"You think there will be any good looking women? I know the last bunch had a few. Had a little fun with a couple of them." Bart said as their group headed towards the next place on their list.
Eric turned away from the man in disgust, but he didn't say anything. He was a hypocrite in truth, as what they did for a living didn't really burden his thoughts too much, however, even he drew the line where his comrades did not. He wasn't a rapist, nor did he think beating people into submission was the right course of action either. Still, he, as well as everyone with him all got paid to raid villages and small towns, enslaving as many people as they could to sell them to the highest bidder.
In the end, Eric could look the other way as long as his pockets and belly were reasonably full. The town finally came into view, and the men all hooted and hollered, many looking far too excited than they should be.
"Don't think about it. They aren't your friends, and they aren't your family. Out of sight, out of mind." Eric said to himself, marching along with his cohorts towards Greenridge.
Dex scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling rather itchy. Itnwas probably nothing, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. He shook his head and smiled as he noticed Henry walking with a bounce in his step, looking happy and content. Jess grinned all the while, and in the bright sunlight, Dex was actually left a little speechless.
He wasn't blind, as he had already noticed that Jess was cute before, but as the light shone down, reflecting off of her strawberry blonde hair, she was more than just cute. She was absolutely gorgeous. Dex shook his head as he tried to dispell those thoughts, feeling sick to his stomach as he felt it was a betrayal to his wives, but was it really? If his dreams and the whispered words were actually real, isn't this what they wanted? For him to continue on and find love once again? It was far too early for that, but with a woman this beautiful, and with her family accepting him as openly as they did, the possibility wasn't lost on him.
"We're here." Jess said, bringing him out of his thoughts.
Dex looked to see a familiar man tanning the hide of a beast.
"Little Jessica, young Henry, it's good to see you two." Will said, then his gaze landed on Dex and he stiffled a laugh.
"Dex, good to see you fitting in nicely with the family, although... you definitely do not fit into those clothes."
Dex actually chuckled.
"They are a nice family, and Frank even let me borrow some clothes. As you can tell, I'm in need of some new ones. You sell clothes?" Dex asked.
"Me? No." Will answered, then jabbed a thumb at the small building behind him, "My wife and daughter, yes. They are both inside. I'm sure Little Jessica would love to see my Renna."
Jess's cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.
"I'm almost 21, Mr. Saunders. I haven't been little in a while." Jess answered, earning a chuckle from Will.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm quite old. You're all still little to me." Will said, smiling warmly.
Jess rolled her eyes, but returned the smile.
"Come on Dex, lets go inside. You can meet Mrs. Saunders and my friend Renna. It's always nice to see you, Mr. Saunders." She said, giving a polite smile.
"Good to see you too, dear. And you as well Dex. And please, find some clothes that fit." Will said, and Dex snorted, giving the man a nod.
"Henry! We are going inside now." Jess called out.
Henry was a little ways away, talking to another little boy and girl. Dex assumed they were his friends, and upon seeing the adult man and woman with them, Jess just shook her head and motioned Dex inside.
"Come on. Let him spend time with his friends." She told him, and he nodded and followed her inside.
Outside the walls of Greenridge:
Frank and Ray began their short trek back to town, and while small, they did get what they were looking for. 3 rabbits and 1 deer was not much, but it was enough for their needs. This was a daily routine for Frank most of the time, so they never really struggled in terms of food. It helped him clear his mind, as well as provide for his dear children.
His mind drifted to the troubled young man he found only yesterday. He liked Dex, troubled as he was, and he still hoped to hear the full scope of his story one day. He always had an intuition about people, and sometimes it was to the point that he wondered if it was a skill or ability. He had never cultivated magic, but he knew enough to know that mana existed in everything, so that possibly wasn't completely off the table. He just knew that Dex was a good man, but he also knew that something ailed him, and it was something terrible.
"Frank." Ray whispered.
Frank turned to him and opened his mouth to respond, but Ray covered his mouth, signaling him to not say anything. He then pointed towards the distance a little ways from town. Frank looked over and was shocked by what he saw.
A large group of people were walking through the brush towards town, and Frank immediately new that something was not right. His intuition had never steered him wrong before, and when he looked upon this group of what looked like common thugs, he sensed nothing but ill intent from them.
"My children." Frank said, panic evident in his voice.
"They haven't seen us yet, but they look like trouble. We can make it back before they do, but we have to hurry." Ray said, and Frank nodded rapidly.
They dropped the days haul and made a mad dash towards town. Frank's heart and mind raced, but determination was set in his mind. He would protect his children at all costs, and from the feeling he got when he looked at these people, he sensed nothing but ill will.
"Ornium protect them." Frank said as they sprinted back to town.
Dex and Jess walked into the quaint little shop, and it was small. Clothes of all shapes and sizes hung from racks on the walls. Shirts, pants, shoes and the like were perfectly displayed, and Dex was honestly impressed at the quality of clothes on display from a small little place like this.
They walked towards the front counter where an older, but admittly pretty woman was in the process of knitting what looked to be socks.
"Hi Mrs. Saunders!" Jess exclaimed, happiness clear in her tone.
"Damn. Good job, Will." Dex said, nodding in appreciation.
The woman looked up, and a huge smile appeared on her face. She practically skipped around the counter to embrace Jess in a huge hug.
"It's always good to see you, Jessica." Mrs. Saunders said, stroking the back of Jess's head.
A squeal of glee came only a moment later.
"Jessie!" A voice said, and when Dex turned to look at the source of the new voice, he was taken aback, his breath catching slightly.
Out of all of the possibilities that ran through his head, Renna being an attractive woman around Jess's age was one of them. That assumption turned out to be correct, with a face of remarkable proportion, and curves that rivaled if not trumped Jess's own, at least as far as her chest was concerned.
However, a human girl was what he expected to see, not a catkin girl with sharp yellow eyes, adorable fluffy ears, and a huge bushy tail that swayed behind her with obvious excitement. The cat girl, Renna, darted forward and nearly bowled Jess over, the two of them laughing and giggling as they embraced another with affection.
"How have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks." Renna asked, squeezing Jess tighter, causing her chuckle to turn into a small squeek.
"Just been busy around the house. And Henry is a handful." Jess replied.
The two separated, and the two grinned at each other the way only best friends could.
"My my, and who is this handsome young man?" Mrs. Saunders asked, addressing Dex.
This also caused Renna to glace over at Dex, and when she saw him, her face flushed a deep crimson. She had seen good looking men before, handsome even, but to her eyes, Dex was something different. A tickle in the back of her mind told her that this man had strength, but that was the extent of her abilities.
Beings that could effectively use mana could sense the power in another, and while she could sense that he had power, her usage of mana was limited, thus she couldn't gleam anything more than just a feeling. Still, seeing a man that was this good looking on top of her limited senses of his prowess was enough to send a shiver up her spine, and make her fluffy ears twitch.
Jess could only laugh at their reactions to Dex, and she introduced him.
"Renna, Mrs. Saunders, this is Dex. My dad helped him the other day, and we are giving him a place to stay for a while. He's very mysterious, but he's really nice." She said, smiling at him.
"It's nice to meet you both." Dex said, giving a polite nod.
Renna's tail began swishing furiously.
"Of course he also has a deep and sexy voice." She thought.
"Well, if Jessica says you are alright, then you are. I feel old when people call me by my last name, so please, call me Maria." Mrs. Saunders told him, and as she smiled at him, he was brought back to the past.
His own mother had the kindest and most beautiful smile he'd ever seen, and now, he saw that reflected in Maria.
"I, um... hi." Renna said sheepishly, and Jess and her mother raised an eyebrow at her.
Dex just waved at her. She felt fairly light-headed after that.
"And where is Henry?" Maria asked.
"He's outside with Ben and Kellian." Jess answered.
"We should go see them!" Renna blurted out, and once again, Jess raised an eyebrow.
"Are you doing okay?" Jess asked her, and Renna nodded furiously.
Renna nearly dragged Jess out of the shop, Jess protesting all the while. Strange girl, but she was cute. Dex turned back to Maria.
"She's a nice girl. But how...?" Dex said, but stopped himself upon realizing what he was about to say.
Maria just gave him a smile.
"My husband and I are very lucky. We tried to conceive a child for so long, yet it was not to be. We had almost given up hope, and then, one day, as my husband and I were out gathering food and materials, there she was. A beautiful, baby girl with the cutest ears I'd ever seen was just laid down next to a tree. We looked around the area for at least an hour, but could find no sign of who or what might have left her there. So, we made a choice, feeling that it was a sign from Ornium himself. We love her so much." Maria said, looking misty eyed as she spoke of Renna.
"Everyone here really is kind. I'm glad that things worked out for you both." Dex said, and he genuinely meant that
Maria smiled, before speaking again.
"Anyways, I'm sure you didn't come here just to talk to an old lady. Young man, I must say, those clothes are many sizes too small you." She said, grinning at him.
Dex grimaced but nodded. His whole body felt like it was being squeezed, as if the borrowed clothes would rip off of him at any moment. She laughed and gestured for him to follow her into the back.
"Come, Dex, I'll measure you and find you something nice to wear." Maria said, and with that, he followed her into the back, and he was excited to be rid of these damned clothes.
"Renna, what's the deal?" Jess asked her friend as she was dragged out of the store.
Renna was a bit stronger than most humans of her size, and had no problem pulling the girl along with her. Seeing Henry was just an excuse to get Jess outside, as she needed to know more about this man, this Dex. Something immediately drew her to her to him like no one ever had before, and her heart finally stopped beating out of her chest as they went outside.
Renna's father waved at them as they passed, and they went a little ways around the corner of her parents shop. Once they were alone, Jess looked baffled.
"Renna, what the hell is up with you right now?" She asked the cat girl.
"How close are you to this man?" Renna asked, not even trying to be subtle.
Jess looked confused for only a second before her cheeks took on a deep pink hue.
"What??? I've only known him for one day. I think we are friends but...um..." Jess said, but paused as Renna's eyes became hopeful.
"Do you like him?" Renna asked, and Jess's pink cheeks were red with the threat of steaming.
"Renna! What the hell?" Jess bellowed, the embarrassment threatening to overwhelm her.
Renna was about to ask even more questions, but that's when they heard loud voices. The two immediately knew the originators of ths voices, each one beloning to each of their fathers, but Frank sounded troubled. Unable to hide their curiosity, they put their conversation on hold, and in Jess's case, she reallt hoped that Renna would let it go, but she wasn't holding much hope as far as that was concerned.
The pair made their way towards the front of the shop, and when the two fathers laid eyes upon their daughters, both men looked relieved. Henry was also with Frank, and he looked confused, and little upset that he was torn away from his friends.
"There you are!" Frank shouted, running to his daughter.
"Dad, what's going on? You look worried." Jess said, and her dad looked stressed and a little fearful.
"Ray and I were out hunting, and as we were heading back, we seen a large group of people heading this way. I have a really bad feeling about them." He said, and Jess felt her blood run cold.
Her father had never lied to her before, so she believed him that people were approaching town. On top of that, he had a sense about these things that never failed him before. If he said they were dangerous, then they were.
"We need to-" Her father said, but a sudden shout, followed by a scream cut him off.
They looked towards the noise, and once they saw the scene that was unfolding, every one of them froze. A huge, burly man, with arms the size of tree trunks had a fistful of a young woman's hair, and she screamed, kicked and bucked, trying to get free.
"This one will be fun." He said, a comically evil grin on his face.
Men by the dozens bagan pouring into town, and with their arrival came more sounds of distress, sobs and wails. Many women were taken from their homes, away from their families and spouses, and anyone who tried to fight back ended up a bloody mess on the ground. They seemed to be making a point of not killing anyone, but they had no qualms about roughing people up.
"Daddy, I'm scared." Henry whimpered, and the other two girls shared in that sentiment.
"Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you." Frank said, although that might have been bravado just to give his children some sense of calm.
Renna and Jess cowered behind their fathers, as Will had already gotten up and brandished a huge iron hammer. He used it to hammer armor into shape, but he was quite certain it would be just as good for smashing some heads.
They group tried to slink away to avoid attention, but it was for naught.
"Hey, look at these beautys." A rough voice said, and the voice was much closer than they were comfortable with.
The group turned around as one, and they were met with a large, bear of a man, with multiple scars on his face. The two fathers didn't miss the disgusting look in his eyes as he beheld their daughters, and it made them both want to vomit.
"Oh, I'll be having a lot of fun later today. Why don't you old men stand aside, and take the runt with you. We'll deal with you all later. I'll take these two lovely ladies off of your hands. I can barely contain myself." The man said, eyeing Renna and Jess like slabs of meat.
Frank drew the shortsword off of his hip, and stood between him and the two girls, and Will joined him.
"You will NOT be taking them!" Frank shouted, readying a battle stance.
"Over my dead body." Will said, fullly aware of his phrasing, but he didn't care. Nothing and no one would do to his little girl what he knew this man wanted to do, no matter the cost.
The big man just grinned.
"Oh, you'll wish you were dead when I'm done with you." He said, taking a behemoth of a club off of his back.
Both fathers gulped audibly, but they didn't back down. This was their duty as parents. To protect their children.
"Now, that is much better, and I must say, you look quite dashing." Maria said as she inspected Dex in his new attire.
Currently he wore a nice cloth t-shirt, tight but not constricting denim pants, and a simple pair of ankle high boots, and as requested, in all black. Dex observed himself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.
"Thank you, Maria. It feels nice to wear clothes that fit." Dex told her, and she gave him a bright smile.
"I am sending you along with 5 more pairs of each attire. Frank already stopped by and paid for your clothes before he left, so there is no charge." Maria told him.
Frank really was a kind and generous man, and Dex would do his utmost to repay him. To repay everyone. Dex continued to check himself out in the mirror, and then, a pit formed in his stomach.
"Something isn't right." He said, and his thoughts were made manifest only a second later.
Screams, many, many screams. Cries of pain, shouts of rage, and cackling. Disgusting and evil cackling. Maria instantly looked alarmed, and fear etched her facial features.
"What the hell is going on??" Dex yelled, feeling panicked for the first time in a while.
Then, Maria and Dex's faces fell as they both recognized a pair of screams from the sounds of their voice. Dex knew the sound of Jess's voice, as no doubt did Maria, but the look of pain and fury on her face at hearing Renna's screams drove her to action immediately. She began to rush towards the door when it suddenly opened, and then she realized that Dex, who was right in front of her mere moments before, was already there. She didn't even have time to blink.
"What?" She asked, not even seeing him move.
Dex wore of face of pure rage as he flung the front door open. There would be hell to pay if anyone hurt his friends.