"You're so bloody lazy," I hear Liam say as my eyes open to him inches from my face.

"You gonna kiss me or something?"

"Heavens no, you're not that attractive. Let's go see if the healer has big ones," Liam says, tossing a worn linen shirt on.

"While I am not opposed to seeing cleavage, I'm not walking three hours to town on my day off."

"Listen it not about the tits it about my teeth—mostly," Liam said, thinking over his statement.

"Fine , fine but if I hear you complain once about your feet hurting in the fields tomorrow, I will strangle you to death."

"Ok, get up then already!" Liam shouted as I sat up on the edge of the bed yawning, stretching my arms towards the roof. I look behind me at the bed that's just a mere line of ropes with a blanket tossed over it, Goddess my back hurts.

"You ever wonder what a real bed feels like?

"Nope because I am focused on one thing ti...eeth , lets go," Liam replied, marching out of the room. I get up, throwing on a shirt that has seen it's better days. We make our way down the beaten dirt path to the town outside of our small village. Liam insisted on singing the whole time, His wretched voice sending the birds flying in the opposite direction. I find myself numb to his Squawking, looking at the blue sky , the warm sun hitting my skin; the wind is chilly but has a refreshing touch.

I am happy

"Aries, There it is," Liam nudges me in the ribs.

The bustling little town comes into sight as we march down a winding hill leading towards it. We walk into the main strip where we are bombarded with merchants trying to sell us a variety of things. I don't know if they're willfully ignorant or idiots but it's apparent from our attire we are dirt poor. The air has a pleasant smell of smoked meat coming from a butcher shop down the road that makes me salivate. I look to see if Emma's around, maybe I could convince her to come back home with us but she's nowhere in sight—I give up realizing she wouldn't come back with us anyways. The buildings all seem well cared for, not one brick is missing from the chimney heads , not one shingle broken. Everyone is well dressed , I feel out of place as eyes dart our way.

"Well fuck me , where's the healer?" Liam said, looking around like a lost puppy, I raised my eyebrow at him.

"healer eh?" I replied a little condescending.

"I swear, I heard she'd be here," Liam says, not giving up on his search. That's when we hear the hooves of horses riding into town. Liam bolts towards the front of the crowd and I follow behind quickly. As we fight our way to the front of the crowd circling the town's main fountain we see female Knights in golden and platinum armor file in on their steeds, stopping short of the crowd as the horses go up on their back hooves before crashing back down. The knight's helmets completely cover the entirety of their head except for a small slit forming a T in the front. Large shields and swords bound to their backs. They hold the horses still, staring at us as a white carriage approaches.

"shit, she's here," Liam gushed, elbowing me in the ribs.

"I told you it is going to be an old man," I said with a chuckle but Boy was I wrong, an elegant looking woman with hair almost to the ground, criss crossing into a braid comes out, grabbing a man's hand as she gracefully walks down the golden stairs of the carriage. Her white silk dress hugging the stairs as it follows her. Her hair glowed white yet she looks to be in her early twenties. She wore a white blind fold but looked around like she could still see everything clearly, her gaze seeming to fall upon me multiple times.

"No tits, wow," Liam says disappointed.

"She's beautiful," I stumble out, caught in the trance of this woman's beauty. she wasn't a healer, she was a Priestess.

"What are you talking about? She's skinny as a board," Liam said, looking at me oddly but as she speaks his attention goes back to the woman.

"The goddesses are merciful with their divinity , they weep at the sight of their children's pain. I shall in the name of Aphrodite heal her children," she said putting her arms out as if she was asking for a hug, "Come to Aphrodite's embrace, my sick children," Her words radiating comfort. I however, feel a discomfort at Aphrodite's name.

"Man , she got such a low cut dress the cleavage would be heavenly if there was any there," Liam mumbled as I elbowed him in the back pushing him forward.

"Put your cock away and get your teeth healed," I snapped at him in a low tone, trying to avoid anymore attention. He grabs my hand, pulling me with him as we are the first to stumble up to the priestess.

"Priestess, I request your grace in healing my teeth," Liam stammered, shaking as she cupped his face with her left hand.

"My child, do you have anything to give in return for Aphrodite's blessing," she said, I flinched again at the name, which Liam notices.

"A thank you?" Liam said nervously, She frowned unamused.

"A silver coin?" I say, putting it in the basket next to her

she returns to her normal smile slowly, "How did you lose your teeth child," The priestess said, not taking her blindfolded gaze from me since I tossed the coin in the basket.

"The church was checking for Demons , almost my whole village is missing their canines," Liam said, looking like he was about to piss his pants at her touch or explode...

"Oh my child , the church does no such thing anymore, I can promise you that," she reassured, taking her other hand, placing it on his cheek, kissing his forehead, "you're now blessed my child , your sins are forgiven and your body has returned to its purest form," she steps back "next." A woman hands me a paper before we were pushed away by the knight standing around the priestess.

We walk back to the crowd while Liam is continuously touching his jaw and teeth, He turns to me and smiles, "I'm normal!" he proclaimed, showing his canines that are magically back with Tears dancing on the edges of his eyes.

"Normal is a little bit of a stretch but you look less goofy, yes," I chuckled as we pushed through the crowd. Liam doesn't stop touching his face the whole way to the edge of town. I stop looking down at the paper the woman handed me almost completely forgetting about it.

"The divine tournament."

"What?" Liam said, tilting his head.

"The speaker is of age, a tournament to determine a suitor so she can pass the divine blessing on."

"Speaker?" Liam looks even more confused, a frown falls over my face.

"My goddess , Emma's right you're retarded," I replied, keeping my frown steady.

"Hey now , I am just asking a question. I have plenty of smarts," he said, pointing to his forehead—I am unsure if he is trying to make a joke or not.

"You have air between your ears, that's it."

"Can you stop being a wanker and tell me what this means," Liam said, pouting at me. I let out a long exaggerated sigh.

"The speaker has come of age and men will come from all over bloody Gaia to kill themselves over some woman's vagina. She has the divine blessing of communication. She talks with the goddesses. it must be passed on. Got it ?"

"Is she beautiful?" Liam asked as I rolled my eyes at his reply.

"How would I know I haven't traveled beyond this town."

"I'm going to enter," Liam declared with enthusiasm. I grab him, dragging him back towards town.

"What are you doing?" he says squirming around, I stop, letting him go.

"I'm asking the Priestess to fix your fucking brain. Did you miss the part of being killed?"

"Come on Aries, men have been dying for glory and cunt for ages!" Liam says as if he was going to change my mind with that mediocre response.

"So you think you can beat all those men?"

"I think I can!" Liam replied proud, putting his hand on his hips.

"You stand five foot ten , I have heard of giants close to eight feet from the snow valley of racketosh."

"Myths and I bet I am faster than them," Liam grinned. I pinch the bridge of my nose, letting out an exasperated sigh, dropping the paper to the ground.

"Liam, just drop it. let's go home," I replied, walking toward the cottage.

"You know Emma would stop having to whore herself out if we come in the top five," Liam said and I froze.

"That was a dirty ploy."

"What? You think I like knowing every cockhead in that town behind us has been inside my sis. Aries, I'm dumb unskilled and a burden to my sister. I could make it up to her," Liam said, focused on the paper.

"Liam you can't win."

"It's not about winning, it's about coming in the top five and Emma receiving the two million gold coins from us," Liam said, looking serious, Acting like a man for once in his life. I run my hands over my face, letting out a sigh.

"You're doing this for Emma and not some random girl you don't know."

"I am doing it for Emma," Liam said, looking at me seriously.

"Shit!"

"What?" Liam looks confused at me.

"You know I have to join you right? And Make sure you actually don't die."

"With the power of brotherhood we will win," he says, putting his hand up for a high five, I turn around continuing to the cottage, leaving his hand in the air.

"Way to leave me hanging, brother," Liam said, jogging to my side.

We both are going to die