Penitent

Trina managed a surprisingly cunning feint that nearly got around Michael's shield, but he sidestepped and batted it aside. She was quick and light, but he was used to fighting in fullplate and outside of it when sparring he was quicker than she was.

"That was well done. Lys teaching you to fight less honestly?"

Trina smiled and threw out a few more testing strikes in his direction. "She's been a big help. I thank Seras for giving me so many tools to help me fight those stronger than myself."

Michael smiled as he threw a strike of his own. It was hard and to her center, but he pulled back when he realized he was going to hit her, making her frown.

"You know I can take the hit."

"It's not about your toughness, it's about my control," replied Michael as he swapped his stance and went back to the weapon rack to grab a spear. He hadn't practiced with one much lately, but he felt like he shouldn't let himself get too rusty. There were many situations in which a spear would outperform his mace or sword.

He squared up and started sending probing strikes out with his spear. As they fought he decided to divine her. He'd been meaning to practice divining in combat anyway, and he was curious about how far she'd come since he'd first looked at her titles and deeds.

Titles:

Trina Grantus

Servant of Seras

Deeds:

Brother Saviour

Elder Healer

Rift Closer

Blessings:

Healing Touch

Michael took a nasty blow to his hand while he tried to look more closely at Trina's new title. He winced and took a quick step backward. Getting hit when he had such a drastically larger range than her was a foolish mistake. Still, he was glad to see that she took advantage of his opening so well, and saw a smile on her face.

"Well done."

She nodded. "You're slipping in your old age."

He laughed and lunged back at her with his spear, choosing not to divide his focus this time. He fought conservatively, taking advantage of his defensive strength to wear Trina down. Her cardio had definitely improved and she managed to keep up a solid pace for several minutes. Michael felt a lot of pride in her even as he smacked the side of her head with the shaft of the spear, making her stumble a bit."

"Beating up your little apprentice? What would your gods think about that?" asked Lys as she approached.

Michael smiled at her. "Nykas is laughing in my ear, Seras is glad I'm helping her improve her defense, Bruntus values hard lessons, and Veras values tough love as much as the other kinds."

"I do like Veras, " said Lys, giving him a sultry smile. "She's done me more than a few favors."

"Gross," said Trina as she healed her bruise with a hand to the side of her head and brought herself back to her feet.

Michael chuckled a bit. Almost everyone in Gemini had started to talk about the gods of the divine, at least casually. Some had taken to actual worship after fighting with him at the rifts, or just asking him a few questions. Trina had taken the most to it. He felt a bit odd about it, he was pretty thoroughly against indoctrinating his own children into religion, but when the world you're in has provable divine power it alters how you think of things. Especially when those gods needed people devoted to them to regain strength and hopefully grant them whatever it is that they needed to stop the rifts or at least slow them down.

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"Did you want to do some sparring?" Michael asked Lys.

"I'd rather save our sparring for my room."

Trina made a gagging noise.

"The twins are having a meeting, I'm helping gather everyone for it."

"Where?" asked Michael.

"Front of the farmhouse. Where are your friends?"

"They should be getting lunch from Devahn about now."

"Grab them for me."

Michael nodded and put his spear back on the rack before he rounded everyone up. They refused to leave their bowls of soup that seemed to be primarily made up of some kind of fresh water clam, rich cream and potatoes. He actually found himself getting a bowl as well before he joined the growing crowd in front of the farmhouse. He looked around to see what looked to be just under forty people. There were clear places where others would've been standing had the rifts not proven fatal for them. When they'd first arrived there were more than fifty mercenaries, and they'd even hired on some more which meant that the losses were even greater than they appeared.

Tai and Finn exited the house and looked over at them, the same study in contrasts they always were in spite of the fact that they shared the same face. Tai was wearing his usual open robe and wide smile, and Finn was in a much more conservative dark gray pants and black tunic.

Finn stepped forward. "We have officially broken our contract with Swandia," he said in a measured tone, his voice easily carrying over to the group.

The group immediately broke into whispers and sub conversations. Mercs tended to be a bit freer during meetings with their commanders.

Finn held out his hand. "We had a discussion requesting additional funding, and support from their soldiers or at least local guards. We felt that the casualties we'd taken, and the greater danger and frequency of the rifts warranted that. Unfortunately, they're too afraid of Burndan's continued conquest south to allocate the level of resources we requested down here."

Tai moved next to his brother. "I personally think that weird ogre demons, magical lizards, and man-eating plants are just as much of an issue, but what the fuck do I know?"

That prompted a laugh from most of them.

Tai just gave him a side eye before moving on. "Because of the danger the rifts represent, and the damage we've taken already, we decided we should pursue other jobs. Luckily, we found one supporting Cantalia in fighting off the invasion of Burndan troops. Because the job will help keep Swandia safe indirectly, they are allowing us to break our contract without penalty. The Cantalia job will be mostly scouting and attacking specific targets, and they're allowing recruitment within their borders. There's even the possibility of a land reward."

That prompted more talking.

Michael turned to Lys. "A land reward?"

"Means if their contract is fulfilled satisfactorily then they'll actually grant Gemini some land within their border." She shook her head. "I don't think they will, and if they do it'll be some shithole on a dangerous border, but the twins have been working toward something like that for a long time."

"So, that said, take the next few days to relax. After that we start the march to Cantalia."

Michael frowned as everyone was dismissed. He didn't want to go back to war. Closing the rifts and helping the people in southern Swandia had been exactly what he'd felt he needed to do. He also worried about what would become of the many small isolated villages near the lake of beasts without their health.

He pushed past the others, and made his way to Finn whose brother was acting as a smokescreen and taking most of the attention of those who had questions for them.

"Finn, I had a few questions."

"A different mercenary group is taking over, and a lot of the more isolated villages are being given incentive to move further north and evacuate. They will be receiving the same support they received from us."

Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Lys and Suraj both anticipated this reaction from you, so I went ahead and got the questions answered."

"I'm not sure that I'll be able to come with you."

"Your pay will not change. We still know the value of a healer, particularly one as skilled as you."

"That's not my concern, the gods-"

~Seek~Battle~

Michael paused as the voice of the divine grew louder in his soul.

~Follow the current~Brother~Sister~Await~

He frowned, standing silently for a few moments to listen to the gods. He was still getting used to the greater clarity and more direct information. He really hadn't expected them to outright tell him what to do. Even with what they said he struggled for a moment. Travel is what had led him to the names of the other gods. It was likely there was no other trace of them to be found in the South of Swandia.

"Michael?" asked Finn with a faint touch of concern in his voice.

He shook his head as he regained his attention.

"Sorry, I don't think I intend to leave Gemini. It seems the gods have other plans for me."

"As long as they keep you on my side."

"Seems to be the case for now."