Chapter: 9 Getting To Know Your Friends.

***Talion Ragnarok pov.***

Once we left the pirate town, well more like a city we camped out by this old farm. It looked like it seen better days. I want to see how Morgan was doing and saw she starting to wake up.

“You okay?” I asked as I looked at her.

“Touch me and I’ll beat you over the head with a bagpipe.” Morgan groaned as she pulled the cloth covering her anthro form closer. She fine, I think as I leave her to rest. Wait, what was that about bagpipes?

“Hurry up, dinner's getting cold!” Yelled Dust. As I go over and eat with everyone I’m starting to get used to the strangeness of it all.

“Pass some of the crab over. With some of that Roast lizard.” I asked as Buggey passed it around. The food wasn’t bad it was kind of nice.

“So what the plan about getting to the last tower?” I asked as I eats some Lizard.

“Won’t be easy.” Said Eron as he take a bite out of some crab. I would ask why but I was enjoying the food too much to care.

“Keeplord Bain Bloodworm won’t let anyone enter the city without a tole. Not only that he's the main marketer of slaves. He has full control over the city, anyone get in his way is ever put in the arena to fight or turned into a slave.” Said Maggabl as he eats his food.

“That bad.” I said as we sit around the fire.

“I won’t be going with you there.” Said Dust as she eats.

“You know him?” Asked Buggey as he drinks something.

“Lets just say we had history.” Said Dust as she drinks some mead.

“What do you mean?” I asked getting interested in this.

“Lord Bain is notorious for capturing ‘special’ individuals and creatures to keep as his personal ‘pets’.”  Dust spat as she began to tremble.

“Why do I get the feeling I want to gut this guy.” I replied as I look at my mug, Bruiser fills it back up and I look at him.

“I help yoo.” Bruiser said with a smile as he drinks from the bottle. Nice to know I’m with someone of like minded as myself.

“Say Lily, think you can teach me some of those throwing knives skills?” I asked as the Ninja mouse as she looked at me. Then she looked to Hel, Hel slowly nods at her and Lily looks back at me.

“Fine, I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this to help keep Lady Hel safe.” Said Lily as she eats a bit of crab.

“I smelled crab…” Morgan grumbled as she dragged herself over, back in her pony form.

“Nice to see your up sleepy head.” I said with a smiled as I pull up a stick with a lizard leg on it, it was a big lizard. “Want some?”

“I’m going to help mom beat you up during your next training session.” Morgan grumbled as she snatched away the lizard and started chowing down.

“Mom?” I asked as everyone looked at Morgan.

“Did I do something?” Morgan asked innocently.

“Okay let me ask this way, who do you think is your mom?” I asked again. I think I have a good idea but just making sure.

“Dusty.” Morgan purred as she snuggled up to the unicorn, who was choking on her drink.

“What?!” Said Dust as she looks at Morgan. I and mostly everyone laughed at this.

“Something wrong?” Morgan asked with the most innocent smile she could pull off.

“I’m going to bed!” Dust huffed as she get into her bed roll. Morgan shrugged and crawled over to Dust and turned into a fluffle puff before snuggling up to her. I will never get over how cute she can be.

“We should get some rest.” Said Mag as he lay down to rest on his bedroll. I’m cool with this but then I notice something, Hel and Misty were talking.

“It alright you need it more than I do.” Said Hel pushing the bedroll back to the Ninja mouse. I sighed as I held up my new bedroll, looks like I’m sleeping in the dirt again. I think as I walk over to them.

“Here.” I said as I hand them my bedroll. Hel and Lily just looked at me like I grow a second head. “What?”

“Talion I can’t…” Said Hel as Lily held her bedroll, I then put it in Hel arms.

“You need it more than I do. Besides, I’m getting used to sleeping on the ground.” I said as I go over to the fire. Well mite as well look for a good place to sleep. I think as I set next to the fire, Once everyone had go to sleep I saw Hel walk up to me.

“What up?” I asked as she still had the bedroll in hand then held it out to me. I just raised my eyebrow at her.

“Take it.” She said and I just rub my face, wait. There maybe one way we can both stay warm.

“Hey I got an idea if you're willing to hear me out.” I asked as I take the bedroll and lay it out. “How about we both share it?”

“What?!” Hel said as she looked around the camp. “I-I can’t do that we’re not even married yet. I can’t share a bed with someone until I’m-” I had enough of this.

I then took her hand and pulled her into the bedroll before covering her with the blanket. “look we’re doing this to stay warm nothing else okay? You have nothing to fear from me so relax.” I said calmly as I looked down at her hood covered head.

“But… What if you see…” Hel said I swear I could hear fear in her voice.

“I’ll keep my eye shut then until you wake up and say I can open them.” I tell her with a smile as I closed my eyes and get ready to sleep. “Good night Hel.” I said as I roll to one side with my back to her to give her more room. I then felt her head rest on my back.

“Thank you… Good night Talion.” Hel said softly as I feel asleep.

I woke up to the sounds of everyone getting up and of Morgan asking Dust questions. I then felt something around me and looked down to see Hel had her arms around me. Must of hugged me in her sleep.

“Hel time to get up.” I say as I stay facing away from her. I heard a yawn as she slowly removed herself from me and gets out of the bedroll first. I have to say it was kind of nice waking up with someone next to me.

I was next to get up as everyone was getting ready to start the day. Me, I was looking over the gear we took from those mouse ninjas. The throwing knives had me interested the most. Wonder if Lily would teach me how to use them?

“What you looking at?” Morgan asked as she appeared beside me.

“These knives, I was thinking they be useful if I knew how to use them.” I said as I found some kind of ninja spikes. I have no idea if that what they're called but that what I’m calling them.

“Cool! what's this?” Morgan asked as she picked up one of the ninja spikes.

“That called a caltrap.” Said Lily as she saw us looking at the stuff.

“What's it do?” Morgan asked.

“You throw them on the ground behind you to cover your retreat. So it slow down whoever following you.” Said Lily as she go back to helping Hel with something.

“Sounds useful.” I say as take the one Morgan picked up back. Then put it back in the bag with the others. I then pulled something out and looked at it, the thing had a piece of string hanging from it. Something tells me this is some kind of bomb.

“Hey Lily, think you can teach me how to use some of this gear?” I asked and then saw the look on her face, then the way Dust was smiling. Oh crap, I just asked for more training didn’t I? I thought as I qwickly get up and start running.

“Morgan! go for the legs!” Yelled Dust as I heard the sound of buzzing wings.

“God damnit!” I yelled as I ran for my life. In the end running did nothing to save me from the the training I had to go through. Not only that I had to walk on top of that, so yes life sucked for me right now for the next week. That when we saw a town with all kinds of caravanes coming and going from it.

“We’ll need to get some things here before we head for the next tower.” Said Eron as he hands out some gold to everyone. I started counting out how much I was given as we head into town.

“So who’s going with who?” Asked Buggey as he put the gold he was given away.

“We’ll go into groups, Bursier will go with Lily and Mag. I’ll go with Morgan and Buggey. That will leave Talion, Dust and Hel on their own.” Said Eron.

“Wait is that a good idea?” I asked. as much as I’d like to go off and shop for myself, I’d rather not have Dust trying to hit me all day.

“You’ll be fine, Dust used to live here after all.” Said Eron as he walked off. I sighed as we all heard into town.

“We’ll meet at the main gate in two hours.” Said Mag as he walks off.

“How will we know when two hours have been up?” I asked getting no reply as I looked at Hel and Dust. Something tell me this will be a long day.  Once we’re inside the town it looked nice, there was market stalls everywhere. You couldn’t take one step without finding one. I had to stop every time Hel saw something interesting, and move her along when Dust was getting too far ahead.

We found one shop where I could buy a cloak and some leather armour that fit me. Better than the old stuff I had before. We even found something for Hel too, It was a small blade that could be hidden in her long sleeves. I didn’t like the idea of her not being armed, we walked around for an hour before I heard something.

“Come one, come all come and see what I have for you today!” Yelled someone who was bring in a crowd.

“What that?” I asked as I saw the way Dust looked pissed.

“Nothing, let's go.” Said Dust as she walks on. That seem odd to me until I heard what was said next.

“Who want this diamond dog! He’s both strong and young! I’ll be selling him for 20 bits!” I stopped when I heard that. What that meant to mean?! I think as I looked at Hel. “Stay with Dust if things turn bad, run.”

“Talion stop!” Yelled Dust as I head into the crowd. I didn’t stop till I ended up at the front and what I saw made me sick. I saw ponies, griffons, diamond dogs even Von in cages. I then saw a Von on a stand yelling as the crowd called out. This was a slave market… I bared my teeth as I walked out headed for the stand but stopped when I saw two guards stand in my way. The fucked up part was one a pony and the other was a griffon. I just stared them down until I heard the von speck.

“Sir I must ask that you please stay back and return to the crowd. I’m sure I can sell you something you’d like.” Said the Von who I saw was smiling at me, I then had an idea and smiled back.

“I just wanted to make sure you’d hear me out. I work for someone who needs a lot of bodies and was ordered by my keeplord to get some.” I said as I saw the Von eyes light up.

“Why didn’t you say so! Guards let him though.” Said the Von as I’m aloud to go onto the stage. I saw the guards walk off as Dust and Hel watch me from the crowd.

“As you can see this one is strong and young as I already told them, but his slow so not really a good sell. As long as no one knows that.” He whispered to me smiling.

“I see, so if you had his chains removed from him he’d stay here unless order to?” I asked as I slowly reached for my dagger.

“Yes, yes here I’ll show you!” He said as he unlocked the Diamond dogs chains. With the keys in hand. I then stabbed him in the back and gave the keys to the diamond dog.

“Free the others NOW!” I yelled as I throw the Von at the griffon guard. I then saw the pony guard run at me as I jumped back from the sword he held in his mouth.

‘Time to see if this training worked!’ I thought as as I throw a knife at the pony hitting him in the leg. I’ll call it dumb luck seeing as he had no armour on his legs. I then pulled a flash bomb out as I saw the diamond dog freeing the slaves before pulling the string and making a run for it as I throw the bomb into the air.

“What were you thinking!” Yelled Dust I as she hit me in the face with her hooves. I got to say being punched with hooves hurts more then a fist. We all managed to get out safely as we left the town behind.  Some of the slaves by the sounds of it started a riot and all hell broke loose in that town. Hell I think some of the guards where even helping the slaves. Didn’t really matter I was happy about what I did. Not the part about killing that von but about setting the slaves free.

I got one last punch as I hit the floor. I slowly get up as I saw that Dust was smiling at me. Hel came up to me to make sure I was alright before we started moving again. I had to leave my old dagger behind and steal a new one on the way out. We did meet up with the others as they left town. But Eron was panicking like a mother hen. Once we got the story that Morgan was kidnapped again I sighed at this. How this keep happening?

“By Thor hammer Dust, why haven’t you taught her how to defend herself yet!?” I yelled at her as she stare at me.

“Oh come on, are you trying to make this my fault now? You're the one who started a riot!” Said Dust as Hel tends to my face. I found that kind of sweet of her.

“Okay witch way did they go?” I asked as Buggeys gave us all strange looks.

“That the weird part, there going the same place we’re.” Said Buggey as he points down the road we’re on.

“Come on then, let go save the bug princess...” I say as we start walking again. ‘This better not become a theme with you Morgan.’ I think as we head down the road.