I finish rewrapping the tang on Dawn's sword after three attempts. I wasn't pleased with my orginal efforts due to the mountainous distraction in front of me. Dawn brought me back to the smithy, but it was still far too hot in there for me so she brought her gear to the general workshop. One by one, she placed all the armor in neat rows next to my pile. I am in shock and wonder how I could do so little in the same amount of time as her. On my first attempt, I managed to wrap my hand with the tang, waving it around like an idiot.

"These are amazing! God, and they look so cool! Forgive me for asking… but how?"

She smiles at me, donning her own set, "Before I became more known for my gaming, I was a cosplayer. You know, make costumes of characters and parading myself in front of cameras and conventions?"

Her armor is the plain grey of normal iron, but I can tell it was made with her in mind. She continues, bracers and greaves already equipped, "I've literally been crafting these things for years, but with foam and glue instead of metal. Don't get me wrong, I loved making them. I loved how they looked on me or someone modeling them. But, the thing I hated the most about the stuff I made, was how impractical it all was!"

She slips on her cuirass, a sort of metal vest. It has room enough for her chest without weirdly displaying they're presence.

She gestures her hands to them, "See? This is armor. This is what it looks like, man or woman. There's no reason for you to know the exact shape of my tits in metal form! Feel how solid this iron is!"

I absent mindedly run both hands over the armor when the door opens. Victoria is assessing the situation from the doorway with an unamused expression.

"Hey, Vic. Come check out Dawn's new--"

Shit.

Shit!

"Wait! Its not what it looks like!" My hands shoot up and away from Dawn with lightning speed.

Victoria's steps are slow, firm, deliberate, just like her next words, "It looks like. You couldn't wait. For me to go to bed. Winters."

Oh man, I'm screwed.

She turns to Dawn, a worried expression in her red glowing eyes, "Duchess, I--"

"Quiet!"

And then we were quiet. Very quiet. And still.

Victoria slowly raises her fist up, pointing her knuckles at Dawn's jaw. Dawn clenches her teeth and winces.

Clank clank clank.

"Very nice armor, Dawn," she grins knowing full well that she got us good.

"What the hell, Vic!" Dawn yells, more as a statement than as a question, "You scared me!"

Her laughter is full and rakish as she tries to speak between breathes, "I saw… I saw you open the door almost naked and… And I have to admit I almost threw my spear right at you, but then I heard Winters and I knew… I knew I had to tease you both! Ha haa ha ha haa!!"

"Yeah," I concede, "You got us good. Is everyone else up, too?"

She shakes her head, "The other soldiers and I are the only ones who get up this early. Sometimes Ramona and Elsbeth do too, but for us its the training..."

She trails off as her eyes sweep the floor. Her lips part, moving slightly as if trying to form words. Dawn and I smirk at each other, our eyes saying, "We'll get her back, but not yet."

We take her to her set and she takes a knee in front of it, "You two… How…"

I offer Dawn to go first and she nods curtly, "So, as you can see, I was able to refine the shadow carapaces into ingots and then work them like iron. Each set contains a helm, bracers, greaves, boots, and a breastplate. I made a total of ten sets for anyone that needs a set. They're just as strong but about half the weight of regular iron, so just about anyone can use it."

I catch her gaze landing on the spear.

"It's called Dual Needle and it's made from the reshaped spines of a giant lizard. The design is a combination of spears used by the dark elves and the first spears I made for the soldiers. The best part, however, is it's innate ability."

"It has a what?" she exclaims as she picks it up in her hands for a closer inspection. "By Coranus, this is a knight killer! To ignore someone's total defense is…"

"Crazy, right? I could only make three. If only we had more time, Dawn and I could outfit an army!"

Victoria's eyes drop and a sadness overtakes them. I realize too late my words, "Oh, Vic! I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

She stands, putting the spear in storage for now, and embraces me, "That's what I like about you, Winters. You care about what I think and how I feel."

She gives me a peck on the cheek and we wordlessly start equipping our armor together, each set giving us an impressive 19 Armor.

Dawn finishes putting hers on too. "I get a set bonus!" Dawn exclaims, "That's what Sonny was saying!"

I'm bent over, pulling on my greaves when a hard slap sends me forward, "So what do you g-- whoa!"

She explains how each piece gives her an Agility bonus of one, but if someone else used it they would lose the same amount. All together, she gets a bonus in Armor and small reduction in spell cost.

"That is amazing!" I say with a tinge of jealousy, even though my three piece set is nothing to laugh at.

She's parading around, checking out the ease of movement, "Not bad for test pieces!"

Victoria is looking at her incredulously, "You mean you've never crafted armor before last night and you banged out twelve full sets of armor?"

"Well," she defends herself, "They're not exactly FULL sets…

The main group and the soldiers are in the mess hall, waiting for the citizens of Linqs to join us. "Wait," I'm a little confused by the speed of which this is happening, "Why do I get to make the announcement?"

Victoria puts a hand on my shoulder, "You're the one with the silver tongue. Just let them know what the plan is. They already know that it's been you and Dawn taking the initiative to keep them safe and fed."

I smile and give in, "Fine, fine. So, what is our plan?" The room is silent. "Okay, Rachel, can you please share what you know so far?"

So now, everyone knows the raiding party will be here tomorrow. It's a typical move to use the Thieves Guilds to deal with the Machiavellian aspect of running an empire. In a similar way, the army would be used in the city's defense and in large scale invasions. With those two thoughts in mind, I picture the way our assault would go in our enemies' head.

"Gorm? Victoria? The Thieves Guild. Would they invade us like the regular army? Or like thugs in an ally?"

The soldiers all snicker to themselves, but Victoria is the one to answer, "No matter their numbers, thieves are no match for regular soldiers in a fair fight. They're the mop up crew or mage killers. My boys and I will have no trouble especially in our new gear."

They beat their fist on their jet black breastplates in unison, the sound echoing in the empty hall.

Gorm points to a spot on the table, "Even with your recent attack, they're going to assume superior numbers and strength and try to roll us over. The good thing about Ardacen's attack is they didn't get a chance to gather any significant information."

Rachel stops giggling with Kona long enough to add, "Yeah. It was crazy. He was like a ninja and, like, Boom! Everyone was dead!"

I can feel a collective eyeroll, but I press her for more, "So, like I said. Before I quit the Guild, they sent the message saying, like they'll be sending five teams instead of two and, like, an instructor."

The soldiers are all taking in her information, only moments ago treating her lightly. I'm genuinely interested in the switch they just made, from rolling their eyes, to absorbing every word just because they pertained to the task at hand.

"After the announcement we'll divy up the weapons and see if we can do anything about those of you with only one arm. I got an idea last night and it should be an okay solution for now." In the corner of my eye, I can see Rachel observing their bodies and hatching a plan. "What is it, Rachel?"

Her eyes dart up, accessing a part of her brain, "It should… be possible… is your plan, like, to make a prosthesis?"

"What? Um, can you? I was just thinking of strapping a shield to their arm. Wait. How?"

My stuttering is distracting her so she waves in my face with a slight grimace, "I'm a Tinkerer? So the info is floating around, but, like, I just gotta… I need ingots! And Dawn!" She's practically dragging her back to the workshops.

"Wait!" Dawn protests, "Can you do it in time?"

"We have to try! Did you see that little bunny girl? This is going to work!" We all smile as they run off.

Everyone is sitting at the communal tables and benches, similar to a school cafeteria. With a big sigh, I drag my butt to the front.

"Please, keep eating. Good morning, everyone. I haven't properly introduced myself yet. My name is Ardacen Winters. Um, so, I know of the hardships you've been facing since being expelled from Kes Rentas. I understand that your lives haven't been easy. The other travelers and I are going to do everything we can to rectify and eleviate your problems. So, in case it was unclear before, the reason we had everyone pack up and move was because you've all been targeted by Lord Bertrand again. Now that you're all out of the city, he is trying to permenantly remove your presence with the aid of the Thieves Guild."

The low murming rises to almost panicked shouting, but I raise my hand and wait patiently for the excitement to fade.

"I took care of the scouting party, so now they'll be sending the main force tomorrow. And though they might outnumber us, they will not overpower or outsmart us. Sonasolaria, our dungeon core, will set up traps to aid in the defense of Linqs."

[Worry not, citizens of Linqs Dungeon. Sir Ardacen, Lady Dawn, and the others are more than capable of dispatching some common grade thugs. The traps I set will be just a precaution. If any of you have any questions or concerns for me, my core is located in the workshop chamber. Also, if there are any among you who have a well traveled map scheme they are willing to share, I would be most grateful.]

"We will be preparing for the rest of the day and moving out tomorrow morning. Most of us will also be in the workshop area should you need anything. Thank you for putting your trust into us. We will persevere."

[Major Quest: Protect Linqs Dungeon

[Defeat the incoming force of invaders and don't allow a single citizen to come to harm. 0/1

[Reward:2200XP, 1*Dungeon Transfer Scroll, 4*Pawn Chest, 2*Knight Chest, 2*Bishop Chest, 1*Rook Chest]

Their cheers almost overwhelm my emotions, so I close my eyes, smile, and take a small bow before retreating. Outside the mess hall, I take a deep breath before making my way to the workshops.

"Sir Ardacen?" a small reserved voice stops me and I turn.

Its another Infernus woman, probably full blooded, and she's leaning on a homemade crutch. There are memories of sharp metal running across her face accompanied by a weak smile. She is ruby red, with short, black horns that jut straight up. She has a patch over one eye, but the one visible eye is solid black and I gaze into it with concern.

"Yes, Miss?" I ask, trying to extend a hand to her, but she is hesitant.

"Oh, um, my name is Serenity and, um, I just wanted to, um, thank you personally. For eh-everything."

I smile warmly at her, "We are all going to get through this and become stronger for it."

"Um!" she stops me from turning, "I want to, um, help! If that's okay?"

"Of course!" I motion for her to follow, "How would you like to help?"

I slow my pace as she walks next to me, but I can tell she's had to use the crutch for a while by the way she comfortably handles it. "I can, um, use magic. But I'm not that good."

"What level are you?"

"Le-level five. My husband… he was much stronger, but…"

I give her a moment to finish her sentence, but she chooses not to. I thought of Dad. I thought of failure and what might become of Mom. Our walk is silent save for the tapping of our feet and her crutch.

"I'm sorry. Serenity. For your loss. For the way you've been treated and are still being treated."

My heart is aching, everyone here has a similar story and I feel such a strong responsibility towards them though I know I can only do so much. I don't know what else to say to her, but as I look over she is smiling and it is more than I can take. I didn't know if it should be possible. I didn't know if it could be possible. But the ache in my chest begged for release and when none came, I cursed the game in my head. There wasn't even the familiar feeling welling up behind my eyes and it only burned hotter in my chest. The thought of never accepting the invitation enters my mind…

No! I am not so weak as to crumble under this pressure! I've overcome the most infuriating costumers, sadistic supervisors, and hopeless situations and that was only at work! I've endured Dad's untimely death and Mom's hospitalization. I've been shunned by the community I love so much.

And now this! This! This is my second chance. All of these NPCs and the tragedies of their lives are not bricks of burden that I carry. They're hands at my back, pushing me forward toward my goal. I may have started with only one person in mind, but now there are others who give me purpose. And my purpose will not be denied.

Spoiler: Ardacen's Character Sheet

[Basic Info: Ardacen Winters__ Race | Subrace: Human | Custom

[Height/Weight: 5'9/165lbs

[Class | Subclass: Blue Mage 1

[Level: 11

[Experience: 2000| 3000

[Multiclass | Subclass:

[Artisan Job Classes: Cook 3 | Alchemist 1 |

[Copper/Silver/Gold/Platinum: 1185/403/120/2

[HP/MP/Stamina Regen Delay: 8sec/7sec/8sec

[HP/Max/RegenPerSec: 99/99/8

[MP/Max/RPS: 82/82/7

[Stamina/Max/RPS: 65/65/7

[Combat Modifiers

[Strength: 1+2

[Dexterity: 40+2

[Arcane: 31

[Faith: 1

[Defense Modifiers

[Agility: 41+11

[Armor: 25+2

[Willpower: 16+4]

[Main Hand: AWP Claw

[Durability: n/a

[Type/Range/Ammo: Dexterity/Melee/0

[Base/Modified Damage: 9/49

[Off Hand: AWP Claw

[Durability: n/a

[Type/Range/Ammo: Dex/Melee/0

[Base/Modified Damage: 9/49]

[Head: empty

[Durability:

[Armor:0

[Shoulders: Mantle of the Grey Wanderer 3/3

[Durability: 240/240

[Armor: 2

[Bonus:+2Dex, +2Will, +3HP Regen

[BodyOver: Simple Umbra Breastplate

[Durability: 110/110

[Armor: 6

[BodyUnder: Simple Cloth Tunic

[Durability: 80/80

[Armor: 1

[Arms: Simple Umbra Bracers

[Durability: 110/110

[Armor: 4

[Hands: Reinforced Cobra Gloves

[Durability: 110/110

[Armor: 2

[Bonus: +5% chance of inflicting poison

[LegsOver: Simple Umbra Greaves

[Durability: 110/110

[Armor: 5

[LegsUnder: Simple Cloth Pants

[Durability: 80/80

[Armor: 1

[Feet: Simple Umbra Boots

[Durability: 110/110

[Armor: 4]

[Face: Mask of the Grey Wanderer 3/3

[Bonus: +3Agi, +1Str, +1Armor, +3SP Regen

[Neck: empty

[Ear Right: empty

[Ear Left: empty

[Wrist Right: empty

[Wrist Left: Simple Bracelet of Storage

[Ring Right: Minor Ring of Storage

[Ring Left: empty

[Waist: Sash of the Grey Wanderer 3/3

[Bonus: +3Agi, +1 Str, +1Armor, +3MP Regen

[Spells: Arcane Bolt I, Assassinate, +Shadow Toxin]

[Skills: Minor Survival Craft III, Critical Stab I, +Wolf Senses, Stealth I, Echo Strike, Discipline/Tempest Palm I]

[Feats: Adaptibility, Varient Hunter I, War Party Leader I, +Alpha Wolf's Pride, +Swarm Tactics, Sonny View Analyzer]

[Major Quests: Protect Linqs Dungeon

[Minor Quests: Recycle]