"Of course! Your Member told me you needed to get a quick dungeon run. I heard that you only drink the blood of virgin women! You do drink blood don't you?" Crass asked as we followed him into the shop.
"I will settle for the blood of a fit and able male if you don't hurry up," I said with a devilish smile.
If the standard for virginity was male penetration, then he wasn't completely wrong, but I didn't have time for games. Crass put his hands up in surrender and then stepped to the side with a bowing flourish.
Three swords were waiting, and Lesha let go of my hand to go and examine them. There was a rapier and two long swords, none had gems or decoration, which was a good sign.
My father had always said that a weapon should not be some fanciful thing. If the blacksmith is serious, he will make a product that is strong and built to do the job it was meant to.
Killing; if the weapon wasn't strong, it could break in battle. If the weapons pommel, hilt, or guard were to shine or sparkle, it would make you a target.
Lesha picked up each weapon, but she took the rapier. That was a good choice and when she advanced past Ruby Rank she could become a Duelist.
Each class had advanced classes that were decided by your style of fighting and your weapon choice{Insert Fat Boy Slim in BG music}. If she continued with the long sword she would become a knight, and then I didn't know.
Some classes had not been discovered, or if they had we had not heard about them. Knowledge was still very limited about these things, and new classes were said to be discovered all the time using unique weapons.
"Thank you, Mr. Crass, I will get some good use, and next time we will stay longer!" Lesha said as I dragged her out of the Forge.
"Come on look at the sun," I said, starting to walk back to the group that was waiting for us.
"Coming!" Lesha said after she belted on her new weapon.
I turned to grab the brown folded paper that had the meat, but I got drawn into Lesha's body movements and almost missed grabbing the meat.
"Jeez, K, quit gawking at your girlfriend and get going, and grab ahold of the meat properly before you drop it!" Candi scolded me, coming over with Trinity.
"Awe, you were Gawking at me, baby?" Lesha said as she brushed by me.
I grinned at Tim and got a better grip on the paper-wrapped meat that was starting to make my mouth water.
"Remember, stick together," I said, before turning to jog to catch Lesha.
"Yes, boss mom, I mean Guild Leader!" Tim joked, calling out.
I really need to get a handle on these rapscallions! Each one of them had their own brand of lip, except Corbit. He was the only one out of the bunch that seemed to respect me or at least fear me enough not to give me lip like the others.
I handed Lesha two meat kabobs and she held on in her hand, attacking each, but switched back and forth. I smiled to myself as I bit into my own meat skewer. As good as it was, the other hunger made the enjoyment of the flavor was only a minor enjoyment that still left me to feel hollow and cold.
I picked up my pace and Lesha did the same, she understood what I was feeling.
As we neared the edge of town, I started to think about what kind of Guild Leader I wanted to be. Did I really want them to change? Would not every one of them fight with me if I asked? Maybe that was part of our misfit's charm, and who didn't it really matter to if I was aiming for the top?
I wanted to have happy and friendly members that could trust each other. Maybe I would just have to teach them to tone it down in public, but I don't think I wanted them to stop completely.
All these people had become my family after this short time, and I liked the relationship that we all had. I just had to become a more respectable Leader that made better choices, and this would come with practice and learning from others like Jester.
We had finally reached the dungeon; it wasn't far out of the city; less than five minutes of speed walking. Now we stood before the oily archway.
"Ready?" Lesha asked, pulling out her new rapier.
"Yes, let's go," I said, talking Lesha's left hand and stepping through.
On the other side was a wet and dank cave, with a long hall and an open doorway at the end. Great, but I should have enough. I would just have to be fast.
"I need to summon Gobby for this, but then I will need your blood after, so you have to control yourself, or I will have to order you to stay, okay?" I asked Lesha, but she nodded right away.
I put my hand out and pulled most of my remaining blood and let it pool in my hand.
"Summon Blood Gobbler!"
The ball of blood brightened and then dimmed. Then it fell out of my hand and I kicked him before he hit the ground, and he made a sickening slap when he hit the ground.
"K! I'm BACK! But, oh, you don't look so hot, colder than anything really. We need to get you one of the heated blanket things! Or maybe…"
"GOBBY! TRAPS, NOW!" I roared at the yapping ball of blood.
Then I pulled some of Lesha's oh-so-sweet strawberry silk nectar from the town holes on her neck, giving me some sweet relief from the frosty cold that was trying to take over me.
"Traps are all good, K!" Gooby called from the end of the hall, and I turned to Lesha, who was panting with glowing eyes.
"Let's go," I said as we both darted down the hall to the first room.
We rushed forward but slowed at the door where gobby was waiting.
"Trolls, three ugly sore sights that their own mother might have trouble saying they were decent looking. Just be careful, these suckers are tough guys! Not like a Molten or Storm Troll, but they got a mean swing with those big fists!" Gobby informed us.
"I need to take more, Lesha," I told her, and she nodded as I pulled more strawberry silk from her neck.
Her eyes started to glow blood red, and her body started to tremble and she fought to stay in control. I quickly found the still white flame and called out the first spell as I rushed forward, burning red cells and platelets to make a shield and boost my strength.
"Bless\Sselb!" I called out in an otherworldly voice, making us both glow softly with white light that looked strange with the glowing red eyes.
"Pierce!" Lesha said, suddenly jetting forward to the first troll on the right. I waited until the last second, calling out.
"OVER HERE!" I shouted, activating my Battle Cry skill, forcing all three trolls and Lesha to cut the arm of the one she had been aiming for as she flew by.
I immediately pulled the blood to me, absorbing the streams as the other rushed. I burned more red, much more, along with lymphocytes and basophils.
Instantly the world slowed down around me to a crawl. Lesha was now doubling back to finish the job, so I stuck my hand out to the side.
I used the white flame to summon a burning white pounding maul and rushed forward to the oncoming fist. I raised my shield of blood-red metal and called out my next skill while drawing my hammer back.
"Shield Bash!" I roared as I was propelled forward into the fists
I knocked both trolls back, but I rushed the outside one before he could react. I swung and smashed the maul of light into the side of the tusked face with a sickening crunch. The blow sent him spinning, and I called the blood to me as it sprayed into the air.
Time was picking back up, but my body wouldn't let me burn more basophils, so I just burned more red cells and rounded on the last one, but my Battle cry time must have just gone up.
Both Lesha and the last troll were dashing towards each other, and I could hear Lesha about to call out a spell, but the troll was going to be faster. I reached out my left hand and let go of the hammer, calling out the new spell.
"Shield\Dleihs!" I called out in a chanting voice that was not of this world.
Lesha's body was surrounded by a heavy white light that blasted the fist away as it tried to strike her. Lesha called out her skill as she struck.
"Vital Strike!"
Lesha's sword pierced the heart of the troll and the darted back letting the monster fall dead. I immediately drained all the corpses, completely filling my reservoirs to the peak. I let out a long sigh as the husks of the once troll fell apart and disintegrated.
I finally felt better, but the strain for the day was starting to set in now that the fight was over. Burning the basophils took a lot out of me, but I would just have to train harder.
"Baby! I got enough experience to level up!" Lesha said running over to me as I dropped my shield that disintegrated before it hit the ground.
I was grinning as I took her into my arms, feeling her warm arms wrap around my body and she nuzzled her face into my neck. I wrapped my arms around her warm body, and then just held her there, kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair.
"I am happy for you, beautiful. Now that I have had my fill, let's get going back. I am starting to get tired, and I don't want to be that tired for later after we eat," I said, taking Lesha's head into my hand, pulling her lips up to mine.
When our soft lips pressed together, some of the strain leaked away, and the fatigue began to be replaced by rising heat. I slowly pulled my lips from hers and she had the cutest smile on her face. It was so adorable the way she looked up at me that I was forced to kiss her there more time before she pushed me back to the entrance.
After leaving the dungeon, the sun had just gone down and twilight was just ending, but we still got to enjoy the last fading light as we walked back. Curiously, I sought the flame, and then I felt it grow brighter again, but I let it go before I started to glow again.
I didn't need to be starting any more rumors. Though, after the boat and all the sailors that would have seen, it was sure to be talked about tomorrow.
"It has been a good day so far," Lesha said, linking arms with me and taking my hand in hers. "We got six Gem Hearts our first go, no matter how dangerous it was, you did good! On top of that, I got a level and we got three more purple gems!"
"I also gained knowledge of the sea, learned a new spell, tried skills out, the magic hammer, but the best part of my day hasn't even happened yet!" I said with a smile that I was sure it was too big for my face.
"Oh? And what part might that be?" Lesha said while leaning into me and resting her head on my shoulder, wearing her little knowing smile.
"It's that part where I close and lock the door, and no one will get to come and bother us until morning," I said while leaning my head on her, making it a bit awkward to walk, but I didn't care.
"Good because I found the thing Mei stole out of our drawer that Healia left for us!"
Oh dear, what could this be?
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GOT IT