They were almost done with the shopping. But Loren knew they had only a few hours left before an uproar. A newcomer who asked for a specific location and it became filled with dead bodies the next morning was certainly not a good combination. Either the smell of the rotting corpses will be discovered or if they were unlucky, someone finds them before it. Since no one started a scene in the morning, she guessed the barn was not that important. So, she placed her bet on the first one.

“Loren, I am not sure if this round pile of planks is sturdy enough to be called a shield.” Said, Isabel, while she curiously examined the shield.

“Trust me, as long the metal band is on the shield it will hold for a while.” Said, Loren, while she hurried her steps. “We have one more stop and we are good to go.”

“Our backpacks are bustlingly full what else do we need? Also, they become heavy.” Said, Isabel, while adjusted her bag.

“Nothing else, but yesterday I ordered a leather armour and it should be ready by now.”

“Armour? Hey, I don’t need one as well?” Asked Isabel.

“Yes, we will have to get one for you.” Loren turned around. They were in a hurry and the words slipped. “I would give you the armour but it wouldn’t fit with those.” Pointed at Isabel’s chest.

“Hey! You are just jealous.” She puffed her cheeks while she crossed her arms under her chest.

Not jealousy, but Loren had something else on her mind seeing them. Cough “Let’s go, I don’t want others after as.” Said Loren.

They reached the leatherworker and no one shouted yet. It was a good sign. It was in the late summer and a little after noon, most of the farmers usually take a break in the hottest hours in the days. But it also meant that the barn would turn into a sauna for the bodies. The clock worked against them.

“Look Loren. That is the shirt I patched.” Isabel stopped for a moment. “But it is doing on that board?”

“Ah, just hanging around. Wait here a second.” Said Loren. She put her bag down and went to get her armour.

The old man held a leather bracelet in his hands and threaded a leather strip into it.

“Are you done with my armour?” Asked Loren, but the man didn’t look up. Cough “Is my armour ready?”

“Woa… Yes-yes, almost. I didn’t have time to fold it and these strips just don’t bend to my will.” He put it down on the table with an annoyed look. “Ah, the sun is still low and my hands are already hurt.” He rubbed them together.

“It’s already afternoon. Can I get the armour, I can put the strips in later?”

“Afternoon? Already?” He sat back on his chair. “Time just flies nowadays.”

“Sorry, but I’m in a hurry. My armour.”

“You are tall as a tree yet you see the valley.” He pointed to the ground next to Loren.

Loren turned and on the ground, she saw the leather pieces. She leaned forward and picked up a piece, It was made of dark crude leather and the padding inside was wool, but it seemed it will be good enough. It was just afternoon but the old man already saw the rising moon. Loren thrown of her rags. He sat on his chair motionless with mixed feelings, but he couldn’t complain. Loren piece by piece put on the armour and tightened those with strips in it. She was in a hurry, she didn’t notice what she had just done, nor would have cared her now. The leatherworker in his chair pulled himself closer to the table, he was nervous alongside other things.

Loren stepped closer to the table to take the bracelet and the remaining strips when her eyes stopped at the old man. The sings were oblivious it was all over his face. Loren suddenly felt confident and with a smile she said. “I hope, we will have the pleasure next time. I appreciate the fast working hands.” It was not her lines. One of her old party members used to tease others this way. Now she understood why. It was fun.

Loren stepped outside with her new outfit. She found Isabel, sat on the ground and ate an apple and other six apple-core around her. Isabel looked up and giggled.

“Nice outfit. Back home you would have earned a lot with it.” She said it in a sarcastic tone.

“I can imagine that.” Loren picked up her bag from the ground. “But, It is time to go, we are running late.”

“Agh. Can’t we wait until the sun passes a little?”

“Most certainly not.” Frowned Loren.

They went through the village one last time. They reached the small bridge which went over the stream. Loren gulped, she didn’t trust the wooden evil. Isabel was already on the other side.

“Loren?” She turned around. “Did you forget something?” Asked Isabel.

“No, we are fine.” She took a deep breath out of habit. A cautiously walk over the bridge. It creaked but held her weight.

“It didn’t sound good. Just how much heavier are you than me?” Asked Isabel with a smug.

“Just a few stones heavy.” She said jokingly, but the saw Isabel’s face.” But with your appetite, you will able to tell it in weeks if not days.” She said it mockingly and grab a little fab around Isabel’s stomach.

Isabel blushed, she never had problems with her weight back home. Even if the village didn’t give her much food, she munched the fruit from the trees most of the days, when she didn’t have work. She had a greater appetite since she arrived and it showed in her frame.

Loner saw she went too far with the joke. “No worries, it will be gone within a few sparring.” She said trying to lighten her mood.

They were just started walking when they heard a man shouting. Both turned back. “Isabel, what do you think where are you going?! You still owe me a table!” It was the miller and he was angry.

“Should we run?” Ask Isabel.

“You bet.” Loren said it with a playful smile.

The miller shouted a few times more, but the distance just grew between them. They just left the village on the side of the valley called Trona and they headed towards northwest on the dirt road.

“Huf-Huf. Loren, I think we ran enough.” Said Isabel and she took a deep breath.

Loren didn’t feel tired, but it was not much that people known about gargoyles in the first place. Only legends talked about the ancient culture and building that the gargoyles built. But nowadays most of the alive ones were feral and they were kept as beasts for arena fights.

“Alright, let’s take a break, we still have a few hours before the night, but it’s essential to find a good place early, near a watercourse.” Loren looked around and listened. She heard the panting Isabel, but now water splashing. “I look around for a bit, please stay here and shout if someone coming.” This was not the best way to avoid danger, but she couldn’t ask her to climb a tree or hide with her body.

“I will.” Isabel dropped her bag and waited till Loren went away. She was tied, but more importantly, she was hungry. She searched the bag and started to munch on the food she had.

Loren walked a while, but her search came sort. She reached the edge of the forest and had a view into the valley. She saw a few houses alongside a river in the distance but it was at least half a day walk. She admired the scene and headed back to Isabel.

Isabel felt great after the snack and loosened her belt. Loren was still away, so she decided to make a few swings with that mace to pass the time. She remembered how fast Loren swung the mace and she made it look easy. I was harder than it looked.

“If you going to use your whole arm as a sling. Then you will dislocate your shoulder.” Said Loren.

Isabel jumped a little, she was too busy with her weapon when Loren came back. “Ugh. Um… Would you show me then?” Asked Isabel. Loren nodded with a smile and she handed over the mace.

The lesson only lasted half an hour. But It was enough to make Isabel's arms hurt. “Just what are you made of?” Asked Isabel as she wiped her sweat away.

“Mostly stone… I think.” Loren was not sure, and till now it didn’t occur to her.

“You think?” Isabel asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Since I’m a gargoyle, I would make sense. And I also have a perk that is related to that.”

“A gargoyle? But you seem like an elf but with dark skin… A dark elf.” Stated Isabel.

“Why? In your word elves have clawed feet and teeth like this?” Asked Loren. She showed her teeth with a smile so wide that would make every dentist shed a tear.

“Waa.” Isabel took a step back.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot to show you it. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Scare? You are kidding, that is so cool!” She stomped around in excitement. “Back home, there are only humans. And I just missed my chance to meet a centaur and an elf back in the village, but I spoke with a dwarf and..” Isabel jabbered.

“Woah, slow down.” Loren took a look at Isabel. “You said there are only humans?”

“Yeah, why?”

“But you are half-minotaur, aren’t you?” Asked Loren pointing at her lover half.

“I don’t know if I am. I just got these.” Said Isabel and look at her legs.

“From who?” Loren had a suspicion.

“I…” She remembered what it was like back then within the present of the goddess. She bent a little and player her tail hair again. “I got it from some nature goddess.” She said it quietly.

“Goddess? Dahlia? But you said that the mad god greeted you.” Something was off, Loren just felt it in her guts.

“The mad god is the black with purple flames?”

“Yeah, so you meet him.” Stated Loren.

Isabel was quiet, too quiet.

“Isabel.” Said Loren and it gave the chill to Isabel. “Why did you meet two gods?” Ask Loren and it made Isabel’s hearth shrink.

“Because I was not nice.” She said it with a vague smile.

“Isabeeel?! Why you met two gods?” Loren patient was coming to an end.

“I… I…” Isabel stuttered.

Loren saw the discouraged girl in front of her, so she changes tone before it’s too late. “Isabel. Just tell the truth. I won’t get mad.” Said Loren.

“You won’t?”

“I won’t.”

Isabel took a deep breath and jabbered the response. “I pissed off the made god, so he sent me to the goddess in the jungle. I also made her mad and she started to change me and kept shouting at her, then she threw me back first one and…” She looked down. “She also might have cursed me.” Her voice was almost silent, but there was nothing else to around them to repress it.

“She, what!” Loren cried out.

“I knew you would be mad.” Isabel turned away.

Loren walked next Isabel while inside she fought against her emotions. She put her hand on Isabel’s shoulder and said in a calm voice. “It is fine, Isabel. Curses from gods can be revoked if you please them. It’s not the end of the world. But first you have to tell me what she gave you, so I can help.”

Isabel called for her [Status]. “In the title I have [Cursed of Dahlia] and in the perks, it says [Racebound (cow)] and [Body of plenty].”

“[Body of plenty] … I see.” Loren turned Isabel around. “Isabel. Gods here will punish you if they see fit, but they almost always do in a way that would benefit them.” Loren tried to keep Isabel calm.

“This is what made me hungry? But why?”

“She is the god of fertility and nature. If I have to guess, she wanted you to be more, much more appealing to other beast folks since she made you one.” Loren tried to be the least harmful with her words. “She wants you to be an ideal mother figure in her eyes to help grow her herd.”

Snip-snip. “And how can we remove it?” Ask Isabel.

The easiest way was out the window. It was oblivious for Loren, that she didn’t want to have a child or two. So, they had a few options left. They could ask for forgiveness at the deity’s temple, but she had no idea where is the closest one and it rarely worked. There were known challenges that could be overcome to please a deity, but Loren was not fond of the idea to plant a forest. They could also ask for such a challenge which was the favoured way to go and they were usually easier than the rest. And finally, she could offer herself to the deity to become her priest, in this case, her druid. But it would only delay the problem.

“We have to find a temple of hers and ask for a challenge to remove the curse.” Said Loren. “But until then you have to…”

Growl

Loren knew what was coming she hugged Isabel as she started crying. “Don’t worry. I am here to help you.”