Chapter 38: Team Valhalla
Evening falls and the adventurers are gathered at one of their favorite places to hang out, Moon world tavern.
"And that is how we're planning on clearing Ellamir's name. There is no reward, but you will have our gratitude. Please, help us." Antani asked for the help of the most capable individuals she knew, her friends.
Yulia was all ears to Antani's plea. To be honest, she found it a bit irksome that Antani felt she needed to ask.
"You can count me in. To think my first visit to the Underdark is to blow up a drug den. Shit's wild." Yulia swigged her ale, absorbing the crazy circumstance along with her drink.
"Okay, but we need to have several plans, Ellamir said it's going to be well guarded." Stefano waved his arms, he now has 2 adventuring experience under his belt and both have awfully gone awry. He now wanted multiple outs just in case things 'go south' as his mentor would like to put it. Which means the cleric sitting next to Yulia needed no convincing, he's already aboard.
"Stop coward, we charge there we blow it up, simple!"
With Stefano's suggestion came Gloria's rebuke. The mermaid's tongue when speaking common was far from fluent but she had the spirit.
"It's not cowardice to have a plan, a simple plan A and plan B would do!" Stefano stood by his point.
"Meh, who needs a plan!? I say we just go in there and knock out every dark elf we come across!" Yulia's gaze fell onto the dark elf in their circle, sitting next to her lover. "Oops, sorry."
"It's alright with me. Just try to avoid killing them if possible. If it cannot be helped, then I won't hold a grudge." Ellamir's voice contained resignation. It was for this very reason she agreed to enlist her friends.
Sadistic they might be as a race, she found it in bad taste to massacre her own kin, the very same that she was supposed to govern had she not abandon her inclination to become their next queen.
"I still advise that we make plans! What if a dormant mind flayer reawakens while we're blowing up the place?" Stefano insisted.
Yulia laughed at the silly suggestion, "Okay, you're far above being careful, you are now paranoid. They're mind flayers, not hibernating animals."
"Well, you're the one who told me to expect things to go south."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that dangers are just going to fall out from the sky. Sometimes they do but my point is you should stop overthinking."
"Yes, friend Yulia correct. We attack, we win!"
As the three bickered, a gentle smile made itself known on Ellamir's lips. For the first time, she had realized how genuinely reassuring it is to have other companions that you can lean on in your time of need.
Antani glanced at her lover by her side. Her smile matching the same gentleness, "Aren't glad you didn't close yourself to them?"
"It's thanks to you. You're the one who told me to try and open up to them."
"Oh stop it, it was your choice, mine was just a suggestion. It was your decision to break those walls around you." Antani chided. She never wanted for Ellamir to see her as some sort of savior that remedied all her trauma and inadequacies. It is inevitable that she will succumb to old age someday and all she wanted to impart before then is that Ellamir can bring about the same change in herself on her own if she so willed.
The couple's soliloquy was interrupted by Stefano's outburst, "It's not that fucking hard to come up with a plan! Why wouldn't you both listen to me!?"
"Hey, stefano." Ellamir called out.
"What is it!?"
"You just cursed."
Stefano clutched his mouth. For years after living in Mithra's convent he had never uttered a single curse word. Others might judge him as a goody-two-shoes for it, he doesn't care for it was another indicator of his loyalty towards his god Mithra.
It was the start of the cleric's downfall. Stefano was now connecting the dots. First comes the curses, next he's going to be an alcoholic, soon he might just find himself in the middle of an orgy one of these days!
"Come on, say it again! Give us one of those hard and crisp MOTHEFUCKERS! Say it!" And Yulia, his very own mentor, would gladly assist him in his descent.
"Remind me again why you're a paladin?"
With alcohol doing its work, the beverage coaxed her ego to boast, self-praises smoothly rolling down Yulia's tongue.
"It's simple, because I'm Zariel's champion. The fucking best there is, and ever will be!"
Most would never brag about an afterlife of endless strife but here was Yulia, screaming it for the entire tavern to hear.
"Right, Zariel's mightiest going to charge into a base full of dark elf soldiers without a single plan. I'm really pushing this because I'm the weakest here you know, a band of skeletons nearly ended my life , plus I was scared shitless during our last adventure together. I can't just go with you and be useless."
Admitting to one's insecurities was never easy. Which is why Yulia is somewhat remorseful for brushing aside Stefano's concern.
Like a doting sibling, Yulia wrapped arm around Stefano's shoulder.
"You're our healer, you're definitely not useless as what you're making yourself out to be. Besides, you already took down Voz, that's one hell of an achievement for a greenhorn. I promised you you'll get on our level someday, didn't I? Have some faith in your mentor."
Although Yulia was close to slurring, it only made her words more endearing for Stefano for he could tell that it truly came from the heart.
All four of his party members, including Gloria's enchanted singing and mastery over water, were truly phenomenal adventurers. It would make him happy if his skill reached theirs, but all he only wanted was to contribute.
"You give plan, we follow."
The dilemma of their cleric not lost on Gloria, she quickly turned her assessment around and agreed to hatch a plan.
"Mother once said that strength comes in many forms, Stefano, not just might." Antani doled out her own encouragement.
"You don't really need to worry about strength, as long as we're party members. I've got you covered on that front, I'll grind to paste those that would try to harm you. " Ellamir confidently declared. Hardly an encouragement but it was the message that counted, easily getting the point across to Stefano.
He was truly glad to be a part of their party.
"Thank you, everyone. It just dawned on me, how come we don't have a name for our group yet?"
"You're right. Oh oh, I have one! How about, Zariel's faithfuls?" Yulia suggested with glee. Despite her enthusiasm, the others weren't too keen on her suggestion.
"You do realize that only you are affiliated to that fallen angel, right? Since I am the most powerful here and you're all my friends, it is only apt that our party be named after me. Ellamir's Legion."
With the dark elf's vanity on the rise, you could always count on Antani to knock her down a peg. A feat that the amazon would gladly do with pleasure every time.
"Strongest? Let me just remind you that out of all the times we've sparred, you've only won once. And that was because I was taking it easy on you."
Normally, this would've put Ellamir down and out. But it's now a different story since her drider armor had awakened. It would seem that her new armor coated her pridefulness as well, since Antani's smugness bounced right off.
"Then how about we spar again tomorrow? Don't worry, you can go all out as much as you want." Ellamir smiled coyly, gauging her lover's reaction.
Before Antani could respond to Ellamir's provocation, Stefano hit the group with a name suggestion of his own.
"How about Valhalla?"
Odin's realm. An afterlife where the souls of his greatest warriors get to battle each other for an eternity. Somewhat foretelling her very own fate, Yulia agreed with the idea. "I like that, but why did you choose that name?
"I wanted to go for Valkyries, battle-maidens and whatnot. But I don't think the name would suit me, especially the battle-maiden part." Stefano wryly chuckled.
"Valhalla is fine. Although the Valkyries would have been nice. Let's have a toast, for team Valhalla!"
Antani raised her mug, the others soon followed. Valhalla might symbolize eternal strife for warriors without repose, but theirs will represent everlasting friendship where you could lean on others whenever you're weary.
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