It was a battle of the ages.

It was a battle unseen by all but those involved.

And as the corpses of dozens dissolved into light, as battle scars reverted to unmarred flesh, as the saltwaters of a fallen friend was swallowed up by the desecrated earth, as the fires of a tribe died out and the silence settled in once more, all sign of that battle disappeared.

But not in the memories of those who survived it. From combat, experience. From experience, strength. And from strength, more possibilities. The necromancer, his potential still unactualized, felt his arcane might blossom further. The one-armed scout, stubborn in his desire to mold this world into a true second life, began to forget the phantom pain that contained to ache. The mountain man, stalwart despite his internal reservations, finally pushed past his dependency upon the demon of flames residing beneath his skin. And for the flame-haired animist, perpetually repulsed by their surroundings, by the situation, by all that they’ve gone through and all that they had to put up with.

And yet, he still had not yet hit the limits of his tolerance.

The carving of what remained of the massive bear’s rotted corpse was miserable work, but storage was as simple as jamming raw meat and bone and organs into their inventory pouches. The traveling back was pleasant, if only for the fresh air and the brightness of day. The haggling with the butcher was embarrassing, but they got a good deal with the bones. The shrine maiden was confused and remained concerned, but understood at least that Lugh was still alive and thanked them for their troubles. The day continued to fade, the stars revealing themselves as umbra extended over the city-state that seemed so jovial, no matter the horrors lying a mere hours walk away. Worries for another time, worries removed from everyday life. Now was simply the time to wash away the grime and fulfill a final condition before the night’s gaming session could be concluded.

Even at night, or perhaps, because of the night, carriages to the Blooming Springs continued to be active, offering bumpy but speedy rides to the lantern-lit resorts. Smoke from chimneys rose up alongside the vapour of the heated waters, workers adding fire-heated rocks to the upper portions of the springs in order to keep the large outdoor baths to a comfortably scalding temperature. Both Immortals and Riens paid the affordable price of admission, changing out into more easily removable clothing as they entered the mixed baths. There was enough fog here, enough lantern and fire light, that masked the nudity of people as they approached, and by the time they settled in, the waters of the spring were opaque enough to hide what laid beneath the surface.

Of course, for the party of four, having lost their only in-game female, this was really just a boys’ night out. Whether they went fully nude or came in with thin robes on to protect their chastity, the four finally settled into the waters of the Blooming Springs and enjoyed the mundane pleasures of a fully realized virtual game. None had a bath this large in real life, after all, and none could gaze at stars so bright either. Lotus blossoms added an earth aroma to the place, while a tray of warmed sake floated before them, swaying gently with every ripple created by the movements of others. The dark, damp stones jutting out from the pools felt amazingly cool as they pressed their backs against it, and though their Immortal bodies were not afflicted by any of the bothersome muscle pain that reality would’ve granted them, the quartet could nevertheless feel the tension in their body seep away.

This was nice. Beyond the promise of legendary powers, beyond the continent-shaping event that was just around the corner, it was nice, living in a world so different from the dreary humdrum of modern civilization.

And then, another ripple.

The mists congealed. The light gathered. A searing pain seeped into Ames’s right hand, like a brand sizzling against his very bone. And from the concentration of elements, a maiden was formed. Scarlet eyes and fair skin, body encased in white robes with crimson markings, a dark breastplate that fanned backwards into wing-like embellishments. Light brown hair spilled out of the steel-visored hood, while pointed ears poked out from beneath. In the Blossoming Springs, the young girl kneeled with her head bowed down, her countenance noble and unaffected by the environment. One gloved hand rested upon her knee, the other planted firmly into the ground. She lifted her gaze to meet Ames’s.

[b]“Britomart, Maiden-of-the-Castle, at your service, my liege.”[/b]

[hider=Outlander Princess Knight, Britomart]
[b][u]Type Maiden-of-the-Castle, First Stage[/u][/b]
[sub]+20% HP, +15% AGI, +10% END[/sub]
[i][url=https://i.imgur.com/K4rTM4m.png]A well-dressed squire with fey attributes[/url], standing at a height of 4’10. Puts on a veneer of maturity and chivalry, but still very much a child. Bears a banner on their back, with a coat of arms that features motifs of oak trees and white horses.[/i]

[b]Britomart’s Status[/b][indent]A fledgling warrior lacking in martial knowledge. Unable to obtain skills or passives. Possesses attributes equal to half that of Ames’s, and does not have MP or SP. Can be summoned and unsummoned from the crest upon Ames’s right hand, and the two can communicate telepathically.[/indent]

[b]The Sweet Maid[/b][indent]Active. By planting Britomart’s banner into the ground, manifest a small, two-story inn made of wood. The first floor opens to a tavern setup, with a crackling hearth and a small stage, as well as an open-concept kitchen. The second floor has a total of six rooms, each one sparsely decorated and possessing two closets and two small beds. Britomart herself will switch to Waitress mode, dressed in an outfit befitting a waitress. As the Landlord, Ames has access to several abilities while inside The Sweet Maid.

-[i]Private Property:[/i] All lifeforms with a Total Level less than half that of Ames’s Total Level can be evicted from the interior of The Sweet Maid, teleporting them outside the doors.
-[i]Interior Design:[/i] All furniture and decorations added to The Sweet Maid will be remain where they are the next time the inn is summoned.
-[i]Stocked Kitchens:[/i] Currency can be instantly converted into simple ingredients while on the first floor. Ingredients gained this way revert into the equivalent currency after leaving the first floor.
-[i]Rest, Respite, Respawn:[/i] The rooms of The Sweet Maid serve as respawn locations for Immortals checked in to them. So long as The Sweet Maid remains active, Immortals who die will respawn at The Sweet Maid rather than the closest Keystone, and Immortals who log off will re-emerge at The Sweet Maid rather than the closest city.

The Sweet Maid has HP equal to ten times that of Ames’s. If destroyed, this skill will be on cooldown for 24 hours. While active, Britomart can not travel more than one hundred meters away from The Sweet Maid.
In successive Stages, the Landlord may select a new feature to add to the Inn, and all pre-existing features will be expanded.[/indent]
[/hider]
Then she blinked, realized where exactly she was, and flushed as pink as a pomegranate.