Chelsea carried Tetsuya in her arms, like a valiant knight carrying his princess to safety. The boy had insisted on walking on his own at first, but it only served to only slow the trio down on their walk back to the village. The residual effect of the paralytic venom in Tetsuya's body made it difficult for him to stand, let alone walk without stumbling. Chelsea decided it would be much faster to just carry the boy, much to his displeasure. Chelsea herself was relatively fine, as she had been stung far fewer times than the boy. Also. due to her resilient half-orc physiology, Alexis' first aid treatment was far more effective on her than it was on the boy. Behind them stood Alexis, the stranger that had undoubtedly saved both of their lives. Even without armor to protect him, the faun's body remained immaculate and unscathed. His lethal arrows felled his foes one after the other before any could even touch him. The young faun's deadly marksmanship betrayed his earthly beauty and demure behavior. Finally making it back to Galanis Village, the trio breathed a collective sigh of relief, their ordeal finally over. "Open the gates!" the trio heard a villager shout from the other side of the village walls. Slowly, the gates swung open and they were met with a handful of villagers that stood with their swords drawn at the ready. Their inexperience was obvious from the way that their hands shook while holding their weapons and from the uneasy expression plastered on their faces. These fauns were among the first batch of trainees that Lord Edward took under his wings, training them to fight so that they could protect their village from the looming threat of the orc invasion. Though they were lacking in experience, they were steadfast in their desire to protect their village from any and all threats. "What's going on?" one of the villagers asked, the apprehension evident in his voice. "We were attacked by a group of giants wasps," Chelsea replied curtly, carrying the boy inside the village. The villager looked alarmed, he immediately peered outside to make sure that the trio was not followed. When dealing with a monster that hunts in a large group, such as giant wasps, one should always be cautious not to lead any surviving monsters back to their village. It was one of the safety protocols that Lord Edward had taught them. "Don't worry, we took care of them all," Alexis reassured the villager, as if able to read his thoughts. The villagers turned towards the vagrant faun. Once they recognized him, their faces lit up like the stars in the night, Alexis was something of a folk hero to the people of Galanis' Village. He would visit the village on occasion to check on them and make sure that they were okay. Often, he would go out on a hunt and bring back with him a bounty of wild game. An appearance by Alexis usually meant that the villagers could expect a feast of delicious meats, a rare treat for the village which was mostly fed with the agriculture that they grew. The hunters that he took hunting with him would bring back tales of his mesmerizing marksmanship, which they could only describe as a gift bestowed upon him from the goddess Artemis herself. "You're a sight for sore eyes," a villager said, sheathing his sword. The rest of the guards followed suit. The expressions on their faces softened. "Where have you been, Alexis? another villager asked excitedly. "We haven't seen you in days!" Alexis brushed his dark hair away from his face and let out an awkward laugh. "Sorry, I've been busy," the vagrant explained. "Terrwyn asked me to help her deal with a group of flame wyverns that were terrorizing her village." "Terrwyn? The pretty dryad girl that you brought here that one time?" a villager asked, raising his eyebrow. "Are the two of you-" The excited villagers began talking over each other. "How long will you be staying with us?" one of them asked. "If you're going out hunting can you take me with you?" the other asked excitedly. "I'd love to see you-" "Did you say a group of wyverns?" a villager asked in disbelief. "Did you really-" The vagrant faun smiled and pulled out something from his pouch to the amazement of the crowd, three small necklaces adorned with wyvern fangs. These necklaces would fetch quite a hefty price on the marketplace. Due to the rarity of wyvern fangs, they were a highly sought after ingredient for alchemists and artificers alike. Alexis intended to give them to the children of the village as a present. "I wish we could have spoken with you sooner," the hushed somberness in the villager's voice reminded everyone of the harsh reality of the situation that they were in. "We fear that an orc horde may march upon our village any day now." The group fell silent as the fear and uneasiness washed over them anew. "Tell me everything you know," Alexis said calmly, his unwavering resolve was a strange contrast to his soft and gentle voice. "But first things first," Alexis' stomach grumbled. "I'm starving. Got any food?" he asked with an awkward laugh. "Yes, we've just harvested a fresh batch of apples," one of the villagers replied. "The same place as always, right?" he asked, wandering off in search of food. Chelsea and Tetsuya watched their new acquaintance disappear into a tent where the villagers kept their freshly picked fruits and vegetables.

"Is he going to be okay?" a villager asked, looking over Tetsuya, worried about the boy. Chelsea chuckled. "He'll be fine, it's nothing too serious. Right, Tetsuya?" "To be honest, I think I'm dying," the boy replied flatly. "He's just joking," Chelsea reassured the inquiring villager. "He's going to be fine." A small crowd had gathered to see what all the commotion was about. The curious villagers stood around the pair of adventurers, wondering what happened while they were out on their patrol. Tetsuya's face was flushed red from embarrassment, realizing that everyone was watching him being princess-carried by his half-orc companion. Though he was a far cry from a beacon of masculinity, the boy still had his sense of pride. "Uh... You can put me down now, Chelsea," the boy whispered to her. She looked at the boy, carefully studying his beet-red face. Part of her wanted to relish in the boy's embarrassment for just a little bit longer; she found his bashfulness oddly endearing. But after the ordeal that they had just gone through, she did feel a little bit bad for the boy. She obliged Tetsuya's request, setting him down back on his feet. The boy quickly realized that his legs were still far too weak to walk unaided. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and lean on Chelsea for support, furthering his embarrassment, much to his friend's delight. The crowd dispersed, making way for Lord Edward. The regal old man approached the adventurers with a look of concern on his face. "What happened to the boy?" Lord Edward asked, examining him. "Nothing too serious, my lord. Just a run-in with sone giants wasps," Chelsea explained. The old man stroked his beard, a bit perplexed. "That explains the lumps, but why is his face red?" he pondered out loud. Chelsea couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Lord Edward studied the expression on the boy's face more carefully. "Ah, I see," the old man said perceptively. "I leave him in your care, my lord," Chelsea said, with a smile and a slight bow of her head. "Give me a moment. I'll have you healed up, good as new," Lord Edward reassured him."You'll be more comfortable if you lay down," Lord Edward suggested to the boy. Chelsea plopped to the ground and patted her lap, beckoning to Tetsuya. The boy laid himself on the ground, resting his head on his companion's lap. He often read about situations involving the elusive lap pillow in his manga, but he never thought he would actually experience such a thing in his life. The half-orc's thick thighs were as soft as a luxurious pillow stuffed with the down feathers of an endangered bird. Lord Edward crouched down beside the boy. He used his healing artifact to tend to the boy's injuries. Healing magic is one of the most complicated disciplines of magic to master. It may require extensive knowledge of biology, depending on the complexity of the injury being treated. For example, a novice cleric might see a gash on a person's leg and use their healing magic to close the wound. However, they might make the mistake of overlooking the person's fractured bone. Treating a superficial wound while missing the more serious injury, rendering their use of healing magic ineffectual. Any adventurer can use a healing artifact to treat simple injuries, but a dedicated cleric is essential for the survival of a party undertaking a high-risk quest. As a member of the Queensguard, Lord Edward is required to have a mastery of healing magic comparable to a high-level cleric, making him laughably overqualified to treat Tetsuya's injuries. "How are you feeling, lad?" Lord Edward spoke in a fatherly tone as he finished tending to the boy's injuries. "A lot better now. Thank you, my lord," Tetsuya replied, sitting up. He ran his hands all over his face, the swelling from the giant bee stings had completely subsided. More importantly, he has completely regained the feeling in his legs. Lord Edward sighed. "I sincerely apologize for all the trouble that you went through," the old man said regretfully. "I should have taken on the responsibility of going out on patrol myself." The boy shook his head. "This is why Chelsea and I are here," he replied. "We swore to help this village in any way that we could." "Yeah," Chelsea chimed in. "If we can't even complete a simple task like going out on patrol, then why are we even here?" "Hmm... I suppose you're right," Lord Edward said thoughtfully. "Still, I owe the two of you a great deal of debt for all of your help," he added, a kind smile on his face. "I'll find a way to make it up to the two of you. You have my word." Alexis sat down next to Tetsuya, carrying an arm full of fruits. "You should eat something." the faun smiled, offering a cluster of grapes to Tetsuya. The boy's stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Tetsuya laughed awkwardly and accepted the faun's offer. "Apple?" Alexis asked, turning his attention towards Chelsea. The half-orc threw her hands up in the air, catching an apple from the faun. Chelsea took a bite of the apple. "Nice throw," the half-orc complimented him mid-chew. The faun held up an orange for Lord Edward, but the old man politely declined. "If you'll excuse me, I must get back to work," Lord Edward said. "I'm helping the village chief develop a contingency plan for this village, should the worst come to pass and we do end up with an orc horde in our hands." Alexis slowly raised his hand. "I don't think there will be an orc horde," the faun said. "What do you mean?" Chelsea asked. "Scouts have already spotted orcs setting up encampments in the Forest of Dionysus." "Those are most likely deserters," the faun explained, taking a bite out of a banana. "They're a group of cowards, not conquerors. And they won't be bringing a horde with them." "How can you be so sure?" Lord Edward inquired, erring on the side of skepticism. "I passed through the Valley of Athena just a few months ago. I've seen their skirmishes with my own two eyes," Alexis explained. "The orcs have lost over two-thirds of their territory to the centaurs. Their major strongholds have been razed to the ground. Worst of all, many of their most experienced warchiefs have fallen in battle. Olabisi the Bloody, Jafari the Cruel, Bahati the Ruthless, all of them are dead. It's not very likely that they could rally back from that kind of loss, band together as a horde and invade the northern kingdoms. It's far more likely that you're dealing with a group of deserters." Lord Edward paused in silent contemplation. The trek through the Southern Wildlands was long and arduous, even for Alfheim's most experienced scouts. This made it difficult to gather intel on the status of the orcs and centaurs war. But given the faun's reputation, he knew that he could trust his word. "Lady Astrid is leading a contingent of our forces to eradicate the orc encampments as we speak," the old man finally spoke. "If what you say is true, then their victory will mean that the people of this village will no longer have any threats to fear. At least for the time being." "That's great news!" Tetsuya exclaimed excitedly. " Lord Edward nodded. "Indeed. That also means that soon, we can all go home." "What were you doing so far down south anyway?" Chelsea asked the faun out of curiosity. "Just passing through on the way to the Kingdom of Sade," Alexis replied. "Oh," Chelsea said, leering at Alexis. "What's the Kingdom of Sade?" Tetsuya asked. "Don't tell him," Chelsea said, shaking her head. "Please, don't tell him." Alexis tilted his head. "It's a kingdom that's the home to the succubi," the faun replied innocently. "Succubi?" Tetsuya asked, his interest piqued. The faun paused for a moment, thinking of the best way to describe them. "They're a demonic race made up entirely of voluptuous women with large breasts, big butts, and thick thighs," he replied. "They're very flexible and know all sorts of neat positions that women from other races would probably break their backs trying to replicate." Alexis leaned close to Tetsuya and whispered to his ear. "Plus, I hear that they don't think it's weird at all if you want to sniff their armpits and stuff." "Tell me more," Tetsuya demanded. "Well, since the succubi are an all-female race, they are biologically required to mate with men from different species to give birth to the next generation of succubi." the faun further explained. "Their entire kingdom is basically a non-stop mating orgy. It's difficult to navigate the streets without two or three succubi pushing you into a dark alley and demanding that you mate with them." "And what were you doing in the Kingdom of Sade?" Chelsea asked with a smirk on her face. The faun's eyes lit up with excitement. "For the food of course," he replied dreamily. "Crepes, macarons, croque-monsieurs, quiche lorraines. The kingdom's cuisine is so wonderful, it's like something straight out of a dream." the faun's tail twitched excitedly. Chelsea chuckled, not expecting such an innocent response. But judging from the faun's excitement, she couldn't doubt the sincerity of his words. "And how does one reach this, the Kingdom of Sade, was it?" Tetsuya asked. "Well, you'll have to go through the Valley of Athena, which as I said, is an eternal battleground for the orcs and centaurs," Alexis explained. "Then you'll have to get through the Mountains of Zeus, a vast mountain range which is a breeding ground for elder thunder dragons. Probably the most dangerous beasts on this continent. They're a variant species of elder dragons that are elementally attuned with thunder magic. Very scary, very dangerous." "I see," Tetsuya said. "Orcs, centaurs, elder thunder dragons. Got it." Chelsea put an arm around Tetsuya. "You'll never make it there alive. You do realize that, don't you?" she teased. "Don't let your dreams be dreams, Chelsea," Tetsuya spoke, his voice filled with resolve. "I thought that joining the Queensguard with me was your dream," the half-orc continued to tease. "A man can have many dreams, Chelsea," Tetsuya replied sagaciously. "Rider at the gates!" one of the guards shouted, catching everyone by surprise. "High elf wearing a black and gold armor!" "That's one of ours." Lord Edward said, standing up. "Let them through!" he commanded. The Alfheimian soldier galloped frantically through the gates. Spotting the old man dressed conspicuously in black and gold, she dismounted from her horse and quickly approached her lord. She knelt down before the old man, bowing her head. “My lord, I bring word from the battlefield at Lady Astrid’s behest,” the soldier spoke, trying desperately to catch her breath. Lord Edward motioned for her to rise. “What do you have to report?” he asked. “Our forces are in shambles,” the soldier reported, her voice tremulous. “We were met with far greater resistance than we had anticipated. Over half of our forces were felled in the skirmish. Lady Astrid had no choice but to order a strategic retreat in order to save the lives of our remaining men.” “Impossible. How could Lady Astrid’s troops be bested by a band of orcs?” Lord Edward asked in disbelief. “We were led into an ambush from the very start, my lord,” the soldier explained. “We stormed their encampment and engaged the enemy in combat, just as we had planned. However, in the midst of battle, their shaman artillery used their flame magic to set their own encampment and the surrounding forest ablaze, causing panic and disorder amongst our ranks." "During the ensuing chaos, enemy reinforcements, charged into the fray. Mounted cavalry made up entirely of dire wolf riders," the soldier continued. "The cavalry was led by the orc warchief Dubaku the Butcher. His cavalry charge quickly turned the tide of the battle to the enemy’s favor." Tetsuya broke out in a cold sweat, remembering his initial encounter with the beasts. “A dire wolf cavalry,” Lord Edward spoke to himself. “In all my years, I’ve never seen or heard of such a thing before.” “Their cavalry charge was devastating, my lord," the rider continued. "They were faster and more agile than any cavalry we have ever encountered before. They tore through our formation and sent our men into a further state of panic. Not even Lady Astrid could maintain order in the midst of all the chaos.” “Is Lady Astrid-“ Chelsea asked, fearing for the worst. “She’s alive and well.” the soldier assured her. "When we last spoke, she was busy tending to our wounded. Once our remaining forces are healed and up and she formulates a new plan, she’ll launch an immediate counterattack on the enemy. ” "Which brings me to why Lady Astrid sent me here," the soldier said. "With everything that she's seen, Lady Astrid now has reason to suspect that Dubaku brought his forces north in order to capture, tame and militarize the dire wolves for his cavalry. With their encampment now gone, the orcs are most likely on their way north to the Forest of Artemis, due to its large population of dire wolves." "That could bring the orcs just outside of our village," Jason said, fearful that the worst may come to pass. "It won't take long until one of their scouts find us. And when they do-" "We can't let that happen!" Tetsuya said, thinking of all the kindness that these villagers had shown him. He couldn't bear the thought of anything bad happening to any of them. "There has to be something we can do!" "Tetsuya is right!" Chelsea said, standing with the boy. "It's too early to just give up. We have plenty of time to come up with a plan!" Lord Edward turned to the soldier. "How many orcs are we dealing with here?" he asked."

"Around two hundred, my lord," the soldier replied. "About a hundred and fifty infantry and fifty dire wolf cavalry."

"Our numbers are few and far between," Lord Edward said. "Facing them in battle would be courting death." "I can ride back to Alfheim and send for reinforcements, my lord," the soldier suggested. "Go at once," Lord Edward commanded. The soldier did as she was told. Quickly mounted her horse and disappeared into the setting sun. "It may take days for our reinforcements to arrive from Alfheim," Lord Edward said regretfully.

"Can we hold them long enough until Lady Astrid marches her forces back up north?" Alexis asked.

"Doubtful that these village walls would hold out that long," Jason replied. “What if we evacuate the village, bring them north to Midgard?” Chelsea suggested. Lord Edward shook his head. “Prime Minister Dalton has yet to agree to let the fauns take refuge into his city. It’s a delicate situation that could bring them into conflict with the Kingdoms of Svartalfheim and Myrkheim. They believe that granting the fauns refuge in their kingdom will bring the orcs and centaurs that they are running from right to their doorsteps, which unfortunately is exactly what’s happening here. It’s the same reason Queen Teagan hasn’t offered the fauns refuge in our kingdom despite Princess Deirdre’s wishes.” “We don’t have a choice,” Chelsea insisted. “We’ll bring them to the gates of Midgard. Dalton can either open the gates or he’ll have the blood of these villagers on his hands.” “It’s a bold gambit,” Lord Edward admitted. “Still, the journey to Midgard will take days on foot. It will leave your villagers out on the open, vulnerable to an attack.” the old man turned to Jason. “This is your village, the call is yours to make.” Jason turned to one of his villagers. “Gather everyone, we’re evacuating the village and heading north,” he commanded. “Tell the men who received weapons training from Lord Edward to arm themselves.” A feeling of dread swept over Tetsuya as he felt the faint rumbling of the ground accompanied by a chorus of howls. The boy thoughtlessly wandered outside of the village gates, He looked out at the distance and it was just as he had feared. It was the sound of two hundred orc warriors and their dire wolf war-machines descending upon the village. “It’s too late,” the boy muttered to himself “They’re already here.”