Headed by a Snake

At the edge of Tanamar's mana formation, the cool winds swirled about, curious to his call. The flames just-outside, they rose and fell, bowing out of respect.

The ground shook, its crackling roars praising his name. The spirits of water and ice heeded his demands, forming a protective barrier upon his one true love, Athena.

Tanamar raised his hand forward, grasping a mana longbow-- a gift from the heavens, themselves.

He finished speaking that which was forbidden... and the world grew still.

Slowly... deliberately... he created a holy arrow, nocking it in his bow.

"This is my ⌈Oath⌋: Death to the enemies of Sol Invictus."

Loosening his grip, a beam of concentrated light shot forward... bright enough to burn a human's soul into nothingness.

"[Hah! HAHAHAH!!]" Tancred cackled, "[I've already seen that attack a DOZEN times!!!]"

The crimson armor emitted a low, ear-splitting roar, "⌈Dragonscale WAAALLLL!!!!⌋"

Tanamar's heart shook and his stomach roiled, affected by a deep, primal fear. He fell to his knees and covered his ears, trying to shut out the hellish noise, to reduce the vise-like pressure crushing his head.

Transparent scale-wings of rocks and earth formed around Divine Armor Orcus, tiny particles at first, then globs of dirt and mud, then entire chunks of stones and crystal debris. It dispersed the force of Tanamar's ⌈Oath⌋ shot... the stones and grass beside the armor disappearing into the nether.

Tanamar looked up, clenching his teeth. The wings dissipated into a rain of heavy fine sand, and fell to the earth, coating his surroundings a pale grey.

Tancred was fine.

He lived.

Safe in his armor, he stared down at the kneeling and weakened Tanamar...

"[...That all you got, b*tch?]"

...

⟬ Flashback: Caeruleum Hills, one week prior. ⟭

Tanamar banged on the log cabin door, "Come out, old man. I know you're in there!"

"Tanamar!" Athena scolded, her hands on her hips, "Don't be ruUude!"

She tried to dress discreetly, a decision she made on her own. Though she opted for a thick cloak, a sleeved shirt, and trousers, her small, cute face was unmistakably feminine... though made her look younger than she was.

Athena reached forward and grabbed onto Tanamar's hand... and he felt his anger melt away.

...most of it, anyroad.

"It's what he deserves," He shrugged.

"You should forgive him, you know," Athena pouted. "I'm sure he feels bad about it, too! That's probably why he took you and Tancred in, in the first place!"

"Yeah, and you should forgive Tycon for that sand-attack on the beach," Tanamar replied sarcastically.

Athena turned her nose up and away, "That's different!"

The door opened up to reveal a surly, grey-bearded dwarf with deep lines etched onto his mouth and a permanent cross-scar above his nose.

"Athanasius," He scowled... "What the hells do ye--"

"UNCLE!!!" Athena shouted.

In an instant, she tackled the old dwarf to the ground in a hug. If he wasn't a retired adventurer, the impact would have probably put him into a bed.

"Young mistress! Ah! Ow! Quit it!" Harkus groaned.

"Oh! Ehehe~!" The embarrassed Athena helped the old dwarf back up, dusting him off. "When's the last time you took a bath, Uncle?! You smell like socks."

"None o' yer business, lass," He growled, crossing his thick Dwarven arms.

Tanamar had originally come to ask Harkus for a favor... but he'd forgotten that Athena missed her 'uncle' very much. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the old dwarf was the closest thing Tanamar had to a father. It was probably because Harkus, with all his flaws, was still a more reliable adult than either of Athena's actual parents.

"Uncle!" Athena grinned, "I'm marrying Tanamar!"

The dwarf's jaw dropped, "Yer what, now?"

Athena's tactless admission warmed Tanamar's heart. She'd grown so much over the past few years. She'd always had good morals, but before, she was a shy girl who only confided in him. Around the time she reached Bronze-Rank, she stopped holding back whenever she felt strongly about anything... leading to a speechless and confused dwarf.

Athena nodded, flexing one of her arms and holding her bicep, "Yep! So you have to give us your blessing!"

Harkus looked over to Tanamar in confusion, "Boy?"

Tanamar bared his teeth in chagrin, "Ah... yep. That's the way it is."

"You have to," Athena insisted, leaning forward on the tips of her toes, mere inches from Harkus' face.

Harkus turned away, wrinkling his beard and mustache, "Well... I uh... I have no problems with it."

"I would have done it without your blessing, old man," Tanamar groaned.

"TANAMAR!!!" Athena yelped, "Be nice! I'm the one asking, not you!"

Tanamar felt his eye twitch in annoyance. His girlfriend seemed to have forgotten that it was HIS idea to visit the old goat.

"Come on, Uncle!" Athena hopped up and down in excitement, "You have to come live with us, too. We're gonna build a new estate... oh, and I have a guild now! We're called Letalis, and-- and--"

"A new estate?" Harkus raised his furry eyebrows, then as if remembering something, resigned to a grimacing nod, "I... I see."

The Vanzano estate in Silva was burnt to the ground by Tancred and his Stormbrands... the Snake Cult bastards. It was not a well-kept secret.

"So pack your things, Uncle!" Athena grinned, "We'll come get you after we do one more quest."

"I uh..." Harkus looked around at his log cabin, grimacing as if he was hurt, "I built this by meself. I build things. It's... what I do."

"Well, it sucks," Athena pouted. "You have to move."

Tanamar rolled his eyes as he nudged Athena with his elbow. What happened to being nice?

"I MEAN!!!" Athena shrieked, "It's gorgeous! Very rustic! Classic architecture."

Harkus' entire fuzzy face seemed to droop.

"--But you can do better," Athena grinned. "Come on, you can build a new one when we move!"

Harkus sighed, shaking his head, "This... this cabin took me o'er three months to..."

"Ahem," Tanamar cleared his throat. "Athena, I have something to talk to Master about."

"Eh?" Harkus' eyes opened wide in shock... then narrowed in suspicion, "Haven't heard ya call me that'n years, boy."

"How 'bout you shut it, old man?" Tanamar whispered, "--before I jam a lance down your throat?"

"'At's more like it," Harkus scoffed.