"Fucking rusted ass bolt! Break you fucking useless piece of shit!" I hear my dog Sarge huff in his usual laugh at my words. "What are you laughing at!?" I turn my head, staring at the big Bernese as he lays beside the front tire of my truck. Sarge stares at me a moment before his eyes glance up at the wrench in my hand. He gives another huff, then stands and shakes the dust loose from his fur.

As he walks off I can't help but think about the events that led us here. A little over a week ago I was just another guy working his ass off at a job that didn't give a shit about me. Then while I was at the range with my dog, I somehow got pulled to another world by an asshole king of a country called Dolus. From what I gathered, he had been planning on using me to help fight a war he started. Something about heroes being turned into near superhuman powerhouses when summoned. Lucky for me, I managed to avoid getting sucked into that shit show. Downside of avoiding it is now I'm on the run and half the kingdom is hunting me.

I wipe a bead of sweat off my brow and lean my head back on the ground. I feel a small smile form on my face as I think about the people I've met since ending up on the run. There's no doubt I've been lucky as hell so far. Most of the people have seemed to be actively working against the King and his policies. It wouldn't surprise me if he has a full on rebellion forming. I shake my head and try to focus on the job at hand. There will be time to think of taking the king out after I get out of Dolus.

"Having trouble?" I turn my head to see a mass of blonde hair climbing under the truck beside me. I catch myself smiling as Thea wiggles in beside me. For a moment, I'm worried she is going to get the dark green robe she is wearing dirty. Then I figure it can't be much of an issue since she doesn't seem worried about it. She was the first person I got close to in this world. Without her, I would probably be dead or enslaved by the king already. As she shifts my eyes are drawn to the well made leather collar around her neck, I feel my mood darken at the sight. The slave collar around her neck is a magical device, forcing her to obey the registered owner no matter what.

"Just didn't expect to ever have to take these bolts out. So I locktighted them to hell and didn't undercoat shit." I turn back to the bolt above me, readjusting my grip on my wrench. I'm getting ready to try again when I feel Thea poke me hard in the ribs. As I turn my head to look at her again, she is frowning at me.

"What's wrong Jim? You can't hide it from me now, you know?" She taps her finger to her temple as she speaks. I feel her worry running over me, causing me to sigh. While diving in a dungeon, she ended up building a bridge between our mana. The bridge not only let's her draw on my mana pool, but it lets us 'feel' each other at the same time. We had figured out that with a little effort we could 'shield' our thoughts or moods from the other. That takes a little concentration to keep up, and mine had slipped while working on the truck.

"I just……" I trail off, not knowing how to explain.

"The collar again?" I just nod at her words, resting one of my hands behind my head as I stare at the bolt above me.

"I wish we were out of Dolus already." Thea lays her head on my chest, her hand stroking over my stomach. She never can seem to keep her hands to herself. Anytime we are close to each other, she is touching me. I smile as I start to stroke her hair gently with my free hand.

"I know you do, Jim. We will be soon enough." She turns her head to look up into my eyes. I've been in this collar for three years. I think I can wait another three or four days."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it. If I get a hold of whoever made those damned things, I'll bury them." I try and shift her gently so I can get back to work. I grab the wrench still hanging on the bolt above my head. Somehow it's always the last bolt on any job that wants to fucking stick. I pull on the wrench, my arm shaking with effort as the bolt refuses to move.

"What's the problem?" Thea wiggles down beside me and turns her head to stare at the bolt I'm struggling with. I let out a sigh as I let myself relax again while I explain.

"The jobsite box is held into the bed of the truck by four bolts. I got three no problem, but this last one is being a bitch." The box hadn't been an issue at first. It has been pretty useful for storage. However, our little group quickly grew from two and a dog, to five and a dog. A standard cab truck just doesn't have that much room when half the bed is taken up by a giant box.

So the best option seemed to be to toss the box and free up space for people. After all, my truck can move faster than anything else that travels on land in this world. So far it has helped us get away from trouble more than once. Losing the jobsite box will let us travel a little more comfortably. It wasn't a hard choice to make, just hard to put into action.

"So what is the problem?" I stare down at Thea confused.

"I just told you." She lets out a sigh, poking me in the gut hard enough to make me jerk.

"Jim, please think about it." When I continue to stare at her blankly, she groans. "I'm trying to be nice here, but fucking think. What are you forgetting about?" I stare at her for a second before I realize what she is talking about.

"Mana strengthens muscles as well as makes them stronger over time." Thea smiles at me, wiggling back up my body to kiss my cheek.

"I'm going to cut you some slack because you only started learning about mana a few days ago. If you keep forgetting simple things like that, I'm going to start punishing you." She smirks at me as I raise an eyebrow.

"Punish me, how?" I can feel a smile creeping back onto my face. Thea looks thoughtful for a second before replying with a laugh.

"Maybe I'll just withhold sex. That would probably get your attention more than anything." She gives me a playful wink before she starts to shimmy out from under the truck.

"Not much of a threat since you told Shiva she could fuck me." I can't help but chuckle as I tease Thea.

"What are you saying about me?" I turn my head, and Shiva is looking under the truck on my right. Her red hair is pulled back into a tight braid, keeping it out of her eyes. Her shirt is one of the low cut ones Thea picked out for her in Sacren. A pair of cat-like ears twitch in the light breeze as she stares at me. Her tail seems to snap back and forth, almost like she is annoyed at something.

"I was saying if he keeps forgetting simple stuff I'm going to withhold sex. Then he said it wasn't much of a threat because I said you two can have sex." Thea stands up, and brushes the dust off her robe. Shiva takes the opportunity to slide under the truck beside me, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Sorry Jim, if she cuts you off I have to side with her." She laughs as I gape at her, honestly not expecting that answer.

"Ok I'll bite, why?" Shiva laughs before wrapping me up in a hug, her mouth almost touching my ear as she whispers to me.

"Because if Thea is telling you no, then there has to be a reason. If I ran around behind her back, then you might never do any better." I feel her hand start to travel lower as she speaks, griping me tightly. "So don't piss her off, ok? Tonight is my night, and I don't want to miss out because you were stupid." With one more kiss, she untangles herself from me and slips out from under the truck. I can't pull my eyes off her as she stands, wiggling her ass while she dusts herself off. I know she is doing it on purpose, but my eyes still won't move.

As she moves away from the truck, I turn my attention back to the job at hand. Moving my mana to channel itself through my body, I give the wrench a pull once again. For a second, the wrench still won't move and my arm starts to shake with the effort of pulling again. With an ungodly screech, the wrench jerks in my grip. Rust and shards of steel fly out in the air. My hand slams into the frame of the truck as the bolt breaks.

"Fuck! Shit! Damned mother fucking ass!" I roll out from under the truck, wrench still clutched in my now bleeding hand. I drop the wrench as I scramble to my feet, clutching my bleeding knuckles to my chest. "Asshole cocksucking fucking whore!"

"Jim! What happened, are you ok!?" Thea runs around the truck, pulling my hand away from my chest to look at it.

"I'm fine. The bolt sheared off and I smashed my hand into the truck. I'm bleeding some but I've had worse. I just curse when I fuck my shit up." Thea wraps my hand in hers, chanting quietly as I try and explain what happened. A soft white glow escapes from between her fingers and I feel the pain slipping away from my hand.

Thea specializes in healing magic and according to Jacob, her magic was the strongest he had ran across. The downside being all of her healing spells are basically asking her Goddess to heal someone. I had managed to cast one of her healing spells while in the dungeon yesterday, using a skill called Imitate Spellwork. I don't understand it very well, but the basics is it allows me to temporarily use a spell casters spell as my own.

Thea had been shocked that I managed to pull off using one of her healing spells. According to her, her spells go through her Goddess and it shouldn't have worked. However, the bridge between our mana allowed it to work well enough. When she tried to explain it to me, she said that I may have cast the spell, but it was her mana that did the healing. She then warned me about trying to use God or Goddess specific spells in the future. Apparently, best case scenario is it just not working for me if the God isn't aligned with my patron. The worst case being I could end up getting struck down by an angry deity for trying to steal their follower's spells.

"There, all better. Now don't you feel silly for raising such a ruckus?" Thea eyes are shining as she looks up at me. Her teasing tone makes me smile as I lean in to give her a kiss.

"Not feeling silly, more embarrassed I started cussing like that over a couple bleeding knuckles." Thea smiles as she moves in close to me, holding my hand trapped between us.

"No need to feel embarrassed, most people start cursing when they get hurt." She starts to pull away as Sarge shoulder checks me from behind.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm moving boy, I'm moving." Sarge pushes his head against my hand as I bend down to pick up the fallen wrench. I turn my hand against his head, petting him for a moment as I straighten up. When we were first brought here, Sarge was big for a Bernese. Now, he's a giant of a dog as his shoulders rest above the line of my waist.

"You finally get that thing free?" Jacob comes walking around the rear of the truck as I toss the wrench into the toolbox of the truck. I give the shorter man a glare as he stops in front of me. "What?" He tilts his head looking confused.

Jacob has the whole gray man routine down in my opinion. The first time I saw him, I didn't think much of anything about him. It wasn't until I was fighting beside him my opinion changed. He doesn't draw attention to himself, but he is always paying attention to everyone around him. He is also hell on wheels with those blades of his. When he uses them, they almost disappear as he fights.

It would almost be enough to make me nervous around him, if not for Shiva. Yes, I haven't known Shiva for very long, and yes, she spent most of the time yelling at Thea and me. However, everything she had done was to help in one way or another. She has never given me a reason to doubt her, and she trusts Jacob completely. So the way I saw it, was as long as she trusts him, I will too. Besides, he's had more than enough chances to turn on us and never has. As far as I can tell, he has never even been tempted. All he cares about is helping Shiva get out of Dolus, and he seems willing to do almost anything to do it.

"Yeah, I got it loose. Busted up my knuckles when it sheared off, though." I toss him the broken nut with the end of the bolt still seized inside it. Jacob stares at it for a moment, turning the rusted metal over in his hands.

"So why did you break it instead of taking it off like the others?" I feel a vein start throbbing in my forehead as Jacob speaks. I start to open my mouth to yell when I notice he is smiling.

"So now you have jokes, huh?" Jacob laughs at my words, tossing the broken bolt and nut into the trees behind me.

"I always have jokes, people just don't like my humor. So now that you have the bolts loose, what's the next step?"

"Well, the box is already empty. I just need a hand yanking it out of the bed of the truck." Setting my foot on my rear tire, I pull myself up and swing my leg over the bed of the truck.

"I'll help!" Vaunea comes walking out of the treeline, moving quietly in her plain steel breastplate. The huge rectangular shield on her back catches the sun's light as she walks. She is a giant of a woman, literally a race called a Goliath. She stands nearly nine and a half feet tall, with an almost grayish brown color to her skin. On her shoulder sits a pixie, a bright pink sheath covers most of her dark blue skin. The pixie's eyes glare at me from under her short red hair.

The pixie is bound to a dungeon core, the dungeon was the one we had dove in. While inside the dungeon, we stopped an attempt to enslave the core. Afterwards, I cut a deal to help the dungeon escape the country. Of course Vixi, the dungeon pixie, is convinced it is all a trap. So instead of being absorbed by the core until it makes a new dungeon, she chose to travel with us. What she seems to be doing most of the time is complaining, or shooting me evil looks every other minute.

I nod to Vaunea as she reaches the edge of the tailgate. She grabs the handhold on her side as I grab mine. With only a small grunt on my end, we manage to lift the box off the bed. The bolts holding it for just a split second from the rust they had formed under the truck. The box isn't overly heavy, not now that everything is out of it and safely stored in Jacob's void bag. It's just an unwieldy mass of steel that needs at least two people to move.

Vaunea backs up, pulling the box with her until my end is barely on the tailgate. I sit my end down and hop out of the truck. Lifting it again, we carry the box to the far edge of the clearing we are stopped in. I set it down and open the lid one last time, checking to make sure it is empty. Seeing nothing inside besides a few scraps of rope and plastic, I shut the lid. My hand traces over the lid absentmindedly as I lean against it. Vaunea gives me a small nod before walking back towards our camp, turning and smiling at me after a few steps.

I had bought the box years ago, right after my father and I finished restoring my truck. It had been a part of my truck since then. It gives me a way to keep things dry in the rain, as well as a decent amount of storage for my range gear. I mean, yeah, it made it a pain to haul anything in the bed of my truck, but he trade off had been worth it in my opinion. Now, I'm abandoning it in this other world, because we need space.

When I first arrived, it wasn't a big deal. Between Thea, Sarge, and I, there was more than enough room in the cab for all of us. Even after Shiva joined our group, we could all ride upfront. Sarge seemed to prefer riding in the bed. Then Jacob came along and someone had to ride in the bed all the time. There just wasn't enough room inside the cab. After Vaunea joined us it became obvious something had to give. The box took up half the bed space, so it was the obvious choice on what had to go.

"You ok?" Out of habit, I loosen the drawstring on the pouch at my waist. Looking down I see a pulsing pink colored crystal about the size of a softball. Her name is dungeon core number 12367098743 but she preferred to be called Alexis. Shortly after we met, I found out we are both from the same world. She had died at some point, and apparently reincarnated into a dungeon core on this world. I probably never would have known that if it hadn't been for one of my skills in this world.

Alltounges let me understand and speak in any language, which included the language of the dungeon core's. Usually if you had to deal with a core, the only option was speaking through their pixie. The fact dungeon core's had souls of their own is a closely guarded secret. So the pixies would do everything they can to hide that secret. The fact that I can hear, understand, and speak with a core directly caused me to learn a lot I wasn't supposed to know. What can I say though, it's kind of nice to talk with someone who gets my references when I talk about my old world.

"Yeah, I'm alright Alexis. Just thinking about how long I had this old box, and how much I'm going to miss it." My fingers drum out a tuneless beat on the metal of the box.

"You going to be alright?" I can't help but chuckle at the question. If anyone could hear a dungeon core asking a person if they were going to be ok, they would think they are going crazy. Dungeon cores and people are enemies in every sense of the word. Dungeons get stronger the more people they kill, and adventurers gain money and experience by not dying in dungeons. Dungeon diving, as they called it, was considered high risk, high reward. Even with the risk, most adventurers made the majority of their money diving in dungeons.

"Oh I'll be fine, eventually. Just ready to get the hell out of Dolus." Using my hands, I push myself off the box and walk back towards the truck. The sun hasn't quite made it halfway across the sky yet, so I know it's not noon. We had just made camp a few hours ago, after driving most of the way through the night. The rest of my group had crashed out around the truck, leaving Sarge and I to stand watch.

I didn't mind, but I was getting concerned about one thing. After being up the day before and driving through the night, I still am not tired. The few times I had laid down to try and sleep had been a disaster. I tossed and turned and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't sleep. Even now, I don't feel tired. I feel like I slept eight hours and drank a half a pot of coffee.

"Hungry?" Shiva meets me by the cab of the truck, holding a sandwich in her hands. I give her a smile as I accept the food, taking a big bite.

"Thanks, yeah I kind of missed breakfast, didn't I?" She laughs lightly as she passes me a bottle of water to wash the sandwich down with.

"I mean, you could have stopped working on the truck and joined us." I nod to her around another bite, swallowing quickly.

"Yeah, but we needed the room. The longer we take to get going again, the longer we are in Dolus. I'm itching to get out." I shake my shoulders as I speak, looking back behind me. The feeling that we are being followed has gotten worse since we left the dungeon. Now, it's like there is a spider walking across my bare back. It's getting to the point where I can't just ignore it like I have been. Thea has been feeling it too from what she has told me. Somehow the bridge between our mana is passing it along too.

"I know what you mean." Shiva kicks a loose rock by her feet before leaning against the truck. "Dolus didn't used to be so bad, you know. I mean, it was one of the better spots for an adventure to make a living. Three dungeons, well four counting the one you're carrying, are inside its borders. So there was never a shortage of ways to make some coin."

I finish off the sandwich, draining the bottle of water before tossing it into the bed of the truck. Shiva seems to be lost in thought, so I lean against the truck beside her. After a second, I ease my arm around her shoulder to try and comfort her. She leans into my side, and her tail wraps around my leg.

"Sounds like you spent a long time in Dolus." The silence hangs between us for what feels like hours. Finally, she tilts her head up to look into my eyes. A sad smile playing across her lips as she starts to speak.

"Yeah, I was born here. I actually grew up less than a week's worth of traveling from right here." I tilt my head at her words, a nagging thought playing through my mind.

"Any family still there? If there is, we can swing through and try and get them out too." Shiva shakes her head at my question, her red hair slapping against me gently.

"No, the only family I have is right there." She raises a hand to point at Jacob, who is currently cleaning up the makeshift campsite.

"Jacob is family?" I knew he was a close friend, but now I'm confused as to how genetics work here. "Guess that explains the I better not hurt you speech." Shiva laughs out loud at my words, shaking against my side.

"He's not a blood relation, but he's family. Wait what speech?"

"It's the typical big brother talk. He actually warned me. If I hurt you, I should worry about you not him." I feel myself smiling as I remember what he told me.

"Typical, he's always sticking his nose in where he shouldn't." She runs her hands through her hair as she speaks, straightening up as she turns to face me.

"He's just looking out for you. As far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing." Shiva punches me in the chest as I try and wrap my arms around her, making me groan at the force behind the blow.

"Yeah, but he has a habit of doing this. What else did he tell you?" She takes a half step back from me, crossing her arms as she stares at me. She looks angry, but I can see fear in her eyes too.

"He told me you have been hurt in the past, and I had better not just use you. Other than that, he told me to ask you. That it wasn't his place to tell me."

"Well, at least he didn't just run his mouth like he usually does." She shakes her arms loose, turning to look at Jacob who is now staring at us. "So are you going to ask me?" She turns back around, her amber eyes staring into mine. I shake my head slowly as I hold her gaze.

"Nope, I figure when you are ready you will tell me. Till then, I'm not going to push." I barely finish speaking before Shiva pounces on me. Her legs wrap around my waist, her heels forcing my hips away from the truck. Before I can even form a question, her lips are crushing against mine. Her rough tongue slips between my lips.

For a split second, my body goes stiff from shock. Then I'm turning, pinning her against the truck as I kiss her back. My left hand comes up, and wraps around the back of her neck. I pull her closer to me as my right lifts her ass gently. Feeling a break in her tongue's movements, I slip mine past her lips. She lets out a low moan, almost a groan at my action. I realize with a shock that her canine teeth are fangs, like those of a cat when one knick's my tongue.

Shiva pulls her head away from mine, leaning it back against the truck. So I start to kiss my way down her chin, latching onto her neck with my teeth. Both her hands grip my hair almost painfully tight as my teeth bite down on her soft neck.

"Yessssssssss!" I feel myself grin as I move my teeth a few short inches to bite down again. Shiva's heels are jamming into my waist to try and pull me even closer. Her hips grind on mine, causing my breath to catch as she moves against my hardness.

"More, harder." Shiva's words are a hiss between clenched teeth. I switch sides on her neck, my teeth biting down hard on her exposed skin. Her fingers dig into my scalp, pulling stray hairs as she closes her hands tight in my hair. She's not using words now, just little grunts and moans as she keeps grinding against me. She pulls my head in closer, urging me on. My lips curve into a smile as my teeth bite down harder.

"FUCKKKKKKKKK!!" Shiva goes stiff in my arms, pulling back to slam herself against the truck. My teeth rip free from her neck, a line of blood trickling down from where I broke the skin. Her head rocks back and forth as she tries to keep grinding against me. Shiva finally collapses in my arms, and her head falls on my shoulder as she goes limp.

"Well, that was entertaining." I turn my head, and Thea is standing at the edge of the truck's bed smiling at me. Jacob and Sarge have disappeared. I'm guessing they are in the bushes that are currently moving. Vaunea is standing at the edge of the treeline facing away. Vixi is standing on her shoulder, giving me an evil look.

"Sorry, I guess we got carried away." I smile back at Thea, not feeling any anger through our bond. She takes two steps to stand beside me, her hand reaching for Shiva's neck.

"No, leave it." Shiva's words almost sound like she is drunk as she weakly struggles to evade Thea's hand. Thea shakes her head, grabbing Shiva's chin to make her look at her.

"I'll leave the bruises, but I'm closing the bite marks. There is no reason to risk an infection and Jim can put them back anytime." Shiva pouts at Thea's words. I have to do a double take at the sight. Of all the things I could have guessed I'd see, Shiva pouting is not one of them. As Shiva nods to Thea, the blonde whispers a prayer I can't quite make out. A soft white glow forms on her hand, covering the bleeding teeth marks on Shiva's throat. When Thea pulls her hand away, there is still a rapidly darkening bruise on Shiva's neck, but no breaks in the skin from my teeth.

"Thank you." Shiva gently sets her feet on the ground, gripping my arm tight as she stands. She tries a few tentative steps before letting go, grabbing her bag from the bed of the truck.

"I need to go clean up. I'll be back in a second." She darts in, kissing me gently before spinning on her heels and disappearing into the trees. For a second, all I can do is stare at the brush where she disappeared. Finally I turn to see Thea smiling at me with her hands resting on her hips.

"I swear I didn't plan that." I raise my hands in a mock surrender as she starts to laugh.

"Oh I know, the kitty just took advantage of you." Her eyes flicker down to my waist, and I feel myself flinch in excitement. "Looks like she left the job half finished to me." Thea steps in close, pulling my head down to kiss me. I can't help but groan as her free hand massages me through my jeans.

"Fuck!" The curse slips through my gritted teeth as Thea backs away suddenly. Her eyes are full of mischief as she dances away from my hands.

"Nope, you have to wait until tonight." I groan before trying to wrap her up in my arms again. "No, if we start that now, we won't get anywhere before it gets dark. You know tonight is when we are supposed to meet the contact in Shevel." I stop trying to grab at the dancing elf, and lean my head back with a groan. On one hand, I know she is right, on the other, I feel like I'm about to rip through my jeans at the slightest touch.

"Fine, but don't expect me to go easy on you tonight." I tilt my head down, grinning at her as I talk. Thea grins back at me, slipping around my body to whisper in my ear from behind.

"I'm letting Shiva have you tonight, don't expect her to take it easy on you!" At her words, I feel another groan slip from my mouth. Part of me is sure she is just teasing me to get a reaction. Another part is completely sure she is serious.

"How are you ok with this?" I manage to snag her wrist, pulling her tight to me. "If you were looking at another man, I'd be losing my shit right now. You, you just roll with it, you're practically throwing Shiva at me right now. Why are you ok with this?" Thea smiles up at me, standing on the tips of her toes to give me a kiss.

"You and Shiva have a lot to talk about. I'm sure she knows why I'm ok with it. Well, enough to explain to you. So I'll let her do it while we drive, sound good?" The evil glint is back in her eyes as she speaks and before I know it, she is out of my arms again.

"Ok, how the hell did you do that?" She just smirks at my question, walking away with her hips swinging. I'm hypnotized by the way her robe flows around the curves of her waist, unable to pull my eyes away as she walks. When she steps around the edge of the truck, I shake my head to clear it.

"Now that's not fair!" Thea laughs, the sound echoing in the clearing.

"Is it safe to come out now?" Turning my head, I see Jacob walking out of the brush with Sarge close on his heels.

"Now don't you start in on me too." I raise my hand, pointing at him angrily. Jacob flinches at my scowl, starting to take a half step back when I can't take it anymore. My scowl disappears, replaced by a smile that stretches from ear to ear.

"I'm just fucking with you. Yeah, it's safe to come out." Jacob mockingly wipes his brow as he starts to chuckle.

"Yeah, thought you were really pissed at me there for a second." He steps up to the hood of the truck, pulling a map from the void bag on his waist.

"Nah, if I was pissed, you wouldn't know. Not till it was too late at least." He turns his head to look at me, almost like he can't tell if I'm serious or not. After a second, he shakes his head, motioning me towards the map he is unrolling on the hood.

"Setting that aside for a minute, come here and take a look at this." He moves to the right, setting a bottle of water on the leftmost edge of the map to hold it down.

"What am I lookin at?" I can tell this map is a lot better quality than the one we received from Grizz. It shows not only the main roads, but side roads and elevations as well. Several spots on the map are marked in red ink, either circles or hash marks through them. Even one of the spots seems to have a large star sitting on top of the town.

"It's called a map. If you know how to use it, you can figure out where you are and where you are going." I'm speechless, my mind drawing a blank on how to reply. Finally, my brain catches up to my ears.

"Well no shit, Sherlock. I meant what am I looking at on the map?" Jacob starts to laugh, shaking his head as he does.

"Oh I know, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity." He shakes his head one more time before pointing down at the mapin front of him. "See we are here, maybe two hours out of Shevel in your vehicle." He drags his finger around the city, resting it on a clump of trees just to the left of it.

"When we leave Shevel, we are going to have to head west. So I was thinking, why not stash your vehicle to the west to begin with. That way if anything goes wrong, we are already running in the right direction." He glances up from the map, looking past me for a split second before staring at me.

"What, you think I'm going to start a fight again or something?" I can't help but smile as I see him start to panic.

"No, no, no, no, no! I'm just saying it's better to be prepared is all." His hands come up quickly, and I wonder briefly if he is actually afraid of me, or if it's all an act.

"Relax I'm just messing with you. I would prefer to stay low profile, but you know my luck." Jacob cracks a grin at me, turning back to face the map.

"Well anyway, if you look right here." His finger points at a fork in the road just outside of the city on the map. "This road leads to the old logging camp. We can head that way to start, then take the logging roads around the city itself. With a little bit of luck, we can move all the way around Shevel without leaving the woods." He glances up at me to see if I'm following along. I nod my head slowly as he explains his thoughts.

"How wide are the logging roads? Also, why is the camp shut down. Seems like the woods are still pretty thick to me?" Jacob starts to roll the map, shoving it into his bag haphazardly when he is done. He tilts his head, eyes staring out into the distance as he thinks.

"The roads are wide enough to allow two teams of oxen to pass in most places. As for the camps, they are shit down for the next two years, or until a war is on." At my confused look, he continues. "Logging is a serious business this far west. The groves of trees found along the western border hold some of the best hardwoods in the world. During the old empire, the groves were nearly wiped out. Whole plots of land were reduced to bare ground, and the groves nearly lost." He pauses, drawing in a deep breath.

"It took generations for the land to heal, and countless years of work by druids. Finally one day, the land bounced back, and the trees grew tall and straight. Then the nobles descended on them like a swarm of locusts. Once again, the groves were nearly wiped out, and they were healed. Since then, strict laws have been put in place. Only trees over a certain size can be harvested, and only so many per year. After two years of logging there, is a mandatory three years for the woods to recover. During that time, druids are brought in again to help grow more of the trees. They work to keep the balance in check, and to help maintain the grove for future generations."

I tilt my head as I think about his words. The idea of only harvesting so many trees isn't a new concept to me. From what I learned talking to the loggers back in my hometown, clearcutting had all but been abandoned as a practice. Plus, I have been on my fair share of logging roads. Yeah, the ones I had been on were made for skidders and bulldozers not oxen, but they couldn't be too bad if they moved any amount of lumber on them.

"I mean, it sounds like a plan to me, depending on how rough the roads are at least." I slap him on the shoulder gently, smiling at him as he nearly stumbles. "Thank you for thinking ahead. I know I wouldn't have thought of that." He waves me off with his hand.

"It's no big deal. I had a little time to think while Shiva was pouncing on you." I can't help but laugh at his teasing tone.

"Not a bad way to describe it, honestly. One moment we were just talking, next I have a double handful of a horny woman. Still don't know what happened, but I'm not complaining." Jacob shakes his head, smiling at my words.

"Shiva is a passionate woman, always has been. Odds are you told her what she needed to hear. What that was, you have to figure out if you want a repeat performance. Just please if you do, try and do it when you're not in the middle of camp." I can't stop the roar of laughter that escapes my throat. My hand slaps Jacob on the back as we walk around the truck.

"Time to load up boss?" Sarge walks up beside me, his shoulders bumping into me. My hand reaches down to scratch him behind his ears. His mouth hangs open as he gives me a happy grin.

"Yeah, let's get geared up, then we can go." I reach into the bed of the truck, pulling out Sarge's new harness. His old one is way too small for him now since his growth spurt in the dungeon. Alexis made him a new one as part of our deal to take her out of Dolus. The new one looks similar to his old molle harness, just larger and this one has its own plates inside it. So now Sarge has his own actual armor that offers him a decent amount of protection.

I kneel on the ground, adjusting the harness on Sarge's body. Once I'm satisfied with the fit, I quickly attach the medkit on his left side and the Steyr M9 on his right. I drop the handful of spare magazines into the pouch behind the pistol, giving sarge a gentle slap on his shoulders as I finish.

"Alright now, get. I need to get me ready too." Sarge huffs at me before walking off to lay down beside Thea. I catch myself smiling at the two as she begins to scratch his ears. Sarge's mouth hangs open as he twists his head around to lay it on Thea's lap.

"Why do you put that weapon on him? It's not like he can use it." Jacob leans against the truck as I pull my armor from the bed.

"It comes down to training. I spent a lot of time teaching him to fight beside me. If I got pinned and didn't have my weapons, he can get to me. Then I have a way to defend myself."

My new armor was also made by Alexis and modeled after my old plate carrier. The main difference is this one actually covers more of my body. It's made to be a more protective version of armor in a world where swords and bows are the weapons of choice. Alexis had done away with the velcro fasteners, choosing to use metal buckles instead so the armor stood out less.

The fabric is a mithril weave. She said it made it stronger and less likely to wear down. It still opens on the side like my old plate carrier, so it's quick to take on and off. Instead of the two plates of hardened steel, this one had a total of four plates. One front and back as well as one on each side to cover my ribs when it's on. The other major difference is a large metal collar on the back that covers my neck up to the base of my skull. I worried that it would restrict my range of motion. My worry turned out to be unfounded, the plate gave as my head moved. It even seemed to lean back with my neck when I tilt my head back as far as I can.

When I strapped myself into my armor the first time, I was worried about the fit. The armor looked like it would be a size or two too small. Alexis had assured me not only would it fit me, but it would even fit Vaunea if she put it on. She had enchanted the plates in the armor so it sized itself to anyone who wore it. She also told me there are other enchantments in the armor as well. One that made it self cleaning, as well as ones that reduced weight and fatigue too.

"What if he can't get to you?" Jacob is staring at Sarge as I secure my armor tightly.

"If he can't get to me, then I'll die knowing he is running away." Jacob's head turns to me so fast I feel like I can hear his neck crack.

"What do you mean?" He looks confused, and slightly worried. I let out a long sigh as I fastened my Beretta on the chest of my armor. I had decided that was a better place to carry my pistol. Between the pistol belt and the sword, I had been carrying too much weight around my waist. It hasn't been a problem so far, but I'm not going to wait for it to become one.

"The way we trained, I always treated him like a partner, not an expendable asset. So when we practiced, we drilled for if he could get to me and if he couldn't. If something ever happened to me, I knew my brother would take care of Sarge. So there was no way I would risk his life to attempt to save mine. That being said, Sarge is also trained to run serpentine to avoid being shot. So if he couldn't get to me, it's a bad-bad situation."

I pause in my explanation, taking the time to pull on a heavy set of leather chaps. The chaps are another recent addition to my armor, after it was pointed out that my legs were very exposed. The leather is stiff and fairly hard, with the ability to turn most cuts. A feature Shiva had tested as soon as she found out about it. She had claimed it was to make sure they actually did what they were supposed to. I'm pretty sure she just liked seeing me jump when she swung a blade at me though.

"I'll admit he's fast, but do you really expect me to believe a skilled archer couldn't hit him if they tried?" Something in Jacob's tone makes me think he wants to see for himself.

"I'll show you if you don't believe me." I turn to Sarge, letting out a loud sharp whistle. In an instant, Sarge is on his feet, facing me and eyes attentive.

"Sarge, trees! Heavy fire!" I grab my rifle from the bed of the truck, moving around the bed to cover him as he moves. He takes off like a shot, his powerful muscles covering the ground quickly. Sarge darts to the side, changing direction almost instantly as he runs. His movements are deliberate, sharp turns and side steps making him a hard target. By the time Jacob has turned to face Sarge, he is almost into the trees. As Sarge disappears into the treeline, I straighten up, stepping back around the truck bed.

"Still think an archer could hit him?" Jacob's mouth is hanging open when I whistle to bring Sarge back.

"I've never seen an animal move like that." I feel my chest swelling with pride at Jacob's words.

"Most animals run in straight lines. It's instinctual to try and get away from danger as fast as they can. Sarge is trained to run towards danger, so it was easy to train him not to run straight." I set my rifle back into the bed of the truck as I lean down to pet Sarge. As I'm petting Sarge, Shiva comes walking out of the trees. I raise an eyebrow at her when I realize she has changed her pants.

"Don't start!" Shiva hits my shoulder as she tosses her bag into the bed.

"I didn't say anything." I smile at her as she lets out a low growl.

"Are we ready to go yet?" Shiva steps around me, collecting Thea's bag from beside her to toss it into the bed. I chuckle as Shiva gives me an angry look.

"We are all ready, just waiting on you." I run my eyes down to her pants, making Shiva blush as she realizes the meaning behind my words.

"Well I'm ready now, so let's get going!" Shiva walks around the truck, jumping in the passenger side.

"Looks like she's riding up front. You going to be ok in the back again?" Jacob nods quickly.

"Yeah, there's a lot more room in there now. Shiva should be able to guide you around the logging roads well enough. If there's any problems, I'll let you know and point you in the right direction." Jacob climbs into the bed, followed closely by Vaunea with Vixi still perched on her shoulder.

"I think I'll give you two some more time to talk." Thea pulls my head down to give me a kiss, tilting my head to the side as her tongue slips in my mouth.

"So you don't want to ride up front with us?" I smile at her as I pull back. Thea laughs lightly, a smile making her face shine brightly.

"No, you two still have a lot to talk about. I don't mind giving you two time alone." She steps up onto the bumper of the truck, sitting on the tailgate. "I kind of like sitting here." She smiles down at me, pulling me in closer.

"Oh yeah, why is that?" She leans down and kisses me again, I feel her lips pulling up into a smile.

"Because, now I'm the tall one." With a laugh, she swings her legs around and sits down in the bed. I cant stop the stupid grin from forming on my face as I pick up my rifle and walk around the truck.

"Sarge, truck!" As my hand reaches the door handle, I hear a loud crash behind me. My head whips around to see Sarge laying on his back in the bed. His mouth is open in a wide grin as he lays between everyone in the bed.

"Alright I'll bite, what just happened?" Sarge rolls over, his legs kicking out wildly before he gets his feet under him. He sits down on the bed, hanging his head down.

"I slipped, I'm still getting used to how big I am." At Sarge's words, I let out a loud laugh and I reach in to roughly scratch his ears.

"Just take it easy till you get it all figured out, ok boy?" He barks once, then lays down setting his head on Thea's lap. Opening my door, I stow my rifle behind the seat, then slide inside. Shiva is sitting in the other seat, arms crossed as she bites her lower lip.

"Something wrong?" She shakes her head before turning to face me.

"Just thinking." As I continue to stare at her. My hands are on the keys, but I'm not starting the truck. She sighs loudly. "We really need to keep a low profile in Shevel, not like in Sacren. Shevel is a major city with trade routes going in every direction. If we draw attention there, I doubt even you can fight your way free."

I start the truck and back it up to turn around. As I put it in first, I wrap my arm around Shiva, pulling her to the middle of the seat. She fights me for half a second, then leans against me. I gently kiss the top of her head, inhaling deeply as her scent reaches my nose.

"I get it, and I'm going to do my damndest to not draw attention to us." Shiva snorts, causing me to smile as I squeeze her tight. "What, I was doing good at being low profile. Not my fault those fuckers came out of nowhere." Shiva is quiet as I drive, she pulls out a necklace from her pocket. Her fingers trace over the metal as she bites her lip.

"They didn't come out of nowhere." I grab third as I wonder what she means.

"How's that?" Shiva hands me the necklace. I spin the chain in my hand to pull the medallion in front of my face. It has some kind of symbol on one side, a pair of swords behind a round buckle type shield. The back side of the medallion is full of some kind of writing I can't read.

"I really wish I had a skill that would let me read any language too." Shiva laughs as she takes the necklace back.

"Basically they belonged to the bounty hunters guild. They call themselves bounty hunters, but they are really just thugs for hire. Most of their work is chasing down runaway slaves and they don't care about borders. So even if the slave gets their collar off in another country, if they catch them, they will drag them back and re-collar them. Other than that, they will kill just about anyone if the price is right."

My fingers drum on the wheel as she speaks. I let my mind digest the information. I had already known a group of bounty hunters are chasing me thanks to a being named Azeghial. When I was in the dungeon I ended up somewhere called the ethereal plane thanks to a skill crystal. He had let it slip that they are following me, along with a group of elite knights. I haven't mentioned any of this to my group. For now, I don't want them to worry.

"So I'm guessing that means there will be more that follow us." Shiva nods, leaning in against me. Her hand plays over my stomach, tracing random patterns.

"That's what I figure. We killed five of them. They will have to chase us or they will look weak. In their line of work, if you look weak, you might as well close up shop." I wrap my arm around Shiva's shoulders, my fingers playing with the ends of her hair. For a second, I wonder why she is stroking my stomach the same way Thea does, but I push that thought down.

"Well fuck'em!" She tilts her head up to look into my eyes. I smile down at her as I pull her in as close as I can. "I don't care how many come at us. One or a thousand, they come after me and mine, I'll put them in the ground." Shiva's eyes widen at my words, I can feel her heartbeat quicken under my fingertips.

"You sure do know what to say to get a girl excited, don't you." I laugh gently at her words.

"Nah, you're just like me." She tilts her head, her mouth opening to speak before I cut her question off. "Fucked in the head." She covers her mouth, trying to stop a laugh. Her fist slams into my side just below my armor, making me wince.

"So you are saying I'm fucked in the head?" She raises her eyebrow, giving me a look that dares me to repeat it.

"Not as much as me, if that helps any." She tilts her head, then pulls my face down to kiss me quickly.

The kiss barely lasts a second before I have to focus on the road ahead. At some point, we pulled onto the logging road, calling it a road is an insult to roads. I'm constantly having to guide my truck around ruts in the road as well as random big ass rocks in the middle of the trail.

"Fucking road this is not, it's a damned goat trail!" Shiva laughs at my outburst, laying her head on my shoulder.

"Could be worse, in the rainy seasons it's almost impassable."

"Yeah, I like going mudding as much as the next redneck. I don't think I want to try this road for that, though." I let the truck roll to a stop and slip it into four wheel drive before taking off again. "Please tell me we don't have much more of this." Shiva laughs, the sound echoing in the cab and making me smile.

"About a half hour, give or take." I let slip a groan, sending up a silent prayer that I don't break an axle in this shit. In this world I'm pretty sure that's a death sentence for my truck.