We arrived at the walls of Talenille with no further trouble. The town’s resemblance to Laurel was remarkable. The only difference was that the surrounding landscape looked healthier and more diverse.

Depressed and bone weary, we approached the gates, thankful that our journey had come to an end. I still had enough about me to notice the guards, giving the triplets mistrustful stares as they brought us to a halt.

“State your business and your place of origin,” one of them snapped off sharply. We’d been silent for so long, concentrating on putting one foot in front of another, that it was an effort just to speak. I opened my dry mouth, but Remus got there first.

“Just passing through looking for beds for the evening. And we’re residents of Laurel,”

“You’ll be lucky finding beds,” the other guard sneered. “It’s the farmer’s market this week. All the inns are full. Better off, just keep walking, find a cave to sleep in. You’ll be right at home.”

Every bone in my tired body wanted to punch the asshole. Between the seven of us, I was sure we’d take the two of them despite the level twenty-eight signs above their heads. But we wouldn’t last long against their friends.

“I think we’ll chance our luck trying at the inn’s all the same,” I replied. “It seems pretty unusual that you’d know about the availability of all the inns in the town.”

“Talenille is a city, not a town,” the guard snapped. “And we’re well informed of such matters, so we may provide useful information to travelers. There is no room for you here, so keep walking,” He said it with finality and resumed his post as if we were no longer there.

“If that is the case, then we will visit the temple of Devotion and be on our way,” Mal said.

Both the guards looked incensed at his reply. I suspected they wouldn’t be able to block our entry to visit a temple.

“What business have you lot got at the Temple of Devotion?” He said, looking the scruffy Mal up and down.

“What business have you got asking these gentlemen about their habits of worship?” A female voice said from behind us. I spun to see Elsbeth there. I hadn’t even heard her arrive. But then, with a perception rating of five, that wasn’t a surprise.

The guards soon changed their attitudes when faced with the priestess. “We suspected they were using it as a ruse to enter the city, mi ‘lady.” One of them replied.

“And why would they need a ruse to enter? Is the city not open to all providing they give a point of origin?”

“It’s the half ogres. We have to be diligent about potential trouble makers. Ye, see?”

“No, I don’t see. I find this to be disgraceful. They have approached openly and in a non-threatening manner and you seek to reject them on the basis of their appearance. I will speak to your superiors about this interaction. It will not do to have weary travelers turned away from the safety of our towns and cities.”

The two guards looked deeply concerned at the threat, and I had a suspicion. Our denied entrance was purely a personal distaste for our group rather than any official sanction. I also groaned inwardly to be assisted by Elsbeth. It was embarrassing, but I couldn’t really do anything about it. I needed a damn bed and a good meal. We all did. After Daz’s death, we needed somewhere to recover a little.

The guard turned back to us. “The inns really are all busy. If you go to Boaker’s street you may find lodgings there, otherwise, you may have to leave the city again at nightfall. We do not permit vagrancy in Talenille.”

“They will find lodgings within the temple of Devotion, if there are no other options they prefer.” Elsbeth said, marching through the two dumfounded guards. Five of my companions looked at me questioningly. Boris was sniffing at something on the ground. With a sigh, I followed her through the gate.

Inside the walls, she turned to face us with a neutral expression. I was too tired to think of something to say. To argue or admit, I may have been too harsh on her. She wasn’t without blame for Daz still, but she’d been the one to make sure we’d ran, and the one to notice we’d fallen behind and bring everyone back. Even threatening Angelica’s life. In all honesty, it was her damage that had made the difference in our victory against the Saleel. So, with those thoughts running through my mind, I remained silent. Fuck it, someone else could deal with that awkward conversation.

“Whether you desire my company or not, I will continue to follow you from a distance until we meet with Natom Hilgresh. If I see you are in danger and I can assist, I will assist. I do this for Devotion and will not be swayed from my duty.

I will go to the Temple, now. You are welcome to come with me, or you can attempt to find your own lodgings. If there are none, then please come to the temple. Do not suffer for stubborn pride. There is still a long road ahead of you.”

I waited for someone to reply. They all looked at me again. And they really shouldn’t have. Because Elsbeth was right about one thing, I would always suffer for stubborn pride, and I was too tired to deal with the shame of admitting fault.

“I don’t wish to impose on you further than we already have. We’ll go check this Boaker street out first and if we must, we’ll come to the Temple.” Then, through gritted teeth, I added, “Thank you for your help to enter the city.”

I think I’d put her off guard with the thanks, and she fumbled over a reply. “You… are welcome. I wish for your continued safety as you travel.”

There was an awkward silence until Joel intervened. “Well, we best find this Boaker street before it gets dark.”

“Yup,” Mal said. “It’s down this way. Follow me,” he beckoned and set off into the city. Not sure how to leave it with Elsbeth, I gave her a respectful nod and headed off after my friends.

Evidently Boaker’s street was party central in Talenille, and farmers partied hard. Even though we heard the revelry before Mal led us onto the street, it didn’t prepare us for the scene.

Shouting, screaming, laughing, and fighting as far as the eye could see and it was only late afternoon. Bars lined either side with packed with drunken stumbling patrons.

“What kinda farmer’s market is this?” I heard Joel mutter.

“Don’t look like we’ll be getting much sleep tonight,” Mal noted as we forged on through the crowds. Tracy went first, comfortably clearing a path for us. Until she came across an equally massive and rather belligerent reveler. She’d caused him to spill a few drops of his ale, which didn’t go down very well. With an unsteady movement, he turned to face her, thrusting an aggressive finger in her face.

“You owe me a drink, ye bastard,” he slurred.

Tracy delivered a wicked uppercut that sent the gigantic man up onto his toes, then onto his back. He was finished, but the surrounding people instantly erupted into a sea of violence. Back home, we would have had a chance to come out with a few bruises. In this world, we were going to get killed very quickly if we didn’t get out. Everyone was just so much more powerful than us. The average Joe was a level fifteen. Our options were to run, and the nearest bar didn’t seem like a wise choice.

Our main saving grace, apart from the triplets actively protecting us, was that the crowd wasn’t targeting us specifically. It was every man or small group for themselves.

We made it back out of the crush. Mal was eying me. “Temple?”

I let out a long sigh. “I really didn’t want to, have to.”

Joel slapped me on the back. “I’m going to the temple. I’ve thought about it and it’s stupid to blame the priestess. If I blame anyone, it’s that fucking dark elf. She knew there were people after her. Probably why she wanted to go cross country rather than the roads. She was the first to spot it, the first to run, and the last to come back. Miserable cow was trouble from the start. I’d say I’d kick her arse next time I see her, but we don’t even know what she looks like.”

“You’re gonna kick the level 26 Dark Elf Assassin with a massive baboon familiar’s ass?” Mal said, dryly as we trudged to Talenille’s temple of Devotion.

“I’ll find a way, even if I have to get the triplets to soften her up first,” he replied thoughtfully.

To my vast irritation, Elsbeth was waiting for us at the entrance. Not that I was irritated with her as such. More at ourselves, for slinking back with our tails between our legs.

“Were there no rooms available?” She asked lightly.

I refrained from answering, hoping that one of my friends might answer this time. But nope, it was Tracy, and that wasn’t a good thing.

“Big fight in the street. These three too squishy,” she said pointing at us. “Had to run away to save them.”

Fucking great. I thought.

Elsbeth smiled tightly at the explanation and gestured us to follow. We walked in silence for a while, passing other priestesses and servants on our way.

“Hey,” Joel said. “How is there only priestesses? Where’s all the dudes?”

“Few men follow the path of Devotion. As a whole, most men follow male gods, and most women follow female Gods.”

“Huh. Makes sense, I suppose. Seems a bit mad if you like what another god’s offering, though,” Joel replied.

“Indeed. My advice would always be to understand what each God represents and then follow the one that resonates with you. After that, I would choose by what powers they can bestow on their chosen.”

“Is there a way to find out what all the gods and the powers they give are?” Mal asked. “Also, are the powers relevant to your level, or could I get a power straight away if I swore to a god?”

“To obtain power from the gods, it is not enough to simply follow. You must swear binding oaths and be chosen first. To do that, you must show willingness to spread the message of that God, through word and through deed. Once you are chosen, the powers granted are tiered to your level of standing with the God in question. There are books that hold the information you seek. You will find one relating to the goddess of Devotion in your quarters. It is not exhaustive, as we retain much of the church's knowledge for those bound by oaths.”

“Thanks, I might have a look through,” Mal said simply, and spoke no more about it.

We came to a stop and Elsbeth directed us into our communal quarters for the evening. As we filed in, she gently caught my arm as I passed.

“Please, may we speak?” Her voice was soft, her expression troubled.

I shook my head. “No. Too tired, too angry, too… devastated about Daz. I have nothing positive to say to you tonight.”

She looked crestfallen and began to move away. “We can talk on the walk tomorrow. You just have to promise to stand with us if anything nasty shows up. Being faster than us at running away isn’t an excuse.”

She turned, not smiling, but I sensed relief. “I’m sorry for your loss and I promise, I will stand with you.”

“Good,” I replied wearily, and closed the thick wooden door.

“She joining with us again, then?” Joel asked.

“Vote on it,” I replied, stifling a yawn, and moving to one of the vacant beds. The room we’d entered had ten beds spaced evenly around the room. It looked like a medieval hospital ward. There was a large wooden table at the end, with chairs all around it and a large fire roaring in the hearth. The temperature hadn’t been cold, but the fire offered a kind of comfort that I appreciated.

Laying down on my bed, I meditated on reducing the flow of Neuma into my cursed arm first. For some reason, it was noticeably more difficult to manipulate. I decided I was too tired to worry about it tonight. I did what I could and resolved to sort it out properly in the morning. For now, I intended to stare blankly into the flames for as long as I could. It was better than half the shite I watched on TV, in all fairness.

When Mal spoke, it jolted everyone out of our individual stupors.

“If she’s gonna be following us, anyway, she might as well walk with us. As long as she doesn’t run off and leave us again.”

“Only running to rocky area where Saleel unable to dig through.” Remus said. “Fight was going to happen there, to make it easier for us.”

“Which is great when you're speedy Gonzales,” Joel pointed out. “But no good for the likes of us.”

“I could have made it,” Mal said. “Pretty sure Clive would have been close too.”

“What you trying to say?” Joel bristled.

“I’m saying we’re slow. I’m saying you and Daz got rat-arsed, which made you even slower. Then there're the weapons he bought. The stupid fucking sword, chest plate and helmet that he could barely stand up straight in,” Mal sighed. “Look, I know why Daz chose what he did and none of us knew that fucking thing was going to appear. Except the damn dark elf. But if we’re going to survive, we need to make good decisions. Yeah, the people with us let us down big style, but we don’t always help ourselves either. Continuing on without the priestess isn’t a good fucking decision if something like that shows up again and it isn’t going to bring Daz back, either. Mistakes were made all round, but I wanna survive this.”

Mal’s words surprised me, but they also resonated with my own thoughts. We did need to get through this. Deep down, the only person I really blamed was myself for dragging them all into this. But for those same reasons, I had to make sure my remaining friends survived. I noticed Joel nodding, too.

“So she’s coming?”

Mal and Joel nodded. The triplets did too.

“It’s agreed then. God, what a shitty day,” I groaned, lying back on the bed.

No one spoke much after that. I could see the haunted looks on the faces of my friends. I knew like me they’d be reliving Daz’s death over and over again.

It happened so quickly and unexpectedly and half of me expected we’d all go the same way.

As I lay there trying to think of the good times, I’d had with him my mind kept flipping back to his final moments. In the end I just tried to stop thinking altogether it didn’t work. And when I imagined having to go visit his family and explain, the tears finally came. I slammed my pillow over my face praying that sleep would take me soon.