"So far... and yet so very near, can the chains of fate be solved; or will they crumble."
~~~
Out in the great desert, the place of whirling storms; and thick skulled beasts... lies an unlikely trio of 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴. Now, just because two of them haven't saved anyone out of the three; doesn't mean they aren't heroes... It only means they're not very good heroes.
But while the two bicker, the third... she ruminates of existence; and ponders the ancient magics needed to fashion some earplugs from runic yew. Why runic yew, well because they arrived at an oasis... an oasis filled of runic yew trees.
Although in truth, a creature much more sinister in nature sowed the blighted seed, an ancient heart shard of a fallen divinity.
"Fuck... you Clarence, you'd think being undead would save one from getting a headache, because our brains have all but rotted away; but you'd be wrong." Grumbled Auden while trying to slow his speech to maintain calm tranquility.
"Hey!" "No swearing Auden, It's the one thing I'll not put up with, so either shut your mouth; or stop cursing!" Snapped Imogen as she watched Auden suddenly slide away from the very sweaty Clarence, and over to her.
"Sorry mistress... although my past life as a human is much forgotten, there are some traits I've yet to lose." Apologised Auden while picking up a stick, and watching as the subtle runic patterns hid from view.
"It's fine... just don't do it again, and we'll all be dandy, well; at least not around me." Yawned Imogen as she looked around for a good place to set up camp for the night, sleep was one thing she'd neglected during her travels.
*𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: You've saved the one known as Clarence, and renewed the bond with your servant; Auden before he could cause any real havoc - You earn the title Benignant Mistress
*𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: You've shown that you have enough kindness within you to actually care about another creature's well being, how impressive - Bestow +5 DEF to any living creature within 3 meter radius of you
"Great... I got absolutely nothing out of that, your rewards keep on getting better, and better system." Jested Imogen while trying to pry her eyes open to at least find a decent spot to rest before clonking out.
"Hold still mistress, the native wildlife doesn't seem to appreciate our presence; that monkey looks like it's about to pounce." Cautioned Auden as he held his hand out in front of Imogen, and walked forward.
"I'm perfectly capable of killing the creature myself should it attack, in fact; I'd like it better that way... it'd make great target practice!" Exhorted Imogen while watching Auden emotionlessly freeze the monkey, making it fall forward; and shatter on the soft mud below.
"I already killed it my lady, you mustn't tarnish your blade with the blood of such lowly creatures; they don't deserve your majesty." Chuckled Auden as he brushed the monkey's fragmented corpse aside, and off the beaten path.
"Really Auden... didn't I already tell you to stop talking like that, it gives me a headache." Groaned Imogen while picking up a piece of the frozen monkey, and eating it like an ice cube.
"Sorry mistress, it comes naturally; most times I don't even realize I'm talking like that myself." Smiled Auden as he moved a bit away from the glaring Imogen, hoping to shy away from her growing ire.
"Clarence my friend, wouldn't you like to have a chat with your dear mistress Imogen; you haven't talked to her in ages." Cajoled Auden while slowing down to match Clarence's zombie-like walk.
"I've got two words for you Auden, frick; and off." Growled Clarence as he wiped an endless ocean of sweat off his forehead, only for it to be replaced soon after.
"It looks like you're in no position to be making such rude comments, if I were you; I'd watch your mouth." Snarled Auden while stabbing a gliding monkey in the heart, killing it instantly.
"SHUT UP!" Thundered Imogen as all the monkeys in the area fled from the treetops, and the birds flew off.
"Your constant bickering... yours especially Auden, is driving me up the godarn wall; can't you at least be quiet until we find somewhere to set up camp for the night!" Bellowed Imogen while pointing her halberd at Auden, before shifting it to Clarence.
"My patience is thin, very thin, that means there's only a small amount of crap I can take before heads get split." Fumed Imogen as she glared at Auden one last time before sheathing Execratus in the holster hanging behind her back.
"Well someone's a bit cranky when they're tired, don't you agree Clarence?" Questioned Auden while pushing the enervated Clarence forward a few feet in front of him.
"No... this is your fault Auden, deal with it." Frowned Clarence as he fell face first into the muddy sea below, completely exhausted; and unable to stand.
"You're carrying him Auden, he's YOUR responsibility for the night; make sure he doesn't die." Scowled Imogen while taking an unexpectedly sharp right turn, giving Auden the middle finger before completely vanishing into the moonlit forest.
"No... please Denair no, why must the gods plight me so!" Cried Auden as he tried to follow Imogen's trail, only to end up right where he was before.
"What am I to do, I can't protect people; I've already failed so many times before!" Despaired Auden while abruptly feeling a sharp object poke him in the head, immediately awakening him from the world of dreams he resided in.
"Get up Auden... it's morning; and we have a lot of ground to cover before nightfall." Insisted Imogen as she moved her halberd away from Auden, and stretched out her limbs some.
Imogen pointed at a small body of water, large enough not to be called a pond; but still small enough that one couldn't call it a lake... a lagoon fits best.
"There's water, if you need to clean your gear... Clarence already helped me clean mine while you slept, so you better hurry up if your tools are in need of a desperate cleansing." Laughed Imogen while helping Auden up, and sheathing the mostly pristine Execratus.
"No thanks, I think I'll be fine, I've already enchanted my tools to never rust... so there's not much of a point in cleaning them." Gainsaid Auden as he tried to blink a few times before remembering that he doesn't have any eyes to blink with.
"Well you make things easy Auden, let's go then, Clarence has already agreed to carry some of that weird yew wood; so we don't have to worry about missing a valuable opportunity here... he said it was great for carving." Chortled Imogen while signalling to Clarence that they were leaving, causing him to run a bit faster than he'd like.
Clarence was still somewhat tired from last night's trek, and his reflexes weren't the best, causing him to put in twice as much effort for just a simple jog; much to his dismay.
"Clarence!" "Watch out!" Shouted Imogen as a giant sea worm arose from the water, and spat out some sort of slimy goop that immobilized Clarence before eating him whole.
~~~
The fire'll warm you up boy, make sure you're plenty warm before reminding us to leave; we wouldn't want you to get sick now." Twinkled Craigen while patting the shaking Rebellious One on the shoulder, and handing him a mug of hot tea.
"This'll be sure to warm you up, just make sure not to burn yourself by being too hasty; I'm sure it'll hurt more than usual with you being so cold." Suspired Craigen as he gave The Rebellious One a spoon before walking towards the door.
"Well... I got to go, the others reserved me a spot at the card tables, wouldn't want to keep them waiting now would I... make sure to get well soon, son." Muttered Craigen before opening the door, and leaving the warm lodge all to The Rebellious One.
~~~
"I just received reports that the town of Karden in the Lofty Mirage region of The Great Desert Of Tanvene was recently liberated from a pseudo fourth evolution Lord Serpent, the town I'd brought up before during our last meeting." Informed Elora while walking up to the queen, and handing her some mint tea.
"Oh really... Well that's a relief, now we can focus more on the war, and helping other towns in peril without worrying about the Lord Serpent getting complacent; who did the deed?" Inquired the queen as she sipped the newly arrived tea, and put down her book.
"The individual in question is unknown, but it is said that they are female, and can teleport using a blue door... am I reading this right?" Blinked Elora while reading the paper over again before sighing.
"Well... that's what it says at least, I don't know how accurate the citizens were; or how drunk the questionnaires were." Affirmed Elora as she put down the paper, and walked towards the queen.
"You always inform me about the most interesting things Elora... that's why I like you so much, my other guardians talk about nothing save the war; but what about the citizens I think as they yammer." Sighed the queen while getting up, and smiling at Elora.
"You seem to actually care about the common folk... you've got a good heart Elora, the world's going good with people like you." Announced the queen as she handed Elora an ancient relic that glowed under the moonlight's glow.