#foumedo

[demigodforfend]

Twilight of the Demigods: Forfend Edition - Session 25

Forfend hummed to itself as they descended ever lower.

It tried to keep its gaze on River, but the glowing emeralds almost seemed to call to it. It took care not to stare into them, but it chanced glances from time to time.

Overhead, light filtered and defracted through the green stalactites, creating a startling effect. If Forfend watched for more than a moment, it felt as though it could see clouds sailing softly from crystal to crystal. As though the cavern ceiling was nearly translucent and a faint display of the sky was visible above.

They were deep underground. Weren't they?

Emerald dragons were known for trickery though. Any number of illusions could be causing the effect.

Forfend settled for appreciating the beautiful unexplainability of it all.

The path wound onward and treasure began to dot the cave floor between emerald stalagmites.

Some of the treasures were chests of gold and jewels or ancient suits of armors. Others were items that seemed more sentimental such as old furniture and sewn dolls.

Soon, they entered a pathway lined with floor-to-ceiling murals. Statues, professional artworks, and even chunks of preserved architecture filled the floorspace.

Melzaryn lit up at the ancient geometric terracotta structures. He inspected them all in turn.

Forfend observed the murals. They hadn't been painted on the cave walls. They'd been removed wholesale from their places of origin and installed here. Forfend couldn't image the work it would take to do that without damaging the art.

All of the murals were painted with charcoal and plant dyes. The first one was rough, as though it was done hastily or with less than ideal materials.

That didn't stop it from being impactful. It depicted the very sky falling from a flaming mass above and flattening a mountain range.

The next mural showed people literally rising from the ashes. They joined hands, cared for one another, and some of them seemed to be beginning to build things.

Another depiction showed them conversing with the land itself. They spoke with animals, but also rocks and plantlife. All of these beings worked together, shaping the earth around them.

Forfend recognized the adamantine beetles particularly. They worked diligently alongside the people.

The next mural was startling by comparison. Large monstrosities with too many limbs or too many heads attacked the people. Manticores and hoards of orcs, ogres, and goblins raided the people's homes.

But onward down the hall, yet another mural depicted salvation.

Four elegant, winged creatures descended from the sky and breathed what seemed to be powerful gusts of wind that whisked away the horrible monsters.

The last mural in the line showed the creatures encircling the people as they rebuilt and improved their works in harmony with the earth itself. The creatures protected them and became a part of their lives.

Forfend wanted to ask if this was the tale of the Genasi and their dragon guardians, but River seemed intensely focused on moving forward.

It hummed to itself.

Melzaryn's steps faltered mid-stride as the group approached a particular set of statues. These seemed to have been carved by wind and rain. Not a tool had ever been taken to them, despite their levels of sharp detail.

Many of them resembled earth genasi. Some were dragons. Some were a combination of dragons and genasi working side by side.

Tapestries began to line the wall in place of the enormous murals. Their colors were bathed strangely in the emerald green light of the translucent sky. Whatever stories they told were too abstract for Forfend to catch their meaning.

Finally, they entered a large chamber.

Wealth lined the walls and floor, but it was hardly the main feature here.

No, the main feature certainly was the entire village that seemed to have been magically transported into this place in one fell swoop.

Many of the buildings here were also weathered into shape rather than built or carved.

The village seemed ancient in make. And it wasn't uninhabited.

Elderly genasi and very young genasi both roamed the streets.

Forfend realized they were protecting their most vulnerable. Those old enough and abled enough to fight were the ones on the surface looking to make change. The rest stayed here where it was safe.

The genasi villagers watched them come through with wide, curious eyes.

River led them to the mouth of a new corridor and bowed in front of a pile of stones and emeralds that seemed to glow with a sort of power.

He spoke what Forfend assumed to be the native genasi language, his voice like cracking stone and growing vines and burrowing roots.

The formation of rock and gem shuddered and pulled itself together. Roots wove through it to hold its form in place. It rose up, taking shape as an earth elemental towering over even Forfend and River.

The elemental responded to River with a sound like flowering branches and distant earthquakes.

River answered in kind and bowed his head respectfully. He turned back to the group and gestured to the elemental.

"This is Ko'Dan," he introduced. "He's an earth elemental, guardian of the village and of the Slumbering Dragon, Ry'Ha'Dach."

Forfend ducked its head politely to Ko'Dan.

"Unfortunately," River continued, "I will not be able to enter the chamber with you, given the information you've given us about Ry'Ha'Dach's current state and what is causing it. You will enter and Ko'Dan will seal the door behind you. You will not be able to leave until the ailment is resolved."

River studied their faces seriously.

"Lovely." Melzaryn smiled in his inscrutable way.

Kairi nodded, a fiercely determined look on her face.

Forfend tilted its chin up, acknowledging the danger and rousing its confidence in its center. "Alright."

Ko'Dan knelt down in front of Forfend and tilted its head back and forth quizzically. It reached out slowly with one of its massive hands. Fingers of twisted vine and emerald jewel brushed gently against its runic face.

Ko'Dan made a sound like grass swaying in a summer breeze.

It prodded gently at Forfend's chest and sides.

The grumbles of an avalanche ended in the snap of twigs.

River cleared his throat to translate. "He says, 'Curious. Where are you from?'"

Forfend hummed, considering the best way to answer the true base of the question. "Originally, Fornax's Forge," it decided. "Somewhere near the Adamantine Mountains, I think I have figured out."

"According to Ko'Dan, you are not of elemental nature," River said.

"No. I am not," it confirmed.

Ko'Dan rumbled like a jungle waterfall and stood back up. He lumbered to the corridor and gestured to it with his full body.

Forfend straightened its back and strode forward.

Kairi slid from her adamantine beetle's shell and pat the beast on the side of its face. "It's alright, Wisteria."

The beetle—Wisteria, Forfend presumed—was hunkered low to the ground. It chittered quietly.

Kairi followed Forfend and Wisteria followed her.

Melzaryn ambled casually along right on their heels.

Ko'Dan's steps thundered off the walls as he took a few steps into the corridor. He stretched his arms wide and gripped either side of the stone walls. Rock slid free of the walls effortlessly as it pulled its hands together, closing off the corridor as easily as if it had been a sliding door.

The resounding thud and sudden plunge into pitch darkness created a firm finality. An ultimatum hung in the air. They were trapped. Either they succeeded or they died.

Forfend cast Light, the runes of its shield illuminating the path ahead.

They walked.

The sounds of their footfalls echoing off the walls changed pitch as they eventually entered a wider cavern.

Blinding green light suddenly burst into being.

Forfend dashed its Light and shielded its face from the brilliant onslaught.

Slowly, its vision adjusted. It shook its head and peered over the top of its shield.

A massive obsidian dais rose up in the center of the room. Upon the top of it slumbered the great emerald dragon, Ry'Ha'Dach himself.

All around the sprawling cavern were piles upon piles of gold and jewels so high they could've buried half the houses in Cragwall.

Forfend whistled like a kettle.

Statues, overflowing chests, thrones, crowns, and assortments of a thousand other kinds of treasures adorned every available space.

Statues occasionally loomed up out of the mounds of gold.

Four particularly enormous statues were stationed in each corner like guardians.

Ry'Ha'Dach snored softly. Glimmers of illusion magic shimmered over him, not unlike the strange translucence of the cave ceilings.

One moment he seemed to be a gold dragon, then red, then silver, then he disappeared altogether just to fade back into existence a second later. His true vibrant emerald showed through only in the brief glimpses between shifting illusions. It was as though the magic couldn't settle.

Forfend tilted its head.

Was Ry'Ha'Dach dreaming?

It watched him closely for a moment, awestruck and curious.

His sleep seemed disturbed. His claws twitched occasionally. His tail lashed. A snarl curled his lips before dropping back to uneasy blankness.

The magic layered over him, by contrast, pictured dragons sleeping calmly, as though Ry'Ha'Dach knew what he wanted from his rest and was subconsciously trying to project it into being.

Beneath the illusions was always the same pulsing blue. A mass of the sickly color was gathered in the dragon's chest, undulating through his veins with every beat of his heart.

That's what was causing his uneasy sleep, Forfend was well certain.

"I know he's sleeping and it's never nice to be unexpectedly woken up," Melzaryn mused, "but it's probably best to introduce ourselves before an operation."

"I was thinking the same," Forfend hummed. "Though..." Forfend gestured up at the enormous adult dragon slumbering high above them on his pedestal. It recalled Erzor saying his behavior was erratic, even dangerous lately. "Well, I hope he is friendly," it sighed like hissing steam.

"I hope my first real interaction with a dragon goes well," Melzaryn nodded.

Kairi gripped her staff as she watched Ry'Ha'Dach huff in his sleep. "The only emotion on him at all is sadness. A lot of it."

Forfend assumed that was due to the Calamity Crystal's influence.

Wisteria chittered and clicked. It hunkered as low as it could and stuck to Kairi's back.

Forfend was feeling similarly disconcerted, but there was work to be done.

"I speak Draconic. I could say hello," Melzaryn offered.

"That is a decent start," Forfend accepted.

Melzaryn started forward.

Forfend and Kairi followed, but Wisteria remained firmly where it was.

Kairi didn't try to call to it. She let it be.

They began a careful ascent up the obsidian dais.

"I think you should be very, very nice to the dragon," Kairi whispered.

"Agreed. I suggest reverence and politeness," Forfend seconded.

"We'll open with an unsure hello and if we get a response, we'll introduce ourselves as politely as possible," Melzaryn decided.

They stepped up onto the top of the platform and all of them stayed huddled near the edge.

Up close, the difference in size between them and Ry'Ha'Dach was exceptionally stark. It would take little effort for him to maim or kill them with his weight alone, much less his slew of natural weapons.

Melzaryn took a half step forward and spoke a single word in a gravelly, gutteral language Forfend presumed to be Draconic.

Ry'Ha'Dach flinched. His ears perked up. Slowly, he mulled his head up and appraised the lot of them.

The blue pulse in his chest picked up, matching his waking heart rate.

He yawned, but it devolved into a mournful groan.

"Guests? Travelers. Welcome," rang a gentle, breathy voice in Forfend's mind.

By the look Melzaryn and Kairi both wore, Forfend guessed they'd heard it as well.

"That seems painful," Melzaryn noted in Common, pointing at the wretched blue light. "I'll make this a little faster than I planned. We're here to try to help you with that issue. Is that okay?"

"I see," Ry'Ha'Dach's wispy voice sulked through Forfend's mind. One of his claws touched near the mass of blue in his chest. "Try, if you must, but I do not wish to see another kind person fall trying to save me."

"We'll be extra careful," Melzaryn promised. "One of us has picked up one of those before. It should be okay," he hazarded.

"What makes you different from the others?" Ry'Ha'Dach asked. "All the genasi, the arcanists, the travelers that have come here thinking they could save me have perished or turned to monsters that I've had to slay."

Forfend could physically feel the quivering heartbreak in his words.

"What makes you so sure you will succeed?" Ry'Ha'Dach tilted his head ever so slightly.

Melzaryn looked to Forfend and Kairi, a question in his eyes.

Both of them nodded at the same time.

"The three of us are demigods," Melzaryn answered honestly. "We have some level of resistance to that thing in your chest."

"Demigods," Ry'Ha'Dach rasped aloud with a voice far more rusty and worn than the one he projected into their thoughts. His eyes widened.

"Do you know the thief? The thought taker?" The words were spoken aloud as well as telepathically. The tone in Forfend's mind was far clearer than what the dragon could manage with his physical voice. And that tone was startled anger.

Melzaryn shook his head, perplexed. "I don't think that we do? Either of you know?"

Forfend shook its head immediately.

"No," Kairi said.

Ry'Ha'Dach slowly settled back down. "Fine then," he responded only in their minds. "Be warned: if this does not go smoothly, the gem will react negatively."

"Is that more of a problem for us, for you, or both?" Melzaryn questioned.

"For you," Ry'Ha'Dach replied grimly.

"Okay, good. That makes me feel better." Melzaryn cast his inscrutable smile.

"Approach, brave guests," Ry'Ha'Dach granted.

He shifted onto his side, laying his head down and lifting his wing up to give them easy access to his exposed chest.

Pebbles began to tumble nervously in Forfend's own chest as it observed the wound. It stepped forward and placed a tentative hand on Ry'Ha'Dach's sleek scales.

Melzaryn leaned in as well, scrutinizing the situation.

The shard was remarkably visible despite its depth within Ry'Ha'Dach's flesh. It was slightly larger than the others they'd dealt with and embedded in the head of an arrow.

"Cruel," Melzaryn muttered under his breath. "Effective, but cruel."

The scales were misshapen and overlapping as they tried to grow over the wound. The flesh had closed in tight around the arrowhead as well. The injury was so old the skin didn't bother to be irritated any longer. The wooden shaft of the arrow had crumbled away with time.

Melzaryn circled careful fingers through the air just over what little remained of the brittle wood. A small wedge of the metal protruded out of the wound and could likely be grabbed.

"Metal should be intact enough for us to touch, but it's close enough to the crystal that it's dangerous," Melzaryn observed. "The crystal is part of the arrowhead. We should assume the power will resonate through it. Don't touch it barehanded."

Forfend nodded.

"The scales are misshapen. Something about the crystal is stopping them from closing the wound," Forfend hummed. It pointed out scales curving outward as though the shard were pushing them away. "The flesh has healed tightly around it, but it should still be malleable. With the right tool, I may be able to extract it without causing much damage to the skin or scales."

"What tool would that be?" Melzaryn asked. He flipped through his spellbook.

Forfend touched its runic face, considering all the tools it had used in ages past. "Something long and thin, but strong and sturdy. It will need to grip like tongs. A curved tip would be ideal. That will allow me to grasp the arrowhead by the point and pull it straight back out for minimal trauma to the surrounding area."

Melzaryn was frantically scribbling in his notebook. He looked up at Forfend. "I have a decent idea what we'll need, but I've got a few more questions before we get ourselves in over our heads." He turned to Ry'Ha'Dach. "Would you be alright with me casting Identify on you and have you noticed that people touching the metal directly has adverse effects?"

Ry'Ha'Dach had his tired head in Kairi's lap. She gently stroked the side of his face as he heaved a slow sigh. "Do whatever you must do to get it out," he permitted. "The moment anyone has touched the metal previously, they have immediately disintegrated or transformed into horrible monsters."

The shudder in his telepathic voice almost physically shook Forfend.

"Did you have any adverse effects yourself?" Melzaryn asked.

"No," Ry'Ha'Dach answered. "But I felt the shard react negatively. It does not want to be touched."

"I won't be able to Identify the crystal directly then," Melzaryn decided. "I'd still like to make sure there are no other malicious spells affecting you though."

He touched his hand to Ry'Ha'Dach's slender neck and peered into the pearl embedded in his staff.

A wealth of information sprung up for Melzaryn to read. He scanned through it as quickly as he could.

Melzaryn's brows shot up. His eyes darted briefly to Forfend, showing a rare sign of real concern. "There's trace of an old magical, uh, phenomenon. It might be related to the thought taker. Is that still affecting you or have you managed to take care of it?"

"What?" Ry'Ha'Dach rasped aloud as well as mentally. He turned to stare at them, alarm tensing his features.

"Right, okay," Melzaryn fretted under his breath. "I'll fill you in completely soon," he said aloud. "Let me just..." He tugged Forfend around so they were no longer facing Ry'Ha'Dach.

Behind them, the dragon's form rumbled as he slowly eased his muscles.

"He's got minute traces of Envema magic on him," Melzaryn whispered.

"Is it currently active?" Forfend asked.

"It feels miniscule and old. I don't know if it's active or not," Melzaryn answered honestly. "He didn't even know it was there at all."

Forfend hummed low in its chest. "One problem at a time," it decided.

"Right," Melzaryn agreed. "Other than that potential hiccup, there aren't any other spells that should cause us any trouble."

Forfend nodded and turned back to Ry'Ha'Dach.

Melzaryn held up his open spellbook and tapped the page. "I think this is what you described."

Forfend tilted its head at the page.

Melzaryn had drawn out precisely the tool Forfend had explained, giving it rounded grips on the curved tips and handles large enough to accommodate Forfend's overlarge fingers.

"This is perfect," it praised.

Forfend envisioned the item three-dimensionally and called up the magic in its core. Heat coursed through its body and caused the air around it to waver. The magic rose, breaching through Forfend's face as spilling ichor.

It touched its face, drawing the magic slowly out into a physical item.

Ry'Ha'Dach raised his head, his mouth open as worry filled his features.

"Don't worry, that's kind of his thing," Melzaryn dismissed.

"Alright, strange one," Ry'Ha'Dach muttered uncertainly. He looked no less offput.

Forfend watched the tool cool from molten gold to silvery surgical steel. It wiped the pouring ichor from its face and splattered it across the ground.

Only a second later, the substance evaporated away.

Ry'Ha'Dach grimaced, clearly disturbed. He settled back down uncomfortably.

"Forfend." Kairi placed her hand on its leg. Rainbow magic surged from her fingers into it.

Forfend felt the Guidance arcana settle in its hands. An iridescent rainbow shimmered almost imperceptibly around its wrists.

"Thank you," it nodded.

It pulled its work gloves from its belt and donned them.

Melzaryn cast Prestidigitation on them, whisking away all the dirt. He cast it again on the tool just for good measure, and once more on Ry'Ha'Dach's chest. Cleanliness and precision were of the utmost importance here.

Forfend pat Ry'Ha'Dach gently. "I will be as careful as I can," it assured.

Forfend slipped the tool into the wound, keeping it butted right up against the arrowhead to minimize damage.

Ry'Ha'Dach grit his sharp teeth, but remained still.

"Three inches deep," Melzaryn stated the exact depth of the arrow.

Forfend nodded. It stopped precisely when it needed to and opened the tool slowly.

The arms of it slightly spread the wound as they spread apart.

Ry'Ha'Dach growled, his breathing catching in his chest. Still, he didn't move.

Forfend's hands were unnaturally steady, far more so than what a creature of flesh and bone would be capable of. It guided the tool open only as wide as it had to be and carefully latched it around the tip of the arrow.

A pulse of horrid blue magic whipped through the tool, through the gloves, and into Forfend's body.

Forfend felt the deep sorrow of the shard seep into its core and try to latch onto it.

It grasped for the warmth of its memories of home in Foumedo. The icy depression melted in the heat of its happiness. It squashed the effects of the Calamity Crystal and began pulling the wretched thing free.

Kairi kept her hand on Forfend's leg. A second bout of helpful rainbows encircled its wrists.

Forfend slowly, slowly extracted the arrowhead. There was more resistance than there should've been, as though the shard was fighting to stay put.

Ry'Ha'Dach clenched his claws. His heartbeat thundered so strong and so fast Forfend could feel it through the tool.

The arrowhead snagged.

Ry'Ha'Dach gasped aloud, pain contorting his features.

Forfend trusted in the barely visible Guiding magic around its hands and the steadiness of its own fingers. It adjusted its grip very slightly and continued drawing out the stubborn shard.

The overwhelming sadness inherent to the Calamity Crystal assaulted Forfend's senses. It continued valiantly ignoring the emotion by drowning it in kind memories.

The arrowhead's thickest section finally slid free of the wound. The rest followed suit with ease.

Forfend immediately opened the tool and dropped the wretched shard onto the ground. The depressive crush left its body with such suddenness Forfend almost felt as though its core had shot up from its midsection to the proper place in its chest.

The arrowhead disintegrated into little more than metal dust upon striking the obsidian dais. Only the shard was left behind, pulsing ominously.

Ry'Ha'Dach heaved heavy breaths. He stared with wide eyes. Disbelief, relief, and joy overtook his expression.

"I can't see his emotions anymore," Kairi quietly noted.

Ry'Ha'Dach inspected the wound in his chest. A small amount of blood trickled from it, but the painful intrusion was gone. He prodded around it with his great clawed hands.

"You removed it," he breathed.

"Would you like it healed?" Forfend asked, letting the tool poof away in a huff of smoke to free up its hands.

"Please. If you would be so kind."

Forfend touched the edge of the wound and channeled its soft orange magic.

The dragon's flesh sealed itself back together at the behest of the sunlit warmth of the healing magic. The misshapen scales fell away. New ones, bright and brilliantly emerald, grew forth and seamed together until they properly interlocked.

The wound was gone. Wholly gone. As though it had never even been.

Ry'Ha'Dach trailed his hand over the now smooth and painless scales. He drew in a deep breath, letting his chest expand to its full capacity for probably the first time in more than a century. His wings snapped open. He stood, stretching his whole body like a great cat. His feet tapped excitedly. His muscles quivered beneath his scales. He looked, and likely felt, far more alive now.

"Would you like us to dispose of that?" Melzaryn asked, pointing at the pulsing crystal.

Ry'Ha'Dach glared down at the horrible little thing. The frills around his neck rattled with a rage he hadn't been able to express in ages. His jaw dropped open.

The air between his mouth and the ground warbled, but there was no roar nor visible breath weapon.

The shard rattled violently into the air as though affected by some great force. The very air vibrated with a violent hum.

Ry'Ha'Dach snapped his jaw shut.

The crystal clattered to the floor.

"Curious. It cannot be destroyed by the psychic dissonance of my breath," he said with a voice still hoarse from underuse but far stronger than it had been only moments ago. "Take it if you wish. I do not wish to see it any longer."

Melzaryn nodded. "I won't touch it because that looked dangerous," he said to Forfend.

It hummed. "It was. I did not think it would invade my senses through so many layers of protection."

"I'll cast Unseen Servant." Melzaryn snapped his fingers and looked to the air at his left. "Pick that up for me please and drop it here." He held open one of the many pouches on his belt.

A moment later, the Calamity Crystal began levitating.

A vibrant pulse of blue shocked through the Unseen Servant and lit up what appeared to be a humanoid nervous system that now floated in a horrifically disembodied-looking state.

The Unseen Servant was no longer unseen.

Luckily, without a mind or any capacity to feel pain or emotion, it continued on with its task. It deposited the shard into Melzaryn's pouch.

The startling blue blinked out, returning the Unseen Servant to its proper lack of appearance. The pouch zipped closed.

"Thank you," Melzaryn said to the air. He turned to the rest of them. "That was very strange."

"I did not like that display at all," Forfend shook its head, feeling perturbed.

Ry'Ha'Dach sighed, immediately looking more relaxed now that the shard was out of sight.

"I thank you, brave heroes," he said. "How may I ever repay you for what you've done for me this day?"

Forfend shook its broad head. "Nothing wanted."

"Are you sure?" he asked, clearly surprised.

"I am certain," Forfend nodded once. "The genasi asked for our help. We gave it. That is all."

"Oh." Ry'Ha'Dach blinked. He tilted his head up, considering this. Something of a smile quirked the corners of his mouth. "I am used to the greed and the envy of outsiders in the Land. You are a breath of fresh air."

Forfend's chest lit up bright orange.

"If you'd like to repay us with something," Melzaryn piped up, "one thing that would be beneficial to me is if you could tell me if you've ever met any silver dragons."

"Silver dragons," Ry'Ha'Dach mused. "Not in a very long time. I've been residing here since my injury a century or two ago."

He perked up, his ears springing forward. "However! I could grant you an item that would help you in your search, if that is what you seek."

"That would be great. Because I've got this," he trailed off and held out his arm, showing off silver scales as he let a magic sheen pass over them, "and I don't know where it came from."

"A sorcerer," Ry'Ha'Dach observed. "Well, in that case, try this."

He held out his clawed hand. A distant gold pile rattled, coins sliding down it. A sphere made up of multiple spinning rings burst free of the riches and floated to Melzaryn. It hovered over his hands before collapsing into a flat disc and dropping into his outstretched palms.

In the center of it sat a tiny glass dome.

"Place a drop of your blood within the glass and activate it," Ry'Ha'Dach instructed. "It shall float beside you once you do that. When it senses one of your kin nearby, it will react and pulse with light."

"Perfect. This will be extremely helpful." Melzaryn bowed reverently and shuffled off to the side to set up his new device.

"May I ask a couple of questions," Forfend hummed.

"Please do, my stone friend," Ry'Ha'Dach nodded.

"How were you wounded?"

"I was wounded during the initial war against us," Ry'Ha'Dach rumbled, folding his paws over each other and settling in to tell his tale. "King Falco and his armies attacked us. I defended the genasi villages the best that I could, but a stray arrow struck me and I was incapacitated by such a small thing during that grand battle."

"No idea who shot you?" Forfend asked.

Ry'Ha'Dach shook his head. "No, I am not aware."

Forfend hummed low in its center. "What is the thought taker?"

"The thought taker," Ry'Ha'Dach spat, a snarl baring his teeth. The telepathic words resonated in Forfend's mind with such venomous vitriol its own body responded with the sharp shing of metal across a whetstone. "He is the one who stirred the wisest of us all to attack the Howling Plains and give them reason for their invasion. He somehow found his way into the wisest's lair, laid hands upon him, and what followed was horrifying."

Ry'Ha'Dach's claws flexed. He growled. "I was a young dragon when it occurred, hardly more than a wyrmling. I saw a flash of gray and heard the words, 'Give unto me your peace and pacifism.' And then the wisest of us rose up and roared with an anger like I'd never seen. He left. On that very day, he attacked the Howling Plains."

Ry'Ha'Dach sighed mournfully. "The thought taker disappeared without a trace. The next I saw him was in a great battle. He was in many more great battles after that, always wearing the scales of the wisest of us on his back as armor." Ry'Ha'Dach lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"What could you tell me about the thought taker's appearance?" Forfend prodded. It had a hunch this man was the leader of Envema, or at least one of them.

"I..." Ry'Ha'Dach trailed off. His scaly brow ridges knit together.

His confusion washed over Forfend.

"I cannot remember," Ry'Ha'Dach realized. "I only see vivid details, but never the whole. Humanoid. Young, from what I could tell. Not a child, but far from elderly. I distinctly recall male, but no further details beyond that."

"It may have something to do with the trace amounts of Envema magic on you," Forfend theorized.

"That was mentioned!" Ry'Ha'Dach leaned down close to Forfend's face. His forked tongue flicked out of his mouth. "Is there a way you could cleanse it?"

Forfend touched its chest and stirred up the dwindling magic stores in its center. It let little sparks of gold flame fizzle between its fingers. It wouldn't be able to cast the spell it needed right now.

"Not today," Forfend replied honestly. "I will need to rest first."

Ry'Ha'Dach's disappointment reverberated through Forfend's body as he spoke, "Hm. That is fine. I will find you when the time is right. In the meantime..."

A grin cut across Ry'Ha'Dach's face. A flash of green briefly blinded Forfend.

In the dragon's place there now stood a boy not much older than Jace with moss green hair and emerald eyes.

"I'm going to do some investigating of my own," the boy said. "I wish to see what has become of the Land."

Forfend hesitated. All it had heard recently didn't paint Tyrwedia in a good light. The Land was a fraction of what it had once been.

"It is not..." Forfend started, but changed its mind about its phrasing. It hissed steam. "Be prepared for what you will see and know that there are people working to change it."

"I see," Ry'Ha'Dach hummed. He nodded.

A new flash of green and the boy was replaced by a blue jay with feathers of brilliant emerald. Ry'Ha'Dach flit into the air and flew out of the cavern. The stone blocking the entrance audibly removed itself from his path.

The door was open again. They'd succeeded. They could leave.

Kairi smiled and hopped off the dais to comfort her reasonably nervous beetle.

Melzaryn tromped up to Forfend, scrutinizing his staff.

Forfend could see vague forest green energy pulsing around the grip.

"I think it got dragon-touched by the proximity," Melzaryn guessed. "Neat!"

"Interesting," Forfend hummed, though it wasn't sure it knew what that meant. "We should return to River," it decided.

Melzaryn nodded.

They rejoined Kairi at the entrance and meandered their way back into the village cavern.

The entire village had gathered around, whispering and gawking amongst themselves.

"You... You did it." River was staring in the direction Ry'Ha'Dach had flown. His face was slack. He couldn't quite close his mouth. "You saved Ry'Ha'Dach."

"We said that we would," Forfend replied simply.

"My utmost thanks extends to you, Forfend," River said, tearing his eyes off the distant tunnels to meet its gaze. He bowed his head.

Jewel and Flint approached and followed suit.

A wave of bowed heads swept through the genasi crowd.

Forfend's chest lit up a soft pinkish-red. It returned the gesture.

"Did Ry'Ha'Dach gift you a reward yet?" River asked.

"He offered," Forfend hummed.

"And you refused?!" River's eyes darted down the open pathway to Ry'Ha'Dach's lair and then around to the dragon's other riches scattered about the village, undoubtedly confused as to why they would take none of it.

"Well, Melzaryn got a... whatever that thing would be called." Forfend pointed at the strange floating device.

Melzaryn turned in a circle before he caught sight of where the oddity trailed him. "Yeah, this! I asked for a little help finding family."

"All I would've asked was what his favorite flower was," Kairi shrugged. "I would've liked to give him one before he left."

"Well, there is surely something we could give you in return for what you've done," River offered. He looked bewildered more than anything. "We will take up a collection."

"No." Forfend shook its head firmly. "That is not necessary."

"What?"

Forfend shrugged. "I believe that your people are dealing with enough right now. Paying us is not a necessity. I did not help, none of us did, for money."

Kairi smiled up at Forfend and nodded her agreement.

"I helped because I really wanted to meet a dragon in person," Melzaryn piped up. "I've studied them for decades, but this is the first time I've ever seen one."

"I... see." River blinked and tilted his head, considering the information the same way Ry'Ha'Dach had. "Thank you, Forfend. You are too kind."

The light of Forfend's chest shifted from red to orange. It nodded once.

It caught itself scanning the crowd.

Kiyori leaned against one of the houses. She wasn't glaring at it for once. She was just observing, looking it over with what Forfend hoped was new perspective.

Forfend slowly lumbered toward her.

She watched it approach with scrutiny and said nothing when it reached her.

It knelt.

She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I apologize," it said sincerely. "I probably did not make you very happy returning like this."

"The genasi needed it," Kiyori replied. She tilted her chin into the air. "I'm not going to complain about that."

"As promised, I will leave you alone the best that I can from this point onward."

Kiyori nodded. "Mhm."

"But if you were to need me or the genasi were to need me, please never hesitate to ask. I will always help," Forfend promised.

"That's up to them, not me." Kiyori folded her arms and watched it from her peripheral vision.

Aloof.

Forfend had expected as much, though it was glad to see she was less angry than she had been before.

It ducked its head low and stood slowly, turning to leave her alone.

It could feel her eyes on its back.

Kairi wedged herself against its side once they were out of earshot. "Why does she hate you so much?"

Forfend's footsteps faltered. Had Kairi seen that in her emotions? It shook its head and tried not to dwell.

Some people would never like or respect it. That was okay.

"She dislikes demigods," it answered. "And she is right to do so."

"Let's head out," Melzaryn said as he sauntered over with River right behind him.

Forfend nodded.

Kairi hopped back up onto Wisteria's back. "Let's go, Wisty."

River led them back through the lengthy, winding paths. He took them to the enormous trees at the mouth of the cave and touched one. The same spell as before engulfed the group.

River passed right through the tree trunk.

Everyone followed right behind.

Forfend touched the bark and hesitated at the solidness for a moment. It hummed to itself and pushed through.

They found themselves at the genasi hideout again.

"Your wounded," Forfend started immediately. "I did not get the chance to heal them last time. May I please?"

River blinked. "I... Yes. Come in."

Forfend followed him into the storage building. It let itself into the room the wounded were housed in.

There were so very many of them here, some in much worse condition than others.

"I am here to heal. Bring me your most critically wounded first," Forfend requested. "I may run out of magic before I am done."

The genasi stared blankly.

River set to work doing as Forfend had asked.

A few of the least injured jumped up to help.

Forfend sat down and put the Orison Aegis in its lap. It placed both hands upon the shield and began a slow, rumbling prayer in Celestial.

An aura of healing light emanated from its chest and engulfed the wounded in its proximity.

Their injuries knit themselves closed and faded away over the course of several minutes.

The next group of ailing genasi took their place as Forfend reached the end of its prayer and started over from the top.

Its magic was pouring rapidly from its core. It had very nearly bottomed out its last reserves. That was alright. It would have the opportunity to rest soon.

Forfend watched as the third new group was switched in. All of them were capable of standing with minimal or no assistance. If these were the most wounded people now remaining, then it had already saved all those who may not have survived their wounds alone.

Forfend drew up the last spare magic it had and unleashed the divine warmth as it repeated its prayer from the start a third time.

The radiating aura faded as Forfend's energy ran dry. It hissed steam.

The last few injuries on the wounded genasi disappeared just as the aura rose like steam off their bodies and dissipated.

"Are you an elemental?" one of the genasi asked. She had skin so light gray it was nearly white and citrine crystal clusters that cascaded from her head to frame her face.

Forfend was struck with the beauty of every new earth genasi it encountered. They were all astoundingly natural in a way it had never been. The difference was both negligible and stark, and Forfend found that compelling.

"I am not," it remembered to answer.

"Then what are you?" asked a man of dusty red with bismuth crystals creating geometric spires all across the top of his head.

"A Fornaxian. A machine created by Fornax," it hummed.

The genasi all muttered amongst themselves. They were confused, curious, and somewhat skeptical.

River nudged it. "Thank you."

Forfend nodded. "I do not wish to upset Kiyori, but I will always be available should you need me. Do not hesitate to ask."

River grunted affirmatively.

"We must return to Cragwall for the moment," Forfend hummed. "I hope to see you all again."

It bowed its head politely to River and the rest of the genasi.

Forfend took its leave, meeting up outside with Melzaryn, Kairi, and Wisteria.

Erzor awaited as well.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

Forfend nodded.

"Since you saved the dragon, we won't need those blindfolds anymore," Erzor grinned.

"Oh, excellent!" Melzaryn clapped his hands and pointed. "Town's that way."

"You knew where we were the entire time?" a nervous young woman with sandy-colored skin and raw jade crystals asked.

Forfend was curious about just the same, but it found itself paying more attention to the natural divots and angles of the stone formations covering her scalp.

"Not until I came here," Melzaryn shook his head. "But I remember the route."

"You were blindfolded!"

"So? I know when I turn left or right."

"Somehow, it did not occur to me that you would simply memorize the entire path," Forfend hummed.

"You witnessed me map out the entire underside of Cragwall in five minutes," Melzaryn reminded it.

"I did not think that was the same," Forfend said. "Your eyes were doing something odd then. I thought that was related to your mapmaking."

"It was, but still."

"Who brought you here?!" the woman cried. "The turns are supposed to take you in dozens of disorienting circles!"

"Alright, time to go!" Erzor hollered. He ushered them away from the camp as quickly as he possibly could.

The walk out of the Llardel Forest was much easier and shorter now that they were taking a direct route.

Erzor stopped at the east gate. "Stay safe, alright?" he said before turning back the way they'd come.

"You as well," Forfend called, waving to him.

It, Melzaryn, Kairi, and Wisteria made their way through the quiet evening streets.

Eamon's house looked calm and undisturbed as they arrived. Forfend huffed a jet of relieved steam. It was getting tired of all the excitement lately.

It dusted off its feet and let itself into the house.

Melzaryn followed behind it, removing his shoes in the corridor.

Kairi took Wisteria around to the side of the house to settle in before she came indoors.

Forfend followed the sounds of amicable chatter into the living room.

Farley listened with rapt attention as Howell spoke.

"Ah, you have met," Forfend hummed.

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?!" Farley just barely schooled his voice below a yell.

Forfend cocked its head. "I told you he made breakfast."

"I thought he left after that!"

"Evidently not," Forfend said.

Howell got up and placed a pearl in Melzaryn's hand as he entered the room. "Thanks for letting me borrow that."

"No problem," Melzaryn nodded and pocketed the pearl.

Three rhythmic, perfectly spaced knocks struck the front door.

Melzaryn's eyes lit up. "That should be for me."

He tromped to the front door.

Forfend tilted its head at Farley and Howell. "Did Kagoshi ever return home."

"He did," Howell confirmed. "Seemed pissed. Holed himself up in the guest bedroom with Duncan."

"I see." Forfend wondered what Kagoshi had been up to out in the woods, but it would have to find out later. "I believe we should collect them and the lot of us should find an inn to stay in. Eamon is quite stressed having so many people in his home."

"Where are we going?" Farley asked.

"The Brass Buffalo will be the best place," Forfend decided. "I will let Eamon know we are going."

Farley nodded.

Forfend knocked gently on Eamon's door.

Eamon opened it, looking exhausted.

"We are moving everyone to an inn. This space will be wholly yours again within the hour," Forfend promised.

"Oh." Eamon's demeanor immediately brightened. He tried to subdue it into something more polite and casual. "It was nice working with you. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Cragwall."

Forfend ducked its head politely. It made its way around the house to inform the rest of the inhabitants.

It didn't take anyone very long to collect their things. The entire extended group was packed and headed out the door in less than thirty minutes.

"For your troubles," Forfend said, turning back to Eamon and placing five gold coins into his hand.

Eamon smiled slightly, closed the door, and released an audible sigh of relief from within the comfort of his finally empty home.

Forfend hummed to itself.

It and the rest of the haphazard crew followed Melzaryn through the streets to the Brass Buffalo.

Kairi paused. "I have a stop to make. I'll meet you back here soon."

She skipped off.

Forfend waved to her as she disappeared around the corner.

Everyone made their way into the tavern.

Narmouth lit up as they entered and rushed to meet them by the door. He glanced over the new additions curiously. "Welcome back! How can I help you?"

"We need rooms," Kagoshi gruffed.

At the bar, one patron's head snapped up at the sound of Kagoshi's voice. He looked to Kagoshi, then Forfend, and finally Howell's obscured form.

He nearly dropped his drink. He scrambled from his seat and dashed from the inn.

Forfend recognized him then. He'd been the man that got caught in the alley with them in the midst of their battle against Howell and the other Envema members. He was frightened, but ultimately alright. That was good.

It turned its attention back to the matter at hand.

"I will be covering these three." Forfend hovered its hands over Farley, Duncan, and Howell.

Howell shook his head. "Thank you, but I'll cover myself."

"That will be five silver for you," Narmouth said.

Howell nodded, paid his due, and found his way up to a room.

"Seven copper each for the rest of you," Narmouth smiled.

Forfend lit its chest. It placed twenty-one copper into his hand and escorted Duncan and Farley upstairs.

"I hate to see a building broken," Melzaryn mentioned. He flipped a gold coin into Narmouth's hand and followed Forfend up.

"Oh, thank you!" Narmouth called. "Do you want any food or anything before you go?"

"I could go for some food," Kagoshi answered first.

"Do you want another Death Wish?!" the goblin cook hollered.

"Sure."

Forfend shook its broad head and continued to their rooms.

Melzaryn, on the other hand, headed back down to presumably get food and watch whatever commotion Kagoshi was going to cause.

A loud thud sounded almost immediately.

Forfend hissed steam. It made sure its two companions safely entered their rooms before returning downstairs.

Kagoshi was flat on his back and out cold. He snored softly.

"Well, I'll be damned. He lived again," the cook commented, amazed.

Forfend hefted Kagoshi up and carried him to his room without a word. It unceremoniously dumped him in his bed and returned to its own room.

It settled into a spot on the floor. Immediately, it was hammered by the day's exertion. It clicked its rune off to rest.

The night crawled slowly past. Forfend lit its rune in the early hours of the morning when the sunlight outside its window was just barely cresting from purple into pinkish-orange. It made its way downstairs to sit in the tavern.

Melzaryn joined it next, yawning through his breakfast order.

Kairi and Kagoshi made their way down late in the morning.

Narmouth met them at their table as soon as they were all assembled. "I got a message for you all late last night," he said.

He placed an envelope down on the table.

Kagoshi groaned, his face tucked into his pulled up hood. "Could you talk quieter? I have a headache," he whispered.

"Mm, sorry," Narmouth nodded and left them to their own devices.

Melzaryn picked the envelope up. It was pristine and bore a black wax seal sporting the royal crest.

Melzaryn opened it and scanned through the contents of the letter within.

"Oh, that's nice," he nodded. "King Falco says he's got us a means to Foumedo and back again if we want it. He also says when we return, our work will begin in earnest."

Forfend hummed, its chest lighting up. "When does it leave? How long can we stay?"

"Today," Melzaryn shared. "In about an hour, actually. Sounds like it'll have to be a short trip though. He's only counting on us spending one night to rest there before we return."

"I was hoping for more, but our work here is prudent," Forfend sighed in a long rush of steam. "I am prepared to meet our means of travel immediately. Our all of you or any of you accompanying me?"

"I won't," Melzaryn decided. "I've got a lot of things in this city that I need to do. Including finally setting us up a meeting date with the Summerstead patriarch."

Forfend sat up straighter. It had nearly forgotten about that amid everything else going on.

"I want to go!" Kairi raised her hand up high and waved it around.

Forfend chuckled softly. "Certainly."

"No," Kagoshi whined, drawing out the word.

"But we'll get to see Jace," Kairi prodded.

Kagoshi huffed. "Fine."

"Yay!" Kairi hopped up and rushed back to her room to gather up her things.

The three of them were on the carriage headed back to Foumedo as quickly as they could possible be.

Forfend couldn't so much as dim the brilliant light from its chest. Excitement bubbled up in its core. It was finally going to see its family again!

It reached for its replenished magic stores and cast Sending, envisioning Fletch in its mind.

"I am finally on the way home to visit," it projected. "I should be there within the week."

"Forfend!" Fletch shouted back across the link. "You're really coming home?! I've missed you so much, buddy! I can't wait! I'll let everybody know you're on the way and we'll all--"

He'd run out of words and cut himself off again.

Forfend could help the rumbling chuckle in its chest. Already, it was feeling impatient to reach its home.

Luckily, travel by carriage was several days quicker than travel on foot. The days passed by rather easily. Nothing eventful happened.

Forfend stared out the carriage window as they drew into Foumedo. There were people around it didn't recognize. Quite a lot of them, in fact. New faces were on guard duty.

That was good. More people in the town guard would be immensely helpful.

Forfend figured the host of new folks were the guards from the Galloford occupation who'd chosen to stay behind and move in. Fletch had managed to briefly mention that in his first Sending message.

The carriage came to a stop in the center of town.

Kairi and Kagoshi filed out first.

Forfend carefully freed itself from the tight interior and touched down on the cobblestone plaza.

Home.

The sights and sounds and smells and the feel of the very air relaxed it.

Jace's eyes lit up from where he sat on the edge of the fountain. He jumped up and screamed, "Forfend's home!" at the top of his little lungs.

Everyone in town froze and stared. A clamoring chatter went up. Everyone approached, yelling greetings.

Forfend's chest brightened to the vibrant orange of melting metal.

Jace put on his little helmet, charged Forfend, and leapt straight into its arms.

It caught him and hugged him as gently at it could before lifting him up to his favorite spot on its shoulders.

It turned to the rest of the villagers and approached them with its arms thrown wide.

Joyful hugs were had all around.

"Forfend!" Fletch tore through the crowd, leaving Jessie in the dust.

He paused for a second to look Forfend over, tears in the corners of his eyes and a grin plastered across his face.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" He jumped into Forfend's arms just the way Jace had.

Forfend lifted him up and squeezed him so tight it heard his back pop. "I missed you dearly," it hummed, emotion seeping into its usually monotonous voice.

Fletch wheezed, but didn't loosen his grip on it in the slightest. "You were gone for twelve days too long."

Was that really all it had been? Forfend figured so, but what a rough twelve days they were.

Jessie eventually managed to free himself from the crowd and tuck himself against Forfend's side for his own hug.

"How did it all go?" Jessie asked.

"Obviously, it went well since they let you go," Fletch grinned at his husband. "But yeah! How was it?!"

The whole town waited with bated breath for Forfend's answer.

Forfend hummed low in its chest as it attempted to figure out how it was going to sum up the mess of situations.

"Well, it was not a lot of fun," Forfend allowed, steam hissing loudly in its chest. "I can tell you that."

"Yep, I knew it," Byr shouted, ever the codger.

"You were right," Forfend directed its gaze to Joel as it spoke. "There are a lot of conspiracies in the large cities."

"I told y'all! You all thought I was crazy!" Joel hollered.

"You are crazy!" Byr snapped right back.

Forfend chuckled like grinding stone.

"Let's get you settled in," Jessie quietly suggested. "You must be tired."

Forfend nodded.

They strode through the crowd.

Forfend waved to everyone as they made their way towards its home.

"So are you back now?" Jessie asked.

"Regrettably, no," Forfend replied. "I have work to do."

"Oh." Jessie's brows creased.

Fletch pouted.

"Aww," Jace whined from his place atop Forfend's shoulders. "Well, before you leave again, let me go get you something to eat!" He scaled down Forfend's back and hit the ground running.

"He's been saving up pebbles since you left," Fletch chuckled. "I think he thinks you haven't eaten since he ain't fed you."

"I see." Forfend nodded. "I will accept as always."

Jace didn't waste any time running back to them with a burlap sack of pebbles nearly the same size he was. He strained and grunted as he dragged it across the ground.

He dumped the sack of stones at Forfend's feet.

"I know you're hungry since you've been gone so long," Jace panted. "So I've been finding you all the best rocks!"

He pulled one from the very top of the pile and held it up. "Look! This one's shiny and round!"

Forfend inspected the little glimmering stone. "It is. Very much so. Did you get this from the river?"

"Yeah! I found it in the mud." Jace's eyes went wide. "But don't worry! I washed it off!"

Forfend let a rumbling chuckle roll through it. "Thank you. That is very kind."

Jace beamed.

Forfend's chest couldn't possibly glow any brighter, but the light fluctuated as though it was trying.

"I will take this home with me," it promised. "You should return to Mavis. Your mother will be worried about losing you in the crowd."

Jace hugged Forfend's legs. "Okay, but you have to play with me later!"

"Certainly," it nodded.

Jace dashed off.

Forfend hefted its new sack of rocks.

Fletch took its free hand and tugged it along. "You've got to see the new place they're building."

He pointed out a new structure going up on the outskirts of town.

"It's housing for all the new citizens," Jessie mentioned.

"I am glad to see Foumedo growing. More helping hands will be good for the town," Forfend hummed. "I would like to see it more in depth, but I feel I should speak with the two of you privately about my time away first."

"Yeah, of course," Jessie said.

"Storytime?" Fletch grinned.

"Storytime," Forfend agreed.

The little crew made their way into Fletch's and Jessie's home.

Forfend ducked and sidled through the doorway. It sat down on the floor in front of the couch.

Fletch and Jessie took their spots pressed against each other right in front of it.

"So what's the story?" Fletch prompted. He was nearly vibrating with excitement.

Jessie looked far more subdued, but no less interested.

Forfend let a lengthy bout of steam rush through its chest. It launched into the full, honest, no-holds-barred version of events. It hid nothing from them. Not demons, not cultists, not even dragons.

They'd kept its demigod identity secret from the rest of the town these past two years. They were its family. It trusted them and felt it owed them the whole truth.

Fletch and Jessie stared, enraptured by the tale.

Fletch couldn't seem to get his jaw to close.

Jessie's eyes were saucers.

When it finally finished speaking, they both took several minutes to process before anyone spoke.

Jessie swallowed hard. "I've heard of Envema. Sometimes, the news makes it out this far. I just thought they were a boogeyman story."

"They are disturbingly real," Forfend hummed grimly.

Jessie nodded slowly. "But, I mean, hey, you saved a dragon. Maybe that'll help."

"Let us hope," Forfend said.

"And you caught the attention of the king." Jessie sounded awestruck and concerned. "Wow."

"That is also going to be quite the situation," Forfend hissed steam.

"My guy's famous!" Fletch suddenly hollered, a huge grin threatening to escape the confines of his cheeks.

Forfend couldn't help but laugh, rocks grinding deep in its chest as it lit up bright orange.

"You saved a whole town! You saved a bunch of protestors! You saved the Brass Buffalo! You even saved a dragon!" Fletch playfully punched Forfend in the shoulder. Forfend saw him wince as he pulled his scraped knuckles back and shook out his hand, but his smile never faltered. "Just look at you!"

Forfend chuckled. "Speaking of me," it began, "I have learned a good deal more about myself in my time away."

"Really?" Fletch settled comfortably back in his seat and clasped his hands, waiting impatiently for the story.

Forfend hummed for a moment.

It meandered through the tale of its visions, its call to work, and its fluctuating faith. It described the situation in which it had lost its metal coating and been left irreparably damaged in its present state.

Fletch held a finger out to stop it there. The explanation of it being flayed alive by a god had evidently gotten to him.

He stepped around the back of the house, retched into the grass, and immediately returned to his seat. "Alright, continue," he said as though that hadn't just happened.

Jessie gave his husband a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"The most difficult thing in all of this is what I have learned of demigods. We alter the world around us whether we intend to or not just by our proximity to people," Forfend hummed. "My influence may never fade, given that I was buried near the town for millennia. I do not want to alter the way that all of you think and act. It frightens me."

Jessie shook his head. "I don't know what I do or don't believe about demigods, but I don't think you've changed us by being here. If anything, you've changed us by being kind. Don't fret over things you can't fix and especially not over things that don't need fixing. Everyone here is happy and they're glad you're here."

Forfend hummed long and low in its center. It hadn't expected Jessie and Fletch to have advice on this. It had only wanted to inform them. It couldn't help but worry about how casual they were regarding all of this. Was that its fault?

"So, do you want to answer Fornax's call?" Fletch asked tentatively.

"To the best of my ability, yes," it replied.

"Well, what do you need?" Jessie offered immediately.

Forfend tilted its head. "The trouble is that I am really not sure. I do have something for you though."

"Oh?" Jessie sat forward. "What's that?"

"A few things, actually," Forfend clarified.

It pulled the Summerstead red wine it had gotten in Brightcrossing from its bag and placed it in Jessie's hands.

"Wow," Jessie almost startled. "This stuff is really expensive, you know? You didn't have to--"

"It was a gift to me and now to you," Forfend cut him off.

"We'll save it for a special occasion."

Fletch was already shaking his head. "Wait a minute. Why don't we go ahead and open it up now! I want to give it a try!"

"Well..." Jessie hesitated. "I guess Forfend coming home is a special occasion."

"Yeah!" Fletch jumped up and ran to the kitchen. He was back in a flash with three wine glasses.

Jessie popped the cork off the bottle and filled Fletch's glass followed by his own. He left the third one empty for Forfend.

"A toast to your return," Jessie smiled.

It picked up its glass and gently tinked it against both of theirs.

Both of them took a sip of their wine and paused to savor the taste.

Jessie nodded his approval.

Fletch turned his glass up to gulp more.

Jessie grabbed Fletch's wrist and pushed his hand back down until the glass was on the table. He chuckled. "I know it's good, but don't get yourself drunk."

"Right, sorry." Fletch blushed and scratched at the back of his neck. "It's just really good shit."

"I also have these for you," Forfend hummed.

It pulled several oversized pouches from its belt and set them out across the table.

The contents were the majority of the money it had collected throughout its time away.

The amount was astronomical, literally thousands of gold. Which was thousands more gold than Forfend could ever recall seeing in one place before.

If guessed Fletch and Jessie would be the same.

Fletch leaned forward and opened the smallest bag. His back went rigid.

Jessie choked on his sip of wine.

"Gods above, we're rich!" Fletch hollered.

"I want you to use this for the town, and the house, and to enclose the forge," Forfend instructed.

Fletch gasped. He slapped his hand over his mouth. "To close in the forge?" he nearly whispered.

"Yes," Forfend nodded.

Tears pricked the corners of Fletch's eyes. He snapped a handful of platinum out of the bag, crashed through the front door, and charged Byr.

"Are you sure you don't want to keep some of this?" Jessie asked.

"I am keeping a bit of it." Forfend pat a pouch at its side. "But the majority is yours."

"I don't know what to say."

Forfend lit its chest up bright.

"Thank you," Jessie settled.

"I think that you, Fletch, and the town as a whole deserve it," Forfend said.

"Thank you," Jessie repeated. "Are you sure you don't want to take more of it back?"

Forfend shook its head. "I have shared all that I can which is exactly as much as I wanted to."

"What the fuck?!" Byr's voice called faintly from outside.

A minute later, Fletch made his way back inside. He was vibrating giddily.

"Byr says he'll get it for me just as soon as he's done with the new place for the new folks," he said, his voice an octave higher from pure excitement. "He ain't never seen a platinum piece in real life before either! Asked me where I got it. You should've seen his face when I said Forfend brought me a couple hundred of them!"

Fletch squeezed Forfend in the tightest hug he could manage.

Forfend pat his back. "I am glad you are happy. I have wanted to be able to close in the forge for you since the first winter I worked with you."

"Aww, you big sap," Fletch sniffled. "I love you."

"I love you too," Forfend hummed.

"Hey, listen," Jessie began. "You've told us all the wild stuff that's happened to you lately and you talked about that thing with the hound demon..."

Forfend straightened its back. A concerned hum reverberated through it.

"I just want to know how you're feeling," Jessie finished.

"Things have been very difficult recently," it answered honestly. "I often find myself feeling nervous. Unsure."

"Well, if there's anything I know about you, it's that you can do whatever you set your mind to," Jessie smiled at it. "I mean, you're a demigod and that's one thing, but you're also Forfend. Look what you've done lately."

Jessie spread his arms. "Look what you've accomplished in Cragwall in two days. Look what you've accomplished in Tyrwedia in just twelve days. Not even quite two weeks." He held up his hands and started ticking items off on his fingers. "You defeated an Atroxian cultist twice. You slayed two greater demons. You saved a whole bunch of people from a collapsing teleportation hub, thwarted two or three different terrorist attacks, and you saved a dragon. In two weeks!"

"Not alone, mind you," Forfend reasoned.

"But you did it," Jessie said matter-of-factly. "Do you think they could've done it without you?"

Forfend turned to look out the window behind it.

Jace was sitting on Wisteria's back while Kairi carefully watched to make certain he wouldn't fall off the enormous beetle.

Bell bounded around them, barking incessantly to no avail.

Wisteria didn't seem to mind the noisy dog in the slightest.

Jace slid off Wisteria's back and tromped over to Kagoshi. He pulled a bunch of smooshed flowers from his pocket and shoved them up into Kagoshi's hands.

To Forfend's surprise, Kagoshi took them with an expression that seemed to attempt to portray kindness. Or at least, he wasn't scowling.

Jace took a flower crown off his head and offered it up to Kagoshi as well.

Forfend wondered if Kairi had made it or taught Jace how. It noticed Wisteria had one around its horn as well.

Kagoshi crouched down to allow Jace to bestow the flower crown upon his head.

Jace jumped around excitedly and ran back to play with Wisteria some more.

"Look at that," Jessie said, following its gaze. "You did that. Those two never would've gone to Cragwall without you. They probably would've kept heading south."

"Perhaps," Forfend hummed.

Despite its uncertain words, its chest had brightened itself with all the warmth of a sunrise.

"Come on, Forfend, I know that look," Jessie teased. "You're literally glowing."

"If I could turn it off, I would," it rumbled, a low chuckle emanating from it.

"No, you wouldn't."

"Perhaps not." Steam huffed through its chest. If it were possible, the light in Forfend's center brightened.

"You're doing good," Jessie insisted.

"I am certainly trying." Forfend touched its metal brace and traced its broad fingers lightly across the steel. "That reminds me, I do have one more thing I would like to show you."

"Sure," Jessie allowed.

"To the forge?" It stood.

"Oh? Sure, why not?" Fletch piped up. He led the way outdoors to the workshop.

Forfend inspected the space. It wasn't as clean as Forfend usually kept it. That was Fletch's least favorite part of upkeep and it seemed he'd been slacking off a bit in its absence.

Small, eccentric sculptures made up of bent nails littered one table.

Forfend took notice that several of them were in its approximate shape.

"You have been busy," it commented.

Fletch shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, you know, nothing's really been needing made or fixed and I got a little bit bored."

Stone grumbled in Forfend's chest with its odd chuckle. "What do you have around that needs fixed or improved?"

Fletch and Jessie both started rattling off items until they were practically rambling.

"Could always use a new hammer, need to fix that door, lost my good tongs, nicer knives in the kitchen would be great..."

"Wore out the washboard, could really use new armor, one of the new guys managed to break a sword the other day, I need a new spear..."

"Your spear," Forfend latched onto that particular complaint. The others could quite easily be solved by all the money it had gifted them, but this was something only it would be able to do. "Give me your spear."

Jessie handed the weapon right over without a second's hesitation.

"I learned some new tricks," Forfend stated proudly.

It turned to the nearest open work space and let itself drop into its trance state.

"What?!" Fletch gasped as the golden sparks scattered harmlessly about the area.

He was familiar with the black smoke billowing from Forfend's back, but the golden embers were new to him.

Fletch spoke further, but Forfend was rapidly sinking too deep into its work to hear or understand.

All it knew was what it wanted this spear to be and how to get it there. Everything else faded from its perception.

Forfend worked with blinding speed and very soon came aware again.

It tilted its head at the finished spear in its hands.

Fine work, even if Forfend did say so itself.

The speartip was frighteningly sharp and far sturdier than it had been before. Geometric shapes were etched around the thickest point. A sheen of magic glinted off the metal.

Forfend nodded, passing the weapon back to Jessie.

Jessie gripped the spear in his hands. He gave himself space and jabbed forward. He seemed to sense the difference. He readjusted his grip and knit his brows thoughtfully.

The next jab saw the speartip burst into flame.

Jessie startled, nearly dropping his weapon. "Whoa!"

Fletch squealed. He applauded like he'd just seen a masterclass play. "Where the hell did you learn that?! Because I need to go there and learn it too!"

"I discovered it by accident," Forfend hummed. "In Gilthur's Forge in Brightcrossing."

"Gilthur?!" Byr hollered.

He stomped to them just as quickly as his short dwarven legs would carry him. "What were you doing with that witch?" he demanded.

Forfend drummed its fingers on its chest and tilted its head, amused. "Learning witch techniques."

"Now you listen here, alright? I don't know what the hell he does, but that shit's witchcraft. You best stay away from him," Byr warned. He was joking. Forfend knew as much. But he hardly sounded like it.

"I am also still an expert in masonry," Forfend promised. "I have not forgotten what I learned from you either."

"Good!" Byr eyed Forfend suspiciously. "Don't you forget it and you leave that old witch alone. You're lucky I let you stick with that human tornado."

Fletch laughed as Byr pointed an accusing finger at him.

Byr slowly backed up. "You stay away from him, alright?"

Forfend chuckled rather than answering.

"Alright?" Byr repeated as he continued backing away.

Forfend waved to him.

"Alright?!" Byr said a third time. He was nearly out of earshot.

"No promises," Forfend finally answered.

"You're killing me!" he yelled before stomping back to his work.

Fletch's face was crinkled with entertained joy. "Human Tornado. Right good name for a bard group, wouldn't you say?"

Jessie laughed. "No."

"I have missed Byr's aggressive cynicism," Forfend said.

"Forfend." Jessie stepped in front of it. "I just want to say thank you again. You gave us the wine and all that money and now you've made me a magical spear. Just wow."

Fletch put his work gloves on and took the weapon from Jessie's hands. He prodded at the tip. "How come it's not on fire now?"

Fletch flipped the spear around and jabbed with it.

The tip erupted in flames once more.

Fletch jolted so hard he dropped the weapon. It clattered to the floor.

Jessie raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, maybe you should keep that," Fletch decided. He tentatively picked the spear up and returned it to Jessie.

"Mhm," Jessie agreed. He looked to Forfend again. "You've got all day and night, right? You don't have to go until tomorrow morning?"

Forfend nodded.

"Then let's throw a party in the town hall," Jessie suggested. "What do you think, Fletch?"

"Ooh," Fletch grinned. "You give me a couple hours. I'll have everything set up!"

He darted from the forge into the streets as quickly as he could run.

"You deserve a celebration, don't you think?" Jessie said.

"I certainly do want to enjoy the Foumedo tradition of impromptu parties before I leave again," it teased.

Jessie grinned. "Come on, we can tour the town and you can meet the new folks in the meantime."

"That sounds wonderful."

The greetings and introductions took longer than Forfend expected. More guards had decided to stay than it would've guessed. They were all friendly. They seemed to be fitting in well in their new home.

Unlike the meetings, the party slipped away from Forfend faster than it would've liked.

It danced and talked and hugged nearly every citizen in Foumedo, but the night was over remarkably quickly.

Forfend retired to its own room in its own home against its own will, but it needed to rest. Everyone else had already gone to bed by the time it pulled itself away from watching the silent village.

It settled in and shut its rune off only for daybreak to take it by surprise what felt like minutes later.

Too soon, it was time to go.

Forfend hissed steam and got itself up.

It was greeted immediately by the entire population of Foumedo surrounding the carriage it would be taking back to Cragwall.

Jace tackled its leg and hugged it, tears steaming down his face. "Come visit, okay?"

"I will. As soon as I can," it promised.

"Take care of yourself, big guy." Avery pat its shoulder.

"Stay safe," Mavis told it.

"And you watch them big city types," Joel growled.

Jessie hugged Forfend. "You're going to do amazing things out there. You know you will."

Fletch had tears streaming down his face just the way Jace did. "You got everything you need? All your tools? You want to rest another hour or two? Stay for breakfast?"

Forfend wrapped Fletch in a gentle hug. "I have all I need and I cannot keep King Falco waiting. I will come home again. My journey will stop here many times and it will end here too. I will be back."

"Promise?" Fletch squeaked.

"Promise." It released its dear friend and carefully climbed into the carriage.

It waved to everyone in Foumedo. "I will miss you all! Stay safe! Take care of each other!"

A cheer of affirmatives filled the air.

Forfend shut the door and settled in across from Kagoshi and Kairi, its chest glowing brightly.

The carriage immediately set to course.

The travel back to Cragwall was uneventful. More or less, it was five days of Kairi and Kagoshi playfully bickering.

There was little of note until the group entered Cragwall's southern gate and were immediately greeted by the fully intact Teleportation Hub.

Melzaryn met them just outside the Hub with his usual inscrutable smile on his face. "I was busy while you were gone."

"It seems so," Forfend hummed.

"The problem is gone." He tapped the pouch on his belt where the Calamity Crystal had been stored, but presumably was not stored any longer. "Got the Teleportation Hub up and almost running again. I've been doing a lot of reading at the library too. It's been fun."

Forfend nodded.

"Nerd shit," Kagoshi grumbled.

Kairi giggled.

Melzaryn started to speak, but was interrupted by a new figure inserting himself into their group.

He was a knight, but for once it wasn't High Knight Erest Ledrian.

Instead, it was Garin Doverba, the second-in-command.

This was the first time Forfend was getting a decent look at him.

He was a half elf, judging by his short but pointed ears. His blond hair was closely cropped and well kept. He held himself with an air of authority.

"I have a message from the good king himself," Garin informed. "There have been some developments and some things he wishes for your lot to investigate."

Everyone nodded.

Garin tugged a scroll from his belt and handed it over.

Melzaryn accepted it, unrolling it to read immediately.

"Starts with niceties asking about your stay in Foumedo," he said. "Talks about the work I've been doing. I can update you on whatever you need to know about what's been happening around here. Oh, there's the important stuff."

Melzaryn glanced up at them. "They have some suspects for who might be leading Envema."

"Oh," Forfend straightened, listening intently.

Kairi leaned forward as well.

Even Kagoshi seemed to suddenly tune back into the conversation.

"Odolan Sagemantle and Adhron Galloford, both patriarchs of their respective families," Melzaryn read. "That's fun."

"We have suspicions, but no proof. We need proof beyond doubt," Garin said. "It's your job to find it. The suspicion regarding Highlord Odolan is that the Sagemantle family would have the ability to create magical effects like those seen on Envema members. Highlord Adhron, on the other hand, has the wealth to fund it."

"It may be both," Forfend hummed grimly.

"If you find proof of that, by all means, bring it to us." Garin nodded once and took his leave.

"We have our work cut out for us," Forfend said.

The rest of the group hummed their agreement.

[demigodforfend]

Twilight of the Demigods: Forfend Edition - Session 4

Forfend tore its gaze off Melzaryn's bloodied face. "What in the gods' names was that?"

"I'm, uh, not sure," Melzaryn shrugged. "It's never happened before. Let's hope it never happens again." He spun on his heels and made for the exit.

Forfend started to follow, to demand more answers. It thought better of it though. Melzaryn likely wouldn't have more answers. He was probably spooked, even if he did have a strange way of showing it. There were other things that needed tending to anyway.

Forfend limped carefully back to the boy on the ground. He'd passed away some time ago, but it seemed crass to abandon him without even a proper burial. It wished it had something proper to cover him with, but there had been nothing in the cave. All it had was the bloodied patchwork of the demon's cloak. That would have to do.

It hobbled back across the room and dispelled the block of lead crushing the monster, sending the incredible weight up in a hiss of thick black smoke. It leaned down and carefully disrobed the blasphemous creature.

Crossing the room a third time, Forfend's body creaked dangerously. It knelt slowly and leaned its weight away from its damaged side. It had been cleaved nearly in two. It feared it would fall apart if it wasn't aware of itself or its movements.

"Forfend?" Kairi called.

It wrapped the boy gently and respectfully in the cloak before sparing a glance over its shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked.

Jayden and Louis eyed Forfend, both silently encouraging it to answer honestly.

"I will be alright, but I would not turn away assistance."

Kairi stretched her arm out towards it. Glittering stars left her palm and crossed the room in a meandering wave. They coalesced around its side.

Within seconds, Forfend felt more solid around its middle. The wound was far from gone. Golden ichor still spilled unhindered. But it was far more manageable now.

"Thank you," it nodded as it lifted the corpse into its arms. "Let us get out of this awful place."

"Wait, the armor," Kairi spoke softly. "It has more of the gems like the one that did this to Kagoshi."

Forfend swore lowly. That was true. They couldn't leave such dangerous things lying around for anyone to stumble across. Someone could get hurt or even killed.

Forfend placed the body next to Kairi and waved the children over as well. "Stay with Kairi. She will take care of you while I handle this." It placed a gentle hand on both their heads.

They nodded.

"Be careful," Jayden pleaded.

"And prepared," Louis added.

Forfend nodded. "I certainly will."

It gathered the armor sets from around the room and dragged the clanking pile back to the large empty crate that had originally concealed the passageway.

Forfend removed the lid entirely, threw the armor inside, and then gathered up all the armors scattered in this room as well before moving to the next.

It caught up with Melzaryn going through all of the boxes on the far side of the cavern, the side they hadn't yet explored, as though he was conducting inventory.

"Valuable things here," he commented idly.

Forfend hummed and continued gathering armor sets. It was tedious work. By the time it was done, it had gathered thirty armors, each one bearing a tiny obsidian crystal with a strange blue sheen. All of them were thrown haphazardly into the crate.

Forfend latched a rope around the box and tied it securely. Dragging the mess in its current state would be difficult, but certainly not impossible.

Forfend returned to the children who were huddled around Kairi and poking curiously at Kagoshi's prone form.

"Alright, now we may go," it announced.

"What do we do with Kagoshi?" Jayden asked.

Forfend sighed like escaping steam. "I'll add him to the crate of armor."

Kairi looked skeptical, but she wouldn't be able to carry him herself so it would have to do.

Forfend hefted Kagoshi up.

Kairi hesitated before lifting the wrapped corpse. She held it against herself with careful reverence.

Forfend returned to the box and unceremoniously added Kagoshi to the contents. He didn't so much as flinch, though his eyes were still open. Forfend wondered if he'd ever wake up at all. It seemed increasingly unlikely.

Melzaryn returned with an armful of miscellaneous items. "I believe this is everything useful." He also jingled heavy pouches of coin. "And we can split this between us too."

Forfend nodded, but it wasn't really paying attention. It tied the excess rope around its box of armor to its shoulders. "Let's just get home. I'm certain we are all sick of this cavern."

Everyone made different sounds of affirmation.

The trudge home was slow. Melzaryn spent it rifling through the things he'd found and distributing them amongst everyone. Kairi spent it downcast and fretting. Predictably, Kagoshi spent it staring into the void with empty, glassy eyes.

Louis and Jayden stuck close to Forfend's side. They were exhausted from their ordeal and flagging quickly. Louis stepped onto Forfend's foot mid-stride and wedged his hands into stone gaps to keep himself balanced.

He weighed very little for a creature of Forfend's size and had rightly earned his rest. Forfend shifted its gait slightly to make the ride easier on its charge.

Jayden took the opportunity to step up on Forfend's other foot. She chose her handholds very carefully and leaned away from the gold-dribbling gash in its side.

"I'm sorry I could not get to you sooner," Forfend apologized sincerely. "You should not have suffered."

"We're gonna be okay. You got to us in time." Loius squeezed Forfend's leg in a cumbersome hug.

It nodded, though it still felt it should've caught on quicker.

Beside it, Melzaryn whipped out a fanciful quill and opened a scroll.

"What is that?" Forfend asked.

"New spell," he answered simply.

Ink rose from the page and funneled its way into the quill, leaving the scroll blank. Melzaryn pressed the quill to an empty spot in his spellbook and scribbled rapidly.

He shut the heavy book with a dull thump and put everything away again.

Forfend returned its gaze to the road. Foumedo's gate was just ahead. Lights were lit and people, shivering in their pajamas in the chill night air, awaited the results of the monster hunt.

Forfend was glad to have mostly good news for them. Circumstances could've been far worse given the dangerous situation they'd been in. Still, they'd caught their share of losses too.

Jessie was chatting with Byr and hadn't yet seen them. He pointed towards the bridge.

Byr begrudgingly headed in that direction, a scowl firmly affixed to his face.

Jessie sighed and glanced up in Forfend's direction. His eyes went wide as he sprinted over. "F-Forfend," he stuttered, staring in shock at the bleeding wedge cut from its midsection. "What happened?!"

"We found the children," it answered.

Jessie blinked, his eyes barely flicking away from the injury to the children clinging to its legs. Relief flooded him, washing away his unnatural stiffness.

"Joel! Rosie!" Jessie called.

Both parents broke from the forming crowd and scooped up their respective children.

Rosie was in tears as she checked Jayden over. She thanked Forfend and its companions in a torrent of completely jumbled gibberish.

Joel was silent as he took in Louis's tired state. He nodded slowly. "You survived and I'm very proud, but you've got to be more careful out there. Check in at home base more often, you got it?"

Louis nodded, wavering on his feet.

Joel picked him up and looked squarely at Jessie. "I told you something like this would happen one day. We've got to be more prepared."

"I understand," Jessie acknowledged. "We'll discuss it tomorrow. The whole crew."

Joel nodded, apparently satisfied, and left to get his son fed and rested.

Avery the Huntress stopped him just long enough to push cured meats into his hand. He humphed his thanks.

She offered the same to Rosie who took them with even more tearful gratitude.

Avery slipped her bow into her hand and pat Forfend's shoulder as she passed it. She stationed herself at the town entrance, eyeing the dark meadow beyond. She was wholly prepared to fight anything that may have followed them.

Forfend doubted anything had.

"So, uh, two things," Jessie mentioned. "Where's Kagoshi and what's with the box?"

Forfend tugged idly at the ropes around its shoulders. "Kagoshi is in the box."

"Why? What happened out there?"

Kairi climbed the edge of the box and watched her comatose friend. "I hope he's alright."

Forfend tilted slightly, its body grinding precariously. "If I'm sharing the whole story, I would like to see Byr while we do it."

"It was... definitely a lot," Kairi agreed.

"Ah, well, I understand since something managed to damage you like that, but Byr's looking at the bridge. He's already busy," Jessie said apologetically.

Forfend sighed.

"What's in the box though?"

"Armor, mostly."

"And Kagoshi," Kairi noted.

"And also Kagoshi," Forfend nodded.

Forfend pulled the wrapped gem from its pocket. "Do not touch this," it forewarned. It held the cloth at eye level and carefully exposed the black gem within.

"All of the armors have these strange obsidian power sources. They're very dangerous and very potent. Touching them causes people to experience intense emotion and do strange things."

"I'll be certain to tell Fletch that," Jessie assured, watching the gem with suspicion.

Forfend returned the item to its folded cloth and dropped it back into its pocket. It hauled the box to the back of Fletcher's Forge.

Fletch halted his conversation to follow. "Whatcha doing?"

"Do not touch anything in this until I can tell you what it is," Forfend iterated carefully.

"Alright, that's fair," Fletch nodded as he hopped up on the side of the box to peer into it.

"And whatever you do," Jessie added, "especially do not touch the blue gems in the chest pieces."

"What, you mean these?" Fletch teased as he reached into the box. He stopped well short of contact with anything, but Jessie snagged his waist and hauled him off the box anyway.

"Be careful!" he admonished his husband.

Fletch chuckled.

Jessie heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Hey," Fletch tapped Forfend's arm. "You need to get some rest. You look like you've seen some shit."

Forfend nodded.

"Byr's busy with the bridge and probably will be for the rest of the night," Jessie reminded. "He's been sleeping a lot lately because he hasn't had much to do, so he doesn't mind working through the night. I'll ask him to come by in the morning, alright?"

"That would be excellent, thank you." Forfend turned towards its home.

"Could you get Kagoshi out of the box?" Fletch asked.

"Ah, right." It scruffed Kagoshi by the back of his collar, which was very nearly the only thing left of his jacket, and lifted him out of the box.

It carried Kagoshi to Kairi and set him down, taking the wrapped corpse from her instead. "Get some rest. We will reconvene in the morning and see if anything can be done for Kagoshi as well."

"Thank you," she said. She hoisted Kagoshi up as well as she could and half dragged him towards the inn.

Melzaryn had already disappeared. Forfend wasn't certain when he'd made his exit, but he was likely in his tavern room by now.

Forfend returned to Jessie and Fletch, kneeling carefully.

"What's that?" Jessie asked, turning his face away from the bloody cloak and covering his nose.

"This is a young boy who we found caged the same way Louis and Jayden were. Unfortunately, he had been there for much longer and has been deceased for weeks. I hope that we can give him his burial rites. He deserves that much, since we could do nothing else for him." Forfend gently laid the child on the ground.

Jessie nodded, sadness befalling his features.

Fletch placed his hand on his husband's shoulder, though he wore the same expression.

"We'll see what we can do," Jessie sighed. "Just rest tonight. You've been through a lot."

Forfend hobbled into its home without another word.

It wanted to lie down on the massive straw bed, but it feared it would struggle to get up again. It settled for sitting down on the soft pile, wrapping its oversized blanket around itself, and leaning against the wall so that there was no weight on its injured side.

The light of its rune flicked out.

Forfend found itself thinking of very little in its exhaustion. It was rare that it wished it could sleep as other creatures do, but tonight was among those rare instances. What few coherent thoughts cut through the droning, muddled tiredness were worrisome, prickling its mind like thorns.

A memory wedged itself into the edge of Forfend's consciousness. It fumbled for the distant thing, desperate for something other than deep-seated concern.

The warmth of its body beginning to slowly knit itself back together fled from it all at once. It felt cold, right into its very core.

Flashes of another place crossed its vision. Somewhere distant in time or space or both. Its imagination was playing tricks on it, likely due to how severely damaged it was. There was nothing to be done for that.

It saw great iron pillars for a fraction of a second, then darkness.

Crucibles, hammers. Darkness.

Iron clanged against iron in the confines of its memory. Steel against steel. The hiss of water steaming off red-hot metal. The sounds of a forge, one so hot Forfend was certain its stone body would melt in the flames.

Had its body always been stone? The thought startled it, but it couldn't hold onto the idea. It was dismissed as quickly as it had arisen. It simply didn't matter.

Forfend wasn't certain anymore that it recognized this memory. It was old. Perhaps older than Forfend truly was.

Darkness filled its mind again, bringing a nothingness with it. Peace, in a sense. Nonexistence, more accurately.

"No, it's not right," a deep voice reverberated into the nowhere the concept of Forfend floated in. "It's the same, same as all the others."

A heavy metal tang sounded, light flashing blindingly across Forfend's vision.

A feeling struck it. Warmth, but not its own.

"Hm. Different," the voice spoke again. "Yes, different. Good."

Forfend should recognize the speaker. It couldn't dwell. If it wondered too far from what it was recalling now, it may not find its way back.

Another heavy strike of a hammer against steel. The metal sang, vibrating in the depths of Forfend's chest.

The same flash of light, this time followed by a thought. A simple one. Acknowledgement of its own existence.

"Yes," the voice brimmed with emotions Forfend lacked the awareness to recognize. "This is good. Almost done. What else?"

The hammer struck. White flashed.

An emotion hit Forfend. Reverence, or love? Love. Certainly love.

"Iron for the body, for fortitude and will," the voice explained. Whether the speaker was talking to Forfend or someone else, it could not be certain. "Magma for the muscle, the ability to change and be grounded all the same. Liquid metal for the heart for strength ever growing, tempered in the first fires of new life. Quenched in tree oil for spirit and clear mind."

There was a pause.

"Hm. What else? Something is missing."

The voice huffed as it mused.

"Ah," it spoke again. "A flame. Not fire as to strengthen, but a flame of its own. Hm. What to start it with?"

Silence abounded.

"Hm. Ah, a flame from the hearth."

A presence Forfend hadn't realized was there left its side. It felt colder and quite alone, missing the speaker with what little awareness it had.

"The first furnace. The birthplace of the forge," the voice said from a short ways away. "This, this will do." The presence returned. "Hearth flame for bravery, for kindness. For soul. Yes."

Warmth of its own filled Forfend once again, traveling through it from its core to the tips of its extremities.

"Ah, there it is. Good, good," the voice praised either itself or Forfend. "Now, what to call it? No, what to call them?" the speaker corrected. "Hm. What would they want to be called? Would they prefer to have their own name? Or perhaps one I give them? Hm."

The speaker paced, humming thoughtfully.

"For now," the voice decided, "let us call you--"

"FORFEND!" Byr shouted.

Forfend jolted upright, the light of its rune flickering several times as its mind struggled to escape the memory. The light steadied, but Forfend's head still felt like it was spinning.

It couldn't speak yet so it just transfixed its gaze in Byr's approximate direction.

"By Fornax's shiny metal head, you got fucked up!" Byr swore irritably and slammed the doors open wider. They banged off the wall, hinges creaking.

"What the hell did you-- What the hell did that to you?" he continued yelling without pause. "Jessie said I should head over to help you out, but godsdamn!"

Forfend glanced around the room, gathering its bearings and assessing its surroundings.

It was morning. The time had gotten away from it.

Byr watched it for a moment, arms crossed. When Forfend failed to respond, he continued talking. "Seriously, I never would've thought something like that could happen. I've seen some shit hit you and it didn't do anything. You never even flinched."

Forfend nodded, distinctly recalling the time it had assisted Byr with a repair and a granite block had fallen from well above it. The stone had broken over Forfend's shoulders. There had been no damage to Forfend. It had regretted moreso that it hadn't been quick enough to catch the stone. At least it had caught the mason.

"Do I need to change everything in town to prepare for something like that?" Byr approached Forfend, staring directly into its face and awaiting an answer.

Forfend realized it still hadn't spoken. A metallic hum rose from its core, its own version of clearing its throat. "The monster that did this is quite dead."

"Well, that's good." Byr leaned back, less concerned now.

He grabbed a stool and sat himself at Forfend's wounded side. "Alright, let's see what we've got to work with here. Who's blood is this?"

"The gold is mine."

"Yeah, I gathered that much," Byr grumbled. "I meant the dark, nasty shit."

"It was the monster's."

"We're cleaning that off you."

"Please," Forfend almost pleaded. The thick dried goop was very uncomfortable against its stone skin.

Byr reached into a bucket of rocks Forfend hadn't noticed he was carrying.

The pieces were raw, unpolished. However, they were remarkable quality. Byr had brought his best.

The first stone was broken into a wide wedge and carefully slid into the depths of the wound.

Golden ichor coated Byr's hands.

Heat flared up in Forfend's side, melding the rock into its body.

Byr broke another stone into the approximate shape and added it as well. He kept observing, breaking, and inserting stone until the heat was more than he could stand.

He sat back, watching Forfend's body transmute the different stones to marble as it incorporated them into its form. Ichor, almost boiling, dripped down its side.

"Took that 'heart of gold' thing literally, didn't you?" he quipped.

Forfend tilted its head slightly. "Literally speaking, I do not have a heart at all."

"You missed the joke," Byr tutted and shook his head.

Forfend lit its chest up, a slight grinding sound emanating from within it. A chuckle, of sorts. "I suppose I did."

Byr carefully wedged one last stone into Forfend's side.

It seamed tightly into place, marbled, and the wound was gone.

"There ya go." Byr pat Forfend's shoulder.

Forfend tested its range of motion. Twisting and bending was easy again and no longer came with ominous creaking. It leaned down and turned to show Byr its cracked upper back.

"Could you fix this as well?"

Byr stood up on his stool and ran his stubby fingers along the thick cracks. "Just needs a little mortar. We'll get you patched up in no time."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I throw the material at you and you do the rest. Easiest damn repairs I've ever made." He cracked his knuckles and hopped off his stool, gathering supplies. "Lay down. I ain't reaching over my head to do all this."

"Yes, sir." Forfend followed the order.

Repaired and cleaned, Forfend squeezed carefully into the Scattered Hawk Inn. It couldn't honestly say it was excited to be checking in on Kagoshi. Truthfully, it was more worried for Kairi than the feral monster she was charged with handling.

"Oh, hi, Forfend, I don't see you here too often," Narad greeted with some confusion. "What brings you around?"

"Good morning. I am here to--" Forfend paused as it caught sight of Kagoshi and Kairi sitting at one of the tables. "Oh, Kagoshi, you are awake." It was genuinely surprised.

"Yep," Kagoshi shrugged.

Melzaryn sat on the far side of the room. His pointed ears tuned into the conversation, but he continued eating without looking up.

"How are you... feeling?" Forfend asked, trying and failing to keep the suspicion out of its voice.

"I mean, I feel more or less the same as I did when I got up yesterday." Kagoshi glanced sharply at Narad, who raised his hands up placatingly and took his leave to the kitchen.

"Would you like to explain yourself?" Forfend fiddled with the hilt of its mace. It hoped it wouldn't need the weapon, but it didn't feel it could safely conversate with Kagoshi without it.

"What do you want me to explain?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"All of it. Why do you turn into a demon? What happened with that strange gem?"

"Oh." He scowled even deeper, if that was possible. "You won't like the answer to either of those."

"I expect as much," Forfend nodded.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Forfend balked. "You're extremely dangerous. You need to figure that out!"

Kagoshi shrugged. "I've been trying. The gem thing was new. Normally, I don't have any rhyme or reason for what I do when I'm enraged. But that time, I felt pulled in a specific direction. That's never happened before."

Narad slinked back into the room, pretending he couldn't hear the tense conversation from the kitchen. He set down a plate piled high with every breakfast food Forfend had ever heard of.

"It's on the house," Narad smiled. "As a thanks for rescuing the children."

Kagoshi wasted no time digging into the meal like a starved animal.

"Lady Kairi, what would you like?"

"Same thing," Kagoshi mumbled through a mouthful of bacon-flecked pancake. "It's so good."

Kairi nodded. "Same thing," she confirmed.

"Alright, I'll be back shortly." Narad bowed his head politely and returned to the kitchen. "Oh," he poked his head out from the doorway. "Not really any of my business, but, Melzaryn, didn't Jessie give you reward money for those two?" He ducked back into the kitchen.

Melzaryn stood up, waved shortly to Forfend, and left.

"Hey, what the hell?" Kagoshi started to stand until a floating coin pouch bumped his face.

He paused, going cross-eyed to look at the note attached. "'Going for a walk,'" he read. "Is this from Melzaryn? Okay, cool, I guess." Kagoshi snatched the money and pocketed it.

Forfend hummed. "Well, it is nice to see you are up and about, Kagoshi. Now please refrain from causing anymore trouble. I am going to report the full situation to Jessie."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll be fine." Kagoshi dug back into his food, waving Forfend off.

It left, shaking its head exasperatedly.

One lengthy and detailed incident report later, Jessie stood stunned. He swallowed hard. "I'm glad we've got you. Nobody else would've survived."

Forfend nodded grimly. "May I ask what arrangements are being made for the departed?"

Jessie hid his face and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Right. About that..." He trailed off.

Forfend patiently waited for him to gather his thoughts.

"I took a look at him. He's from a noble family. I could tell by the clothes."

Forfend tilted its head. "Yes, I recall he looked as though he may have been affluent."

"I know we haven't told you that much about the ruling families and Tyrwedian politics and all, but we can't bury him here." Jessie shrugged helplessly. "They'd take exception."

"Will you contact them then? And they can perform their own rites."

"I hope it's that simple," he sighed. "I am going to try to get in contact. For now, he's in Fletch's storage building. It's not great, but it's cool and dry. That's the best we can do."

Forfend hummed. "Alright. So long as he gets his burial rites."

"I'm sure he will." Jessie pat Forfend's arm gently. "In lighter news, there's a party planned this evening to celebrate the safe return of Louis and Jayden. You can invite your... friends? Are they friends? If you want."

Forfend rolled its shoulders. The mortar on its back had assimilated into its body and the wound was gone, but Forfend had not forgotten the pain. "I like Melzaryn and Kairi. They are friendly acquaintances. Kagoshi, on the other hand, is quite unpleasant for a number of reasons."

"I can see that," he nodded.

"Nonetheless, he certainly did help us," Forfend allowed. "I will invite them if I see them again today. For now, I need to see Fletch regarding the armor."

"Right. Be careful."

"I will." It lumbered towards the forge.

Fletch was carefully assembling a sculpture of bent nails. He could use them for scrap, but he'd instead chosen to create a shaky tower of odd angles and sharp points. It wasn't far enough along yet to resemble anything specific. Maybe it never would.

"Oh, hey, Forfend. Glad you're looking better!" he grinned.

"I am feeling better as well. If you are not busy, could you help me go through this crate?" Forfend asked.

"The one I'm not supposed to touch? Sure!" Fletch practically bounced up and hauled himself over the edge, staring down at the contents. He whistled. "Tyrwedian military. Gorgeous craftsmanship. We can't be fucking with this stuff."

Forfend grabbed its oversized pair of gloves and pulled them on. It dragged the first armor set out of the box. "I do not intend to have us melt it down or resell it."

"That's good. I'm hesitant to mess with anything here. I don't think the noble houses will take kindly to us having their stuff." Fletch eyed the armor with a rare display of apprehension.

"You may contact anyone you would like about returning it."

"That's probably a good idea," he nodded. "So what's the deal with the little gems?" Fletch leaned down and squinted at the miniscule stone.

"If you touch them directly, they will overwhelm and injure you," Forfend warned.

Fletch pulled on his own pair of gloves and grabbed a set of tongs. "Noted."

"I want to remove them all."

Fletch blinked. "This is looted Tyrwedian military armor. I don't know if we should do that."

"If they wanted these back, they should not have lost them. They are far too dangerous to be left lying around. They are part of the reason the children were kidnapped," Forfend stated firmly.

"Alright, I guess that's true," Fletch conceded. "I'll help you with that, but then we put them back in the box and I'll figure out who to write to come pick up their shit."

Forfend nodded and began the painstaking process of pulling every individual gem out of every individual armor.

The process was significantly easier with Fletch's assistance. Altogether, however, it still took the better part of the day.

When the last armor was freed of its gem and tumbled into pieces, Fletch tossed it back into the box and brushed his gloved hands off. "That does it."

Forfend nodded. It carefully wrapped the last gem in a tiny scrap of cloth as it had all the others and added it to the collective pouch. "I will store these away for now."

"Alright. I'm gonna get ready for the party. You're coming, right?"

"Of course."

Fletch grinned. He headed into the house while Forfend made for its room.

It tossed the bag of obsidian shards into the large chest at the back of the room and, for the first time, it locked the chest closed. Forfend added the key to one of its belt pouches. It grabbed the key to its door next and locked that behind it for the first time as well.

Forfend sighed with the long, slow hiss of a steam leak. It hadn't been so paranoid in a long time. It did not welcome the feeling.

At least the night's party would alleviate some stress. Hopefully.

Avery offered Melzaryn a massive cut of beef almost as soon as he walked in. He took it, nodded politely, and found himself a seat to eat at.

Kairi and Kagoshi followed a few minutes behind Melzaryn. They also made for the food first.

The party was split. Some people were eating. Some were dancing.

Forfend was with Fletch on the dancefloor, listening to its friend laugh and prod it for details on the monster fight.

Jessie couldn't relax and neither could Joel. Both were circling the room every few minutes, making certain windows were locked and doors were closed.

Forfend spotted Mavis and Jace slip in a bit late. It hadn't expected to see them so soon after the incident, but Jace was practically vibrating with excitement.

Forfend made its way to them. "It's good to see you." It rested a gentle hand on Mavis's shoulder. "Are you both doing alright?"

Mavis nodded. "We'll be okay."

"Forfend, you're so cool!" Jace yelled. "I didn't know you could get hurt."

Forfend hummed. "It has been a very long time since I have been hurt."

"Did you kill the big blue thing?"

"Yes, it is quite dead."

"How'd you do it?" Jace's eyes sparkled, wide with wonder.

"I dropped a block of lead on it," it answered simply.

"Did you pick it up and throw it at the big monster because you're so super strong?"

Mavis smiled apologetically, but Forfend wasn't bothered by the deluge of questions.

"Something to that effect, yes."

"Did you use your magic?" Jace asked next.

"I did."

"What did you make with it? Did you make fire?" He mimicked tossing fireballs.

Forfend nodded.

"Was it scary?"

"It was very scary. I am glad everyone is safe." Forfend lightly tapped Jace's helmet. A steady orange glow spread across the surface.

Jace grabbed the helmet and took it off only long enough to look at it. "It's glowing!"

"It will wear off in a while, but enjoy it while it lasts." Forfend's chest lit up the same color.

Jace squealed. "Mom, look!" He barely gave Mavis a chance to glance before he took off like a shot, showing everyone in the room in turn.

Forfend chuckled with a sound like grinding stone.

"Thank you for looking out for him," Mavis said seriously. "If it weren't for you and those travelers, I would've lost him."

"We only did what needed to be done."

Mavis smiled. "I'm going to try to catch up to him before he bumps into something."

"Best of luck," Forfend chuckled again.

Mavis had barely passed it before the telltale ting rang out.

"Jace, be careful!" Mavis called with much exasperation.

"I'm okay!" Jace yelled back.

Forfend checked in on Loius and Jayden next.

Louis was eating and chattering. He kept trying to get his father to stop pacing and sit down. Fletch was having the same argument with Jessie just a few feet away.

Jayden was stuck to her mother's side. Rosie encouraged her to talk and enjoy the company.

Forfend spoke with them for a bit, but eventually it decided it needed to help Fletch.

Forfend found Fletch following Jessie on his hundredth circuit around the room.

"You gotta enjoy yourself. You're gonna worry yourself to death," Fletch complained.

"It's basic safety precautions. Somebody has to do it," Jessie argued.

Forfend picked Jessie up off the ground.

"What, hey?!" He kicked at the air.

"Have you eaten?" Forfend asked.

"Well... I will," he mumbled sheepishly.

"You will," Forfend repeated and carried Jessie to the table.

"Yeah, that's my boy!" Fletch cheered.

It plopped Jessie down in a chair right between the two affected families.

Fletch sat next to him and hooked their elbows together. "Sit. Eat. Enjoy yourself. It's a party!"

Jessie sighed deeply, running his hand down his tired face. "I dunno."

Joel watched the ordeal suspiciously before slowly giving in to Louis's begging. He sat down as well. Sharp eyes kept darting towards the doors and windows, but he ate and spoke with his son.

With even Joel giving up the endless rounds, Jessie had no excuse.

Fletch pushed a full plate in front of him as Forfend sat down on his other side.

"Alright, okay, you got me." Jessie dug in, suddenly starving now that he wasn't otherwise focused.

Forfend awoke early. All in all, it felt less on edge than it had lately. It was a good sign. Things could go back to normal.

A rapid knock sounded on Forfend's door.

It hauled itself up. "Is something wrong?" it asked as it crossed the room, unlocking the door.

Fletch opened the door as soon as the kerchunk sounded. "There's a whole caravan coming."

"I'm not sure they're merchants," Jessie added fretfully.

Forfend hummed. "We should greet them and find out what they need."

Jessie nodded.

"I'll stick by the forge. Keep an eye on all our stuff," Fletch offered.

"Thank you." Forfend followed Jessie into the town square.

It wasn't long before the caravan entered the city proper. The astounding twenty soldiers escorting the three wagons were worryingly well armed and dressed in the flawless armor of Tyrwedian military. It was certainly a far more serious display of force than a town like Foumedo needed.

Forfend wondered where they were heading.

They stopped. Five knights stepped out of the middle wagon and stood in careful formation. The middle one stood slightly more forward than the others, a scroll in hand

He unraveled it and read, despite how difficult it must've been to see the words through the slats in his helmet's visor.

"In the name of Lord Clayton of House Galloford, merchant house and vassal under King Falco Feldrian, we request the leaders of the town of..." the Knight trailed off, squinting at his scroll. "Fou...mee-do," he mispronounced, grumbled under his breath, and continued, "to present themselves."

No one moved.

After a moment, Jessie hesitantly stepped forward. He was the only leader this town really had. He lacked official titles, but filled the role nonetheless.

The knight waited, watching the rest of the crowd.

Melzaryn opened the tavern door and stepped outside. His eyes flicked over the commotion briefly. He spun on his heel and went back indoors.

Kagoshi and Kairi stepped out shortly after. They watched whatever was about to unfold. Kairi looked curious. Kagoshi wore his ever-present scowl, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Remiss to leave Jessie alone, Forfend stepped up behind him and to his right like an assistant.

"Alright," the guard started slowly, realizing no one else would be joining them. "Very well. Leader of Fou-mee-do, we are in search of a shipment of Tyrwedian military goods. As per our orders from Lord Clayton, we are to search the merchant route that the shipment traveled upon and recover the shipment. Upon arrival into each town we are to request an audience with the town's leadership and receive a detailed report of the last five weeks. We will remain in Foumedo until we receive the report and a full search of the town has been completed." The man rolled his scroll back up and stood at attention.

"I can show you precisely where the caravan crashed and where most of the supplies are," Forfend offered.

If that's all they were looking for, the knights would be in and out very quickly. They could return home. Forfend and its companions had already handled the hardest part for them. Fletch and Jessie wouldn't even need to contact anyone anymore. It was a stroke of luck.

"I see," the man spoke, slightly startled. He scanned the crowd, overlooking Forfend each pass in his search of who spoke up. "That, uh... And the goods are present here? Is that correct?"

"We have some of the armors in a crate by the forge. We only found them the night before last."

The knight continued to look right past Forfend. For some strange reason, he was wholly incapable of pinning the voice down as belonging to it.

"Hm. I see." The knight took a deep breath. "In the name of Lord Clayton of House Galloford, merchant house and vassal under King Falco Feldrian, I hearby place you under arrest for theft, possession, and use of military property, kidnapping a noble, and ransoming."

Gasps and murmurs ran through the crowd.

Forfend was stunned. The only thing in that list they were technically guilty of was possession and even that had been a faultless happenstance. They'd done nothing wrong.

The knight continued, "You are to be transported to the Tyrwedian royal capital of Cragwall and, further, the castle of Feldrian to be held under trial for your crimes. This action will be carried out immediately."

"Oh hell no!" Kagoshi yelled out.

The knight ignored him and approached Jessie, pulling manacles from his belt.

Kagoshi rushed forward with Kairi right on his heels. He glowered at the man with unbridled contempt.

Several guards intercepted, suddenly on edge. Tension filled the air.

"Wait, wait," Kairi warned.

"Oh good, you've got shields. That means the rest of your buddies have got something to carry you home on," Kagoshi threatened darkly.

The tension sharpened rapidly. Every single soul in Foumedo was overwhelmed with apprehension.

"Kagoshi!" Forfend and Kairi yelled at the same time.

"What?!" he yelled back. "They're trying to make an arrest on falsehoods!"

"Yes, but this is not a problem one can solve with violence," Forfend argued. "They will perform an investigation and find that the wreck happened weeks ago and was only recently discovered. No one here was involved. None of us are guilty of anything."

The knight shifted his focus from Kagoshi back to Jessie and continued his advance.

"Wait, Jessie had nothing to do with this," Forfend insisted.

"As the leader of this town, he is held liable for everyone within it," the knight explained loudly, still blindly failing to acknowledge Forfend as the speaker.

"Oh, fuck," Jessie swore, panic in his eyes. He stepped back and bumped into Forfend.

Forfend pushed Jessie behind it and stood staunchly in front of him.

The knight paused. He looked Forfend up and down.

"And where did you procure this golem?" he asked suspiciously.

"I am not a golem," Forfend responded evenly.

"It speaks," he marveled.

"It has been speaking for a while." Forfend gazed stiffly down at the man.

He seemed to realize all at once that Forfend had done most of the talking thus far. He cleared his throat and eyed Jessie where he nervously stood against Forfend's back.

"Leader of Fou-mee-do, if you do not command your golem to move out of the way, we will have to take more forceful methods."

"I am not a golem," Forfend repeated adamantly.

"If you do not order this construct to stand down," the guard enunciated, "we will be forced to escalate the situation."

The sound of stone cracking resounded from somewhere within Forfend's body as its frustration peaked. "Jessie, give the order."

Jessie inhaled sharply. He glanced at Forfend, then at the guard, and back again. "Forfend, get out of the way," he whispered shakily. It was only just loud enough for the knight to hear.

Forfend held its ground without a word.

"I see," the guard said slowly.

Fletch pushed through the crowd behind the guard and locked eyes on Forfend. He caught sight of Jessie next and Forfend knew his desperate expression was a plea to protect his husband.

Forfend nodded so subtly no one but Fletch would catch it.

"I just wanna punch him. Just one hit," Kagoshi announced aloud.

Kairi whispered something to him.

"I'm not gonna hit these two," he waved dismissively at the guards directly in front of him, their spears crossed and their anxiety skyhigh. "I just wanna punch him." He pointed at the knight currently stalled uncertainly in front of Forfend.

"Kagoshi, you are not helping," Forfend admonished harshly.

It knelt slowly and hunched its shoulders until it was nearly eye level with the guard.

"May I ask that before you make any arrests, you investigate for yourselves," it requested.

The knight sighed. He turned to the guards and nodded.

The guards and a couple of the other knights scattered to scour the town.

The head knight returned his attention to Forfend. "These are orders from our lord, golem," he scathingly emphasized the last word. Forfend had no intention of letting the man get a rise out of it though. "We are to arrest this person immediately and transport them to the royal capital."

"Why is that?" Kagoshi called.

"We are given strict orders. It is our duty to adhere to them," the knight responded sharply.

"I understand this, but you do not have all the information you need to make a judgment here," Forfend said carefully. "I will tell you everything that we know about this situation. I only ask that you allow me to share our story before your guards return. I am quite certain they will find nothing that contradicts what I will tell you."

The knight looked irritable, but he motioned for Forfend to keep talking.

"Alright, from the very beginning." Steam hissed as Forfend gathered its thoughts. Jessie pressed against its back, both giving and seeking comfort. "Two of our town's children recently went missing. We were on the hunt for them when a third was nearly kidnapped. Myself and a handful of companions were able to prevent the kidnapping. The perpetrator was a strange blue demon-like creature. I have never seen such a thing before. If you would like to see it for yourself, the remainder of its body is likely still in the back of a cave due north from here. My companions and I tracked it there after it escaped from us during the attempted abduction."

Forfend paused. It was already getting ahead of itself.

The knight crossed his arms skeptically.

"During our initial hunt for the children, we stumbled across a cart wreck also perpetrated by this same creature and its will-o-wisps. The wagon was destroyed and everything raided from it already. We found evidence of a previous wreck as well, though the wagon itself was gone. We found it later in the monster's lair, similarly raided. Most of your missing goods are likely still scattered around the cavern, though we do have what I believe to be your armors here in town. You will find them in a crate behind the forge, dismantled but undamaged."

"Why are they dismantled?" the knight asked suspiciously.

"To better fit in the crate. Storage space for that much armor is not something a town so small as Foumedo has in abundance."

The knight nodded, apparently satisfied with that response.

"In the back of the cavern, we caught up with the monster and slayed it. The missing children were there. We were able to bring them home safely. However," Forfend sighed like a rush of steam, "there was a third child in the cave. I believe him to be the child of one of the merchants from the caravans and he has passed away. He had already been deceased for weeks when we found him."

One of the passing guards still searching the town snapped his head up and stared at Forfend, concern clear even through his visor.

The head knight held a carefully neutral stance. "So, golem, it was you and your companions who commenced this investigation. Is that correct?"

"Yes," it nodded. "Jessie was not among those companions. No citizen of Foumedo save for myself was."

The knight glanced briefly at Kagoshi, who was being mercifully silent, and Kairi. He seemed to glean the unspoken identities of Forfend's companions quite easily.

"Everything he's told you is true," Kairi piped up. "We were there."

Kagoshi nodded.

A number of the townsfolk shouted their support, backing up every aspect of Forfend's story.

"I see," the knight hummed. He looked around at all the people nodding and yelling. Every testimony matched every other and they all matched Forfend's. "It would appear this golem is telling the truth."

He nodded at one of the knights that had stayed behind.

She nodded and set about rounding up the guards and their findings.

The massive crate of armor was hauled out. One of the guards also carried the carefully wrapped corpse of the young noble. He held the body at arms length, apparently apprehensive to touch the bloodied cloth.

"What the hell is he wrapped in?" the head knight asked.

"The monster's cloak," Forfend answered. "It was all I had for him. There were no other blankets or articles of clothing in the cavern. Please, just make certain he gets his burial rites."

The knight nodded. He took a deep breath. "I've made my decision."

Jessie peeked out from behind Forfend. All of Foumedo leaned in to hear the verdict.

"Our orders still stand."

Foumedo erupted in indignant swears.

"However," the knight shouted over the din, "in accordance with our laws, you may be able to travel to the court itself and make an appeal. That is all. Our orders still remain."

The crowd quieted down. It was a chance, a reason to hope.

"Now will you continue to obstruct the official business of the law?" he asked Forfend. "Or will I have to resort to more forceful means?"

Forfend sighed deeply, steam whistling for a long moment. "Please. Do not take Jessie from this town. I am more than happy to go with you, but Jessie was not involved and Foumedo needs him here."

The knight looked Forfend up and down carefully. "You are not willing to relinquish the town leader, but you are offering to travel in his stead. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Very well then. In that case, I will permit it." The knight nodded to another who spoke into a rune-marked stone.

"You are to travel to the Tyrwedian royal capital of Cragwall and seek audience with Lord Clayton Galloford. We will remain here to make certain you complete the journey." The head knight cocked his head. "Is that agreeable?"

"It is. Thank you, sir." Forfend bowed slightly.

"You and your companions must depart immediately."

"May I have half an hour to gather my things for the trip?" Forfend asked.

"That will be allotted," the knight nodded.

"Thank you," it said again.

Forfend took its leave immediately. It headed straight to its home and unlocked the door.

Luckily, it looked like the guards hadn't been too keen on damaging property in their search. They had left the building alone.

Forfend unlocked the chest in the back of the room and added the sack of obsidian shards to a pouch on its belt. It grabbed its shield and a handful of other supplies it might need.

All in all, it was ready to go in less than fifteen minutes.

When Forfend went back outside, the guards were escorting Jessie into his own home. Thankfully, they hadn't shackled him.

"Be careful! Stay safe! And come home!" Jessie yelled.

"I will," Forfend called back.

Melzaryn, Kairi, and Kagoshi were already at the town gates. As was Fletch.

When Forfend approached, the former three struck out immediately. Forfend started to follow, but Fletch's hand grazed its arm.

It turned.

Fletch had tears in his reddened eyes. He swallowed thickly and wrapped his arms around Forfend's waist.

It placed an oversized hand gently on his back.

"Thank you, Forfend," he managed, his voice cracking with emotion. "If they'd taken Jessie, he... They never would've let him come home. I never would've seen him again. I don't--" A sob cut him off. He dug his fingers into the cracks of Forfend's body, trying to hold it tighter. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

"Everything is going to be alright," Forfend assured. It pressed Fletch into its chest.

Fletch stepped back, sniffling and wiping at his eyes. He looked directly into Forfend's face. He had never looked so serious before as he did now.

"You'll come back to us, right?" He barely got the question out before he had to grit his teeth to bite back another sob.

"Of course."

"I'm gonna hold you to that. Alright?" He took Forfend's hand. "Come home."

"I will," Forfend nodded.

"That's a promise?"

"It is. I will return." It lightly squeezed Fletch's hand and gently pulled away.

"You got everything you need? All your supplies? Your mace? I guess you don't really need any food for the road, huh?" Fletch sniffled, trying out a weak smile. He was prolonging the moment.

Forfend allowed him to do it. It didn't want to leave anymore than Fletch wanted it to.

"Do you have stuff to repair your body with? Your shield? Ya know, just, have you got everything?" he continued his line of questioning.

"I have everything I need. I am certain of that."

"You're, uh, you're really gonna leave," he said softly. Tears brimmed in his eyes again.

Forfend picked Fletch up and pulled him into a hug, squeezing him as much as it safely could.

Fletch sobbed against its chest. "Come home. Please come home," he begged.

"I will." It set Fletch down and kept its steady hand on his shoulder until he composed himself a bit.

"You better. That's a promise. Okay?" Fletch shook with emotion, trying desperately not to fall apart for a third time.

"I will. I swear to you, I will return," it promised.

"Alright," he almost whispered. "Alright. I'll, uh... I'll let you go." He pat Forfend's arm one more time and trudged back toward his home, which was already surrounded by guards.

Forfend pulled its gaze away. It couldn't risk seeing the gathering of somber citizens there to see it off. They were all its friends and its family. And it knew Jace was crying. It couldn't stand to see him in such a state.

Forfend followed after its companions, jogging to catch up. Its metal core had never felt so heavy or so low in its chest. It was scared, worried, and remarkably alone despite the group it traveled in. Already, it missed home.

"Gods, what a pain in the ass," Kagoshi remarked of the road ahead.

Forfend glanced up, distracted from its thoughts. The first day of travel had been wholly uneventful, though very sad. It had watched everything it knew disappear over the horizon.

The second day, however, was going to be a long, strenuous hike.

Ahead of them was a sheer dropoff. The road zigzagged carefully down it.

Shortly after they began the descent, a voice called out from below.

"Hello? Is anyone there? I'm quite stuck!"

Forfend leaned over the edge of the cliff, followed by Kairi then Melzaryn and finally Kagoshi.

"Hello! Help!" Despite the calls for aid, the deep voice sounded more inconvenienced than endangered.

It took them all a moment to spot the man. He was at the very bottom of the cliff, firmly embedded up to his shoulders in a crater in the ground.

"How did that happen?" Forfend wondered aloud.

"Hello?" the man called again. "Is anyone there? I could use some help!" He slumped, mumbling to himself too quietly for Forfend to hear from so far above.

"We're here!" it called down. "We can help!"

"Oh, good! Ah, are you at the top of the cliff? I can't see you!"

"We are!" Forfend answered.

"When and how?!" Kagoshi yelled.

"Oh, well, I assure you when I travel this is usually faster! Um, but I would appreciate if you could help me out of this hole!" The stranger wiggled ineffectually.

Forfend tilted its head. Had he jumped? It seemed likely based on his predicament, but it should be impossible. From the top of the cliff to the bottom was easily a hundred feet. Maybe more.

"Ugh, fine!" Kagoshi responded and continued the path down the cliff.

Everyone followed, picking up their pace to keep the man from waiting too terribly long.

"Ah, hello, friends," the man grinned when they finally reached the bottom level.

"Hello," Forfend greeted, taking in the stranger.

His eyes were a striking steel color and his shaggy brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. He had a scar notching out a small section of his eyebrow. If Forfend had to guess, he was a survivalist like Joel and Louis.

"If you could just help me out of here, that would be greatly appreciated. If I could move my limbs, I could free myself but I cannot. They are quite pinned."

"Do you have any particular method you'd like us to use to free you?" Melzaryn asked, pulling his spellbook from a holster on his belt.

"Oh, not really. I'm quite sturdy. There's no need to worry about hurting me," he responded earnestly.

"Oh, good." Kagoshi reached down and snatched the furs around the man's shoulders.

"Oh, you're just going to pull me?" the stranger asked incredulously. "Are you sure you're quite strong enough?"

"Ready? One... Three!" Kagoshi yanked sharply upward, straining against the tight hold the earth had on the stranger. Slowly, the ground cracked and gave way.

"Oh, you're very strong," the stranger complimented.

As soon as his arms were free, the man hauled himself the rest of the way out of the the pit.

"Oh, thank you!" the man shouted, stretching stiff muscles. He popped his neck, then braced his hands on his back and popped it with a series of loud cracks. "That's much better."

Forfend began dutifully refilling the deep gap left in the ground. This was the middle of the main road. Such a dangerous hazard couldn't be left for cart wheels to get stuck in, or people to fall down, or horses to trip into.

"How did you end up in this situation?" Forfend asked.

"Well, I travel a lot and I usually find that it's faster to just jump off the edge of the cliff."

Forfend craned its head up to look at the top of the cliff face.

"I can take the fall," the man assured.

"Correct me if I am wrong," Forfend started, "but I do not believe that is something a normal human could survive."

"Well, you see, I'm very durable." He smiled proudly.

Forfend looked him over again. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only a fur wrap around his shoulders. Muscles bulged from his chest and arms. It had no doubt he was durable, but this was not the kind of thing human durability would let a person do. This man was more than he was claiming.

Kagoshi eyed Kairi, a hungry look in his eyes.

"If you ask him nicely, maybe," Kairi answered a question that hadn't been asked.

"Mm," Kagoshi responded and turned to the stranger. "I have an important question for you."

"Yes, my friend, uh..." He tilted his head quizzically.

"Kagoshi," Kagoshi supplied. "We're not friends."

"Ah, but we will be. I am Callan. Callan Hearthborn."

"Sure, I'll try to remember that. Listen, I want to fight you. I wanna test your durability claim." Kagoshi cracked his knuckles.

"Good! I was about to ask the same! Would you like then--and I hope it's not too presumptuous of me to ask--to partake in a friendly bout?" Callan was rocking on his heels, getting just as excited as Kagoshi over the prospect of a fight.

Kagoshi glanced at Kairi, a spark in his eyes.

"Go for it," Kairi encouraged.

Forfend shifted nervously. It did not like the idea in the slightest. It didn't understand why Kairi would enable his violent behaviors.

"Let's do it!" Kagoshi smirked.

"Excellent! Let us get into our starting positions." Callan took a fighting stance.

"Not on the main road," Forfend interjected. "I have just filled the hole you put in it. We should not damage it further. It is needed."

"Oh, that is fair," Callan acknowledged. He moved a good distance off the road.

Kagoshi followed and both got into position.

"Well then, friend Kagoshi, do you have a title perhaps?" Callan asked.

"No. None at the moment," Kagoshi answered somberly. Forfend couldn't read the sudden distant emotion in his eyes.

"That is fair. You see, I have not been officially recognized by the Celestial Summit to have any titles either," Callan shared. "But I hope to be recognized soon and named Callan Hearthborn the Unbreakable."

"Celestial what?" Kagoshi asked.

"What is the Celestial Summit?" Forfend inquired.

Callan looked wholly puzzled and very caught off guard. "How..? What..? Do you..?" He shook his head. "Ah, questions for later. For now, let us spar. What rules are we using?"

Kagoshi shrugged. "I dunno, just whoever gives up first."

"Oh, perfect!" Callan clapped and assumed a wide stance, arms outstretched. "Perhaps, would one of your companions like to start the countdown?"

Kagoshi tilted his head at the stance. "Oh, you're a confident bastard. I like you."

"You're quite confident as well," Callan returned. "Let this duel be something to remember."

Forfend fretted at the sidelines. Its fingers tapping nervously on its shield. It hoped Kagoshi would stay under control.

Melzaryn tilted his staff forward.

A glowing three appeared between the two fighters with a beep. It faded. A two appeared with the same noise. Then a one. When it faded, a loud ding rang out.

Kagoshi charged across the field without a moment's hesitation.

Callan made no motion to get out of the way or strike back.

Kagoshi reeled back and slammed his fist into the man's face. A surprising metal twang rang out, rattling up Kagoshi's arm.

Kagoshi swore and bounded back, hands still up despite his undoubtedly bruised knuckles.

Callan leaned forward slightly, adamantine slowly being replaced by skin once more.

"That was a good first hit, friend," he praised. "Do you mind if I take mine?"

Kagoshi looked a bit bewildered.

"I can tell that wasn't your full strength. Are we doing this or not?" Callan cocked his head.

"Don't ask him for full strength," Kairi warned.

"Alright, fine," Kagoshi growled and rolled his shoulders.

"No!" Forfend yelled.

"I guess it is your turn," Kagoshi said.

Forfend and Kairi both breathed a sigh of relief.

Callan crouched low and aimed a devastating uppercut to Kagoshi's stomach. The distinct sound of dull metal against flesh resounded across the clearing. When Callan pulled his adamantine fist back, Kagoshi had burns on the front of his shirt.

Kagoshi doubled over, staggering a bit.

"Alright, this is just trading blows. Are we actually going to fight?" Callan asked idly.

Kagoshi gave a wheezing laugh.

"Do not!" Kairi yelled.

"C'mon, friend, I know you've got more in you," Callan egged him on.

"Please do not ask him for more," Forfend shouted. It feared what would happen.

"He's obviously having a good time! Let him have a good time!" Callan argued.

"You don't understand," Kairi shook her head.

"No one else will have a good time." Forfend edged sightly in front of Melzaryn in case it needed to protect him.

Kagoshi looked up, fire spilling from his mouth and a wild look in his eyes.

"You have your own unique abilities too! C'mon, use it!" Callan was practically jumping with excitement. "C'mon! Do not worry, everything will be fine. I can take it. In the battle between you and I, nothing else matters."

"'Everything will be fine,' he says," Kagoshi chuckled darkly. "Let's see if you can deal with hell on earth!" he roared, his body contorting as it grew.

Callan stared with wide eyes, a grin plastered to his face as Kagoshi burst into flames and doubled in size.

The sky darkened, turning the same violent red as Kagoshi's pulsing scars.

"Fantastic!" Callan screamed. "I feel a shiver run up my spine. This is fear! This means this fight is worth undertaking!"

Kagoshi growled, breathing heavily.

"Look at this, we do have a title for you!" Callan announced. "Kagoshi the Giant!" Callan slammed his fists into one another, a metallic clang ringing out as adamantine crawled up his arms and covered his entire body. "Versus Callan Hearthborn the Unbreakable!"

Forfend stared at the sky, shock and fear filling its body. It readied its shield and pulled its mace from its belt. If Kagoshi came toward it, Forfend would be prepared.

A magic flash reading "Round 2" appeared between the fighters, accompanied by a loud ding.

[demigodforfend]

Twilight of the Demigods: Forfend Edition - Session 3

Impossibly, Kagoshi now towered over Forfend. He'd grown from six feet to ten in the span of thirty seconds. Fire burst from his head and engulfed his skull. He roared again, his voice demonic.

He reeled back, fist clenched.

Forfend twisted around to shield Jace from the blow.

Kagoshi slammed into its back with overwhelming force. Rocks cracked under the pressure.

Forfend grunted and clutched tighter to Jace.

A second blow crashed into Forfend. It flinched, a second resounding crack splintering across its stone shoulders.

Kagoshi roared and braced for a third monstrous attack.

Forfend straightened from its hunched position. It turned just enough to catch a glimpse of Kagoshi's snarling face above it.

"Stop," it commanded.

Its rune flashed brighter as ethereal chains shot from it's face, binding Kagoshi tightly.

He strained against the scorching orange light to no avail.

Forfend backed away from him, keeping Jace clutched firmly behind its shield. Kagoshi would not be allowed to hurt him.

Kairi gasped and called out to her struggling friend.

His wild eyes flicked to hers. He shuddered, grit his teeth, and slammed his arms out wide.

The ethereal chains burst, dissipating into the cool night air like smoke.

Kagoshi growled.

Forfend readied its shield.

"Kagoshi!" Kairi called again, putting her body between the pair. Her ethereal wings were on full display, trailing rainbows the same way her eyes were.

He eyed her suspiciously. After a moment, contempt slipped into recognition.

The fire consuming his features blinked out. The eerie red lights around town desisted, fading back to their original soft yellow glow. He shrank.

Forfend watched him hawkishly.

Kagoshi blinked and rubbed his face. He stared blankly for a moment. "Wha--?" He cut himself off and shook his head. He'd figured out what he'd done.

Forfend edged between Kagoshi and Jessie as Jessie caught up to them.

Kagoshi scowled and stalked off down the river.

"Ah, didn't Melzaryn go that way?" Jessie asked, skin pallid as Decessus himself.

"If he screams, I will go over there," Forfend assured, though it hadn't even seen Melzaryn wander off. "More likely though, we'll see a flash of magic and Kagoshi will go floating down the river."

"I'll check on them."

"Don't," Forfend demanded more harshly than it meant to. It was, if it were honest with itself, frightened.

"Alright." Jessie threw his hands up placatingly.

"The monster disappeared in that direction and I don't trust Kagoshi not to hurt you either." It turned a bit, showing its back to Jessie.

"Blood of Genesis," Jessie swore. "Are you okay? Can you heal yourself? Gods, I never thought to ask. Do you need to see Byr?"

Forfend hesitated. Perhaps the damage was more severe than it thought. It could certainly feel the cracks arching across its back. They burned.

It hadn't been in pain a single time since it had awoken, until now. It felt like it didn't have a proper baseline anymore. How much pain was too much? At what point was this dangerous?

"I'm alright," it finally answered.

"Are you sure because--"

Forfend cut him off, "I will be just fine."

"Alright," Jessie relented uncertainly. "What the hell was that?"

Forfend looked down at Kairi. She was fidgeting and fretting as she watched Kagoshi stalk through the water. She tensed when she sensed Forfend watching her and looked up at it.

"What was that?" Forfend asked intensely.

Kairi heaved a heavy sigh. "Well, it's Kagoshi's privacy. I can't tell you much, but when something triggers his rage--in this case, the children being taken--he turns into that monster. I'm usually able to calm him down. I'm sorry I wasn't quick enough this time."

"So you are effectively a caretaker for an extremely dangerous monster," Forfend summarized.

"More like a handler," Jessie muttered.

"Yes," she admitted. "I'm sorry he hurt you. I hope this will at least help a bit." She held her hands out. A sparkling pink flowed from them and pressed into its back. The pain eased, though it didn't disappear.

"Thank you. But I need you to understand: if he had hit anyone else in this town like that," Forfend spoke clearly and with great emphasis, "he would have killed them."

"I know," Kairi almost whispered, regret and worry heavy in her voice. "I know."

"Hey," Kagoshi called, his voice notably less aggressive than usual. He'd worked his way up the river until he stood somewhat near them. He intentionally kept his distance.

Forfend watched him carefully.

Mavis grabbed Forfend's arm, startling it. She was sobbing.

"Is he okay?!" she nearly wailed.

Jace was huddled tight against Forfend's chest. Terror kept him silent, but his shivering had stopped.

"He is," Forfend answered and lowered him within Mavis's reach.

She hauled him into her arms, cradling him and squeezing him and sobbing all over again.

"I'll escort you home," Jessie offered. He glanced at Forfend for confirmation.

It nodded. "We will go after the monster."

"All of you?" He eyed Kagoshi anxiously.

"Yes." Forfend had no intention of leaving Kagoshi in town when it wasn't around. He would be going with the rest of them whether he liked it or not. Though by the looks of things, he was more than keen to continue the hunt. Maybe he could put that violent, destructive force to good use.

"Alright." Jessie tore his worried gaze off Kagoshi and put a gentle, guiding hand on Mavis's back.

Forfend turned uneasily back to Kagoshi.

He hadn't gotten out of the water. He simply held up the monster's broken horn. How he'd managed to find the little thing in the muddy, flowing river was beyond Forfend.

Kagoshi tossed it.

Forfend caught it easily and turned the ivory over in its hand. It barely glanced at the material. It was still watching Kagoshi.

"Can you track the monster with that?" he asked.

Forfend hummed. "No." It lightly tossed the horn back to Kagoshi. "However, I got a decent look at that cloak it's wearing."

"It may just lead us to the hole under the bridge," Melzaryn piped up. "We can't get through it."

"Its route is impassable?" Forfend asked.

"Completely, unless you can turn into mist," Melzaryn confirmed. "And it's ruining the structural integrity of the bridge."

Forfend hummed again and lightly tapped the medallion on its chest. "It's still worth trying. Louis and Jayden are in grave danger."

The holy symbol lit up. "Brown cloak, right shoulder singed by magic and stained with dark blood," Forfend described.

The orange light floated idly in front of the symbol. It was not a good sign.

All at once, the magic shot off, dragging against the ground and zigzagging almost at random.

"It's well below us and moving erratically." Forfend rushed after the rocketing light.

The magic froze occasionally, sitting stockstill until they'd nearly caught up. Then it was off again at breakneck pace. Forfend guessed it was losing track of the target periodically, likely due to it using its mist form.

"It must be in a cave system," Melzaryn panted. "It's moving pretty steadily north despite all the hoops it's jumping through though."

Forfend nodded.

Kagoshi growled and surpassed Melzaryn and Forfend in his single-minded determination.

Forfend and Kagoshi were both promptly stopped by their feet sinking deep into mud.

Forfend's weight dragged it down into the muck. It didn't mind much. Even if it were completely submerged, it would still have a sense of where the magic was going. It didn't need to breathe.

Kagoshi powered right through, trudging forward before the suction could pull him under.

Forfend managed one more step before a series of cracks sounded from beneath it. The mud gave way, sliding into the tunnel below. Forfend was carried with it.

"Hm." Melzaryn observed the situation. "Looks like it had an entrance hidden with branches and leaves here. You were more than it could support."

"Fine with me," Forfend called up. "We were going to need to find a way down here very shortly anyway."

Kagoshi doubled back and jumped into the pit. He started after the light again, but the spell blinked out.

"Hey, what the fuck?" Kagoshi glared over his shoulder.

Forfend helped Melzaryn and Kairi get into the hole with considerably less mud on them.

"What?" it asked. "Ah. We lost it."

"Fuck," Kagoshi swore.

Melzaryn dragged his hand along the wall. "Lot of scrapes here."

Kairi twirled around the room. "There's more on the floor and wood planks scattered around too."

Forfend took its own look around. There were many things it could do well beyond human ability. However, seeing in the dark was simply not one of them. The pitch blackness of the room offered it nothing.

It held up its hand to cast Light on its bandolier.

Another Light, bright like a supernova, lit up the corridor. It dimmed into a sparkling purple glow. Kairi passed the bespelled rock to Forfend.

"Thank you," it said, almost startled. It wedged the Light rock into a small mesh holster on its belt. "This will be a great help."

Kagoshi was already rushing into the room ahead.

"No problem," Kairi smiled and followed her charge.

Melzaryn stuck near Forfend, though he meandered further inside as well. "Look at this."

Forfend followed his gaze. Little droplets of blood splattered the floor in a couple of places. It wasn't much blood. It was still more than Forfend would've liked to have seen. It hummed disapprovingly.

The entire room smelled of wood rot. Busted, empty crates lay scattered around. Only a handful were still intact, and even they were damp.

Water dripped from stalactites above them and trickled down the walls. The whole place was dank, uncomfortable, and molding. Forfend couldn't imagine how the children had been putting up with it.

It passed by an unopened crate as they exited the room into the next corridor. It paused and lifted the rotten top off. Nails slipped out of the softened wood with ease.

Inside was nothing but rusted armor and weapons. They'd been good quality at one time. Now they were barely fit for scrap.

Forfend gently replaced the lid and followed its companions.

The overwhelming stench of death and rotting meat filled the air.

The group stopped very shortly into the room to take in the gruesome sight.

There was a pile of horse bones sloughing putrid flesh onto the bloodstained floor. To the left of it was a wrecked cart, its front two wheels missing entirely. It was shredded and empty.

This was all that remained of what was missing from the wreck they'd found earlier. Forfend felt particularly bad for the mutilated horse. It's partner hadn't faired much better, but at least it hadn't been torn apart and left to rot on the cave floor.

"Huh. I always kind of figured I'd be able to tell the difference between rotting humanoid and rotting animal. Guess not," Kagoshi shrugged.

"To be perfectly frank, it all smells roughly the same." Forfend turned away from the mess. It hadn't seen such gore in a long time. It had forgotten how awful it was.

"How would you know?" Kagoshi crossed his arms and tilted his head suspiciously.

"I have been in a warzone," it answered simply.

"Sure, but how do you smell?"

Forfend touched its runic face. "Magic. Same as the rest of my senses. I can see, hear, and speak. Is it so strange that I can also smell?"

"Yes."

Forfend shook its head. "We should move on."

Kagoshi wasted no time moving across the room to another corridor on the right.

Forfend's attention, however, was caught by something straight ahead. It crossed the room, passing carefully by the foul horse carcass.

Something of a haphazard barricade was built into the wall here. It was messily stacked and chained. At least, Forfend thought so until it pushed at the debris. Nothing moved in the slightest. It was far more solid than it appeared.

Closer inspection revealed a device that seemed to serve as a lock. It looked as though something of a particular shape, a key by technicality alone, could be pushed into it to knock down the barricade from the other side. It was an atrocious way to build a "door."

Melzaryn shuddered. "Who designs things like this?"

"Nothing sound of mind." Forfend leaned into the door and listened intently.

Distantly, oh so distantly, Forfend heard a cry. It recognized Jayden's voice immediately.

"Kagoshi!" it called.

"What?!" he snapped and stormed out of the other tunnel over to Forfend's position.

"The children are this way. I heard them. We need to tear this down."

Kagoshi snagged the lock and ripped it off effortlessly. A series of tumbling clatters sounded from the other side. He hadn't fully "unlocked" it, but he'd definitely destroyed part of the barricade.

Forfend squared its shoulders and punched the door. The rest of the debris exploded apart, leaving a clear path for them.

"I could've designed a better locking mechanism in my sleep," Melzaryn fussed.

Kagoshi stormed into the room. "What the fuck, Forfend?"

Forfend followed him inside.

It was a simple storage room. More armor sets like the one they'd seen at the cart wreck sat up against the walls. Old crates, a bit less damp and a lot more intact, were scattered around the room.

"I thought you said you heard the kids," Kagoshi growled accusingly.

Forfend hummed. "I did."

It ran its stone hand over the nearest stack of crates and pried it open. There was nothing inside but old weapons and rusty armor.

It moved to the next substantially-sized crate. This one held more of the same.

It moved on to the next one.

And the next one.

"They're boxes," Kagoshi complained. "It's a storage closet. You interrupted the search to drag us all into a storage closet."

"No." Something wasn't right here. Forfend knew it.

It paused at a large crate jammed into the corner. The lid on this one was already ajar. Forfend peered into it.

Empty.

"This one is different." It pulled the old wooden box out from the wall. With nothing inside, it was quite lightweight.

"A hidden passage," Kairi gasped, tiptoeing around the crate to stare down the passageway.

"That's a little bit better of security system, but still terrible," Melzaryn noted. "I hope it fights like it floorplans."

Forfend entered the corridor with Kagoshi right on his heels. It continued on for a long ways.

"Hey," Kairi called. "This must've fallen off it."

Forfend slowed but didn't stop, and looked over its shoulder.

Kairi held up the scrap of her dress she'd torn off to throw at the monster. It was no longer glowing. It had already served its purpose.

"Then it's certain to be here." Forfend steeled itself for the encounter.

Melzaryn stuck close to Forfend, his staff at the ready.

The tight hallway finally opened up again, this time into an exceptionally large cavern. A strange magic circle painted using blood marred the floor. Cages were stationed around it.

"Jayden! Louis!" Forfend yelled.

Both kids perked up from within their tiny prisons. They were dirty, bloodied, and wholly exhausted.

"Forfend!" Jayden called ecstatically.

There were two other caged children Forfend didn't recognize. One cowered in a cage just behind Jayden. The other lay curled in a tight ball on the floor. He was asleep, unconscious, or...

Forfend dismissed the thought. It hoped he was alright and left it at that.

Jayden's cage was closest. It padded to her as quietly as it could manage.

The cage was makeshift at best. Forfend tore it open with ease.

Jayden hugged Forfend's leg and rushed across to Loius's cage.

Forfend approached the cell just behind Jayden's and crouched down.

The boy inside it gasped, cowering against the far wall.

Forfend tried its best to look less intimidating. It knew how disconcerting it could be.

"I'm sorry to frighten you, but I and my companions are here to help." It opened the cage up and pulled a cloth out of a pouch on its belt. It unfolded it and offered the boy a piece of hardtack. Forfend didn't eat, but it occasionally carried small amounts of food for situations such as this one where it may need to feed others.

The boy reached out shakily.

All at once, claws burst from his fingers and dug aggressively but ineffectually into Forfend's arm. His skin paled to deathly blue. An impossible malevolent grin split his face to his ears.

The monster grew, its features twisting horribly as it burst from the cage until it was the full towering size they'd seen before.

It kept growing. Magic thrummed around it, billowing its cloak. It towered over Forfend, moreso than even Kagoshi's monstrous form had.

The creature pulled a massive glaive out from behind its back. The sinister blade glimmered in the light, a tiny obsidian gem glinting red in the center of it. The demon swung with impossible speed.

Forfend tried to move. Too late.

The monster's veins surged with pulsing red energy as the glaive struck Forfend's midsection. It clenched its muscles and blood red magic exploded into Forfend's side.

Rocks splintered beneath the cleaving force. Golden light spilled from the wound.

The blade caught in the center of its body, but the swinging arc didn't slow.

Forfend was launched, skidding hazardously, across the floor nearly twenty feet from the beast.

It laughed murderously as Forfend clutched its injury. "Naughty, naughty," it wailed gleefully and launched itself at Forfend a second time.

This time, Forfend got its shield up. The glaive glanced off, the demon and the weapon both now devoid of the deathly red magic.

The creature snarled, "Come, friends! Let us dispatch these intruders!" It whirled the glaive through the air above its head.

Three wispy yellow lights blinked into being and giggled mischievously. They shot off in different directions, each inhabiting a separate strange armor propped against the wall. Forfend hadn't even noticed how many of them there were crowding the edges of this room until now. If every one had a will-o-wisp to match, they were in grave danger.

Kagoshi stomped toward the monster, his muscles bulging as he once again doubled in size. Fire erupted from his face and his scars glowed deep red. He roared.

He was smaller than the demon, but his hulking stance did not make that obvious. He snatched the monster's gangly arm as it tried to bring its weapon down on him.

The monster yanked backwards and went nowhere.

Kagoshi crushed its arm in his fist with a sickening crack and twisted the bleeding mess into an unnatural angle.

The monster screeched in pain and horror.

Kagoshi pulled the monster in closer and punched it squarely in the face. Its nose audibly crunched. Sharp teeth clattered to the floor.

The creature swore aloud in a language Forfend didn't understand.

Kagoshi snarled back in the same gutteral tongue.

Magic sparked behind Forfend. It hoped that meant Kairi and Melzaryn were handling the wisps.

The whistling whirr of a wisp sounded as the creature dissipated. Kairi had gotten one.

An ice dagger launched between Kagoshi and the monster. It lodged itself into the armor on the far side of the room.

The wisp inside giggled, apparently unharmed.

The ice knife exploded into shards.

The wisp screeched.

Melzaryn grinned, magical frost dripping mist from his fingers.

The monster swore at the wisps. Its arm crunched, snapping partially back into a more natural position. It was healing.

Its jaw dropped, freezing mist spilling out. Suddenly, a torrent of blizzardous air blasted directly into Kagoshi's face and beyond.

Kagoshi barely flinched, despite the way the ice dug into his skin.

The wisp in the armor was caught in the crossfire. It had no escape. Ice crystals cut right through the metal helmet and froze the tiny creature solid. It dissipated in a breath of yellow light.

Forfend pressed its hand to its medallion. "Fornax, give me strength."

The holy symbol lit up. Magical energy filtered into Forfend's body, restoring its nearly spent reserves. Its prayer had been answered.

It stepped back and released the symbol, pointing straight at the demon.

A bolt of flaming bright light shot out and struck the creature directly in the face. Sparks danced around the deep, ragged burn the Guiding Bolt left in its wake.

The monster hissed through its teeth.

The last will-o-wisp seized control of the armor it resided in and stood. It giggled as the armor clanked awkwardly but intently forward. It raised a hand and fired a beam of ice at Kagoshi. Its jerky movements sent the shot wide. It giggled anyway as though it hadn't missed its mark.

Kagoshi squeezed tighter on the monster's trapped arm, apparently irritated at being shot at by lackeys.

Blood spurted. The creature groaned.

A dark aura burst forth from Kagoshi, his eyes dimming to burning burgundy. Black magic seeped from his back, spilling and solidifying until it formed skeletal wings. They clung tight against his shoulders.

He slammed his almost stony-looking fist into the demon's sparking face. Its horn cracked, tumbling to the ground as it swore violently in its gruff language.

Kagoshi's eyes flared with even more rage if that were possible. He yanked the creature into him and met its head with his own, cracking their skulls together.

The demon's entire face split, the bone splintering and dark blood oozing freely. More sharp teeth fell to the cave floor.

Kagoshi, the clear winner of the clash, hissed lowly in their shared language.

The creature's bloodied eyes widened in terror.

"Don't let it in the circle!" Louis warned from the far side of the cavern.

Kagoshi's eyes flicked briefly to him, then locked back on the monster. He dragged it off towards the corner. Its clawed feet dug into the rocks and dirt, but Kagoshi didn't slow.

Melzaryn propped his staff into his arms like a crossbow. Six sharp white orbs floated around the tip and shot off one after the other with blinding speed. They zipped around Forfend and pierced through the will-o-wisp's animated armor.

The wisp screeched and jolted upward, warbling straight out of the armor which promptly collapsed to the ground.

Kairi appeared in the corner of Forfend's vision. Her appearance was wholly changed. She wore a hooded cloak, a mask, and leather armor, all of which sparkled in rainbow pastels. A bow glimmered in her hands. She drew it back, a Guiding Bolt forming as she did so. She unleashed the mystic arrow and struck true. The magic impaled the wisp and sent it up in a hiss of lavender steam. It barely had time to squeak before it was no more.

The monster howled, red magic shooting like lightning through its veins again.

"Kagoshi!" Forfend tried to warn him.

Too late.

The demon twisted free of his grip and sliced into him with its massive glaive. Even wielding the blade awkwardly with a single functional hand, its raw unnatural power exploded with enough force to throw Kagoshi backwards into the wall. He fell.

Kagoshi grunted and shook himself. His arm was bleeding heavily where the weapon had impacted it, but he hadn't taken nearly the kind of brutal damage Forfend had.

The monster leapt into the air and shot backwards, floating ten feet off the ground and swearing murderously at Kagoshi.

The red light faded from its veins once again, this time leaving trails of necrotic black in its wake.

Kagoshi growled in response and pushed himself to his feet.

The monster turned towards the vile magic circle.

Forfend's chest tightened. It rushed the creature, but it wasn't going to make it in time. It panicked.

Forfend slammed its fist to its chest and called upon the demigod heritage Fornax had blessed it with.

The core of its body welled with energy and it funneled upwards, toward Forfend's rune. Smoke billowed from the chimneys along its back as every crack in its body glowed. Heat even Forfend couldn't truly withstand radiated off of it.

It had never used the ability at a distance like this. It worried it wouldn't be able to control the outpouring of energy. It was too late to stop now.

Forfend outstretched its hand. Bright orange magic, pulled straight from its internal core, sprung from its face and coalesced rapidly above the demon.

The heavy metallic clang of a sledgehammer striking red-hot metal reverberated off the cave walls once, twice, three times in rapid succession.

With each thunderous strike, the magic solidified above the monster until it formed a massive lead block.

The demon looked up with wide eyes and swore just as the magic rescinded.

The impossibly perfect lead cube fell, crushing the monster into the ground before it could get out of the way.

It thrashed, digging its bloodsoaked claws into the stone floor, but it was thoroughly trapped.

Forfend staggered. Golden ichor spilled from its face and its wounded side. Most of the magical lifeforce evaporated before it hit the ground, but there was so much now that some of it managed to splatter shining droplets across the floor.

Forfend wasn't done. It tapped the symbol on its chest as its body gave out and it fell to one knee. "Begone," it grunted at the struggling monster.

Magic spilled from the medallion it wore, forming a massive forging hammer which slammed down on the leaden weight.

A sickening crunch sounded as the demon's entire upper body was crushed beneath the block. Blood splashed and dribbled.

Silence.

Kagoshi roared, charging at Forfend with his fists raised.

Forfend shakily raised its shield. It was in no shape to fight him off.

Kagoshi stopped short and jerked his head to the side, eyeing the monster's glaive. He stomped to it and knelt. His hand hovered briefly over the hilt. Rather than grab it, he balled his fist and punched the blade. It shattered.

The gem at the center embedded itself into his knuckles. Every vein in his body lit up red.

Kairi gasped, "Kagoshi, don't!"

The stone sank into his flesh and lurched just beneath his skin, moving upwards.

Kagoshi shivered with untamed rage and glared blankly forward.

"Kagoshi!" Kairi yelled again, rushing towards him.

The tiny obsidian jewel continued its trek unhindered, crawling up Kagoshi's arm and across his shoulders.

Forfend grunted. It forced itself forward as the gem settled in the base of Kagoshi's neck and descended.

The light pulsed ominously between red and orange.

Neither Forfend nor Kairi reached him before it slipped to the center of his back and burrowed so deeply it was out of sight.

Kagoshi shuddered, shrank down to his original size, and fell to his knees. His eyes were open, but sightless. He was, as best Forfend could tell, unconscious.

His chest rose and fell with steady breaths, but he was wholly unaware of the world. He was unaware of Kairi clinging to him, talking to him, and begging him to be okay.

Forfend hesitated twice before it brought itself to touch his back. It brushed aside the tatters of his shirt. He was clammy with sweat, almost as though he had a fever. A miniscule scar, black as night, with strange crawling veins spreading from it rested directly above where the stone had sunk in.

If Forfend focused hard enough, it could see the dim red gem pulsing beneath his spine. It highlighted the column of bone like a candle casting an eerie shadow. It was far too deep to remove.

Forfend turned his focus to the children. It had hoped Melzaryn would be with them, but he'd instead taken an interest in exploring the blood circle making up the center of the room.

Jayden and Louis were huddled around the last cage, dismantling it together to free the boy inside.

"Tend to him," Forfend requested of Kairi.

She almost flinched and nodded numbly, holding tight to her stockstill friend.

Forfend hobbled across the room. It wiped the ichor dripping from its runic face, but it could tell more continued to flow. It hadn't been so damaged in a very long time. It had almost completely forgotten the toll its demiurgic ability took on it.

Louis stared, eyes wide. "Forfend, are you..?"

"I'm alright." That was true, more or less. Provided it was able to rest and see Byr, it would heal completely. It wasn't in mortal danger.

Melzaryn whistled lowly. "This is... old magic. Very, very old magic. It looks like it was meant to power up the stone it had."

"The one in Kagoshi's back?" Forfend asked as he carefully looked the children over.

"Yep," Melzaryn answered, his tone inscrutably matter-of-fact. "I'm not even totally certain it would've worked. The rune work is hodgepodge and most of them are so ancient, I couldn't tell you their original meanings."

Forfend gently touched the cuts on the children's arms. It glanced past them at the boy on the floor.

He was dead. He had been for quite some time.

Forfend hummed regretfully. He must've been taken first. So much bloodletting with so little food had been too much. It wished it had known he was here. It would've rescued him at any cost.

Though, it had no idea who he was. His attire was unfamiliar, foreign. It was the garish style of nobles. If Forfend had to guess, it would say he was likely the son of the first merchant who'd had their cart ambushed.

Jayden whimpered, tears in her eyes.

"It's alright," Forfend solemnly told her and Loius both. He gently ushered them away from the body. "There's nothing else we could have done. We did not know."

It would find something to wrap his body in and it would take him back to the surface with them. If nothing else, it would make certain he got his burial rites. It was the least Forfend could do.

Louis gasped sharply and clapped his hands over his mouth.

Forfend snapped its gaze to whatever he was looking at.

Louis turned and retched onto the floor.

Jayden very nearly followed suit, a gag catching high in her throat.

Forfend's metal core felt like it had dropped into its midsection.

Melzaryn crouched over the corpse of the demon, digging claws into its busted skull and shoveling them into a mouth that was wrong in every way. His chin was split and his jaw stretched open impossibly wide.

Forfend caught a glimpse of his eyes. Thin slits, focused blindly on what he was doing and nothing else.

"Kairi, stop him!" it called as Melzaryn tore open the creature's neck and reached down its throat.

Kairi tugged Kagoshi's face against her chest, horror plain on her face. "What are you doing?!" she yelled.

Melzaryn did not respond in the slightest.

"Melzaryn!" Forfend shouted.

It staggered as quickly as it could across the room. "Melzaryn!" it shouted again.

Melzaryn glanced up at it, the demon's slowing heart beating in his hand. "Leave," he hissed with an inhuman snarl.

The magic in the word stunned Forfend, piercing its mind in a way that was harshly dissimilar to Melzaryn's usual casting style. It shook off the Suggestion.

"Melzaryn, you need to stop. You cannot eat that." It tapped the symbol on its chest. "Please do not make me hurt you."

It pointed, Guiding Bolt blasting from the medallion.

Melzaryn raised his hand, a glassy all-seeing eye embedded within a triangle appearing before him.

The Guilding Bolt warped into it on impact. Both magics disappeared in a pop and left Melzaryn completely untouched.

He shoveled the heart into his mouth and swallowed it with a heavy gulp.

"Fuck," Forfend swore.

Melzaryn wavered briefly. His jaw stitched itself back together. His eyes brightened. He stared down at his hands.

The scales along his knuckles claimed more territory in a slow, creeping motion.

"Okay," Melzaryn started slowly, "I'll admit, that was strange."

[demigodforfend]

Twilight of the Demigods: Forfend Edition - Session 2

"Jessie!" Forfend called as it slid open the door to its home.

Jessie stopped and sauntered over. "Something wrong?"

"No, but I remembered this." It pressed a gold ring of absolutely ancient make into Jessie's hand. "It's the ring Fletch found while he was digging me out. I believe we had it appraised at roughly ten gold. Add it to the funds for the adventurers."

Jessie nodded. "Thank you." He pat Forfend's arm and took his leave.

Forfend shut the door to its room and turned to dig through its things. It had a few particular items it needed to find. It had already thrown on the bandolier and belt it owned, and stocked both full of supplies it may need. But there was a bit more it still needed.

It dug out the big chest tucked in the back corner of its room and hefted up the heavy lid.

Forfend reached in, slipped its shield onto its arm, and hefted its mace. Fletch had helped it design both. They had been practice for taking measurements, planning builds, and of course forging materials.

Fletch did not often make weapons. Foumedo had no need and neither did most of the travelers that passed through.

But Forfend had been built for war and preparedness was ingrained in it. It had chosen these particular weapons because they were familiar and it feared it may one day need them again. Up until today, they had been used perhaps twice to handle aggressive wolf packs wandering too close to the village.

Today though, Forfend intended to hunt down the monster that had stolen Foumedo's children. If that monster had hurt a single hair on either of their heads, Forfend would make certain it knew nothing but pain until it drew its last breath.

Jessie suddenly slammed open the door to its room and paced nervously. "I don't know if those adventurers are going to help us," he panicked. "The scarred one is crazy and I don't know if the pink one can keep him under control. They were haggling with each other over the kids' lives."

Forfend hummed darkly. If they would be no help, it would simply collect Melzaryn and strike out without them.

"Kairi's all for helping, but Kagoshi, right? Kagoshi just wants money. I hope they're skilled because they're certainly not charismatic. I'm afraid they'll just take the money and duck."

"I would be more worried that Kagoshi would take the money and run. Kairi does not seem the type to refuse to assist us, even if we could not pay her," Forfend reasoned. It couldn't say it knew her in the slightest, but she had already lended her assistance once hunting for Jayden just as Melzaryn had. "I'm just not certain I would put it past Kagoshi to leave her high and dry."

Jessie dragged his hand down his face. "At least we'll have some help. I hope." He leaned heavily against the wall. "They started muttering about something as soon as I walked in and I didn't catch much, but I think Kagoshi was planning to rob me? And Kairi was talking him out of it."

"If Kagoshi causes any trouble, I will handle him just the same as I intend to handle the kidnapper," Forfend replied seriously.

"Yeah, right, of course," Jessie muttered to himself, making a conscious effort to relax. "I'm glad we've got you to fall back on. I don't think I could do this alone."

"Hey, Forfend!" Fletch called from the forge. "Your friends are here!"

"I'll get back to making the rounds. Everyone's on high alert. We'll let you know if we see anything." Jessie ducked his head politely and scurried off.

Forfend stepped outside and was surprised to find all three newcomers waiting. It had genuinely expected Kagoshi to refuse to help. Even now, he looking nothing more than inconvenienced.

At least Kairi looked worried.

Melzaryn wore an easy smile. It was inscrutable.

"So where should we start?" Kairi asked.

"The only place Melzaryn and I have not thoroughly searched would be the town hall. I believe we should start there," Forfend suggested.

"What are you looking for there?" Fletch asked curiously.

Kagoshi side-eyed him. "It's none of your concern."

Fletch's brow creased with mild indignation and he glanced at Forfend. "You're talking about it in my forge."

"Who is this guy? Do you even know about the situation?" Kagoshi snapped.

"Of course he knows," Forfend stated firmly, edging himself between the two. It did not trust Kagoshi not to get physical.

"Whatever. Let's just find this thing and bust its fucking skull."

Kairi nodded. "It kidnapped children. I am prepared to eviscerate it."

"You've made some brutal friends, Forfend," Fletch commented.

"I am uncertain yet if they are friends." It did not want such ties with someone who would treat Fletch and Jessie as rudely as Kagoshi had. It did have a good first impression of Kairi at least, but it didn't know her well enough to pass a verdict yet. "Though, I do like Melzaryn," it admitted. He had been very helpful thus far.

"Hi," Melzaryn waved.

Kagoshi rolled his eyes and stomped out of the shop. Kairi followed.

Melzaryn shrugged and nodded for Forfend to follow as well.

The walk to the town hall was made in uncomfortable silence.

Forfend made to circle the building while Melzaryn went inside.

A faint whiff of ozone caught Forfend's attention. It followed the scent to a window very near the entrance of the town hall.

The window was cracked open ever so slightly. A miniscule burn mark marred the widowsill. It almost looked like someone had put their cigarette out, but it was just a bit too small and the distinct scent of lightning was particularly suspicious.

Forfend was certain this had something to do with Jayden's disappearance. It just had no idea what.

"Hm. Hey," Melzaryn muttered nearby.

Forfend straightened. It hadn't realized he'd left the building.

"There's footprints here. They're a little bit older than the others and they're small."

"You think they are Jayden's," Forfend gleaned.

Melzaryn nodded. "There's also tiny little burns. I'm actually not certain what would've caused these."

"I found the same. It smells like a lightning strike."

"It does," Melzaryn realized.

He followed the tiny burns and paused a short ways away. "Look at this."

Forfend, Kairi, and Kagoshi all gathered around to stare at what appeared to be dirt. It wasn't until Melzaryn traced the slight imprint that Forfend realized they were looking at the markings of the same creature who'd been at the treehouse and by the river.

"It was here," it muttered.

"There's a bit of a trail," Melzaryn noted.

"We should follow it," Forfend nodded partially to itself.

Melzaryn set off without a word. The other three followed close behind.

Burn marks, miniscule and distantly spaced, slowly led them through the town gates.

Forfend looked up and stared out at the old shack leaning lopsided like a sleepy drunkard just a short ways off the main road.

"Old Chip is outside town. He wasn't at the town hall last night. If the monster passed through here, I wonder if he would've seen it." Forfend veered off the trail toward the shack.

After a moment Melzaryn looked up, realized what was happening, and followed as well. Kairi was close behind with Kagoshi sulking after her.

Forfend rapped on the door with a single oversized finger.

A clatter sounded from inside. The whole house shook like a flower in the wind. Next to Forfend, the rotting sign proclaiming this nigh condemned building as "Ol Chip's Apothecary" snapped free of one of its frayed rope supports and dangled sideways.

Everyone but Forfend took a large step backwards.

The door slammed open to reveal an ancient-looking copper Dragonborn. His horns and a great many of his scales were scuffed, chipped, broken, or even shattered. In some places, large missing patches exposed the rough leathery skin beneath. He locked onto Forfend's face with his one good eye, the other cloudy one staring sightlessly into the distance somewhere to Forfend's right.

"Oooh, hello, Forfend," Old Chip practically yelled in a lilted, almost mocking cadence. It had taken Forfend a very long time to realize the man did not intend rudeness. "How you doing?"

"I am well," it answered simply. "But I am here because we are investigating a situation." It glanced over its shoulder at Melzaryn in hopes he would help explain.

Melzaryn was even paler than usual, his mouth agape in horror. Forfend suddenly recalled that he was an architect and contractor and probably completely appalled by the state of Old Chip's pile of nailed together boards vaguely resembling a house. It decided he would be of no help here.

"Would you like to come in and sit down for some tea?" Old Chip shouted.

Melzaryn was already shaking his head rapidly.

"No, unfortunately, we do not have the time," Forfend responded.

"Oh, alright, alright, fair enough. But if you need any potions now, you come see me!" Old Chip threw his arms open wide, hitting both rickety support beams holding up the porch's overhang and making the whole house rattle.

"Of course," Forfend nodded. "But I would like to ask you if you've seen or heard anything strange recently. Within the past week particularly. Even if it seems very minor."

"Hm, oh, well, you know I have to test my products here, so I often see weird things and all," the decrepit Dragonborn started. "But I'll tell you, I was wondering around last night because I was on my 'stuff' and you know I'm not allowed in town when I'm on my 'stuff.'"

Forfend was no more certain than the rest of Foumedo what exactly Old Chip's "stuff" was, but the common consensus was that it was some kind of intense psychedelic. He had been banned from entering town while using it well before Forfend had been found.

"Did you see anything?" it asked.

"Yeah!" Old Chip yelled loud enough to shake his house. "The clouds turned to fish! And the moon told me to quit taking my 'stuff,' and I don't quite believe that was Decessus but maybe it was and I'll die if I keep doing this." He paused as if pondering, then shrugged. "Who knows?!"

That all sounded par for the course on Old Chip's delusions. "Was there anything else?" Forfend asked just to be certain.

Old Chip hummed thoughtfully and put his hands on his hips. "Yeah. A bunch of pretty little stars lit up all around the gates and went into town and it got all foggy. Oh, and I found this rabbit!" He held up a shivering little bundle of fur. The rabbit was wholly terrified and struggling. "I'm gonna take its feet and make a luck potion!"

Forfend held its hands out without a word.

Unthinkingly, Old Chip dropped the rabbit into Forfend's hands.

It cupped the creature carefully against its chest. Within a moment, Old Chip's eyes glazed over and refocused. He'd completely forgotten the rabbit.

"You wanna take this with you?" Old Chip asked and thrust a strange, bubbling potion into Forfend's free hand. "It'll give you a burst of magical power, I think! That's what it did to me last night! This is only the second one I've ever made!"

"Thank you," Forfend nodded politely. "We will take our leave."

"Alright, you be careful out there!" he yelled and slammed the door behind him.

Forfend stepped away and paced a good distance from the shack.

"Well, that was a complete fucking waste of time," Kagoshi growled.

"Actually, it was very insightful," Forfend said as it slipped the mystery potion into its belt and gently set the rabbit down.

The rabbit shot off into the underbrush like it had been fired out of a cannon.

"Explain to me how the fuck his insane rambling was insightful in any way," Kagoshi snapped.

"He told us about the strange lights and the fog."

"He also said there were fish falling from the sky," Kagoshi deadpanned.

Forfend nodded. "That is a common hallucination. The lights and fog are not. He has never mentioned anything like that before. I believe they genuinely occurred and we should keep a close eye out for them."

"I suppose even people who are unhinged can sometimes have sparks of clarity," Kairi offered.

Forfend nodded. "Precisely."

"Ugh," Kagoshi scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Hey," Melzaryn piped up again. "The trail of tiny burns leads this way."

Forfend hummed and turned to follow him.

Together, they scouted out the distant marks. Forfend, Melzaryn, and Kairi took turns losing and finding the trail while Kagoshi lagged behind.

At first, Forfend mistook it for apathy but it slowly realized Kagoshi was watching their backs. He was surveying the field while they were focused on tracking. He was interested, at least cursorily, in helping them.

The miniscule marks skirted the edge of town and circled around to the river where they promptly ended.

"What now?" Kairi asked.

Forfend hummed. "We follow the river. We found Louis's knife very near the river as well so it is quite possible this monster swims."

"It can jump, teleport, or maybe fly and it can swim," Melzaryn sighed.

"That's a lot," Kairi frowned.

"Not enough to stop us from finding it and killing it," Kagoshi asserted.

Forfend nodded and led the way, keeping a very close eye on the river and both banks, lest the monster crawled back out of the water.

For quite some time there was nothing of note. Forfend was beginning to doubt its decision.

"How long do you think we'll be looking?" Kairi asked.

"Wagon," Melzaryn responded nonsensically.

"What?" Forfend looked up and faltered briefly. "Wagon," it repeated.

"Oh, wagon," Kairi added.

"Wagon," Kagoshi huffed. "Alright, can we move on?"

In front of them was, indeed, a supply wagon. It was wrecked into the river and, upon closer inspection, completely ransacked. The only thing left was the upper half of a set of plate mail armor buried in the muck seeping into the crashed wagon.

Forfend hummed. "It's been here for quite some time. Weeks, at least. Has no one missed it?"

"The armor's definitely Tyrwedian make," Melzaryn piped up.

Kagoshi climbed into the back of the wagon, snagged the armor, and hauled it out into the sunlight.

Melzaryn took a long look at the symbols carved into the armor. "This is military. This wasn't part of the wagon's wares."

"Huh." Kagoshi's brow furrowed. "How much do you think it's worth?"

"The metal is of excellent quality," Forfend noted. "It would be of great use in the shop. But it is not ours to do with as we please. I would be remiss to use it without at least trying to find the rightful owner."

"They're probably dead. It doesn't matter," Kagoshi growled.

Forfend ignored him and instead eyed the remains of the carriage's horse buried in the mud beneath murky water. There was little left but bones. The creature had met an unfortunate end, though the local aquatic life had taken full advantage of the situation and were thriving. A second, snapped set of reins meant the other horse had fled or been stolen. It was impossible to know which.

Melzaryn touched the shredded remains of the caravan's cover. "It looks like something slammed the whole cart off the road into the water and completely tore the fabric off it. That's a tall order. Not something a normal animal could do."

"Do you think we could pull it out of the water?" Forfend asked. It was fairly certain it could do so, but the suction of the mire may cause some difficulty.

"Sure." Kagoshi hooked a single hand under the back of the cart and hauled the entire thing out of the river like it weighed hardly anything at all.

"That's quite the party trick," Melzaryn commented.

Forfend hummed. It was beginning to wonder if these newcomers were as extraordinary as it was. "Thank you," it said aloud.

Melzaryn climbed into the wagon and stood. "Something was definitely dragged out of here." Something off to the side caught his attention. He leaned out of the wrecked cart. "There's another indention in the mud over there. Wagon's long gone, but it looks like this isn't the first time it's done this."

"It likes to get people alone to hunt them," Kagoshi grumbled. "I'll set off on my own and see if I can bait it out." He stomped off immediately.

"We would need some kind of signal if you find it so we may come assist you," Forfend called after him.

"If I find it, you'll know," he hissed darkly and left without looking back.

"He can take care of himself," Kairi assured.

Forfend sighed like steam escaping a pipe and returned to the situation at hand.

"Are we certain the monster that did this is the same monster that took the children?" It crouched and inspected the area for any of the strange burn marks that had led them here.

Melzaryn and Kairi took the hint and joined it.

There were none to be found.

Melzaryn sat next to the cart's rear wheels, staring intently. "Has there been any snow or freezing temperatures these past few weeks?"

"No, it's too early in the season," Forfend replied, its head tilted in confusion. "Why do you ask?"

"Because these wheels have some pretty nasty cold weather damage."

"That's strange," Kairi mentioned, crouching to get her own look at it.

Melzaryn stood and wandered the area again. He paused at the armor and popped the helm open, peering into it.

"Something catch your eye?" Forfend inquired.

"There's a gemstone in the chest piece. It's tiny, but it's there." He looked over the armor again. "Some of these markings are from enchantments. I don't think this was meant to be worn. I think it is--or was, rather--an animated armor. Though, I've never seen an arcane power source so small."

Forfend hummed. It had a very strange relationship with the concept of animated armors. They reminded it of itself in many ways, but they were distinctly soulless. Forfend found it unsettling.

It stepped over to the armor and tilted the helm back, reaching into it to touch the strange gemstone power source.

Something like lightning but distinctly arcane crawled up its arm and spread. A sense of sadness followed. Forfend released the armor and took a short step back.

"Melancholy," it muttered. Then aloud, "The armor is sad."

"If I used to be animated armor and I wasn't animated anymore, I would be sad too," Kairi almost whispered.

Forfend shook itself off and wandered the site again.

"If something took everything from this supply cart, it should've left a trail." It was a bit of a disjointed train of thought, but it was better than pondering the mourning armor.

"There's not a trail though." Kairi paced and searched alongside Forfend.

"I dislike the implications of that." Forfend circled back to the riverbank and stepped into the water.

The deep indent left from where Kagoshi had freed the wagon had ice lying beneath it. Forfend dug its hands into the frozen muck, scooping out a handful to show its cohorts.

Melzaryn tilted his head and tapped his chin thoughtfully. He wondered back over to the armor.

Kairi pressed her fingers into the cold mud. "How strange."

Forfend nodded. "This explains the cold weather damage on the wheels, but it leaves many more questions than it answers."

It turned and pawed through the riverbed until it stopped digging up frozen clumps of muck. It was left with a hole a solid foot deep. Forfend was surprised by the depth the ice had managed to spread to.

"We should have a break," Kairi suggested. She pulled a square of hardtack and a waterskin from her bag.

Forfend wanted to search more, but Melzaryn was already following her lead and it was honestly still a bit frazzled from touching the strange armor. Forfend sat down in the grass next to them to rest.

The sun was dipping below the horizon, but Kagoshi had yet to return. Kairi didn't seem worried in the slightest, so Forfend tried not to fret itself.

Melzaryn clapped and stood. "Do we think we can learn anything else from this armor?"

"Hm. Perhaps." Forfend tilted its head.

Melzaryn jabbed his staff into the ground and took a short step back. Magic sparked between his fingers. It arced toward his staff, passing through a pearl and striking the armor.

Melzaryn whipped a piece of paper and a quill out of his bag. The paper floated. Melzaryn pressed the quill to the paper and waited.

After a moment, a light bounced back from the armor, struck the pearl, and was directed straight up into a display of sorts.

Melzaryn copied down the rapid onslaught of information with remarkable speed.

Forfend watched with awe. It was familiar with the Identify spell, but every caster had their own technique. Melzaryn's was highly efficient.

Melzaryn's quill paused its rapid scribbling and hovered restlessly. He leaned into the display a bit closer. "Oh, you're interesting."

Forfend leaned forward to eye the display for itself. An image of the strange gem in the armor's chest floated there, but no information surrounded it. The rest of the display was simply blank.

The magic rescinded and all the magical lights blinked out.

"What did you learn?" Forfend asked.

"Plenty, but nothing I can use right now," Melzaryn answered cryptically.

Forfend sighed with a lengthy hiss of steam. "The armor is upset. I'd rather not leave it this way, but I'm uncertain how to help it aside from..." It hesitated. "I can Dispel the magic."

"If it's sad, I think that would be for the best," Kairi mentioned.

Forfend nodded and held out its hand. It closed its fist tightly and deliberately. A rush of orange light traced the enchantments and all the symbols went dark.

A mechanical hum sounded from inside the armor. It rose in pitch and volume until it was a deafening electric buzz. The chest of the armor creaked, then exploded outward with startling force. Forfend and both its cohorts flinched.

"What the hell was that?" Kagoshi asked, startling them all a second time.

"Oh, you're back!" Kairi almost shouted.

"Yeah. I didn't find shit though. Have you been here all day?"

"Yep!" Kairi cheerfully called.

"Ugh. Sounds even more boring than my day." Kagoshi crossed his arms and leaned down to inspect the tiny black gem that had shot out of the armor. "Is that what exploded?"

Forfend hummed. The stone looked like obsidian, though Forfend had never seen such a small sample. A blue sheen reflected off it in the afternoon's dwindling light. It was most definitely the same power source Melzaryn had been unable to get a beat on with his Identify spell.

"It would seem so," it responded.

Behind them, the armor collapsed into a pile of scrap.

"You broke it," Kagoshi deadpanned.

"So this isn't something we should touch with our bare hands," Melzaryn stated.

Completely disregarding him, Kagoshi picked up the obsidian piece.

Every vein in Kagoshi's body lit up blue and his face fell like he'd just received heartbreaking news. He opened his pouch to drop the stone, but it wouldn't fall. His fingers may as well have been glued to it.

"Shit," he swore, sounding on the verge of tears.

Forfend pulled an old shop rag from its belt and wrapped it around the gem. To its surprise, the little black rock came away easily. Forfend folded it carefully into the rag and tucked it back into its pocket.

Kagoshi's flesh returned to its proper hue.

"We should head home," Forfend suggested, feeling a bit sad itself that it hadn't been able to put the armor out of its misery properly. The poor thing was still deeply upset, despairing even.

Kagoshi was the first to get moving.

Everyone followed shortly behind.

It was a long and needlessly tense walk. The darkness of the evening had taken full hold by the time the town gates entered their sight.

A strange yellow light hovered there at the entrance.

Forfend tensed. "That's what Old Chip warned us about." It rushed forward, suddenly deeply worried.

The light bobbed leisurely into the town and zipped through the wall of someone's home just as Forfend caught up, leaving behind a miniscule scorch mark and the distinct scent of lightning.

"It's a will-o-wisp," Melzaryn gasped, stumbling up behind Forfend.

Kagoshi sprinted right past them both and ripped open the door of the house, tearing it straight off the hinges.

A scream rang out. "What are you doing in my house?"

Forfend recognized the voice as belonging to Grover, a retired busybody.

"Where did it go?" Kagoshi shouted.

"Sorry," Forfend apologized. "We will fix the door for you just as soon as we can. This is an emergency."

"Oh, hey, Forfend," Grover visibly relaxed and set down the broom he may have been planning to hit Kagoshi with. "It's gonna be cold in here tonight, I guess. I'm going back to bed." He shuffled back into his bedroom.

"The creature isn't here," Forfend noted, ushering Kagoshi out and propping the door back into place.

"It's that way!" Kairi suddenly yelled.

Forfend whirled around just as Kairi started running. Everyone scrambled to follow.

It couldn't see what she was chasing, but it hoped she knew what she was doing.

Suddenly, yellow light sparked back into existence ahead of them just before it fazed right through another wall. The wall of Mavis's house.

A chill froze Forfend's core. It rushed to the door and knocked as loudly and rapidly as it dared, the wood creaking beneath the force.

There was a shuffle inside. It was only seconds of waiting, but it felt like hours before Mavis finally reached the door. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and squinted.

"Forfend?" she asked. "What are--?"

"Where's Jace?" it cut her off, worry dwindling its patience to nothing.

"It's late. He's sleeping." A rising alarm had crept into her voice.

"Get him. Quickly," Forfend ordered and crouched carefully through the door into the cramped room. Floorboards creaked beneath its weight but held.

Mavis rushed to do as she was told. Forfend had never acted this way before. She knew it couldn't be without reason.

She opened the door to his room and Forfend saw its fears realized. The bedroom window was open. Jace was gone.

"Shit!" Kagoshi swore.

Forfend tapped the symbol of Fornax on its chest. "Jace's helmet," was all it needed to say. The object was one-of-a-kind and deeply familiar to its crafter.

Orange light sprung from the medallion and whipped out of the house. Everyone scrambled over each other to chase it.

Mavis followed, but was left in the dust as the party made a mad dash through the streets.

Ahead of them, Jace followed the gleefully bobbing will-o-wisp through the town gates. He looked absolutely delighted. He had no clue the danger he was in.

A second yellow light blipped into existence. Then another. And another. And another. Jace was surrounded by half a dozen of the vicious little tricksters.

A sudden uncanny mist crept across the ground. The latter half of Old Chip's testimony rang in Forfend's head. Lights, then mist. Then a disappearance.

"Jace!" it yelled at the same time as the rest of its companions.

A driving white light shot past Forfend like an arrow. It separated into four, striking a will-o-wisp each with impossible aim. Magic Missile, Forfend realized.

It hazarded a glance over its shoulder to see magic smoking from Melzaryn's staff and turned back around just in time to see all six lights shudder with rage. They blinked out.

The mist coalesced, coiling into the air in front of Jace. It solidified into an enormous figure. A heavy brown cloak obscured most of its features, but what could be seen was chilling.

White horns protruded from beneath the hood. Deathly blue hands reached for Jace, curved white claws digging into him.

The monster leaned down to the terrified, stockstill boy. "Child," it hissed venomously, "let's go on a journey."

Jace collapsed in a heap.

The creature clasped its hands around Jace's throat and juddered into the air, flying smoothly yet gracelessly above them.

Forfend broke free of the mesmerizing presence of the monster. It tapped the medallion on its chest and thrust its hand straight out, pointing at the fleeing demon.

A magical thrum sounded as a spiral of radiant flame blasted from the disc and struck its target.

The monster faltered in the air, hissing with rage. Orange sparks illuminated its damaged shoulder.

Kairi fired a second but distinctly different Guiding Bolt. A pink ray arced toward the beast, following the path of Forfend's own spell. It struck true.

The monster crashed to the ground. Stars and sparkles glittered around its sheared off shoulder. Dark blood dripped down its arm. It clutched Jace and growled low in its throat.

Its wound closed rapidly, skin crawling back over the exposed bone. It pushed back its hood.

"Naughty, naughty," it hissed through its bloodstained teeth. An evil grin split its face.

Sunken eyes bored into them. The pupils were solid white as though the creature were blind, but it watched them with a twisted combination of disdain and excitement.

"I've had enough of this," it growled.

It pointed straight down at the ground. A black mist rose up and engulfed the demon. It spread, creating a dome of inky magical Darkness.

Forfend raised its hand and closed its fist with crushing force. Bright orange cracks splintered the darkness. It shattered like glass and dissipated smokily in the moonlight.

The monster sank into the flowing river water, its cover Dispelled before it could slip away unseen.

Melzaryn aimed his staff at Kagoshi.

Kagoshi's form wavered, warped, twisted, and disappeared.

Kairi dashed to the water's edge and cast Light on her dress, shimmering purple illuminating her and everything around her just as Kagoshi popped back into existence in front of the sinking monster.

With Kairi lighting the area, Kagoshi had clear eyes on the monster. He didn't waste a second slamming his fist down onto the sinking monster's skull.

Its horn cracked. It dropped its jaw to roar, but Kagoshi slammed his other fist into its chin. Its mouth cracked shut and, pinned between his two fists, its remaining horn split.

The monster roared through its clenched teeth.

Beneath the water, Jace suddenly awoke. He panicked and thrashed. Bubbles spilled desperately from his mouth.

Kairi splashed into the water. Just as she reached it, the monster disappeared. Jace was left behind, scrambling to the surface of the water.

Kagoshi screamed with unfettered rage.

Kairi ripped the sleeve of her glowing dress. The purple light went out everywhere but the scrap of fabric she now held. She threw it, though Forfend had no idea at what.

Forfend pulled Jace out of the water and cradled him against its warm chest as he coughed and sputtered. Jace was rattled, but he was breathing. He was alive and safe in Forfend's arms.

Melzaryn tapped his staff on the ground and held out his free hand with two fingers pointed down the river. A rainbow of colors mounted at the tips of his fingers and launched outward. There was the distinct sound of magic piercing flesh and a spray of blood. He'd hit it, though it didn't sound like it had dropped. It was still fleeing.

Kagoshi screamed again, louder this time. Buildings shook.

A door slammed open as Jessie stumbled out of his and Fletch's home, scrambling to pull his armor on.

Other doors and windows opened. The curious and frightened town tried to spy out what was going on.

Red light burst from Kagoshi's scars. He sank beneath the river, the water almost boiling above him. He grew, bulk upon bulk piling over his muscles as his skin darkened to an unnaturally red hue. In only moments, his head was above water again, his feet planted firmly on the riverbed.

"I'm gonna fucking kill it!" Kagoshi's voice erupted like a volcano. All the lights in town warped into a startling red hue.

Forfend tensed sharply. It backed up, holding tightly but gently to its shivering ward.

A new danger had presented itself.

[demigodforfend]

Twilight of the Demigods: Forfend Edition - Session 1

Forfend worked almost idly, tidying the work station around the forge. The shop would be closing early today. There was a dance scheduled tonight and there would be no one in Foumedo who wasn't attending.

The bell on the front door jingled lazily. Fletch was talking to whoever had entered, but Forfend ignored the specifics in favor of finishing its work.

"Of course, you'll wanna meet the big guy," Fletch said loudly.

Forfend looked up. That was usually its cue. Strangers, travelers and adventurers and merchants of all sorts, came through and asked to see it from time to time. Forfend didn't mind. Most were kind. The ones that weren't rarely lasted a night before they were ushered out of town.

Fletch knocked on the door. "Forfend! Meet the newcomers!"

Forfend slid open the big door connecting the workshop to the sales floor. Many, many adjustments had been made to both to better accommodate its cumbersome size over the last two years, but it still had to stoop a bit to enter the shop proper. It waved at the two new guests haplessly led here by Jace.

The woman waved back. Her pink hair matched her pink outfit which matched her soft, pink smile. Glitter fell from her folded bluish-purple wings and dissipated just before it hit the floor.

The man crossed his arms and scowled like he was sizing Forfend up. He was more scars than flesh and he had none of the light his companion radiated.

"This is Kairi and Kagoshi. Why don't you show them what you've been working on?" Fletch asked.

Forfend nodded. It turned and stepped back out into the workshop. It waved for the guests to follow.

Jace didn't waste a second. As soon as Forfend stopped again, he was clambering up its back as he had a thousand times before. He settled into position between two of the stone pipes protruding from its broad shoulders.

"He'll make a great freeform rock climber one day," Kagoshi muttered under his breath.

Kairi giggled.

Forfend spread its hands over the table full of haphazard armor pieces it had been working on recently. It had upgraded the guards' armor before, but it had since come up with a new technique to prolong the useful lifespan of the gear. Naturally, that meant it was time for another upgrade.

"Oh wow," Kairi whispered.

Forfend nodded. It had done good work, even if it did say so itself. "Ah, Jace!"

The boy placed his little hands on top of Forfend's head. "Yeah?!" he nearly shouted.

"I have a gift for you."

The boy was practically vibrating. "Really?! What is it?!"

Forfend crossed the room, jostling Jace a bit, and picked up a little helmet. It passed the armor piece up to Jace who put it on immediately.

Within seconds, he was scrambling off Forfend to run circles around the pair of adventurers. "Look, look, look! Now I can be just like Jessie! Mr. Fletch, look!" he shouted as he dashed out of the room. There was a thump and a distinct metallic clatter as he fell. "I'm okay! Fletch, look!"

"Oh, would you look at that," Fletch feigned surprise. He'd known about the gift Forfend was planning for over a week. "Looks just like Jessie's!"

Forfend felt its chest light up as warmth flooded through it.

"He seems like a handful," Kairi admitted, though she still wore a gentle smile.

"He is," Forfend nodded, "but you will meet no one kinder."

"C'mon!" Jace peeked back into the work station to yell. "We gotta go see the toy shop!"

"We're coming," Kagoshi huffed irritably, but he followed without hesitation.

Forfend waved as Kairi followed her companion and their excitable guide out of the shop.

"They're an interesting pair, huh?" Fletch mentioned as the bell signaled their departure.

"They are opposites, certainly. I hope they cause no trouble."

Fletch nodded. After a moment, he clapped his hands and whirled around to face the forge. "Alright, what the hell were we doing back here?"

"Cleaning."

"Aw, fuck," Fletch gave an exaggerated put-upon sigh. "Let's make it quick. I'm ready to dance."

Forfend hummed in agreement.

With the workstation and the shop in tiptop shape, Fletch scrambled off to drag Jessie home so they could both change into something nicer.

The only adjustment Forfend needed to make to its daily wear was to remove the tool belt and bandolier strapped around it.

They were headed out to the town hall in short order.

The music had just started up. No one was dancing yet, but Fletch intended to fix that. He locked arms with Jessie and hauled him out onto the dance floor.

Forfend followed them and easily fell into step.

It wasn't long before others ventured out onto the dancefloor. It was a messy tangle of good dancing and bad dancing and room-brightening mirth.

Forfend spotted the newcomers trying to find where they fit in here. It seemed Kairi was very excited to join the festivities, but she was struggling to get Kagoshi involved. The third newcomer, an engineer from up north who'd arrived two days ago, was sticking to the edge of the crowd but he'd at least found his dancing feet.

"Oh, wow," Jessie commented, faltering in his steps and throwing Fletch off balance.

Fletch followed his gaze and smacked Forfend's arm. "Get a load of that."

The entire dancefloor had stalled to watch Kairi. She was spinning carefree, glitter whipping around her like a fairy in flight. She swept side to side, effortlessly gliding around her partner. Kagoshi looked uncomfortable with not only the dance but the sudden attention too. Forfend heard Kairi apologize, but she was giggling like a child as she dipped her partner low.

"Hey!" Fletch shouted and snagged Jessie's shirt. He twirled Jessie and clapped in time with the beat, circling a pattern around Kairi.

Forfend caught on, as did several other people. Within moments, there was a circle of dancers surrounding Kairi and Kagoshi in a shockingly graceful, coordinated pattern.

The music picked up into an even quicker, more jovial tone.

Kairi dipped Kagoshi again. This time he slipped from her hands and onto the floor. It almost looked intentional on his part, though Kairi apologized to him anyway.

Luckily, her partner's cloudy mood didn't seem to affect her at all. She twirled and danced and clapped at the center of the dancefloor like she was born to perform.

Kagoshi did not get up from the floor. It was of no consequence though. People simply danced around him.

Tables were set and food laid out, drawing hungry partygoers from the dancefloor to the banquet.

Jessie made Fletch give up the dance when his stomach started growling. They claimed a spot at the crowded tables and left space for Forfend.

It couldn't eat, but it enjoyed the company.

Jace wandered past and dropped a plate of stones in front of Forfend. He did this from time to time and Forfend didn't have the heart to correct him. Instead, it picked up the rocks one by one and ground them into dust between its fingers, sprinkling the remainder back onto the plate so there would be nothing left but "crumbs" when Jace returned.

Fletch was talking animatedly about his new hobby of turning scrap pieces from the shop into art.

Forfend doubted this new activity would last any longer than the mess of others Fletch had been through, but he was having fun and that's all that really mattered. Fletch was much more interested in the doing of something new than in the getting good at it.

Joel slipped over and whispered to Jessie.

Forfend stiffened. It was unlikely he was reporting good news.

Joel was a fellow guard and something of a survivalist. He was stern and forever certain the end of times was just around the corner. His ever-present frown and stocky features made him look like an old bulldog straining at the end of its chain.

Joel left the party without a word to anyone else, leaving Jessie with his own deep set frown.

Worry knit Jessie's brows. "Joel went out looking for Louis and didn't find him. I know Louis's out in the woods a lot and he's fine, and usually I have to go get him, but..." Jessie stared hard down at the table. "Something about this doesn't feel right. I went looking for him a couple days ago and didn't find him, but I figured maybe he just wasn't at the treehouse at the time. He'd be home soon, right? It's been five days now and he's still nowhere to be found."

Forfend stood. "I will look for him."

Fletch nodded. "Maybe you'll have better luck. The kids love you."

Jessie sighed, a touch of relief taking a bit of tension out of his shoulders. "I'd really appreciate it. I'll have to ask around, see if anyone else has seen him lately."

Forfend took its leave.

Jessie pressed a swift kiss to Fletch's lips and followed.

They were barely outside the hall when Rosie stopped Jessie.

Her slim fingers fret with anything they could reach. She wrung her hands and tugged at her hair. "Jessie, I can't find Jayden anywhere. That traveler, Kairi, I think it was; she helped me look all over town, but we couldn't find her."

"It is unusual for Jayden to wander off," Forfend hummed seriously.

"When did she go missing?" Jessie asked.

"During the banquet," Rosie explained. "I sat her down at the table closest to the door because, well, you know how it is when these things are over. Everybody's trying to get out at one time. It's a hassle."

"Right, so what happened exactly?"

"I got up to get us both something to eat, but she was gone when I came back. I went looking right away, but I don't know where she got off to" Rosie pressed her hand to her cheek. "I'm worried."

"Do you think anyone saw her leave?" Jessie's fingers drummed against his hip. Pent up nervous energy had to go somewhere.

"No, we sat down a bit before the dance was over. They'd just got the tables out."

"Shit," Jessie swore.

"I will look for them both," Forfend assured. "I'll start at the treehouse to see what I can find."

"Ah, sorry to eavesdrop," a smooth, quiet voice interrupted, "but this sounds serious and I'd like to help if I can."

Forfend looked over the speaker and was surprised to find the engineer from the north.

He was thin and wiry and quite short, and pale as the moon. His cat's eyes nearly glowed in the night. Perhaps he would be able to see better than Forfend could.

"I will take all the help I can get," Forfend replied simply.

The engineer nodded and held out his hand first to Jessie, then Rosie, and finally Forfend. "Melzaryn," he introduced himself.

"Jessie. I'm captain of the guard, so you can report anything you find to me."

"I'm Rosie, Jayden's mother. Thank you for your help."

"Forfend." It nodded once and set off for the town gates. There was no time to dawdle.

Melzaryn followed close behind, letting Forfend lead him into the patch of woods and out to the treehouse.

The treehouse was a rickety thing, creaking with age. Chipped and bowed boards provided a peek inside the tiny, sparse building.

Forfend tapped lightly on the door with a single finger. There was no response. Forfend carefully nudged the door open. It couldn't see much within. Unfortunately, there was nothing it could do to go inside. It was far too large and heavy.

"Melzaryn, could you take a look inside?" it asked as it lowered a hand down to boost the small man.

Melzaryn accepted the step up and carefully climbed to sit on Forfend's shoulder. "I'm not going in there. It's a hazard," he said, but he leaned forward to get a better view. "Look at the dust."

Forfend stared, but it wasn't certain what it was meant to see.

"It looks like someone was sitting there and got dragged backwards out of the window."

Forfend moved quickly to the side the window was on.

"Whoa!" Melzaryn wobbled and clung tighter to Forfend.

It stopped dead and stared down at the ground.

Melzaryn creased his brow. "I've never seen anything like that."

"Neither have I," Forfend spoke warily.

There was one single set of footprints, very large and distinctly inhuman. They came from nowhere and they led to nowhere.

Forfend searched, but there was nothing else to be seen.

"It is like this creature just disappeared," it muttered.

"Or jumped," Melzaryn supplied.

Forfend hummed. "I believe that is worse."

"Agreed."

Forfend straightened its back. "Louis carries a knife."

"Uh... Good for him?"

Forfend touched the engraved medallion magnetized to the metal plate in its chest. "Louis's knife, leatherbound handle with a notch in the blade," it described aloud.

Magic lit the medallion's symbol and fled, whipping through the forest.

Forfend rushed after it.

Melzaryn yelped, but managed to keep hold of its stone body. "Oh, I see what we're doing. Useful spell."

"Very," Forfend nodded.

They quickly cleared the woods and found themselves by the river that wound through the meadow and eventually made its way into Foumedo.

The magical light circled slowly to the ground, lit its target up with a spray of sparks, and dissipated.

Forfend helped Melzaryn down from its back so they could both better view the scene.

Another pair of strange footprints with no apparent arrival or departure sat improbably in the mud of the riverbank. Just in front of it lay Louis's knife. Four of the six inches of the blade were coated in congealed blood.

Forfend carefully picked up the knife. "This is not something Loius would do lightly. He was--is--in danger."

Melzaryn nodded slowly and paced away from the scene. He made a circle around the area, moved a bit further out, and walked a wider circle.

Forfend tilted its head as it watched him survey the field.

After nearly half an hour, Melzaryn returned to the center and sighed. "There are no more oddities."

"If we have no clues here, perhaps we should check the town hall more thoroughly," Forfend suggested.

Melzaryn nodded. "I think it's the best we have for now."

The pair returned to Foumedo. Jessie caught them nearly as soon as they entered. Rosie was practically glued to his arm.

"Did you find anything?" she asked before Jessie could.

Forfend hummed grimly and offered the knife to Jessie. "This is Louis's and it is certainly not something he would do without cause. It is all we found aside from large, strange footprints at the treehouse and with the knife. Only one pair each time. There was no trail to follow."

"That's... not good," Jessie muttered fretfully. He turned the knife over and over in his hands like it may hold an answer. It did not. "Shit."

"Shit, indeed," Forfend agreed. "We intend to look over the town hall again."

Jessie shook his head. "I've already been around it three times. I don't think you'll find anything I didn't at least until morning when we've got more light."

"It's the only other place we have left to look. It is where Jayden went missing from."

"Right, which is..." Jessie paused. "Forfend, five days ago we held that party for Rin's birthday. That's when Louis went missing. What if it's using town hall events to distract all of us so it can kidnap the kids?"

Forfend tensed sharply. "This is dire."

"I'm not sure what we should even do. Nothing like this has ever happened before." Jessie tugged at the hem of his shirt. If he were in uniform, his sword would hang there. As it stood, he was unarmed and quite anxious about it.

Forfend sparked an idea. "The newcomers, they were adventurers, were they not? We could pay them to assist us."

"That's a good idea, but we don't have anything to offer."

Rosie pressed two silver into Jessie's hand. "Ask around. Please."

Forfend nodded. "I am sure you will find no one in Foumedo who would balk at helping those children."

"You're right." Jessie pocketed the silver. "I'll make the rounds and collect funds. The rest of you get some rest."

"I would prefer if you did not go alone," Forfend cautioned.

Jessie whistled.

Bell bounded out from wherever she'd been and leapt around Jessie.

"Now I won't be alone," Jessie smiled.

"You know Bell cannot protect you," Forfend said as he scratched behind Bell's ears. She immediately collapsed onto her back for belly rubs.

"No, but she'll bark her little head off. I'll be alright. Someone would hear." Jessie ducked his head politely and made his way to the nearest house.

Forfend sighed like steam escaping a pipe. There was nothing else it could do just yet. It had no choice but to wait. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Forfend," Rosie said quietly, deep in her worries and fearing her optimism.

"Goodnight," Melzaryn spoke. Forfend had nearly forgotten he was there. "You may call on me in the morning as well, if you'd like continued assistance."

Forfend nodded as it walked away. "We certainly would."

It slipped into the repurposed, remodeled storehouse it had been calling home since the day Fletch found it and sat down facing the door. If anything happened, it wanted to make certain it would hear or see it. Slowly, its rune light faded as it entered its resting state, but it stayed staunchly on guard in a way it hadn't since the Sundering.

[demigodforfend]

Entering Foumedo

"Holy hells!" the guardsman exclaimed.

"Hey, that's what I said too!" Fletch chuckled. "This is my new apprentice."

"Fletch, what in the fuck?!" The guardsman had his bow drawn and shakily aimed at Forfend.

"He won't hurt anybody. Remember that statue I told you I found? Once I got the metal support on him, he woke up," Fletch explained.

The guardsman shook his head, his eyes firmly affixed to Forfend. "I can't let a golem into the town."

"He ain't a golem."

"Then what is he?"

"He's a... Hm." Fletch looked to Forfend. "What are you?"

Forfend hummed and tilted its head. It had never given thought to what it would be called beyond its name. It didn't have a race, per se. Unless demigod counted as a race. Forfend didn't think it did though. It figured any race could produce a demigod under the right circumstances.

Though, Forfend was still a bit unusual on that account too. It hadn't been born. It had been built. Perhaps that was the defining feature, then, of what its race should be called.

"I am... a Fornaxian," it answered.

"There, see. He's a Fornaxian," Fletch echoed with a nod.

The guardsman looked stunned. "It talks."

"Sure," Fletch nodded. "Gave me a start too. He's real nice though."

"Fletcher," the guardsman said slowly, with barely a breath in his lungs, "What in the godless fuck is a Fornaxian?"

"It's... him, I figure. What exactly is a Fornaxian?" Fletch asked as he tapped lightly on Forfend's arm.

"It is a creature built by Fornax," Forfend answered simply. "So far as I am aware, I am the only one."

"Well, there ya go, Jess. It means the gods made him," Fletch grinned at the guardsman.

"I... don't even know how to begin to explain to you how much I don't believe that," the guard shook his head.

"Give it a little thought, Jessie," Fletch insisted. "You ever seen anything like this before?"

Begrudgingly, Jessie shook his head.

"He's got a symbol of a god carved into his face. It's glowing. Quality smithing woke him up after thousands of years. He fought during the Sundering!" Fletch continued. "And I know you're thinking about calling bullshit on that, but take a look at him. You can tell he's real old."

Jessie slowly closed his mouth, his protests dying on his lips as he looked Forfend over for the dozenth time.

"If that don't scream 'creation of Fornax,' nothing does," Fletch stated matter-of-factly. "Unless you've got some other explanation for something like this."

"I don't," Jessie admitted.

"Soooo?"

Jessie sighed. "I'm not convinced he's safe."

"I mean you no harm," Forfend answered for itself. "I have just awoken for the first time since the Sundering to see that my efforts were not in vain. There is a world here where people are safe and happy. I wish to join it and I wish to learn smithing so that I may continue to pay tribute to Fornax."

Jessie looked altogether stunned.

"Well said!" Fletch complimented. "How about that, huh? Hard to argue with that!"

Jessie relaxed his bow. "If he really is god-made, I'd hate to anger them. Especially Fornax. You're out of the job if he curses us."

Fletch blinked in surprise. "Fuck, there's a lot more at stake here than I thought. Hurry up and let us in."

"Let me, um, warn everyone. I don't want to cause a panic."

"What if I get cursed?!"

Forfend slowly lowered itself to the ground and sat hunched slightly forward. "I do not think there will be any cursing, by Fornax or otherwise. We have the time to wait."

Fletch huffed and crossed his arms as Jessie scurried off. "I hope you're right."

Within minutes, Forfend was surrounded by what very well may have been the entire town population. Many of them were apprehensive, some downright terrified, and others bravely curious.

Fletch was surrounded as well and fielding a deluge of questions.

Jessie had the rest of the meager guard in a huddle. There were less than a dozen of them in total and most weren't even in uniform.

It seemed to Forfend that this was a very small village and not one in need of much defending. That was good. There was peace here. Forfend could do with some peace.

A child broke from the crowd and ran up to it. His mother chased him, but froze stockstill as her son climbed up onto Forfend's stone legs. Shock and horror marred her features. She looked like she may scream, but only the faintest wisp of air escaped her.

Forfend looked down at the boy.

"Are you gonna live here?" he asked. He was touching Forfend's body, gripping at the metal device securing its chest and wedging his fingers into rocks that didn't quite seam together as they once had as though he may be able to pry them out.

"Perhaps, if you and your people allow it," Forfend answered, watching him curiously. "The stones of my body will not break free."

"Are you strong? Where'd you come from?"

"Yes. Fletch dug me out of the ground."

"Did you know that I have a toy that looks like you?" the boy asked.

Forfend could not have known that so it shook its head.

Fletch walked over and picked the boy up. "Alright, Jace, you're scaring your mother," he said casually and placed the boy back on the ground.

The boy looked disappointed. He reached his arms up to Forfend. "If you're strong, pick me up!"

Forfend looked to Fletch and then to Jace's mother.

Fletch shrugged, but the boy's mother had relaxed only slightly. She'd made it a few steps closer, but she was not close enough yet to grab her child.

"I may scare your family," Forfend observed.

"Aww, c'mon, lemme up!" The boy began to climb again, this time aiming to get onto Forfend's back. Forfend cupped its palm just beneath Jace so he would not fall far if he slipped.

Fletch sighed. "Mavis, come get your boy."

The woman hesitantly moved another step.

At Forfend's shoulders, Jace missed a foothold and tumbled into Forfend's hand. Startled, tears filled his eyes.

Forfend leaned in close to the boy's face, the orange glow of its rune reflecting in his watery eyes. "Are you hurt or just frightened?"

The boy sniffled and opened his mouth to reply, but Forfend spotted a scrape on the boy's knee. It didn't wait for the answer.

An orange glow spread from its face, across its shoulder, and down its arm. Wisps of light rose up from the cracks in its palm, prodding and seeking like morning mist. The gentle glow found the wound and coalesced like dew drops before burning gently away like fog in the midday sun.

The scrape disappeared with the light. The soft pink of new skin was the only evidence there had ever been an injury at all.

Jace stared, entranced. His tears and his fear had been forgotten, going up in smoke with his pain.

Forfend lowered him gently to Mavis. Eyes like saucers gawked at it from not only her, but the entire crowd. Even Fletch's jaw hung open.

"You're a healer?" Jessie managed.

Forfend hummed and sat back as Mavis shakily pulled her son from its hand. "I have some healing capabilities. I do not know that I would call myself a healer."

"That's incredible!" Fletch shouted. "I told y'all the gods made him!"

"One god," Forfend corrected. "Fornax."

The bubble of tension over the crowd broke then. More people clamored up to Forfend, asking questions or making requests for healing. A handful of children from toddlers to teenagers climbed or hung off it. Forfend took care to watch them, lest they fall as Jace had.

Some parents fussed. Others watched with exasperation. A few encouraged.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're crowding him!" Fletch hollered. "For gods' sake, he just woke up! Let him get some rest!"

Jessie shouldered his way to the front of the crowd. "Sorry," he muttered as he hooked his arm around Forfend's and stepped up on the jut of its hip to stand a head and shoulders above the tallest in the crowd. "We can do this meet and greet at the fountain tomorrow afternoon! Let our guest rest tonight and acclimate tomorrow before you all run him off acting like monkeys and leeches! Go home!"

An irritated murmur ran through the crowd, but it seemed Jessie had some authority here. The children made their way back onto level ground and the whole crowd slowly dispersed back into the village.

Jessie took a deep breath and released it in an exasperated huff. He hopped down off Forfend. "I have no idea if you sleep, but if you do, I think we've got a space you can use for the night. It won't be great, but it should do until we can build you a better arrangement."

Forfend nodded. "After an age resting unknowingly in dirt and mud, I look forward to laying my head somewhere dry and open to the air."

"Alright! You can meet Bell!" Fletch grinned.

"Her full name is Bellua Lutu Monstra," Jessie sighed. "It's Elvish for 'beastly mud monster.' Don't expect her to behave or be clean or helpful or quiet." He shook his head. "She's a wreck of an animal."

"Aww, you love her! And she's friendly at least!" Fletch elbowed Jessie.

Jessie's shoulders slumped, but he smiled good-naturedly. "Yeah, I love her."

Forfend tilted its head, a warmth settling into its chest. It would like it here. It was certain.

Fletch seized Jessie's hand and tugged him forward with a spring in his step.

Forfend followed shortly behind, ducking beneath the simple archway that marked the village entrance, and marveled at its small, quiet new home.

The Finding of Forfend

Forfend remembers the war. It does not remember the blow that ended its service.

When it awoke again, it knew two things immediately: the war against Atrox had been won and Forfend had been passed over by time. An age had come and gone in its absence.

A mortal, small and weak and wholly terrified stood quaking before it. Forfend did not sit up. It would've preferred to see the human better, but it did not wish to scare him.

"I am Forfend, a creation of Fornax," it introduced itself simply.

"Holy hells," the human swore.

Forfend did not respond. It waited.

"Did you say Fornax?" the human asked. He very much still looked like he may run if Forfend moved, but he was attempting to engage in conversation.

Forfend accepted. "I did."

"You're... Fornax made you? What for? How'd you get broken?"

Forfend tilted its head slightly, recalling as much as it could. "Fornax made me, yes. I was designed to fight the forces of Atrox during the Sundering. I do not recall how I was damaged."

"The Sundering was a real long time ago," the human said doubtfully.

Forfend nodded. "It was. I have long been unaware of the world or even myself." Stone ground as it shifted a bit. The human flinched. Forfend stopped moving. "May I sit up? Something is strange and I would like to examine it."

"Uh, yeah," the human hesitantly allowed.

Forfend creaked and groaned and ground like a rockfall as it sat up. It expected dirt and mud to fall from it, but there was only dust. It had been cleaned up. Unburied perhaps, given its surroundings.

Forfend examined itself.

Beneath its arm, a large sheet of metal sat expertly bent to match its natural form. It was braced carefully but firmly into Forfend's stone chest and presumably its back as well, though it could not see as much.

Forfend knocked on the metal with a resounding clang. To its surprise, the device held.

"You have repaired me," Forfend observed. "You are the reason I have reawakened."

"Uh, y-yeah," the man admitted, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck. "I didn't know you were alive. It was a bit of an accident."

Forfend nodded graciously. "I thank you for your assistance. May I ask your motivation?"

"Oh, well, I'm a blacksmith by trade," the human explained. "A merchant caravan came through the other day and said they'd seen an odd hunk of rock with a symbol carved into it sticking up out of the ground. I wouldn't have thought much of it, but they said it looked like Fornax's anvil so I figured it might be nice to bring it into my shop and put it up on display. When I started digging though, there was a lot more of ya than I thought."

The human intended to keep talking, but Forfend hunched forward so they were nearly eye level with one another. The mortal's jaw audibly clicked shut and he suddenly looked frightened again.

"I do not mean to scare you," Forfend began, "but I do not have a symbol of my creator carved into me."

The man shifted foot to foot nervously. "You do," he said carefully. "It wasn't lit up before but now it's glowing orange like heated metal. It's right where your face oughta be."

Forfend hummed and sat back again. "I have never seen my own face. I did not know."

"Oh. That's kinda sad, ain't it?"

"Is it?" Forfend did not feel sad. Its body was a tool. Its appearance was a happenstance. It did not care for the specifics of its form.

"Well, sure," the human nodded adamantly. "You were built by Fornax, right? Beautiful craftsmanship. That kinda thing deserves to be seen, yeah?"

It had never considered as much, but Forfend presumed that was true. Perhaps it should take care to learn itself. It nodded.

"See, you get it," the man grinned.

Forfend simply nodded again. "You may continue your tale."

"Oh, right," the man perked up as though he'd forgotten that he was sharing a story. "Uhh, yeah, I took some time to dig you out. Wasn't too sure what I'd found, but I knew it was high quality material left too long in bad conditions. I gotcha cleaned up and all, but you were damn near crumbling right here." The human tentatively touched Forfend's new metal side. "Had a great big chunk knocked out of you. I took a wild hair and decided to fix you up. Couldn't move you though because I was scared you'd fall all to pieces on me with nothing to support that side."

Forfend nodded. "I very well may have."

"Yeah, you were looking rough. I know a touch of masonry, but it ain't my strong suit. I took the rocks I could still tell used to belong to you and patched them back into your chest there, but you were still missing an awful lot of pieces. Figured I could use something I'm a little better at to finish you up. So I took your measurements and made you that metal brace. I was gonna display you in my shop so I could show off my smithing skills. It takes some talent to secure metal to old stone like that, if I do say so myself."

"I agree," Forfend stated. "You have done me a great service and with excellent craftsmanship."

"Aww, hush," the man turned his head and waved in an off-with-you gesture. "You're too kind."

"It is true," Forfend insisted.

"I suppose. Still, I was just planning to use you as a shop prop. I didn't expect you to wake up."

"Regardless of your original intentions, you have saved my life. I owe you much gratitude."

The human blushed and scruffed at the back of his neck. "Alright, alright. Thank you. Or you're welcome? Either way, I suppose. So what are you planning to do now that you're awake again?"

Forfend hesitated. It looked to the cloudless sky. "I was designed to fight in the war against Atrox. My purpose is fulfilled. I do not know."

"This might be a little presumptuous, but are you as strong as you look?" the mortal asked.

Forfend nodded.

"I could always use a heavy lifter around the shop," he offered.

A thought struck Forfend. "I would like to learn your trade. It is the best way to pay heed to Fornax in the absence of a new objective."

"Oh, yeah, sure! I can teach you smithing!" the man readily agreed. Forfend had honestly not expected as much. "Been needing an apprentice anyway. I got a hunch you'll have a knack for it too, given who you were made by."

"Yes, I believe so as well." Forfend carefully braced its hands against the dirt walls on either side of it and rose. Its body grumbled like falling stone, but remained solidly in one piece.

The human whistled. "You're a whole lot bigger than I thought. It'll be hell and a half getting you through the village gates. The guards ain't gonna like it a bit."

"I apologize for the inconvenience," Forfend said.

"Nah, it's alright. If I didn't piss off ol' Jessie with something everyday, I wouldn't even know what to do with myself," he chuckled. "This'll just about take the cake."

Forfend did not understand, but it nodded anyway. "I did not ask your name."

"Oh! It's Fletcher Smith. Most people just call me Fletch. You can too."

"Fletch," Forfend repeated. "Thank you for your kindness, Fletch."

"Ain't nothing," he grinned. "Let's get on before the dark catches up to us."

Forfend nodded and followed the man along the road toward the village on the horizon.