After five days Serenity wakes from an unresponsive slumber. Mateo resides at her side clutching her hand in his as he leans pressed against the side of her bed. She pulls her hand from his grasp giving him a sharp slap on the cheek. He rises quickly his expression stricken with more confusion than pain.


    “What was that for?”


    “I can’t believe you let me die!” Serenity yells.


    “How was I supposed to know there was another invisible blade armed giant bug stalking us?”


    “I thought you were supposed to be courting me, how can you court me if I’m dead!” She proclaims.


    “I’m glad to see you’re ok,” Mateo says kissing her.


    “I guess it wasn’t entirely your fault, and if Stitches hadn’t been there I’d still be dead, we need to work on our team synergy, if we falter to bickering amongst ourselves in battle then we are sure to lose someone for real on higher talon jobs.”


    Serenity having fallen to an ambush because she lowered her guard suggests that they take on a slew of bounties in order to raise their rank and heighten their senses. She claims that they, especially her, have become too complacent. After a few low-level bounties Terror, Serenity, and Okami rank up to four-talon adventurers. Mateo close to gaining his third talon suggests that they move to a region with more dangerous enemies.


    “I agree, but there is just one problem,” Serenity says eyeing Terror whom is still avoiding Stitches.


    “I’ll see what I can do, I can use some level of magic, but I’m not a miracle worker,” Mateo replies.


    Mateo sits down with Terror and Stitches in an attempt to wipe away the bad blood between them.


    The tavern is near empty as Mateo sits beside Stitches. Terror sits across from them with a risked scowl on his face. A pleasant young caramel skinned waitress with desirable facial feathers and a soft voice places a pint of mead infront of Terror and Mateo, and a large glass of mixed berry juice infront of Stitches. They sit silent for a moment drinks and a small basket of powdered sweet salt rolls laid out before them.


    “I guess I’ll break the ice, Terror, Okami and Serenity know a lot about you, but I don’t, and I want to know why hold so much resentment against Stitches,” Mateo says pulling a roll from the basket.


    Terror lets off an audible sigh of discontent.


    “Terror’s village burned to the ground, the tribe that killed Terror’s wife and daughter had a necromancer among them, he brought them back with a number of my friends and Terror slew them with his own hand, crushing the skull of your spawn is an uneasy task,” Terror says his eyes lowering to the hard wooden table below them.


    “What was your daughter’s name?” Mateo asks.


    “Terror named her Xera, after a jade-colored flower that grew in the mountains of Obsidius where we Orcen reside, she bore a resemblance to Jade, Terror could not protect her, but Terror can, no, Terror will protect Jade,” he replies slamming his closed fist against his chest.


    “I’m sorry about your loss, but Stitches isn’t the necromancer that forced you to fight your family and friends, and she has lost too, she already doesn’t feel welcome here, we need a healer, and I want Stitches to be it, not because she’s a six talon, but because she is who she is, Okami already told you this world has taken everything and more from her and she still seeks to give, I admire her for that,” Mateo says.


    Terror gives off a low grunt. Jade grabs his arm looking over at Stitches staring down at her drink with an emptiness in her heterochromic eyes.


    “She helped that pretty lady, and, Jade knows how she feels, no one like Jade in village, say she’s monster, say she is ugly, kill Jade’s mother and cast her into the woods with the goblins,” Jade says lowering her head.


    Mateo stands hovering over Terror giving off a presence of absolution.


    “So, Terror, will you apologize to Stitches?” He asks.


    Stitches stands placing a metal tin in-front of Terror and Jade before sitting back down. Terror opens the tin, and his eyes grow wide with glee.


    “Cookies!”


    Mateo joins Okami in the woods. He’s resting on a log smoking some strange smelling herb from a long pipe as he thumbs through the runes on his tablet.


    They’ve been traveling together for some time and Maius, which Mateo takes as the equivalent of May in his world has turned to Septim, some month sharing a likeness to September. The golden leaves of Heroldin have changed to a bright red as they dance about a cool breeze blanketing the ground in a thick crimson.


    The months seem to be between thirty and thirty-three days, except for the last month of the year Finalis, which is 35 days. One year seems to consist of three-hundred and eighty-four days instead of three-hundred and sixty-five. Which actually makes the year shorter by nearly a month since the days are only twenty-one hours long.


    “So, how did it go?” Okami asks as Mateo joins him leaning against a tall tree.


    “I’m starting to think Terror might be the Cookie Monster,” Mateo replies with a sly grin.


    “I don’t know what a Cookie Monster is, did they resolve their dispute?”


    “A simple solution for a simple mind, more or less, you wanted to see me for something else though,” Mateo replies curiously.


    “Stitches is less than willing to talk about her abilities, which doesn’t make it easy to plan battle strategies, I was wondering if you would talk to her, that staff of hers is truly remarkable,” Okami says thumbing through an image projected by his rune tablet.


    “The moon is almost up, I’ll speak with her then,” Mateo replies moving away from the large tree.


    Mateo goes to step away and Okami stops him raising a hand. He blows smoke through his nostrils letting out a sigh of concern turning his gaze from the rune tablet to Mateo’s murky hazel eyes.


    “Mateo, be careful with her, she is delicate.”


    “I know, don’t worry, I’m watching out for her, not just because she saved Serenity either, I know we are a party, but I don’t have anyone except you guys, and neither does she, so to me, we are more than just a band of adventurers,” Mateo replies.


    “I’m glad you came along, adventuring can leave some callous with a disregard for their party members as anything other than, temporary pacts, from what little I have gathered from Stitches she has been with several parties, and she is more like you than you think,” Okami says taking another puff off his pipe.


    “What do you mean more like me?” Mateo asks.


    “Ask her, she won’t hide it from you,” Okami says with a sly wolven grin.


    The moon lights the ruby leaves outside of Heroldin where they have made somewhat of a home base. Staying in a familiar area is good for moral and serves as a kind of home. Though, if they want to grow stronger than fledglings, they will have to leave the nest.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Mateo steps into a clearing where Stitches is sitting by a fire alone rubbing her soft ears with a hand that isn’t hers. It’s masculine with broken fingernails, a soft tuft of white fur covering the dorsal side of the hand.


    “Uzuki, I miss you, you would rub my ears like this and, I’m sorry Uzuki, if only I was stronger, I let you all down,” the hand disappears and turns to a feminine one as she stares at it clenching her fist.


    She grabs her staff and stands as Mateo steps into the clearing. The sorrow on her face turns to panic.


    “H-how much of that did you see?” She says her eyes wide.


    Mateo steps closer to her. At six foot two inches he towers over her barely more than five-foot figure. He leans down and pats her head before pulling her into an embrace. She’s traded her cloak for a button up shirt and a pleated skirt that extends mid-length down her thighs. Her furry tail flails behind her not sure if it should be horrified or elated.


    “Thank you again Stitches, Serenity wouldn’t still be here if not for you, and we wouldn’t have cookies.”


    Stitches wraps her arm around him forcing her head against his chest. Her soft ears twitch as she breathes heavily before taking in a long breath realizing she has found a friend.


    A cool blue moon lights the air as they sit on a log by the warmth of the amber fire. Alone in the clearing Mateo asks to see Stitches’ staff.


    “You want to see my staff, did Okami put you up to this?” She asks.


    “He did, but that doesn’t matter, everyone in the party knows each other’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s how we fight in unison, not knowing yours hinders the group,” Mateo replies.


    “How so?”


    “Terror is the tank, he has a set of gauntlets he likes to use when he’s enjoying the fight, when he gets serious he pulls out his war hammer Gravitas, the effect it has manipulates the gravity around it, increasing or decreasing its weight and even making it gravitate back to its wielder, the main point is when he uses Gravitas we know the danger is serious,” Mateo says.


    “Can’t he just tell you the danger is serious?” She asks.


    “He does, by using it, sometimes in battle we might not be able to communicate like I’m taking to you now, subtle hints, changes in style, even a spell can signal how to alter our approach to combat, we are separate combatants, and though we don’t quite have it polished, we work as a single unit, fingers on a hand if you will, say I grip my dagger with two fingers, my grip is weak, but if I wrap all five fingers around it then my grip is strong, I want you to be part of that grip, one of those fingers, I’m thinking the thumb perhaps, you make us opposable, where we would otherwise not be.”


    “Opposable?“


    Mateo wraps four of his fingers around her wrist and she pulls it away easily. Mateo wraps those four fingers and his thumb around her wrist and she can’t pull her hand away.


    “I understand,” Stitches says handing him her staff.


    Weapon: The Harvester of Gore. The Harvester of Gore is a legendary staff used by the ten Elite Zealots of the Order of the Arcane to harvest the fallen before turning them into walking abominations. Knowledge pertaining to the existence of the additional nine Harvester of Gore staffs is unknown.


    Harvester of Gore: Mage/Sorcerer main. Two handed instrument. The Harvester of Gore uses a retractable scythe to change from a ranged to a melee weapon, this effect occurs instantaneously.


    Additional effect: As a staff, the Harvester of Gore can reanimate the corpses and extremities of the fallen with the ability to combine severed limbs to various objects creating Gore Golem Abominations.


    Additional effect: As a melee weapon the Harvester of Gore inflicts constant bleeding and necrotic damage after striking an opponent.


    Additional effect: Blood Gauge. When the blood gauge is full Harvester of Gore gains one stack of Instant Death. Striking an opponent of your Proficiency or lower will cause it to die instantly. Limit, one stack.


    You do not have the proficiency to wield this instrument.


    Mateo hands the staff back to Stitches.


    “It says I don’t have the proficiency to use it?” Mateo asks curiously.


    “Ah yes, proficiency, allow me to explain,” Okami says intruding on them, his eyes filling with excitement.


    “Your talons are a rough representation of your strength, however, there are many stages outside of this ranking, which is your proficiency, say you continue to use your dagger, you’ll begin to notice that you are more proficient with it, which will allow you to wield higher proficiency one handed blades, your ring will make you more proficient with both magical items and wands, Stitches’ Harvester of Gore is a two handed ranged/melee weapon, her being a six-talon means she’s been using it a lot which means not only has she raised her proficiency with it, but its proficiency and proficiency requirements,” he says stopping to take a breath.


    “So, if I bludgeon people to death with a rock will it raise my proficiency with blunt weapons and the proficiency of the rock?” Mateo asks.


    “Yes and no, your proficiency with blunt weapons will increase, but unless it’s a magic rock than the rock will not have the ability to increase in proficiency, same goes with any non magical weapons, you can fell a thousand foes with a simple steel sword, if it doesn’t break, but its proficiency will never increase.”


    “That’s interesting, you should go organize that information into your notes or some shit,” Mateo replies.


    Okami gives him a curious look and then sees Stitches staring at the ground.


    “I’ll do that,” he replies with a bow as he leaves.


    “Sorry about the intrusion, Okami is a wolf with the ever-curious heart of a kitten,” Mateo says with a smile.


    Mateo pulls Stitches into his lap petting her ears. She lays against him letting out what seems like a soft purr. Mateo stares up at the moon as its cool blue light fills the clearing.


    “Stitches, are you a realmwalker?”


    “Yes.”


    Mateo leans down staring at her with a smile.


    “You’re beautiful you know,” Mateo runs his fingers over the stitches on her cheek. “I only want the strongest people on my team, no exceptions, I want you Stitches, will you join my team?”


    “I thought Serenity was the leader,” Stitches replies.


    “She’s the leader of her team, but we might not always be on her team, I trust you, and I want you to trust me.”


    Stitches leans into Mateo rubbing her soft ears against his bare chest.


    “She’s beautiful, Serenity, you and her?” Stitches stops, her eyes filled with sorrow.


    Mateo runs his hand over her ears again with a smile.


    “I am with Serenity, but, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me, I don’t care if the others see you as some kind of monster, you’re my friend Stitches, and I love you.”


    “You love me?” Stitches asks, her dissimilar eyes staring into his.


    Mateo grips her hand breathing deeply. Life isn’t a simple thing, neither is love. Everything is complex. Even the simple things.


    Mateo presses his forehead to hers. She locks fingers with him lowering her gaze.


    “I love you too,” Stitches replies.


    “Hmph, wish someone loved me,” Natalia says crossing her arms as she appears above Mateo.


    Mateo pulls away shaking his head.


    “You know I love you too Natalia.”


    “Yeah, but you don’t say it as often as Aeureillius,” she says squinting her eyes.


    “And how often did he say it?” Mateo asks.


    “Everyday, and he showered me with snacks,” she replies crossing her arms.


    “I have some cookies,” Stitches chimes in.


    “Did Terror hear cookies?”


    Terror appears from the brush as if he is a part of it. His figure covered in leaves like some ghillie suit from Mateo’s world.


    “Oh, I um, I made a few batches for us to enjoy before we went on our next bounty,” Stitches replies nervously.


    Terror gives off a low grumble and sits beside Stitches lowering his head. He holds out his hand letting out an audible sigh. Mateo grips Stitches’ wrist and she looks at him confused as he drops her hand into Terror’s. Terror places his other hand over hers and takes a deep breath as a single tear drips out of his crimson eyes over his murky emerald cheeks.


    “Terror is sorry, Terror knows you are not responsible for death of his family, Terror knows that you suffer from a great sadness, Jade likes Stitches, and Stitches makes sweats that Terror enjoys, for this Terror offers you his hand in matrimony.”


    Stitches pulls her hand away confused.


    “Your what, hold on, what in the void is going on?”


    Terror stands placing his fists on his hips stoically. He holds out one arm raising it across the horizon.


    “For many moons Terror searches for a woman that fills Terror’s heart with joy, only to find that all women are blood sucking vampires like Serenity,” Mateo cuts him off.


    “Hey, that’s a little uncalled for.”


    “Then the brood mother graces Terror with the joy that is Jade, Terror knows love again, brood mother sends Terror more love, but his hate blinds him, until, she forges a path to Terror’s heart with sweats, cookies,” Terror says kneeling before Stitches as he presents her with an expensive looking ring covered in dried blood.


    “Um, no,” Stitches replies.


    “Oh,” he says tucking the ring away as he stands.


    He rubs his head nervously. Mateo stands letting out the breath he was holding in.


    “She still loves Jade, and she’ll still make you cookies,” he says patting Terror’s shoulder.


    Terror smiles and leans down gripping Stitches’ hand before pressing it to his lips.


    “Terror is sorry for treating you with disdain without reason, perhaps one day Terror will be worthy of your hand,” he says leaving Mateo and Stitches alone in the clearing.


    Mateo and Stitches stare at each other in awe for a few moments.


    “Well, that was fucking weird,” Stitches says breaking the silence.


    “I’m going to be honest; I saw the events unfold, but I’m not quite sure what just happened,” Mateo replies.


    “I think he just proposed to me because I made him cookies.”


    Mateo smiles.


    “The quickest way to a man’s heart, is through his stomach.”


    “I don’t find that anatomically correct, I usually go through the chest cavity,” Stitches replies.


    “You know, I think you just need a fucking hug sometimes,” Mateo says embracing her.