Act I

  Infront of a long ruined bridge of stone, repaired with wooden planks.

  A troop of five walked, their backs leaving behind a town built from the ruins of old.

  “I need draconid blood, can we add that on the agenda?”

  The tallest of the group spoke, his smile gentle.

  As he kept pulling down his pristine robes as it fluttered with the breeze.

  “Sure, we can harvest some as we gather draconid fangs.”

  The elven lady with sleepy eyes answered.

  As she did the largest among them rubbed at his ill-fitting second hand thick padded vest-jack.

  It looked tight on him as it hugged the upper part of his robes.

  The giant nodded in reply as apprehension appeared in his eyes.

  Something everyone around him did not miss.

  “Don’t worry too much Lazir, with you with us, we can probably take on a horde of four or more.”

  Another elf said this one a male strong backed youth.

  Easily he hefted a heavy mace and shield, with crimson eyes in contrast to the pink of his hair.

  “Don’t be rash Darius, we can barely fight two as a group before the Dear priest joined us.”

  An elf girl with a sword and shield chastised gently, as her soft purple hair bounced from the enchantment of the breeze.

  “Hm~ It’s chilly out today, we shouldn’t have left this early in the morning.”

  Another sword wielder said as she rubbed her gloved hands together, warming them.

  After that she started fixing her pink hair into a bun stopping it from being blown by the morning breeze.

  “You're right, it is chilly. . . I should call her out, it’ll help with the chill.”

  I said as I stopped walking.

  The action made the others look at me oddly except for Elira as she looked excited.

  “Lesser spirit of fire, Torch of the temple, Brightest friend of Lazir. . . I call you forth, to aid me in this adventure.”

  I spoke slowly, feeling my connection with my brightest friend, as she woke up from her dreams.

  Bhel* Bhel* “Master! Master!”

  She excitedly rang, as she spoke with the ringing clarity of a well polished bell.

  “Focus.”

  I told her gently, making her Bonfire of a light and church-like bell tolls to weaken.

  It kept getting weaker until her ringing was barely louder than a buzzing bee.

  And as for her light? It wasn't much brighter than that of a candle now.

  After the sealing, I looked to my companions to see them remove their hands from their eyes.

  “A sense of warmth.”

  As the words left me, a pulse of heat started beating from the golden torch in my left hand.

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  “Are you all still chilly?”

  I asked as I saw the four youths becoming flush, with reddened cheeks and necks.

  “Can you lower the heat, Little light?”

  I whispered to my torch as I felt her giggling in my own ear.

  What a cheeky little spirit.

  Act II

  KRR* KRR* Crackle* Crackle*

  Three short lizard-like people sat around a camp fire.

  On top of their fire they were roasting a piglet half their size on a spit.

  Unknown to them as they enjoyed each other's company.

  A pair of red eyes watched above them in a ruined three floored house.

  Those eyes blinked, before disappearing.

  “Thiers three of them, no slingers.”

  Darius the pinked haired maceman whispered as his group nodded before splitting up.

  KRR! KRR! KRR!

  Those damn monsters roared as they noticed me and the others surrounding them.

  Like the others except for the priest Lazir, I held my shield infront of me while I readied my mace.

  On my left Amorret was already thrusting forward with her spear, striking at a Draconid that was barely able to dodge.

  I followed her thrust, bashing the flat-footed Daconid Thud*

  FRRK*

  The monster roared out, as it blocked my mace with its club.

  Plup* “Do it now!”

  I pushed down, pinning the monster with my shield KRkrr. . .

  Warm blood spurted into my mouth, as a spear stabbed inches away from my cheeks.

  Landing into the soft red scaled neck of the draconid I was wrestling.

  “Haa. . ha. . .” Tud* tud*

  I can hear my breath in my ears, my heart pounding as I pushed away from the twitching monster.

  “Are you alright Darius?”

  An arm pulled me away from the draconid with a spear still in its neck and sat me down, it was Amorette.

  “Yeah. . . I’m fine. . .”

  I looked away from the now still corpse to see, Elira and Celestia still fighting their own target.

  The Draconid was covered in bloody cuts, but still it was standing strong using the reach of his club to fend away the girls.

  Amorette was already moving, her spear already in her hand.

  KRRR* Suddenly the draconid started screaming, as a large hand gripped at its neck. Snap*

  With a twist and crunching snap, it was over, the cut covered Draconid wasn’t even able to struggle.

  As Lazir took it by the neck and killed it with a strong squeeze.

  I looked over to the other one, the one Lazir was supposed to distract.

  It was dead, its face smashed in by an incredible force that even my mace wouldn’t have been able to do, even with a clean blow.

  “Dread. . . I guess you were right to recruit him, boss. . .”

  The words came before I realized what I said, Amorette didn’t notice as she nodded.

  Her eyes watching the giant, as Lazir bleed out the Draconid still hanging in his right hand.

  Using beer mugs. . . is he really planning to fill all of those mugs?

  I kept looking at him, and then he looked back smiling while he gave me and Amorette a nod.

  Terrifying. . . I guess those songs about the champions of the giants being able to destroy entire armies alone is true.

  If even their priests can do something like this.

  Act III

  Ghuaa* My throat was sore, as the meal I ate and water I drank an hour ago before we started our adventure left my gut.

  Patt* patt* I felt strong pats to my armoured back, it made me look to my side only to see it was Elira.

  I smiled at her as I cleaned my mouth with the water of the canal we were resting by.

  “I can’t believe it’s your first time killing something.”

  It was Darius who spoke as he worked on removing the two largest fangs of the one he and Amorette had hunted.

  “Well in the cult, we never killed anything, most farmers would give their offerings as butchered meat. . . we don’t sacrifice blood to our Lady.”

  I explained what I learned in that temple after what felt like days of reading letters and daily logs.

  Atleast my act as a wandering priest was accepted by everyone, because of it.

  I really hope no real priest of Hestia would call me a charlatan if I ever come across them.

  “I never heard of this goddess, you call Hestia, Protector of the Hearth.”

  It was Celestia who asked, as she helped bleed the draconid I killed alone.

  “Well it’s probably because missionaries from our cult are rare.”

  I was too tired to make a better lie, as I felt heavy.

  Even just this one fight took a lot out of me, I don’t think I can do another one for today.

  “Thank you, Elira, I'm fine now.”

  I said as I stood up, tremble* plup* I was on my knees again.

  My head felt light as Elira and Amorette were both grabbing me by my armor.

  It stopped me from splatting face first, on the rubbled street we were standing on.

  “I think. . . I need to rest a bit.”

  The two kept supporting me until I was able to sit.

  When they were sure I was fine, they left me alone to help the others with the spoils.

  “Lady Hestia. . . do you think you can take away my disgust too?”

  I looked up at the cloudy skies as I prayed this softly, a habit of my past life.

  She didn’t reply, of course she wouldn’t.

  The thought made me smile.

  Like other spirits she’ll only reply if I say her summoning chant.

  “I guess I can be called an apostate now, I wonder if my mom would go insane if she finds out.”

  I felt tears rolling down my cheeks, but then they flickered into flames.

  ‘Master! Master! Don’t be sad, Little light will eat it all!’

  The golden torch belled in my ears, as I felt a little better as those memories burned once again.