Since falling in with Niala and making Riverwall his home, whenever he wasn't training, helping his girlfriend, or making sure they didn't run out of Old Woman herbs, David had been clearing the local Free Courier Postings.

  Did he need to? No, but he found he liked doing it anyway, the activity taking the place of a hobby in his life. The vast majority were for finding things, like tools, keepsakes, or pets, and they paid almost nothing, but money really wasn't the point. In some cases, when the posting was from poor people or kids, he even often only accepted part, or even none, of the reward.

  Over the past year, he had become a familiar face, and his reputation had grown alongside his fame. The gruff man who wasn't so bad after all, who found things and helped fix problems. A fair share of local Courier postings were now personally addressed to him, and he often had to turn away people who were coming to him directly with a request, bypassing the posting board.

  Unlike Niala, whom the locals still regarded with a bit of suspicion, in no small part due to the rumours Brenson had spread about her, he found recognition and smiles wherever he went.

  His heart bled for Niala, who deserved the same kind of acceptance twice over, and he found the injustice more than a little annoying, but he knew it was only a matter of time. One day, the villagers would come to understand they had an angel living among them.

  His thoughts ground to a halt as his tag-along spoke up.

  “Aren't you usually followed by another woman?” Sammie asked.

  David glanced back at the man. “Have you two been spying on me?”

  “Yes.”

  “...You're supposed to deny it.” David said.

  Sammie shrugged. “Sybil insisted we learn about you and your girl's routine, the people you spoke with, that kind of thing.”

  “Why?”

  “According to her, so we know what to look for, instead of being wary of everyone you meet.” The guardsman explained.

  “And according to you?” David asked.

  Sammie smirked. “I let Sybil think about those things. I just do what she tells me to. She's usually right.”

  David kept looking over his shoulder at the man for a few seconds before returning his eyes to the front. “That included joining the Guards?”

  The man didn't answer right away. “What makes you say that?”

  David hummed. “Leandro always said that there were two kinds of recruits: the ones that want to be there, and the ones that have to be there.”

  “...You're talking about Knight-General Gustall?”

  “You're really good at avoiding questions,” David noted.

  Sammie tsked. “Would some flattery work? People seem to like you a lot. Is that because you're a really good Courier?”

  David couldn't help but smile. He turned toward a bunch of old crates stacked near a dead-end alley, sitting on one. His escort came to rest at his side and slightly behind.

  David sighed. “It's kind of annoying talking to you without ever seeing you.”

  “You asked me to stay out of sight,” Sammie replied.

  “I said to stay back.”

  “I'm both out of sight, and to your back.”

  David snorted. “Your commanding officers must love you.”

  “They show me their love in alternative ways.” The man replied.

  “Like asking you to dig latrines?” David offered, glancing over his shoulder.

  Sammie nodded. “That, and saying that talking to me is like passing a pine cone.”

  David quirked a brow.

  The man smirked. “Grates all the way, left wondering why they must suffer this way once it's done.”

  David turned his head back toward the street and the villagers. “So, why did you have to join the Azure Guards?”

  Sammie sighed. “Can I play the private person card as well?”

  David shook his head. “Didn't work in my case. Think of it as my spying on you, to know what I need to worry about.” His tone remained pleasant, but with a distinct layer of hardness to it.

  Sammie rubbed the back of his head, letting out a puff of air. “I guess that's fair. There's not much to say, it's like you said: I joined up because of Sybil.”

  “Did she tell you to?”

  “No, she wouldn't... She... Bleeding pits, this isn't supposed to be that difficult.”

  He took in a deep breath. “I guess you need to know about where we come from. It's a little village, to the east, south of the Brokenjaws. Backwater as they come, just a few hundred people, harvest festivals, get excited when a trader comes in from the big city and all that. It's called Wivestallow, not that it matters.”

  David glanced back while quirking a brow. “That name is...”

  Sammie waved it off. “I know, sounds grim, but it really isn't. There's a whole story behind it, how the founder accidentally packed a crate of beef tallow from his then girlfriend's father's stock when he left with the first settlers, and how the girl crossed through the country to get it back, arriving just before snowfall, having to stay the winter, and ended up marrying him and staying forever.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Isn't that the whole story?” David asked.

  Sammie's brows rose. “What? No! That's just the summary, it's missing all the good bits, like how the girl, on her travels, ended up with a small band of brigands, not knowing who they were, just thinking it was a band of poor peasants, and cleaned their clothes and cooked for them in return for escorting her to the village.”

  “...” David stared at the man.

  Sammie stared back.

  “What happened to the brigands?” David asked.

  The guardsman smiled. “Oh! They ended up joining the village as settlers, seeing as how there was plenty of work to do in exchange for land, and all that. The story goes on about how the whole village came to their defence when a bounty hunter rolled into town looking for them, years later, after they'd become respected members of the community.”

  “...”

  “It's a really good story. Bit long, though.”

  “Hmm, Niala would love to hear it. For now, what's that have to do with you and Sybil joining the Azure Guards?” David asked.

  “Ah, well, it's a remote village. Corrupted tend to show up in remote villages.” Sammie said with a tinge of sadness.

  After a few moments, he kept going. “My and Sybil's families were close. She's the same age as me, we practically grew up as siblings. After a small pack of corrupted ran through the village, she was all I had left. She and my dog, Blotch. Because he had a blotch of different-coloured fur over an eye. Loved that dog.” He said, looking into the past.

  “Anyway. We were saved by a small squad of Azure Guards hot on the corrupteds' tail. Sybil grew up wanting to save people like they did, so that kids like us didn't get to suffer the same fate. I just... had to stick with her, because she's got a hero complex, and it's landed her in so much trouble... so, so much trouble.” He explained, shaking his head.

  Sammie looked up at David. “Like, that one time, we were fourteen, I think, we came across the village bully and his three friends, sixteen and seventeen, trying to get one of the village girls to kiss him. I begged her to go and find an adult, but she instead picked up a stick and a bunch of rocks, started throwing the rocks at the guy, and when he turned around, smacked him in the face with the stick.”

  He winced. “We got beat up so bad. I'm talking, weeks in bed. Bully and his friend got scolded for beating up little kids, and Sybil just kept grinning at me, as if we'd won.”

  David sighed. “Alright, so, hero complex half-sister, want to help keep her safe despite herself, she wants to join up with the Azure Guards, so you join as well, to keep her safe. That sums it up?”

  Sammie blinked. “Huh, yeah, it does. You're pretty good at summaries.”

  David groaned. “I'm starting to understand the pine cone thing.”

  “Ha ha, yeah... Hey, so, where's the other woman you usually did Courier jobs with?” Sammie asked.

  David gave him a look.

  The guardsman smiled back.

  He sighed. “She got her first private posting a few days ago. Was pretty excited about it, too. She should be back in time for the wedding.”

  “Wedding? Who's getting married!? Can I go? The food's always amazing at weddings!” Sammie asked, suddenly excited.

  David's eyes went wide as he realized the man wouldn't have known. He looked back over his shoulder, squinting. “...You're not invited.”

  Sammie slumped. “Ah, come on, man...” He looked back up with a smile. “We could be wedding security! We have parade uniforms we could wear! We'd be a showpiece! Who's the couple? I'm sure I can sell them the idea!”

  David shook his head. “No.” He declared, getting back to his feet and resuming his walk toward his next client.

  Sammie kept pestering him about the wedding for a while.

  But there was no way the guards were getting invited to his wedding.

  As David returned home for dinner, Sybil pushed off the wall she was leaning on and walked up to him and Sammie.

  She stood at attention. “Welcome back, S-David! Hope my guardmate didn't bother you too much?”

  David shrugged. “Once he stops talking, he's not so bad.”

  She grinned. “I hear that a lot.” Then, looking at Sammie. “Sam, better get your parade uniform out of storage and shined up.”

  David's face fell.

  Please, no-

  “Miss Niala has invited us to her wedding, as security! She said we'd be paid in food, and let me tell you, brother, that woman has magical hands!”

  David turned his head to stare at the bunnykin, Sammie doing the same.

  She noticed their stare and blinked. “...What? What did I say?”

  David craned his neck to look back at Sammie, meeting his gaze.

  His eyes told him to get used to it.

  The realization hit David with the strength of one of Leandro's back-slaps.

  Oh no... It's another Niala.

  With twelve days to go before their wedding, even though most elements had already been planned, ordered, paid for or otherwise arranged, Niala still began fretting about the details.

  David, for his part, felt rather calm about the whole thing. Even if the reception turned disastrous, it didn't matter. It'd make a story to tell later on, to their friends and... kids?

  Oh, yeah. They were planning on having kids, eventually.

  He shook his head. Later. For now, help his girlfriend for their wedding.

  Over the following days, all the missing details were squared away. Extra plates and utensils for all the guests. Setting up the living room upstairs as a dining room, making sure they had enough chairs. Rechecking the sleeping arrangements, confirming with the church and the town hall that the date had been reserved, checking up on the grocer, butcher and baker that their orders were paid in full and would be delivered on the right date...

  Throughout, they kept up with training with Leandro, although limited to physical training for Niala, and their sessions with Marshalla. Niala kept displaying increasing mastery over the wind, to the point where she had to confer with Anaakendi about what else she could do besides blowing breezes.

  The incarnation was rather upset at that, accusing the catkin of lacking respect for the winds. She reluctantly, however, had to recognize that Niala was displaying an impressive amount of control even at this early stage of her training. So much so that she agreed to begin teaching her other tricks, such as having the wind carry smells, sounds and more to her, which is what Anaakendi referred to as listening to the wind.

  Niala obviously couldn't transform into a creature of the wind, as the incarnation could, but everything else seemed open to her.

  Despite herself, Niala was beginning to find the prospect exciting, especially with Marshalla confirming at each of their sessions that her mana signature showed no signs of deviation whatsoever.

  A week before the wedding, Papo and Jordo were able to complete the interface on the spare golem. With a jump-start of mana from David, the golem's manaheart rumbled to life and began processing ambient mana up to a usable purity. Soon, the small rat was sitting on a rat-sized bench installed on top of the lower half of the golem's head. He pressed his paws against two small crystal spheres, which lit up, processing Papo's intent into body movements.

  The golem's arm rose, haltingly at first, then more smoothly, as Papo made its hand move, fingers curl and extend. Before long, the metal body jerked and pushed itself to its feet. A few minutes of familiarization and testing later, and Papo reported that he had 96.7% control of the body, and felt satisfied enough with the interface's performance to feel safe in piloting the golem while in the presence of living things.

  Sybil and Sammie watched the entire process with blank eyes. Karline, who had returned by now, and who stood nearby, simply looked at them with sympathetic eyes. “It's easier if you don't ask questions and just accept it.”

  The next day, Yrlemagne and Fimmzi showed up, much earlier than anticipated. While more than welcome, Niala asked why they were so early, to which the elf solemnly replied. “Wedding dress fitting.” And dragged the catkin upstairs to a spare bedroom, posting Fimmzi at the door, with instructions to break David's legs if he tried coming in.

  The next few days evaporated. Cornelius, Angeline and Mahala arrived on the Alchemical Star. The next day, the Wardenfels arrived via their own family airship, the Eternal Vigilance. More traditional in style than the borderline gaudy Alchemical Star, it nonetheless radiated wealth and power.

  The two airships, moored in empty fields to the west of Riverwall, soon attracted curious villager gangs, and within the bell, the identity of the illustrious visitors was on everyone's lips, though the actual reason remained a mystery.

  That did not stop the rumours in any shape or form.

  The day before the wedding, the last guests arrived, in the form of the Waymans and Batty. David was more than pleasantly surprised to see that his adoptive father, Francis Wayman, had been able to make it.

  Having not seen each other in over a year, they set aside some time to catch up, and promised to do so in greater detail after the wedding.

  And then, the day of the wedding arrived.

  And then, the stress hit David.