Time Traveling Stories

"I'm Kitsune," I say as I move my hand to extend it, only to notice the blood from where I've been holding my neck wound. Deciding that'd be too gross to do, I move my hand back to cover it with a wince as I smile at him instead.

"I cannot say that we are well met, Antioch, because fate has set us against each other, but I blame the evil Spider Queen rather than you. Therefore, I empathize and will help you with every bit of my endless confidence. Do you know this house well? Is there a way into the rear of the house? Kitty, you could sneak in and take out the mage if I distract it, then we take the brutes as they come in. That would be the military way. Do you think we need to capture the mage somehow to see where they would take the ... pure one?"

I decide to try to channel healing to myself as I answer, "No, I don’t. Protecting Ana is our first priority. I want that ritual on her before we even consider focusing on Loliath. We don’t want to risk our daughter becoming a bargaining token later or worse because she wasn’t protected." I shutter at the idea of it.

I move behind you as I speak, keeping a wary eye on the mage. I sheathe my sword and lay my hand on your neck to help you channel that healing back into your mortal body. "I hope we do not run into Loliath, then. Do you think we can even afford to risk any of these puppets from escaping and alerting her? Should we just burn the house with their bones once we help this mage's family out?"

"Wouldn’t hurt, I suppose. We should try to sneak me in through the back or side. Maybe I can hold off the mage from harming the family or alerting Loliath. Are you ready love? I want this over and your bean is hungry." I turn and look at you with a goofy smile as we both know I’m nowhere near fast enough along to even have symptoms aside from tenderness and sickness.

"Kitty, you might be able to get your spells back in a short rest, but I need to sleep. Any chance I can nap here while you watch and we can still make it there well before midnight? Otherwise, I would only be a dumb fighter with an ordinary sword to help you."

"Of course my love, but we should use the rope trick. The unconscious mage will likely awaken before you." I turn to the mage and explain what the plan is and he goes to watch over his family from a distance. It took some back and forth, but a mutual understanding of our need from the other finally settled it. We climb up and I turn to you as you duff your armor to nap.

"My love, you know you never could be just a dumb fighter with an ordinary sword. Remember the channel that led to the bat people back when Elena was captain? You didn’t have the powers you have now, yet you jumped into the darkness and water to defend me from the water monster. And you did! And this," I pick up your sword and hold it, "will never be an ordinary sword. This one has seen battles that weapons could only dream of! Not to mention the permanent stain on the hilt from where the boys were finger painting and wanted to play with your gear instead. So don’t devalue yourself my Duke." I lean in to kiss you before encouraging you behind the sheet to our bedroom for your nap while I make some lunch.

I groggily awake and push back the curtains. Seeing lunch made on the counter and you curled up asleep on the divan in front of the embers of the fire, I come to you and adjust your blanket over you and lay down against your back and kiss your neck. I breathe a whisper into your ears, "Wake up my love. You should have come joined me in bed. You need to worry less about my self confidence and more about yours love. I dreamt of wonderful picnics and excursions on the Skulker with our many children. I see a bright future for us and Maztica. The only thing I worry about is you, my love. Come. Let us take out this mage and his two brutes."

I stir at your touch, stretching and cuddling into the closeness, before getting up to don my armor again. I respond as I get ready, "If I can manage a household, your three young ones, our town, a shipping company, and be a goddess, then I don't think it's my self confidence that needs to be worried about. Let us indeed focus on the bigger importance, the mage and our sweet Ana."

"What do you think? Can you use magically hold the brute in the north? If you can, I’ll come up to him and tie him up and he can’t alert anyone and then you don’t have to keep concentrating on him. If he can’t hold them, then we just charge him with arrows and blasts?

Or maybe you think we could walk up to him first and ask for a cup of sugar for the cake that I am making? We might make an adorable couple strolling along with a tin cup held out. "

I look around at the state of the area around us. While structures stand, they are clearly desolate and unoccupied except for the house we see guards outside of. Judging by the area, it has been uninhabited for many months. "Somehow, I don't think we can quite get away with being 'out for a stroll.' Best we leave this to magic." With a quick toss and catch of my crystal, I stalk up the big, burly man and cast hold on him.

I come up to him and tie him up and he can’t alert anyone and then you don’t have to keep concentrating on him. Careful to keep my blade under my cloak, I light it and bust through the door with the grace of a hill giant rogue.

Round Two:

Following you in, I immediately wave my hand as I look at the mage. "I think it would be wise if you moved away from that family, don't you?" I ask, concentrating hard on my task.