The dining hall, while not as gaudy as the throne room, was impressive. A single table, long enough to sit over a hundred people, was centered in the room. Most of the table was not furbished, except for the first quarter, with a large throne situated at the head. The quarter of the table that was furbished looked exactly like a fancy restaurant; silver candelabra were placed equidistantly on the center, with flowers and vases of liquid adding an artistic flare to the meal. A few Beast-Men were sitting at the table already when Jake and Mizutsune walked in. Serena, the Princess-Owl, was taken somewhere else before the meal, and Jake did not notice her when he walked in. She’ll probably walk in with Mr. Cuddles. I think that’s what happened in medieval times, right?

Conversations around the table stopped, and fifteen pairs of glinting eyes stared at Jake as he followed Reginald into the hall. Reginald quickly strolled towards the head of the table, and pulled the second chair from the end on the right side out. He gestured for Jake to take a seat. Jake shrugged, and accepted the place. Reginald bowed after Jake had been seated, and quickly melded into the shadows ringing the walls. Fucking butlers.

Jake looked around, and met all of the eyes that were staring at him. Most were the slanted eyes of felines, but there were the occasional fierce eyes of wolves and dogs, and there was even a single hour-glass shaped eye of a goat. He nodded at each of them, and they nodded back and continued their conversations.

Wood scraped against stone, and a Leopard-Man gracefully sat in the seat to the right of Jake. Sighing to himself, Jake turned to see who wanted to sit next to him. The Leopard straitened his uniform, and folded his hands in his lap. Silver medals glinted off of the uniform, sparkling brighter than the candles. The Leopard-Man spoke, staring straight ahead instead of looking at Jake. “Good evening, Sir Jake. I hope that you are enjoying the Alpha’s, and Trentshire’s, hospitality.” The voice was deep, almost a growl. Jake remembered that voice; it was the voice of Lead-Cat-Knight-Guy.

“Good evening. The Alpha has seen to all that I would want, and I am thankful for it. I am sorry, Sir Knight, but I do not know your name.” Jake forced a smile on his face. My face is going to fucking hurt after all this shit. I can’t be this goody-goody for long. Fuck formal occasions.

Lead-Cat-Knight-Guy smiled, revealing his larger than average teeth. “My apologies, Sir Jake. I am Ser Wolen Longtooth. I am the Commandant of the 5th Cavalry Division, the Silver Thunder. I must apologize for how we met, Sir Jake. It was rude of me to greet anyone in such a way. The Orcs have been growing bolder, and attacking the city more frequently. When I noticed your magic, I believed that you were another attempt on the city. I humbly request your forgiveness for my transgressions.” Wolen bowed his head.

Jake’s face continued to show his fake smile, but on the inside he was violently beating his head on the table. WHAT IS THE FUCKING NAMING SCHEME TO THESE PEOPLE!? SERIOUSLY, FUCKING LONGTOOTH? IT’S LIKE THEY JUST LOOK AT THE KID AS SOON AS THEY POP OUT AND NAME IT THE FIRST THING THEY SEE!

“Apology accepted, Ser Wolen. Or is it Ser Longtooth? I am still rather confused on the proper titles for your people.”

“Ser Wolen is fine, Sir Jake.” Wolen raised his head, smiling his feral smile again. “I would be honored to teach you anything that you would require. It is not every day that I would have the chance to speak with an esteemed Mageous.”

“Well, why don’t we start with that.” Jake leaned forward to Wolen. Hopefully, I can get a full understanding of what they mean by Mageous. “I am not familiar with the term Mageous, and I am also unsure why everyone is very respectful to me. Is it on account of my magic?”

Surprise glinted from Wolen’s eyes, but he still spoke. “Of course, Sir Jake. Mageous is the proper title for a master of the arcane. When we first met, I noticed the intensity and unique coloring of your magic. These are signs of, at the least, a Master rank in your magic. As for why mages are respected individuals, they shaped our world to be what we needed it to be. All of the races respect mages, and some even consider them royalty. The Alpha’s daughter Serena Snowwing, for instance, is an Adept of Light, and while she might be the youngest of the Alpha’s children, she will receive the title of Alpha when he passes. It is rare for a non-magical family to bear offspring with magical power, but it does happen.” Wolen grabbed a goblet from the table, pulling it towards himself. He began to lap up the water, instead of dinking normally. Jake paused for a second, and just watched the Cat-Man for a few seconds. Shaking his head, he grabbed a goblet himself and drank.

You have consumed [Blood-Berry Wine]. Increases Mana regeneration by 25%. A mild alcoholic beverage.

Not bad, he thought to himself. So, Serena is a Light mage. I could use that… I wonder if there’s any way to get her to join the party. Having a pocket healer would be nice.

“Thank you for the information, Ser Wolen. If you need any ass…” Jake was interrupted by a trumpet from the doorway. Reginald removed the gleaming trumpet from his lips, and announced in a clear voice. “The Alpha, Lyrus Proudroar and his wives have arrived.” Reginald and another servant grabbed onto a pair of large double doors, and opened them with a low bow. Mr. Cuddles regally strolled through the opened doors, followed by three beautiful Beast-Kin women. Everyone stood at the table, and Jake followed a millisecond after. Even Mizutsune jumped to his feet from where he had been lounging underneath the table.

The Alpha moved to the head of the table, while his wives moved around. Two sat at his left side, and the final sat on his right, next to Jake. They were unique, as far as Jake had seen. Far more beast-like than humanoid. One was either a Lizard or a Snake-Kin, orange serpentine eyes staring at Jake with barely held curiosity, a thin membrane sliding over her eyes whenever she blinked. She wore a tight blood red dress that showed off an ample chest and slim waste, and her slim red tail was wrapped around her waist like a sash. She had no hair, instead ridges of raised bone and scale ran from her brow over her head into her spine. Noticing Jake’s eyes on her, a frill slowly expanded from her neck, and then slowly closed again. Jake blinked, and moved his gaze to the next wife.

A Shark-Kin. She shot Jake a grin, row upon row of pointed teeth glinting in the candlelight. Like the Reptile-Lady, she had no hair. Instead, where her hair would start scales, colored a deep blue, interlocked around her head. Gills on the sides of her neck flared occasionally, and when she moved to her seat, Jake saw a large blue fin jutted out from her back, and a large fish-like tail came from her hips. She sat in a backless chair, and began to glance at everyone around her, her pitch black irises dancing around calculatingly.

Jake quickly glanced at the final wife who was going to sit next to him as the Alpha sat, and everyone in the room followed a second after. She was some type of bird, possibly an eagle or hawk. Brown feathers jutted from the top of her head, and downy feathers replaced the hair on her head. Her large dark brown wings were folded behind her back. She gently began drumming her fingers on the table, and Jake saw that instead of humanoid fingernails, she had large black talons erupting from her fingers. They provided a steady, calming rhythm, even while she stared Jake down, never breaking eye contact.

Jake stared back, refusing to be intimidated. Jesus fucking Christ, what is with these women? They’re way more feral than any others. No Owl-Princess either. And why are they all staring at me?

He was interrupted from his thoughts as Mr. Cuddles spoke in a roar. “Bring the food.”

Immediately, servants exploded from the shadows, bearing plates piled high with food. Meats steamed in the air, quickly followed by vegetables and fruit. The servants began dancing between the seated guests, placing plates in front of them. Predators received the largest portions of meat, while the lone herbivore received a plate with a mountain of green on top. The servants gave the Alpha what appeared to be an entire deer, based off of the amount of meat that was on his plate. The wives received smaller portions, but it was still quite a lot of food.

When the servants got to Jake, he received a mix of everything, from steaming meats and vegetables to a bowl of fruit. He thanked the servants that brought him his food without noticing them. Looking up, he saw the Head-Fox-Maid from earlier blushing fiercely before she spun around and quickly fled. God fucking damnit. Why am I so polite? I need to be a dick more. Light, tinkling laughter sounded from his left, and he looked over to the Bird-Wife sitting next to him.

“Ignore the servants, Mageous Jake.” Her voice sounded like a breeze through the trees, melodious and haunting at the same time. “They are not used to having someone of your strength around them. I must admit, even I can feel the effects of your magical strength. It feels like I can sense the wind within you, and it is… alluring. Tell me, what are you a Master of? The last time I have sensed something this strong was in the presence of my father.” While she sounded polite, her unblinking eyes bored into Jake’s, looking into his very soul.

Jake smiled at her. “I thank you, Madame. I have been travelling for a long time, and this is the first time I have come in contact with anyone that wasn’t trying to kill me since I have received my magic.” Well, I guess that’s true. The Orc did seem like he was trying to kill me. “I do not know about Master, but I can control Fire.” Not a lie, just not the full truth. I’m actually getting really into this whole Role-Playing thing. Might want to do it some more, later on. “It seems to fit my personality rather well, and I am happy with it.”

The Bird-Lady tilted her head at him. “Are you sure that is all, Mageous? I know that I can sense the Air within you.” Her gaze sharpened. “Yes, I am sure of it.” Shit, I don’t want them to know about that.

Jake opened his mouth, but before he could speak he was interrupted by throaty laughter. Jake and the Bird-Lady looked over to the Lizard-Lady, her frill slightly expanded while she laughed.

“Eaglin, you are sssssssscaring the boy.” Her voice was deep for a woman, and she extended her ‘s’, making a hissing noise. “We know that you wish for a Mage of Air to add to our family, but he does-s-s not have the talent. I can only sssssense the warmth of Fire from him. Sharan, can you sssssense the Water?” She looked over at the Shark-Woman at her side.

Shark-Lady, Sharan apparently, was chewing violently on a piece of meat. Swallowing, she reached into her mouth and yanked out a jagged tooth. A servant ran forward with a bucket, and she dropped the tooth into it. She grinned at Jake. “I do not.” Her voice was soft, and held a deadly edge to it. “The scent of death is strong about him, though.” Her grin widened, until it was almost a snarl. “He is intriguing, I will give him that.” She went back to her food.

Bird Lady, or Eaglin, looked like she wanted to continue the conversation, but Mr. Cuddles raised his hand, silencing everyone at the table. “Some of you have heard the story, but I would ask for Mageous Jake to retell it, so that it may be fresh in our minds.” The Lion-King nodded at Jake. Jake barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes.

Standing up, Jake began going through the edited version of his ‘back-story’ that he had given Serena. After he finished, he sat back down and took a quick drink of the wine. This stuff is really good, actually. He swirled the juice, and looked around at the people situated around the table. The Goat-Lady at the end of the table was dabbing at her eyes, but everyone else was staring at him.

Mr. Cuddles nodded at Jake. “Well told, and an interesting story. I take it that the State of Farme is a very distant and backwards land, filled with fools. Attacking a Mageous and a cursed being openly would be a sure way to bring about your death.” He grabbed a slab of meat and dangled it into his mouth. While chewing, he continued to stare at Jake. “I am intrigued by your land, Mageous Jake. I wonder if…”

The sound of a horn shattered the relative calm of the dining hall. Everyone froze for a second, and then began scrambling to the exits. Jake glanced over to Wolun on his right, and saw the knight pulling armor from his inventory and deftly putting it on with the help of a single butler. “What is going on?” Jake asked anyone who was around him.

Eaglin was daintily sipping from her chalice, and watching the people around her scramble around. “The single blast of a war horn signifies that there is an approaching force, be it an army or beasts. It rallies the Detachments, and prepares the citizens. If there were two blasts, we are under attack. If three, the walls will have been breached.” Her wings expanded slightly, and then collapsed back again. “And you, Mageous Jake? What will you do?” Her eyes latched onto him and sharpened. Two long blasts from a horn sounded, sending those that were milling around to out of the keep. “Will you return our hospitality that we have shown you, and help defend the city? I am sure that my daughter Serena would feel more hopeful to have someone of your caliber protecting her.” A grin split her face at Jakes raised eyebrow. “Yes, I saw the two of you together, and while I do not think that you are completely truthful to us, I would welcome you to add your strength to the family.”

Before Jake could respond, a blue screen appeared, blocking his sight.

New Quest Alert For the Keep

You have been tasked with helping defend the city of Trentshire, a city owned by the Beast-Kin, by the Alpha’s wife, Eaglin Blood-Talon. An unknown force has attacked the city, and you have been called to arms. Will you help?

Conditions for completing the Quest: Attacking Force has been defeated/routed, the Alpha and his Family survive the attack.

Conditions for failing the Quest: Refusal, Death, Trentshire is destroyed, the Alpha and his Family are killed/captured.

Difficulty: 5/5

Yes No Reward for Completion: 1000 Gold, Increased Reputation with Trentshire, Increased Reputation with Lyrus Proudroar and his Family, Unknown Penalty for Refusing/Failure: Hatred with Trentshire’s residents, Lowered Reputation with Lyrus Proudroar’s surviving Family, Unkown.

Oh, come the fuck on!

Jake remained silent for a few moments, gears turning in his head rapidly. After a few moments, he looked up at Eaglin, and nodded.

Quest Accepted

Eaglin frowned, then shrugged. “To be truthful with you, Mageous, I was expecting you to refuse. I had thought that you were the reason that the horns have sounded, and I would have delighted in killing you. But, it would seem, that I was mistaken.”

She stood from the table, and walked to the door that she had entered with her family. Sharan shot him a toothy grin, before grabbing another slab of meat and moving to the door with her, followed by the Lizard-Lady, who Jake did not know the name of still. Lizard-Lady looked back at him, her frill slightly expanded. “Good luck, Mageous.” The door closed behind them, and Jake was left alone with Mizutsune.

The fox jumped up onto the table, and began stuffing his face with a piece of meat. Jake sighed, grabbing piece of meat as well, and ate it as he walked away.

You have consumed [Perfectly Cooked Royal Beef]. Increases Health and Stamina regeneration by 150%. Will regenerate an additional 20 hp over the course of the meal.

“C’mon Mizu, let’s go save a keep. Knowing how stupidly cliché this fucking place is, I’m probably going to end up with the girl too.”

The fox yipped at his misfortune, and trotted after him, licking his lips to get another taste of the meat. Jake slammed both hands into the doors exiting the hall, making them crash against the walls. He began to jog, slowly increasing his speed through the castle as the sounds of fighting could faintly be heard from the outside, roars of anger and hatred provided a backdrop to the screams of pain, creating the symphony of war. Jake began to smile, one of the only truthful smiles he had given since entering this city. He could feel the blood pumping through his ears, his breathing far steadier then it had been on Earth. He could almost smell the blood already, and it caused his heart to race. Purple flames began to appear around him, trailing in his wake as he sped through the keep. His eyes glowed with an inner light, reflecting an almost insane quality within them. This is going to be so much fun.

He slammed into another pair of doors, bringing him back to the dining hall. He skidded to a stop, and stared.

”GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!” He turned around and ran back where he had come, looking for a way outside, Mizutsune barking with laughter at his side. Fucking place is a maze. ‘Oh hero, you lost your chance to save the day because you got lost in the castle! I have to kill you now!’ Fucking horseshit.

____________________________________________________________________

Guardsmen for the castle stood atop the walls, watching the fighting at the gates to the city. A single guard was shaking in his boots, a new recruit who had just transferred from the gate guard to the castle watch. “There are so many of them…” he whispered to himself as he watched what appeared to be a living sea of green. Orcs, hundreds of them, were attacking the city. “I… I don’t think…” A reassuring hand was placed on his shoulder, and the recruit looked over to Argoth, the Captain of the Watch.

“It’s alright, Son.” Argoth’s voice reverberated through his closed helmet, the Bear-Kin’s deep timbre helping to calm the recruit. “In all of my time as a guard, the walls have never fallen, and they will not today. The God’s protect us, for we are doing their work in the world.” He slammed his hand into his breastplate, a depiction of a paw print on the moon showing proudly on its center. “With their help, no harm shall befall our…” The old guard trailed off, staring at the approaching horde. A giant of stone had pulled itself out of the ground on top of a hill, tall enough to look over the walls. It looked like a doll created out of clay, and a cold sweat began to appear on the soldiers back.

“A Bound Eleme…” A thunderous crash came from behind him, followed by the roaring of flame and the sounds of screaming. All the soldiers turned to see a roiling ball of purple and black flame explode from the third floor of the keep, and watched in fascination and terror as it arced out passed the keep’s inner wall. A flurry of ice followed the fireball, putting out flames and creating a bridge of ice past the wall, a small blur of silver racing across the freshly created ice.

Later, the soldiers that were stationed on the wall would swear on their deathbeds that, from the center of the ball of flame and death, they could hear a man screaming at the top of his lungs in rage. They did not understand what a ‘Cawk-sucking-shit-stained-castle-dee-sign-er’ was, but the hatred that was in that ball of flame towards it was terrifying.