Louie The Rune Soldier Fan Fiction ❯ Valiant Champion Or Something Like It ❯ Chapter 1

Valiant Champion or Something Like It

 

By: AZ Mark II

 

Disclaimer: ADV Films and/or J.C. Staff own this one, not me.

 

-

 

The camp wasn't much to look at. It had a single patched tent under the canopy of an evergreen tree, a rock circle with the remains of a few fires in it, and precious little else. Suspended from high limb of a hardwood a good spear-throw away was a pack with provisions in it. If one looked inside the tent, they would find some assorted clothing items, mostly cloaks, shirts and gloves or boots. Across from the tent was a fallen log that served as sitting area, table, communal area and dining room. About a quarter of a mile away was a shallow, semi-sunken creek that served as fresh water supply and bathing area.

 

Still, as the four adventurers dragged themselves out of the surrounding forest, it had never looked better to them. The four were dirty, bruised, tired, and frustrated; not all that uncommon for them, really. The tallest of the four, Genie, a strong woman with long, braided red hair, was originally from a distant kingdom on the extreme edge of the continent, and was a member of a tribe of barbarians who had somehow ended up in Ohfun after the rise of King Rijarl. A highly skilled swordswoman, she had soured on serving in armies and military duty in general.

 

As a barbarian, she wore a cloak over a chamois chest covering that supported her large, firm breasts without necessarily covering them more than was absolutely necessary. The same was true of her loin cloth - it covered what needed to be covered, but nothing else. She had once been asked about her clothing choice, and the woman - never one to needlessly talk - had only said that a fighter and swordswoman needed maximum freedom of movement. Besides, it was the traditional clothing of a warrior from her native land, as was the blood-red tattoo on her left cheek.

 

The woman who had asked her that question was currently walking just behind the tall fighter. She was dressed in a white and green dress and was armed with the signature weapon of her order: a long-shafted war hammer. She was a senior priestess of the Mylee order. The Mylee order was made up exclusively of women in the service of the war god, Mylee. Melissa was one of two anointed Priestesses at the mother temple in the capital of Ohfun, her order-sister Isabel being the other anointed priestess. They were the senior-most in the order, being only subordinate to High Priestess Jenny herself. Melissa silently sighed as she recalled why she was an anointed priestess.

 

That reason walked at the rear of their four-person procession. Her `valiant champion' had been a great disappointment to her, in addition to being a frequent ordeal for their entire party. But lately, Melissa had come to reconsider her opinion of the sole male in their group. Maybe Mylee wasn't playing a sick joke on me that day, she thought, glancing back at the second-tallest of their group where he walked at the tail of the procession. Instinctively, she glanced down at the last member of the original core group.

 

Merrill was a thief by profession and skill set, but she was probably the single most honest thief Melissa had ever known. When not out adventuring, Merrill worked an insane number of part-time jobs in order to cover her living costs and to fill her `darling jar' - which she was currently on her fourth. Money was more important to Merrill than anything save her friends' lives. And even that might be negotiable, depending on the circumstances. Her small stature complimented her agility, speed and hand/eye coordination. Preferring knives as her weapon, she could - and had - pinned falling leaves with a single throw. Melissa had come to respect her smaller friend after trying to fill in for her at her jobs when she had come down with a fever the year before.

 

Originally, it had been the three of them. Genie was the swordswoman, Merrill the thief and herself the priestess of a band of adventurers. Things had been ok at first, though the lack of a magician was a definite handicap to them. Still, they had kept at it and had some success. Eventually, though, they had been forced to seek a magician to round out their skill sets and balance the capabilities of the team. With the headquarters of the Magicians' Guild in the capital of Ohfun, it should have been a simple enough matter to find a magician with a taste for adventure.

 

Of course, recalled Melissa, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. There had been no shortage of magicians, sure enough. The problem was that the three of them really wanted a female magician. And while they had found a few that seemed perfect for their group - especially the magician Ila - they had discovered an alarming tendency of the magicians to prefer reading tombs or researching spells to adventuring; especially the female mages. Being adventurers, the three could be flexible, and accepted that their mage might have to be a man.

 

A smile tugged at the corners of the priestess's lips as she recalled their first meetings with Louie. Oh, we had no idea, did we? she thought to herself. He had made a terrible first, second, third and fourth impression on them, both singly and as a group. But, after the incident in the shrine, and Melissa's revelation from her god that the lout was her valiant champion, it had seemed impossible to get rid of him. Looking back at her champion once more, Melissa reflected on how things had changed since then.

 

Her champion was not exactly hard to look at; in fact, he was pretty handsome. He wore his black hair long and was heroically tough. And if he isn't the brightest champion I have ever seen, he is far from the worst, she reflected, shivering slightly as she recalled Conrad, her self-proclaimed fiancé and one of the most self-absorbed incompetent morons she had ever seen. Comparing the poser with her champion, she found herself realizing that she actually preferred Louie to Conrad. Who could have predicted that?! she thought to herself, shocked.

 

A sudden gust of wind caused her to shiver as it dispersed her thoughts. Her dress was still damp from the partially-submerged ruin they had been exploring, and with autumn closing in and their location in the foothills of a large range of mountains, it was getting cold now that the sun was going down. “You getting chilled, Melissa?” came the voice of Merrill. Melissa shrugged.

 

“A little, though there is precious little to be done about it,” she conceded. “How about you?” she asked the smallest of the group. Merrill had often been up to her chest in the cold water that had gradually seeped into the lower passages of the ruins, while the others had only been soaked to their thighs or hips.

 

“A little,” agreed Merrill, “but I think I'm better off than you, since I'm not stuck in a dress,” she observed. It was true. Merrill tended to wear cotton shorts or a short skirt, leggings and a shirt, sometimes with a vest, which meant that she dried out faster than Melissa, whose dress came almost to her ankles.

 

“That's true,” sighed Melissa. Her dress was not as impractical as most assumed, since the skirt was actually made in three pieces that overlapped, letting her run, jump, fight and even swim if necessary without binding up her legs. Still, the material held the moisture longer, and she was eager to get into a dry dress. Not for the first time, the blonde priestess envied Genie's sparse clothing, which was nearly dry once more.

 

“What I wouldn't do for a warm bath,” sighed the priestess.

 

“Well, I guess we'll have to give you one, then, Melissa,” came Louie's voice, full as always with baseless confidence. Melissa heard a soft snort of laughter come from in front of her, along with a louder bark of laughter from behind her.

 

“And how do you think we're gonna do that, Louie?” jeered Merrill. She and the magician had a sort of love/hate thing going on, which meant that they were in constant flux as far as mood between them went. Louie smiled at the short thief.

 

“I'm a magician, you know,” he said loftily.

 

“Not much of one,” came Genie's amused voice from the front of the group.

 

“Not much of an adventurer, either,” agreed Merrill.

 

“You underestimate me,” he cautioned the three, used to their cracks about his experience and capabilities.

 

“Oh, I doubt that,” murmured Melissa.

 

“Anyone who can destroy the royal castle isn't someone we are likely to underestimate,” agreed Genie.

 

“Especially when we end up fugitives from Ohfun as a result!” groused Merrill.

 

“No one made you come with me,” he reminded them. The three face-faulted for an instant.

 

“Yeah, we could have stayed in Ohfun and faced the king in your place,” came the cynical voice of Merrill. “No thanks,” she declined.

 

Melissa sighed. “I wonder if they are still looking for us?” she asked the group at large as they entered the inner perimeter of the camp. “It's been what? Six months?” she asked.

 

“Ten,” came Genie's voice. Melissa blinked.

 

“Really?” she asked, surprised. Genie nodded. Time has flown by, thought the priestess. This latest adventure trip had taken them beyond Ohfun's borders, past the kingdom to the west, north to the unclaimed lands, then west once more before they followed a trail of ruins southward toward the end of the continent. Strange, it doesn't seem like ten months have passed since we set out. And this had been what I always thought of as adventuring, too. she mused. “We even made some money,” she mumbled to herself as she entered the tent.

 

“What was that?” wondered Merrill, right behind her.

 

“Talking to myself,” she said, reaching for her pack for a dry dress.

 

“Don't take too long, ladies,” came Louie's voice from just outside the tent. “I'm going to prepare your bath right now,” he said, moving toward the creek. Melissa frowned.

 

“He was serious?” she wondered.

 

“Seems that way,” came Genie's voice. The tall barbarian was squatting by the camp fire, working with her flint and tinder to start a fresh one. “Think he can actually make a warm bath for us?” she wondered.

 

Melissa shrugged. “Anything is possible, I guess,” she said. Merrill had grabbed her towel and soap and was making her way toward the creek.

 

“I'll check it out and let you know,” she said over her shoulder. “We need to check the traps for fish, anyway,” she added. Melissa sighed.

 

“Fish again,” she said to Genie, who just shrugged. “Hey, Genie,” said Melissa, glancing toward the creek, “do you think we should start back toward Ohfun soon?” she wondered.

 

“I don't know,” said the strongest of the women. “We destroyed the royal castle, so King Rijarl might not be happy to see us back again, circumstances not withstanding,” suggested the barbarian, feeding the fire some larger tree limbs. “Besides, are you eager to get back?” she wondered. Melissa pursed her lips.

 

“Not exactly,” she confided. “But still,” sighed the priestess. Genie gave her friend a brief smile.

 

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” she grunted. “This has been the best adventure we have ever been on,” she said what Melissa was thinking. The priestess nodded.

 

“And yet, every adventure eventually ends,” she said softly. “Maybe Ila smoothed things out with the king,” she suggested. “I mean, she's the only daughter of the richest merchant family in Ohfun, and Louie's adopted father is Carwes, head of the Magicians' Guild as well as being one of the oldest companions to King Rijarl.”

 

“And didn't you say that your High Priestess Jenny considers Louie to be her nephew?” prompted Genie, standing while the fire went to work on the two modest logs she had put in the rock circle. They would need some good coals to cook their dinner, after all.

 

“That's true,” confirmed Melissa, “and she was with Carwes and King Rijarl when Ohfun was founded, too.”

 

“So, maybe it's safe to head back home now?” prompted Genie. Melissa didn't have to answer because Merrill called to them from the creek.

 

“Hey! You won't believe this!” she called out. Quickly, the two hurried down to the river. They found Merrill standing near the bank, a small pool of water just in front of her, formed by a boulder and a fallen tree. The creek barely flowed over the submerged tree, and the rocks and boulder formed a waist-deep pool with a gravel bottom filled with clear, cold water. Or rather, it was normally cold water.

 

“So, what do you think about your bath, ladies?” boasted Louie, grinning at them smugly. Melissa looked at the faintly-steaming water.

 

“What did you do, Louie?” she asked him.

 

“Oh, I just cast a fire spell on the boulder, which makes the water heat up as it flows around it and over the tree trunk,” said the magician. “Toasty warm water and even a nice tub, if I do say so myself,” he bragged. The three women exchanged looks.

 

“I'm…actually impressed,” admitted Genie. Louie bowed his head at her praise.

 

“I surprise myself sometimes, Genie,” he said. The red-haired swordswoman snorted.

 

“I have no doubt of that,” she agreed sardonically. Seeing Louie moving off down the creek, she frowned. “Where are you going?” she asked him.

 

“I'm going to check the fish traps we set; I'm getting hungry,” called back the man. “You might want to hurry and bathe - I have no idea how long that spell will hold,” he cautioned them. Looking at each other, Genie and Melissa quickly followed Merrill's lead, stripping naked and carefully stepping into the water.

 

“This is almost too hot,” observed Melissa, feeling the temperature of the water near the boulder.

 

“Then move closer to the log,” suggested Genie. “The water coming over the log isn't as warm.”

 

Before long, the three had found spots where the water temperature was to their liking, and were happily bathing. It didn't occur to any of them to worry about Louie interrupting them. Indeed, they weren't worried about being interrupted because they knew that Louie was out there. They all kept their weapons close to hand out of habit, but none of them were tense or on edge as they relaxed in the open-air bath.

 

“About what you were saying before,” said Genie after a good ten minutes had passed. Merrill gave the nominal head of their group an enquiring look.

 

“About what?” she asked Melissa.

 

“About returning to Ohfun,” said Melissa. Merrill considered that.

 

“If you want,” she shrugged. “Either way is fine with me,” she continued. “This is more fun than working my jobs, and with Isabel and her group working the local adventure scene there, it isn't likely to be that fun around Ohfun. Though,” she paused, frowning, “I think my house probably needs some work - now that I have the funds for it,” she realized.

 

“My house as well,” agreed Genie. “I make it a habit to repair the roof every season, and the walls need to be checked for cracks every so often.”

 

“Well, my room at the temple is maintained for me as part of the acolytes' duties, but I could stand to talk to High Priestess Jenny about a few things,” she shared.

 

“I wonder how Ila is doing,” Genie wondered idly. “She should be itching for her souvenir by now,” chuckled the tall woman.

 

“And Louie has plenty to give her, too,” Merrill interjected.

 

“Speaking of Louie and Ila,” said Melissa slowly, capturing the attention of the other two, “what do you two think their relationship is?” asked the priestess.

 

“Isn't it obvious?” asked Genie. “Ila is completely hung up on him, but he's too stupid to see it,” she said confidently.

 

“No doubt,” agreed Merrill. “She's done everything but hit him over the head with it, but he's too dense to see it.”

 

“I…see,” murmured Melissa, staring at the water, but not seeing it.

 

“What's with the sudden introspection, Melissa?” wondered Genie. Melissa blinked.

 

“Oh! Uh, nothing, really,” she said lamely. Her two companions were clearly unconvinced. “It's nothing, really,” she insisted. “Oh, I just realized that I forgot my towel and my clean clothes!” she quickly moved past the question.

 

“Me, too,” recalled Genie. The two of them glanced at each other.

 

“Hey, ladies!” came Louie's voice from near-by. “I saw your towels and clean clothes in the tent, so I brought them to you,” he said. “I'll put them near Merrill's towel, ok?” he said.

 

“Thank you, Louie!” called back Melissa. “We'll be done shortly,” she added.

 

“I should have dinner ready by then,” he called back, moving off toward their camp.

 

“Well, now that that has been dealt with,” said Genie, fixing her gaze back on Melissa, “let's get back to this strange fixation with Louie you seem to have developed,” she suggested.

 

“It's not a `strange fixation'!” insisted Melissa adamantly. “As a follower of a Valiant Champion, it is my duty to support and - when necessary! - guide him so that he attains his full potential for the good of all mankind!” she piously explained.

 

“Funny,” snorted Merrill, “used to be you couldn't say a single sentence without adding `it's very much against my wishes!',” the thief did a very good imitation of her friend's voice. “Come to think of it,” she frowned, “you haven't said that in a long time, Melissa,” she noted. “Not that I can't understand why you don't say it anymore,” she added wryly. “Louie's gotten good,” admitted the shortest of the group.

 

“He has a long way to go, though,” Genie interjected. Merrill and Melissa, however, knew that from her, that was a high compliment. “He has even been using some magic in the last few months,” she recalled. Idiot still relies too much on his sword and fists, though! We needed him for his magic ability, but we got…well, Louie, she thought, her lips twitching into a small smile at the end of the thought.

 

“True,” agreed Melissa. “Though I still wonder what he could attain if he were as focused on his magical studies as Ila,” she sighed. “Until he truly becomes a master of magic, can he honestly be said to be a true Valiant Champion?” she asked rhetorically. He's already saved a kingdom, but Valiant Champions are supposed to be the paramount heroes of their age. And as a magician, my Louie…er, my Champion, should be adept in magic, should he not?

 

“He seems to be doing well enough,” dismissed Merrill, stretching her arms. “This bath of his is pretty nice,” she purred, grinning at her two friends.

 

“But Ila is far more skilled than Louie at magic,” Melissa pointed out. “If it weren't for her unfortunate tendency to faint under attack, she would have been our first choice for a new member,” reminded the blonde semi-leader.

 

“But she does, so we got Louie,” Genie shrugged. “What is the point of this, exactly?” wondered the barbarian.

 

“How should I get him to take his magic studies more seriously?!” hissed Melissa. “I was thinking that if he noticed how Ila felt about him, it would give her the leverage to get him to be more serious about his training as a magician, but I can't think of many ways to open his eyes,” she complained. Her two companions considered that.

 

“He is rather dense, when it comes right down to it,” said Genie slowly.

 

“Not to mention somewhat stupid,” added Merrill gleefully.

 

“That's our Valiant Champion you're talking about,” muttered Melissa, scowling.

 

“Ours?” challenged Merrill.

 

“Ours,” Genie said quietly. Merrill sighed.

 

“So, what is the plan, Melissa?” she asked her teammate. Seeing Melissa's blink, she sighed. “For our Valiant Champion,” she reminded the blonde.

 

“Oh!” gasped Melissa, her cheeks coloring a little. “Well, I hadn't really thought about it,” she said as casually as possible. Her two friends could see right through that.

 

“I doubt that,” scoffed Genie.

 

“You've given it a lot of thought, haven't you?” challenged Merrill. Melissa sighed.

 

“Yes, I suppose I have,” she admitted. “I can only really see one way to get him to develop his magical ability,” she paused, looking at her two friends. “And that is to…” she trailed off, her face coloring more.

 

“Is to what, Melissa?” asked Genie.

 

“Sleep with him,” whispered Melissa, her two companions barely able to hear her.

 

“Excuse me?” asked Merrill. “Could you repeat that? Because it sounded like you said…”

 

“Sleep with him,” stated Genie calmly. Merrill's jaw dropped.

 

“You mean…with Louie?!” she blabbed.

 

“How exactly do you think this will help him with his magic studies, Melissa?” wondered the red-head. Merrill stared back and forth between the two of them.

 

Melissa sighed. “I think that if I can get him interested in women, he will be more likely to notice Ila's interest in him. Then,” Melissa sucked in a breath.

 

“Then, he will be more likely to obey her suggestions that he pay attention to his magical classes,” Genie finished for the shorter priestess, mulling over the idea. “Hmm, that not only will likely work, it is probably the only way to steer that man,” she chuckled. “I'm impressed, Melissa,” she concluded, “how did you come up with that idea?”

 

“High Priestess Jenny suggested that I sleep with him to better understand him,” Melissa shared with her friends. “At the time, I was still convinced that my revelation of Louie as my Champion had to be a mistake, and was attempting to convince the High Priestess that Mylee must have been joking with me.” Melissa frowned. “Thinking back on it, High Priestess Jenny was supremely confident that it was not a mistake or a joke.” Could she have known that Louie was capable of what he has done? wondered the young priestess.

 

“Didn't you say that she and Louie go back a long way?” asked Genie. Merrill was still gawking at the two of them, her brain locked up by the blunt suggestion of Melissa. Melissa nodded.

 

“She told me that she had known him since he was a little child. According to her, she used to look after him when Head Master Carwes was busy, or she would find him in the temple when he ran away from the Magicians' Guild,” Melissa shared with her friends. “Well, she said that that changed when Ila came on the scene. For some reason, Louie and Ila became fast friends almost immediately when she first arrived at the Guild for training.”

 

“Ila again,” mused Genie. “Didn't Louie once say that he was an orphan?” wondered the warrior. Melissa nodded. “Don't you think it odd that some nameless orphan was adopted by Head Master Carwes of the Magicians' Guild and High Priestess Jenny of the Mylee order? Two people who were King Rijarl's most trusted companions and highly instrumental in founding Ohfun just happened to raise him? And then there was that whole thing in the basements of the royal castle, too,” mused the warrior.

 

Melissa was nodding. “I have wondered about that more than a few times as well,” she said. The two looked at each other for a moment.

 

“But! With Louie?!” managed Merrill, beginning to shake off her mental paralysis. Genie glanced at the small thief.

 

“Sure. Why not?” asked the barbarian. “It's not like he's some repulsive ogre, you know,” she pointed out.

 

“But!” protested Merrill once more.

 

“It's ok, Merrill,” Melissa assured her, “This is something that I, as his loyal follower, will do; you and Genie need not concern yourself with it,” she soothed the girl.

 

“Hey,” Genie interjected mildly, “we're a team, aren't we?” she challenged. “Besides, you might need some help,” she added. Melissa blinked at the tall red-head. “You are still a virgin, right?” asked Genie. Melissa sputtered.

 

“Oh! Does your order allow its priestesses to…do that?” wondered Merrill. Melissa gave the small thief an annoyed look.

 

“Of course the Mylee order allows it,” she said. “It isn't a cloistered order, you know,” she sniped back. I made sure of that before I took my vows, she recalled. And those vows had some odd provisions in them, too. “And it was the High Priestess herself who told me to sleep with him!” she repeated herself. Shifting the focus, she pushed it back to Genie. “Why do you want to help?” wondered the priestess.

 

The barbarian girl shrugged, causing her breasts to make ripples in the shallow bowl of warm water. “I haven't had sex in quite a while, and I'm getting horny,” she explained. Seeing the looks on the faces of the other two girls, she chuckled. “Come on! You two can't have thought that I was a virgin!” she scoffed. “Among my people, having sex is a part of the rite of passage to being a warrior.”

 

“So, you…I mean, uh,” Melissa groped for the right words.

 

“Yeah,” confirmed Genie casually. “My first time was when I was about Merrill's age,” she shared. “Speaking of that,” she hinted, fixing her piercing gold-brown eyes on Merrill. The thief shrunk down into the water, leaving only her eyes above the water.

 

“Merrill?” asked Melissa.

 

The short-haired brunette shot to her feet, her face crimson. “So I'm a virgin! So what?!” she barked pugnaciously.

 

“That's fine, Merrill,” Melissa assured her small friend. “We're not about to force you, you know,” she repeated her earlier statement.

 

“How am I supposed to watch from the sidelines now?!” demanded Merrill. Melissa blinked.

 

“Well…” began the priestess, only to hear Louie calling them to come eat before he finished it all himself. Swiftly, the three got out of the bath, drying off and dressing as they hurried toward the camp in the gathering darkness.

 

-

 

“So, Louie,” said Melissa a few days later, “we were thinking it is about time that we headed back toward Ohfun,” the priestess suggested. Louie blinked. They had moved out of their previous camp near the old ruins they had been exploring, and were heading toward a small town a few days away, where they had first heard of the ruins.

 

“Already?” asked the lone male in the group. “But, we've been on a hot streak lately!” he complained. The three girls considered that. It was true, after all.

 

“Well, yes,” said Melissa, “but we will have to go back eventually, so why not do it while we have our treasure?” she suggested. The dark-haired man frowned. “And don't you want to give those items to Ila?” pressed Melissa. Louie's face lit up.

 

“Oh, yeah!” he exclaimed. “I sort of forgot about those things,” he admitted, chuckling. Merrill scowled.

 

“Not a surprise,” she muttered. They had come across some strange, possibly-magic, items in mission a couple of months before, and the recovered items were in Louie's pack. He had announced his intention of asking Ila what they were and if she had any clue how they worked.

 

“Well, do you think they have calmed down about the castle yet?” he worried. “I mean, it wasn't like we meant to wreck it, but…” he shrugged. “Things just turned out that way!” he laughed.

 

“We?” murmured Genie, shaking her head slightly. “Anyway,” she dismissed that minor argument, “no one has been asking about us or trying to follow us for three months or more, so I think the fuss has calmed down.”

 

“Yes, I agree,” seconded Melissa. “Besides, Louie, we have things that need to be done. I need to renew my vows with High Priestess Jenny, Genie needs to do some work on her house, Merrill needs to put her share of the treasure into her darling jar, and you should probably spend some time at the Magicians' Guild. You know, take a small break from adventuring,” she coaxed the thick-headed man.

 

“Yeah, Louie,” interjected Merrill, “we've been on this `adventure' for a hell of a long time, you know,” she half-complained. “We're carrying so much treasure we can hardly move!” As usual, it was Louie who was their primary pack-mule. Merrill's eyes turned a little glassy. “My darling jar will need to grow to hold all this!” she purred.

 

“So, you all really want to head back?” asked Louie, frowning. Melissa met the gaze of Genie and Merrill before nodding. “Well, ok, then,” shrugged the man. “I should probably see how my old man is doing, anyway,” he philosophized. “Man, won't Ila be surprised when I show her our treasure?” he chuckled. Melissa considered what she had decided do to.

 

“She certainly will be,” murmured the priestess. Looking at Louie as he led the four along the path toward the village, she found that she was actually looking forward to what she planned. When did that happen? she asked herself. Reviewing the last few years since she had met up with control-challenged young man, she realized that it was about the time that she had truly accepted that Mylee had given her Louie as her Valiant Champion. And really, she told herself, it isn't like he isn't handsome enough; and he certainly isn't the hoodlum that I first thought he was, either. In fact, he is shaping up nicely into my Champion… Blinking at that thought, Melissa shook her head, trying to dispel the surprising thought.

 

“Well, then,” Louie boomed, “once we trade some of the stuff we got for some provisions, let's head back to Ohfun!”

 

“Sounds good,” said Genie laconically. “This part of the world is pretty much adventured out,” she added.

 

“Hey, do you suppose that Isabelle is still out adventuring with that Littler guy?” wondered the man. Melissa frowned.

 

“That is the crown prince, Louie,” she reminded him. Louie shrugged.

 

“I met him as an adventurer first,” he dismissed the title issue. “So, do you think that they are still out adventuring?” he repeated.

 

“I don't see why not,” said Melissa. “Although, now that the truth is known, it could be that he isn't allowed out of the capital on adventures any more,” she considered.

 

“We could have used them with us on a few of our adventures, couldn't we?” Louie fondly stated. The miles to the small town flew past as the party talked of their long string of adventures, laughing, bickering, joking and generally enjoying themselves. Before they knew it, they were in the small town, re-provisioning for the trip home.

 

-

 

“Your majesty, I regret to inform you that once more, we were unsuccessful,” sighed the crown prince, bowing to his father. “I have no idea how they can move so fast,” he added, sounding a little exasperated. Beside him, Isabelle of the Mylee order nodded.

 

“Indeed,” she seconded, “I had no idea that anyone could move that far that fast,” she apologized to the king. King Rijarl was sitting on his throne, with Master Carwes and High Priestess Jenny at his side.

 

“Your thoughts, my old friends?” he asked his two companions.

 

“I have nothing to add, your majesty,” said Carwes, “since nothing that I have tried has indicated that magic is being used to aid them, and likewise, none of the search spells has yielded anything,” he reported. Rijarl's eyes turned to Jenny.

 

“Sorry, your majesty,” said the High Priestess, “none of our daughter temples has reported contact with them, either,” she said. “I have prayed to Mylee for guidance on this issue, but so far, Mylee has not seen fit to answer my prayers.”

 

“Your majesty,” came the voice of Lily, the magician in the crown prince's party, “I would ask that you allow us to try again. If we go farther out into the surrounding kingdoms this time, perhaps we…”

 

“Sorry, Lily,” Rijarl interrupted the young girl, “but I cannot allow that with the current situation.”

 

“Your majesty,” Jenny spoke up, “I would be happy to provide the prince's party with additional priestesses, should you reconsider the request. Isabelle is one of two ordained priestesses in the temple, and as such, she may command a group of acolyte priestesses, giving the party a much greater strength.”

 

“I agree, your majesty,” seconded Carwes. “I have some tombs that I can share with Lily, which will teach her some spells that will allow for greater protection and longer range in spell communication with the Guild,” he said. “With her proficiency, she should be able to communicate with my better students from neighboring kingdoms,” he assured the king.

 

“Please, father,” the crown prince urged the monarch, “allow me to prove myself; both to you and to the people of Ohfun! I will succeed!” he promised.

 

“Littler,” sighed the king, “you are the crown prince, and as you have no siblings, it is ill-advised to risk you unnecessarily.”

 

“Your majesty, I swear to you that I will return him safe and sound,” came the gruff voice of Jackinson, the aging guard and instructor of the prince. “On my life, your majesty, I swear no harm shall come to him,” he repeated firmly.

 

“As do I,” agreed Isabelle immediately.

 

“And me!” finalized Lily. Rijarl glanced at Carwes and Jenny.

 

“I suppose you have nothing to say?” he asked resignedly.

 

“It is no different now than when we were their age, Rijarl,” murmured Carwes quietly.

 

“And would it not be more dangerous for the neighboring kingdoms and the renegade nobles to think Littler inexperienced or weak?” Jenny whispered. Rijarl grunted.

 

“We see some grains of truth in your words,” he said formally. “Very well,” continued the king, “we will allow another expedition.” Before him, the four core members of the crown prince's group exchanged small smiles. “But, before that, we must be satisfied that your group has prepared itself properly,” stated the king firmly. “To that ends, we command Lily to accompany Master Carwes to the Magicians' Guild, and Isabelle to accompany High Priestess Jenny to the temple. It will be you two, my long-time friends, who decide when they are prepared for the undertaking before them,” instructed the king. “As for you, my son,” he turned his attention to the young man before him. “You and I have some business of state to discuss. We expect you to attend to us after dinner this evening,” directed the king.

 

“Yes, father,” said the young man.

 

“Sir Jackinson, tomorrow morning, you will begin daily instruction of my son in swordsmanship, unarmed combat and logistics.”

 

“As you command, your majesty,” replied the older man. Rijarl looked over the four before him.

 

“You are dismissed,” he finished. Bowing once more, the four adventurers turned and moved toward the exit of the throne room. Bowing their heads, Jenny and Carwes started to follow the four. “A moment yet, old friends,” said the King. Jenny and Carwes paused. Motioning to his page, the king waited until the doors to the throne room were closed, leaving them more or less alone before he spoke.

 

“I have received a formal petition from the largest trading firm in the kingdom for a decision, and I would hear your thoughts on it,” said the King, pulling a folded parchment from his throne's side cushion.

 

“Ah, Ila's father,” Carwes made the connection. Rijarl nodded.

 

“Why ask us, your majesty?” wondered Jenny. Rijarl handed the parchment to the High Priestess without comment. Scanning the letter, Jenny covered her mouth with a hand. “Oh, my! I see why you wanted to speak with us about this,” she said, surprised.

 

Carwes read the letter, frowning. “How did he come up with this scheme?” asked the man of himself. Jenny smiled at Carwes.

 

“Apparently, he is not entirely blind,” she said humorously.

 

“For obvious reasons, I am hesitant to make a decision without hearing your thoughts on this matter. It is not unheard of, but I have my doubts about the outcome. If I had more heirs, it would be a prudent and sound choice, but as it stands,” he shrugged, much like he had when he had been but a leader of a mercenary army, making a name for himself by stabilizing a kingdom in civil war.

 

“You have offers from the neighboring kingdoms, I assume?” asked Jenny, thinking her way through the situation. Rijarl nodded.

 

“Most notably from Fundoria, where the renegades have been hiding for so long,” grunted the king. “With two unwed daughters, and a common border, it would be a sound match. However, a month ago, an envoy from the kingdom of Leisaria presented me with a formal offer of his sister's hand in marriage. As you know, they are the third largest kingdom on this continent; and the second most powerful.”

 

“Would it not be possible to take both roads?” asked Carwes. “It seems that with the unfortunate death of your queen, your family has two eligible bachelors,” he hinted. Rijarl blinked.

 

“The Mylee order does not prohibit re-marrying,” agreed Jenny. Rijarl's sharp gaze swept over them.

 

“You two are just as circumspect as always,” he noted. “And just as predictable to one who knows you,” he smiled. “You disapprove of the petition, then?” Jenny and Carwes exchanged wry glances.

 

“We feel that it would be in the best interest of the kingdom to forge political alliances, rather than trade alliances, your majesty,” said Jenny.

 

“And it makes more sense to wed your son within his social caste, does it not?” seconded Carwes. Rijarl chuckled.

 

“Master Auriza makes more money per year than this entire kingdom does,” he noted dryly. “And because of that, his daughter is more eligible than most princesses,” added the man.

 

“Ila is deeply involved with her magical studies, your majesty,” said Carwes.

 

“And her eligibility would certainly be questioned by the other monarchs by reason of her common birth,” seconded Jenny. Rijarl scowled at the two.

 

“You have chosen her for Louie, is that it?” he nearly accused them. Jenny and Carwes once more glanced at each other.

 

“I think it could be more accurately said that destiny has made certain paths more favorable than others,” said Carwes obliquely. Jenny nodded.

 

“And if nothing else, your son would find marriage to her to be without passion, since her heart has already chosen another,” she said bluntly.

 

“This is something that Mylee told you?” wondered Rijarl, a small smile on his lined face.

 

“Not directly, no,” Jenny shrugged. “But I am positive that Mylee's hand rests on his life, my liege. First in our finding him, then in his being appointed Melissa's Valiant Champion, and once more in his uncanny luck in being in the right places at the right times to thwart Lord Dardanel's plot to wrest your kingdom from your grasp,” she argued.

 

“Indeed,” agreed Carwes. “Even his immediate friendship with Ila and the happenstance of his joining that group of adventurers could fairly be said to be the work of fate or destiny,” he added. Rijarl sighed.

 

“Truthfully, my old friends,” confided Rijarl, “I have, of late, been giving some thought to just that matter,” he said. “Would you hear my thoughts without bias, and tell me what you think of what I propose?” he asked them.

 

“Of course,” said Jenny, smiling at her friend.

 

“I have not turned you down yet, have I?” agreed Carwes. Leaning forward, Rijarl, king of Ohfun, shared with his most trusted advisors his half-formed idea to preserve the peace and safety of the kingdom.