Free armor, worrisome news.

During the bus ride home, Old Fred coughed softly. “Lad, there’s something we need to talk about,” the face of Old Fred’s ilusion grew solemn. John leaned forward as the dwarf in disguise looked at him. “It’s best if the people back at the camp don’t know that my niece works for another deity. It would only complicate matters; gods are not really happy with conversion to different believes and all that. If they thought I was untrustworthy or, worse, that I was trying to convert you to Hemetism, well, let’s say that I would be out of a home faster than you could say Zeus.”

John nodded, the problem had popped up in his mind already. He was happy that Old Fred had told him at least. It would have been bad to repay the guy that stood up to a literal god for him by getting him kicked out of his home.

The rest of the ride was not really anything special; John and Fred talked, about his first few days in the Abyss, trading bad puns and just having a good time all in all.

It was starting to get dark when John and Old Fred finally walked back into the camp, the hunters apparently still over at the Wild Hunts’ place. The two of them, accompanied by Jack, made their way to the smithy quickly. They greeted a few people on the way there, the dwarf and boy a funny looking duo.

Back in the smithy, the first thing Old Fred did was take out a beer. Casually sipping it as he asked John, “So, you have had a strange day, stranger than the first two, I take it. Let me make it up to ya with some gear. I did promise it to you after all.”

Old Fred guided John to a different room than the first time; this one was filled to the brim with armor, cloaks, and other forms of protective gear. For some reason, there even was a hazmat suit set up in the corner.

“So, laddy, I promised you armor. The hunters usually wear those cloaks over there with a hint of either mail or leather. In your case… I’d say leather. Maybe mail covering your wrists.”

Old Fred started to walk around the shop, tossing a few items at John who with a bit of trouble caught them. Eventually, Old Fred walked to the cloaks, brushing over them with a smile. “The amount of lads and lasses I have given their first cloak is high, yet it feels special every time. While you are already one of them due to your little pin there, lad, the cloak just finishes the picture. How about you put your gear on then. Show this dwarf if it needs any work? Adjustments?”

John quickly cast Observe on the items before pulling them into his inventory and then onto his equipment slots. Maybe Old Fred gave him the right size or maybe it was Gaia’s videogame magic, but the clothes fit like a glove.

While John was looking at his leather clad body in the mirror, Old Fred pulled up a stool and placed the cloak over his shoulders. “There, now you look like one of them, lad. And it didn’t even cost you a cent. Though if you want to do me a favor for them anyway, look after Ilis for me, her deity told her to work with you. It would mean a lot to me if you promised to take care of her.”

John closed the cloak around his head with the pin, then turned to face Old Fred. “Of course, don’t worry. I may not know a lot about the Abyss, but I am not someone to forget the people that help him.”

The dwarf laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. “Good! Good! Now get out of here. I need a drink, or four, and those darn laws prevent me from offering you one! I’d feel bad. If you need anything else, come find me. If not, come find me anyway!” Old Fred laughed as he walked into the smithy, taking up the beer from a nearby countertop, waving his hand over his shoulder in greeting.

John called for Jack, the little leopard having apparently found a chunk of coal, rolling around with it until he looked like a panther cub. John sighed, casting dismiss and summon in quick succession to have him walk out clean once again, the cub purring on his shoulder.

As John approached the temple, a group of grim looking hunters arrived, no one talked, their faces tense. Cynthia split off from the group when she spotted John. With a few fleeting paces, she was in front of him, hugging him tightly. John wrapped his arms around her as he looked confused. Arnold, following quickly behind her, started to explain in a serious tone.

“We have some bad news. We went over to Gus’ camp, you know this. And well, it seems that we will have to deal with something else during the coming weeks. A group of Abyss animal activists are behind the attack on you, and apparently on a few on both our and their hunters as well. They are not stupid enough to attack our camps, but they have scattered trap barriers around the forest. You happened to walk into one just after it was set up. So in a way, son, we have to thank you. Gus told us that they have hired mercenaries, drifters, anyone that will fight for money. So whenever you go out there, be careful. We will find a way to deal with them; it’s not the first time we got ambushed by these nutjobs. But they are dangerous enough if left on their own,” Arnold ran a hand through his hair, and to John’s surprise it was not worry he saw in his eyes, just annoyance.

John swallowed and nodded at the grave message. “I will keep that in mind. I mean, I will be careful, Arnold.”

Cynthia, nuzzling into his neck, look at Jack on the other shoulder, her left hand tickling the little feline underneath his chin. “I wanna do something fun now. And I mean normal teenager things. Those creeps won’t go into town. Not with the Order guarding the place. So, John, you are taking me out on a date tonight?” her voice flirtatious and sweet with a hint of exhaustion.

John startled, looking at Arnold, then at Cynthia. “A date? I never, I mean, well, you know, sure?” he stammered, much to Arnolds amusement and Cynthia’s exasperation.

“A cute girl is asking you on a date, you idiot; you should be jumping at the chance,” she pouted sweetly, looking at the side of his face while hitting his chest without any ****.

“Just bring her back safe, John, and have fun, live a little. Oh and if you hurt her. I will feed your balls to Marco,” Arnold spoke with a grin, a chilly fatherly look in his eyes conveying to John that that last part was very much not a joke.

“Y-yes, Arnold! Of course I wanna go on a date with you, Cynthia! I mean, pick the place, thanks to Gaia I am not really strapped for money at the moment.”

Cynthia smiled at him. “That’s the spirit!