Summoned Again?

The next morning, we all sat in the center of the tent and ate breakfast. The other three heroes and I chatted back and forth about a few things, like our experiences in this world, and the animal people listened intently and didn't speak. The new people had been surprised at my cooking skills, especially with such primitive items to work with, and I joked and said that it wasn't the equipment, it was how you used it.

Nearly everyone laughed, even Sugarlick, who only had eyes for George the horse man. He had apparently made her feel better than any other male she had mated with. That was a surprise, considering I hadn't really seen any real deviation from what Steve had done to the mare we used to have and what George had done to Sugarlick.

I was surprised to learn that George was actually Steve's brother and that he had volunteered to bring the others out to me, all because he wanted to thank me on his brother's behalf for finding him a very valuable and suitable mate. I gave him an extra helping of porridge and he sucked it up like it was the best thing in the world. Apparently, horses of all types liked oats, no matter how they were prepared. The sliced and chunked apples made it that much tastier, too.

I had eggs of all kinds ready as well, toast made with actual bread and not the local variety, and even several boxes of cereal. The cat women absolutely loved milk, even though it didn't agree with them, and Selene the wolf woman gnawed on the sausages I had fried up. The Freemartin enjoyed the fresh salad I had made just for her and she snuck a kiss on me when she thought no one was looking.

“Did you rob a grocery store?” Lionel asked me between bites of his sunny-side-up eggs.

Nat was too far away to elbow him, so she kicked him under the table instead.

“Ow!” Lionel hissed and rubbed the spot.

“What did we say about staying quiet in mixed company?” Nat asked.

I laughed. “It's all right. I figured he'd say something like that.” I looked at him. “I pretty much bought out the back storage room of a grocery store.”

“With money.” I said and the three of them stared at me. “What?”

“How the hell did you buy out the stock of an entire store?” Nat asked. “I mean, can someone even do that?”

“I could with the stock manager's permission. She walked me around personally, too.” I said and kept eating. “I really like fluffy scrambled eggs and actual meat.”

“We like the meat, too!” The cat women and Selene said loudly, which made me promise them a nice steak dinner later.

“What else do you have stored?” Angel asked. “We've been eating local stuff for months.”

“Tons of dry and canned goods.” I said.

“What about a can opener?” Nat asked with a smile and I chuckled.

“I have to use a dagger or my sword, which is a pain. When I make stew or something similar, I open the whole case, heat it up and eat what I want, then store the rest.”

“Always a hot ready meal.” Nat said and I nodded.

“I picked up a lot of general stuff at the city by the wall that I just didn't have the forethought to grab before getting summoned.”

“Like beds, cookware, tents, kegs of beer, a motorcycle...” Nat started rhyming off more and more ridiculous things and I progressed from chuckles to full laughs.

“Stop! Stop! I can NOT store an aircraft carrier!” I exclaimed and interrupted her.

“You didn't even try!” Nat said and we both laughed at the ridiculousness.

“You two really are new old friends.” Angel said.

I nodded and started to take a drink of orange juice.

“I didn't even have to let him ravage me.” Nat said pointedly and I almost choked.

“No... fair.” I said and coughed, then cleared my throat. “You waited until I took a drink!”

“Of course I did.” Nat said with a huge smile. “Who in their right mind tells someone they just met that they want to sleep with them?”

“I said you were damn cute and nice, too.” I said and defended myself.

“You propositioned her and you already knew she was gay?” Angel asked and had to laugh. “You brave, stupid idiot.”

“I wanted to tell her that if she was ever curious, I'd be glad to help.” I smiled. “Not unlike you, hmm?”

Angel smiled back. “Touche, Day Man.” She said, intentionally mispronouncing my name like the locals did.

“Ooo, smart comeback.” I said and finished off my eggs and gave the last sausage to Selene. “Wooo. That was good.” I said as I sat back and rubbed my belly.

The others finished up eating shortly after and then we got down to discussing the plan.

“The next settlement is only a couple of hours away. I don't know what creature we'll find, if any, so please... please... don't overreact and start killing everything you see.” I said and looked right at Lionel.

“What's with the look?” Lionel asked.

“Out of all of us, you have the worst social skills.” Nat said. “I didn't ask what you did in our world and I honestly don't want to know.”

“Is that why you've never said what you did?” Angel asked. “You think we don't want to know?”

“I'm saying that it doesn't matter. We are not those people right now.” Nat said.

“That's true.” I said. “I had my own construction business and those skills are pretty useless here.”

“You owned a business?” Angel asked.

“Used to. I sold it just before being summoned.”

“For how much?” Angel asked with a big smile.

“Easy, girl.” Nat said and pat her hand. “What did I just say about us not being those people?”

“I was a supermodel there and here I'm a super model.” Angel said proudly, then she took a quick breath. “Damon, are you a crafter?”

I shook my head. “You've seen my class, haven't you?”

“Um... no.” Angel said and looked at me for a second. “It says Hero.”

“Your class is Hero?” Lionel asked, surprised. “Why didn't your skills transfer over properly?”

“Do not question him.” The Freemartin said in a stern voice.

“My skills let me become a combined Cleric and Mage, Angel's let her become a Sword Warrior, and Nat's let her become an Illusionist that can create anything she has in storage.” Lionel said. “Why didn't his skills let him become a builder or something?”

The Freemartin's sword was out and laid across his neck before he could blink. “Do not make me repeat myself.”

Lionel moved his hand slightly and she angled her blade down and slightly off to the side of his neck as it pressed into his jugular.

“Use your push trick and you lose your life.” The Freemartin said.

“Damon, tell her to back off.” Angel said.

“No.” I said.

“Lionel didn't mean anything by it.” Angel said, her eyes slightly worried.

“If he can't keep himself from asking questions that someone told him not to ask while around people he considers safe, what will he do when he's in a place that's not going to be safe?” I asked.

Angel looked at Lionel and saw his red face. “Don't, Lionel. Remember what Maria did after silencing you.”

Lionel lowered his hand slightly and the Freemartin safely extracted her blade. He reached up and touched the spot to heal it.

____

You have learned the spell Focused Healing Touch. This concentrated spell costs much less mana than Minor Healing because it only affects a very small area. Can target internal injuries as well as external.

____

That could be handy to have. I thought and made sure to keep that near the top of my spell list. “I hope you don't think that means the Freemartin hates you or holds a grudge against you.” I said and Lionel looked at me. “I know you don't understand how certain social structures work around here, and I will admit that I don't know them until I'm exposed to them.”

“Then why...” Lionel started to say.

I held up a hand to stop him. “Basic decorum calls for someone to be polite. Just being polite can take you very far in having others be nice to you. Disregarding warnings that are intended for your own safety, is not a good idea.”

“Lionel, you have to stop speaking without asking yourself if it's a good idea to ask.” Nat said.

“It's not fair that you're taking his side.” Lionel said.

“I'm not taking a side. I've been trying to do what Damon is doing.” Nat said. “I don't want you being killed, probably by accident, because you don't take a minute to be polite about what you're asking.”

“Lionel, please.” Angel said. “Even if you stopped to just whisper in my ear...”

“I'm sorry, Angel. That won't work.” I said and she looked at me with exasperation, because she was trying to help me and I stopped her. “My Favorite, how far away can you hear?”

“Eighty strides, if my ears are pointed that way.” The cat woman said. “That includes whispers, too.”

“Those are long cat strides, by the way. Not our normal ones.” I clarified.

The other three heroes looked genuinely surprised.

“Haven't you noticed that no one seemed surprised by you talking in a strange accent or by your appearance?” I asked and then chuckled. “It's because they heard you long before they saw you.”

“Well, damn.” Nat said and that made me laugh.

“There are a few other things you need to know, just in case.” I said and I had their attention. “Don't attack first. If you give them a reason, even though they can be peaceful, they will attack in force and overwhelm you.”

“What if they attack first?” Angel asked.

“If they start off hostile, then go all out. Don't give them a chance to breathe or to recover. Kill them and kill them all.” I said and the three of them looked shocked. “Now, I will give you the best advice you will ever have.”

“What's that?” Nat asked.

“Red dots on your Search and Map spells are not hostiles.”

Angel gasped, Lionel looked angry, and Nat looked a little sick.

“Ah. I see.” I said and sat back. “Angel, since you seem to be the least bothered by it, why don't you tell me about what kind of incursions that the Kingdom of Man gave you to clean up.”

“I... really shouldn't say.” Angel said, a little sadly.

“I killed an entire village of cat people and then an entire village of Coon people. Raccoon, actually.” I clarified for them. They stared at me and I shrugged. “I'll tell you the specifics later. You first.”

Angel sighed and looked at the other two, who nodded. “All right. There was a town that was having a problem...”

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