The Deviant Dominant

After the emotional reunion between the two redheads, Lukas figured they would transition into discussing what just happened. However, looting took priority for Fiona. Lukas mainly let her take charge, they shared a health potion bringing them both back to a palatable health. Fiona pocketed most of the other stuff, including a considerable amount of coins. She did let Lukas have first dibs on the fallen adventurer’s weapon though.

 

Lukas picked up the scimitar and examined it.

 

<<<

Scimitar

Uncommon

 

Flashing Speed: +10 boost to agility when used against dual one-handed weapons

>>>

 

Huh, a direct counter to Lukas’ fighting style. It was no doubt better than his training blades so he mounted it on his back. Lukas glanced at Fiona as she finished rummaging through the packs, his eyes lingered a little too long on her curvy ass as she was bent over. He finally took the initiative to start a conversation. 

 

“Are you ok?” He tried to keep his tone light as he directed the question to the younger redhead who still looked shell shocked.

 

She quickly glanced at Fiona and then responded. “My heart is still beating like crazy, but I’m alright. I’m Alanna by the way, this is my sister Fiona.”

 

“I can introduce myself,” Fiona strode over joining the conversation. “I’m sorry you got caught up in this mess of ours.” 

 

“I was grateful to be nearby and jump in when I could,” interrupted Lukas, “Please don’t feel guilty about my involvement, looks like I will live to see another day, plus it’s not like you asked to be mauled by a group of thugs.”

 

Fiona blushed slightly and looked down.

 

“Well…” Alanna blurted out, “It was kind of planned.”

 

Fiona shot her a death stare, “It was NOT!”

 

Lukas was floored, he hadn’t even fathomed that meeting the bandits was intentional, but as he thought deeper, it did seem feasible. They were out in the middle of nowhere, the chase must have started nearby, and Fiona did come to the rescue quickly after Alanna had been caught.

 

Lukas’ anger rose, “Did I just kill those men so that you could make some coin?” Fiona looked at him guiltily. “Let me explain, please.” Lukas glared at her. Fiona took a deep breath recognizing she could not avoid this conversation, time to own up to her deed.

 

“The group roamed into town a couple days ago, extorting supplies from other travelers and just being all around douchebags. They ended up in the bar swindling money from poor lads who were too drunk to make a fuss. The breaking point came when they killed the barkeeper as he tried to boot them out. They left town in a hurry with some of the town’s hard earned wealth. The local enforcement felt that they didn’t have the strength to pursue them, we are pretty far out here.” Fiona paused, trying to gauge Lukas’ reaction, seeing if she was winning him over. Lukas still had a slight frown across his inscrutable face.

 

Fiona continued, “So I hatched a plan with my sister, we followed them out to their camp. Alanna is really fast, especially in the forest. I thought she could dart in, take something on the edge of the camp and then run off into the trees. They would chase her, creating a diversion allowing me to clean up anybody who was left behind and loot the rest of the camp.”

 

“You used your younger sister as bait?!” Lukas exclaimed. 

 

“I promise she is fast, sometimes even I can’t keep up. I didn’t expect them to get close. I would never be able to live with myself if…” The fierce assassin that Lukas witnessed slay a number of men was now on the verge of tears.

 

“I’m not as stealthy as her. I think they saw me coming.” Alanna added, trying to support her sister.

 

“There’s no excuse, it was an obvious misjudgement on my part.” Fiona admitted, Lukas appreciated the humble side of the fiery warrior. “I could have taken them though, I appreciate you stepping in, but I could have gotten Alanna out.” So much for the humble side. 

 

“Fiona, they had an adventurer with them!” Alanna exclaimed. 

 

Fiona faltered, “that was very unexpected, that should have never happened. What a black eye on the reputation of Adventuring. Why would he even choose to be involved... How was I supposed to know…” Fiona paused, then looked straight at Lukas and then quietly, but firmly said, “Thank you.”

 

Lukas finally smiled, then jested at Fiona breaking the tense aura, “So you plan on returning the proceeds of our little adventure back to their rightful owners?” 

 

Fiona again blushed slightly, “Maybe some of it, but if you get so drunk that you get swindled out of your money, returning that money might negate a valuable life lesson.” 

 

Lukas laughed, having no intention of playing the role of an over-righteous saint.

 

And just like that they began the journey back to town, chattering away as if they were out on a picnic in a flowery meadow rather than leaving behind a mass of slain bandits.

 

***

 

Cassian strolled into the bar in the town of Tarot. In the background, Cleanup was still in progress from a brawl that happened a day ago. The place was still packed as the crowd seemed cheerful and relaxed despite the aforementioned incident. Someone had an instrument out and was stringing out a tune. Some patrons were leveling through various states of drunkenness while others chowed down on plates of food. He scanned the room knowing there would be an obvious sign if he had reached his objective. 

 

There. A flash of dark red hair in the corner. Stunned, he looked at her companion seated directly across the table from her. A tall, young Deviant engaged easily in conversation with the redhead, his eyes enraptured with her beauty. Cassian also notices a twinkle in her eye as she shares a mug of beer with him.

 

Cassian was pleasantly relieved with how much simpler his task had become. The tall boy stood up and started searching for an innkeeper he could inquire about obtaining lodging. His eyes darted across the crowd as he walked away from the table. Cassian took the opportunity and made his way through the crowd until he reached her table. She looked up as he approached and smiled when she recognized him. “Hey Cassian,” she said pleasantly, “what brings you back to Tarot?”

 

“You mean seeing one of my favorite Adventurers is not reason enough?” He did one last quick check of the crowd before he settled down into the seat Lukas had previously occupied.

 

"I think your list of favorite Adventurers is too broad and too long to consider that a compliment." Fiona chuckled with the Scribe.

 

Cassian knew time was ticking, "I see you've met the young Mr. Lukas." Fiona did a double take, "I did indeed. Cassian, what is going on?"

 

"Oh Fiona, just humor an old man for a wee bit. I have known you for a few years, I can sense how much you value team members that you can entrust your life with and build relationships. One of your greatest strengths is the charisma you bring to the team dynamic."

 

"That is NOT my greatest strength. Just a couple weeks ago at my Scribing, you told me I need to not rely on myself so much."

 

"And look how far you've come." Cassian beamed, throwing his hands in the air. 

 

Fiona blinked a few times before smiling. She couldn't help being amused by her elderly mentor.

 

"Let's get a little more serious now. Do you find Lukas to be trustworthy?"

 

"Cassian, I just met him today." Cassian cocked his head to the side and gave her a look. "Ok, I suppose I find him easier to trust than others. Is that what you wanted?"

 

Cassian nodded, "That's a good start. Do you find him attractive?" 

 

Fiona snorted out the sip of beer she had just taken.

 

"Cassian, are you trying to hook us up?" Fiona was now leaning slightly across the table and staring Cassian down, though still fighting back a smile. 

 

Cassian chuckled, avoiding the accusation. Straight to the point then.

 

"Fiona, you and Lukas could be the most powerful matchup I may ever make." 

 

Fiona scoffed, and rebutted, "Cassian, I've seen him fight. He is good, really good. But not good enough for you to travel all the way to Tarot and make that claim. What are you hiding?"

 

"What you saw was a tired and distracted Lukas," Cassian guessed, a little surprised that both Fiona and Lukas had already seen combat. "I don't like to meddle too much with my Adventurers," quite the fib, meddling is exactly what Cassian was doing, "but if you have an open mind, Lukas will be one of the best teammates you could have by your side."

 

Fiona was now leaning back with a pensive look on her face. "Open minded huh? He has a weird class, that's why you are here."

 

"You certainly have always had fantastic perception. I would not dare breach Lukas' privacy, but I can assure you his class is powerful, he just needs some help." Cassian winked and then rose. He considered checking in on Lukas, but determined his objective had been completed. He instead, after a quick wave to Fiona, vanished into the background.

 

***

 

Lukas returned to the table slightly bothered. He hadn’t managed to secure any lodging for the night, but in the worst case scenario he could find a soft forest meadow just outside of town to camp. “No bites,” he mentioned to Fiona, “guess I’m sleeping under the stars.” Lukas sat down in his seat, noticing it was still warm, the chair must retain body heat really well. Fiona studied him until Lukas met her gaze and maintained eye contact with her.

 

Fiona finally woke from her mental deliberation, “You can stay with me tonight.” 

 

Lukas’ face broke into a playful grin, “No objections here.”

 

“Calm down lover boy, we might do more talking than you might prefer.”

 

Lukas genuinely enjoyed talking with Fiona, she was charming and easy to connect with. But their fast-forming friendship did not stop Lukas from mentally undressing her right there in the tavern. She was a stunner and Lukas wanted his strong arms wrapped tightly around her freckled nude body. 

 

“Lead the way,” he replied confidently.

 

They walked out into the night together hand in hand, a deeper relationship beginning to form. Before long, they ended up back in Fiona's room.  The door closed behind them as Lukas breathed in the warm and cozy aura. The room was simple, some artwork tacked on to the different sides, rustic wooden furniture lined the wall. A sizable bed neatly adorned with clean sheets sits in the middle of the room, its soft mattress inviting the couple to sit down. They both looked at each other with lust burning in their eyes. 

 

Fiona took a deep breath as if trying to break a spell, "I think we should team up, I feel good about the chemistry between us and it is not just sexual."

 

"I agree, it's undeniable you are a strong fighter and I really enjoy being around you," now it was Lukas' turn to take a nervous breath. Strategies were bouncing around inside his mind about how to approach the next topic. Lukas usually favored the direct approach.

 

"There is something unique about my class that you should know about before you commit to hanging around me."

 

Fiona tilted her head with fascination.

 

Lukas continued, "I thought it was a given that I would be Scribed a Brawler class, but instead I got a Deviant one. I don't know if there are any normal Deviant classes, but if there are, I didn't get one of those either. My main class is... well, you might not even believe me the first time I tell you."

 

Fiona's attention was well invested in what Lukas was trying to explain and now she was anxious to get the whole answer out him. "Just spill it already. Do we have to fuck or something?" 

 

Lukas' nerves finally calmed, this might be easier than he thought, as if someone had prepared Fiona for this moment.

 

"That's probably at least half of it, I think you have to submit to me in some sort of sexual contract. My main class is a Dominant. Details are frustratingly vague to be honest. Should be fun trying to figure it out though."

 

Fiona scrutinized Lukas' face for any evidence that he was about to yell 'gotcha' and laugh it off as a joke. The closer she looked, the more convinced she was that this was the real deal. "What does this sexual contact entail?" Fiona asked.

 

"I get 10% of your top stat as a boost, I have no idea if there is any benefit to you."

 

"10% is not bad"

 

"I can upgrade it too," Lukas mentioned while simultaneously remembering that he had leveled up that morning. He decided to focus on one thing at a time.

 

“Well,” Fiona said, coming to a decision, “I think we have a sexual contract to make then. Although I have never submitted myself to a man before,” she took off her shirt and bra, revealing her perky D-cup breasts. "Do you think you have what it takes to make me yours?" 

 

Fiona teased, sticking her tongue out slightly. Lukas’ mouth watered as he stared at her beautiful breasts. His hands itched to touch her soft tits, but he knew the role he needed to fill, the role he wanted to fill. Lukas admired her beauty as his confidence and lust flared up. Fiona was the perfect partner to fill the role of his first conquest. She was confident and flirty and the way she hungered after him made it natural for him to claim her.

 

He arose and walked over to her topless body resting on the bed, her emerald eyes following him with anticipation. Lukas scooped up off the bed like she weighed nothing and pinned her against the wall. Lukas pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, “I want you to be shaking from an orgasm and screaming my name before you submit to me. Do you understand?” Lukas said as he lowered his lips and gently kissed her neck. The change of pace had an immediate effect on the squirming redhead.

 

“Yes sir” she whimpered softly, the confident assassin had retreated inside Fiona leaving behind a sexy redhead that was ready to be taken.

 

Their mouths locked in a passionate kiss, tongues fighting for dominance. She moaned softly into his mouth as she ground herself against his crotch. Lukas quickly became hard and began grinding back. 

 

Fiona broke away from the kiss, gasping for air. “Is that all you got?” she said between heavy breaths. 

 

Lukas grabbed her hips roughly and pulled her close. His erection throbbed against her crotch. He could tell that she was getting wetter by the second. He bit her earlobe, “Not nearly,” he said.

 

Lukas set her down so he could quickly rip Fiona's pants off and tossed them aside. Her panties followed suit. Lukas pushed her roughly onto the bed so that she was lying on her stomach. He spread her legs apart slightly and ran his fingers along the length of her slit. He teased her clit with his thumb until she was begging for more. Then he slowly inserted two fingers into her pussy. Fiona moaned loudly as he started pumping in and out of her tight hole. After a few moments, spurred on by the tantalizing moans coming from Fiona, he removed his fingers and replaced them with his tongue. He licked up and down the length of her slit, teasing her clit again. Fiona writhed under him, her moans becoming louder and more urgent. He stopped suddenly causing a frenzied panic to cross Fiona's face. Lukas gave her a knowing smirk as he pulled his own pants down unleashing his impressive cock. 

 

Fiona turned over onto her back and spread her legs wide open for him. He knelt down between her legs and leaned forward to lick her clit once more. Fiona let out a moan as her eyes pleaded with him, desperate for him to continue. Lukas was ready to claim her. “I’m so wet for you Lukas,” she panted.

 

After rubbing the head of his cock along the folds of her wet, needy pussy, he finally heard it.

 

“Please”

 

He thrust himself into her, filling her completely. Fiona screamed with pleasure as he started pounding into her harder and harder. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on tightly as he pounded her relentlessly. Lukas firm hand wrapped around her neck as Fiona widened her legs as far as they would go. He thrusted deep their bodies rhythmically crashing into each other. Lukas’ fucked her without mercy, he wild pounding finally bringing Fiona to orgasm as he reached the point of no return. 

 

"OH MY FUCKING GOD LUKAS!!! FILL MY PUSSY! MAKE ME YOURS!" he buried his cock deep inside her shaking body and came hard, shooting ropes of hot cum deep inside her. Fiona continued screaming from her prolonged orgasm, convulsing around his still pulsating dick. 

 

Lukas' mind was blown. He had some trivial sexual experience with a couple local girls back in Fernin, but none of those experiences compared to this. He felt like a god. Like he had conquered the world. His cock was still rock hard as it slid out of Fiona's quivering pussy. Her juices dripped down his shaft and onto her thighs. Lukas peered into the green eyes of his breathless goddess. Adventuring and classes were long forgotten, Lukas wanted to fuck his woman all night long.

 

His strong hands rolled her over and pulled her delicious freckled ass up into the air. He lined his thick cock up with her glistening pussy lips and plunged. Her toned ass rippled as he buried himself deep in her womb. One hand grabbed her luscious red hair as the other smacked her juicy ass as he granted her no reprieve from his cock. They did indeed, fuck all night long.

 

***

 

When the couple finally woke, it was way past daybreak. The sheets that were so neat the night before were now a tumbled mess. Lukas held the fiery redhead in his arms, his cock nudging her wiggling ass. He smiled at his discovery, pulling his hips and swinging his arm around to lay a loud smack on her firm ass.

 

Fiona twitched with the shock, her ass stinging from the unexpected spank. Lukas' member started growing as his hands fondled her shapely cheeks.

 

"Didn't get enough last night?" Fiona smirked as she glanced over her shoulder at Lukas. Lukas responded by sliding cock between her thighs and into her warm, tight pussy. "Ooo," Fiona let out a pleasurable coo.

 

 "Think you can go harder than last night?" She egged him on.

 

Lukas slammed his cock deep inside her, sending a wave of pleasure through her body. She arched her back and moaned with delight. "Oh yes, give me that cock."

 

Fiona moved her hips in a circular motion, grinding against Lukas' hard cock. Her movements sent waves of pleasure through her entire body. She could feel herself starting to get closer already. Her pussy was really adjusting well to having Lukas inside her.

 

Lukas began thrusting his hips faster and faster, driving his cock deeper and deeper into her. Fiona moaned louder and louder with every thrust. She could feel her pussy start to clench around Lukas' cock as she approached her climax. "Oh fuck, I'm going to cum!" she cried out.

 

Lukas picked up the pace, slamming his cock into her even harder. Fiona's body shook with pleasure as she came hard, her pussy convulsing around Lukas' cock. "Oh god, oh god, OH GOD!!!" she screamed.

 

Lukas continued thrusting his hips, driving his cock deep into Fiona's pussy. He could feel her body trembling with pleasure as she came again and again. Finally, he couldn't hold back anymore and exploded inside her, filling her pussy with his hot cum.

 

Fiona flailed out spreadeagle onto the bed, breathing heavily. “I do need to get out of bed at some point,” she informed Lukas. “We can’t fuck forever, even if your class says so. My pussy will need a break eventually from repeated orgasms.”

 

Lukas’ admired his cum leaking out of Fiona’s pussy, down her thighs and onto the bed. His lust finally sated enough to pay attention to other aspects of his life. “Did we complete the contract?” Lukas asked as he pulled up his mental profile for the first time since leaving Fernin.

 

<<<

Lukas Dameron

General Class: Deviant

Main Class: Dominant

Level 2

 

Stats:
Strength: 22.2

Agility: 20.6 + 2.6

Mentality: 20.1

Vigor: 18.6

 

Skills:

Confidence (Passive) - Level 1 - shrug off 10% of magical damage and effects

Obedience (Triggered) - Level 1 - able to bind others through sexual contract. Dominant will passively receive a 10% boost in the primary trait of the Obedient subject(s)

Corruption (Passive) - Maxed - earn alternative and unique Dominance experience whenever Dominant is pleasured by Obedientsubject(s)

Praise (Triggered) - Level 1 - Obedient subject(s) receive a +10 boost in both Strength and Vigor for 30 seconds, the Confidence effect is doubled during this duration

>>>

 

“Whoa,” Lukas exclaimed, noticing the boost in Agility, “is your Agility twenty-six?” 

 

Fiona sat up and watched Lukas with amusement, “I guess it worked,” Fiona said, “I’m bonded to you forever, I’m expecting a massive diamond on the ring, by the way.” Fiona laughed and gave a worried Lukas a moderate slap on the shoulder. Lukas sighed in relief.

 

Fiona took a look at her own profile. Her jaw dropped, “Lukas… what did you do?!” Lukas blinked, not knowing if this was joyous excitement or if he was in trouble. Fiona looked at Lukas in disbelief, “Let’s see if this works, come here.” She reached out and grabbed Lukas’ hand, Lukas felt a tingling as a second profile appeared in his mental palette.

 

<<<

Fiona Larksmith

General Class: Rogue

Main Class: Assassin

Level 2

 

Stats:
Strength: 16.1

Agility: 26.1

Mentality: 15.5

Vigor: 12.2 + 10

 

Skills:

Backstab (Passive) - Level 2 - damage is increased by x 1.6 when attacking the back of an opponent

Teleport (Triggered) - Level 1 - Teleport to any combatant enemy of friendly, can choose to teleport behind the combatant, 5 min cooldown

Shifty (Triggered) - Level 1 - Dodge chance increased by x1.5 for the next 3 attacks

 

Bonded Skills:

Cock Worship (Passive) - Level 1 - +10 boost in Vigor, comes with a craving for the Dominant’s cock

>>>

 

Lukas was impressed with Fiona’s sharing trick, he was going to have to learn that. Even with the answer right in her profile, Fiona still asked the question, “Did you seriously just give me a permanent Vigor boost?”

 

“It comes with an interesting side effect, doesn’t it?” Lukas teased.

 

“I haven’t had a chance to show you my oral skills yet, I hope you like teeth.” Fiona chomped her jaw down to accentuate her point.

 

Lukas grimaced at the jest, not liking the mental imagery flashing through his head. “So are you feeling… different?” 

 

Fiona laughed, “Don’t want to stroke your ego, but I already had a lot of natural craving when you pulled that thing out last night. I suppose there’s a little extra desire to get on my knees and feast on that meat stick,” she stared a little too long at his crotch. “I’m hungry,” she stated, not entirely unrelated. 

 

They arose from the bed as midday was approaching, each taking turns washing up and getting ready. After grabbing a bite to eat, they headed off to the training ground, chatting along the way.

 

Fiona was excitedly showing him the limited sites of the town of Tarot, pointing out a tree that had thick branches splitting off the trunk and then spiraling up into the sky in a helix shape. Lukas was introduced to the town yodeler though they had woken up far too late to experience his talents. 

 

As they approached the training grounds, Fiona turned towards Lukas, and said, “You’re lucky I’m not the jealous type. I’m gonna find you lots of bitches to fuck.” 

 

A short chuckle escaped Lukas’ mouth. The fact that Fiona casually switched the conversation from talking about which townspeople had the most chickens to building a harem for Lukas just made him love her that much more. He knew he scored big with her.

 

Lukas looked at Fiona appreciatively, knowing that the topic she abruptly raised did need to be addressed, “I applaud your willingness, but how do we get more ‘bitches’? Sure, we could likely find another girl that is as open as you, but would they be fine joining the existenting dynamic that we have? I mean, you were first, it is a little different. And we ideally want to recruit strong Adventurers, the strongest we can. Adventurers who are dedicated to being the best are usually…” Lukas paused, thinking of a neutral way to describe Gemma, “difficult to work with.”

 

“Good thing I’ve got my pet dominant here to set them straight. Plus, you grant an additional skill with your dick, there’s not many that will say no to that.” She intentionally said it with ambiguity not specifying whether the difficulty would be saying no to the additional skill or the dick.

 

“Pet dominant?! I don’t think you quite understand the relationship here.” Lukas teased.

 

Fiona started getting ready to spar as they had arrived at the training grounds. Lukas decided to finally take care of his skill upgrade.

 

Lukas had been contemplating it for a while, he wasn’t as decisive as Fiona, opting to run many different scenarios in his head to make sure he was comfortable with the route he took. With the unlock of the Praise skill, he saw the most benefit in upgrading his Confidence skill. He wasn’t sure when he would be adding more Bound subjects so he felt it better to wait on the other skills. He mentally nudged Confidence up a level.

 

<<<

Lukas Dameron

General Class: Deviant

Main Class: Dominant

Level 2

 

Stats:
Strength: 22.2

Agility: 20.6 + 2.6

Mentality: 20.1

Vigor: 18.6

 

Skills:

Confidence (Passive) - Level 2 - shrug off 20% of magical damage and effects

Obedience (Triggered) - Level 1 - able to bind others through sexual contract. Dominant will passively receive a 10% boost in the primary trait of the Obedient subject(s)

Corruption (Passive) - Maxed - earn alternative and unique Dominance experience whenever Dominant is pleasured by Obedient subject(s)

Praise (Triggered) - Level 1 - Obedient subject(s) receive a +10 boost in both Strength and Vigor for 30 seconds, the Confidence effect is doubled during this duration

>>>

 

Lukas’ jaw dropped. Sure the base amount had been 10%, but the units of upgrade were also 10%?! That seemed overpowered. What if it went to Level 5? Would he then be immune to magic when he triggered Praise? A lot of rabbit holes appeared in his mind promising lots of future mental exploration. One deep breath later, Lukas was ready to focus on the present.

 

Lukas and Fiona had equipped duller weapons for their practice match. Fiona’s green eyes bore into Lukas and the fiery competitiveness replaced the flirty tease that Lukas had spent the night with. Suddenly she was behind him scoring a hit on his back, Lukas spun around despite the pain and countered. She was quick and hard to hit. After a few minutes of poorly adjusting to her fighting style, Lukas conceded the first match. 

 

“Don’t worry,” Fiona slinked up to Lukas getting close, “you can still be my Dominant.” She stuck her tongue out and placed the tip on his collarbone, she slowly drew a line up his neck up to his ear. “Are you going to punish me sir?”

 

Lukas was fired up, but also too distracted. He made too many clumsy mistakes against her fast and shifty fighting style. He was slowly adapting, but Fiona won the second match as well. Lukas was not deterred though, he had lost thousands of times to Gemma. The next few matches Lukas did much better and started beating Fiona. 

 

He figured out that Fiona was unstoppable the first time you fought her. She was so quick with such a complimentary skillset, you were done before you could catch your balance. But once you catch on to her tricks, she was a little more manageable, still not a cakewalk, but her surprises lost their effectiveness. Lukas made a mental note as it was now his responsibility to keep her safe… forever.

 

Their last round was a no-weapons wrestling brawl. Lukas strength and size overcame Fiona’s speed and deceit. He pinned her to the ground, relentlessly restraining her sweaty, panting body in his arms. Fiona tapped out, “It’s my Agility that is boosting you, I’m really defeating myself.”

 

Lukas smacked her ass and stood, “Weren’t you bragging about the Vigor boost you got from my dick right before we started?” The two laughed as they prepared to head to the bar for dinner.

 

Planning the next few days out, Lukas asks, “It sounds like we should train again tomorrow and then depart for a guild the next day?”

Fiona nodded in agreement. “That’ll work for me. Can Alanna train with us tomorrow? She’s got another year before her Scribing, it would be nice to spend some time with her before I leave.”

 

“Of course,” Lukas agreed. “No teaming up on me, though.”

 

“We are definitely teaming up on you,” the Assassin said playfully. “The redheads are taking you down. Beyond that, how do you feel about the Chimera Guild? I think it’s the closest.”

 

***

Gemma’s perspective

 

Gemma was slowly stalking down an overgrown path in the Mystic Forest in the dead of night. Goosebumps lined her skin as she kept her head on a swivel, something was not right. How did she get here?

 

Gemma had arrived at the Chimera Guild hubspot of Eberlorn, the cold and hostile environment almost warning her to turn back. She naively thought that most adventurers would be friendly, like Cassian. Even Lukas would seem like a sweet old grandma with fresh baked cookies compared to some of the characters she briefly interacted with. She quickly pushed Lukas out of her mind. Thoughts of the runaway Adventurer had already been a thorny distraction during her journey.

 

Gemma sighed as she entered a weapons shop. Maybe things weren’t so bad, the frosty aura in the streets may be partially perpetrated by her. She was aware she was not approachable, the only friend she had was Luk… well, she guessed she didn’t have any friends. It was always difficult for her, trying to guess what conversations interested people and which ones lacked excitement. She was comfortable in silence, always able to find something to do if free time ever arose.

 

Free time, Gemma almost laughed, but her scowl remained unbroken. Free time was no more. Gemma’s strategy was simple, grind more than anyone else.

 

In the shop she searched through the wares. There were some excellent choices, but the price was too hefty. She needed something she could work towards quickly, obtainable to equip before the end of the week. A broadsword with a minor strength boost? Not quite. She sifted over a couple spears and a battle ax before a pickaxe caught her attention. Lifting it off the shelf, she twirled it around, a good amount of weight but still agile enough for her speed. She examined it.

 

<<<

Pickaxe

Uncommon

 

Promotion: get 10% more XP from defeating enemies

>>>

 

She smiled for the first time since arriving in Eberlorn, finding exactly what she was looking for.   Just a couple days of looting in the Mystic Forest and this pickaxe is hers. Having accomplished her objective in the weapon shop, she put the pickaxe back on the shelf, hopefully temporarily, and headed towards the far side of Eberlorn, where the main trail into the Mystic Forest began. 

 

There was decent lodging available to Adventurers for a reasonable price, but Gemma opted to roll out her bedding on the ground not far from the trailhead. Sleeping under the stars was one of Gemma’s secret crutches. When the stress of her training became too much, she would take herself off to someplace quiet and beautiful, like many places in forests near Fernin, and sleep in the open air. It was always enough to clear her head and get back on track. Now here she was, a full fledged Adventurer stargazing at the same sky but from the edge of the Mystic Forest.

 

Waking up early, Gemma quickly packed up her belongings, and set off down the path that led into the dense trees. The Mystic Forest was the heart of Adventurer lore. Lukas regularly talked about the Mystic Forest, she never listened to carefully. She always assumed that Lukas would be with her when they ventured down their first dangerous trails. 

 

That forest itself contained magical creatures, valuable plants, and enthralling puzzles. Human-sized spiders could ambush you on the trail or goblins could slit your throat as you slept. That was just the surface though. The true mystery lies within the mountain crags of the Mystic Forest. A series of caves grants Adventurers access to enchanted caverns. You could make some coin in the forest, but lucrative loot awaits deep within these caves, tempting Adventurers to plunge in and hack their way through to premium rewards.

 

Even with Gemma's strength, she dared not try her luck below the surface without a team to support her. No, for now she was stuck patrolling the outer trails of the forest, collecting valuable items and gaining experience smashing through beasts. So she began running down a fork in the trail, no rest planned until nightfall.

 

After two days of long hours in the Mystic Forest and too much bartering with stingy vendors, the pickaxe from the weapon shop had a new owner. Gemma beamed as she carried it out of the shop. Eberlorn was still a nightmare to navigate all alone, but Gemma had accomplished her first goal. 

 

There was a group of young Adventurers like herself near the shop entrance, she had seen them once or twice. Gemma's loneliness was finally getting to her. She sighed, "Ok Lukas, watch me make some friends," she smirked to herself rebelliously. She walked over, "It would be good for me to know people here," she interrupted. Four pairs of eyes turned towards her, some with evident annoyance showing. Fuck, abort mission.

 

Half of the group were males, one with curly brown hair spoke, "We kind of already have a group," he said gruffly. A girl with short black hair jumped in, "Adam, don't be a fuckwad. My name is Veronica. And if you're here alone then I guess we can help you out a bit." The other three glared at Veronica as if they were trying to force the words back into her mouth.

 

"You look like you could handle yourself in a fight," Veronica continued, ignoring her sneering teammates, "honestly, we might be able to use your muscle tonight."

 

"Veronica! Shut the hell up!" The boy that was not-Adam was fidgeting. Veronica held up her palm to his face, silencing him.

 

"Sorry, they must be a little sensitive about their height, scared I'll replace them with someone taller," Veronica looked Gemma up and down as she winked. "Are you up for a challenge?" 

 

Gemma straightened her posture, "I should be able to keep up with the group," she replied, trying to avoid any hint of arrogance. 

 

Veronica smiled, "Well then, you've passed my interview process and are officially welcome to join us. We'll be going out later tonight, so meet us here at sundown."

 

Gemma considered herself lucky that Veronica was there. Without her intervention, Gemma may have been tossed to the side by the other Adventurers, but now Gemma had a chance to prove herself. It sounded like they had something major in the works. There were just a few hours left before the evening set and Gemma didn't want to head into the forest and risk missing the raiding party, so she decided to tour some other areas of Eberlorn.

 

She was sitting on the steps outside the tavern when she saw a familiar figure briskly walk past. Her heart skipped a beat, Gemma jumped up and chased after him. After rudely bustling through a crowded street where she received many angry glares and some annoyed profanities, she finally reached him. He was tall and well built, brown hair kept at a moderate length. She smiled as she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, "Look who finally decided to stop being such a pussy!" A wispy goatee and sullen cheeks on the face that turned around quickly identified the man as not Lukas.

 

His expression turned sour, "Hey! Get your fucking hands off me!" he snarled.

 

"I'm sorry, I thought you were..." Gemma snapped.

 

"And if you ever call me pussy again, I will take your ass into that tavern during happy hour and pass you around until you are diseased enough to be declared a biohazard" he threatened, not holding back.

 

Gemma just stood there petrified as the unpleasant man angrily stomped off. Fucking Lukas, it's his fault.

 

As the sun neared the horizon, Gemma finally recomposed herself and ventured back to the meeting spot. The others arrived soon after her. "Glad you made it," Veronica reassured her. Just one friendly face in a new world made all the difference.

 

The party of five began walking deeper into the forest, the dimming light of day casting a ominous glow over everything. It was well-known that the Mystic Forest was more dangerous at night. "So," Gemma began, "what is our plan?"

 

The group continued to ignore her as Veronica quickly filled her in. "We've got a possible location on a boss fight that we should be able to handle. We scouted it out last night in the forest and now it's time to reap the rewards." 

 

Gemma nodded, hiding a moderate amount of surprise. This was a big deal to be included, a boss fight would give her a huge XP boost, especially with her new pickaxe. The loot could be significant as well. 

 

Gemma followed along quietly listening to the group's conversation. She caught two more names, Jasper and Mandy, in addition to Adam and Veronica. All four of them were raised in the capital in affluent homes. Wealth could definitely make better gear easier to obtain for Adventurers starting out. Gemma hadn't been able to evaluate their fighting, but they did have nice gear.

 

They finally arrived at a dark clearing and huddled up. Veronica laid out the strategy, “Ok, we need to split up and spread out, let’s get eyes everywhere. Adam, you head that direction?”

 

Adam nodded and silently stalked off into the night.

 

“Uh… new girl, can you take that direction?” Veronica indicated down an overgrown path. Gemma’s heart sank, they didn’t know her name? To be fair, she never told them and it wasn’t like they were an official team yet, but it still weirdly stung. Whatever, she was here to fight, not whine about being forgotten.

 

She started down her assigned path carefully scanning for anything unusual, but something wasn’t sitting right. Didn’t Veronica say that they scouted this area out last night? Why are they then splitting up and… scouting again? She looked over her shoulder at the dark nothingness she had come from. She gripped her pickaxe tightly as goosebumps began to form. How did she get here? Maybe a little bit of misplaced trust.

 

The path she was treading on gradually turned muddy and then mushy. A nasty odor grew stronger and stronger. Then she saw it, across a muggy bog Swamp Witch adorned with mossy robes and worty skin was reeling to engage with her.

 

Swamp Witches were not uncommon, even Gemma knew a little bit. They did require a specific strategy to defeat. The witches have an arsenal of powerful spells to throw at you at the beginning of a fight, but once you burn through their mana, it becomes straightforward to take them down. So the team trying to tackle a Swamp Witch just needed a way to tank all the magical damage until the spells ran dry.

 

The Swamp Witch screeched as she flung a green lightning bolt towards Gemma, Gemma took a big hit flinging her back dropping her HP quickly. She quickly recovered despite the damage and sprinted into a clump of trees trying to find a way to flank the witch. Another spell whizzed over her head as she used her speed to dodge the witch’s attack, Gemma found an opening between trees and charged the witch. She jumped into air and swung her pickaxe ready to deliver a devastating blow as she rocketed towards the enemy. A tree branch suddenly swung out and smacked her midair, slamming her to the ground.

 

Dazed, but not defeated, Gemma snapped back up, but the next spell swirled swamp mud around her, caking her body in disgusting goo. The mud left her unable to move and she felt her HP leaking away. It was time to find an escape. She looked to the edge of the swamp and her face flushed with anger as she spotted four Adventurers hiding behind trees watching the battle unfold. The other three hadn’t wanted to involve her, it was her precious Veronica that enlisted her as unsuspecting live bait.

 

Another spell hit her square, but didn’t do any damage. For a split second, Gemma was confused until her pickaxe shattered in her hands, splinters flying all around her. Gemma’s soul was crushed, tears forming in her eyes. Her prized pickaxe demolished as she fought to escape the mud. The witch then cast a green vapor that hit her nostrils and began clouding her mind and dulling her senses. She was going to die.

 

Finally, her ‘team’ sprung into the battle, the four of them coordinating their attacks and casting spells of their own. The Swamp Witch started taking damage, but her spells were not done. Green lightning flash out and struck Jasper, a tree enveloped Veronica. A fire bolt sizzled across the battlefield and struck Mandy. Adam hacked away at the enchanted tree imprisoning Veronica. The two of them took off into the dark cover of the Mystic Forest. Jasper and Mandy slowly recovered as they began retreating too, dodging a flurry of spells the witch was still firing at them.

 

Gemma tried to make the best use of the distraction and escape the swamp, but she had taken a lot of damage. She was fighting to stay conscious and the witch’s spells were still poisoning her mind. Then she felt a pleasant warmth surrounding her as relief flushed down her spine. Puzzled, she looked around, was someone healing her? Her team was nowhere in sight. 

There! She saw a flash of purple hair disappear as her guardian angel fled the scene. Gemma knew the clock was ticking as the Swamp Witch turned towards her to finish her off. Gemma sprinted out of the swamp dodging another tree branch that took a swing at her.

 

Her lungs burned and she ran full bore for several minutes, she dared not stop. She maneuvered out of the Mystic Forest injured, weaponless, and once again, friendless. For the next several nights, her sleep was plagued by nightmares.

 

***

 

Lukas and Fiona approached Eberlorn, enjoying the peaceful journey together. They had taken their time traveling engaging in… ‘extracurricular’ activities along the way. Strolling down the main street, they were fascinated with the different weapons shops, briefly got a drink at the tavern, and took an introductory peak into the Grand Hall of the Chimera Guild. Folks weren’t blossoming with friendly hospitality, but the pair were still enthralled by being so close to the Mystic Forest. Lukas had spent so much time learning about Adventuring in the forest, it felt dreamlike to walk down the trail to the entrance.

 

A tall, busty figure emerged from the trees in the distance. Lukas squinted and then sighed. He didn’t know if he was ready for this moment. Deep down he knew he wanted to try and salvage his complicated relationship with Gemma. He had no ideas though, she probably won’t even talk to him.

 

The distant figure suddenly broke into a sprint directly towards Lukas.

 

“Lukas?” Her voice called out, “Lukas!” She crossed the distance quickly, throwing her arms around him with tears streaming down her cheeks.

 

About a week ago, Lukas was assigned a farcical class with an almost comical set of skills while he sat across from an elderly man and actively had to avoid talking about sex. That was by far the most unimaginable event that had ever happened in Lukas’ up to that point. Witnessing Gemma running up to him, hugging him, and crying on his shoulder… became a very close second.

 

Bewildered, Lukas wrapped his arms around her and returned her embrace.