Champion of the Goddess Pt. 03

He now had an angle on the other giant banging on the tree as well as a broken left arm. He was just out of reach from him. He untied himself, using a belt dagger to cut the line. He hit the giant with a magic missile to let him know where to look. He was surprised when he looked up as the halfling backstabbed him. He turned his head. Raven leaped with his sword in the right hand and struck the giant in the left lung. He rode his body to the ground. Blossom yelled out, "6 down."

He sighed. He slowly got to his feet. Bella and Rhonda reached him, set his broken arm, and healed him up. They both start channeling energy into him. He got a couple of cure light wounds cast into him and he felt normal enough that he raised a hand. He looked at the bodies, "Search and then skin the bodies."

Blossom looked at him, "Skin the bodies?"

He nodded, "You have heard of giant hide armor? Also, it exposes the underside flesh to any predictors. They will get drawn here. Away from our shelter."

She sighed and nodded, "Very well but I am not very comfortable skinning humanoids. Even if they're giants and did try to kill us."

He smiled, "I can take care of it. You do not have to do it."

She shook her head, "I am the leader, I will do my part."

He nodded, "You are the leader. I am the rabbit for the wolves." The ladies giggled at his analogy.

They finished the grizzly task at hand. He grabbed his bow and they headed back to the shelter. They located their 6 sacks of goods. They put them in with the horses for now. They went back into the shelter and got rest. Vain and the rogue never even stuck their heads out as far as he saw. He shook his head.

They woke and prepared spells. He looked at the group. "Nice work. If Vain and the Rogue had helped it might have gone faster."

He made sure they both heard that. "I had to go deeper into the woods than I would have liked. I needed good cover and concealment. Something that took their clubs out of play and a tree I could climb. I burned through the remaining charges on that lightning bolt wand."

Blossom looked at him, "What you did was very brave and all the precautions you took in defensive spells we have learned the importance of having those. The skinning was the only thing that bothered me.

You mentioning the giant hide armor made me realize that they are used in some of the gear humans use. We have their gear to go through. I want the arcane casters and clerics going through the bags and the others getting the horses ready for us to ride. We have lost a quarter of a day."

He thought, "How did you like that?"

He heard her giggling, "You played that well. How did you come up with that? I heard about the trees and such, but why just one of you?"

He thought to her, "Hill giants like to find a target and beat it down. I wounded 2 of them so I am a weak caster but I got good gear. They want my gear and payback. None of them want to be left out so they are like pack animals."

He looked at Mary, "You killed that giant before I stabbed him. Just so you know."

She smiled, "Good."

Mary winked and walked off. He heard Myssara laugh in my head, "How do you figure he was already dead?"

He thought, "Because his eyes rolled up into the back of the head before I hit him."

She giggled, "You are an observant one. You also ensured that they knew of their participation. or non-participation with those 2. I know it was the 2 I saddled you with and will likely hear about them again."

He started going through gear with the other arcane casters. Vain participated in this in case there was something she wanted apparently. They found 14 magical items and some non-magical trinkets.

The ornate jewelry box was one of them. He found a wand of scorching ray with caster level seven. He snagged that up with the others nodding and smiling. He put it on his belt as he stuck the frigid ray wand into the bow. A couple of nice sets of full plate and one was halfling size. The other human-sized. He looked over, "Rhonda and Rose can roll-off for this armor."

Rose looked at him, "No I think this one should go to her. I want that other set in the portable hole when we're done collecting the bounty."

He looked down at the jewelry and found a ring of regeneration. He looked at the group. "Ring of regeneration. Need wise I would think the ranger or rogue first. I have a wand of false life and the spell vampiric touch that I can call upon."

Mary looked at him, "I think Jewels would be the best fit. I can use the ability to use magic device with a wand."

Jewels smiled, "I can use cure light wands with no UMD check. Everyone nodded and Mary relented and took the ring. She looked at me, "Making it harder for me to die this life. The other unwanted rogue did not even attempt to interject himself into that decision after being stared down by Raven for being a coward.

Raven smiled, "Doing what I can to protect everyone who works as part of the team."

She smiled and put the ring on. The rest of the gear was unimportant to him but they did collect another 3,000 gold pieces each from the bags. They even divided it off with the two lazy assholes.

He walked to Blossom, "Name the one item that stuck out as 'being off' in their gear."

She looked at him, "The jewelry box."

He nodded, "Odds are you will get questioned about how you came by it and it might lead to a visit to the local ruler."

She nodded, "I might just take it there. It looks like something a royal might carry."

He nodded, "You are correct, dear leader. Did you think of that before I mentioned it?"

She shook her head, "No you taught me something new. Always look for the odd things in the treasure as they are adventure hooks or potential small side quests."

He nodded, "You got it. Despite your shy nature, you make an awesome leader."

She smiled and then she kissed him for several minutes. She pulled back. "You are a great teacher."

They went out and got mounted up. He got knowing smiles from the ladies.

Mary spoke, "There is no privacy in this group."

He looked at her, "Well I remember Rhonda says she sucked all your cocks to get the one night with me. I would say she had to have had some privacy to pull that off without me knowing about it."

Mary nodded, "We have to get you busy on some task. Going to sleep early to commune with the goddess. Going to feed the horses. Then whoever is done first gets dressed. She lets you know Blossom wanted you to check all of the horses and brush them down. To keep you busy."

Raven nodded, "I knew something was up but I did not know what or how it happened until she told me."

Blossom nodded, "But I learned more about horses."

He smiled, "AND kissing me every few minutes along the way."

The ladies laughed. He smiled, "See, you can get private moments. They are just harder to come by."

They got to riding, "Raven scout road."

They rode for three hours, "Seven on horses."

He looked at the ladies, "Into the forest!"

Blossom asked, "Why are we in the woods?"

He whispered, "He said 7 on horseback. Whatever is on those horses are not men."

She nodded her understanding, "Familiar scout. Check. Add that to my next life list of things to get, and train it."

They got in the woods as they approached the location rapidly. He sighed, "Orogs are Half-ogre and half-orc. Probably a bandit or mercenary band."

One of them called out. "We saw you ride into the woods. You give us your valuables."

He nodded to Blossom and started casting pyrotechnic eruption on the leader. It went off as two fireballs flew into the dropping all of the horse, pinned a couple of them. Their leader was screaming in pain.

He flipped his bow and shot an arrow into his chest. He wailed some more.

He looked at them, "Hit them again." Two more fireballs went in. He put another arrow into the leader. One was running down the road. Raven lined up his shot and fired at the end of his range and struck him in the back and he fell over dead. Blossom took charge, "Jewels make sure they are all dead. Mary, take your pony and ride out to the far one. Make sure he is dead and then drag his dead ass back."

He looked at Blossom, "What do you think of that encounter?"

She looked at Raven, "Too easy. Designed to suck up resources."

He nodded, "Orogs with fighter levels in them so they are harder to kill. We saved all of our healers and I only cast the one spell."

She nodded. Jewels looked at Raven, "Two were playing dead."

Mary yelled out, "This one is dead now."

He looked at her and she was on the guys back with her daggers stuck in him.

Blossom looked over, "Sticks start searching and strip the bodies, I will use detect magic, and only if something is really big will I try to identify it. Else we will look at it tonight. Wands are easy."

Blossom smiled. "You can figure them out with detect magic given enough time I know."

They pulled all of the gear and one item stood out. He looked at her, "This is likely something we can look at later. If I am not mistaken it is an instant fortress."

He handed it to Blossom. She handed it back, "You hang onto this one."

Raven nodded, "We found a couple more wands."

Raven looked at them, "I would like the lightning wand, the other one is a fireball wand."

She nodded, "Give the other to Orchid or Vain."

Mary held up a few vials, "Very toxic poison."

He looked at Rose, "We got any potions of delay or neutralize poison?"

She nodded, "We have three of each."

He nodded, "distribute them out to the others. A delay poison will act as a neutralize poison if you drink it beforehand. Save them for now."

She passed them around. They stored all the gear in Blossom's bag. She looked at Raven, "Why am I getting all of this?"

He smiled, "Leaders have to carry the burden sometimes. Until we identify everything, we cannot divide it out. I will hang onto the cube as you have asked me to do."

She nodded, "Alright. This time."

The ladies laughed. They mounted up and started riding. Raven asked, "Not clearing the road this time?"

She shook her head. "Let the wolves do it."

He smiled, "Raven scout road."

They went another four hours down the road and the bird came back, "Twenty in a camp with 5 horses." He headed into the woods. The others followed quickly and they dismounted. He took out the cube and identified it.

She looked at Raven, "What are you doing?"

He smiled, "It is what I said it was. It is in bad shape though. It takes a wish spell to repair it."

She sighed, "So little good to us."

He smiled, "Maybe not. If you are wearing full plate wait here until you hear the fighting and ride in. Healers give delay poison to those who did not get a potion. She cast one on Raven, "Only have the one. Only one without is Sticks and he is not worried about it. I checked with him first."

Raven nodded, "If you are not stealthy then do the same." They all got on horseback except for Mary, the rouge, and Jewels.

He looked at them, "We will have some fun." They nodded. They snuck their way to within 50 feet of the camp. He cast invisibility on the fortress. He signaled them to down their potions. He looked around at the group and he noticed the rogue must have already had one as he drank a potion.

Raven noted what he figured was a command tent with 8 guards and a campfire.

He just had to throw it to the spot he wanted. He threw it out in front of the command tent. While he could not see it. He saw the impression in the grass. One of the guards said something and an ogre Magi showed his head.

Raven activated the fortress. Mary looked shocked as it crushed some and blew a few out of the way. The tower was now visible. He used gravity bow. He heard the riders coming up the road, He fired 3 shots into the Ogre magi.

Jewels was shocked at his rate of fire but the ogre magi fell. The orogs and one who looked to be a badly injured leader were coming toward him. He whispered, "Wait here I am going to draw them to you. Get the guy in the back."

He moved away and got hit by a crossbow bolt. He fired back and hit him in the shoulder. They ran toward Raven now. He got enough distance and got them clustered.

The 3 dropped to diamond spray and he felt the injury. He looked out and Mary popped up. He looked at her, "Friendly fire. Sorry, I did not see you."

She smiled, "I did not evade it either. We are alright."

They headed back toward the explosions. He used a false life along the way and she used a cure light for a few charges.

He smiled, "You finished off that leader."

She nodded, "He did not know what hit him."

He stabbed him again to make sure. There were 4 still standing, the battle looked to be in full swing. He stopped and fired 3 into the one attacking Blossom. He fell. Mary rushed in. He selected a different target than her. He found one who worked to attack Orchid. He fired 3 shots at him and hit him with 2.

Orchid got off a magic missile to finish him off. She nodded toward Raven. Mary finished the one on Bella and Rose dropped her target. Rhonda called out, "The rogue is dead." Bella cried out "JEWELS!"

They went over and she had only got hit by one bolt but it looked to have been poisoned. He thought, "She had a potion for that!"

Myssara sighed, "No the rogue swapped it out on her."

He walked over to Vain, "Your little halfling lover got Jewels killed. He took the potion to neutralize poison from her and swapped it for something different. I asked the goddess how she could have died while having taken that potion."

She shrugged, "I didn't do it. He was not a good fuck let along a great one."

He looked at her, "You are a cold-hearted bitch Vain. Best if you find another party when we reach the next inn."

He gave Bella time to process the situation. He finally pulled her to her feet and held her to him, "We know she will be back at the last inn. The Rogue who died swapped potions on her. She did not have any poison protection."

She looked at Raven, "If he was not dead, he would be!"

He asked, "Did you talk about what ifs?"

She nodded, "We agreed the other should keep going. It is hard though. We just went exclusive."

He nodded, "I know. You know my ladies and I are here for you."

She nodded and held him for several minutes.

He thought, "Dream State with Jewels."

He saw a crying woman who had to be Jewels. he looked at her, "You did not do this. This was not your fault."

She looked at him, "What happened?"

He looked at her, "The rouge, who also died switched potions on you. You had no poison protection. Do you want her to come back for you?"

She looked at him, "We agreed to move forward. I am not sure I can do that twice in a row."

He thought, "Bring Bella here and tell me how suicidal she is."

He heard, "Very close, to close. What are you wanting?"

He saw Bella and he waved her forward, "Jewels and Bella." They hugged each other.

He thought, "Shared life and send her back when she gets to the third inn. If Bella agrees."

He looked at Bella, "She is on the edge of a cliff. Do you want to go back for her?"

Bella nodded rapidly. He looked at Myssara who nodded.

He thought at her, "Did you kill the fucking rogue?"

She shook her head and thought, "In fact, he is a human wizard with a halflings cock. Stuck in that life until he gets to 20 or he pisses me off again. Once he accomplishes that he is off of my world."

He looked at them, "The rogue was sent back to level one as a human wizard with a halfling cock."

He thought, "The rest of us want to stay on the quest. Send them after the undead instead."

Myssara nodded and spoke, "Once Bella gets to the next inn, I will send her to a room and she will be back at the second inn with you.

There is a trial program going on but it means something very significant. It means you two have to keep getting pregnant by any means or men possible. Your lives would be bound together in a shared life. If you would agree to this."

They both nodded. He looked at Myssara, "Night of their birth let me give Jewels her second set of children in the dream state. I cannot do anything for Bella. She will have to keep getting fucked in an inn with halflings nearby using the toy. That way they are not having to deal with multiple men immediately."

Myssara nodded, "Also more with the diverse genetics."

He nodded. The two of them cried on his shoulder and he held them. "We are still awake. Jewels, you will just have to wait a day or two at the most. So just hang back and if anyone asks you, you tell them, 'I am waiting on Raven to deliver! Do not fuck with me.'"

She laughed and hugged him tighter. He whispered to her, "I told you I would not just leave you behind. I am getting someone to you because YOU did your part brilliantly. Remember everything I taught you and the others. She will explain how shared lives work."

He nodded to Myssara and he was back in his body. She cried into his shoulder and he held her, "I know it is not fair. You have a path forward."

She held him fast and he heard a click. She looked at him, "The necklace. It will do me no good and you would have taken it as your second but you were nice enough to give it to me."

He nodded and kissed her and her tears away. He saw Mary watching this exchange and she walked over and he looked at her, "She is going back once we hit the third inn. Blossom will pick up the quest from her. The rouge you wanted me to get to know swapped out potions. Jewels had no poison resistance."

Mary looked livid. "Myssara can tell you what she did to him."

He walked out to Blossom, "You now have the quest for the ogres. Get details from Bella. She will be returning after we get to the third inn."

She nodded and walked over and talked with Bella who came over and threw her arms around his neck.

Bella whispered, "You saved her life."

He whispered back, "No, we saved her life and yours. She got a raw deal and she has already had one of those. I can only do this in the dream state with her this once. That I am sure of. But you will be together. Tell her I have a mission but I wanted her with her love."

She squeezed him tight, "You can tell her the night you get her pregnant again. But I will tell her too."

He looked at Blossom, "That fortress has like four hit points on it. A lousy shelter, one fucking awesome invisible grenade."

Blossom looked at him, "You made it invisible and then threw it into the middle of the camp? That is fucking brilliant! How much damage did it do?"

He looked at her, "10-100." He walked over and opened the door and looked around, "We get a healthy one, we could leave the horse at the bottom and sleep up top. Would save us a couple of spells."

She nodded, and they all walked out and he shrunk it back down. Blossom saw all the bodies it crushed and lost her lunch. That started a chain reaction with the other ladies. He turned away and picked up the cube.

He sighed, "Sorry dear leader that is one action I refuse to follow."

She turned from the camp as did the others. He looked at them.

He rubbed Blossom's swollen stomach. "It was not just the bodies ladies. Check your stomachs and you will see you are close to delivery."

They looked and nodded, "I will search those bodies and that side of camp Mary can get the 4 in the woods including the leader she backstabbed to death but first we could use a little healing as Mary caught the outer edge of my diamond spray.

I did not see her and she failed to evade it. Rhonda came over and hit him with a big healing spell she whispered "I know you two are connected. Myssara told me."

He nodded and whispered to her, "You got us both back to full." She nodded and kissed him.