Chapter 167: Chapter 28 – The Laufgraan War 3

The next morning, Matthew woke up with the sounds of horses being herd outside the stable he was sleeping in. The girls slept in Faralynn’s room, while Matthew only found shelter in the stable.

The castle was full. All the guest rooms were taken by high ranking nobles that supported Farzan, the barracks and the baileys were filled with soldiers, some even camping outside the walls.

Finding shelter in the stables was a blessing for Matthew. Despite facing the heat of hell for 2 years, the cold night was not a welcome climate he wanted to endure. Faralynn put Matthew to sleep with her personal steed, a slim horse with white-gold fur called Aurfax.

Shortly after he woke up, a servant came in, a young elven boy with gold hair.

"I’m sorry, my lord. But I must ready Aurfax for travel." He said, getting inside the bay where both Matthew and the horse were. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"It’s alright, I was already up." Matthew said, getting on his feet and stretching his back.

Aurfax pressed his face against Matthew in a gesture of friendship. It seemed that the horse knew exactly who he was to his master.

Leaving the stable, Matthew saw Helen wearing her armor, spear on hand, sword on her waist and her massive shield hanging over her back. She was helping some soldiers push a cart that was being tied to a creature that looked like a cow, but was shorter and wider and had 4 horns on its head that curved back almost making a helmet around its head.

Matthew got closer, examining the beast.

"It’s a Laux." Helen said after they got the cart close enough to tie it to the creature.

"It looks like a cow." Matthew commented.

"It does. But it seems to be even stronger than one." Helen replied.

"Where are the others?" Matthew asked, looking around.

"Erin is helping Lynn put on her armor. Tina was around helping with logistics using her Inventory. Mia was wandering the walls." Helen remembered.

"Should I also help with my Inventory?" Matthew asked.

"You could, but I doubt you’d be able to carry much. Tina, however, has Inventory at A rank. She’s basically a walking storehouse." Helen chuckled at her own remark.

"What are you laughing about?" Mia asked after finding them talking.

"Nothing, really." Helen shrugged.

Mia was wearing a beautiful red robe with gold plates, a gold belt, a gold circlet and earrings, and carried a gold wand encrusted with blue crystals.

"You look impressive." Matthew said. He never saw her wearing anything other than civilian clothes or the school uniform.

"Well, thank you." Mia smiled and turned to show him her gear. "I needed better gear after I decided to take this adventuring thing seriously.

Tina was the next to approach them. She looked like a witch. She had a black pointy hat adorned with a gold chain around the base, and wore a black and purple robe with gold details. She carried a simple wooden straight staff that somehow felt dangerous. Such a simple item in the hands of someone dressed with such fancy clothes surely would be not just a simple piece of wood.

"You’re not ready yet?" She asked Matthew.

"I didn’t bring any armor." He defended himself.

"Come with me." Tina said, entering the Hold without waiting for him.

Matthew hurried after her.

"You should always have your equipment in your Inventory." Tina admonished him.

"I have. But I don’t have much." Matthew gave her a sad smirk. "Were you holding Tina’s and Mia’s?"

"I was. Whenever we go out together they give me their stuff to keep." Tina explained. "Erin has her own Inventory." She added.

Tina knocked on Faralynn’s door and soon the elf told them to come in.

Faralynn was wearing a different armor than what Matthew knew. It was a steel armor adorned with gold and jade crystals. She had a purple gambeson underneath and a purple and gold cloak. Around her head, she had a gold circlet decorated with jade crystals.

She didn’t just look beautiful, she looked imposing like a hero out of a fairy tale. Matthew stood still with his mouth open, unable to say anything.

"This idiot doesn’t have any armor." Tina said, pointing at him.

"He was in hell until recently." Erin defended him.

Erin herself was wearing a dark blue robe with silver straps, a leather belt holding a gun, leather boots and a small silver helmet with wings. She had her old lightning staff with her.

It is then that Ffyr came out of Matthew’s necklace. She yawned and stretched looking around.

"What’s going on?" She asked, cleaning her eyes.

"Is that Ffyr?" Faralynn asked, seeing the fairy as tall as she was.

"Lynn!" Ffyr shouted and hugged her! "You look so good!"

"You too!" Faralynn said, looking at the fairy. "You got so big!"

"You all look incredible." Matthew babbled.

"Thank you." Faralynn hugged him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Let’s make you look good as well." She said, pulling him by his hand.

"She’s got bold." Tina laughed.

"Well, after 2 years, I too wouldn’t let my embarrassment get in the way." Erin laughed with her.

"Let’s get some battle gear for Ffyr too." Tina said, looking at the fairy.

"Really?!" Ffyr clapped her hands. "Please!" She exclaimed.

Erin and Tina took Ffyr to search for something for her to wear around the castle.

They eventually found a noble elven lady that was eager to dress the fairy in her own clothes. Leather pants, boots, a white linen shirt and a green tabard that were hastily fixed to fit around the fairy’s wings. Also a pair of silver pauldrons and a small silver breastplate.

Meanwhile, Faralynn took Matthew to the armory where she took out an old chest covered in dust.

"This was my father’s, before he got a new one. I think it will fit you." Fralynn said, opening the chest and taking out pieces of an impressive silver armor.

Faralynn closed the door and helped Matthew undress.

"My goddess." She exclaimed, caressing his naked chest. "How I missed you."

Matthew kissed her passionately.

"I wish we had more time." Faralynn said, breaking the kiss after a while.

Matthew took a deep breath controlling his impulses.

"Me too." He mumbled.

"You got new scars." She said while helping him dress a thick green gambeson over a linen shirt. "But then again, many of your old ones aren’t here anymore."

"It’s hard to keep track of what was healed and not." Matthew said.

A green gambeson, white trousers, a pair of black chausses, a silver breast plate with gold etchings and jade crystals, thick pauldrons, greaves... It was a full set of armor worthy of a duke. A closed barbute helmet with Y shaped slits and also etched with gold and jade protected his head.

"Look at you." Faralynn smiled at him with a smile, holding his hands.

"Do I look cool?" Matthew asked, smiling.

"No. You look like my father." Faralynn laughed out loud.

"What?!" He exclaimed playfully and chased her around the armory.

While both of them played with each other, the door opened abruptly.

They froze, Faralynn falling on top of Matthew on the floor.

It was Farzan wearing a similar armor than Matthew’s, but even more impressive. He looked at the two of them and sighed.

"We’re leaving." He said bluntly and walked forward helping both of them to their feet.

"I hope you don’t mind." Faralynn blushed, referring to Matthew using his old armor.

"Better to put it to use." Farzan said, without showing any emotion, and tested Matthew’s armor with a strong tug. "It fits him well." He added.

"Thank you." Faralynn hugged her father.

"We’ll be riding, go fetch your horses, dear." Farzan ordered her daughter who promptly complied, rushing to the stables.

Matthew meant to follow her, but Farzan stopped him.

"Are you sure you want this, Matthew?" He asked.

"Want what?" Matthew asked, puzzled.

"Being Faralynn’s shield. The test won’t be easy on you. The responsibilities are also great." The elven father said in a serious tone.

"With all due respect, sir. I survived two years in hell without losing my mind because of your daughter. I’m in love with her and I’ll gladly give my life for hers if needed. Throw whatever you want against me. I’ve endured worse already." Matthew matched his seriousness.

"You really did." Farzan laughed at himself. "I wonder if Roland saw this far." He commented to himself.

Matthew just turned his head, confused by the comment.

"Alright, Matthew. I’ll trust my daughter to you." Farzan tapped Matthew’s shoulder.

Then both men went outside where a large black steed with large legs awaited Farzan. Faralynn came around riding an equally large horse, but hers was white. Behind them, servants guided their warhorses, including Aurfax, in reins. They were not ridden until battle to not tire them out. They rode travelling horses while not in battle.

Each noble had their own travelling horse, while commoners and servants walked. Matthew, Erin and the others walked as well surrounding Faralynn and talking lively.

The army started its slow march to war.