Gates of Fairmaw

  After getting out of Dron Forest, Blake and Risabeel returned to Fairmaw and the guard at his post. "Hey, Blake, welcome back!" The guard greeted Blake at the gate, about to open it for him when he noticed Risabeel riding with Blake and held out his spear in front of Nash. "HALT! Blake, who is that?"

  "Oh? This is Risabeel. I picked her up inside the forest. Can you let her in for me?" Blake asked, putting his hands together in a begging manner.

  "Hello, good sir." Risabeel greeted the guard warmly with a slight bow of her head.

  "From inside the forest, you say...? Is there anything strange happening in there?" The guard asked, giving Risabeel a look over but didn't find anything wrong with letting her inside the town from the look of her.

  "Uhm...Nope, nothing out of the usual, but there is a gang of bandits in there that caused me some trouble, though," Blake answered, leaving out the ruined castle and how Risabeel got here, which he didn't know how either of those happened. "I'm going to need to ask Reiner about this..."

  "Hmm? Is that all?" The guard asked further, giving Blake an interrogating stare. When Blake didn't look like he had anything else to add, the guard looked at the forest again. "...Alright, then I'll get a group of rangers to go check on those bandits you talked about later, but for now..." He pulled back his spear, allowing Blake and Risabeel to pass. "Get inside and show her around, will you?"

  "Sir Blake? Why did you not speak the truth to the guardsman?" Risabeel asked while she looked around Fairmaw, with a few town's people looking back at her and waved, which she returned.

  "Well? Would you believe it if I said that a girl popped out of an Ore, found inside an abandoned castle, that might have fallen out of the sky?" Blake asked in return, just thinking about how unreal that sounded, not even believing it himself.

  "Why yes, I would believe you, because I was there," Risabeel answered in a matter-of-fact kind of tone.

  "Oh..." Blake turned around to stare back at Risabeel and thought about what she said. "...Uh, I guess you're the wrong person to use that example on, huh?"

  "Exactly, Sir Blake." Risabeel agreed with a slight smile on her face.

  "Wow, she's adorable." Blake thought, then turned around when he realized how close their faces were and left Risabeel with a confused look on her face. "Oh? We're here, cool." He saw his house just ahead and led Nash to his post, for him and Risabeel got off. "Thanks for the help, bud." Blake tied Nash to his post and patted him on the head, then went to the door. "Ok, you're about to meet my family...this might get a little weird, alright?" He warned as he opened the door and took in a deep breath. "I'M HOME!"

  "Hello, dear!" Isabelle was the first to greet Blake with a warm smile. "~Oh~ Who's this, Blake?" She asked, noticing Risabeel standing behind Blake.

  "Good day, I am Risabeel." Risabeel introduced herself with a small curtsy.

  "Oh my, Blake brought a fair maiden home? I see, I see, fufufufu!" Isabelle teased, putting a hand on the side of her face with a smirk coming on as well.

  Blake went red at his mom's words. "What are you implying, mom?! And what's with that creepy laugh!?" Blake yelled at his mom while Risabeel didn't seem to understand what was so wrong.

  "BLAKE! WHAT DID I TELL YOUR LITTLE ASS ABOUT YELLING IN MY HOUSE!?!" Reiner's loud booming voice came from upstairs as he stomped down each one of the steps, still in his blacksmith gear, but once he saw Risabeel he cracked a wide toothy grin. "Oh my, Blake brought a fair maiden home!? I see, I see, fufufu!

  "HUH!? Not you too!? And that laugh again! Stop it?!" Blake was pulling at his hair now, glaring at both of his parents, then turned to Risabeel. "See what I mean? Weird!"

  "Oh, they do not seem that ba-" Risabeel was trying to lessen Blake's worries but stopped for some reason. "Sir Blake, I have an ominous feeling all of a sudden." She said with a worrisome face as if something from the shadows was watching her with ill intent.

  "Huh? A bad feeling? What do yo-..." Blake paused, feeling whatever Risabeel was feeling. "...Oh? That's just, Mari." He muttered, staring at the doorway to the living room. "~You can stop hiding now~" Once he sang that out, Mari popped her head out for all to see. "~There you are! My sweet little sister~."

  "Starrrrrrrrrre." Mari's eyes went right at Risabeel, giving her an intense stare. "Blake brought a vile woman home! GRRRR!" And with that, Mari caused everyone in the room to sweat a little.

  "Uh, Mari be nice?" Blake asked as nicely as possible, but Mari kept staring at Risabeel, even digging her fingers into the doorway. "Uhmm, please?" He begged, putting his hands together.

  Mari stayed silent for a while, then in a flash of movement she latched onto Blake's arm. "Fine, but whenever she's in a room with you, I'm staying close."

  "Fine whatever." Blake sighed as he allowed Mari to do what she wanted without any form of resistance at all on his part.

  "I can see some oddness in one person in your family, Sir Blake," Risabeel whispered in Blake's ear as she eyed Mari.

  "Huh? Mari is the only normal one around here." Blake whispered back, confused by Risabeel's statement. "Ow! Mari no pinching!"

  "Then, no whispering to other women!" Mari warned, digging her nails into Blake's arm more forcefully than before.

  "Oh, by the way, Blake, did you get what we needed?" Reiner asked, pulling Blake and Mari apart, then held each of them in the air like kittens.

  "Uh, about that, let's talk outside?" Blake offered, getting an odd look from Reiner. "It's about her." He whispered, motioning over to Risabeel.

  Reiner took a glance at Risabeel and nodded, then sat Mari down. "Hey, dear, the men are going to talk outside, so you girls have the house for a bit." He said to Isabelle and carried Blake over his shoulder as he walked outside.

  "Hey! Put me down you old fart!" Blake complained, hitting Reiner on his back until Reiner let him down.

  "Hah! I remember when you were little, you loved it when I did that!" Reiner laughed, choosing to sit on a stump and wait for Blake to start explaining things to him.

  "Tch, I must have been an idiot when I was a kid to think that..." Blake nagged, walking over to a tree and jabbed his sword into it, then turned to Reiner. "...so about the wolf Ore...I couldn't find one because of Risabeel, which is uhm a bit of a strange story so listen up, pops..." He went on to explain everything to Reiner, hoping to get some answers from his master. "...that's about it."

  After listening to Blake, Reiner was silently thinking to himself for a while. "By the sound of it, I'd say you found a Port-stone."

  "A Port-stone?" Blake asked, trying to guess what a Port-stone was and gave up with his hands in the air. "And that's a what now?"

  "It's just a rock that spellcasters infuse with mana, which acts as a quick teleportation spell when they're low on mana or by non-magic users like us," Reiner explained to Blake, holding up a rock, then tossed it between his hands as an example. "Kinda like that, once the stone gets attuned to a location with some mana or a keyword, you can get teleported there."

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  "Ok, that explains how Risabeel got here, but what about the freaking castle?" Blake questioned, taking the rock from Reiner, then had another thing to ask. "And that Port-stone thing turned into a sword when I was about to finish it, what about that?" He added, tossing the rock up and down in the air.

  "Hmm?" Reiner thought about it for a while then slammed his fist into his palm. "I'm just guessing here but maybe someone teleported that castle to the forest on their own for whatever reason, and as for the sword bit, I'm guessing they used some kind of Ore as their Port-stone, crazy spellcasters they'll try anything."

  "Well, what about the fact that I found it inside a forge of all places?" Blake asked another question, and he noticed that Reiner looked a little annoyed. "Hmm? What's with him all of a sudden?" He thought, keeping it to himself for now.

  Reiner did not answer right away this time around and stayed silent for a bit. "Uhhhh, I'm guessing the uh...spellcaster was planning on trying to turn it into an item?" He answered, sounding not so confident, and rubbed his bald head a few times.

  "Ok, he is hiding something?" Blake thought, giving Reiner a sideways glance but decided not to pry into it for now. "Hmm, I guess you're right, Reiner, an item that can also be used to teleport someone does sound useful, so what do we about Risabeel then?"

  Reiner sighed hard on that one. "I'm not sure, for all we know she could have been teleported from just a mile away or from the other side of the world, and by the way she talks she seems to be from nobility or a high-class family," He got back his confidence now and cracked a toothy grin. "Looks like you've got a big catch on your hands, Blake, Fufufu." He teased, winking at Blake.

  "Goddess dammit! Don't say stuff like that out of the blue, and that laugh is freaking creepy!" Blake yelled, red in the face as he was fighting back the urge to punch Reiner in the face.

  "Aw, I'm just playing with ya, runt!" Reiner quit his teasing then got off the stump and walked up to Blake. "So, for now, why don't you just go ask Risabeel if she remembers anything, it's worth a shot, eh?" He offered, patting Blake on the shoulder. "And if she doesn't, then I guess she'll be staying here for a while."

  "That sounds like a good idea, later pops." Blake agreed and left Reiner alone while he went to check on Risabeel. Back inside, Blake found Risabeel and his mom in the living room having a chat. "Sorry for butting in, but Risabeel, I wanted to ask if you remembered anything at all?" He asked, hoping she had anything to say.

  "I am sorry, but I have not recalled anything as of yet, Sir Blake," Risabeel answered calmly, but her face showed that she felt terrible about it.

  "That so, huh? Well, I'm sure your memories will come back at some point, so no need to worry about it, ok?" Blake said, trying to cheer Risabeel up, then he got an idea. "Hey! How about I show you around town, Risabeel?" He offered, hoping she'd take the offer, it would take her mind off of things and let him get a little bit closer to her.

  "Oh! That's a great idea, Blake, what a perfect first date!" Isabelle agreed, leaving Blake with one of his eyebrows twitching while she giggled at him. "...What's wrong dear?"

  "MOM! That is not what I meant!" Blake quickly corrected his mother before Risabeel got the wrong idea, then turned to her with a red face. "I just wanted to show you around, that's all! Nothing more!" He said, waving his arms in front of Risabeel's face. "~Well~ I do want more but not with Risabeel knowing."

  "Heh, it is all right, Sir Blake, I would enjoy seeing your town with you as my guide," Risabeel said, getting up and walked over to Blake and was about to take his hand when Mari appeared to take it first. "Ah! Marius!" She let out a small scream when Mari popped out nowhere like that.

  "Mari, do you want to come along?" Blake asked, not surprised at all by Mari's sudden appearance.

  "I just want to keep an eye on her," Mari answered, glaring at Risabeel with jealousy in her voice and eyes.

  "Mari, be nice, or I'm leaving you here," Blake warned, lifting Mari into the air to look her in the eyes. "Understand?" Mari nodded slowly with small tears in the corners of her eyes while his mom and Risabeel stared at him angrily. "...Oh sorry, I'll buy whatever you want, at the market! Okay!"

  "Ok!" Mari cheered happily and instantly got a big smile on her face.

  "Why do I feel like I was, tricked?" Blake asked himself, putting Mari down with her swinging her arms back and forth.

  "Cause you were! Now you're nothing more than my piggy bank today, Blake, hehe!" Mari giggled, not even trying to hide what she was doing from anyone.

  "Hehe, it seems, Marius, has her ways of getting what she wants, Sir Blake?" Risabeel giggled to herself at Blake's and Mari's interaction.

  "Yea, she does," Blake muttered, heading to the door with a bit of slump to his step. "Come on before she makes me do something worse." He added with Risabeel and Mari following him out.

  Town gate

  While Blake and Mari were showing Risabeel around, the good old guardsman was doing his job of watching out for anything that might be a threat to the town. "Hmm? What's that?" He questioned, spotting a small boy with a hood running in the distance. "A Kid?"

  "H-h-h-help me!?!" The boy desperately cried as he ran into the guard's arms, then pointed behind himself with a shaking hand. "M-M-M-M-MONSTERS!" He screamed as three monsters appeared from some tall grass near the gate, they all had black twisted bodies with jagged teeth packed inside powerful jaws and spikes growing around their arms, legs, and back.

  "Wha-!" Before the guard could even say anything, one of the breasts rushed in front of him and drove one of its claws into his body. "GUAH!" Then lifted him off the ground with blood pouring out from a wound in his stomach and his mouth.

  The boy pulled off his hood, turning out to be...Valac. "~Aww~ I wanted to see you die trying to protect me by fighting them for a bit, too bad." He nagged, kicking a stone at one of the monsters as it grabbed the guard's head and forced his mouth open. "But at least I get a new pet to play with." He opened his book to let out some of those shadowy spirits, and one of them crawled into the guard's mouth. "Ehehehe! Now then, my pets go forth and find Lady Risabeel. As for the town's people, well? ~You know what to do~" He ordered joyfully, as the monsters and spirits started their charge into the town. "~Oh, How I love a nice evening stroll~" Valac sang out as he heard screams coming from inside Fairmaw with the sun slowly setting behind him.

  Town square

  "Ooooh! Blake! Blake! Buy this and that! And...oh! That too! And five of those!" Mari cheered with arms full of snacks and toys as she was dragging Blake from vendor to vendor, while quickly draining the amount of money he had on hand, even the coins he got from those bandits were almost gone.

  "Mari, please stop. I might have to start a tab soon..." Blake begged hunched over like he was a whipped horse while Mari picked up a big stuffed bear and waved it in Blake's face. "Risabeel, help me..." He looked over to Risabeel, but she had a look of pure content on her face. "...Well, at least someone is happy about my problems." He groaned, dropping the last of his coins into a vendor's greedy hands.

  "Well, Sir Blake, you did say you would purchase her anything she desired, no?" Risabeel asked, not realizing that she was rubbing it in more for Blake until he let out a depressed sigh. "Oh? Sir Blake, did I say something to upset you?"

  Blake lightened up a little for her. "Nah, I'm good! Don't worry about it!" He assured Risabeel with a smile that she returned warmly. "But you have to admit, Mari, has made me spend a lot today, right?"

  But before he could hear Risabeel's answer, a vendor got his attention. "Psst! Blake! Got another looker with you, eh? Mind buying her something nice from me?" He offered, showing an array of skillfully crafted jewelry such as rings, bracelets, and necklaces, then he leaned in on Blake and whispered with a cheeky grin. "Take it from me, the quickest way to a woman's heart is right through her chest!...or some of your own hard-earned money."

  "Haven't you been single for like five years, old man...?" Blake whispered back, turning the vendor's grin into a small line. "...Besides, I'm out of money, so can I get a freebie?"

  "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No. Now move along! You're stopping my business!" The vendor spat out, pushing Blake away from his stand.

  "Heh, you have such amusing people within your small town, Sir Blake." Risabeel giggled at the vendor, then walked over to a small fountain and sat on the edge of it and passed a hand through the water.

  "I guess you could say that," Blake muttered, going to sit next to her but Mari appeared between them with the teddy bear sitting in her lap. "I hope you pay me back for that thing?"

  "I could think of some ways," Mari answered, her words were sweet, but the way she said it didn't go together at all, causing Blake and Risabeel to stare at each other and then back at Mari. "What? I was joking, Blake."

  "Uh, never mind having you as a sister is good enough anyway," Blake said, patting Mari on her head, causing her to rub up on his side. "Huh!?" but a blood-curdling scream followed by its quick stop ruined the moment and got Blake to his feet, looking around everywhere for its source while he got in front of Mari and Risabeel. "No here..." After seeing nothing nearby, he raised a hand and got the attention of the people around the square. "Alright! Everyone, you all heard that! So I need all of you to get inside and stay there until the town guard has everything under control! Now move!" He ordered, and without any words of complaint, all of the town's people began packing up and headed indoors.

  "My, Sir Blake, I did not think that you would have such commanding power with the people," Risabeel said in amazement at how well everyone listened to Blake.

  "Huh? Heh, aww, thanks! Reiner and I help out the town guard a lot, so you could say I got a bit of respect from that." Blake boasted, jabbing a thumb to his chest with a cocky smile on his face. "But that warning was for you ladies too, so I need to get you girls back home and quick, especially since I don't have a weapon on hand so let's get a move-out!"

  "Right!" Both Risabeel and Mari agreed, well, cheered in Mari's case, but as they started to move a bestial roar stopped them in their tracks.

  Chapter End

  And Done! Another chapter down and we're going strong! It looks like things are about to get pretty bad for the little town of Fairmaw. Will Blake be able to protect Mari and Risabeel from what's to come? Or be overrun by a horde of monsters? Maybe he'll get a little help? Find out in the next chapter.

  And with that, I'll see all you Lovely Readers in the next one! Bye!