Everyone gathered in the center of town to assess the damage done to the buildings during the fighting. Some Void members had taken the opportunity to set fire to several different buildings. With most houses being made from wood and built close to one another the fire had spread but was manageable when the knights arrived with a water mage.

Jaslyn and Justin’s home caught fire shortly after Justin and Cassandra had left. Being the last structure to be taken care of it was mostly ruined the only thing left standing was the metal box in the kitchen as it’s outside was enchanted to ward off heat.

Saddened by this Jaslyn was quiet for most of the day following the attack only talking to Saber and Stella. Everyone including Justin gave her space but Dominit had to ask about Stella’s stone he still had.

“Jaslyn?” She didn’t look at him or give any indication she’d heard him. Stella jumped from her shoulder to his making her look confused to where Stella went. Seeing Dominit she nodded at him and looked back at Saber.

“Jaslyn I’m sorry about your house” She looked at Dominit again with a sad smile. “It’s ok I guess. It’s better a house than people.” He nodded and walked closer to her. He took out the gem and began to pass it to her.

“No no you should keep that. Not many people know about it.” He put it into his inside shirt pocket. “What exactly is it?” She seemed slightly surprised “You don’t know? It’s a soul gem. Beasts who trust and care for a human can separate a portion of their soul and use it to talk to and be closer with the person they entrust it too.”

“Then why did Stella give it to me and not to you?” Dominit was confused as to why a falcon who’d only know him for a few days. Jaslyn told him she was a special circumstance. For almost everyone in the world they need to have soul gem to communicate with beasts.

She was a special exception that was incredibly rare. So rare that many people would try to enslave her for her power. The main reason Stella gave her soul gem to Dominit was because Jaslyn had strongly suggested she do so.

She had a feeling she’d spend a lot of time with him and giving him a way to talk to one another through Stella would help. Little did she know it would save her with Stella sending an S.O.S having him take out the archers behind her.

Dominit hadn’t told her any of this but Stella chose to share the fact she owed Dominit her life twice now not that he was counting. She had him keep it as a reward to him as well as Stella taking a liking to him.

After having talked with Jaslyn for a bit she seemed to perk up a little and began acknowledging those who’d walked past thanking her for saving them and their families.

Justin saw Dominit and her talking and left them be until Dominit began to walk off. As he left her line of sight Dominit ran head first into Justin. He rubbed his nose and looked up. “Hey Justin how are you holding up?”

He stared at Dominit and then said he was fine then asked about Jaslyn. “I think she’s feeling pretty bad about your house burning. I’d suggest you go talk to her man. I know that there’s a lot to do around here but she needs you.” Dominit patted him on the shoulder and walked past him.

Justin had a dumbfounded look on his face. He was going to let Dominit know that Jaslyn was his and to watch it but he’d just treated him with sympathy and advice. Dominit decided it was time to use his call feature so he wandered off into the woods on the pretense of lookout.

Situating himself in a tree with plenty of leaves surrounding him hi tried to make a call. “Hey Nyx you there?” No response. Dominit was a little worried that he sent that to Stella but it felt a little different. “Umm hello Dominit can you hear me? I’ve never used this before so there might be some issues.”

“No I can hear you fine” “Ok than what can I do you for you?” “I just had a run in with your underlings anything you want to explain like clearing your name and all that?” “Oh wow you get straight to business don’t you? I expected you to try and fight them much later.”

“Yeah great happy I impressed you but how about some info?” “Wow aren’t you grumpy. Fine then I’ll give you the spark notes.” Dominit stopped for a moment “Have you ever been to my world or you know looked around at it?” “Hmmmm nope none of us have.”

Dominit was a little startled with that information as this world most definitely didn’t have the internet and spark notes. He put that to the back of his mind right then as he needed to get information to survive not who Nyx might really be.

She then told him about how nine hundred years ago the head of the church of the Void made a decree that was supposedly from their god to “help” everyone by ending their suffering and sending them to the Void.

Taking to the new decree with fervor they began to slaughter everyone they came across. They used to be a respected part of all four kingdoms. The god was prayed to before wars and if any catastrophes occurred for loved ones to be given more time.

The churches were basically morgues, funeral homes, and graveyards. They were in every city and town once the decree came down they swarmed from the temples. No one was prepared for the quiet grave keepers to turn on them.

It was horrendous in the first hundred years most of the population was reduced from seven million down to one million. As the years progressed kingdoms came together to combat the zealots. As of now the people of Luetania are in the best spot since the day the Voids attacked.

So far it was good Dominit had not let anyone know he was summoned by Nyx or he’d most likely have been killed in a horrific way to get revenge on the supposed Goddess of Death and Darkness. She gave him a hearty good job cheer for keeping his mouth shut.

After the brief but useful history lesson he asked about Jaslyn and Justin as he was pretty sure people who had their abilities weren’t normal even for this world. Nyx agreed saying a “Beast Master” was incredibly rare find and to make sure she was a part of my future group.

As for the wolfkin she was fairly certain no one had even been able to survive a blade through the heart before and to make him a friend. Dominit rolled his eyes as he was already trying since they seemed nice and wouldn’t easily betray him as he saved Jaslyn.

He asked one more question before growing tired of their conversation. “If I walked into these Void guys and told them who and what I am wouldn’t they listen to me being your champion and all that?” She thought about and told him that he wasn’t that lucky. Since she’d tried to stop the church herself before they called her and anything she stood for an evil deception created to fool them all.

He said good bye to Nyx and closed their connection. “Great so literally everyone want’s my head on a damn platter. Well not everyone I guess.” As he looked down and saw Jaslyn, Justin, and Cassandra tracking something or someone. He stayed in cover trying to see what they were up to when Stella barged into his mind.

“Master if you’d be so kind as to come out of hiding It would be most appreciated. They can only track you so far and I can’t find you either.” He smiled not realizing he’d been that well-hidden that a falcon couldn’t find him. He quietly dropped from the tree they’d passed and snuck up behind them joining them on their search.

“I’m telling you his footprints lead out here and Saber says he saw Dominit not long ago disappear in this direction.” Jaslyn was a little flustered. “Yeah I agree sweetie I can still smell him he must’ve passed through here not long ago” Justin added. “So you guys were looking for me huh?”

As Dominit startled the three of them and they all began to pull out their weapons. Dominit just began to laugh at their reactions. “Hey come one man that’s not funny if you were a void I’d have skewered you.” Justin was a little upset he’d been snuck up on even with his nose.

Jaslyn and Cassandra realizing it was him lowered their weapons and looked down sheepishly not believing all of them had just been caught unaware. “Haha don’t worry too much about it if any voids try to sneak up on us I’ll see em coming.” Still chuckling Dominit tried to reassure his friends.

“So what’s with the tracking me down?” Jaslyn stepped forward and threw an arm around his neck. “Well sneaky Pete we’ve been talking while you’ve been out here for four hours.”

“Four hours what the hell it only felt like thirty minutes.” “We decided since we don’t have much keeping us here in the village any more we’d maybe go for a bit of travel.”

Cassandra stepped forward to voice her opinion as well. “Since we’ve gotten along so well I asked them if they wanted to accompany us on our journey to Ilada.” Justin nodded behind her and Jaslyn was still right next to him.

“So what do you think want a few extra pals and weapons helping you on your travels? At least for the time being anyway? Justin and I don’t know if we’ll try to settle down again.”

Dominit thought for a minute and remembered what Nyx said about the two. “Yeah that sounds like a good idea having more people makes everything easier.” Jaslyn and Cassandra high fived and Justin clapped Dominit on the back.

“Wait what’s with those responses it’s not like you need my permission or anything to come with us?” Jaslyn and Justin looked at Cassandra for a moment and looked away very quickly. Jaslyn began to blush Justin kept a good poker face but had started whistling for some reason.

“Damn it you told them didn’t you Cassy?” She looked up in fright and began trying to apologize because she hadn’t had real friends in so long besides Emma she wasn’t sure what to hold back and what to tell. She came up close to him and kept apologizing thinking he was angry with her for telling what was both their secret to keep.

He hugged her while she was grasping his leather vest. “Ha ha would you relax a little? I’m not angry in fact my question still stands. Just because of “that” doesn’t mean I’m in charge of you or us as a group.” Justin’s head swiveled to look at him.

“When I overheard Cassandra talking about how she was your slave and a princess at that I was ready to kill you earlier. In fact that’s what this whole hunt for you started out as. Thankfully Cassandra cleared up most of our questions about how that had happened to her and that you actually saved her.”

Dominit bowed slightly and smirked at him. “I’m nothing but a saint my good man.” Justin frowned slightly and then laughed. “Saint my ass after what you did to those shits in the alley. We went in there afterwards to find out what had happened it was a bloody mess.”

Once again Dominit shrugged. “I’m not one for attention I guess. It’s not like I ran into seventy people and began ripping them apart. I like to do my “job” where no prying eyes can see what’s going on." They began to walk back and talk about what the others had done in last night’s fight. Jaslyn made an amazing commander to rally so many villagers who had no training to fight.

Justin was a menacing machine of death and destruction. Cassandra was busy keeping the back line of combatants focused on her and not Justin giving him more time and space to wreak havoc. As for Dominit Jaslyn said she wasn’t sure where he was when he’d first entered the fight saving villagers.

One second a woman was going to die and the next a group of five were dying quickly without knowing much. After he and her gathered up and began gathering villagers she didn’t know about the enemy on the rooftop until an arrow killed a deserting villager.

She was about to deal with it when she saw a few dead archers lying on other rooftops. Only after he’d tossed her the arrows did she know it was him not even thirty seconds later as she fired at the retreating enemies they began to run back from the alley screaming for mercy.

She knew at that moment the one person you probably didn’t want to make angry out of the four of them was him. Justin would just bull rush right at you. Cassandra would have the help of royalty behind her. As for Jaslyn herself she could have animals end the lives of anyone who wronged her. Sure they were all terrifying but could be fought against.

But to be killed by a shadow in the dead of night or day for that matter as he’d just shown his ability to remain undetected. He was a true “Shadow” never could his enemies know when their time had come. It would be over before anyone would know.

Reaching the village they all walked to the remains of her house and began taking anything of value for their journey. After packing up a few cooking utensils, blankets, pillows, and weapons from the weapon room they were all packed and ready to go.

They were about to head out when the old caravan master came running to them. Most of his guards had been a small part of the reason they were all still breathing. Fighting the Void’s in another part of the village to split them up. A few of the guards were heavily injured but would survive with their healer.

He offered them a job continuing with him as the attack had forced him to change plans. If he stayed on course for Ilada then he’d get market value for his goods and potions. However if he sold around the outskirts where other towns and villages were attacked then he could sell them for more as demand rose.

The group wasn’t sure but Dominit took Jaslyn to the side. After a brief conversation with the merchant still waiting Jaslyn brought forth conditions. “First we are all a team. We reserve the right to leave you at any point in time. We aren’t obligated to follow you until a certain point.” He nodded vigorously showing he was desperate for more capable warriors.

“Second we will be paid a lump sum upon completion of our “work” and you will provide necessary needs such as food, water, medical assistance should one of us be injured, and a place to sleep. Thirdly and lastly you will come to me with any issues you have with us as from this moment forward we are a guild. We will be called The Chaos Breakers.”

Proudly ending the negotiations to which the merchant agreed to Dominit face palmed so hard it looked like he was fighting an annoying bug that he’d finally caught. Cassandra was jumping up and down excited to be a part of a guild as it was one of her dreams. Justin didn’t seem to care as long as he and Jaslyn were together.

Dominit on the other hand was stunned. “God damn it Jasy. What the fuck was that? It was so embarrassing listening to. I didn’t even say that third thing either. Fuck me man. Oh well maybe it’s a good way to get some money to help me get to my family.”