[Maruem]

It was an overcast and breezy night when he got home from working the fields, with a shirt drenched in sweat and drops of rain occasionally passing by, some breaking upon his cheeks and nose. He stomped up the steps to the door and stepped wearily inside. Gently, he shut it behind him and pulled his dirty boots from his feet. The lander farmer took a few steps forward and sighed deeply as he let himself collapse almost limply into one of four creaky chairs around the old, but sturdy, oaken table that adorned his simple yet comfy home.

"Dear? Is that you? Welcome home." His wife said quietly as she rounded a corner to meet him. "The girls are already asleep, dinner is on the kitchen counter if you would like me to bring you some?" His wife offered already knowing the answer as she stepped closer.

"Please, dear." he said softly with a smile after giving her a kiss on the cheek.

The farmers overworked body ached all over and he was more drained than he had been in a long time, but it was good to be home before the rain came full force, and even better to have such a fine wife who waited up for him and was willing to bring him a fresh meal after a long days work. He was home, he was uninjured, he had food and a kind wife. The farmer counted himself among the lucky ones as he played to his gods silently. His prayer was ended just as his ears welcomed the rhythmic thundering of rain upon his roof. It was coming down much harder now, the gentle drizzle from his walk home little less than a memory. It drummed against windows whenever the wind gusted, and the farmer was grateful his friend had done such a fine job on the home, ensuring there were no leaks.

His wife returned as the rain had picked up, her hands balancing a large ceramic plate of modest looking and deliciously fragrant food, as well as an earthenware cup of cool fresh water. He ate and drank his fill, and as he did every evening, he described the state of the fields and the events of the day. The previous harvest had gone well, even ready a little earlier than expected. with the summer harvest season coming to an end, it was time to begin preparing for the next seasons crops, but unfortunately a couple of the farm hands had to take off work due to illness, or so they claimed, more than likely it was the strangers who had come along that had scared his men of the field, though it did not help that monster activity had also seemingly been on the rise in the past several days.

He had experienced the terror of that first hand today. Out in the field, he had acted a man, a brave man. He shouted for the other farmers to leave and even defended one of them by clubbing a goblin with his hoe, but his legs screamed from the running he did after that. Fortunately it hadn't been in vain. The guards came running to the fields at his warning and nobody was hurt, but here, safe at home, he shook recounting the fear he felt. He struggled to think of how he would be able to gather all the wood he needed for winter with these monsters all around. It was becoming too dangerous outside the walls.

The farmer paused his story to recompose himself as he inhaled the rest of his supper. As he got up to rinse his dishes his wife asked him if he couldn't put together some funds with the others and hire one of the Adventurer folk as a guard for the fields. Rumor had it they couldn't be killed after all. The farmer thought for a moment. If nothing else it would give them time to run while someone they didn't have any ties to took the brunt of the goblin attack. Perhaps a horrible thought, but he justified it to himself by reminding himself that they couldn't die, not really.

"Best to just think of them as immortal shields." he thought to himself as he wiped dry his clean dishes. He walked to his daughters shared room and crept in silently, his years as a father training him to avoid all the squeaky boards. After kissing each of his sleeping girls on the forehead, he went to his own bed to join his wife. He was tired, it had been a long day. He layed and thought about his daughters and his wife. She was right of course, as she usually was. Hiring an adventurer was the right call. Better them than him or his friends. He had a wife and children to take care of. Yes, better them than him. With those fearful thoughts swirling in his mind, the farmer drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.

He awakened to a completely silent home. His wife and the girls were all still fast asleep. As he got up out of bed, he cringed at the creaking of the frame, as he did every morning, worried it would wake someone. Of course, it never did. As he shuffled around the dark room he instinctively avoided all the noisy floorboards. He dressed himself in darkness, and stepped out of his room. He almost tripped over a toy that had been left in the hall, but caught himself, and shifted the toy more to the side so the same fate would not await his wife. He then walked up to the door and pulled on his dirt encrusted boots. It was time to get some eggs for breakfast.

The man had just barely stepped out of his home, and no sooner had he shut the door when a suddenly splash from close behind him gave him a start. A hand was violently shaken in a spray of rain water, none of which hit the farmer. The hand was then stretched out and offered to him. He looked up from the water wrinkled fingers to meet the eyes of a man who looked like a picture of misery. Or he would have. Somehow, those eyes of his were still filled with vitality and wide awake for so early in the morning.

It was hard to process how but his hair could stick to his face in almost handsome waves, and he looked like a charming man, or at least as charming as anyone could look in a state like that. The man smiled at him and introduced himself kindly, his hand still outstretched to shake. He had a self assurance about himself, ill-befitting of one in his situation, but the farmer welcomed the handshake and decided to hear the man out. The farmer took his hand and asked how he could help.

---

After a far longer night than any he'd had in a long time, Maruem started awake with a cry. He laid on the ground and took deep breaths to slow his pounding heart enough that it didn't deafen him anymore. It hadn't even been a full day, of course he saw their faces. Of course he'd had a nightmare remembering yesterday.

When he felt a bit calmer, he took himself in. He was soaked to the bone, exhausted, alone, and still wrapped up tight in the darkness before dawn. He tore himself up off the ground, his soaked clothes weighing him down and suctioning to the packed ground beneath him. He staggered out from under the overhang he'd tried to use to block what little rain he could last night. He felt like death.

Maruem had to fight to peel his shirt off his skin. It was suctioning on from the rain and it was all he could do to get the thing off. He twisted the rain out of it, and couldn't help but offer a mock chuckle at himself as he twisted it some more. "Man... Gaia is the best, I love Gaia. Gaia is so fun!" he thought to himself as he zoned out, staring blankly into the cobbled stones on the ground, seeing far far past them.

He was remembering all the time he'd spent enjoying it when it was just a game. Back when rain was just a relatively harmless weather effect. Back when he didn't have to work all night to gather a few decent materials for money. Back when he had his friends with him. Back when none of it felt so consequential. Back when it was fun.

He returned to himself still tightly squeezing the shirt. A warm line danced down his cheek, tickling him lightly before diving off. It fell onto the shirt, and he could see the dot slowly sink into the fibres of the fabric.

"Hey now, can't have it getting soaked again." he muttered, noting how he could make out the unremarkable dark dot on the now relatively dryer shirt for a moment longer before unmangling it and pulling it over his back. He quickly wiped the trail of warmth from his cheek and sniffed softly to clear his nose.

Maruem stepped onto the street and pulled all the logs and branches he had collected out from behind him. The overhang had done wonders to keep the wood mostly dry, at the cost of leaving little room for him. But if he wanted any chance at coin, he needed good product in good condition.

"What's a little cold rain and some soaked clothes? What's a night of rough sleep? What's a bit of loneliness?" He thought to himself. He knew the answer. It was everything right now. It had been a really unfortunate second day, and today didn't feel like it was looking up at all so far. But there was still hope. He had the whole day ahead of him. He had to remember that. He'd gotten it in his head that he needed money, that he needed to work hard. He had to move forward, staying still wasn't going to get him anywhere.

A movement out of the corner of his vision distracted him from his thoughts. There ahead, he saw someone stepping out in front of one of the houses. He knew he had to look terrible right now. Ragged and muddy and just an all around mess, but trying his best to drive his repugnant visage from his mind, he stepped forward with his left hand holding a rope that suspended all the wood from his shoulder.

He introduced himself to the farmer, getting a handshake and an offer of help in return. He was in a bad way. He looked it, he felt it, he knew it. But in his head he'd decided begging and pity weren't going to get him anywhere. He would accept, but he'd have to muster a brave face to do it. With a bright flash of white teeth, he ingratiated himself.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance on this fine morning sir."
It was hard to say, but he hoped that if he looked at things positively, maybe they would feel a bit better too. It was nice to talk to someone friendly in any case. He was tired, he was cold, he was reeling from the day before. But maybe he could feel a bit better if he tried.
"I apologize for the sudden interruption this morning but as they say, the early bird gets the worm."
Not like he was going to be sleeping in today anyway. Not in the condition he was in.
"I lost my sleeping spot last night and with nowhere better to sleep I knew I needed to make a change to secure better housing tonight. I went off to the forest over yonder." He paused his sales pitch to point off in the distance at the Ciminian forest. From the home of the farmer it was surprisingly visible. The house was one of many on the sides of a stone road closer to the out edge of Romania, and this entire road was raised gradually by a slight hill. It was enough of an elevation change to make a difference though, and to see the first crimson beams of sun light softly lay down and glow upon the distant hills, treetops, and even further on the crests of many jagged mountains. As he pointed, he thought about what he was saying. "Yonder? What am I saying. I can just talk normal. And who calls it a sleeping spot?"

The farmer took in what was said to him and a look of confusion grew over his face as he processed it all. He glanced at the pile of wood and was surprised to see that it could barely even be called damp. What was that about the man having lost his sleeping spot? What did that mean? Why would he go into those dangerous woods in the middle of the night, but then it struck him. Perhaps he was a blessing sent by Jupiter to watch over the farmer. He was armed, he seemed capable enough, he had the wood the man had needed, no Gaian would have done the things this man had, now was not the time to hesitate.

"I'll take it!" The farmer said.

"I... I'm sorry? Take what?" Maruem questioned.

"Your product, Mr. wood seller! I'll take all of it!"

The farmer stepped back inside his home quickly and quietly as he grabbed a small pouch of coin. He paid Maruem generously for the wood and had him place it all neatly by the side of the house. He had planned for Maruem to just give it to him, but the powerfully build man insisted on doing the work himself, saying that since he had been paid so well, he should earn it. This sprung an idea that had been inflating like a balloon in the farmer's mind.

He spoke up as Maruem lifted the lumber and walked to the side of the house. "Say, Mr. Maruem, you wouldn't be looking for a bit of work for the day, would you? You seem strong and capable, and I need help keeping my friends and myself safe from the wildlife. Of course, there would be more coin in it for you. An adventurer like you? You'd be the perfect guardian for us regular folk, an immortal shield against the monstrous threats outside the wall"

The farmer was glad for this man's aid, but he also knew that the gods did not give freely, and it seemed to him that paying this man, or at least offering him payment, was a good way to keep their favor on his side.

Maruem was honestly grateful he hadn't immediately been turned away when he showed up. As he placed the wood down neatly onto the depleted pile, he turned to give another bright, seductive, fake smile at the farmer. His smile didn't betray the hurt he felt at being seen as a shield. It didn't betray the exhaustion he felt from the long night of hard work. It didn't betray the pain in his heart. He had no time to let those feelings hurt this lucky opportunity. He needed the money. He couldn't afford to risk his health sleeping in the cold rain again, nor face the humiliation of being kicked in the chest by town guards in the middle of the night like a common criminal. No. None of it was betrayed when he smiled warmly at the farmer. "I would be happy to help, if only you would give me a name to put with the face of my employer."

The farmer beamed, blissfully unaware of his word's effect on the man before him. Surely this was a blessing from the gods on high!

"Aye, but of course. I am Jeremiaus. Though most just call me Jeri." The men once again shook hands after Maruem brushed away the bits of bark that had stuck to his damp fingers.

"Good to meet you Jeri. I will do what I can to help out, but I have little experience in the field." Maruem expressed cautiously. He didn't want to miss out on any work that could come from this opportunity, but misinforming the farmer and accepting the job under false pretenses felt wrong to him. Overselling himself would only cause more trouble.

"Oh, you need not worry. I will help you start, and if you have experience fighting, that should be enough to earn your keep for today." The farmer Jeremiaus responded optimistically. Even blessings from the gods couldn't be perfect in every way.


Word Count: 2790 (claimed at 1460)
Total Word Count: 2790 (claimed at 1460)
Notes: First commerce thread me thinks?
Jeri: a25b24
Jeri's Wife: 33a224
Maruem: 2c00bd

[Maruem]

Maruem breathed slowly and silently reminding himself that surely this Gaian meant no offense, and that Maruem wasn't in his right mind, that he was tired and the man definitely deserved nothing but his kindness after so generously paying for his wood and now offering him a job on top of that. "Immortal Shield." The words rang in his ears and he almost visibly winced. He had always been so good at calming himself, why did such a simple phrase turn his blood to ice. He feigned a big yawn to stretch his frozen limbs and get a grip on himself before he stepped in. It was probably just a poorly phrased sentiment, no one actually saw Adventurers as nothing but an undying tool to guard them, did they?

Jeremiaus paused as he walked with his new companion and employee, making their way towards the fields. But then he caught himself and remembered that he was only out so early to grab some breakfast. His ducks were cooped right at the side of his house. And so, Maruem and the farmer turned back. The farmer grabbed a few eggs and released the ducks from their coop. He poured a load of grain from a large, tan, plant fiber sack into a large wooden basin. As soon as the men stepped back, the ducks swarmed the grain and several of them went for the other, flatter and wider pail which was filled with rainwater to bathe. Maruem stepped out of the enclosure and Jeremiaus shut the gate behind them.

"Would you like some breakfast Mr.Maruem?" he asked as he put a peg in place to lock the enclosure.

"Yes please, I'd love some honestly. And just 'Mareum' is fine." responded the hungry and weary adventurer.

This farmer had bought all of his wood, had given him a job, and was now feeding him as well? Maruem smiles. He had to remind himself that he was off to a great start to his break out from poverty. The price to pay for all this good fortune was small. And after today's day of work, he would get some rest, and he would be more himself again tomorrow.

The two men stepped inside and removed their boots at the entrance of the cozy home. They both walked over to the kitchen, where Jeri very quietly took out a pan on which he planned to fry the eggs. Aside from that he had some bread and butter which Maruem laid out on the table neatly and quietly, per his hosts request. The eggs fried up quickly, and the two men sat dawn across from one another to share in their breakfast.

"Thank you for keeping it down, my wife and daughters are almost certainly still very much asleep." Jeremiaus said appreciatively. Maruem choked quietly on a bite of his duck egg and sipped some water to calm his reaction. The farmer before him looked younger than Maruem did, Early twenties more than likely. Hearing that he was married was not too much of a surprise, but to hear that he had not one, but multiple children took the man back for a moment.

"Sorry about that..." Maruem said quietly after clearing his throat. "Daughters you say? How old are your girls?"

The farmer smiled warmly at the question. "Oh they are both still quite young. The eldest is four years old, and the younger one will be two in a couple of months." He said proudly. The man loved his daughters very much. They were his life. They were why he had hired this immortal man in the first place. His daughters needed a father, and this man could die as many times as necessary to ensure that their daddy could come home to them. "It's been very hard for me to have to work the fields so late, knowing I won't get the chance to spend more time with them because of how long the work keeps me, and more recently with how dangerous the fields have become." Depending on how competent Maruem was, he may be able to help Jeremiaus come home before his girls went to bed. "And that's where I come in, to ensure that they get to see their father" Maruem thought to himself between bites. Jeri wasn't a bad guy after all. Just a young father in need of support, in this case the strength of a skilled fighter.

The men exchanged a bit more casual but quiet conversation as they ate, and once they were done, the farmer stood and took both men's plates, laying them down in the kitchen while Maruem fought with his wet boots trying to get them to stop sticking at his ankles. Finally they gave one by one and he had his feet covered. He fully expected that once he got to the field, he would take his soaked pants and shirt, and hang them off a tree to dry while he worked. Certainly working as a guard while completely deprived of his armor was not the most optimal decision, but it would hurt his skin terribly to wear the rough leather brigandine without something between it and his skin. There were several rivets in the thick leather which caught on his shirt when worn together, having the same happen to his skin was not something he wished to have to experience, so armorless it would have to be.

Maruem and the farmer stepped out into the brighter outdoor world. The sun still had not fully crested the horizon, but it was already visible, and the red rays had instead transformed into a general blanket of golden light across all the previous surfaces. The two men walked down the stone road toward the outskirts of Romalia. The path was damp from the previous night's rain, and Jeri predicted that the field would be a muddy mess. He was worried about that. If it had rained too intensely, then the previous day's work would be mostly lost, and he would have to start from square one, with the added effort of dealing with muddy ground.

Fortunately, upon reaching the fields after their short walk, it seemed like some of his work had been spared, and the uneven terrain meant that while certainly some of the lower areas were muddy and even had some large puddles, much of the fields was only minorly slick and would very much be workable. Maruem, of course, had very little clue of how he could help, but it seemed like that would come with time. Jeri had stepped away for a moment to talk to some farmer buddies of his. Maruem approached a nearby tree which seemed to suit his needs quite well. It had a low hanging branch which was exposed enough to the sun that it would very likely have plenty of light to dry his clothes quickly. He kicked off his boots and removed his pants and shirt to hang them up, leaving his belt and bag of holding upon him in case he needed something from the mystic pouch at a moments notice.

His tan skin was slightly tighter over his muscles than it had been on the first day. By no means was he starved, but aside from the eggs and buttered bread, he had not eaten since the morning on that second day. He looked down to see that his wrapped leg wound was mostly healed, certainly it wouldn't interfere with his movements at least. He reached down past the wounded leg and as he began to slip his boots back on, he chanced a look back at the men. They were glaring at him. He walked over, apologizing for his lack of dress, but explained that he could still work hard without it. They did not seem to care about his clothing though, and instead pointed at the pouch.

"Are ye one of them there invaders?" he said through a mouthful of crooked teeth.

"I... Pardon me? Invaders?" Maruem questioned allowed. "Har.." he was interrupted from saying 'hardly an invader' by another of the men.

"If you don't know that word then how about this one: Immortals. Are you one of them? the.. the... the whadya call em? Them adventurers. You're one of em aren't you?" he sneared.

"Jeri said we could trust you to defend us well, that you would be our Immortal Shield. Ain't it kinda cocky of ya to be so underdressed and claim you can defend these fields?"

Maruem sighed deeply. He silently reminded himself "The man needs my protection, he has daughters he wants to get to, he was kind to me, I'm not just a tool." Maruem responded with all his effort put into sounding like his usual friendly self in these less than friendly circumstances. "I am indeed an adventurer, but I am just here to work like anyone else. Not to cause trouble or invade anything."

Jeri looked are him timidly. He had seemed friendly before, and they had gotten along well enough, so Maruem hoped and liked to believe that the man would not retract his offer of a job. Fortunately, the farmer did not take his offer back. However, he did seem less enthused to be working with the adventurer, and less enticed to train him in working the fields. "For now, just keep your eyes open. Something could come from those woods at any moment, and we would rather not have to deal with it, especially since supposedly you're the one with a natural affinity for weapons, if the rumors hold water."

Maruem felt like suddenly he had gone from a treasured employee to a feared or at the least widely disliked threat. There was no sense in worrying about it too much, if anything it may make the job easier to finish. If he didn't have to interact with them as much, his tired mind wouldn't be as quick to take what they said as an insult against him and other adventurers. But still... it was not a pleasant feeling. He kept an eye on Jeri working the field slowly with his hoe, and made sure nothing got too close. Fortunately, for now, that latter aspect of the job meant almost nothing. there were very few living things coming anywhere near here from the woods, and the ones that did come were just small birds looking for worms in the soft wet soil.

After about half an hour of walking the boarder of the farmlands, Maruem took a break to stand at the side of the big tree he had been using as a clothes hanger. It gave a good view of the surroundings and he could still act quickly from this spot while his brain got a temporary moments reprieve from the minor amount of activity he was doing. Just then, Maruem heard his name being called. "Maruem!" came the call once again. Jeri was waving him over. Maruem walked to the slighter man with his arms crossed imposingly accenting his musculature. It was not his intention to look imposing, but a cool breeze had blown over and he was just keeping his body at a comfortable temperature after already being chilled the night before, though the sun beams were definitely helping in that effort. Jeri wiped a light glaze of sweat from his brow. "I appreciate that you're watching over me, but do you think you could do so a bit more actively? Take a walk closer by the forest's edge to catch anything before it reaches the fields rather than once it is already here would you?" The farmer asked, clearly having missed Maruem's patrol just moments prior.

Maruem could help cool the farmer off wit ha simple trick, so he flicked his wrist and whispered a two word phrase, activating his Frigid Blade skill. The ice crystal dagger grew before him from the moisture in the air, and before it could launch away across the field, he grabbed it and handed it to the farmer. "Watch the edges, they can be quite sharp, but this should be helpful if you wish to cool off a bit. I'll go for that patrol now." He shot the man a lighthearted wink as he walked toward the forests edge. He knew before he reached it that he was in for a fight. There was something out there.

Word Count: 2069 (claimed for 1530
Total Word Count: 2069 (claimed for 2990)
Notes: possible combat soon?
Maruem: 2c00bd
Jeri: a25b24
Farmer #1: 24b400
Farmer #2: 00b4ad

[Maruem]

The small distant figures moved carefully, obscured by the shade of the trees they hid amongst. Whatever they were, there were a lot more of them than Maruem wanted to be face so poorly equipped and so mentally drained. He saw a flash of movement of a long ear accompanied by the glint of the arrow's tip in the light of the morning sun as it escaped its shaded shroud and flew silently toward him.

Maruem managed to sidestep the projectile, though just barely. In the same motion his hand had disappeared into his pouch, returning fast enough to slice the arrow in two. The split missile lost all of its forward momentum, his move ensuring that the target of his protection was safe far behind him.

"Surely you creatures can be reasoned with." Maruem said with his hands facing outward at his sides, still armed with his dagger. He continued to walk toward the shadowy forest at a measured pace. "Please, I don't wish to have to kill you all, can't we just go along on our separate paths? Don't resign today to be your last among the living." The goblins made a cacophony of sneers and cries of anger, completely unreceptive to Maruem's words of warning.

He deposited his dagger back into his pouch, and instead pulled out his two handed lance. With a loud sigh he accepted their answer begrudgingly. Whether they understood his language or not, their want was to harm him and the people he worked for, and that posed a problem. One last time he offered peace, hoping he wouldn't have to act rashly. "If you attack again I promise all you've choosing is death. Are you really sure that's what you want?"

Their answer came as another arrow, flying straight at Maruem. His eyes flashed at the source, not hot with rage, nor burning with excitement, but cold, deathly cold. Without breaking eye contact with the creature he activated an auto-attack and canceled it mid animation to have the arrow smash into his lance tip and slide off, careening off to Maruem's right at a much wider angle into another part of the forest. "You've made your choice... So be it."

Maruem glared into the goblin archers eyes for a second longer before scanning its shaded surroundings. His steps continued steadily at the same slow pace, never wavering. He saw them more clearly now, all impatient for their next move. Another arrow came at him but flew far off to Maruem's left. The archer had shot wide, shaken with fear.

"Let's just get this over with." He uttered in a soft and resigned voice. He was close enough now. He waved his hand before him, and the moisture in the air very quickly responded, forming a miniature spear point hovering just before him. It fired forward and into the shadows, a pained screech letting him know it had hit its mark. As if on queue, the first three goblins came charging out with hot rage in their eyes. Maruem sighed softly with a melancholy glance over his first wave of opponents. "Goodbye."

As the first and fastest goblin neared him he bent his knees slightly and in a flash he thrust his weapon as far and deep as it would go. The red shock waves that came off of Unus: Acheron flowed around him as the goblin looked down to find it's progress completely halted. It let out a wail of pain as it grabbed at the lance that had pierced its chest, a spurt of blood coming out around the shaft. The other two came charging at Maruem after a brief pause in fear of how quickly their ally had gone from leader to skewer.

Maruem lifted the lance with the goblin still impaled and swung it hard from right to left, another wail escaping the goblin as it tumbled off with the blade taking another chunk from its flesh as it slid out. The pierced one rolled and slammed into the second of the goblins, and as the third neared him, Maruem leaped back to avoid the incoming arrow from the woods. It slid by his chest and narrowly missed what would have been a rather debilitating hit. The third goblin swung its club, but Maruem was not where the goblin had aimed.

His lance tip was in the ground where he had been standing, and he was up in the air swinging around his lance. His body, not weighed down by shoddy armor, was much lighter than in the fight against the boar he had had the day before. He slammed his boots into the goblin from the side. It sunk into the soft ground with a boot still planted on its head. Pulling his lance from the damp ground, he stabbed down three times in rapid succession. It was helpless against the powerful jabs as it lost more of its grip on life with each one. The bonus to his damage from the forma was definitely making itself known. With the third stab, this one targeted at the feral humanoid's temple, it went limp. He kept his boot planted as he yanked his lance tip out of it's skull with a sound of wet suction coming from the wound.

The first one he had injured was still lying in a loud painful heap, struggling to force itself up. The other one was already charging at him though. It's rough, salvaged, rusty dagger gleaming with almost as much malice as its eyes. Maruem stood as a seawall against a small wave, not moving an inch as it ran closer and closer. Another two came from the forest charging after their friend and Maruem readied himself. As the goblin neared him he feinted an attack with his lance and kicked it in the gut with all the force he could muster. The creature was launched closer to its allies, and the first one finally clawed itself up to its feet to join the others. The four visible goblins started to spread out to try and surround this threat they had vastly underestimated.

They were not going to surround him if Maruem had anything to say about it. One by one he could handle, but with them attacking together he needed to play this smart or he would be overrun at any moment. He held his lance up behind his back, and swung widely downward at the one directly in front of him. five shockwaves spread out and mimicked the motion as all the goblins but one got hit with the effects of Duo: Eximius. The one with the earlier stomach injury was hung onto life, but just barely. The others were definitely roughed up by the skill, save for the one lucky one who had been out of reach.

Its luck didn't hold for long. Maruem charged nearer to the first goblin he had stabbed and as he did he marked the other three goblins with his skill Tres: Lanista. He stabbed forward, and his lance struck true. It's tip pierced the first goblin again, lifting it's weakened body off the ground and taking from it the last of its HP. As his attack struck it, three ghostly clones of Maruem appeared and mimicked the attack, slabbing the other three goblins with such force that each one was toppled and inflicted with a 5s stun. Maruem looked to see that the cooldown icon for his Frigid Blade was gone and he launched another at the archer.

He knew he had hit his mark when he saw the forma icon increase by another stack. He wasted no time taking advantage of the boost to his strength and attacked the downed and stunned goblins with five empowering stacks. He stabbed and slashed their miserable forms as efficiently as he could, taking out one before the stun wore out and injuring the other two. The two remaining creatures were battered and cut up, blood dripping from their wounds and spilling over the damp grass around them.

One of them recklessly lunged at him, completely open and unguarded. He stabbed out with his lance and hit his target with ease. But as it was stabbed through, it grabbed hold of the lance shaft and threw its weapon at him. It was easy enough to dodge and the goblin went limp like the others before it, but it had distracted Maruem and left an opening for its ally to attack. The lance was too heavy with the added weight of the corpse for Maruem to maneuver it fast enough to counterattack the second goblin, and while he was still distracted with the impaled one, it used that opening to stab its short but sharp wooden spear into his side.

A pained groan forced its way out of Maruem's throat as he ground his teeth. He instinctively pulled away from the pain and as the wooden spear tore out of his wound he found himself right in the path of an arrow. The sharp stone tip sliced into his right shoulder. He tripped backwards, but regained himself quickly enough to roll backward and end up on his feet. He was suddenly in much more pain but he was in a good enough position to counterattack. His spear lie on the ground a little ways away from him, still impaled into its last target, but Maruem swiftly retrieved his dagger. With a dash, his blade sang as it slid out of the goblin, its head rolling from its shoulders.

Maruem stood as a spray of crimson painted the grass behind him. He looked to the woods and before the next arrow could be let loose he threw his dagger. It spun handle over tip and narrowly missed, impaling into the tree the archer was hiding behind. He pulled the arrow from his shoulder with a wince and grabbed his lance up from the ground as he charged. He swung it forcefully as he ran to fling the corpse from the head of his favored weapon. The goblin nicked another arrow and began to pull back, but it was too late. It looked down to find the lance embedded right about its chest, pinning it from between the clavicles. It gurgled as the arrow slipped from its string and fell headfirst into the earth below.

Maruem pulled back his weapon and took in his surroundings as the world returned to him. Everything had been so narrowed and chaotic while he fought, but now that he stood still he could hear the birds singing again, and he began to understand who his opponents were. With 3 dead boars lined up and a few traps hanging from a nearby tree, this had clearly been a hunting party. Why they had attacked him was anyone's guess.

Maruem was grateful he had unlocked a few extra combat skills the day before. Having three r1s at the start with three extra SP was not his favorite move, but it all became worthwhile when he unlocked his r2 skill Tres: Lanista. He looked at the carnage behind him as he held his side and slipped the lance back into the pouch. He began to tug his dagger out of the tree but paused as he heard the rustle of movement in the low branches of the bushes behind him. He was already winded from his fight. The adrenaline was dying down and he needed a break.

All was silent. He pulled the dagger the rest of the way out and held it before him, watching, waiting for the sound to come again. Suddenly, in a burst of movement, one of the bushes nearby exploded as a boar charged through it headed straight for him. It had several arrows in its flank but still it charged as fast as its legs would carry it and slammed its rough old tusk into his right thigh. His right calf clearly hadn't been fully healed yet or he would have been quick enough to dodge the brunt of the attack. He roared as the tusk tore his flesh and stabbed down wildly as it passed him, barely wounding his attacker.

His leg felt suddenly warm as the gash poured hot blood down his leg. The wave of pain was almost enough to daze him. He regained himself quickly but the boar was already upon him as it swung its tusks to gore his leg again. He kicked off of a tree with his left leg to get out of the way, but as he landed he put too much weight on his right leg and felt another wave of pain flow from the wound as the leg buckled. He rolled but then immediately launched himself up with his left leg and lunged for the boar. His dagger stabbed deep into the boars side, no doubt aided by the forma he had built up.

Unfortunately boars were harder to take down than one empowered attack. As he pulled back, he found the dagger was stuck firm, being held by the boar's powerful muscles. He released the hilt immediately and rolled behind a tree, separating himself from the boar for a moment. With his back against the tree he pushed himself up using mostly his left leg. Fully outstretched, he could just barely reach the lowest limbs of the tree. He grabbed on firmly and pulled himself up, the arrow wound in his shoulder screaming from the effort.

Once he was up in the tree, Maruem pulled his lance out from his pouch and watched the boar circle. It's vision was poor, and it was relying on it's smell to hunt him down now that it had lost sight of him. It sniffed at the pool of blood he left at the base of the tree and that was his opening. There would not be a better opportunity than this. Maruem leaned sideways over the branch and let himself fall, his lance pointed downward with both arms holding it firm. His full bodyweight pushed the lance down, through the boars tough back and even further through its insides, until the head was stabbed into the ground below.

"Good... bye." Maruem said with a pained groan as his leg hit the ground. He had released the lance shaft and tore his dagger from the boar's side, slashing its neck to end the fight. Then he collapsed onto its still warm side. He lay there, exhausted for a few minutes, just catching his breath and letting himself exist for a moment. After resting a bit, he slowly picked himself up and wiped the bloody dagger on the nearby goblin's clothes. After depositing the blade in his pouch he went and began tearing the lance out of the boar.

Finally, it slid out, and he leaned heavily on it as he began to make his way back toward his employer. He broke free of the tree line and noted that the bleeding in his leg had finally stopped. Granted, he looked terrible, his entire right leg was still painted in crimson and his shoulder wasn't much better, but he was alive, and his employer was safe, all in all, he hadn't done too bad. He came into sight of the fields and could see the farmers lock onto his figure as he came nearer, following him with their eyes as he came closer.

5uY9do4T1-1001-1001-1001-1001-1001-1001-1001-100

Word Count: 2569 (claimed at 2050)
Total Word Count: 2569 (claimed at 5040)
Notes: 2000/250 = 8 dice1-100·1-100·1-100·1-100·1-100·1-100·1-100·1-100

[Maruem]

Maruem stumbled slowly toward the fields, the group of farmers followed him with narrowed eyes. He limped heavily on his obviously gored leg, supporting his weight on his lance, which he used as a makeshift walking stick. He pressed the blunt end of the lance against the soil and balanced himself as he staggered over to them.

As he neared the group, he forced a smile at the farmers. He must have looked pitiful though, for not a single one of them smiled back. The bloody, muscular, tall, tan man that he was, with only underwear and boots on and a brutal wound torn into his bare leg, and there he was pretending he was a hero smiling through the pain like it didn't phase him.

One of the farmers spat in his direction. His smile shrank, and then disappeared entirely as another spoke up in exasperation.

"So this is what we can expect from your so-called 'Immortal Shield', is it Jeri? A useless dolt who loses to a single boar by the looks of that leg, and he's supposed to defend us from a bigger threat? What a joke."

Before Maruem could open his mouth, another chimed in. "I agree. These folk must be damned by the gods to be so useless, if indeed the gods have even noticed them at all. Why, I could fight off a boar less armed and half his age."

He pointed at Maruem with a grimace, his finger primarily hovering over the crimson stained shoulder and leg. A third made a reply while chuckling about the critique and the four farmers began to laugh. They held no pity for Maruem. More so, they seemed to feel disappointed and maybe even a bit relieved that he was as weak as they now thought him to be. It was possible they had been afraid of him and the other adventurers prior. After all, if they were just stronger in every way what hope did the Landers have of surviving this incursion. Now that he was human? Well, that changed things.

In the face of the mockery, Maruem sighed loudly, not hiding any of his frustration or exhaustion. A couple of the farmers stepped back, tensed out of their complacency and startled back to being on guard at the sudden noise from the butchered looking man. Jeri was among those who started. The fourth glared at him, his fear immediately masked with anger.

"You've something to say boy?" the bearded farmer said through a thick mustache.

Maruem ignored him and looked instead to Jeri. He took a deep shaky breath, the spear wound hidden on his back flaring with pain, and then exhaled forcefully and pushed the pain out of mind. "Job completed, at least for now. But you can find yourself a new guard if this is how your lot show their gratitude. Just be glad I did my job and you get to go back to your daughters again tonight Jeri."

"W..what do you me..mean you did your job? I...I...I I hired you to protect us from monsters not boars, and you did a lousy job even at that. You weak, weak, useless man you!" Jeri retorted, stuttering with fear at first and then channeling it along with his embarrassment into frustration.

Maruem huffed, a sound escaping him that could only be described as a very tired, very fed up chuckle. "I am weak, maybe, but not as a fighter. Weak of will perhaps, for allowing you to step on me after I defended your lives. Weak of mind, perhaps, for thinking that I could return to you and you'd treat me with the respect any living being deserves, but not weak of might. Around that bend lie 6 dead goblins... and the boar you all have fixated on. If that falls under useless in your book then you Gaians are truly something else."

"Liar!" one of the men shouted, his tone not nearly as confident as his words.

"Oh, am I?" Maruem sighed with a bored resignation, not rising to meet the man's challenge. He didn't even bother to meet the farmer's eyes. "I suppose you would be able to assess my character better than I, given our two minutes of interaction. Go ahead and check for yourself then."

The mustached farmer was beet red at this point and was about to hurl a string of insults at the adventurer that would have made a devil pause, but he didn't get the chance. Jeri placed a hand on his arm and sent him to investigate Maruem's outlandish claim. "Go, please. Take Capheus with you and then we can be on with our day."

The mustached man let out the breath he had been saving for his tantrum in the form of a harsh huff of agreement, and nodded for the man named Capheus to join him. They weren't gone long.

"H...how could one man do it all, it just doesn't add up!"

Capheus could be heard speaking to the other man as they approached, hushed by his companion as they neared. He was pale, sickly looking almost. He couldn't meet Maruem's eyes. The mustached man could though, and his eyes were still prideful, but they were less angry, more apologetic, more scared.

"Jeri, pay the man, please."

Jeri looked from the mustached man to Maruem, out of the corner of his eye. "Did he really...."

"He did, and the boar, stabbed all the way through somehow. You won't want to know about the goblins."

Jeri and the farmer who had stayed with him regarded Maruem with a renewed caution. No one went to the edge of the woods, fought six goblins and a boar, and returned to tell about it. Not without heavy armor, not alone. Jeri handed him a sack of gold coins.

"Now please, gather your stuff and leave. We don't want any trouble, we won't bug you again, just please let us live and be on your way."

"I'm not a threat. I killed those monsters for your safety."

"Be that as it may, we insulted you. I'm sorry for that by the way, it was undeserved, we were wrong to act like that. Now please just go? Please?"

Maruem shrugged and turned to limp toward the tree with his belongings but stumbled a bit with his still heavily gored leg. Jeri was tense. He reached into a pouch and pulled out some clean rags and a small, sealed, ceramic jar. He stepped over to Maruem and helped him down to the ground.

"You can't leave in that state, I understand, I'll get you patched up and then we can leave each other in peace."

And he did. Jeri was gentle but efficient, applying the healing balm to the leg, shoulder, and back wounds with a delicate hand. He was less gentle as he tied the bandage over the wounds, yanking it into tight knots to keep it secure. Still, it was a service more than he had promised when the job was offered. One of the others helped Maruem up as Jeri replaced his jar and wiped his hands.

"Thank you, for what it's worth."

"You're welcome." Maruem said with his back to the group, a soft smile of relief returning to his lips as he walked to retrieve his clothes.

Word Count: 1222 (claimed at 1160)
Total Word Count: 7950 (claimed at 6200)
Notes: C ya space cowboy.