Saiyan

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

They took their first few swigs in tandem and in silence. Zell's thoughts strayed to his mum and dad, but landed and stayed on his older sister.

Zell had grown up in a good middle-class household in West London, just outside the mega-rich Chelsea area. His father and mother had both come from working class backgrounds, so their values and culture was very-much the stereotypical, commoner cockney folk, his father remaining especially engrained in that hard-working, 'cheeky cockney lad' attitude, which is where Zell got his particular brand of charisma from. Zell however, being bad at studies and school from an early age (mixed with his family's lack of 'Fuck You Money') meant that he would go to (that is; his parents forced him to go to) a bad college after high school. However, the kid had been blessed with a promising talent for football and a streak of entrepreneurship that meant he always had some method of making a few quid - from buying large packs of sweets and selling them in singles in 12th grade, to dealing in similar wholesale/retail schemes with cigarettes and vape pens in later years.

He'd always been good with girls, partly due to his own attributes, (being tall, athletic and relatively handsome had it's own benefits) but most definitely because of his sister, Phoebe. Phoebe was a few years older than Zell and practically beat her little brother over the head with the biblical laws of fashion, hygiene, what's popular, dating - all from the POV of a teenage girl. She was a know-it-all. Ever the type who 'was pretty and she knew it.' And that was their relationship - her being on his ass whenever she had the chance, and preaching her values and ideals. From 10yrs old to 20. He hated her at times, but when his adolesence started to kick in, they became quite close.

And so, of all his family, he missed her the most.

Whenever his deepest feelings managed to avoid suppression and reach the forefront of his mind, he always found himself wondering what she was doing. Last time he'd spoken with her, she was two months pregnant and looking at houses with her fiance.

~~~~"Location, location." Phoebe's current catchphrase. "I'd rather get somthing small with a good postcode. I'm not raising children in a shoddy neighbourhood."~~~~

She was sooo high maintenance and materialistic. Thank god she'd found a rich enough guy to handle that. She was a good person though. When recent family medical problems had arisen, she was front and center, being there for all involved, without even needing asking.

Zell smiled.

In a way, he'd proven in Mytheria that he was kinda similar - Egotistical and vexing in good times, but dependable and strong when shit hit the fan. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, Zell thought as he downed the last of his pint.

"Mate," he called the barman. "Two more o' those, if you don't mind." He looked at Fenna and grinned. "One good beer deserves another." As Barracker came and went, Zell reached a hand behind himself to pat Barracker back in comraderie. "Cheers, Kass. G'night mate."

...during the 2nd beer...

He'd spared Fenna his rambling up until this point, content to simply be here with his friend in companionable silence as she had a much-needed beer. But now, his chatbox started working.

"I don't know about you, Fenna, but I feel like The Witch Queen told us the truth," he said. "Pretty much every word. Just a gut feeling." He glanced at her then back at the bottles behind the bar. "There ain't no way we can go to her side though. Everytime we bloody blink, we get dragged further into this war. I just can't imagine we'll just stroll east to Azeroth and she'll be like 'Right, off you go, chaps,' with a rolled out red carpet and dimensional portal at the end." He shook his head. "Nah. She'll want something in return. And let's face it, it will involve being in this war."

He lifted his drink to his lips but paused turned to her with raised eyebrows. "But... there is a way to get back. I can feel it." He took a sip and continued. "We are gonna get used and abused by these Mytherians before they let onto us; the way home. But mark my words, if we keep our eyes and ears open, we might just figure out 'the magic door' without the Emperor or 'Rightful Empress.' And if we do, then I wouldn't begrudge any of us taking the opportunity ot get the fuck outta here."

He looked around a little, eyeing the wooden beams in the ceiling, the barman, the adventurer down the bar who was getting a round in for his party...

"We're on the right side," he added to the conversation. "If we're stuck here, in this world - in this war - then we're stuck on the right side of it, at least. We can be sure of that."

...during the 3rd beer...

"What's the Netherlands like, eh?" Zell asked, a slight smile and encouraging nudge to Ranger. "What's the average day in the life of Fenna Postma?"

Whatever she would reveal he would listen intently and enjoy it, maybe even asking a follow-up question or two about her family's personalities and such. Fenna was always so strong and silent, (which was actually fucking badass, in Zell's opinion) but it couldn't be easy always being that way. So Zell would give her the opportunity to let off some steam, talk about something positive and passionate, and maybe gain some strength from it.

However, he wouldn't pry too hard. He was sharp enough to know if he needed to take his foot off the gas.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Light returned! Now let's just pray water returns soonish (It disapeared a week ago), mi Mexico di oro is beautiful but damn it has problems.

@Teyao

al mal tiempo, buena cara, bro. Al mal tiempo, buena cara.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you bruv

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

From where Zell first posted up, leaning against the wall in the war room, he'd quickly adjusted himself. Just one step backwards meant that the lamp light that illuminated him, stopped at his chin. Now shadow covered his face. It wasn't in his nature to be so unsociable in a large group, like some Emo hanging onto the edge of a party. No - Zell was always one to steal spotlight, dead center of the action, all eyes on him. But this was no party. This was business. And in business, Zell could be a cunning bastard when he needed to be.

Green eyes constantly darted around the room, trying to catch every expression as his ears caught every word. He didn't know any of these people, but he sure did learn a lot from this first meeting.

The so-called Mayor of the City was a little pussy. That much was clear. The Academy and The Church ran Valhiem. Maybe things were different when the stakes were lower, but Zell doubted it. Zell struck him off the list as a man of importance.

The Ambassador. If Zell recalled from random passive memories, an Ambassador usually wasn't from the place he was doing his job. He was like a representive of some sort. Might be worth checking into, Zell had thought. At least he's not a little pussy.

Of the ones who did all the talking, Areleth was like some kinda fucking Pope (not a chance of meshing well with that one,) Clarissa was one of them weirdo-geniuses you'd see at Uni who... who's brains were just wired a different way, Zell put it to himself. He'd used people like that before, but not ones who had all the power. And power (in the form of popularity and influence) was all that Zell could bring to the table, of value, when negotiating anything with one of them types, (because he certainly wouldn't be valued for his intellect.) Lucy would've been perfect if he'd not fucked up his relationship with her, after fighting in her establishment (Ell-Oh-Ell, what a night.) Commander Thorn was the obvious winner. Getting close to him would be worthwhile, but Zell somehow doubted an army man was in at the highest levels of the political 'in-groups' of Mytheria. Thorn was a must, though, if nothing else but to slake this new thirst Zell's 'Fighter Class' knowledge had put in him - a desire to understand the full picture when it came to tactical and strategic military warfare as it related to this current battle and the continental war in general. And the other winner was a gut feeling; The Ambassador. Whatever foreign power he was representing, the man had an air of strength and respect, and his position would mean his perspective was from altitude.

Commander Thorn and The Ambassador. They were the men of interest for Zell Brooks.

Watching the meeting with such a discerning eye didn't just tell him things about the strangers though. It would seem that some of his own friends would pass (and fail) some tests of their own. The most notable of these was James, though. Turns out that James' command of conversation, negotiation and leadership was even better than Zell had given him credit for (and Zell had given James a lot of credit already.) James knew how to impose his will on a situation, and he did so skillfully. Force, without effort, Zell acknowledged. Aggressive, without caveman chest-beating or even raising his voice. The Mexicano's talent knew no bounds.

As for anything else of note, from a coldly calculating analysis of the meeting, nothing suprised the Englishman much.

...

Zell was straight out of the door at the end of the meeting, right behind Lucy and even passing her to go out into the square and wait for everyone to sew up their dealings at the meeting, without him. He had nothing to hand over the Academics and he certainly wasn't about to linger long enough for anyone to get a good look at The Black Sword. And anyway, he wanted to use the spare time for his own ends.

"Soldier," he greeted as he approached a man in gilded armour in the street. The gruff man who was stood around for some purpose, eyed Zell suspiciously. "Captain Brooks," Zell decided introducing himself in a way that mimmicked Commander Thorn's cadence and mannerisms would give the right impression and make the soldier more comfortable. It seemed to work. He also flashed his Source Crystal for extra effect.

"Sergeant Major Gorgrim," the half-orc saluted sharply. Zell had no idea what ranks were what, but judging by the reaction, Captain was above Sergeant Major.

Bingo.

Zell saluted back. "At ease, my good man. Just wanted to bend your ear a bit," Zell responded. "All this waiting around has got my sword arm itchy. How goes the night?" He got a simple and formal response, but Zell needed the man to relax if he was going to get any information. "Weather seems a bit weird. It's raining fiery explosions. Wouldn't be my first choice but I'll take it." Gorgrim gave a grunt, which Zell presumed was one of the better reactions he could get from a half-orc army man. "I just got out of the War Room with Commander Thorn and those paper-pushing politicians. Honestly, it's like pulling teeth getting a straight word outta non-military folk. Especially the Admin. Talk about; a stick up the arse."

They talked abit and Zell probed for as much information as he could until everyone in Second Chance was outside and ready to go. He wasn't looking for anything specific, but pushed his luck when it came to blowing his cover, trying to get a good idea of the basic layout of Chain-of-Command, what orders had been coming down it since Valhiem was besieged, the overall feeling amongst the rank-and-file, and anything else that might help Second Chance in the way of intel.
@xenon

...

Walking into The Adventurer's Guild was tense. At his side, was tension from Lucy. In front, tension from the barman and the party Zell and James had fist-fought with. Just behind him was what felt like palpable tension in the form of MacKensie Trydant. Mentally, Zell was laughing his ass off, but his face remained relaxed and unbothered - to send a message to all in the Guildhouse. The Aurok Slaying Bronze Tiers do not give a flying fuck what any of you think. Do something about it. And that's how his face remained, that is, until they hit the stairs and he shared a glance with MacKensie. He gave the woman a cheeky wink and his trademark grin, then went up the stairs ahead of her.

His entire mood quickly changed though, when the prospect of the Source Comm drew near. The rank, the money... all of it faded into complete unimportantant white-noise, as he waited for the promise of Source Comm access to be fulfilled. It felt like the formalities were taking forever. He was bursting for that message. So long he'd held it together - like needing the lavatory and then as soon you're close enough to smell the toilet, you can barely contain yourself. But, in the end, Lucy delivered. What came next was a potent mix of concerning, interesting and incredibly frustrating... to name a few things.

Where to start?

Why not at the most important person in the room, right now.

Zell's eyes immediately went from the Source Comm mail to Fenna, glimpsed her reaction and managed to drag his attention away to a random bookshelf. It felt rude to stare.

Fenna, as far as Zell knew, was the only one here who hadn't died on Earth. And she was the only one who was a parent. What might this woman be thinking, right now? What would I be thinking right now, if I was her? An outright promise to be sent home. An accusation that they had been stolen from Earth - mind, body and soul. The Dutchwoman must've been going through the damn wringer, emotionally, reading all that.

No one else even mattered, in this moment, to Zell. Not his best friend. Not the girl of his dreams. Not his other comrades who he'd gone through so much with, grown so close to. Every one of them had to know that The fucking Quinity could not have been responsible for their deaths, even if Source Magic was part of the selection process for this Summoning. Zell's best guess was that if he was sent home, he'd be fast-tracked to whatever Afterlife existed in Earth's Universe (if there even was one.) But Fenna... she could possibly be reunited with her children.

Zell stepped through the group to stand next the Ranger and gave her pat and rub on the shoulder. He respected her too much to do nothing. As the eldest and wisest of them all, he'd been sharp enough to keep his daft antics at a modest distance from her, and stayed relatively well behaved in her presence. Purely out of respect. What words could a loudmouth, hedonistic young man have for a woman who, quite probably, had been kidnapped and stolen across universes from her family? No words; was the correct answer. And so, a show of silent support was all he could offer in the initial shock of it all.

He let someone else talk first. He'd only say something stupid, which normally wouldn't be a problem in the slightest, but concern for Fenna had overshadowed everything. Even his own thoughts on The Witch Queen - the fact he didn't necessarily disblieve the claim that she'd been conned out of the throne. Shit like that must happen and have happened on Earth plenty of times. (But, I mean; fuck - right or wrong - she's using some fucking dirty tricks to get her way, to put it lightly.)

He paced slowly around the mezzanine for a few moments. If anyone spoke, he listened, but it wasn't long before he did think of something to say to Fenna, so he went to the Dutchwoman. "Fancy that beer, mate?"

And so, Zell found himself at the bar, ordering a pint from the tap, gladly buying a drink for whoever appeared next to him.

If it was Fenna: "We'll get you home, mate. To hell and back first, if we must, but you are going home."

To anyone else: "Fuck me, what a day this has been."

Wraiths, cults, ninjas, Devils, dino-fucking-cavalry... Mytheria just didn't let up.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

<Snipped quote by Saiyan>

Damn dude, honestly I didn't expect anyone to find them, to answer your question ever since the memory blessing was used for the first time, also here, a virtual coockie as a reward for being the first to bring it up.

@Teyao

cheers mate lol I only realised because I was copy-pasting from your quote so I saw the html code and thought to myself 'wtf is that [abbr] all about?'

pretty cool. I'll have to go back and read through your posts again, since the end of the Zigmund fight

edit: top quality replay value sir. W

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

So, the Tin Can was indeed a human. Seemed obvious from the look of him, but in this world, who could know what kinds of creatures were out there. Zell nodded slowly along as James explained some of Zigmund's background - a pretty nasty individual but also quite a regular old Joe. Zell couldn't count the amount of guys and gals he'd brushed shoulders with who loved drinking, drugs and sex - people who hungered for status or power in some form or another. London was full of folks like that. Thousands upon thousands of them.

Is it that easy? Zell wondered, suddenly lost in his own thoughts. In a world of good n evil... might n magic... could all of them regular people just be turned so easily to the fucking Darkside?

Zell's eyes darted around sightlessly as he began to wonder about himself. Would he be the next Zigmund?

An image of MacKensie's face appeared his mind, accompanied by a firm answer. No.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by James' more pointed words at him. "Zell, please answer me this question, have you noticed anything strange lately, hallucinations? Bad dreams? anything? Please be honest this is important

Zell blinked back into reality and looked at James, then he caught in his periphery MacKensie watching them, looked at her, then followed along as he caught Fenna listening too! Not good.

"Oh f'fucks sake, not you n all. Kass has already been on my back about all this. No - no dreams, hallucinations, nothing of the sort," he lied easily. Although he didn't want to. He wanted James' help. Needed him, right now. His power, as a Cleric. His ear, as a friend. But he could hardly pull him aside right now with the girls watching. "It's just the power of the sword. It's tied to..." he lowered his voice, not so low that Mac and Fenna couldn't hear but low enough not to alert the whole fucking waiting room. "... some pretty dark shit, en-gee-ell." He stretched his neck to one side and then straightened up his posture. "No worries though. I've got it under control. Trust me."

He took on board any comments, warnings or otherwise with his usual relaxed confidence, hoping he would reassure all who were listening. The moment Wulrick asked if everyone was ready to go, Zell thought, Thank fuck. Not a moment too soon, Wulrick pal.

He sort-of knew the route that Wulrick was leading them, along the waterside. He'd walked it a few times in the short stint they'd spent in Valhiem. Two of the handful of mornings they'd spent waking up at The Mended Drum, he'd gone to Little Bridge to begin his exercise routine, customised to incorporate the massive Citadel Hill. So, even in the darkness, he managed to notice a few reminders along the way.

He looked at Fenna by his side as they walked, thought about trying to further reassure her that he wasn't making any contracts with Devils, but decided it was better to change the subject. "I'd much rather be heading for the Guildhouse n seeing what's in that Source Comm email inbox of ours," he said, knowing that they both shared it as a top priority. "Although, you might have to read it yourself and let me know what it says. I kinda sorta got meself banned from the establishment on my last visit." he chuckled then added. "Don't ask."

As they went up the hill, he asked aloud, to nobody in particular, "What do you suppose this is all about? -Us being taken up to the Citadel- You reckon it's just a briefing for the big battle, or something else?"

It was an invite for group brainstorming, although there was a thought that if they just waited a little longer they'd find out anyway. Still, it was a good way to see what was on everyone's mind.

...

Before the end of of the path up Citadel Mountain, the invading army became clear in the dark distance. Bonfires, campfires, torches and catapult fire outlined the entire encampment. And man; was it huge.

"Jesus," Zell swore as he took it all in. He wanted to say, 'there's fucking millions of em!' but he kept it to himself. No sense in being a little bitch about it, out loud, potentially disturbing morale. "Got some hard fighting ahead of us," he decided to say instead. "And I, for one, am ready-like-Eddy." He grinned. "Ha. I've just got to liking this place. No way I'm letting it get flattened now."

Through the hilltop gate and into the streets they went, Zell taking notice of the late night activity. Preparations were underway. "Alright Lucy," he greeted the Guildmaster in the square, then waited around patiently before goodbyes were exchanged. "Thanks for meeting us, Wulrick. Take care." He gave a nod of respect to a few others in Silver Arrow - obviously ignoring the gnome.

...

Inside the meeting, Zell elected to stay quiet. Not that he was feeling shy at this particular moment - he'd never been shy in his life, but he knew (sometimes) when to keep his mouth shut and let more sensible people do the talking. Instead, he eyed the officials around the table and memorized faces. All of them were new to him. He'd heard of Clarissa Shields from Fenna, Adam and MacKensie. He'd heard of Areleth from James. The others were unknown quantities, but all were clearly important.

Going over to the closest wall in the room, he folded his arms and leaned a shoulder against it, listening attentively.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@Teyaobro wtf I just noticed that you have hidden messages in James' dialogue lol how far do I have to go back through your posts now to find them all?

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

In spite of it being night-time, the entire vista of Valhiem's Outskirts was illuminated in a red glow. The artillery fire trailed fiery snakes in the indigo, starry sky above, exploding like fireworks on the invisible barrier above Valhiem. It might have been a wonderous sight if Zell and the team weren't crawling past the patrolling threat of death on the plains. Hoofbeats and rapid Dinosaur feet made Doppler effects within the din of the constant artillery explosions, as regiments of cavalry sped past their hidden position.

So many close calls.

Close enough to hear the voices of the enemy riders. Close enough to see the scaly beasts that were the Lizard Cavalry. There was one moment when everyone just had to lay prone in the well-placed foliage Adam had created, staying perfectly still whilst a bunch of horseman halted right by them. Zell's heart was thundering as he lay frozen, looking ahead at what members of his party he could see. That close call seemed to last forever.

Two other times, they were partially spotted and all of them rolled into the river to avoid being seen properly on the closer inspection from the enemy. Once again, Adam was on point, creating riverweeds that everyone could hold, sticking them all firmly to the riverbed until the threat finally passed. Such a move would've been impossible if not for James. And it was fucking WEIRD! being able to breath perfectly fine underwater. Zell had to fight the illusion of suffocating, at first - his brain took a second to acclimatize to being able to breathe in whilst completely submerged. Magic sure was the craziest phenomenon.

As Zell had observed in days gone by; Fenna was always content to remain relatively quiet and agreeable, letting others take the lead. But in her eyes was a sharpness and focus unsurpassed. And when she spoke, it was usually words of wisdom and calculation. Now it was her time to be called upon, and she answered the call with a confidence and assuredness that made her extremely easy to follow. She had stepped up to give Second Chance her expertise in stealth and guided everyone down a successful (and seemingly impossible) path to Valhiem's walls. Zell realised, during this time, that back when everyone chose James to be the party leader, it could've actually easily been Fenna Postma - And Second Chance would have been just fine for it.

Gradually and eventually... with much squatting, crouching, crawling and sneaking (and unbelievable pain in Zell's bad leg): They'd done it. Somehow they'd managed to make it.

MacKensie zipped up the wall and the crew waited until the water barricade was lifted and Second Chance were able to finally cross the threshold of safety - 'Safety' being a strange word in this context, seeing as they'd just entered a city that was UNDER SIEGE! But yes... safety was somehow the correct term and relief washed over the Englishman.

Zell shook his hands of water, dripping wet as they met up with the Adventurer party that Lucy Bottrill had sent to anticipate their arrival. Wulrick - Silver Arrow's leader - seemed an alright fellow, noting all the injuries Second Chance were carrying and promptly changed course to escort them to hospital. Zell followed down the empty streets towards their destination, walking next to Barracker, content to make the journey in silence. That is, until he could hear the dickhead gnome going on with himself. Zell watched Adam's reaction.

Fucking hell Adam. Tell him what's what! Zell thought.

Quite frankly, Adam might be the strongest of them all with his plant magic, aswell as his Bear transformation, not to mention a straight-up Rail-Gun beam he could fire from his hands. And even beyond all that, the young man was carrying a solid amount of muscle on him - He'd probably floor this little shit of a gnome in one punch. But Adam just took it. More accurately; Adam took the high road (as was characteristic of the Druid) and Zell had a measure of respect for it.

Zell, however, didn't know what a 'high-road' was.

Barracker was clearly not interested in turning the other cheek either. He and Zell exchanged a look of complete understanding on the matter, and closed in to rectify the situation.

"Who you calling trash, you little piss-ant?" Zell started, falling into step beside Xavier. As if the smug twat couldn't be any more of a smug twat, he was playing with his mustache like some kind of cartoon villain. "I've had Breakfasts bigger than you."

“You know, they say that gnome blood is the worst tasting. But I say never disparage something until you have tried it.” The vampire put a hand on the gnome’s shoulder. When Xavier looked up to the fanged, imposing man that was Barracker Kassell, the gnome went as pale as the vampire himself. “Especially if it means that someone who does not understand the meaning of politeness, might learn a lesson or two”.

Zell gripped Xavier's other shoulder. "Yeah, not a bad plan, Kass."

"Hey, what's going on?" Wulrick intervened. Adam just walked away, heading towards the hospital that was in sight. "Get your hands off him."

"You better tell him to stop talking shit to our friend then, pal," Zell shot back, letting go of Xavier. "He's got a big mouth for a midget."

It was only a small fuss, sorted out quickly when Wulrick separated Xavier from Second Chance's frontliners. Nobody who got involved in the situation had backed down... except the gnome, who'd crapped his pants, moreso at the presence of Barracker than Zell, but Zell was ready to throw hands either way. No way would he just let one his friends be bullied like that, even if Adam was more than capable of handling himself. It was the principle. All for one and one for all.

In the hospital, Zell requested the doctor who'd treated him last time. "I don't know her name. She's bright red. Got horns and a tail. Surely there ain't more than one." Fortunately she was on shift and now it was Zell's turn to be a smug twat. He sat down on the bed and greeted her with his trademark one-sided grin. "Alright there, doc."

"Hello," she replied with a forced cheeriness she din't even try to disguise.

Last time he was here - only 72 hours into this new life - she had told him to 'take it slow.' And since then, shit had not been slow at all. If anything; shit had sped up ten-fold.

"Remember me?"

"No."

:O

:(

...Roasted.

Zell was healed back perfectly but his ego and happiness took a huge hit. All the while the Tiefling doctor worked, he tried to explain the last time he was here, but she didn't recall and certainly didn't care one iota. She just got on with her job. Zell could not be more deflated.

He was back in the waiting room after a bit of time for his leg to repair. There, he gave a few pats on the back here and there, nods to his friends - a smile of relief and success. He ended up next to James. "Well," he said to the Mexicano. "Another trip survived. Another battle on the horizon. How you feeling, bossman?" Zell was upbeat, but sincerely concerned for his best friend. "It must be fucking weird having all of that Zigmund-guy's memories, eh. You really got em all? Like; actually his whole life?" If James was up for talking about it, Zell would ask for the deets, "Who was he?"

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

"Doesn't look like they're launching an assault just yet," Zell said to no one in particular as he surveyed, with narrowed eyes, what little he could make out of Valhiem's eastern wall. From the spot they'd taken up high in the hills, south of the city, it was at least clear to see a bulk of the enemy camp on the eastside. The tall siegetowers, the cascade of artillery fire, the ant-like mass of distant tents and figures. "We'll know if they start cuz them siegetowers'll start moving."

Zell left the precipice and went back to the bit of flat ground that was their temporary camp. He put down a spare bedroll and laid out some foods he'd taken from the temple kitchen. It wasn't much - some fruits, meats and bread, suprisingly well packaged for a crazy magic world with gods, swords n shields and what-not.

When Fenna was handling Sil, Zell watched her do her thing with admiration. "No need to ask if you're sure this will work," he said to the Ranger. "She's probably smarter than I am, of course it'll work," he complimented the falcon with a grin. "How does it work...? With you n her? Do you talk to her, in your mind?"

After Sil flew off, Zell dropped his crutch and squatted down before falling back onto his bedroll, stretching out and linking his hands behind his head with a content sigh. It was all forced. He wasn't nearly as relaxed and nonchalant as he was making out. Still, it was nice to actually lie down as opposed to resting on a bumpy wagon ride, not to mention all that walking up and down through the hills to get to this location had brought on extra loud protests of pain from his bad leg.

With closed eyes, he envisioned the coming battle. Oh how ready he was. After fighting wraiths he couldn't even hit for the better of last night, then having to deal with the highly skilled Zigmund 'Tin Can' Magoo, he was so down to start tearing through hordes of goblins and skellies and whatever else the Bitch Queen could throw at them.

Valhiem will not fall, he told himself, visualizing the moment when the tables turned in favour of the defenders. Visualizing the moment when all their allies would roar and cheer at the sweet taste of victory.

The Source Comm message was but a mere thought, sat alone in the depths of his mind. This was more important. Saving the city. For the sake of his sharp-fanged friend. For the sake of Right and Good. His own needs could come afterwards. "It is not cringey, I do not think," - "It is noble and dignified. We are heroes now and we must act accordingly."

Yeah, I guess, Zell thought in reply to the memory. He fooled himself into thinking it was a begrudging agreement. Deep down, he really was starting to get used to this 'hero' thing. He'd have to be an anti-hero though. He'd always been a selfish, egotistical bastard and he quite liked that about himself. He wouldn't be white-knighting anytime soon.

...

When MacKensie was about to leave to go back to the road where she would meet Clive, Zell called to her. "Hey." He waited for her to see the seriousness in his eyes. "Watch yourself out there, kay. If there's trouble, just disappear. Don't be fighting on your own." With a nod, he left it at that and then watched her go. Part of him wanted to go with her, but he'd only slow her down and probably put her in more danger trying to rescue him from some BS. Once she was out of sight, he took a breath and turned back to the business of watching paint dry.

...

He found himself back on the precipice of the hill where the view of Valhiem was, bored out of his mind. Barracker, who'd been understandably antsy the whole time, joined him. “It has been a long day.”

"Too right," Zell agreed. "And set to be even longer. The minutes are going by about as slow as sludge, stuck up here."

“I have come to the conclusion you like, well… more than like. You are possibly in love with MacKensie."

Zell damn-near jumped in surprise. That came out of nowhere! "Jesus Christ, mate, calm down, will ya." He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one overheard them. Thank fuck the coast was clear. He looked bewilderedly at Barracker, then looked back out onto Valhiem. "Don't go throwing the L-word around, fuck's sake, I've only known the girl five minutes."

This was actually extraordinary. Zell could not remember the last time he'd been even remotely embarassed in girl-related talk. On topics like this, he was usually unflappable, uninvested and completely devoid of self-doubt. And here he was, almost blushing like a simp. And he was right; he'd not known MacKensie long at all. He wondered about his feelings on this matter before - why they were so strong - and he guessed it was the same reason that he cared so much about all of Second Chance... the same reason he called James 'his best friend...' It was the fighting. Fighting for survival against overwhelming odds, side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Repeated life-threatening danger with the highest stakes. Such a situation just intensified every thought - every emotion. Mix that in with good ol' physical attraction and one can only guess that it was a recipe for rapidly developing feelings.

Fuck, I only talked to him in Golden Tree Park like that because I thought he was complete stranger that I'd never see again. And now he's figured out who I was talking about! Not fucking ideal.

"You also care for Second Chance, and doing good by them, which I applaud.”

Zell managed to get his bearings in the conversation and realised that there was must have been a 'But' coming next. "I appreciate you saying so. I'll always do my part for the good of the team. Sure as snow in winter. But where's this going?" And that's when Barracker dropped another bomb. Baphomet. He knew. Of course he knew, he was a fucking Paladin. Oh shit, Zell realised. A Paladin. This was not good. "Oh, you err..." A nervous chuckle. "You heard that, did you? Well... I suppose I wasn't exactly inconspicious, shouting full-blast, was I."

“He is one of the most powerful devils in hell. A prince of the oblivion plane. In this world, his name holds enormous weight in our history and folklore, and I could not wish the fate of my worst enemy to fall in his grasp. He has tricked strong warriors, more righteous than most down a dark path, just for a flicker of his strength. In the mythic age, a group of fully ascended warriors could not handle a full frontal attack against the devil. His ways into this world are from the dark domain and evil. He is as smart as he is powerful, immortal and wise, ruthless and destructive. That is why I urge you to tell me why Baphomet has come from your mouth.”

Even after being harassed by the Devil in his last few dreams, all of this information was completely new to Zell. And it was a little more than terrifying. This was what I signed up for!? was the main thought in his mind. I knew it was bad... but holy shit.

"Well..." Zell didn't know where to start. Or what to hide. "He sounds like a real bastard, that's for sure." Zell felt a light fog of perspiration on his forehead. "I dunno, mate. It's just what you say when you want to use the sword's power." His pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the hilt of The Black Sword. "I don't make the rules. I certainly ain't into no Dark Domain nonsense."

“I urge you to leave nothing out and tell me, every detail is important. If you truly wish the best for yourself, your love and your friends.”

Barracker was pressing the matter hard. Like, real hard. Zell turned to face him properly, feeling the urgency in his friend. Of course Zell knew how urgent the situation was - He was being haunted by a fucking Devil, after all. He just figured he would deal with it, on the fly, until a better situation presented itself. But there wasn't just urgency in Barracker's voice. Kass sounded like a police officer right now. Threat. Authority. Relentlessness. Cold justice in the chamber, ready to strike.

"Look, mate: I stole this fucking sword from Zigmund, the first time we encountered him. It was a beauty. Right powerful. Of course, I kept it. Had it checked out. Found out that; once a day, I can make a single strike with the sword that'll cut through anything. All I had to say was, 'Take Vor, Baphomet.' Sounded like a fucking spell to me - what do I know, right? I don't know the fucking history of Mytheria."

Zell knew he couldn't be this close to an angry vampire and lie in the man's face without getting caught, so he made sure everything he said was truthful. But he didn't want to share the rest of the story. The dreams, the harassment. For all Zell knew, he might be possessed by the Devil and this crazy fucking Quinity-loving Paladin was about to demand a painful exorcism or worse yet, execution!

"So I used the power." Don't tell him about the drunken night out! "And it works. Talk about karma for old Ziggy boy, eh. Ha."

The laugh was weak. Zell waited with bated breath for Barracker's response.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

damn Kass went hard lol

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Barracker's run-down of Mytherian religion was concise and informative. Zell was glad to have broached the subject. One could never know when such information would prove useful. The Englishman's bad leg started aching again, so he flexed it a couple of times in an effort to get it moving a bit - stop the muscles from seizing up. He drank the last of his willowbark tonic and the pain subsided enough to be ignorable again. After that, he was content to stew on the concept of The Quinity, in silence, and enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding area passing them by. Zell's smile disappeared when Barracker broke the silence.

“After we visit the hospital and conclude business with The Adventurers Guild, I have an urgent discussion in great need to have with you. Alone. So please do not disappear too quickly." It didn't take the most energy-sensitive crystal-using hippy to feel the warning in Barracker's voice and stern expression.

"Yeah, no probs," Zell replied, his tone tinged with confusion. He held Barracker's gaze until the Paladin turned away... it was fucking hard to do so. Having a vampire look at you the way Barracker was just looking at Zell was pretty damn intimidating. The vibe had switched so suddenly. Was Barracker mad at him? If so, what for?

Da fuck? Zell thought.

He didn't ponder it very long - couldn't think of anything, didn't want to dwell on it - and blew out a breath as he let any concerns disappear, relaxed and lifted his head to try and track Sil in the sky. The falcon was pretty easy to distinguish from other birds, when she was in view. Sil was the biggest badass in the air. Sure enough, Zell found his smile again.

Aaaaaaaaaand then James took it away.

"Are you. Fucking. Kidding me," was the response to the fact that Second Chance could not catch a break. Valhiem under seige!? "Double-you-tee-eff."

Zell listened to MacKensie and then Adam speak on the matter, half of his attention on Barracker following James to the front of the wagon.

"Maybe Lucy or Clarissa have enough pull to get someone important to listen to us, if we explain it to them? Does that make any sense?”

"Depends on the memories," Zell chimed in, a brief glance at James before resting his eyes on Adam. "Not to mention; we gotta get in a surrounded city." Zell bit his knuckle as he thought quickly, but nothing came up. "We can't do much until we see what we're working with."

...

"Well..." Zell shrugged as he stood in front of the halted wagon, weight on his good foot and his crutch.. "...at least the place ain't toally surrounded with stakes and trenches." He noticed Barracker was tense. Of course he was. This was his hometown. He gave the man a supportive pat on the back. Then he turned to James. "We need to take this slow," he said to Second Chance's leader, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Keep a safe distance and stay amongst the hills, but find a spot - off road - closer to the city than this." Then he looked around at everyone. "We need a better look. If the Witch Queen's army is attacking, then we move quickly. If they're just camping outside the walls, then we should probably wait until nightfall before we make a move."