Chapter thirty three

I was woken up by gunfire or rather what I thought was gunfire before I noticed that it was someone knocking as if they had a personal grudge against my door. Before I had a chance to open the door and check what was going on, it was broken down by a large bear like man wearing bulky brown armor that matched the color of his bushy beard. He was almost eight foot tall and had the most intimidating appearance i have ever seen.

As I stood there rooted to the floor in shock at this sudden development, he stooped down and scooped me up into a massive backbreaking hug. I meant that literally, there was actual poping sound coming from my back. A strange giant just broke down my door and now was attempting to make John juice by squeezing me dry, how the hell am I supposed to react to something like this?

" All I have done for the last 48 hours has been to run and pray, just run and pray that I get home before the demons destroyed it and everything that I loved, but I knew deep inside that it was all for naught, that all I was going to find when I returned was a smoldering ruin and the corpses of my family, but still I run and pray, do you know why? Because I couldn't do anything else, because I , the great and powerful Michael Steelbender ,was helpless to do anything else I ran and I prayed, and you know what I found when I got home, instead of despair I found a miracle. I found a city untouched by the vile beasts, I found my family waiting for me with smiles on their faces and do you know what they told me? They told me of the great demon slaying hero that saved the city singlehandedly, they told me of you demonbane . You don't understand the gift you have given me, I owe you more than I can ever repay, I have more gratitude than I can ever convey. If there is anything, anything at all I can do for you please tell me."

"Well your gratitude has broken my door ,and if you continue with this hug several of my ribs will soon follow, so please ease up a little. Plus I can't live in a hotel room with a broken door so maybe let me book a new room."

"Nonsense, who has ever heard of a hero living in a hotel room, you shall immediately come to my home and stay there and I shall pay for the door so that takes care of that, and oh your wife can come as well."

"Lidia is not my wife."

"Good, you shall marry my daughter. You're going to like her, she's very beautiful just like her mother."

I thought at that point he was going to let me go, but no he hoisted me under his armpits like luggage and carried me like that despite my very vocal protests. He carried me outside of the hotel and through the streets and Lidia followed quietly. For some reason all the people who saw us started to cheer the word demonbane.

I thought that it was funny that the first time I was hailed a hero, I was being carried under another man's armpits.