Dungeon Walkers 3, page 27
“Tom,” Rugar called out, “escort her home. Just in case the morons didn’t learn.”
“Yes, sir,” Tom said, coming out from around the bar.
As they left, Rugar stood up. “You didn’t do wrong, Stern. You’re just trying to help, which is admirable.”
“Thanks. Uh... I should warn you about something.”
“Yes?”
Stern leaned in and lowered his voice, “Darkhand will be here in a few days. I’ll let them know how helpful you were, but those idiots might find out the hard way how painful life can be.”
Rugar’s brow furrowed, clearly thinking Stern was having him on.
“My full name is Alistern Masterson,” Stern said softly. “Please, don’t spread that around? I’m sure it will come out soon, as it is.”
Rugar’s eyes widened as he started to nod. “That makes sense... I recall hearing of their eldest…”
“Me.”
“Those bigots have no idea what they’ve bitten off.”
“None at all,” Stern said coldly. “Mom isn’t as forgiving as I am.”
“Are any of them?”
“No. Even Julia will be pissed when she hears about the child.”
Rugar shook his head. “May the Goddess grant them mercy.”
“She’d be the only one who will. I do need to see about picking up shards from the dungeon, so please, excuse me.”
Rugar watched him go, still trying to wrap his mind around what was about to happen in his city.
Chapter Thirty-six
“News?” Stern asked when he approached Jon, standing outside the post office.
“Haven’t gone in yet,” Jon admitted. “Been putting it off.”
“Afraid to know. I get it.”
“How did it go?” Jon asked, stalling further.
“You’re just banned for a day, and my ban was removed. Kid got tested. He’s got a bulwark perk for drawing monsters to him, but that’s it for strange perks.”
“Lucky kid,” Jon said. “Do you think… when Nicole and I have a kid… they’ll be irregular, too?”
“No,” Stern said. “I’m sure there’d be a lot more irregulars if that was the case.”
“Guess that’s true... at least the kid got off lucky.”
“Come on,” Stern said, patting his shoulder. “I’ll check my mail, too.”
Jon took a calming breath before nodding. “Yeah... Okay. They’re probably wondering what’s taking us so long, as it is. Did you get a quest for shards?”
“Only two shards this time, for a Mary Lizwre. Been fractured for seven years. Her payment is just so far behind the others now.”
“I like that we’re doing this,” Jon said as they got in line. “Pulling the oldest shards that we can... I understand how you can afford it now.”
“Sometimes, I feel like I’m cheating, but since I use what my parents have given me to help others, I don’t feel so bad.”
“It also helps show that irregulars can be just like any other person,” Jon said, “since it builds up goodwill for our crew, which has you as the leader.”
“There’s that, too. If the kid is really lucky, by the time he’s old enough to be a Walker, we’ll be more accepted.”
Jon had to agree, then stepped over to the counter when he was called up. Stern went to the next open counter to check if his parents had written him back since yesterday. When the two of them met up outside, both of them had letters.
“Go ahead. I’ll check mine while you read yours,” Stern said.
Jon took a steadying breath, then opened his letter. Stern broke the seal on his and read:
Son,
We’ve had others arranging everything for us. We’ll have a big house so if you and your crew want to use it, that’d be good with us. As for the wedding, your moms have sent a few people to get things ready for it. We figure it’ll be a day or two after we arrive to have it? We’ll talk when we see you, of course, but they’re very excited.
Marysue and Gerald are very happy to hear the news, too. Marysue has been beside herself to hear that Cyra’s going to marry you. She’s been saying how romantic it is to have the brave knight rescue the damsel, then marry her. You know how she can get.
We’re all proud of you. It’ll be great to see the nickel badge all filled out on you. Okay, we have to get moving today. We’ll see you soon. Stay safe, and safe runs.
Your loving parents,
Seamus, Stacia, Karen, and Julia
Stern exhaled slowly as he put the letter away. He looked at Jon, who was putting away his own. “Well?”
“Tomorrow evening... asked to meet me the day after.”
“Do you want it to be just you and Nicole?”
“I’d like it to be all of you, so she can meet the people I call friends, too.”
“I’ll go make some arrangements, then. When did you last get a new suit?”
“Do I need a new one?” Jon asked.
“Wouldn’t hurt,” Stern chuckled. “Come on. You’ll know where I’m setting up dinner, at least.”
Jon gave Stern a questioning look, but fell into step with him. “Okay.”
~*~*~
“Everything alright?” Trish asked when they made it back to the suite.
“Bit of a story there,” Stern said.
“Jon, are you okay?” Nicole asked, getting up to go to him.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good,” Jon said slowly. “Just getting used to what Stern thinks is worthy of his friends.”
“Did you take him with you to make reservations?” Cyra asked.
“Also stopped by a tailor to get a suit made for him. It’ll be ready tomorrow,” Stern said.
“A new suit?” Nicole asked.
“We’ll be dining at Mother’s Splendor,” Stern said. “It’s the best place in the city. Jon, you want to tell them?”
Taking a deep breath, Jon nodded. “Yeah... My sister will be in tomorrow night, and she asked to meet the day after. I left word of where we’re staying so she can find us. Stern then said we’d have dinner so she could meet Nicole and so we could have our friends there. Then, he took me off to get a new suit, saying it’d be ‘for the best.’”
“Well... we did get new dresses recently,” Nicole said softly. “Not sure they’ll work for a fancy place.”
“They will,” Trish grinned. “Figured we’d hit a place like it in the future, which is why I was all excited about getting them the other day.”
“I agree with Trish,” Cyra said. “You looked very pretty in your new dress, Nicole.”
“I felt a little out of place in mine, but I accepted that you all thought it looked good on me,” Cammie added.
Nicole relaxed at their words. “Okay... I just want to make the best impression I can.”
“Just be you,” Jon said softly, hugging her. “All I want is for you to be happy.”
Stern let them have their moment before he coughed once. “But before all of that, we had an incident. Billy’s crew lost two people, but that didn’t stop them from causing trouble.”
He explained what had happened at the Walkers’ hall. All the women looked upset by the end of it, even Nicole.
“Those bastards!” Nicole said angrily. “They’d try to hurt a child?!”
“Yeah, but Jon stopped them,” Stern said.
Nicole hugged Jon tightly. “He’s a good man.”
“I just thought about when we have a child,” Jon murmured. “I wouldn’t have stopped with a single punch then.”
“Which is a whole different problem,” Trish grumbled. “A two-day ban is too damned light.”
“I think the guild leader here is going to make things worse for them,” Stern said. “Can’t stop them from running the dungeon, but he can make it difficult for them to find others to help them.”
“They still deserve worse,” Cammie said tightly.
“Let’s sit back and let him do his thing,” Stern said. “As much as we’d all like to teach them a short, sharp lesson, we should abide by the rules and laws.”
“Sometimes, that doesn’t feel like it’ll do what it should,” Cyra said.
“I doubt these idiots have the same political sway to work with.”
“I hope not.”
“Kind of sours the mood...” Trish grunted. “Nope. Not going to let them ruin how happy we were. Tomorrow, we run, and the day after, we have dinner with Jon’s sister. We have a lot to be happy about.”
“We do,” Jon nodded.
“We have some time before dinner,” Cammie grinned. “Shall we break out the cards and play?”
“That’d be nice,” Nicole said.
~*~*~
They played cards, had dinner, and then retired to their rooms to get a good night’s sleep before their dungeon run.
“Do you think his sister will be understanding?” Cyra asked softly while they undressed.
“I hope so,” Cammie sighed. “It’ll gut Nicole if she isn’t.”
“Jon will take it hard, but yeah... Nicole would be hurt worse,” Trish agreed.
“It sounds hopeful, from what Jon’s let slip,” Stern said. “I can’t imagine her being hateful with all the effort she’s putting in to see them.”
“Or she wants to ‘save’ him.” Trish added finger quotes around the word as she said it. “She could be like the idiots.”
“I really don’t think so,” Stern said. “You’d think her letters would’ve hinted at that.”
“But you haven’t seen the letters, have you?” Cammie asked. “What if he’s just reading them in the best light possible?”
“Fooling himself that it’ll be better?” Trish asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’ll hurt them both,” Cyra said.
“It really would,” Stern agreed. “And I haven’t read them, but I’m going to hold out hope. If she does turn out to be a spiteful, hateful person, we’ll be there for them.”
“We will,” Trish nodded. “I’ll throw a glass of something on her, at the very least.”
“Make that at least two glasses,” Cammie added.
“Three,” Cyra finished with a nod.
“She’ll basically be a splattered mess,” Stern snorted. “But seriously, I hope she’s understanding and just misses her brother. If you loved your sibling and then he was thrown out by your family for the simple act of loving someone, maybe you’d be her, too.”
Cammie smiled softly. “I hope you’re right, just like I hope Vulk understands when he finds out about us.”
“That’ll be interesting, considering he flatly asked Stern if we were going to rope you into the relationship,” Trish snickered. “Should we invite them to the wedding when we have it?”
“No. He needs time to settle in firmly with Emma,” Cammie said. “I also want to put it off until after we’re married. Then, he’ll just sigh and accept it.”
“Okay,” Stern said, taking her hand. “If that’s what you want.”
“We’ll go down and see them at some point,” Trish said. “Maybe in another tier or two at most?”
“We can do that,” Stern agreed.
“Thank you,” Cammie murmured, naked as she slipped into Stern’s arms. “I’m happy here with all of you. It makes me happier to know you’ll want to go back and visit my family after we’re married.”
Trish caught Cyra in a hug, seeing the strained smile. “Hey, now, fluffy bunny... shh... We’re here for you. I’m sure Stern’s family will find something out about your family for you.”
“Sorry... I’m good,” Cyra sighed, hugging Trish back. “It just... digs at me occasionally.”
“We understand,” Stern murmured. He and Cammie shifted over to surround Cyra.
Cammie kissed Cyra’s cheek. “We love you. We’ll be beside you forever.”
Cyra ducked her head, a smile coming to her. “Now I feel silly.”
“But you also feel loved,” Stern smiled, kissing her other cheek. “Come on. It’s time for bed. We have a dungeon to run tomorrow.”
“But before sleep, we’re going to shower you with love,” Trish whispered to Cyra. “All the love for our fluffy bunny.”
Cyra flushed, then smiled brightly as they took her to bed.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Stern noticed that Jon was being quieter than usual during breakfast. As they went downstairs, Becka called out to them; other Walkers took note, and a few were startled to see two irregulars in their group.
“My sister-in-law told me about yesterday,” Becka said.
“Sorry for her having trouble. I didn’t expect the idiot brigade to be there,” Stern apologized.
“No, we know what his perks are now,” Becka smiled, then turned her gaze to Jon. “Thank you for getting in their way. I heard how you stopped them from touching him.”
“I couldn’t just do nothing.”
“You’re a good man, and a wonderful bulwark to step in for him.”
Nicole smiled as she touched his arm. “He is a good man, but he’s not our bulwark, even if he has protected me from the first day we’ve been together.”
“Oh?”
Trish chuckled. “I’m the bulwark, normally, but Jon helps fill in at times. He’s our all-rounder. Fills in the spots we need as the dungeon dictates.”
“Ah, I see. Well, he was a bulwark when my sister needed it. I’ll be discounting your stay for however long you are here. My family thanks you.”
“I just did what was right,” Jon said softly. “Oh... my sister might show up later tonight or tomorrow, looking for me. If she does, will you send someone up to my room for me?”
“Of course. Safe runs, Walkers.”
“Have a good day,” Jon replied, a smile coming to his lips.
As they left the inn, Stern glanced back at Jon. “Feeling better?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been really quiet this morning, more than normal.”
“Thinking about my sister,” Jon admitted. “Becka just snapped me out of that, and I’m focused on the dungeon now.”
“Glad to hear it.”
It didn’t take them very long to reach the dungeon, and they found another crew heading in the same direction. One gave them curious glances, but most were distracted by Pawly floating along above them.
“What’s the story with that?” one of the other crew asked.
“Pawly? She’s a summons,” Stern said. “Mine from birth.”
“Because of what you are?”
“Not the worst way I’ve heard it phrased,” Stern snorted. “But yes, because I’m an irregular. Her flying is another perk.”
“Summons at birth, but she’s a cat, right? Just a cat?”
“Nothing just about Pawly,” Trish snorted. “Ever seen a cat that large, with those feet? Pawly, show him your mitts.”
Pawly floated down, then flexed her overly large feet.
“Does… she have extra toes?”
“She’s polydactyl,” Cyra giggled.
“Huh... but is she useful in the dungeons now? I can see where she might’ve been in the first few... maybe as a scout still, but that’s about it.”
“What’s your name?” Stern asked.
“Travis Baldree, leader of Cryptid Legends.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Stern, leader of Pawsitively Irregular.”
Travis’ brow furrowed. “You named your crew that?”
“Technically, my father did, but it fit us. To answer your earlier question, though…” His fingers flexed, letting both Pawly and Zasha get all of their upgrades. “She’s still useful. Integral, even, like Zasha here.” He thumped the stone armor on the happy dog.
Travis and his whole crew backed up a little. “That’s... wow. Wait… how many perks was that?”
“Most of mine,” Stern said. “We’ve been noticing that we’ve had a lot of unusual perks show up. More now with Nicole in our crew.”
Travis glanced at the masked woman. “Two irregulars in the same crew... are you saying irregulars get odd choices?”
“We’ve all had some rare or unusual choices,” Trish said. “We’re compiling a list so others understand what benefits being a good crew for an irregular might mean.”
