could we lose when we had one on our side?

Something in me snaps, seeing the goblins fighting over who gets to defile Ruby first, hear them cackling as my new friends bleed out. I feel the malicious lust of the hobgoblin as he kneels over Yang and the glee as some goblins find Velvet in the tent and the unknown woman unconscious and unable to defend themselves. 

I promised Summer I'd take care of Ruby and Yang, and I will not break that promise.

– Ruby Rose –

Her family thought she was naive, that she didn't understand the cold reality of being an adventurer. She was not. She'd noticed how many legends just seemed to vanish, their stories stopping as the bards didn't want to talk about how the powerful adventurer had met their end. She'd seen parties come back to the guild missing members or simply never return at all.

She still wanted to be an adventurer. 

Rowan fell to one knee, clutching his stomach as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He was powerful and smart, but he was new to this, new to magic itself, something he'd told them repeatedly.

And yet, as those dark eyes locked with hers, she felt her hope return even as she felt the goblin behind her grip her hip with one hand, the other helping to… line itself up. She felt something hard press against her most private place, her lower lips starting to part as her innocence was about to be snatched away by a monster.

He opened his mouth to speak, and the word that came out was silent to her, but not to her captors. The goblins holding her down froze, and then they dropped like puppets with their strings cut, collapsing to the ground.

It wasn't just the ones holding her, as she looked around desperately. Coco rose to her feet, looking at the dead goblins around her. Yang pushed the Hobgoblin that had been preparing to… mount her off her body with a shocked look on her face.

Then she noticed. Every tree around them was losing its leaves, the grass shrivelling up and dying as Rowan rose to his feet, an almost ethereal look on his face as he looked towards the badly wounded Fox and Yatsu. He didn't even seem to notice his own wounds as he opened his mouth again, and this word she heard.

"Live."

It wasn't a request; it was a command. Her wounds closed, the pain fading instantly. Yatsu rose to his full height as he pulled the blade from his stomach, and they saw the wound close up instantly. Then, a thump.

Her head snapped back to Rowan, seeing him lying on his front, still bleeding from the wounds he had taken, the only person who hadn't healed. Uncaring of her current situation, she rushed forward and looked him over as she turned him onto his back, examining the nasty wounds he had.

"We need to get him back to Patch," Yang said, having done the same with an unusually serious expression on her face. 

"What about this one?" Fox asked, kicking the still unconscious woman. Ruby had seen the woman during the fight, but she'd been a little focused on other matters at the time.

"Tie her up. Whoever she is, she set these bastards on us," Coco ordered, trying to fix her clothes as best she could, but as she took another look at the woman who Fox had turned over, she froze. Ruby didn't blame her because the resemblance was uncanny as Velvet hesitantly stepped out of the tent, confusion on her face.

– Rowan Blackwood –

Waking up in the Xiao Long home again, I groan in pain as I touch my stomach. How the hell did I get here? I was- well, I thought I was dying, and I doubt this is my third life as my pained groan attracts some attention.

Ruby rushes forward, babbling at a speed I can barely understand. I think I get every tenth word, gesturing for her to calm down as I examine her carefully.

"Ruby, please, slow down," I say, watching as she blushes and takes several deep breaths. "How did we get here? What happened to the goblins?"

Ruby blinks at that, and I spot Yang coming down the stairs to the basement, drawn by the noise. She gives me a strange look as she hears my question.

"You killed them, then you saved Fox and Yatsu and passed out," Ruby explains hesitantly, making me blink. "You just said a word, and they all died, then you told us to live, and we all healed. I didn't know you had such a powerful spell…"

"That's because I don't. There's no spell like that, as far as I know," I admit, seeing Ruby's confusion. She looks how I feel. 

My system provides me with no information, and my spell-list is missing anything that could do such a thing. 

"Who cares about the specifics? You wiped the goblins out like they were nothing," Yang says, giving me a savage grin. "Should have seen the grin wiped off that hobgoblin's face, never seen something go from smug to terrified in a second. Course, it would have been nice if you opened with that, but I'll take it."

I go to speak, but Yang moves first as she leans forward and captures my lips in a fierce kiss.

"Girls, I told you not to bother Rowan," Summer says, making Yang shrug carelessly as she pulls back.

"I don't think he minds. If he weren't so injured, I'd be bothering him a hell of a lot more," Yang admits shamelessly, making Summer roll her eyes. "Seriously, Rowan, thanks."

"Considering I accepted that quest, it was partially my fault we ended up in that mess," I point out.

"Don't go thinking like that. The quest went fine; we just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We weren't even the bitch's target," Yang scoffed, making me blink. "Oh yeah, turns out we just happened to be with Coco when Velvet's psycho mom came to get her daughter back."

"If we hadn't been there, Coco and the others would have died," Ruby points out, smiling. It doesn't quite reach her eyes. 

"If they'd been lucky," Yang mutters under her breath, and Summer gives her a warning look.

"Girls, leave us," Summer orders, and the pair hesitate before they head to the exit, giving me a wave. "We warned you that being an adventurer wasn't pretty, but you weren't supposed to have to face the grim reality so quickly," Summer says, stroking my hair. "Patch is supposed to be safer than most, but fate can be a bitch, can't it?"

"That's one word for it. We lived, were Coco and her party okay?" I ask, making her smile softly and nod.

"Yes, they're fine. Coco has been called home, but she is currently delaying her journey home to wait for you to wake up. Despite everything, you did save them all," Summer says proudly. 

"With no idea how," I point out, making her shrug.

"Magic is strange at the best of times. If I didn't know better, I'd say you awakened your magic, as it often happens in stressful situations and has effects not unlike this. But you already had your magic, so I genuinely don't know. Fortunately, the best mage in the kingdom arrived while you slept. Glynda is an old friend and a true expert; she might be able to help you understand what happened," Summer explains, making me nod. 

I never awakened my magic because I got it through my system. They couldn't possibly know that, but maybe…

"Still, there's one last thing to decide," Summer says, making me blink. "The woman who attacked you, Fran, was captured. Coco has decided that as the most injured party, you should be the one to decide her fate."

"Is that normal?" I ask, making Summer shrug.

"With mages? Probably. If you don't want to, it falls to the head of Patch to decide, which is unofficially me. We don't really have a village chief, so me and Taiyang normally deal with the worst cases, and this applies. I can almost understand Fran's actions as a mother, but both of my daughters were almost raped and murdered because of her, so I'd cut off her head without batting an eye," Summer admits.

"Not imprisonment?" I ask, making her shake her head.

"Patch doesn't have the resources or building to hold someone like Fran long term. She's White Fang. I doubt her tribe will come for her, but Patch won't take that chance. If we send her back to Vale, she'll just be executed over there, and I'd rather save them the trip," Summer admits with a shrug, reminding me just how dangerous she is. "Really, the question is whether you want to take her as a slave or have her executed. Feel free to leave it to me if you don't want to give the order to kill someone. I really don't mind."

Summer's tone is downright conversational despite the undercurrent of malice, and I feel myself sigh. 

Damn it. I really don't like this world's legal system. And yet, despite my thoughts on slavery, I can't help but feel my anger growing in my chest at what almost befell my party because of Fran. Then I remind myself that she's Velvet's mother, here to rescue her daughter from the hands of a slaver. Then I remember that that slaver is my friend who almost died (if she'd been lucky) because of Fran. 

"Can I have some time to think about it?" I ask, making Summer nod gently, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Whatever else happens, Rowan. Thank you, for bringing them home," Summer whispers, rising from the bed and leaving me to my thoughts.

My reward for surviving my quest? The choice between becoming a slaver or an executioner. 

— Bonus Scene — Fran

Bound in chains, she cursed the mage. She didn't know what had happened after she'd been knocked out, but within the cage she'd been bound in, she could only guess. She'd failed, but then she had jumped the gun. She should have waited for the two parties to split, not risked attacking with a mage nearby.

She had never been the best fighter. She was a scout and tracker, not a warrior. She knew her weakness all too well, it was why she'd studied the plants to make her poisons and traps. But if they'd gotten back to Patch, Velvet would have gone back to Vale, where her chances would be nonexistent. 

She feared they would kill her, but beyond that, she was terrified that she would be sent back to the slave market. Her brand was broken, and that meant she had outlived her master. If they discovered that she'd slain her master… the fate of slaves who committed that sin were only whispered about because the details were too grim for open conversation. 

She was both a slave who'd slain her master, and a member of the White Fang. If she were sent back to the slavers, her fate would be something whispered to slaves for decades to come, the example of what disobedience and rebellion brought.