Kailin's Keeper

OooO Struggle OooO

The sky was a clear violet the next morning and that wasn’t a good thing. The arid scrubland could use every drop of rain it could get this time of the year.

Lukin cast a critical eye up to the sky as the suns rose, one in the east and one higher in the southeast. It was still very early but he wanted to eat up some distance before it got oppressively hot.

He had left Kailin in bed. Or in the tent to be more specific. He hadn’t been able to resist the leather reins, leaving them draped over Kailin’s wrists as a reminder of what Kailin had allowed him the night before. He had no intention of letting Kailin forget the intimacy the binding. It was something he was going to request frequently after they enter the lifebond.

Lukin’s mind circled around that idea. He even patted his front jacket pocket just to feel the reassuring crinkle of the bonding license against his chest. That simple piece of paper had become vitally important to him.

Lukin turned from the fire pit, where he was packing supplies with Captain V’Ox, when he heard the tent flaps rustle behind him. Kailin crawled out of the opening, looking rumpled and tired.

Masculine lips curling into a small, lopsided smirk, Lukin hollered over, “Dismantle the tent and roll up the bedrolls, Excellency.”

Kailin gave him a less than polite hand gesture, but stood, dusted himself off, and started to untie the ropes on the tent.

One of the guards on the other side of the campsite was saddling the trudgers. The man tossed a few of the packs around, clearly looking for something. After a minute or two, he scowled in frustration, turning towards the others. “Rek. We’re missing a set of reins. Anyone seen them?”

Lukin almost chuckled out loud, catching a glimpse of Kailin opening his mouth to respond and then closing it again. Evidently Kailin had realized the not-entirely-incorrect assumption that would be drawn if he told everyone the reins were in their tent. The prince turned an unusual pink colour, head swiveling to glare at Lukin, aqua eyes reproachful.

The missing reins mysteriously turned up a short time later, as the men put out the fire and divided up some food for a small breakfast. Lukin’s fingers ran over the straps as he fitted them on one of the big beasts, feeling the supple leather of the reins. He couldn’t help but recall the feeling of tying them over Kailin’s wrists and ankles, binding the blond prince to the bed.

Last night, pressed into the tightly enclosed tent beside Kailin, he had been tempted to claim that lean, golden body for his own, or at least do more than simply stare at it through the darkness. He had settled for draping the reins over Kailin’s wrists. But that was really only a token symbol. He was impatient to assert his dominance fully again. First though, they had to get out of the aridland and find the way back to Arathria.

Putting two fingers to his lips, Lukin whistled loudly, garnering everyone’s attention, “Alright, let’s move out!”

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By midday they reached the second canyon crossing. The cliff walls on either side of the ravine were lower here, and less steep. This allowed them to ride the trudgers right down into the ravine, across the dry valley floor, and up the other side. Now all they needed to do was make their way back around the south side until they met up with the road home. They needed to find water, too, as there was still a day and a half’s ride, at least, before they reached Central Arathria.

They lucked out near dusk. While scouting ahead, one of the guards found a small spring which fed a stream. It was only a minor detour off the path home and since they needed water and a place to stop for the night, Lukin made the decision to travel off the road and stop and camp for the night near the water.

As Kailin helped Lukin set up camp, Zaks worked on building a fire, and the other men took the trudgers to the stream to get a drink.

“Do you want to wash off in the stream before we eat?” Lukin asked, throwing the bedrolls into the makeshift tent.

Kailin perked up, “Can I? I feel like I’m caked in dust from the trail.”

“Mm.” Lukin made a sound of agreement. “I’ll take you when the men get back.”

When the guards returned to the campsite, Lukin put them in charge of dividing out the nightly rations and then took Kailin down to the stream, choosing a spot hidden out of view of the encampment.

Kailin picked his way over the sandy bank and climbed down in the gully. The water was cool as he cupped some in his hands and brought it to his lips. He took a drink and then tried to splash the rest on his face to wash some of the dust off.

“Are you swimming in your clothes, Excellency?”

Kailin looked up; Lukin was jumping down into the gully, his shirt already off.

“Swimming?” Kailin probed, brow furrowing. He tried not to stare at Lukin’s toned, sweat and dust streaked chest as he asked the question.

“Sure. It’s the only way to get all this sand off.”

Kailin looked at the stream and then at Lukin, it would feel good to bathe in the water, and rinse the dirt out of his hair.

“It will be just like old times.”

Kailin snorted. All the princes had been made to take swimming lessons when they were old enough – the king’s decree after Araz’s near fatal accident in Arlon. Lukin had been put in charge of Kailin’s lessons.

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“Kailin…”

The little prince stood at the edge of the pool located in the basement of the training gym. His small, bare toes curled over the tiled lip of the pool. The bright yellow swimming trunks he had on were too big for him, hand-me-downs from Axial no doubt.

Lukin was already in the water, up to his waist about 10 feet from the edge.

Stubbornly, Kailin didn’t budge when Lukin beckoned him. “I want to go back to the other pool.”

The other pool Kailin referred to was a little wading pool, barely bigger than a bathtub. It was where Lukin had first taken the young boy to teach him how to get dunked in the water and doggy paddle while holding him in place in the water.

“You can’t really swim in the other pool, Kailin. Don’t you want to learn?”

Kailin looked less than convinced. His thin arms crossed over his chest, mulishly. “I like the other pool.”

“We’re not going to the other pool.” Lukin took a slow breath to buttress his waning patience. When Kailin made his mind up about something, it was a battle to get him to change. “All you have to do is jump in and swim to me. You don’t have to be scared. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The little boy bristled when he heard this, as Lukin had known he would, “I’m not scared!”

“Come on, then. Prove it. Swim to me.”

With a splash, the little boy leapt into the water. His arms and legs kicked wildly with no sort of coordination. He bobbed under the surface, getting a mouth and nose full of water. Coughing, he flailed at the top.

“Kailin, swim to me.”

His keeper’s voice was raised, with a hard, dominant edge that even at five year’s old Kailin could discern. Kicking and paddling his arms in the water, he struggled towards the voice; the spraying water stung his eyes, making it hard to see.

Suddenly, strong hand grabbed under his arms, half-pulling him from the water. “Good job! You did it.”

Kailin smiled proudly. It was true, with Lukin, he could do anything.

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“It’s a little different now,” Kailin pointed out.

“True. Very different.” Lukin gave Kailin’s body a long, frankly carnal look.

With a flush, Kailin yelped, “Lukin!”

“Since we’re going to be bondmates soon…”

“We are not!”

“Since we’re going to be bondmates soon,” Lukin repeated, ignoring Kailin’s protest, “You should get used to sharing your body with me. It will belong to me after the bonding after all.”

“In your dreams, Lukin.”

Lukin gave him another look which heated Kailin through, toes to top of the head. “Upon occasion.”

Kailin laughed. Lukin let him think he was just teasing. He wasn’t. In fact, he was hardening now, just thinking about having complete access to Kailin’s body after the bonding. Dominants were given full body rights, anytime, anywhere. To cool his ardor, Lukin turned and stripped off his pants and underwear, smirking when he heard Kailin inhale sharply. He walked into the water, turning around only when the water lapped at his navel, he didn’t want shock the prince too much. “Coming?”

Kailin was staring, but he didn’t answer.

Lukin grinned wolfishly, “Scared, Excellency?”

The taunt pushed Kailin into action, as Lukin had known it would. Five or 22, Kailin would never back down from a challenge. The younger man stripped off his shirt and then pants. He shifted a little self-consciously, in just his briefs before wadding into the water. Even though Lukin was built so much bigger, with thick, sturdy thighs, burly arms, and a broad chest, Kailin wasn’t small. Like the majority of Arathrians, he was tall with strong, lean muscles.

Kailin let out a little gasp at the coolness of the water. He stopped short, mid-thigh in the water, mouth open with a breathless, ‘ahh’. He splashed his hands and arms in the water a little, working up the courage to get dunked.

Lukin barked out a laugh, watching the spectacle indulgently. “Come on. Swim to me.”

Kailin glanced over and then gracefully dove under the water, kicking out and swimming the short distance between them. He surfaced close to Lukin. Too close for comfort, his water-slick body grazing over Lukin’s on the way up.

Streaming with water, Kailin swept his wet hair out of his eyes, flushing again, from the cold or embarrassment Lukin didn’t know. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine, Kailin. You don’t need to apologize. After all, it goes both ways. I want to be comfortable touching my body, too.”

“The body rights don’t go both ways,” Kailin pointed out.

“They would for us.”

On tip toes, Kailin could touch the sandy bottom of the stream and still have his shoulders out of the water. On Lukin, the water reached the level of his flat, brown nipples. Kailin reached out slowly, “So I could do this?” He brushed a thumb over one nipple.

Lukin barely contained a quiver, “Yes.”

Emboldened, Kailin laid his palm flat on Lukin’s solid pec, feeling the muscle under his hand.

Lukin let out an uneven breath, using all his self-control to hold still and let Kailin explore.

One hand and then two pressed to his chest, caressing all the flat plains, sliding over his nipples until they hardened. Kailin had his head ducked forward to watch the response of Lukin’s body. After a moment, he glanced up, his wet, blond hair spiked in the front and dripping down into his eyes. Without taking his eyes of Lukin’s, he slipped his hands lower under the water, fingertips dipping over each abdominal muscle. He stopped when his fingers reached the top of the thatch of hair surrounding Lukin’s member.

Lukin groaned, hips jerking forward, ineffectually, in the water before he could help himself.

Kailin smiled a little, pleased with his effect on the much more experienced man. “Full body rights, hmm? I could get used to that.”

Patience snapping, Lukin grabbed him around the waist, pulling them flush in the water, little waves rippled out around them. Kailin’s breath caught with a puff of air, “Oofft.”

Pressed close, Kailin’s light golden skin contrasted with Lukin’s dark, Arlonite bronze colour. The prince trembled as Lukin’s rough hands pressed down his back, stopping at the upper curve of his ass.

“Burning Suns, you feel good,” Lukin groaned.

Kailin’s lower lip pulled between his teeth, looking up at Lukin with his glowing, anxious, aquamarine eyes, vulnerability flooding through him. He felt suddenly shy, which was absurd, because Lukin knew him inside and out and he didn’t have a thing to hide from his former keeper.

“I’m going to kiss you now.” Lukin said softly by way of warning.

Literally, Kailin could do nothing but nod.

One of Lukin’s hand came out of the water and cupped Kailin’s jaw. The keeper’s lips descended, catching and dominating Kailin’s slowly but thoroughly.

The prince reached up, twining his arms over Lukin’s broad shoulders. Lukin’s muscles felt like warm iron under his fingers. The kiss deepened, drawing the air from his lungs. Though the kiss was intense, Lukin’s touch remained tender as he held Kailin against him.

Through the arousal, Kailin shivered from the chilly prickle of the water, “Cold.”

The one word was all that was needed; Lukin reacted immediately. He drew Kailin from the water without breaking the kiss or the embrace. They stumbled a little when hitting the shore and Lukin growled, picking up the prince. Kailin wrapped his legs around Lukin and held on and Lukin turned them around and bore Kailin back against a sandstone outcrop on the stream bank.

Kailin panted, holding onto Lukin, the only steady, solid thing in his aroused fog. He felt Lukin’s erection, hard and thick, pulse against his taut stomach, trapped between them. Without thinking, Kailin blurted out, “Are you going to claim me?”

Lukin leaned closer, arms sliding up both of Kailin’s sides; bodies pressed so close their chests touched. He grazed his lips close to the younger man’s ear as he teased, surprisingly gentle, “What do you know about claiming, Excellency?”

Kailin responded to the teasing with a soft laugh, feeling surrounded by Lukin and incredibly safe. Safe enough to tease, “I may be chaste, but I’ve seen things.”

“Oh, you have, have you?” Lukin patronized him, thinking of those silly films made for submissives, where claimings took place in candlelight under silken sheets and the lights faded to black before anything of substance could take place. It was nothing like the no-holds-barred, primal claiming that could take place between a dominant and his or her chosen bondmate.

“I have.” Kailin insisted. “I’ve seen you.”

“You’ve what?!” Lukin pulled back, coldness pooling in his stomach.

Oblivious to Lukin’s unease, a fond, thoughtful smile quirked Kailin’s lips, “I was 14.”

Lukin made an ambiguous grunt, inside horrified that Kailin might have seen the reason he had been known as the Arlonite Whore.

“It was after the summer ball. You snuck off with Axial’s servant. I followed you two. You took him to the recruit training room and had him up against the wall. I hid behind the mats by the west door. It was my first time seeing a claiming. Quite shocking really, finding out claiming wasn’t all soft words and kisses.” Kailin spoke with a slightly self-deriding tone, mocking his own naivety.

“That wasn’t claiming.”

Kailin laughed once with a soft ‘ha’. “I’d have to disagree. Trust me. I saw the whole thing.”

“It wasn’t. That was just rekking, not claiming.”

“Oh.” Kailin was struck silent by the intense look on Lukin’s face.

“There’s a big different.”

Recovering, a small dimple appeared in the corner of Kailin’s mouth as he smirked. “You’re going to teach me the difference, are you?”

Lukin shook his head, short, black hair angling forward. He leaned in, catching Kailin’s soft lips in a gentle, firm kiss. When he broke the kiss, his voice was husky with emotion. “No. You’re going to teach me the difference…”

A soft hum slipped from Kailin’s lips, he tried to pull Lukin down for another kiss, but the commander resisted.

“…Right after we’re bonded.”

Kailin’s eyes widened slightly, “Lukin…”

“Kailin…”

“You’re not serious.”

“Completely serious. I’m going to claim you. Rek, I’m going to claim you. But only after the ceremony.”

“I don’t want the ceremony, Lukin.”

Lukin gave him a long look, the dusky twilight casting shadows on their features. “Then I guess we’re at a stalemate.”

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That evening Kailin lingered over his rationed dinner. Lukin had gone into the tent with a stern command for Kailin to follow as soon as he had finished eating, but he was dragging his feet.

The guards had retired to their own tents, only Zaks remained outside. The fearsome captain had his bedroll set up by the fire.

Kailin wandered over. Just to get warm, he told himself not because he was avoiding Lukin.

He nodded politely to Zaks. “Sucks you ended up on fire duty.”

“Someone had to do it. I don’t mind, really, I don’t need much sleep.” Zaks looked up at Kailin assessingly. He offered, “Paniz is in your tent if you’re looking for him.”

“I know.”

Zak gave him a long look; the firelight shadowed his face, making the long scar even more visible. In the shadows, his eyes looked almost as black as Lukin’s. It was absurd, but the fact put Kailin more at ease. Zaks asked unexpectedly, “Would you like to sit down, Your Excellency?”

Kailin glanced back at the tent Lukin had set up. It was close by, but not so close Lukin would be able to hear them speaking. Kailin sat on the ground, drawing his knees up and looping his arms over them.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Kailin caught Zaks sliding a finger under one bonding cuff, tracing the chain, the shiny silver metal flickering in the firelight. “They’re very nice cuffs, Captain.”

Zaks raked a hand through his long mohawked mane. “Thank you. I am proud to wear them.”

“I have to admit,” Kailin confessed tentatively, not wishing to offend, “I was surprised when you said Graven was your bondmate, your dominant bondmate.”

Zaks chuckled, a rusty sound. “It’s that rekking baby-face of his. People tend to misjudge and underestimate him. I think he likes it that way. I certainly didn’t give him enough credit at first. But he soon set me straight and claimed me. This trip is the first time I’ve spent the night away from him, since before the bonding.”

Kailin’s curiosity made him bold. “Do you like being bonded?”

“Yes,” the answer came immediately, but more thoughtfully, Zaks continued, “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy sometimes, but yes, I’ve never regretted letting him claim me.”

The scarred soldier, who up until that morning, that been a vague, threatening, forbidding figure at the perimeter of Kailin’s life, suddenly seemed like an ally. “He wants to be bonded,” the words left Kailin’s mouth before he could even think about it. Who the ‘he’ was, went unsaid.

“And you don’t want to?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t just not want to?” Kailin’s snapped defensively.

Zaks’ eyebrow arched, it was notched from the scar. “I suppose. I just thought you might want to talk about it.”

Kailin was quiet.

“The drive is hard sometimes.” Zaks made the comment with a completely neutral tone of voice.

Kailin looked over.

“It’s the trust thing,” the captain added.

“Hmm?”

“For me, the hardest thing is having to trust your dominant - in order to give up the control. I don’t trust easily.”

“But you trust Graven.”

“Completely. He…” Zaks struggled briefly to come out with the right words. “He understands me. He accepts me. He’s the only dominant I’ve ever been with that made me feel completely… secure, with myself and my drive.”

Kailin made a muted sounded of understanding.

“But even then, it was hard to get to that point, to find that trust.”

There was a thoughtful silence.

“Do you trust Paniz, Your Excellency?” Kailin didn’t answer right away and Zaks quickly rescinded the question, “You don’t have to answer. I’m prying.”

“No, it’s okay,” Kailin assured him. “He used to be my keeper, did you know that?”

“I’d heard.”

“Since I was four.” Kailin looked up into the stars. “My father made him my keeper and he’s been charged with watching over me ever since. He takes that contract with my father very seriously. I…um…I think he feels indebted to my father for taking him on. I have complete faith he’ll keep me safe. I know he would die to protect me. Without a second thought, I can tell you I trust him with my life.”

“But?”

“But I don’t trust him to care for me like an equal, like a bondmate. I want a dominant who wants me, who can’t live without me, who loves me. And whom I love.” Kailin groaned, “That’s foolish, isn’t it…”

“No. Not at all.”

Kailin managed a small smile. “Thanks.”

Zak let out an amused little snort, stacking his hands behind his head, looking up. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever done this before in my life.”

“Done what?”

“Had this sort of talk with another submissive.”

Lukin stuck his head out of the tent, then, expression foreboding, “Kailin, it’s late. Come to bed.”

Kailin smiled over at Zaks and kidded ironically, “His Excellency calls.” He stood up, brushing the sand off his pants.

“Your Excellency, if –”

The young prince stopped and looked back, “Please, call me Kailin.”

“Kailin, if I could ask you one last question.”

“Yes?”

“How do you know you don’t love Paniz?”

“Well, I mean…I’d know if I loved him… Wouldn’t I?”

“Love isn’t always what you expect it to be.” With those cryptic words, Zaks turned back to the fire, pushing the logs around with a makeshift poker.

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“You shouldn’t be alone with V’Ox.” Lukin snapped the command as soon as Kailin ducked into the tent.

Kailin rolled his eyes, “Come on, he’s bonded, you know.”

“Still.”

“He’s submissive.”

“Why can’t you just accept my orders? Just once don’t turn everything into a struggle.”

“Because, in this case, you’re being asinine.” Kailin shook his head and laughed softly, ignorant to the tension in the small tent, “Burning Suns, someone might think you were jealous or something.”

Lukin glared, breathing heavily through his nose, clearly making an effort to keep his mouth shut, probably to avoid yelling at Kailin when the other men nearby might be able to overhear. With one last, harsh scowl, Lukin turned in his bedroll, leaving his back to Kailin.

Kailin stared a moment at Lukin’s tensed back. Finally, he sighed and lay down on his own bedroll, facing in the opposite direction. He stared at the wall of the tent, and rubbed his wrists absently until he fell asleep.

He woke up in the night, cold. The savannah might be scorching under the suns, but at night the temperature dropped to near freezing. He rolled over, unable to go back to sleep, his body shivering.

When he turned over he saw Lukin was awake as well, watching him.

Kailin didn’t have to say a word; Lukin lifted the edge of his blanket. Kailin shifted over, sliding under, against Lukin. Lukin folded him in his arms, and heat immediately starting to seep into his body.

Familiar feelings returned. Warmth, protection, dominance. He relaxed against Lukin’s chest, tucking his head into the crook of the man’s shoulder.

Zaks’ words bounced around in his head, Love isn’t always what you expect it to be.

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It was pitch black out when Kailin woke up. It wasn’t dawn yet, and he wasn’t sure what had woken him. Perhaps just being in a unfamiliar setting like the improvised tent. Closing his eyes, he nestled against Lukin’s chest; maybe he could get a little more sleep. He wrapped his arm over Lukin’s waist. His fingers brushed against something that made a crinkling sound. Paper in Lukin’s jacket pocket.

Kailin woke more fully. The bonding license.

He peeked up. Lukin’s eyes were closed, expression lax. The commander was definately sleeping. Slowly, Kailin shifted his fingers until they slipped into the pocket. He felt the smooth paper against his fingertips. Grasping the edge, he tugged, sliding it free, a fraction of an inch at a time.

While glancing up at Lukin repeatedly, he shifted back, until he was no longer draped over the other man. He would just take a peek. It wouldn’t hurt. He hadn’t really gotten a good look when Lukin had flashed it around earlier in the manor house.

He carefully unfolded the paper. Once it was unfolded, he realized he could barely make out the words on it. It was too dark.

Outside the tent he could see the flicked of the fire. Zaks must have kept it going all night to keep the wildlife at bay.

Holding the paper close, Kailin crawled out of the tent and stood up. He approached the fire as quietly as possible. The lump that was Zaks’ body wasn’t moving under his coarse, burlap blanket. A soft snoring sound emanated from the heaped blanket.

Crouching in circle of light cast by the waning fire, Kailin could read the license more easily. Segments of phrases stood out.

From the High Court of Arathria… To hereby grant… A bond between the Dominant and Submissive listed herein…Possession …Sacred pledge…

Their names were written in large, bold print in the center of the paper. Commander Lukin Paniz and Prince Kailin K’Or . Araz’s purple wax seal was pressed into the page, making it official.

Kailin wet his lips lightly, running his finger over the names. He didn’t know what he expected to feel. Dread maybe, powerlessness, anger… He didn’t feel any of that. He felt instead a sliver of excitement.

Lukin and Kailin.

It felt right. Maybe that’s how it was always supposed to be. Lukin and Kailin. He thought again about what Zaks had said. He tried to categorize his feelings for Lukin. He respected Lukin. He cared for Lukin. He considered Lukin family. Suns, the man might be closer to him then even his own brothers. Lukin made him feel (for the most part) comfortable and confident in himself and safe. He always had.

The recent change was his attraction to the man, both sexually and submissively. Before his trip, the simple sight of Lukin didn’t make his stomach tight and blood rush to his prick. And Lukin’s dominance hadn’t been something he craved like he was starting to now.

Maybe he did love Lukin.

If he did love Lukin… Maybe Lukin could learn to love him, too….

“Grunghhh!”

Kailin startled at the beastly grunt. It came from the darkness outside the reach of the firelight. To the right, Kailin’s brain assessed, not that far away. In that general direction, he stared into the darkness, wondering if he should wake Zaks or call for Lukin.

Something flashed in the blackness – eye shine. There was something out there! An animal. The hair stood up on the back of Kailin’s neck. Was it longfangs? There was a rustle in the brush and a flash of fur. Kailin let out an inadvertent gasp, his mouth half-opened to form a cry. But then the animal plodded closer. He could made out the long neck and saucer-sized hooves through the shadows, heavy jaws moving and lips smacking slowly as it chewed cud. A trudger. It must have gotten loose from its ties. A wave of relief washed through Kailin, he felt foolish for being so scared in the first place. He should probably get up and try to corral the trudger back – Ouch!

Something hot nipped his fingers. His head dropped down. REK, THE LIENSCE! He had been so focused the possible longfangs, he had inadvertently let the paper dip too close to the flames.

The fire consumed the dry paper almost at once – despite Kailin’s frantic attempts to blow on it and then press it into the sand to smother the flames.

There was nothing left of the paper except a sprinkling of ash on the sand, a blob of blackened and melted wax, and a tiny corner between his singed thumb and finger.

Kailin sank back on his heels, heart beating fast. What were the chances Lukin would believe this was an accident?

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Ur…Those chances are not good, Kailin, not good.

I’m so grateful for all the wonderful reviews. Still amazed at how awesome y’all are, special those that make (usually correct) guesses on what’s going to come next. Super happy a few people mentioned they like Zaks, I like him too. Side note: the last chapter had over 5200 hits and only about 13 reviews which is like a quarter of a percent. I know people don’t always review when they like a story, which is fine, I’m guilty of only reviewing sporadically too, but I can’t help but be a lil worried (paranoid) the other 99.75% of readers think it’s terrible. Anyway :P…

Next, the last road bump on the road to Arathria. Spoiler: someone gets injured and someone kicks some ass.