Viktoria approached Fero.
"You seem to be a different sort. Thank you for helping. Yesterday and today." Viktoria complemented. Fero looked at her. She was one of the girls that was stuck in the cavern yesterday.
"A pleasure. I don't believe I have the pleasure of knowing your name, though. I'm Fero."
"I heard your name yesterday. I am Viktoria. Vice commander of this expedition."
"OH! I know that name. You're the one they call Victory, aren't you? You're almost as famous as the hero. If you need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask. By the way, Is he always like that?" Fero pondered as he pointed at Jikal.
"He is. At least he is around people he does not care for. The women he surrounds himself with are treated like royalty. You are the berserker on the team, right? Without your weapon, are you even useful to us?" She asked coldly.
"Oh I have many uses. If the blacksmith comes through, I should have a weapon again before the attack." Fero assured her.
She looked at him with uncertainty.
"Just try to make yourself useful for now. That's all I can ask, given the circumstance."
She casually followed after Jikal until they were out of sight. Before long, the call came to begin moving. Jikal and Viktoria strode back up toward the front on a single horse. Fero saw a frown from Jikal directed toward him. Fero showed a smile and winked at him. Jikal turned away in disgust. Fero just laughed. Hira snuck up behind Fero and leaped up on his back once again.
"Are you gonna do this every time we go somewhere, Hira?" Fero asked annoyed.
"Yup. You like the company, don't lie to yourself." She said confidently.
She wrapped her arms closer around his neck. Not so tight as to cause him trouble. Just enough to get cozy with him.
The march continued until night fell again. They spent the night in the open by a large tree. Kasila's tent was nowhere near Fero's this time. She spent some time with him by a campfire outside of his tent though.
"Only one more day and night before the battle. We should be just out of sight of the castle by tomorrow night. That will be the last chance to get some rest. Will you really have a new sword by then?" Kasila asked.
"The smithy said he was sure it should be done by that morning. I can't say for sure but I fear my pay might be severely diminished if I can't fight in the battle." Fero said with a false grin.
"Aneka offered to let me meet the hero tomorrow night. I'm excited. I have so many questions for him." Kasila bragged.
Fero closed his eyes. Almost as if to attempt to shut out any talk of the hero.
Fero's thoughts: 'Of course, she wants to talk about that skilled little dweeb. As long as he is nice to the ones he likes they don't complain? That sounds like a façade. I can't just tell her don't go. Maybe she will see that side of him and stay away.'
"What do you think, Fero?"
He looked at her.
"... The hero, he is good in a fight. I won't deny that. Something about him doesn't sit well with me."
Fero thoughts: 'I won't say more than that.'
"I see. You don't like him?" She sighed.
Kasila's thoughts: 'That's disappointing. I thought he could share a common interest with me. Who doesn't like the hero?'
She stood up and turned away.
"I think I'll head back to my tent and get some rest for tonight. I'll tell you how it went after I meet the hero tomorrow night." Kasila was clearly unimpressed with how Fero talked about the hero.
"Okay, Let me know what you think of him after you meet. Sleep well." Fero tried to be more upbeat, but it was hard to keep his voice in check.
She reluctantly left. Fero's mood shifted.
Fero's thoughts: 'I just wanted to talk to her. But, not about him. I'll just go to bed myself.'
He snuffed out the fire and entered his tent. Hira wandered over to say hi. He was already out for the night. She seriously thought about getting under the covers with him.
Aneka showed up seemingly out of nowhere and whispered, "Hey! Hira, right? Come here. I want to talk to you."
Hira looked around and saw Aneka at the corner of a nearby tent. She curiously followed. She had seen the fox demon around before. Never had she talked to her before.
The next day was like the previous. There was a low-level demon wandering alone. It was dispatched by Kasila on her own. She was showing off what she could do for the hero. Nightfall came and the camp was set up behind a nearby mountain. Just around the corner was the demon-infested castle. There were 10 demons roaming out front. This usually indicated that roughly double that number was inside. The battle would begin at the break of dawn. They swarm at night so the best time to fight is during the day.
Fero took to an early night, but he couldn't sleep. He heard Kasila leave her tent. She didn't bother entering his. He saw her shadow stop at the front of his tent.
"I'm going to see the hero now. I'll talk to you later." She sounded a bit hesitant, but she didn't hesitate to leave without an acknowledgment from Fero.
Fero turned over in his bed. This depressed him more than he already was. His sword was broken, and the girl he loved was going to spend time with someone else on the eve of battle. What else could go wrong? He tried to sleep but it wasn't happening. Fero sat up and got dressed. He decided to check on the progress of his sword. On his way there he heard noise coming from a path into the side of the mountain. He was curious. He walked past the walls of the mountain pass and found what must have been the tent of the hero. It was massive. It could easily sleep twenty people. His camp was set up in a nice little hideaway.
A mass collection of weapons were left outside of the tent. No weapons were permitted in his sleeping place apparently. Fero drew closer quietly. The sounds were moaning. The tent was emanating the sounds and aura of sex. An orgy before the potential loss.
Fero felt his heart hurt. He knew Kasila was in there. Her rapier was outside of the tent. Weapons of at least 10 other people were out here. He recognized a few. Including those of Viktoria, Aneka, and Stepha. Even Hira's daggers were here.