Descent of a God

World

|Jude|

I raised my sword and pressed it against the nape of my opponent's neck. "You've suffered a significant injury on your right side in the past, which has made you overcompensate your defenses towards that side. As a result, you've left your left side wide open. Next."

"Mind if I go next?" A familiar voice called out to my left.

I turned to see my fiancée, Kathy, with her midnight-dark hair still dripping with water and her beautiful brown eyes almost glowing. My heart raced with excitement even though I had seen her just a few days ago.

"No more sparring for today!" I called out to the crowd of soldiers and adventurers waiting in line with weapons in their hands. I made my way towards her, and we walked aimlessly around the lower levels of the Wall.

Workers, blacksmiths, artificers, and soldiers alike greeted Kathy as we passed by them. "Head Kathyln!" A young girl covered in soot ran towards us. "My master has a new set of armor for you that she's been working on in secret."

Kathy's face brightened, and she replied, "Oh! Tell Senyir that I'll go visit her later tonight! Thank you for the message, Nat."

"Anytime!" The little girl beamed and ran off.

"Since I'm still part of the Frostblue Division, I don't get to spend as much time here as I'd like, but I still got to know a few people here and there," Kathy explained as we continued walking.

It made sense since she wasn't a lance yet, at least not in the public's eyes.

As we strolled through the crowds of people, I watched as Kathy's expression changed from curiosity to amazement to delight as she took in the sight of the various booths and stands that merchants had set up along the street.

It was an odd feeling as we walked through the crowds of people. Even though we were already engaged, this was only our third date ever. The first was when we were in Xyrus Academy, and the second was when I came back from my training.

I surveyed the crowd around us, finding mostly adventurers garbed in chainmail or hard leather armor and the occasional off-duty soldier still wearing their division's insignia. "Is it always this busy here?"

"Mhmm. Having so many mercenaries and adventurers here taking jobs and missions at the Wall brought about an influx of merchants and peddlers hoping to make money selling goods and services to them," Kathy explained quickly.

"Speaking of goods and services, there's a place that I've always wanted to try!" Kathy pulled me by my arm and weaved through the tide of pedestrians until we arrived near the end of a line that wrapped around a single isolated cart.

"Doesn't it smell fantastic?" Kathy asked excitedly as she craned her neck to try and get a better view of the cart, but she was too short to do so. I floated her up a bit using ambient mana so that she could get a good look.

I nodded. "If it tastes as good as it smells, maybe I should hire him as a chef inside the Castle."

"Tempting, but I'd feel bad for all the people here that look forward to eating here," she replied.

As we waited in line, I noticed the gazes of all the people around us. Some whispered to the friends they were waiting in line with, while others saluted or bowed.

Thankfully, a disturbance ahead in the line caught the attention of the people around us. It seemed like someone was trying to make their way to the back of the line.

"Out of the way! Move it!" a gruff voice boomed.

Finally, a man a head shorter than even Kathy appeared through the sea of people ahead of us. He was carrying a small paper bowl filled with a steaming stew of meat and vegetables in each of his hands.