When I wake up I find Belinda lying on top of me wearing nothing but a sexy pair of panties. My shirt is gone, my pants are still on, but they are on loosely as they have been untied. I couldn’t of… But when I think about it I then recall being in the thralls of passion with Belinda, and it was quite invigorating.

When I start to move she opens her eyes she looks up with a bright smile and I am lost in the deep ocean blue of her eyes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean…”

Belinda: “Shhhh, don’t be. Nothing happened, but even if it did it would have been alright.”

“But I vividly remember…”

Belinda: “Then that’s even better than if we actually did, because if you are remembering it I promise you it wasn’t last night.”

Belinda then starts to get out of bed and I catch myself staring so I quickly turn my head. Even just the sound of her sliding on her clothes is enough to make my heart race.

“I’m sorry.”

Belinda: “its ok I promise I can wait as long as you need me to, but after what we went through the first time I want you to know. As soon as you are ready, I promise so am I.”

She then quickly changes the subject.

Belinda: “Well I better not make Logan and Amy wait to long, and better send them home while you get ready. We got a long day ahead after all.”

Belinda then leaves the room leaving me to my thoughts. If we didn’t have sex last night what is it I am remembering…? The more I think about it the more I remember of it, and I realize it isn’t even just one instance.

What Two-Twelve and Belinda shared was quite intense… It’s enough that it makes what I shared with Listel seem paltry in comparison. The more I try to push it to the side the more it fills my mind. I am forced to so something by what Listel once said I have never done before, and release the tension myself.

It doesn’t stop me from thinking about it, but it’s enough that I can at least focus. I then finish getting dressed and then head downstairs. I make it downstairs just in time to see Logan and Amy off while Logan looks to Aria standing next to Doug and winks to him patting him on the shoulder.

Logan: “Two-Twelve take care of yourself, and if it’s not too much trouble take care of my baby sis while you’re at it.”

Belinda hits him on the shoulder and they then depart though [Gate]. After Belinda returns we then go get Azami and then return to the Ruined Colosseum Dungeon. It is a little out of the way from Exelka, but it’s still closer then traveling from Exolian to Exelka. We try to steer clear from the dungeon as much as possible as we make our way northeast.

Continuing on our way we get awfully close to the Exeter/Lodia border, enough so that we encounter a few wondering groups of undead. They don’t prove to be of any difficulty but it allows me to try out the [Ring of the Faceless].

Unfortunately I find that the ring won’t work the way I wanted it to. My only other option is the [Ring of Second Life] but I am not sure how I want to use it. I think if I change too much it will be obvious to the elders, but if I change to little it might not work at all.

The [Ring of Second Life] was far from the most expensive of the rings so if I have to summon another it shouldn’t be too big of a deal, so when I set the altered Identity I don’t change anything. I message the bunnies and unfortunately not only are all of my adventurer IDs blank but also my Dungeon Core Information page is blank as well.

When we encounter another group of undead I find this ring at least allows me to acquire xp, but with my Dungeon Core Information page blank it won’t be much difference then using the cuff except that the elders will find out I was able to replicate it. I at least now know the [Fake Identity] enchantment is the one I need to work with further.

Having to keep an eye out for the undead and dealing with them slows us down quite a bit and even though we haven’t managed to gather much in the ways of xp it has taken us two weeks of travel and I am still unsure how much further Exelka is.

We have however had a bit of a spike in xp being obtained in the dungeon as the new mythril swords really seem to be doing their jobs. Even after a warning was placed at the Tobes adventurer’s guild about no groups going after the swords have returned, but there is still at least one group a day that tries.

The bunnies told me one group tried to replace the mythril sword with one of their own but luckily the weight was off enough it didn’t reset the trap, but just yesterday one single adventurer from a group of 7 made it out after they put the mythril sword back on the holder.

Now that the secret of how the trap works is out, they will be thinking up ways to bypass it before entering the dungeon. While in panic mode you don’t think clearly but now it might not be long till they figure out a way.

The groups are still avoiding the dragon and the griffon only going after the swords in the other rooms, and they have killed enough of the smaller monsters in the room to be a bit of a problem so I instructed the bunnies to replace the smaller monsters with rifts while leaving the larger ones without for now.

With spring in full swing we finally reach Exelka, although you wouldn’t be able to tell from the way it looks. At least in Tobes the flowers are blooming quite nicely.

Exelka looks much like Exolian, but on just a grander scale, that and of course the large well-fortified castle at the crown of the city. With how close the Exeter adventurer’s guild is to figuring out how to make Gowen Communication Parchment, Logan told Belinda if she could get Exeter as a Gowen ally that she could share the secret with them.

That allowed Belinda to get a meeting with one of the Queen’s council, but not with the Queen herself. We are hoping at least meeting with the councilman, and he could tell us something we can do to allow us to meet with the Queen.

Councilman: “Greetings, you must Belinda Gowen, and this is your husband correct?”

Belinda: “That is correct. He was the one that uncovered the secret of the Gowen Communication Parchment, and we have been granted the permission to share it with your kingdom if you would join an alliance with us.”

Councilman: “You couldn’t understand how happy it made us to do just that, but I assume that means you would want our assistance with your current conflict with Longolia?”

Belinda: “Even a small amount of assistance would be appreciated, but just knowing that you are our allies would create quite the advantage, as Exeter is known for its strength in battle.”

Councilman: “We have our hands currently quite full with the undead encroaching on our borders, and Dailian never ceases in trying to find weaknesses in our northern border.”

Belinda: “If your troops are tied up, I can understand, but as I said just to count you as an ally might be enough to help sway Longolia.”

The councilman looks a little troubled.

Councilman: “Our biggest concern is you already have quite a few allies as it is, and none of them were offered quite a deal as you have placed on us. If it were just the military strength Adra or Merretta would be a far better choice to make this offer to then our small kingdom.”

Belinda: “I assure you that is all we ask, although if meeting with the queen was possible I would like to speak with her.”

Councilman: “The Queen meets with very few, leaving the matters of state up to us, but we will take it under advisement and get back with you.”

Belinda: “Then before we go is there something we could do that may sway the Queen into allowing us an audience?”

Councilman: “Unfortunately I believe even if your proposal is accepted meeting with the Queen would be quite difficult, you see she only speaks to those of great strength.”

Belinda: “My husband and I are both heroes though. My husband has destroyed 4 dungeons is that not enough?”

Councilman: “It is a good start, but I am unsure even that would be enough.”

Belinda: “I understand… Thank you for your time.”

After being escorted out of the castle Belinda apologizes.

Belinda: “I’m sorry I feel I didn’t do a good enough job, because we are no closer to the sword.”

“I’m curious. He seemed quite excited about the prospect of gaining the Gowen communication parchment, but after hearing the terms he seemed troubled.”

Belinda: “That’s my fault as well… I shouldn’t have offed it in the beginning working up to the communication parchment. We basically asked for nothing but offered so much now he is asking himself why… I should have asked for troops. If we offered this kind of deal to Adra or Merretta I could have easily asked for enough troops to crush Longolia, but when he said how thin they were stretched I didn’t want a small village somewhere to be lost because the troops guarding it were dispatched to Gowen.”

“Well regardless we at least got our foot in the door now.”

Belinda: “After what happened in Longolia, Logan shouldn’t have trusted me with something like this…”

“Quit beating yourself up over it, because like you said Exeter is close to figuring it out on their own, so worst case is they say no and eventually figure it out themselves.”

Belinda: “Well that is far from worst case… but let’s go with that.”

They said they would contact us when they had an answer so we have to stick around for a while. Knowing politics it could take hours or days, so we find a nice inn. After getting that squared away we meet back up with the others and decide to hit the adventurer’s guild district.

In Exolian it there were a small handful of Mythril swords, but here it’s not uncommon for a shop to have at least 1 mythril weapon on display. There is even a suit of armor made from a material that looks like a cross of dwarven and that copper stuff our dwarf Katie likes to use.

“What is that?”

Shop owner: “I see you have a good eye. That is orichalcum.”

“I’ve never heard of it before.”

Shop owner: “it’s a premium dwarven metal I would say it is the dwarven equivalent to mythril but it is much harder to come by.”

Belinda: “If it’s so rare how do you have an entire suit of armor made from it?”

Shop owner: “That is where it shines really, and making it into a weapon would waste its potential. You don’t see much armor made from mythril because they can make a handful of weapons and make far more money, but where a mythril sword would be sharper orichalcum armor would be far harder. That’s what makes it so rare you have to have enough to make a large heavy armor for it to be worth it.”

“Have you ever heard of adamantium?”

Shop owner: “Ah, you’re talking about the Exeter seal? As far as I have ever heard that is the only item ever forged from it.”

Belinda: “What about the hero Dyson’s armor?”

Shop owner: “Mere legend I am sure. The amount of adamantium to make a sword was a onetime thing, so I am sure the armor described in Dyson’s legends couldn’t possibly exist.”

After looking around a bit more we leave.

“I guess that explains why Dyson wants the sword now.”

Belinda: “If that sword really is one of a kind like that shop owner said, I don’t know if the queen will ever even let us get near it…”

I then continue to looking around for the rest of the day, before retiring to the inn. Even by morning we still haven’t heard from the castle.

“What should we do today? I would hate to just sit here in town for days or weeks for them to make up their minds.”

But almost as if it was a response to my comment we are approached, and told that we are wanted back at the castle. Belinda seems to be getting a bit nervous as we make our way back to the castle.

“What is there to worry about?”

Belinda: “That is what we said last time we went to the castle of a foreign kingdom, and look how that turned out.”

“Surely our luck couldn’t be that bad twice in a row.”

Belinda: “I hope your right…”

Once we arrive at the castle we are greeted by the same councilman as before and he now looks extremely tired, and uneasy.

Belinda: “Are you alright?”

Councilman: “Yes, yes. I wish I had a better answer to give you but unfortunately we still haven’t reached a response to your request.”

“Then why call us all the way back?”

Councilman: “After the Queen heard you wanted to meet with her, and that you have destroyed 4 dungeons she decided to grant your other request… She would like to meet with you.” –This seems to make the councilman even more uneasy.-

Belinda: “That’s wonderful!”

Councilman: “…Well if your offer is still on the table after your meeting with the queen I promise we will give it further consideration.”

The councilman then bows and leaves the room. We are left to wait for a while and Belinda is starting to grow more and more uncomfortable.

Belinda: “If they try to separate us this time I say we [Gate] straight home! I don’t like the way the councilman was acting.”

“I would say you are worrying to much, but I guess after last time you have the right to be…”

Eventually a guard enters the room causing Belinda to jump.

Guard: “Follow me, the Queen will see you now.”

Passing though the hallways the amount of guards slowly increases causing even more tension in Belinda, so I lightly grasp her hand. We then come to a large door that takes two guards to open it. The door is reinforced with quite a few latches and catches. I think if my small earth dragon hit that door as hard as it could it would barely react.

The room inside is quite large, but it is also quite bare. At the far end of the room is a simple throne with a woman in a large bellowing peach colored dress. Behind the throne is a large decretive display, and in the center of it is a sword. The look of the sword matches Dyson’s armor to a tee so it has to be what he is after.

After entering the door is closed and several guards quickly begin to latch the door causing Belinda to start to panic.

Once making it in front of the throne, we quickly bow and show respect and I am able to get a better look at the Queen. The woman in front of us makes it hard for me to believe her warrior queen title. She is the very image of what you would think of in a Queen.

She is a mature beauty with long blond hair that has been excessively curled, She sits on the throne in her puffy peach colored dress what a displeasured look on her face. She leans back in her chair and I assume she crosses her legs but with how puffy the dress is it is quite hard to tell.

The Queen: “This is the 4 time dungeon killer? They couldn’t have been very large dungeons.”

“I’m sorry I don’t meet your expectations.”

The Queen: “And a kiss ass at that… I heard you both arrived looking for an alliance with Exeter?”

Belinda: “Yes ma’am…”

Belinda however is quickly silenced by the queen raising her hand.

The Queen: “Fine you might be a disappointment, but it may be entertaining none the less. How about this? I will personally hear your argument for joining an alliance with the kingdom of Gowen, but your audience will only last as long as you can hold your own against me.”

“I’m sorry?”

The Queen: “Fight me.”

I look around the room at all the guards.

The Queen: “Don’t worry about them. It will just be you and me. If you can convince me to join in an alliance with Gowen before you can no longer fight I will join, if not I won’t even ask for the secret of the communication parchment, and you can just go on your way.”

I look back at Belinda slightly confused.

The Queen: “Looking to your woman for permission, never a good sign.”

“What are the rules?”

The Queen: “No rules, you won’t be able to beat me so I guess your win would be convincing me to join an alliance, and I get to have a bit of fun so I win either way.”

The queen then stands and several attendants move forward. One takes the crown from her head and along with it the long blond curls her actual hair is sandy blond much like my own and barely an inch in length.

A few more attendants start to unzip her dress and she steps out of it. Out from the dress she is wearing simple leather armor, not even black leather but just run of the mill leather and it’s very little at that. Instead of the Queen like appearance she just stepped out of she now looks like a barbarian warrior with strong muscles and lots of exposed skin.

The Queen: “So what is your preferred weapon of choice, or are you a mage? Perhaps a staff?”

“Just a sword would be fine.”

The queen motions and one of the guards pulls his sword tossing it to the queen she looks it over and tosses it to me. It isn’t anything fancy but it is at least made from dark steel.

The Queen: “Whenever you are ready to try to convince me we will start.”

I swing the sword a few times to get used to its weight. “Alright then…”

Before I can say another word she lunges forward, before I have a change she has my wrist in one hand and my neck in the other as she tosses me across the room and I slide a few feet. The speed in which she moves is still slow enough for me to follow, but not enough for me to do much else.

Belinda: “Two-Twelve!”

The Queen: “You haven’t even said more than two words, is that all you have?”

While still on the ground I focus my magic and bring up a wall made of solid stone between us. “The proposition…” Is the most that comes from my mouth before the stone shatters and I feel myself grappled and tossed again.

If stone won’t work what about fire. Focusing my magic again a wall of flames appears between us. “Is quite simple…” But that to fails as her speed alone snuffs the flames and I crash into the floor some 30 feet away sliding along the floor again.

So far she isn’t even hurting me. The impact hurts a little, but with my hp it’s not even noticeable. Is she just toying with me? After a few more spells that she manages to bypass and several more tosses, the most I have gotten out about the joining in an alliance is.

”The proposition is quite simple, Join with Gowen and you get the communication parchment in return we don’t have to worry about you turning up on the other side.”

The Queen: “That seems like quite the nice deal for us, so that has left the entire council racking their brains all night just what secret plan you are cooking up.”

“Honestly that is all there…” –Through the air I go again.-

This is actually giving me an idea. I might be able to kill two birds with one stone… I quickly check my surrounding and then side step a few times.

“Is too it….” –This time when I am tossed I land next to the throne and I us it to pull myself back up.-

The Queen: “No hidden agenda? No secret plan? And for what is no more than a promise of no hostility we get the secret of the Gowen communication parchment?”

“Well, what’s your answer?” –This time I make an effort to dodge and swing the sword.-

It worked about how I expected, and this time when I am thrown I drop the sword and stop sliding when I crash into the wall. I pull myself to my feet while sending Belinda a message. She looks on confused for a second and then nods.

When I see she is ready I reach behind me pulling the sword from the wall. All the guards quickly start to draw their swords but the queen raises her hand and they stop.

The Queen: “I did say no rules. It looked like you were up to something, but do you really think the sword will really make all that much of a difference? You haven’t even come close to hitting me with one yet.”

I start to charge forward and right as I start to see The Queen take action I use the [Blink] spell and at the same time Belinda casts [Gate]. I hit the ground tumbling across the dungeon core room. As the bunnies quickly call out I quickly store the sword.

Belinda’s PoV

I have been watching for five minutes now while the queen tosses Two-Twelve like a ragdoll. She has not even made any attempts to hurt him, but tossing him around a bit. The first time it seems the impact actually hurt Two-Twelve a bit was when he went sliding into the wall.

As he pulls himself to his feet I receive a message. “Prepare a [Gate] spell to the dungeon core room, as soon as I start running cast it directly in front of you, the instant I am through it dispel it. Whatever you do, don’t follow me though.” What is it he is planning on doing? As he stands however I notice, he is directly in front of the sword. I quickly start to prepare [Gate].

After pulling the sword from the wall and The Queen’s comment Two-Twelve begins to run. I release the spell and in an instant Two-Twelve covers the entire room sliding into the portal, and I instantly close it. I hope he knows what he is doing because every guard in the room quickly draws their weapons.

The Queen: “Nobody move!”

Guard: “But my queen, he fled with the sword of Exeter!”

The Queen: “Why wouldn’t the princess step through as well if the sword was truly their goal…?”

The Queen shows the first bit of worry and she looks around the room carefully.

The Queen: “What is it he is planning…”

The longer that time passes and there is no sign of Two-Twelve the more nervous everyone gets including myself… Thankfully a portal opens on the far side of the room, but instead of Two-Twelve a massive boulder comes though it crashing onto the floor and as quick as it appears the portal closes again.

Queen: “Everyone to against the walls now!”

Every guard rushes to the wall, and even I run to the nearest one. The Queen however stands in the middle of the room looking around with sweat on her brow and a huge smile plastered on her face.

The next time a portal appears a tornado rips though the room and the queen quickly jumps over grabbing a few guards tossing them to safety, and like it appeared the portal and tornado disappear.

It happens several times but each time is a different effect. First the boulder, then the tornado, next was a massive amount of snow, then lava pours out from the last obliterating the throne and causing the rocks and tiles to crack and break.

Two-Twelve must be using a massive amount of magic… Is he going to be able to keep this up? The next portal that opens just stays there with nothing happening… Once that portal closes several of the guards begin to panic.

I then receive a message. (Where is she right now?) And I quickly reply.

(Directly in the center of the room.)

This time a portal opens directly above the queen’s head and before she can react Two-Twelve comes flying through it swinging the sword while fully equipped in his armor. Unable to dodge the queen tries to block but the pitch black sword slices clean though it like it isn’t even there.

She spins kicking Two-Twelve in the chest and he crashes to the floor and the guards quickly begin to move. She quickly pulls her belt wrapping it around the bleeding stub just below her elbow.

The Queen: “I said nobody move!”

Guard: “My queen…”

Two-Twelve pulls himself back to his feet tossing the pitch black sword at the queen, and then drawing his own mythril sword. The queen catches the sword with her remaining hand.

The Queen: “Alright then I guess I should take you seriously after all.”

I have never seen Two-Twelve fight with such voracity… It’s almost scary. The queen takes a defensive stance while Two-Twelve jumps, dodges, and [Blink]s around each time she manages to block the blow of his sword.

Eventually he makes a mistake and the queen takes advantage of it knocking Two-Twelve’s sword from his hand holding hers up to his neck.

The Queen: “I win…” –She breaths out between deep breaths her face pale.-

Two-Twelve: “I submit.” –He says then bends down picking up his sword and sheathing it.- “Belinda, come quick and heal her arm. I am just about out of magic…”

I quickly rush over and begin casting the strongest healing magic I know.

Two-Twelve’s Pov

As I stand back watching Belinda heal the queen’s wound, watching the bone and muscle reform on the queen’s arm looks rather painful… I hope I didn’t go too far.

“I’m sorry about your throne room, and your arm.”

The Queen: “Nonsense, I was the one that said no rules. I should be thanking you for letting me live.”

“What are you talking about? You won.”

The Queen: “You could have easily taken my head instead of my arm, then you gave me the sword of Exeter keeping the other for yourself, and I am not all that confident you didn’t make that mistake on purpose to let me win.”

“You give me too much credit… I really did my best.”

The Queen: “Well I guess even an old gal like me can still learn a thing or two. You really had me going when you took the sword and ran. I figured you wouldn’t leave your princess behind, but I really started to think you took the sword and ran. That was all part of the plan wasn’t it? You left her behind to be your eyes, and took the sword so I would be focused on it instead of her.”

“Who’s to say, so about the alliance with Exeter and Gowen…”

The queen laughs as she twists her wrist around now that Belinda has finished with healing her. “Forgot about that part way though didn’t you? Well if you really were trying to do something underhanded then you could have just taken my life and kingdom, so I will take you at your word and accept the proposal.”

“Thank you.”

Belinda: “There is a catch to the communication parchment however.”

The Queen: “There always is.”

Belinda: “What I mean to say is we wish to keep it as secret as possible, and we are willing to tell you and only you how. The only exception would be a royal attendant under pact.”

The Queen: “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

The throne room is quite the mess to the queen leads us to another room to talk, and we work out the finer details.

The Queen: “Something like the Gowen communication parchment being something so simple. I do see why you were willing to trade the information to us so easily though. With the unique way we do commissions we were practically making it already.”

Belinda: “That’s why I didn’t want to push for too much or after you learned about it you might have backed out of the deal completely.”

The Queen: “Well even without our assistance, if you two put your minds to it all I can say is Faron help whoever stands in your way.”

After talking to the queen for a bit longer Belinda and I then are excused and we head back to the others before retreating back home. I didn’t look earlier as I was in too much of a hurry but I look up the sword in [Menu]

Adamantium Sword* Cost: 75,000xp

* Items must be of at least master quality. Base price does not include quality cost.

That means bare minimum the sword costs 600,000xp if Dyson wants it as legendary quality like his armor that would be 3,750,000xp. For a single sword, that’s far too rich for our blood. I decide to send Dyson a message.

“Guess what I can summon now.”