Jaslyn gave Cassandra and Dominit a tour of the small village she made her home. There wasn’t much but it was slowly expanding as one of the nearest villages to the forest. It gave weary travelers a place to rest and gather as well as resupply before trying to cross the forest. Then she led them to her home.

It was a quaint one story building with five rooms. A living room where you entered the house. There was a long couch and a couple rocking chairs. A dining room around the corner with a kitchen attached to it. There was a long table in the dining room with six chairs around it.

One on each end and two on each side. The kitchen was divided from the dining room by a large stone slab to rest pots and pans after cooking with them. There was a small space in between the slab and the wall allowing one to pass from one room to the other.

Pots and pans hung from wooden pegs sticking from the kitchen walls. A few blades and cooking utensils were also being held on the walls. In the center was a cooking pit dug into the ground with stones lining it with a large iron cauldron hanging above it.

And a large chilly box of metal in the corner. “No way they have fridges?” She explained the box’s inside was enchanted to cool things while the outside was enchanted to ward off heat. Another room was filled with weapons.

Jaslyn explained her boyfriend was the village blacksmith. He enjoyed making things so there were always extra weapons that couldn’t be stored at the smithy. The other two rooms were bed rooms although Jaslyn shared a room with her boyfriend she gave the other room to Saber and Stella.

Dominit chuckled when he’d heard that. She frowned thinking he was going to tell her what everyone else did that they weren’t humans so quite treating them like it. He just smiled and scratched the massive tiger behind his ear. After finishing the tour she went back to the kitchen to prepare an evening meal for the three of them when the front door was violently thrown open.

“Jasy? Sweetheart where are you?” It was a lout booming voice and then the man came into view. He was an impressive six foot seven with a military buzz cut of black hair. The peculiar thing was that down the center of his hair was a red stripe. He wasn’t ripped as one would expect from a blacksmith but more of a lean muscle. The kind you’d see an Olympic athlete have suggesting he was far faster than his size led one to believe.

He was a Beastkin similar to Cassy but instead of cat ears and tail it was replaced with a dogs. He even had a wild bushy tail which also had the red stripe through it. Seeing Jaslyn he rushed forward and picked her up in a bear hug. Twirling around while dragging her off the ground.

“Oh honey I was so worried when your scheduled caravan didn’t come in. I tried to go out and find you put the watchmen wouldn’t let me.” She giggled at him and placed her hand on his face. “It’s ok Justin I’m alright thanks to them.” He gingerly places her back on the ground and for the first time realizes they weren’t alone.

Cassy and Dominit shook his hand when he thanked them for protecting her. Jaslyn then went back to cooking while telling Justin about her harrowing experience. He choked up while listening and hugged her again. He was a gentle giant to her and it was something that reminded Dominit about Matt and Jess which caused a tear to leave his eye that no one saw.

Jaslyn took the time after her explanation to chase Justin out of the kitchen and ask Cassy to help prepare the meal. While the two were busy Justin motioned for Dominit to follow him towards the weapon room. After entering the room Justin shut the door and stuck his hand out one more time.

“Listen Dominit I don’t know you but I wanted to thank you again for saving my beloved. If anything happened to her I’m don’t sure what I’d do.” Dominit smiled and shook his hand. Finishing up with his show of emotion Justin then began to look through the weapon piles that littered the room.

“What exactly are you looking for?” Justin looked back and said that every good deed show be rewarded. After routing through the pile he produced two strange leather armors one for his thigh and another for his shoulder. He handed them to Dominit. Not knowing what they were for Dominit took them then looked at them strangely.

“You’ve got absolutely no idea what I just gave you do you?” Dominit coughed and tried to fake it. Justin not buying it explained that they were throwing knife holsters. Each on had ten small leather sheaths attached. “Thank you this will come in handy but I’ll need to buy some throwing knives before it’s going to be too useful.

Justin looked at him like he was from another world which of course he was. “No you won’t. This type of holster was created for spell-blades. I’m not much of a leather worker but I traded a man these for a shoddy steel sword he wanted. There are special warriors called spell blades. They are more the stuff of legends now but there used to be tons of them roaming the lands.”

“You focus your natural magic into the body part these are strapped to and throwing knives will begin to form. No need to buy and restock or try and find blades you sent careening of to gods know where. Although it takes a lot of practice and will tire you out if you can’t maintain a steady flow of mana to keep the knives from dispersing.”

“Of course if you find a mage who for a price can enchant them to collect natural mana for your surroundings you will never have to worry about it. Or you know you can’t use magic then yeah you’d need it enchanted. Sorry but you can use magic right?” Dominit nodded he could. “Ok perfect then you’ll just need to practice. After we eat you can have your lady friend put it on for you.”

He smiled as he said the last part which caused Dominit to look at him in a funny manner. “Yeah pretty sure “that” is the last thing she’d think of me after what I did to her father.” He coughed and they left the room just in time for Jaslyn to small head first into Justin chest. “Ow lunch is ready you two.” She said rubbing her forehead.

Over the course of the next several hours they began to talk and act as if they’d been friends for a long time who had just been away. As night settled in Jaslyn yawned and told everyone good night while slowly trudging of to her and Justin’s room. “Ha she completely forgot to show you two where you’re going to be sleeping tonight.”

Justin got up from the table and walked to Saber and Stella’s room. He then changed the bedding to something a little less fur covered before telling them goodnight and walking to his room with Saber in tow. Saber laid down just outside of the door to protect his family from any dangers the night might hold.

Cassy closed the door to their room and looked at the bed then to Dominit blushing fiercely. She began to undress and Dominit made for the door telling her he’d sleep on the couch. After opening the door a crack her hand came up and closed it. He turned around to see she’d gotten out of her armor and pants with only white linen underwear and a bra on before coming over to him.

“Look we haven’t talked about what happened back at my home at all these past weeks.” Dominit scowled “I was hoping we could avoid it for the foreseeable future to but I guess I’m not that lucky.” She sighed looked down and took his hand from the door handle taking him towards the bed.

“I know it’s not something I want you to relive but I need to tell you something.” He nodded and sat next to her on the bed. “In my culture the way to become king is to be the strongest warrior. It isn’t like the other kingdoms where bloodline determines your standing. If someone challenges the current king to a fight or he does them if the king loses the winner has the right to the throne.”

“Around a three hundred years ago my family was dethroned by a ruthless warlord who only wanted to conquer the four nations. After defeating my great grandfather in unarmed combat he took my great grandmother as his own. She could do nothing as the king’s word was absolute no matter how awful.” She motioned to herself.

“What you see in me is the drop of blood he put into my family. After my great grandfather killed him by challenging him to a fight to the death. After succeeding he was going to kill the child, my grandfather, which my grandmother had birthed. He stayed his hand only through the counselling of his wife that the babe had done no wrong and that life was too precious to send to the void in such a way.”

“My grandfather was raised as her own child the king however still felt anger at the child. After a few years he was a big brother. He vowed he’d do everything in his power to keep his little brother alive. Years passed and a great calamity happened. The church of the void attacked with a strength and ferocity the world had never seen.”

“My grandfather died that day but he died a hero. His wife pregnant at the time stayed with his brother to keep them both safe. That day he’d killed hundreds of enemies that tried to harm his family finally driving them out of Fierane. He succumbed to the wounds he had accumulated through the battle. On his death bed he asked his brother to take care of his wife and child. He promised he would and took his brother’s wife as his queen in name only and child as his heir. That was my father.”

“Being raised as the son of an unwanted child he was despised by his grandfather. Thus trained to one day be like his real father and become the hero his father had been. After growing up thinking strength was all you needed to live a good life he treated any one he believed weaker than him horribly.”

My mother saw this and challenged him for the right to rule. She only lost due to falling unconscious a moment before him. Recognizing her strength and will he began to court her showing a much gentler side no one knew about him. And now here I am with the man who by rights should be my ruler as well as my master.” She flashes him her seal.

“My mother once told me I was very much like her and that strength was one of the most attractive things about my father before getting to know him. I now understand a little of what she meant. After you saved me I guessed you were just a deserter but you saved me.”

“Emma told me about how you saved her as well. Coupled together with defeating the strongest person in all of Blazen in less than a minute. My heart couldn’t handle what I had seen. Now I know after weeks of deciding and those days we spent with Jasy confirmed how I feel about you.”

“I’m not sure if it’s love or not but I’m interested in you. The thought of you being with someone else drives me crazy.” She stands up from the bed and begins to grow louder. “The time you spent alone in the woods with Jasy I was afraid you’d grow away from me and only see me as a burden. Knowing now how much they care about each other gives me this chance. Please would you consider dating me?”

She bow and blushes as she finishes. Before Dominit could respond he heard a voice at the door. “Well are you going to say yes or have her stand there like an idiot?” Cassy spun around embarrassed. “Jasy I thought I said you couldn’t listen in?”

“Sorry Cassy but it’s hard not to when your shouting that loud.” They heard her laugh and then her footsteps recede from the door.

Dominit looked at Cassy now to embarrassed to face him. He got up and turned her around, she was as red as a fire. “Yes we can give it a try if you’d like” She looked up at him with a cute smile and walked back to the bed sliding under the covers looking at him expectantly. He sighed and began to remove his armor and cloak.

He was surprised to find a chiselled and tone body where once there was nothing but flab. Guessing it had something to do with his extensive training in Nyx’s domain he now proudly flaunted his body putting out the torch on the wall and getting in to bed next to Cassy. She snuggled up to him much like their first night together.

They sighed together and slept. Or at least Dominit wanted to but for some reason having a beautiful half naked woman laying her head on your chest wouldn’t let him fall asleep. A few hours passed he heard the smooth deep breathes she took and a few sniffs. He was just going to chalk that up to a Beastkin thing with smells. As he faded into sleep he smiled.

Unsure of how much time had passed before he awoke with a start. He felt chills going up and down his spine. Carefully extracting himself from Cassy who in her sleep was now hugging him he began to put his armor and weapons on. He crept from the bedroom and began to look around the house for anything amiss.

He saw Saber still lying in front of Jasy’s bedroom with his ears moving at the slightest noise. Not a moment after Dominit entered the living room and looked out the door he saw shadows moving along the walls of buildings. He saw one shadow carrying a banner and it was one he’d seen recently. Realizing what has happening he began to shout at the top of his lunges “WE’RE UNDER ATTACK! IT’S THE VOID! THE VOID ARE HERE!!!”