David

  Alarms wailed, pulling me out of a deep sleep. I had been dreaming of walking across the Longfellow Bridge toward the Back Bay. There was a taco truck I used to visit. Tacos… I wonder if I can make those here.

  The thought vanished as I threw off the covers and rushed out, nearly colliding with Allyson.

  “Master,” she said quickly, “multiple individuals are running toward us from the woods.”

  I nodded, already moving. “Everyone up!” I shouted into the room.

  Allira was already halfway into her armor, always the first to react. The others stirred, climbing from bed with bleary urgency.

  “Seraphina, my sweet,” I said, brushing a kiss against her cheek, “go to the lounge and wait. The maids will protect you better there.”

  She smiled, even in the rising tension. “Be safe.”

  I turned toward the hallway and stopped before a combat golem stationed near the door. “Stay with Seraphina. Ensure nothing happens to her.” The golem gave a short, solid nod.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, then pushed through the outer doors.

  The air outside was sharp and still. Darkness cloaked the landscape, but my perception cut through it, two red glows on the edge of my vision.

  Prince Theodore stepped beside me. “What do you see, brother?”

  “Two people, heading this way.”

  Allira joined us, tightening the straps on her shield. “Golems are ready, love.”

  Behind us, boots clattered as more people emerged from the airship. Under the pale lights of the Enterprise, the runners became visible, three figures now. Fredrick, the adventurer leader, carried another person on his back. The young fire mage, Caitlin, sprinted beside him.

  Fredrick collapsed as they reached us, gasping, “Trolls… a colony…”

  “Trolls?” I echoed, cold dread forming in my gut.

  General Kitch appeared behind me, soldiers already helping Fredrick to his feet. “How far behind?”

  “Minutes,” Fredrick rasped.

  “Allira, defensive positions,” I ordered, my voice steady.

  Prince Theodore placed a hand on my shoulder. “You’re not thinking of fighting them.”

  “It’s suicide,” Ajax added. “It normally takes ten adventurers to kill just one troll.”

  I stepped forward, my eyes locked on the red markers growing on my display. “I’m hoping there’s only one, then.”

  The HUD flickered.

  [23 Hostiles Detected]

  I turned back. “Everyone else, get to the Enterprise. General, twenty-three trolls are coming straight at us.”

  General Kitch’s expression hardened. “Princes, back to the ship.”

  He raised his voice. “All hands, fall back to the airship!”

  The others moved, but I held my ground. My golems stepped in line behind me, mechanical and ready. My wives flanked me: Allira to the right, Marlena and Aria to the left, their faces calm and focused.

  “Allira,” I said, “bring out all combat golems except the three stationed inside. It’s time.”

  “Yes, Master,” she said, her voice almost lost beneath the growls and pounding footsteps echoing through the woods.

  I reached into storage, and with a thought, Emberline surged into my hand.

  As I drew the blade, light exploded from it, white-hot and blinding, pure flame condensed into steel. The air shimmered around it, warping with heat. Sparks danced like fireflies across the ground, and a low hum thrummed through the earth beneath my boots.

  The glow lit my face in stark contrast, shadows casting sharp lines across my jaw. For a brief moment, I must have looked like something pulled from a myth, not a man, but the embodiment of the storm they didn’t see coming. Luke Skywalker never looked this cool.

  I stared into the treeline.

  The red shapes on my HUD were moving fast now, too fast, and far too many.

  Twenty-three trolls.

  I exhaled slowly, steadying my grip on the hilt.

  “Twenty-three…” I muttered, just loud enough for Allira to hear. “Odds could be worse.”

  She let out a soft laugh. “That’s why we love you.”

  The treeline split, a wave of black-furred monsters crashing forward like a living avalanche. Their growls shook the trees. Eyes like coals. Teeth like daggers. The first one roared and raised a crude wood club high over its head.

  Behind me, my combat golems took their first synchronized step forward, the metal of their limbs hissing against the cold ground. I stepped forward to meet them…

  _____________________

  Theresa

  I made my way from my room to the lounge. Sergeant Renkings was waiting outside the stateroom while Victoria helped me get dressed before we reached the lounge. He stood there in his chain and leather armor, with his sword on his hip and his shield on his free arm, as I exited my room. I turned to see where Victoria was, and she was right behind me, fastening the last of the buttons on her red mage outfit.

  Seeing them both, I marched toward the lounge. The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone stared out the windows, searching for shapes in the dark. From the far corner of the room, I glimpsed Seraphina seated, several maids nearby. No one spoke to her, and no one dared approach. As I passed Bishop Varent and Samual, a few maids intercepted me.

  Looking past them, I saw Seraphina glance up and smile. Whatever Seraphina whispered to Rachael, it prompted the maids to part and let me through. I sat beside her. Victoria and Sergeant Renkings remained behind.

  "Seraphina..." I said, gently taking her hand. "How are you holding up?"

  "I'm fine, Theresa," she replied, offering that warm, calm smile of hers. "Would you like some tea? Two teas, please, and some snacks," she said with a nod to Rachael. Her maid's uniform was different, elegant, almost ceremonial.

  As Rachael moved off, another maid followed with a tower of sweets. I noticed, for the first time, how many more maids there were, more than usual. And not just them. Combat golems. Three now. Their blue eyes scan the room, watching everything. One stood just a few feet away from us.

  "Why are there so many maids and golems here?" I asked.

  Seraphina finally put her book down. "David. Not directly, but as their master, they serve him and protect us. Rachael and the others would give and do everything for us."

  She placed her hand on Rachael’s arm and whispered, “Thank you.” The maids curtsied in silent acknowledgment.

  My attention turned to the sweets. Seven options. All different. All exquisite. One, with powdered frosting, practically called to me. My hand hovered just inches away… A commotion erupted.

  Fredrick stumbled in, soaked with sweat, helping one of his companions collapse into a chair. Prince Theodore carried another, bloodied and unconscious, toward the Bishop, who had already begun healing.

  I hesitated, fingers still hovering above the snack. What could I do? Nothing. So I stayed by Seraphina.

  "Theresa!" Theodore called, pushing toward me, only to be stopped by the maids.

  "Theodore, what are you doing?" I asked.

  "I wanted to talk to you," he said, frustrated.

  “Trolls?” Mage Parryw shouted. “We have to get away!”

  “We stay,” a voice countered, not mine. Theodore’s.

  “Bishop, how is she?” he asked, pointing to the bloodied adventurer.

  “She’ll live,” the Bishop answered, golden magic fading from his hands. “Her leg will need more attention, but she’s stable.”

  “Miss, Master has engaged the enemy,” Rachael said quietly to Seraphina.

  “Seraphina?” I whispered. “What’s going on?”

  She lowered her head. “David is fighting the trolls.”

  “How many?” I asked, dread curling in my chest.

  “Twenty-three, ma’am,” Rachael replied.

  Outside, white streaks lit the night. Seraphina sat in silence, hands wrapped around her teacup, tears dotting her dress. I leaned closer and hugged her.

  “General, is everyone accounted for?” Ajax asked.

  “Yes, sire. Six adventurers are uncounted. Everyone else is aboard except the Earl and three of his wives,” Kitch said, eyes fixed on the chaos beyond.

  “We need to leave,” Parryw barked, red-faced.

  “We stay...” Seraphina stood. Her voice had changed, steel beneath silk. “We stay.”

  Tension snapped tight in the room.

  Power surged between Parryw and the maids blocking his path. Seraphina didn’t move, didn’t flinch. Her gaze locked on his.

  “We wait for my husband and sisters.”

  The way she said it sent chills down my spine. She wasn’t pleading. She was commanding. The room knew it.

  But Parryw didn’t back down.

  Parryw raised his hand, the ice sphere above it pulsing with power. “We need to leave now!” His voice cracked, desperation pushing it into a shout. “We can’t fight one troll, let alone that…!” He pointed toward the window, toward the growing streaks of white fire across the darkness.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “I’m taking this…”

  He pointed at Seraphina. The word never finished.

  With a whisper of metal and a sudden rush of air, the golem moved. No rage. No hesitation. Just one clean, perfect stroke. The blade sang through the space between them, and then…

  A spray of red.

  The moment was shattered.

  Parryw’s body crumpled mid-gesture, his hand still raised as if trying to command the very death that claimed him. Blood misted the air, staining robes and skin. Gasps erupted; some choked, while others remained silent. Veronica turned away, hand over her mouth. No one screamed.

  The golem stood still again, sword now lowered, its blue eyes unreadable. It had returned to its guard position, efficient, unfeeling. As though it had only swatted a fly.

  And Seraphina?

  She didn’t flinch.

  She didn’t blink.

  She calmly set her teacup down. “We are going nowhere,” she said, her voice level. “My husband and sisters are out there, protecting us. We will stay.”

  Then, as if nothing had happened, she smoothed her dress and sat again.

  Silence reigned.

  I looked at the blood, the body, the steel. Then at her.

  And somehow… the calm in her eyes unsettled me more than the execution.

  I sat down hard, dizzy. The smell of blood, the violence, the cold precision, it overwhelmed me.

  But then her hand found my arm. Warm. Steady. I looked down then up, into that smile.

  “David will be fine. They all will be fine,” she said.

  She turned back to the window and the streaks of white fire beyond.

  I could only stare. This woman, my future sister-wife, was so much more than I ever imagined.

  And David… What kind of man builds a family like this?

  Am I even worthy to be part of it?

  _____________________

  David

  I didn’t know what to expect, only that the first one came fast.

  It towered over me, raising what looked like an entire tree, stripped of branches, gripped like a club. I ducked low, Emberline slicing in a smooth arc through its leg. The troll toppled with a roar, blood and flesh spraying as it crashed into the dirt. I twisted and, with a quick slash, took its head.

  [DING]

  [10,000 Sword Fighting XP Gained]

  [Level Up – Sword Fighting – Level 31]

  3275 XP Until Next Level

  [Level Up – Sword Fighting – Level 32]

  565 XP Until Next Level

  The second came on, hands outstretched to grab me. I could see the thick bristles of hair along its wrists as its fingers reached for me. Too slow. I caught its wrist, yanked hard, and used its own momentum to drive Emberline up through its chest. The blade carved out through its side, bisecting it in a spray of gore.

  [DING]

  [10,000 Sword Fighting XP Gained]

  [Level Up – Sword Fighting – Level 33]

  4275 XP Until Next Level

  [Level Up – Sword Fighting – Level 34]

  5100 XP Until Next Level

  [Level Up – Sword Fighting – Level 35]

  50 XP Until Next Level

  A third hesitated, just long enough for me to step forward and take its head in a single clean stroke. I pushed these notifications to the side as they got too distracting.

  Behind me, I could hear the clash of steel and stone, my golems were holding their line. Some of the trolls had slipped past, but the formation held. I didn’t have time to check. Another troll lunged, and I twisted into the next strike, blade flashing white as two more fell to its edge.

  Then…Impact.

  –80 HP [Remaining: 760 of 820]

  A massive trunk smashed into me, the force jarring through every bone. My armband flared to life in brilliant blue, the shield absorbing the worst of the blow. I stood my ground, gritting my teeth, grabbed the makeshift club, and pulled.

  The troll stumbled toward me. Too close. Too slow.

  The ones behind it trampled their kin to get to me. I dropped the club, stepped forward into the press of bodies, and let Emberline sing.

  Limbs flew. Blood sprayed. I spun, dodged, slashed, barely thinking, just moving. My shield pulsed with every strike absorbed. Their claws tore into me, but the barrier held.

  It felt like hours, but it was only seconds.

  Around me, the battlefield thinned. The closest trolls were dead or dying. The rest smashed uselessly against the golem shield wall, howling in rage and confusion.

  And then… I saw it.

  A single troll, standing apart. Taller than the rest. Broader. Its skin is darker, almost slate gray. Eyes that didn’t rage, but watched. Calculating. It hadn’t moved. Yet.

  Holding Emberline at my side, I slowly walked toward the lone troll.

  It watched me. Its eyes tracked each step I made across the torn battlefield, turning fully as I approached. Then, it reached over its back and drew a thick slab of rusted metal, its weapon. It was less a sword and more a piece of sharpened ruin.

  “Kieetiu Nesukji-im,” it growled.

  Human. I challenge you, I think.

  I tilted my head, responding with a word I barely understood myself. “Yiyok.”

  The troll blinked, startled.

  It hadn’t expected me to understand, let alone answer. It studied me for a long moment. Its gaze drifted past me, toward the scattered, bloodied corpses of its kin. Six remained standing, not counting the one before me. Six out of twenty-three.

  “Ptyooi!” it barked.

  The trolls that had been hammering at the golem line stopped, freezing mid-swing. Then slowly, they turned and backed away, eyes never leaving me. We stood alone.

  “Giguiin Renwwert?” I asked carefully.

  Do you really want to challenge me?

  Or… did I ask where the bathroom was? I wasn’t entirely sure. My head was foggy, my arms were heavy, and I was running on fumes. For all I knew, I asked him if he liked tacos.

  The troll stared at me, puzzled. Then it gave a low, chest-deep grunt.

  “Wieetri Uionnick Wertneick,” it said at last.

  I would lose honor if I didn’t.

  I nodded slowly. “Reioop Quitty Noiep,” I replied.

  Call it a draw. Keep your honor.

  At least, I hoped that’s what I said.

  There was a long pause. The troll looked over the battlefield again. The mangled remains of sixteen of its warriors lay in heaps, most of them fallen by my hand. The others hadn’t fared much better against the golems.

  Its massive chest rose and fell. And then…

  “Tiun,” it grumbled.

  It turned and began to walk away, slow and heavy. The six remaining trolls followed him without a word, limping, dragging their makeshift weapons behind them.

  I stood there, watching until the last red mark vanished from my perception field and the forest swallowed them whole.

  Only then did I let Emberline drop. I exhaled. The blade hissed faintly as I slid it back into its sheath. I finally exhaled, wiping a streak of troll blood from my cheek. The battlefield was still.

  Then, I allowed the panels to appear, layered over each other in a calm cascade.

  [Swordsmanship: Level Up to level 45]

  [Perception: Level Up to level 6]

  [Analyze: Level Up to level 11]

  I blinked, letting the information filter through.

  Swordsmanship. From raw motion to instinct, and now, mastery. The knowledge clicked into place. Not just how to strike or parry, but when to move, why a feint worked, and where each blow would truly land. He could see the future of a fight now, real from false, hesitation from intent. It wasn’t guesswork anymore. It was truth, wrapped in steel.

  Perception. The world brightened subtly. His senses reached further, not farther, but deeper. Shadows no longer hid everything. Cloaked forms or hidden traps shimmered faintly at the edge of his awareness, as if the air itself betrayed their presence.

  Analyze. His mind ticked faster, cleaner. Systems unraveled more readily in his thoughts. Magical constructs, enemy movements, combat formations, and patterns emerged with less effort, threads visible where before there was only fog.

  I closed the panels with a thought. No fanfare. No flashing lights. Just clarity. Growth. And a new threshold crossed. The first rays of sunlight broke over the mountain peaks, casting long golden beams across the battlefield. The light touched the carnage gently, revealing the full scale of the blood-soaked disaster.

  Allira was the first to reach me. Her armor was smudged and dented, her face streaked with dirt and sweat. I can fix the armor. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her without hesitation. My general. My love. She’s safe.

  Beyond her, Marlena and Aria stepped through the field of bodies, waving between the combat golems. I returned the wave, still holding Allira close.

  I gestured at the broken remains scattered around us. “So… what do we do about this?”

  Aria stepped forward, already calculating. “Well, first we collect the cores.”

  “Cores?” I asked, blinking.

  “Troll cores,” she clarified. “Extremely rare. They’re hard to kill… well, usually.” She gave me a playful wink.

  “Spankings,” I muttered under my breath.

  All three of them burst into giggles.

  “So, how do we get these… cores?” I asked, though a grim suspicion was already forming.

  Marlena grinned. “We cut them open and pull them out.”

  I sighed. “Of course you’re talking about me doing this?”

  “You’re already covered in their blood,” Aria added helpfully. “What’s a little more? And imagine the bath we’ll give you when we’re done.”

  “Tempting,” I muttered, summoning Emberline with a thought and unsheathing it again.

  Marlena guided me to the first corpse, pointing to an area on the chest. With one smooth cut, I split it open, reaching inside until my fingers closed around a hard shape. I pulled it free, a deep ruby-red crystal, the size of a large apple. It shimmered with inner fire in the morning light.

  Marlena’s eyes lit up. “Beautiful. Look at the color, this one’s almost pure.”

  I passed it to her and moved to the next body.

  “Only fifteen more to go,” I grumbled.

  By the time I retrieved the final core from the massive troll, the one who had greeted me with a tree club, Allyson arrived at my side.

  “Master,” she said, bowing slightly. “I apologize for not reaching you sooner.”

  I paused, the last core still warm in my hand. Her expression was uncharacteristically tense.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “There was… an incident in the lounge during your battle. I judged it best not to interrupt you at the time.”

  I turned to her, face tightening. “Was anyone hurt?”

  “Yes, master. Mage Parryw is dead.”

  I stared at her. “Seraphina? Princess Theresa? Are they alright?”

  “They’re fine. Only Mage Parryw was harmed. He attempted to force Lady Seraphina to evacuate. When he conjured an ice spear against her, the combat golem posted at your stateroom intervened… lethally.”

  I exhaled slowly. “Thank you, Allyson.”

  I turned toward the airship, but Allira’s hand closed around my arm, stopping me.

  She locked eyes with me. “Don’t do anything rash, David.”

  “I just…”

  “She’s fine. You taught us to protect one another. Now breathe. We’ll go to her together, but not like this.”

  “She might be the strongest of us,” I murmured, “but I still worry.”

  “She’s terrifying when she gets mad,” Marlena added with a smirk, slipping into place on my other arm.

  “Aria? Almost done?” I called over my shoulder.

  “One more!” she shouted.

  The lines on her arms began to glow softly as she raised them. The earth responded instantly, cracking, shifting. The final troll’s body sank slowly into the ground until it vanished. The soil smoothed itself into place, swallowing all signs of the creature.

  Dusting off her hands, Aria surveyed the battlefield-turned-garden.

  “All done,” she said. “Now, about that bath?”

  I walked into the lounge, and all eyes turned toward me. There wasn’t much to say. I made my way to Seraphina. The maids stepped aside without a word as I knelt before her. She didn’t speak, just reached out and ran her fingers through my blood-soaked hair. I looked up into those sweet eyes, tears tracing down her cheeks.

  “Are you okay?” I asked softly, brushing the tears from her face.

  “Now, I am,” she whispered.

  I stood and pulled her into a tight embrace. Princess Theresa rose from her seat, standing before us.

  “Brother,” Prince Theodore said, his usual exuberance replaced with quiet concern. “How many were there?”

  “A few, Theodore. Just a few,” I replied, listening to Seraphina steady her breathing in my arms.

  “General,” I said, glancing toward Kitch, who was standing off to the side. “Give me a few hours to clean up before we go meet our Orc friends. Also… do you know how much a troll core sells for these days?”

  Ajax answered first. “I’ve seen shards go for thousands. A full core? They haven’t shown up in the market in years.”

  I pulled one from storage and held it in my free hand.

  Gasps rippled through the lounge.

  It was large, nearly the size of my palm, with a faint amber tint gleaming beneath the morning light. I turned it in my hand, then offered it to Theresa. She looked stunned, uncertain what to do.

  “That’s… that’s worth millions,” Ajax breathed. “Tens of millions…”

  Theresa finally spoke, her voice hesitant. “What do you want me to do with this?”

  “It’s yours,” I said with a smile. “Consider it a very early wedding gift.”

  “I… I can’t accept this,” she murmured, still confused.

  “Don’t worry,” I chuckled. “I have more.”

  As Seraphina and I turned down the corridor, she whispered, “You know she’s going to give that back to you.”

  “I know,” I replied. “The question is whether she’ll be angry when she does.”

  “Angry?” Allira asked from behind.

  “She’s royalty. There’s always a risk a gift like that is seen as… transactional.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Seraphina said with a playful smirk.

  “Oh, it’s very possible,” I nodded.

  “So,” Marlena chimed in, “you gave her a test?”

  “Sort of. I’d give any of you everything I have; your love is worth far more than any object. But I wanted to see where she stands. I’m not judging.”

  “You’re scheming,” Aria accused with mock sternness.

  “Me?” I said innocently, raising both hands. “Honestly, I just wanted to see her brothers’ expressions.”

  Their laughter followed us into the cabin.

  Once inside, I began peeling off my blood- and gore-soaked clothes. Each layer came off in a wet slop, and the maids carefully gathered the garments as we undressed.

  “Master, you have a visitor,” Allyson announced from the door.

  “Alone?” I asked.

  “Yes. Princess Theresa,” she replied.

  “Please let her in, Allyson,” Seraphina said.

  Allyson opened the door, and Theresa stepped inside, only to freeze a few feet in. We were all in various states of undress, except for Seraphina, who was already wrapped in a robe. Theresa’s gaze lingered longer than it probably should have on me as I continued to pull off the bloody clothes.

  “Hello, Theresa,” Seraphina said warmly, motioning for her to come forward. She reached out and took her hand, guiding her to the center of the room, where a seating area was located.

  “Forgive me for interrupting,” Theresa said, her eyes still darting awkwardly.

  “Not to worry, dear,” Seraphina replied gently. “What brings you here?”

  “I wanted to return this,” Theresa said, placing the troll core on the table between them.

  Seraphina tilted her head. “May I ask why?”

  “Some in the court would say you’re trying to buy me,” she admitted, not looking up. “I don’t believe that’s your intent, but… I don’t want it to be misunderstood.”

  “Understood. How about this?” I offered, as I wrapped a towel around my waist. “What if I gave it to your father to give to you instead?”

  She looked thoughtful, then nodded. “That would be wise.”

  Then, curiously, she glanced around. “Why is everyone… unclothed?”

  “We’re getting cleaned up after the battle,” Seraphina answered. “Would you like to join us? Or perhaps have the tea and snacks we missed earlier?”

  “Tea sounds good,” Theresa said quickly.

  I stood and walked to her, gently taking her hands and lifting her to her feet. I hugged her. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around me in return.

  “You’re not the man I expected to meet,” she said, her voice soft as she blushed upon seeing me in my state of undress.

  “And what did you expect to find out here in the world?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure anymore. It’s not what the Oracle said it would be,” she said, and then, to my surprise, kissed me. Again, this Oracle she spoke of before?