We quickly went about looting the corpses. It was gruesome work, but there was no reason to leave money lying around. Most of the loot was common quality items like weapons and pieces of armor. We found some coins and a bit of jewelry too, but these men had obviously not been wealthy by any measure.

Isabel stored everything and then pulled out a stretcher. I wondered how much stuff she had in that item. She seemed prepared for any situation. When I commented on it, she just gave me a mysterious smile, not deeming to answer.

“Fine.. Keep your secrets!” I muttered, and she chuckled. We got Lyra on the stretcher and began moving again. I had dismissed the images before our bout looting, and my ether stores were slowly beginning to recover. I wanted to send out scouts again, but I felt I needed to save my strength, just in case someone else wanted to take a shot at us.

Lyra didn’t wake until later as we made camp. She groaned a curse and looked around in confusion.

“What the hell happened?” Lyra asked.

Isabel went over to her and scowled down at her. “You neglected to wear armor, that’s what happened. How many times have I told you that you need armor!?”

Lyra winced, but managed a small grin. “It is too bulky, I like my figure slender and stylish!”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed, and Isabel threw me a scowl as well.

Isabel crouched next to Lyra, and her expression softened a little. “How are you feeling, Lyra?”

Lyra moved a little and winced. “I am fine.. I think. In a lot of pain, but I can manage. I will be right as rain in no time.”

Isabel nodded as she stood and turned away. I noticed she looked relieved. Of course, she wouldn’t want Lyra to see that, so I didn’t comment on it.

I walked over to Lyra and sat next to her. “So.. This time I did the saving, eh?”

Lyra grinned. “And I appreciate it, but could you perhaps tell me what actually happened? I remember tackling you, and then nothing.”

I nodded and told her everything, and Lyra listened without comment. Once I was done, she pouted, “Seems I missed all the fun.. Perhaps it would be a good idea to get some armor.. Don’t tell Isabel I said that though!”

I grinned. “My lips are sealed!”

Lyra went back to sleep after getting a bit of food in her, and I took the first watch. I used my Phantom images to cover a wide area, Harlequin would switch from one to the other once in a while, and do rounds in the dark. As I sat there I noticed the notification icon was blinking away and I pulled it up.

 

 

I hadn’t really taken a good look at my status for a while, I had gotten quite a few gains, and it was time to see how everything was looking.

 

 

I had gained a lot of levels, learned new spells, earned new titles, and I had even strengthened my bond with Harlequin. I was feeling quite confident that I would pass the initiation and be able to stay with Isabel and Lyra. I closed the screens and returned my attention to the darkness around me, making sure to position myself so that the fire didn't affect my night vision. As I pulled a piece of dried meat out of my pocket and began to chew on it, I gazed up at the stars twinkling above me.

We managed to avoid any further trouble, and five days later, we finally arrived in Creston. The return journey had been considerably slower, but we were relieved to be back. Isabel insisted that Lyra and I go to the Priesthood of Inaya, which was apparently a group dedicated to the worship of the god of healing. We both protested, but Isabel was insistent. We rode in a carriage to the temple district, and once we crossed the bridge, I was amazed at the beauty of the area.

The district was full of huge parks with fountains and flowers, with only a few expensive and posh-looking shopfronts dotted around. Large ornate buildings were everywhere, most of them dedicated to some form of religious worship. Isabel pointed out buildings as we went, and one of the more interesting ones was the God of Beasts’ temple, which had large holding pens for all kinds of monsters. Apparently, they researched everything from how to tame both small and large monsters to how to extract valuable resources and the best way to utilize them in society.

Keeping a beast around wasn’t popular in Creston since the threat of monsters was a very real part of their lives. But in larger cities around the dominion, it was apparently quite popular to keep large menageries of monsters. I was disappointed to learn that people were apparently the same everywhere, no matter what world you lived on. I had never been a fan of zoos; nature reserves were fine for protecting endangered species, but zoos were just animals trapped in cages for entertainment.

We arrived at Inaya’s temple, where two white-robed men welcomed us in. Lyra and I were quickly ushered into a hallway, while Isabel waited in the large reception hall. Lyra looked uncomfortable but forced a smile when I gave her a concerned glance. "I'm okay," she said, "I'm just not overly fond of temples."

I leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "Me neither!" and Lyra gave a small laugh.

We were led into a large treatment room, where beds were lined against the walls, each one covered in the whitest sheets we had ever seen. A middle-aged woman approached us and guided us to sit on the beds next to each other. "So, adventurers then. How bad were your injuries?" she asked.

Lyra shrugged and replied, "Three crossbow bolts to my back."

The priest gave her a disapproving look, to which Lyra quickly added, "He had it worse by far! He was crushed, lacerated, and pummeled by a huge landslide attack. He nearly died!"

The look of disapproval turned to me, and I scowled at Lyra, who responded by sticking her tongue out at me and grinning. The woman wasted no time and immediately threw me under the bus. The priest walked over to me and stared at me, expecting something. I stared back, confused.

"So?" she asked.

"So?" I replied.

The woman glared at me and said, "How about you get on with it?"

"Get on with what?" I asked, cocking my head.

"Removing your clothes," she replied.

"How much?" I inquired.

"However much is needed," she replied with a sigh.

"I see. And how much would that be?" I asked, pretending to be oblivious.

The priest was getting agitated, and Lyra was doing her best to hold back her snickering. She was not very successful. "Remove all of it then!" the priest ordered.

I shrugged and started to undress, but since I was wearing armor that was a bit banged up, I was pretty slow about it. The priest finally had enough and called over another pair of priests, both of them women. "Get these off him. The dolt apparently forgot how to undress himself."

"That's a little rude," I commented, raising an eyebrow.

The priest ignored me, and the two newcomers went to work. They weren't happy, as I was pretty filthy with dirt, blood, and sweat all intermingled. Their faces were set in determined frowns, but one of them almost gagged as she removed my shoulder protector. "We should burn these!" the older priest proclaimed to vigorous nods from the two others.

"Hey now! It will wash out.. I think!" I protested.

My gear was placed in a pile, and I kept a close eye on it to ensure nothing was taken away. Naked as the day I was born, I tried not to feel embarrassed. Lyra's appreciative grin, however, made it difficult. "Um, Lyra..." I said, and she continued staring.

"Yes, David?" she replied.

"Could you give me at least a little privacy?"

Lyra grinned even wider. "I could."

I sighed, grabbed a pillow from the bed, and threw it at her face. She laughed, but turned her face away as I began my healing.

The older priest looked me up and down, examining my numerous scars. "Adventurers... Well, let us take a look." She held her hand close to my chest but pointedly did not touch me. A soft glow emanated from her hand, slowly surrounding me, sinking in here and there. It was a strange but not unpleasant feeling. Every time the energy found something amiss, a flash of heat and pain erupted from the spot. After ten minutes, the priest dropped her hand, small beads of sweat running down her forehead. "Alchemy...such a barbaric practice. It heals the body, true, but in a rough and uneven way," she remarked.

Lyra spoke up, "Very useful though. We would welcome one of the esteemed sisters to join us next time. A healer would be great for our team!" The priest huffed but didn't comment. Next was Lyra's turn. I decided to return the favor by staring at her as she undressed, but my view was immediately blocked by a priest holding up a large sheet. "I am beginning to think there is a double standard here," I said in a grumpy voice.

Lyra laughed from the other side of the sheet, "I am a lady, David. I can't be showing myself to a wild animal like you. Who knows what ideas you might get?" Her tone was teasing, but I got a sour look from the priest holding the sheet.

A male priest brought me a set of simple white clothes, and I dressed quickly. Lyra finished faster since she had fewer wounds. She was allowed to put on her own clothes. I scowled at her as we were led out. "How come you were allowed to wear your own stuff?" I asked.

Lyra grinned. "Stop your complaining. That armor is filthy, and you know it."

I glanced at the sack I was carrying and shrugged, "It wasn't that bad."

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Oh, it was! You smelled like death. In fact, you still smell like that."

I gave her a playful push. "You know I have feelings, right?"

Lyra shrugged. "If you don't like it, go get cleaned up then."

We were still bickering in a friendly manner as we met up with Isabel. She nodded at us. "Good, let's go visit the guild."

I held up a hand, stopping her. "No way! I need a bath, and my stuff needs cleaning. In fact, you smell pretty horrible yourself." Isabel blinked, then looked down at her armor, which was covered in dirt and blood, and then back at me. Lyra was snickering next to me, hiding her face. Isabel then slapped me over the head.. with a gauntleted hand.

Isabel decided we needed to head back home and change before visiting the guild, it was completely her idea and in no way influenced by anyone else. I grumbled a bit about not needing to be hit so hard, but Isabel simply waved it off saying, "I am a lady, David. Such things are not said to a lady."

I scowled at her and retorted, "What? The truth?"

Isabel gave me an intent look, but then relaxed with a small smile, saying "Exactly."

Isabel and Lyra were the first in line for the bath, so I headed to the lounge and greeted Liza, "Hey Liza, got a snack you want me to get rid of for you?"

Liza smiled in her motherly way and nodded, "I might just have something like that, lad! Good hunt?"

I shrugged and replied, "I suppose. Got a few levels, almost died twice. So yeah, pretty good!"

Liza didn't flinch and just took my comments in stride, saying "That is great, dear. Here you are." She handed me a plate of some kind of pastry and a cup of watered-down wine. I thanked her and set about devouring my meal; it was absolutely delicious!

Lyra called out from the stairway that I could go in, and I returned the plate and cup to Liza before going to clean myself off. The bath was the greatest I had ever had, and for a while after having first cleaned myself off, I just soaked in the warmth with my eyes closed.

Soon it would be time to leave again, so I sighed and got dressed in a fresh set of clothes that resembled an old-style Japanese hakama. It was time to head to the guild yet again.