The group sat and joked for most of the afternoon as the three clerics finished repairing everyone’s armour, including the mangled remains of Karl’s original suit.
It had better buffs on it than the new gear did, but it didn’t have the advantage of comfort or being able to be worn under normal clothing.
Eventually, the Clerics moved from fixing gear to cooking dinner. This was their horribly overworked day, and Karl hoped that they could at least get a day off afterwards.
It was the great downfall of being indispensable. Everyone needed you for something, and on days like today, someone needed you for everything.
But on the bright side, nobody came to bother them as they ate and relaxed after dinner, until it started to get dark, and Morgana sighed while looking out the door.
“If you would like to stay the night, we can hang extra hammocks for you. We have plenty, so you can stay here the night.” Karl offered.
They also had extra blankets from their time on the Frost Giant front, so they weren’t short on sleeping gear.
Doug nodded happily and Bob shrugged.
“We might as well, since we’re already here. I can make a cute fuzzy blanket for our resident princess if she needs.” Doug teased.
Morgana’s hand glowed with black magic, and the Nature Cleric just laughed harder.
“Alright, we need to hear this story. What is it between you three?” Karl insisted.
Bob patted Doug on the shoulder, and gestured to Morgana. “She can tell the story, and we will fill in the gaps.”
Morgana sighed. “I can see that letting them tell it would be a mistake. It was my second mission, after a single day resource gathering trip. I got paired with these three idiots and two horny morons from my magic combat class.
I grew up in government employee housing in the Capital, I had never been in the wilderness before. I just loved plants and potions.
But from the first hour, they were making fun of me.”
Doug cut in as she paused. “You should have seen her. She was smaller than Lotus, and she kept getting lost as she went to look at flowers.”
Morgana glared at him, and Doug made a zipping motion over his lips to let her continue.
“We were out for three days, and all four of them teased me relentlessly. I didn’t know how cold it was going to get in the forest, so I had packed my lucky blanket from my room, a black fuzzy blanket. That’s what Doug was referring to.
He called me Princess for the entire trip.”
She paused, likely intending to finish it there, but Doug wasn’t done.
“Tell them about the next time as well.”
“Why do they need to know that?” She replied suspiciously.
“Because if you don’t tell them, I’m going to.”
Morgana sighed. “Fine. The second time we went out, we deployed by train, and the train was attacked. It wasn’t major, but I lost my pack. In fact, all of the students did. We had put our packs in the baggage car while we went for lunch.
Hey, I see that judging look. We didn’t know any better, and nobody warned us.
Well, the baggage car took a direct hit from a Gryphon, and all of our gear was lost. So, the only ones who had any gear were Bob and Doug, while the rest of us had nothing.
My class basically relies on potions, especially in the early stages.
I didn’t have a single attack spell that didn’t require a reagent of some sort, and now I didn’t have a tent or a ride home to the Academy.
It sucked, and I didn’t want to be there.
But we had to walk back to the Academy, as the tracks were damaged, and we were under a hundred kilometres away. But that part was alright, we even managed to find some of the resources we came for on our way back the first day.
At dark, Doug made two tents with his magic. We drew lots to see who had watch, and I got first shift.
At that point I didn’t have any of these tattoos, it was the catalyst that made me decide to do something permanent to improve my abilities as an Elite. I was exhausted by the time the shift ended, and we had been instructed to keep the fire low, but burning, so it didn’t go out before morning.
At the time I wore thick glasses, and I couldn’t see much of anything in the dark, but the ones on watch were all sleeping by the fire, so I woke my replacement for his shift and then went to the girls’ tent to sleep.”
Dana facepalmed, and Ophelia laughed, knowing exactly where this was going.
“That’s right. She got the wrong tent, and because she was exhausted, she just climbed into the bed closest to the door and went to sleep.” Doug interjected.
“Which one of you?” Dana asked while Lotus turned away from the conversation.
It couldn’t hide the shaking shoulders or faint sound of her stifled laughter, though.
“Me, of course. I always sleep next to the door, in case there is an attack and someone needs healing. But more importantly, did you know that our Princess prefers to sleep naked?” Doug replied.
Morgana did actually attack him this time, a bolt of black magic that Doug caught with a handkerchief that turned to ash instantly.
“Then she slapped Bob in the face when he tried to wake her up in the morning, and buried herself under my hassock for warmth.” Doug continued with tears rolling down his face.
Morgana gave a defeated sigh. “And now everyone knows the shameful reason I can’t stand these two lecherous brothers.”
And the reason she never wanted to leave her balcony room, Karl suspected. The boys in the group would not have quickly forgotten that story, and given their usual assumptions, it was likely to have given her a rather unfortunate reputation among her classmates.
“That is… unfortunate…” Ophelia stammered.
“And that was before she cursed me with misfortune.” Doug agreed.
“Every day for a month. Until he came to the Academy to apologize to her in person, and the teachers made her stop.” Bob added.
Morgana glared at Karl. “You are suspiciously silent.”
“There is nothing I can say at this moment that will not make the situation worse.”
“Oh? If you had to say something, what would it be?” She asked, and all the women turned to Karl to see what he could come up with to calm the angry Witch Doctor.
“Well, Doug is kind of hairy, so at least you were warm, right?”
Now, Morgana’s ebony skin didn’t really allow her to blush, but if Karl had to guess, she would be red from ear to ear if she were as pale as Dana.
Doug puffed up his chest. “The only one here who can beat me in the chest hair department is Ophelia, and she has to transform to do it.”
Morgana snapped her attention to him. “You’re not supposed to be proud of that, you idiot.”
