.^^ Sir Beaumont ^^

— Vanya —

"The Atrium is through here... I think? Aha! Sorry, the layout has changed a few times, as Josef adds new stuff." I chuckled, showing Miranda and her little gaggle of children into the orphanage's Atrium, a massive room just under the Anthracite field, filled with different areas they'd made themselves.

One of the children popped her head up out of a stone fort she'd built without help, making the bricks and mortar herself. "Halt! Pay the Toll!" She grinned wickedly, and a small bucket on a string descended from a pulley.

I laughed and tossed a piece of copper into the bucket, then looked at Miranda. "This one is Sasha, daughter of a Mason. She built this little castle with her own hands. Sasha, this is my cousin, Miranda, and her children."

She peeked over the wall quizzically. "Wait... all of them?!?"

Miranda laughed. "Yes, all of them. Greetings, little one."

"Hmmmmmmm..." she stared at us suspiciously, then yelped when one of the girls leapt cleanly up into the turret with her, a twenty foot leap.

"Hello!" She grinned down at the smaller girl, and sat on the wall. "Decent view, eh?"

I chuckled. "Come down, we've a few more things for you to see, then you can meet Josef, alright?"

She shrugged and hopped out, flipping prettily and landing on one foot at the bottom, until one of her brothers shoved her mischievously, ruining the perfect landing, and prompting a wrestling match.

I sighed and patted Miranda's shoulder in solidarity. "Well! On to the dining hall!"

The youngest of the children, barely three, grinned happily. "Food?!?"

The eldest child, who was holding him on his back, chuckled. "You ate an hour ago, Dusty."

The little one pouted, and I smiled, walking towards the walled-in portion that held the kitchens. The dwarven woman, Mara, was currently serving stew to a few of the children, and she smiled widely when she saw the small crowd I'd brought with me. "Oh! Vanya! You always bring me such wonderful gifts!!! Hello children, I am Mara, are you hungry?" She asked swiftly, and began setting out more bowls.

Miranda smiled and nudged the children forward. "Eat, babies. We can explore a bit more later, just remember your manners." They grinned and rushed the table, thanking her swiftly and digging in.

"Mara, this is Miranda, my cousin, she'll be staying with us for a while. These are her children... I do not know all of their names." I chuckled.

"Neither do I, most days." Miranda muttered, and Mara grinned.

"Yes, I can see how that would be difficult. Greetings, young one. The others are on the surface, I believe, so you may meet them whenever you wish. As for now, have some food, relax, and then I'll show you where you can rest your head. There's plenty of space to choose from." Mara nodded, and plopped Miranda down in a chair, sliding a bowl of vegetable stew to her.

After we ate, Mara showed them to the section of the hall that the kids were staying in, giving them a set of five rooms that were all under the close eye of the main room, meaning Miranda could keep watch over the children without too much trouble, and they couldn't leave without her knowing.

Once that was settled and the younger children were set down for the night, Miranda and I went in search of Joseph. "This man must be quite the oddity, creating something like this..." she commented as we walked the long hall that connected the two halves of the arch. She swept her hand over the wall, which was decorated with murals and depictions of great battles from legends, all carved from the stone with perfect acuity, and amazing craftsmanship.

"Yes, no doubt." I chuckled, and found a new door at the end of the hall, instead of the usual staircase. "Well, that's new..." I knocked on it, and it swung open easily. "Josef? Come meet Miranda, if you would?" I called, stepping in, and then gasped at the massive library that was spread out below us, and most importantly the gargantuan stained glass mosaic window that filled one entire wall, showing both the beautiful artwork and also the sea behind it, a duplicitous art piece in every single right. "Whoa..."

Miranda simply stared at the window, jaw agape, and then poked me slowly. "Uhm... you said this was... new?"

"Yeah... yeah it is. This wasn't here last week... Josef's in here, though, I can smell him. Josef!" I called again.

Sure enough, a draconian-form Josef flew up to meet us, and perched on the rail, before slowly shifting back to his human form. "Hello! You must be Miranda, yes?" He asked calmly, smiling.

She recovered swiftly, and curtsied genially. "I am, yes. And you are lord Eisenberg?"

"I am, pleased to meet you! How do you like the Library? It's still in its beginnings, so we don't have a little of everything yet, but we will!!! Do you mind if I place all the books and stories and legends you know in the library?" He asked, extending a hand.

She glanced at it, then me. "I don't understand."

"He's going to read your mind, and write down all the books in there, most likely." I answered calmly.

"Oh! Well, I suppose... so long as you don't pry too much..." she clasped his forearm gently, and he nodded instantly.

"Perfect! Thank you very much! Now, enjoy my library, yes?" He laughed and pulled her into the air over the column of free space in the center of the room.

I leapt after them, and found all three of us floating around slowly. "Huh... Alright, that's rather intriguing."

"Isn't it?!? HAHAHA!!!" Josef laughed childishly, and gestured at the several levels of books and empty shelves. "I haven't thought of a name yet, but it isn't quite full, so I don't think it'll be an issue for now... either way, Welcome! You're my first visitors, you see?" He nodded seriously, though he was still grinning like a fool.

I swam through the air and patted his head gently. "Yes yes, it is very nice, Josef. I especially like the window, it's truly beautiful." I nodded.

He grinned happily, and laid back on the air like a sofa. "It is rather impressive, no? I still can't believe the expediency... it would've taken me decades to do all this without magic. Anyway, you brought your children, yes? They are choosing their rooms, I suppose?" He asked Miranda.

"They are in bed for the night, the younger ones. It is two hours after sunset, after all, nearly twilight. They must wake up with the sun to begin their chores. Speaking of... what are their chores?" She asked curiously.

"Well, a variety of things; first, the Anthracite Crystals need breaking, but that's only for the older kids, and they treat it like a game, actually. Then there's helping Mara and Saccharine with cooking and cleaning, which is rather easy, or they can fish off the crane on the edge of the mountain, if they'd like. Everyone appreciates more variety in their meals other than just vegetable stew, meat stew, and beans." He shrugged.

"Anthracite?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Black crystals I sell. They're an A+ rank material I invented, and very expensive, so they're my main export. The older kids play a game to see who can smash more in a set time limit, then cart them over to the piles for me to take to the markets." He explained.

She nodded. "Alright, that isn't too bad... I suppose it's normal to work for your food, and I suppose you don't Raid anyone? Vanya, you'll make sure the younglings get Blooded?"

I grinned. "There's a big population of Dire Bears in the forest below us, as well as another forest with Dragonkin, so yes, I'll take care of it."

Josef frowned. "You leave my dragons alone, Vanya! The bears are free game, so long as you don't overhunt them." He crossed his arms stubbornly, glaring at me, and I sighed.

"Fine, Fine, I'll just take them to a dungeon or two, Fine! I know a few that are low-level, maybe F-G Ranked, just south of here." I explained to Miranda easily, changing the subject.

Josef's eyes lit up. "Dungeons?!?!? Are there any SS+?!?!?"

I sighed, poking his nose saucily. "How could there be? Something like that would have major implications!!! The rank of a Dungeon is the average rank of the monsters inside!!! You need four fighters of that rank to clear a dungeon, so... If a dungeon was SS+, not even we could beat it, working together!!! There are S- and S Rank dungeons, though, those are fun."

He hummed. "I guess that makes sense... well!-..." he paused, his face blanking as it always did when we were conversing with the Messenger or something of that nature.

"Josef?" I asked him cautiously as his face set into a grim, serious facade.

"We have visitors." He growled, his teeth visibly sharp, and I followed him with Miranda in tow as we walked up to the top of the plateau.

Miranda gasped, having not seen the anthracite towers or the ocean view or even Undertown before, but then frowned at the group of people that were marching towards us.

I gauged their body language easily, tense and unfriendly, and then the swaggering confidence of the man behind them, with none of the grace that would have come with actual skill in battle. "Lackeys and their Lord, I see... I will deal with them, Master."

As I took a step forward, my entire body froze, as a horrifying bloodlust began spilling out of Josef's pores like sweat, filling the air with the smell of death and pain. "WHO... Are You?" He sneered, flashing his teeth at the swaggering man.

While the other men halted, the Lord was too weak to feel what anyone above A Rank would have felt, and so was blissfully unaware of the dragon he was currently poking. Either way, Josef's tone, regardless of Rank or ability, was universally understood as a promise of horrible death, so he paled, and cleared his throat. "I am Duke Theylis, the Duke of the Veridic Range? Your direct western neighbor? You own a bit of land in my mountains, I'm told!"

Josef hummed, now more curious than angry. "Is that so? And your reason for visiting without request, barging into my home without so much as a greeting?"

"Ah, that, yes; rather simply, I felt no need to show you any manners. It is better to catch your prey flat-footed, after all." He smirked, and then everyone in attendance flinched when Josef disappeared from sight, and reappeared in front of the man. He had side-stepped the six guards, -all SS, from the energy coming off of them,- and evaded our eyes like it was nothing, crossing the ten meter gap literally faster than I could blink.

"You are a little SMALL to consider ME as PREY, don't you think?" Josef laughed darkly, setting a claw against the smaller man's forehead, which was only up to his mid-stomach in his draconic form.

One of the guards, the only one who had even begun to react before Josef reached the other man, drew his sword the rest of the way from his sheath and rested it against Josef's spine. "Step away from my master, Duke Eisenberg." He commanded calmly.

Josef slowly looked over his shoulder at the man, appraisingly, then snorted softly. "You don't get paid enough to die here today because of this man's foolishness. Simply surrender, and I guarantee your life. If you don't... you'll end up like THEM."

Four red headed women who smelled of Fae and Death rose from the shadows on all sides of the group of fighters, and I realized each of them was SS+, at least. "Your orders, Master?" One of them asked in a bored tone, drawing an arrow in her elf-bow and staring down it at the man in front of her.

"Nothing, for now... if they move? Shoot them in the Spine. Disabling them should be enough." Josef shrugged calmly.

I slowly pulled Miranda back behind me, and motioned silently at the children watching nearby. 'Gather them and go into the cabin... now.' I spoke to her mentally, and she nodded, stepping off into the field of crystal and disappearing. The children began disappearing, one by one, and reappearing in the cabin, so I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they were safe.

"Beaumont!!! Kill him!!!" The small man shrieked plaintively.

"As you command, Master..." the SS+ fighter sighed, and with an elegant thrust that was more reminiscent of a rapier than a broadsword, stabbed Josef directly in the heart.

Josef hummed disinterestedly at the sword, and then turned his gaze back at the little man who was gaping at him in sheer horror. "Is that a formal challenge to a Duel, Duke Theylis? Vanya, is that a proper challenge?" He called to me calmly.

"No, Josef. That's almost a proper challenge, but we need witnesses. I'll handle that." I clapped my hands, summoning a few of the members of the Guild from the local office, including the guild-Master.

They stepped through the gate after a quick mental message from me, -'I need witnesses to a duel',- and I nodded again. "Done. Battle may commence after he challenges you again."

He nodded. "I see. Well, Duke Theylis? What was that about killing me?"

The smaller man fell to his knees after wobbling for a few moments, and I cringed at the smell of urine. "Beaumont... please... save me... kill him..." he whispered, shivering as I finally realized that Josef was using King's Presence, the ultimate Intimidation skill.

"That is sufficient." I nodded.

The knight attempted to pull his sword out, but Josef grabbed it with his hand, and squeezed. The metal didn't shatter, as it was of decent make, but it did bend and screech horribly, deforming and sticking in place.

Four of the other knights leapt to his aid, and instantly fell, arrows sticking out of their spinal cords. "They are incapacitated, Master, as you ordered." One of the Red-haired women commented with a formal bow.

I gazed at the last one other than 'Beaumont', and grinned, drawing my sword. "I can't let myself be useless, can I! Come then, boy, I will teach you a thing or two..." I advanced swiftly, and he drew a greatsword, swinging with a nice speed at my throat.

I slid under it with ease and stabbed his thigh to stall his movements for a moment. He was S+, perhaps SS-, but a greatsword wasn't really a proper weapon against an agility-type like myself. Before I could continue, though, he fell with a mad gargle, clutching at the arrow that seemed to have sprouted between his shoulderblades.

Beaumont released his sword and leapt backwards, drawing another from the air behind his hip. "Oh? Hidden Space? Impressive..." I hummed. He whipped around and pointed the sword at me, but I shook my head. "You challenged him, not me. Keep your eyes on your enemy, boy."

He slowly looked over his shoulder as Josef ripped his sword out of his body, tossing it to one side. "Going for the heart was the elegant solution, I suppose... but, seeing as you were capable of piercing my scales, you should have cut my head off, if you wanted to kill me in one blow. Stabbing the heart is simply Impractical. Most SS Rank people can survive their heart being stabbed, after all, and especially Therianthropes with the UltraSpeed Regeneration Ability." He commented as if on the weather, and then his wings shot out from his back, and the hooked claws on the flight edge of each wing slashed at the Knight.

The man wasn't as weak as his fellows, and dodged swiftly, parrying one of the slices with his new sword. He flinched when the blade chipped visibly, and discarded it with a casual toss, drawing yet another from his Pocket. "You're correct, it was my mistake. I will reflect on my actions when you are dead, Duke Eisenberg." He launched himself forward at Josef with a decent amount of acceleration, but Josef didn't even turn towards him, instead staring down the Duke Theylis while his wings and tail fought Beaumont behind his back.

I raised an eyebrow slowly at the tactic, but decided it was entirely sound; Beaumont was confused by the random attacks, and therefore wasn't able to put forth all of his ability, which was of a very respectable level and almost exactly equal to mine.

Beaumont got an attack past Josef's wings, but the blade shattered on Josef's back, the lower-ranked Metal unable to hold up against Josef's scales. His first blade had been very well crafted, perhaps a SS+ Rank blade, but these replacements he tossed away so easily were A- at best.

Josef responded by wrapping his tail around Beaumont's throat, then breaking his spine with a loud 'Crack'. He dropped him with his paralyzed companions, then looked at Duke Theylis. "Well... now that that's handled... I don't suppose you'll be quietly executed, no?"

The man stood slowly, impressing me, then drew a dagger and stabbed Josef in the chest. The dagger was of mythic class, a very, very nice weapon, easily worth 20 Platinum pieces, and even in the hands of the Duke, -who was B+ Ranked, I remembered,- it was enough to harm Josef.

Josef hummed disinterestedly, and the man's triumphant, desperate face crumbled into raw despair. "Admirable effort. I respect that. Now that that's handled, we're moving on to you explaining why you came here to attack me with six SS guards. Answer, or I kill you and question your spirit."

Theylis shivered, then drew the dagger back, and stabbed again, making one last effort. I grabbed his wrist, and frowned slowly. "Even if you're not actually hurting him, I won't allow you to stab my Lord again without ripping off your arm, is that Understood?" I asked calmly.

He shivered even harder, and dropped the dagger from the hand I was holding, but then caught it in his other hand, and stabbed his own throat. The dagger was so sharp that it severed his brain-stem with no hesitation or resistance, and Josef slapped him with his Bow for some reason, before the light fully left his eyes.