“Well, look who it is boys.”

They had barely taken two steps into Oraunt and already trouble had found Matt. Four men stood in before them, blocking their way on the sidewalk. They each wore a leather band around their right wrist that bore a hellhound symbol. They were followers of Malluk, so of course they had a problem with him.

“Why do they wear the mark in the same place your birthmark used to be?” Tess asked in a whisper.

“Because of my mother,” he answered quietly. “Hers was in the same place, and Malluk’s people practically worshiped her.” He returned his attention to the men and spoke louder so they could hear him. “Oh good, a welcoming party,” he said in a bored tone.

“Try bounty party,” the leader of the group told him. “I wouldn’t mind collecting the price on your head.”

“Who’s paying for my death today?” Matt asked, wondering if Julian had changed his mind.

“High Priest Donovan.”

Matt gave a short laugh. “Asshole hated me before I turned,” he commented, then shrugged. “Well, what are you waiting for? Would you like to take this outside of town? The temple isn’t going to protect a few measly worshipers from the city guard.”

The man eyed the others. “What about them?”

“I’ll go alone.”

“Your funeral,” he said, and they all laughed.

“Oh, of course,” Matt replied casually.

“I’m coming,” Tess said.

“No,” Matt told her. “This is my fight.”

“But…”

“Don’t argue.”

“Fine,” she grumbled. “Have all the fun then.”

“Some of us will have a lot of fun,” the leader grinned.

Tess shared a look with Matt and snickered. “Not gonna be any of you,” she told them confidently.

Matt looked down at Sera when she squeezed his hand. “I’ll be fine,” he assured lightly. “I’ll meet you at the library in…” he glanced back, sizing up the men, then looked at her again, “Twenty minutes.”

“I’d rather go with you.”

“Not a chance, Angel.” He leaned closer to give her a quick kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

She sighed heavily, but she nodded and left with the others.

As soon as Matt was out of town and off to the side of the road, the four men following him pulled their swords. The leader came at him first, Matt didn’t bother drawing his weapon, he grabbed the man’s sword arm when he swung and kneed his elbow. He heard the crack and the man yelled out in pain. A second man came from the side. Matt, still holding the leaders arm, yanked him over, and shoved him into the second man. The sword slid through his stomach. Matt threw the leader to the side, leaving the second man without a weapon. The man kicked, but Matt grabbed his ankle. When he fell hard against the ground, Matt slammed his foot into his head.

Knowing the other two would be approaching behind him, he glanced back over his shoulder, waiting until they were close enough, then ducked and turned, sweeping their legs from beneath them. Another kick sent both their swords flying. The second man was back to his feet, Matt grabbed his arm as he came, flipped him over, and the man landed on top of the other two.

Matt stepped back to let them get up, smiling, taunting them.

Predictably, they all came at him at once now. He kicked the middle one, knocking the man back and then immediately ducked through the others. He stood straight and threw his elbows back, knocking the guys in the back of their heads, then punched the middleman before turning around to grab the two by the hair and slam their heads together. They fell to the ground—unconscious. When Matt turned back, it was to find the last man running away. He shook his head and sighed, disappointed that it was over already.

“Nice.”

Matt looked toward the road and frowned when he saw Falcon, tying his horse to a tree, and then walking toward him with Gavin in tow.

“Cael told me you were good.” Falcon said.

“Hi Matt!” Gavin called. “Dad’s going to a guild thing and I getta come. And after we’re gonna buy me a bow, a good one too. We already made arrows, but they’re at home, we made them ourselves. Dad’s taking me hunting when we get back. Cool, huh?”

Matt gave a small nod, but kept his attention on the captain of the guard warily as he stopped before him. Matt glanced at the dead bodies on the ground and back.

Falcon did, too. “Four against one? I call that self-defense,” he said, answering the silent question. He smirked then. “Of course, if you were still serving Malluk I’d probably see things a bit differently.”

“Wouldn’t have done any good to arrest me before,” Matt pointed out.

“Sure it would have,” Falcon said lightly. “I’d have been quite happy to make you very uncomfortable until the temple got you out.”

Matt was smirking now as well. “Assuming you could have brought me in yourself.”

“Can you beat Matt, Dad?” Gavin asked.

“We could find out,” Matt offered, smiling at the idea.

“Where are the others?” Falcon asked.

“Library.”

He nodded and handed his pack to Gavin. “Go wait with your sister.”

“No way! I wanna watch!”

Matt and Falcon both chuckled. “Fine, out of the way,” Falcon told his son.

Gavin obediently hurried away. “Here?” he asked when he had gone ten feet.

“More.”

Gavin sighed and went further, now twenty feet. “Here?”

Falcon nodded as he pulled his sword.

“Who’s going to win?” Matt asked as he drew his weapon.

The kid frowned for a moment, hesitating, but finally called back with reasonable confidence, “Dad.”

Matt smiled, knowing that would be his answer.

—————

The library in Oraunt was a part of the Arcane University, though it held much more than books on magic. It was a beautiful, grand place. A huge decagon room with two stories completely lined with packed bookshelves. The second floor was only a balcony around the edge of the room, which let you see the amazing dome ceiling from the bottom. A dark wooden beam ran up each corner of the white walls and created the arches that held the stained-glass roof. The ground floor was carpeted in a deep blue with a gold diamond pattern. In the middle, was a ten-foot statue of Eolys—the God of Magic—surrounded by a walnut tables. People sat quietly, their noses in their books or writing away on pieces of parchment.

“What’re you doing!?” Falcon said in a rush as he grabbed Tess' shoulders from behind.

She jumped out of her chair and spun around. “Geez!” She smacked her father's arm lightly. “What are you doing here?”

He laughed. “Making sure my daughter’s staying out of trouble.”

“Uh-huh.” She rolled her eyes. “Annual guild meeting?” she guessed.

“Yep.”

“Hey Tess!” Gavin called.

An older lady in a blue and yellow robe frowned at him and put a finger to her lips.

Tess grinned at her brother who was being carried on Matt’s back, his skinny arms around the large man’s neck. “You really are getting soft,” she teased.

Matt glared at her playfully. “The brat thinks I’m some kind of tree to climb.” He bent down. “Off now,” he told the boy.

Gavin got back to his feet. “Dad and Matt sword fought and Matt won,” he told his sister.

Tess’ face fell as she looked at the two men.

Matt started laughing. “Damn Tess, you’d think he just told you someone died.”

Gavin was laughing now too. “Matt told me to say it.”

She glared at her brother and then at Matt before looking looked wide-eyed at her father. “So… you won, right?”

Falcon rolled his eyes. “First of all, he’s the one bleeding,” he said, referring to the small gash in Matt’s arm. “And second, it’s not the end of the world if someone beats me. Cael does often enough.”

Tess just frowned, actually looking close to tears.

“She’s thinks that if Matt could beat you, than so could some criminal,” Ayden explained for her. “She’s just scared you could get hurt. Cael’s an exception because…” He shrugged. “Well, he’s Cael and no one beats him.”

Falcon put an arm around his daughter and kissed her forehead. “I’ve been with the guard for almost twenty years, Tess. I know what I’m doing.” He shot a smirk at Matt. “And I’m quite capable of taking him down.”

She just hugged him tightly, obviously relieved.

Matt smiled at them, then finally leaned down to kiss Sera and felt her healing magic flow and tingle through his lips and into his body. “I love how you can do that,” he murmured.

“My mom used to do that,” Ayden said with a nostalgic smile. “When I scraped my knee or something, she’d just literally kiss it better. I didn’t even know it was magic until after she died.”

“Jules can’t do that,” Falcon said.

Ayden shrugged. “Mages have to use their hands, only healing clerics can use any skin contact. But Mom figured it out somehow.” He smiled proudly. “My grandmother says it just shows how powerful her innate magic was, but my grandmother can’t do it.” He chuckled.

“Can you?”

He frowned. “I haven’t been able to yet.”

“I’m sure you’ll get there,” Tess said confidently, letting go of her father now and returning to sit beside Ayden. She leaned back into him, getting him to hold her. “There’s nothing you can’t do.”

Matt shook his head. If there was one thing about Tess, it was that she was sincerely capable of putting people on pedestals. He glanced at Sera, then Gavin and thought that maybe it ran in the family.

Ayden rolled his eyes, but smiled at Tess’ unwavering faith in him. “I can’t fight,” he pointed out. “Or flip down off a building. I don’t think I could even climb onto the building in the first place.”

“There is that,” she conceded.

“Koko?” Falcon called suddenly. The robed lady glared at him and he smiled back apologetically. He walked over to a nearby table where an exotic-looking woman sat. She had long straight black hair and eyes as dark as obsidian. She was beautiful with her light russet skin, high cheekbones, slightly flattened nose, and very full lips.

She smiled brightly when she saw him and stood to hug him. “Falcon. How are you? It has been such a long time,” she said, stepping back to look at him.

“Sorry. I’ve been busy with the Fighters Guild since I became captain. I haven’t had much time to travel.”

She nodded. “Is Julia here?”

“No, she had to stay at the orphanage. But I have my son with me. You haven’t met him, have you?”

“No. You have not visited Snowy Pine for almost nine years.”

“Has it really been that long?”

“Yes. Your daughter was only nine at the time and I was fourteen.” She looked over at Tess. “I see she is much grown since then. She looks very much like you now.”

He chuckled. “I don’t know if she’d think that’s a compliment or an insult.”

“Surely she would be proud. I will ask her.” She walked to their table. “You look very much like your father now.”

Tess grinned at her. “Hey Koko. Yeah, I do.”

Koko gave Falcon a smug look and he chuckled again. “No one calls me Koko anymore, I would like it if you use my full name, Kokora,” she told Tess, then looked back at Falcon with a warm smile. “Although your father may have special privilege.”

Tess nodded. “Well, meet everyone. This is my boyfriend, Ayden. You know my cousin, Sera. That’s her boyfriend, Matt. Our friend, Vivyka—”

Kokora suddenly gasped. “Oh! Are you the one Julia saved from the burnt remains of Hilltop Village?”

Vivyka nodded. “That’s me.”

“Julia is a great savior of children,” she said with admiration.

“Yeah, I wasn’t there,” Falcon said teasingly. “Definitely didn’t do any saving.”

Kokora smiled apologetically. “We have a friend who was also saved by her, I mean, them,” she told the group.

“Ohka,” Tess said, and then explained, mostly to Matt who hadn’t heard the story. “It means bear in Nakohan. He’s a troll child that my mom saved twenty years ago, even though Dad wanted to kill him.” She smirked at him.

Falcon rolled his eyes. “Don’t make me sound bad, it wasn’t that simple.”

She chuckled. “That’s not what Mom says.”

He just shook his head.

“He is very well now,” Kokora said. “He has grown to be very kind and gentle with my people’s guidance.”

“Oh,” Tess said as Gavin started tugging on her arm, wanting to be introduced, “This is my little brother, Gavin.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Gavin,” she told him. “My brother is here as well.” She waved at someone across the room.

A man walked over to them and bowed his head slightly in greeting. He was her twin and he looked exactly like her, long hair and all, except taller and more masculine with a strong, chiseled jaw. “This is Korin,” she said, and then introduced the rest of the group to him.

He smiled at them all. “It is good to see you again,” he said to Tess, Falcon and Sera, his tenor voice warm and rich. “And to meet the rest of you,” he added, his gaze lingering for an extra moment on Vivyka. He sat down as the others did. Like his sister, he wore clothes made of deerskin—simple pants, and a tunic. They had matching bracelets that were woven leather with green beads, and Korin wore a necklace made from bone beads and held a single large tooth in the middle.

“So, what brings you two so far from Snowy Pine?” Falcon asked.

“I am studying at the Arcane University. My brother escorted me safely. I am new as a mage. I do not even have a familiar yet. I am not good at defending myself, and the journey can be dangerous. There are many trolls in the Snow Peaks and Aillean Mountains at this time.”

“Did you run in to any on your way?”

She nodded. “Yes. Thankfully it was only one. My brother is a skilled ranger though, and we were unharmed.”

“If you’re a ranger and live in Snowy Pine,” Ayden said to Korin, “are you very familiar with the wild areas of the Snow Peaks?”

“Yes, very much so,” he answered. “Are you in need of assistance?”

“We’re on our way there to find the entrance to the Temple of the Gods. It’s supposed to be in a cave there.”

“I know every cave in the peaks,” he said, then looked thoughtful for a moment. “I believe I know which one you are looking for. There is one with a language on the back wall that I do not understand.”

“That’s great!”

“I will be returning to my village now,” Korin told them. “It would be my pleasure to accompany you there and take you to this cave.”

“Thank you. We’d be very grateful to have your help,” Sera said.

He smiled and bowed his head slightly. “I can leave as soon as you like.”

“I haven’t found anything in any books. It’s lucky we ran into you,” Ayden said.

“Destiny,” Korin replied simply.

Matt and Tess shared a look—neither believed in destiny after what happened at Malluk’s temple. Matt’s supposed destiny was to serve Malluk, which at that point included sacrificing Tess, but he had gone against everything and risked his life to save her instead. Sera had pointed out that maybe that was his true destiny. They had just rolled their eyes, but didn’t argue with her.

“I wanna go,” Gavin said. “Dad, can I go?”

“And get eaten by trolls?” Falcon said. “I don’t think so.”

“I won’t,” Gavin insisted. “Tess and Ayden will be there.” He climbed onto Matt’s lap. “And Matt. The trolls don’t stand a chance.”

“How do you know I won’t give you to them myself?” Matt asked with a straight face.

“You won’t,” Gavin said in complete confidence.

Matt rolled his eyes. “What’s with your family being so damn trusting?” he asked Sera.

She smiled. “Gavin’s just smart and can see through your toughness.”

Tess smirked. “Nah, Matt’s just a big softy now.”

Matt smiled back. “You’re asking for it,” he warned.

“I hope so.”

“He’s just gonna beat you again,” Gavin said matter-of-factly.

She rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Creepy.”

Matt chuckled. “I’m starting to like this kid.”

Gavin grinned widely. “I like you too, Matt.”

“I think that’s obvious,” Tess said with a chuckle.