"Whoa, whoa, calm down boy," Kashi cooed, as he patted down Drixlia. This was its first time on a boat, and it did not appreciate the swaying floor.

The proud horse was not the only one having difficulties staying on its feet. Stryke and Yuna had retired below deck, having fallen victim to sea sickness. Still, Kashi was delighted that most of them had sea legs.

"Norcha in view!" called a sailor from the crow's nest.

Kashi walked to the bow. A wide grin slowly formed as the fortress came into view. The damage from the previous battle was non-existent from the exterior. As they circled the fort, he noticed men on the walls tracking their advance. Impressive. They hadn't laxed in his absence.

The ship docked, Stryke jumped onto the pier. "Land, pure blissful land," he cried kissing the earth. His friends laughed as they joined him.

"Looks like you brought some company," Iason called, as he walked up to them. His armor and spear were significantly upgraded from last time. He gripped Kashi's forearm, grinning. "Welcome back, Kash."

"I'm back," Kashi replied. They walked side by side as the others followed. "I see you finished the repairs. How many men were you able to recruit?"

Iason frowned. "There was a last minute recall, so we had to give up half the recruits. The ones we have only number forty."

"No worries. That is more than enough for our cause," Kashi said as they entered the fort.

The bushes had been cleared, with training grounds taking their place. Jero paced back in front of a group of men practicing their sword techniques. He spotted Kashi, announced a break and walked over to the delf.

"It is good to see you again," Jero said, then noticed Kashi's guildmates. "Pleased to meet you. I am called Jero." They exchanged greetings as he joined them. "Aside from the repairs, we added some upgrades to the fort. First we made some residential homes for the soldiers and their families. Next we build a blacksmith station, so we could craft our weapons locally. The cannons on the walls have also been fully restored, with a few improvements to them."

Kashi nodded. "And the ships?"

"Should be coming in tomorrow morning. We were able to successfully buy two new frigates."

"Perfect," Kashi said with a smile. "Where are Paris and the twins?"

Jero pointed to a large building. "They are asleep. We rotate our shifts."

Kashi bent his head in thought. "Hmm, could you wake them up? I wish to go over our strategy in the courtyard."

Jero nodded and left towards the building.

The Maggots walked to the courtyard, drawing curios glances and whispers from the recruits.

"Um, Kash," Stryke called. "I never asked, but what exactly did you do for these guys? They're looking at you like you're some savior or something."

Kashi pulled out the maps he had obtained from Kerta. "I liberated the delta from a group of bandits."

Stryke stared, wide-eyed. "On your own?"

"Of course not. I had some help from Shadow, Lune, Hektor, and these guys," replied the delf as he pointed at four approaching figures. He introduced his old crew to his guildmates, and waited patiently as they exchanged greetings.

When the chatter died down, Kashi cleared a table and laid the maps on it. "This is the map of Riven to scale."

Leila and Jero studied the parchment, frowns forming as time passed.

"This is impenetrable," Leila declared. "The only way in is the front gate which the main army is going to attack."

Kashi pointed at the last wall by the cliff. "We'll climb up through here."

"That's impossible," Jero countered. "The walls are made of o-"

"A single smooth stone," Kashi interrupted. "I know. Trust me, I will get every last one of us up there." The confidence in his voice (and his recent exploits) convinced them.

"Let's say you somehow manage to get us there... somehow," Leila said. "How do you propose we attack this fort by ourselves. It's a very large city. I estimate a thousand of them at the very least."

"Try three thousand," Jero added.

The recruits who had gathered around paled. They were all brave men, but facing a force of three thousand with less than fifty was nothing short of suicide.

Kashi noticed their hesitation. "We will be attacking a day after the main army. That way-"

"The majority will be focused on the front gates," Leila muttered. A spark returned to her eyes as she studied the map even closer. "Yes, if it's like this, we can do it."

"What do you think?"

She pointed to the dividing walls. "The bulk of their forces will either be here, or on the ground. If they decided to have a ground battle, they'll open the gates and march out to attack. But that is highly unlikely seeing as they hold the advantage if they choose to stay sieged. "

Jero nodded. "I agree. I believe it is safe to assume they will stay on the outermost wall to fend off the army."

"Working on that assumption," continued Leila. "There are a few key things to note. The last gate will be lightly guarded, and their lord only the most elite troops." She pointed at several points on the map as she spoke. "When we come up this wall, we'll have to split up. Two groups will travel on opposite walls, swiftly, and more importantly, silently eliminating any targets they encounter."

The courtyard was silent save for her commanding voice. Kashi listened, impressed by her plan. So far, it blew his original out of the water. Then again, he was more used to infiltrating and fighting solo. Directing major armies was a whole other ballgame.

"This will happen at night when both armies will be resting from a day of hard battle. Their last jobs will be to open the first main gate."

Kashi raised his hand. "What of the rest? What do they do?"

"The rest will wait. If everything goes right, the opportunity should present itself. When it does, they descend from the wall and launch a surprise attack on the castle."

The men still looked unconvinced so she hit them with one last reassuring fact. "Most of them will retire to the buildings below to rest for the next day's battle. None will expect an attack from behind."

The recruits finally relaxed and Kashi grinned as he begun a slow clap. It slowly rose to a crescendo as everyone present cheered her genius.

"That was amazing," Jero cheered. "You just conceived this plan?"

She nodded. "I still need to smooth out the details but yes, that's the basics."

"You have experience leading large groups?" Kashi asked.

"A bit," she replied.

Kashi handed her the map. "I leave it in your hands."

"You sure about this?"

He shrugged. "I can infiltrate, but I'm not so good in commanding large scale battles."

"Okay then," she agreed as she placed the map in her inventory. "I will have a complete plan ready by next week."

Kashi nodded and disbanded the gathering. The Maggots mingled with the recruits, sharing stories of their experiences. He left them ot their devices and made his way to the smithery.

"You let her take over didn't you?" Kira pointed out, as she followed the delf.

"What makes you think so? Her plan was excellent." Kashi said.

She grunted. "Suit yourself."

They reached the forge where a bulk Kertan was hammering away at a slab of metal.

Kashi bowed as he said, "Greetings, my name is Kashi, and I would request permission to use your forge."

The blacksmith raised his visor and grinned from ear-to-ear. "For you, Kashi-dono? You may use my house if you wish."

The delf offered his thanks and set to work instantly. He placed all of the ore he had gathered into the smelter, turning them into ingots. Then he began to craft very long poles with pointed ends made purely of steel.

He picked one up and stabbed it into the earth with all of his might. It smoothly sunk a metre deep, with no resistance. "Good," the delf muttered. "This'll do just fine."

Kashi exited the smithery, and walked to the training grounds. He watched as Jero continued training the recruits and decided to do some himself. He went to an an empty part of the field and stood still.

He took in a deep breath as his arms begun to trace a path through the air. He danced lightly, performing his own blend of Kata: a combination of all the skills he had learned so far. Underneath his seemingly calm exterior, bubbled a raging inferno that threatened to explode. But he kept it in check, smoothly transitioning between several fighting styles, keeping a steady rhythm throughout.

Taking a deep breath, his hands finally dropped to his sides.

Skill: Earth Shattering Technique Level 2

Kashi smiled at the prompt. As he guessed, there were multiple ways to increase passive skills, except direct combat. He had approximately ten days before they would have to set off. In that time, he would have to see how high he could raise the passive skills.

Satisfied, he returned to the smithery. He bundled all the spears he had crafted, and tied them to his back. Their combined weight was much, but not enough to deter him.  This was as a result of his high strength receiving an extra 30% increase from Ferulic's Spirit.

He carried them over to the docks and loaded them onto a small dinghy. He repeated this process until the boat threatened to sink if any more weight was added. Next, he retrieved yards of rope and also dropped those into the boat.

Lune noticed his weird actions and walked over. "What are you doing?"

Kashi looked up as he dumped the last of the ropes. "Preparing the first part of our ambush. Want to come with?"

She looked at her brother, but he was deep in in discussion with Jero, learning the art of sneak. "Hmm, sure. I don't particularly have anything I'm doing here."

"Hop on," Kashi invited as he released the small boat from the pier.

She hesitated, but jumped in anyway as Kashi rowed the boat away from port.

"I'll be back soon!" He called to Kira.

She nodded and watched the boat till it became but a speck on the horizon.

***

"What do you need all these for?" Lune asked, pointing at the spears.

He grinned mischievously. "You'll see soon enough."

"You really don't give straight answers do you?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

She sighed, hugging her knees as she watched him row. His muscles bulged with each stroke, his shoulders rocking back and forth in an almost hypnotic...

"...Lunette!"

She reeled back, startled, almost falling off the boat in the process. "Huh.. what?!"

"We're here," he said, brow raised. "You okay? You seemed out of it for a while."

Lune shook her head in disbelief. She had been sucked in by those muscles.. Ugh, they were virtual. She should know better. She tore her eyes away from him and focused on where they were.

They sat on a river that flowed between two large cliffs. The one on their right had a high wall that extended far beyond the top of the cliff. The dinghy was tethered to some dangerously sharp rocks below it.

Clack.

She turned back to Kashi and noticed him tying the bundles spears to his back.

"Could you help me with the last one?" he asked.

She nodded and tried to lift it... but it was too heavy! It took both her hands and a desire not to be humiliated to finally hand it to him.

The delf smiled as he took it. He pulled his arm back and threw it with all his might onto the rocky cliff. It pierced through the stone and buried half its frame inside. He laughed out loud, as a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. It actually worked!

He took out another from his back and threw that one a metre apart from the first. The results were similar. He pulled the dinghy close to the cliffs edge, then grabbed the jagged rocks, hoisting himself up.

Lunette paled. "Are you crazy? Get down from there!"

Kashi laughed as he climbed higher. "You should try this. It's kinda fun!"

"You're definitely insane! No one in their right mind would go climbing with no equipment."

"I've got my hands," Kashi countered when he finally reached the spears. He grabbed them and lifted himself onto them. His greatest fear had been that his weight would not hold, but they held fast. "I don't need any other tools!"

"Whatever! When you die, don't come crying to me."

"I don't think that is physically possible," joked the delf. He took out pieces of rope and tied them between the spears. He let one end drop to the bottom of the cliff, and held the other two in his left arm. He stood on the pole and stretched to his tallest, stabbing another set above him. He pushed them in till only half their original length stood out.

Lunette watched him with wary eyes as he repeated the process. Every now and then, he would slip and her heart would lurch to her throat. But it seemed the gods of the game world were on his side, because he somehow managed to escape certain death several times.

To calm herself she did what she did best.

Kashi felt the effect of her soothing voice amidst the terrors of his dangerous stunt. His fingers were calm and sure as he made his way up the cliff, pinning the spears. Time passed quickly and soon he had reached the castle walls. He attempted to pierce the wall, but the spears cracked. The walls could not be breached by them.

He tried again, but the results were the same, albeit a small crack on the wall. It was not a matter of strength. He would need a stronger material to pierce the wall. He sighed as he begun his descent. He pushed each spear far into the wall as he descended, checking to make sure the ropes were securely fastened.

"Took you long enough," Lunette chided as he hopped onto the boat.

"Rock climbing isn't exactly a stroll in the pack," he said as he released the tether. "Especially when its wet with water spray."

"Mm-hmm. So? How'd it go?"

"Better than I hoped," he replied as he rowed the boat away from the cliffs. "I'll have to make a few more trips, but it should be done in time for the ambush."

"Won't the Lizardmen notice them?"

"No chance. At their height, all they'll see are bits of rocks jutting out. Besides, they will be concentrating on the main gate in preparation for the upcoming war."

"You think they know?"

"It is impossible for the news to not have reached them one way or another."

"Hm.. You sure know a lot," she mumbled. "You some sort of spy or something?"

The boat shook dangerously as the delf clutched his stomach in laughter. "Sp- spy? No way! Anyone would have thought of that."

"No, I highly doubt there are that many people who would think of this, much less actually carry it out. You are insane."

"So you keep telling me," he replied.

They continued their idle chatter until they reached Norcha. A new ship Kashi did not recognize was docked on shore. Iason paced back and forth on the pier, his features a mask of worry.

"Kashi!" Iason shouted, and ran to him once they docked. "We have a big problem!"

"Calm down. What's the matter?" Kashi asked.

"I-it's Paris. I... I still can't believe it."

Kashi frowned. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's easier to show than explain." Iason led them to the courtyard where a group of leaders surrounded the blond.

"Paris-sama, it has been ten years! Your people need you!" One of the elders cried.

Kashi was shocked. He had never seen the man with an expression as sour as the one he had on.

"I am afraid you have the wrong man," Paris said. "Now leave. I have work to do."

"Do you really think I will forget the boy I helped raise?" One of the elders countered. "Well, Parrisius Veritus Vermillion, or do you call yourself Paris now?"

He gritted his teeth. "...Dreifus."

"Vermillion?"

"That's the name of the royal family."

"But I heard they were wiped out in the last war?"

"No, rumors claim one of the sons participated in the great war and barely survived."

"Could he really be?"

"His hair color is different, but his eyes are royal blue. It might really be him!"

Paris clenched his fists as the men carried on around him.

"He's a Ranad," Jero said, silencing them.

"Think this through," Dreifus pleaded. "If you permit Absalon rule, he will run this country into the ground. I beg of you!"

Paris took a step back, overwhelmed by the old man's persistence. The men around him were already looking at him differently. He ran.

"Pari-" Dreifus was interrupted by Kashi who raised his hand.

He swept his gaze over the recruits. "I do not know about him being a Prince or whatever, but before all that, he is Paris: the warrior who fought to liberate your homes. It would behoove you not to forget that."

***

Paris sat in the crow's nest of the very first frigate they had used. "You know, I never really liked being a prince."

Kashi pulled himself up and rested on its edges. "...I knew someone exactly like that. What happened? How did you end up in Kerta?"

He laughed, a faraway look in his eyes. "I snuck off to the last war with some of my father's troops his wishes. Wanted to prove I was more than a pretty face to be gawked at by the local girls."

"Yeah, too many girls. I can see why that would be a problem."

"Haha! Oh, don't make me laugh, I am being serious here. Anyway, while I was on the battlefield, I received word the capital had been overrun by Lizardmen whose territories had been destroyed during the war. Can you believe it? I who was supposed to be the one in danger survived, but my entire family.. wiped out. If I had stayed, and the full guard had been there.. maybe, just maybe they could have survived. I could not simply return to the throne like nothing happened. At the time, I was good friends with Iason, so I returned to Ranad with him. And lived as one of them till now."

Kashi sighed. "Is that it?"

Paris frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"I have seen Riven. If they were able to breach the walls, then you being there or not wouldn't have made a difference, you would have perished along with them."

"But!-"

"But nothing! Do not tell me you believe there is honor in death, cause there is no such thing. You survived for a reason. Maybe it was the gods, maybe it was fate, or just plain luck. But the people of this Delta were saved because you lived! And now you have a chance to save even more from depravity. If you feel guilty over their losses, then atone for it. Become a better king than your father ever was!"

Paris stared at the delf, speechless. He had never seen him worked up over anything. "I..."

"You do not have to worry. If you ever need help with anything, the Hopeful Maggots will offer you their undying assistance and loyalty."

Paris raised a brow. "Hopeful... Maggots?"

Kashi looked away, muttering, "It's the name of my guild alright?!"

The blond laughed. He relaxed and smiled as the wind licked his wavy hair. "That... was a lame end to a very cool speech."

"Hmph. Come down when you are ready," Kashi said, leaving him to his thoughts. The delf could not believe the turn of events. With Paris on the throne, Rosendun was as good as his without actually owning it. Furthermore, this would continue to keep him under the radar. "Seems I am cursed with the devil's luck. It's only a matter of time before it explodes in my face..."