A few years had passed- and already, I’d made leaps and strides in advancing the technology of firearms.

I was finishing my latest piece right now, actually. I’d converted the cellar of our apartment into a sort of workshop where I did stuff that I could manage without the college's forges or other equipment.

All I had left to do was carve out the inside of the grip a little and it’ll be as simple as putting it together.

It was a pistol- double barreled, 6 inches each with a flintlock mechanism on each side. Firing .45 caliber minie balls from a rifled barrel and a rich, charcoal blued finish. I decided to go for a Spanish miquelet lock style for this design- as a lot of the springs and sears were external, it left plenty of room inside for the trigger mechanism to function without making the form factor suffer from it. The grip itself was a beautifully dark, rich mahogany color. Rather than using brass, the buttplate was reinforced with iron, as well as the band which held the barrel in place. The ramrod nestled comfortably just below the twin barrels as well.

Not only was it rugged, it was accurate and powerful- and my fourth one so far.

That’s right- I had four of these things, giving me a total of eight shots to work with. I even made several pre-rolled paper cartridges, greased to waterproof them and with measured amounts of powder for faster reloading. There was one more feature that they all shared- which is a small switch located on the grip. You’ll find out what it does soon enough.

You may be wondering why I needed all this firepower?

Well, you see… I may have picked up an old hobby of mine to make a little extra money on the side.

You know. Hunting.

I wore a double-crossed baldric which held my pistols holstered across my chest. They were in a diagonal pattern for easy access, with two accessible by my left hand and two accessible by my right. The holsters were specially made, too. For safety purposes, I always carried my pistols at half cock- but the holsters were tightened so well, that I just had to push them a little deeper to bring them to full cock so I could easily draw them and have them ready to fire, all with one hand.

Holstered to my left side was my cutlass, and tucked beneath my arm was that old dagger I bought all those years ago.

Money well spent.

I also had my frock coat modified to better suit my purposes. In the spots where the front would normally button up to cover my chest, were instead several paper cartridges, dangling on strings. All I needed was to rip them off when necessary- saving me from having to bite the ends off as well as saving precious seconds.

Just in case.

Instead, the coat was secured to me with a collar- around which I wore my capelet, with a hood sewn on instead of wearing that wide brimmed hat.

And finally, there were my tools. First and foremost, I always kept my priming powder flask near my front- it had a little button, and it would dispense the perfect amount of powder every time. I also carried saddlebags which held other things- maps, compasses, binoculars, basic medical supplies, cigarettes… and a heavy sack and hacksaw.

All the bare necessities for a good hunt.

I finished assembling my piece and nodded. I screwed in a piece of flint to test it.

Click! Click!

The two flintlock mechanisms sparked the frizzens effortlessly. I nodded in satisfaction and checked the time.

“Oh, just in time!” I went upstairs and set my piece next to the rest of my gear- then I grabbed the duffel bag which held all my sparring gear. I was still taking those swordfighting lessons, and not only was it fun as fuck, it’s also a good skill to learn.

---

Eventually, I arrived at the college gym where we practiced fighting, among other things.

“Ayyy, Emmie! What’s happenin’, man?” I greeted one of my best pals from the college with a casual hug. “You been pullin’ hella mares, lately?” I asked with a smirk, and he rolled his eye at me.

“How many times have I told you that I prefer stallions?” He asked with a smile, and I shrugged. “And speaking of which…” A heavyweight, black furred and purple maned, well muscled earth pony came up and nuzzled his neck. I clicked my tongue a few times.

“Your name is… Heavyweight, isn’t it?” He nodded with a smirk. “I’ve seen you at the docks before- you’re one of those pit fighters, huh?” I think he might have been a mute- or maybe he doesn’t like to talk much. I punched him in the shoulder with a smirk- “I saw how hard you pounded that earth pony’s face in the ring the other day. I bet you’ve been doing the same to Emmie’s cheeks over here, huh?” My friend sputtered and blushed- Heavyweight and I shared a hearty laugh at his expense.

Heh. He’s such a bottom. It was cute, to be honest.

“Anyways… I invited him here to watch today’s match.” He smiled and kissed his coltfriend on the cheek- and the big one actually blushed a little. I blinked twice in confusion… then remembered what he meant.

“Oh yeah! Not even gonna lie, I completely forgot.” I looked around momentarily, “No wonder this place is so busy.” And it really was- there were ponies and griffons everywhere. Speaking of which…

“Hey, have either of you seen Dee around?” They glanced at each other and pointed over my shoulder. I turned around and smiled. “There she is!” I went in for a hug and a kiss.

“Hey honey! You gonna kick their asses today?” I gave her a smile.

“Damn right I am.” Emmie just snorted at me.

“We shall see about that.” I shook his hoof with a smile.

It was time to get ready.

My gear was a simple metal helmet which covered most of my head, and a gauntlet which protected my offhand fingers. Our cutlasses were made of wood, with metal cores to simulate weight- heavy enough to hurt, but not really enough to kill. You could probably crack someone’s skull with it- but that’s what the helmet was designed to prevent. The fighting emphasized movement and agility, so weighing us down with thick padding would be counterintuitive.

We would be fighting in a leaderboard based competition where the winner of the last round would get to move onto the next, and eventually it would converge until there were just two of us left. To win, you simply have to get your opponent into a position in which death or injury would be certain in an actual fight.

Some rounds were dead simple, and over basically the moment that the announcer rang the bell. I will admit- I did have a couple close calls, but managed to still emerge the victor. Towards the end, I was covered in sweat and slamming back water to try and keep up.

And when it was finally time for the championship round- who else but Emmie? He was in a similar state as I, with his fur matted down with sweat. Our partners were cheering us on as we walked up to the edges of the arena.

We looked at each other with a grin.

“Just because I’m your best pal, I don’t want any mercy.” I said with a smirk. “And I won’t give any in return, either.” He snorted.

“Likewise, good friend.” the announcer finally spoke up.

“Mares and gentlestallions! From this final round, a champion will be crowned… and the winner will receive-” I couldn’t help but whistle as a pony rolled out a table with an incredibly ornate cutlass on display- black metal with golden inlays. I wouldn’t bring it to a fight- but I’d love to hang that over my mantle.

“Courtesy of the smithing classes! One one side of the ring, we have our best unicorn fighter- Blindeye!” The crowd cheered in response, and he spread his arms to bask in the glory. Talk shit about his eyepatch all you want- but that guy owns it.

“And challenging him for the throne- hailing from the heart of Fertilia herself… the High Lord Executioner!” I cracked my knuckles with a wicked grin. See, they let us choose what we wanted to be known as- and I couldn’t help but pick that name.

The room we were in was quite tall- so I had a decent amount of space for flight, if it were necessary.

“Begin!” I heard the bell and cautiously moved in, cutlass in a defensive position. He did the same thing, his sword floating in front of him similarly.

We approached each other slowly- after all, there was no time limit. Why rush?

Grinning at each other, we were each daring the other to try and lay the first strike. I snorted.

“What, are you scared or somethin’?” He giggled.

“You throw quite a lot of rocks… for somepony living in a glass house.” Oh, it is ON!

I swung my sword which he parried with a loud clack! He tried to retaliate with a sideswipe, but I twisted my sword just in time to block it. He went in for a stab and I jumped backwards, going in for the counter-stab. He dodged to my left and tried to swing at my side, but I rolled under it, after which I jumped in the air and used my wings to turn me around to block another swing.

We both took a step back… and with a crow-like screech I rolled past his side, trying to get a good hit in, but once again, he parried my swipe and retaliated with his own.

I backstepped and went in for a lunge which he jumped over- meaning that he was now above me! Thinking quickly, I rolled forward and narrowly dodged his sword, using my momentum to roll back onto my feet and blocked another swipe aimed for my back.

He huffed, scraping the ground with a hoof and I growled menacingly. This is getting tiresome.

Then I smirked. I went in for a diagonal swipe from my left and he raised his sword to block it- but I stopped before my attack got too far. He fell for it! Swiftly, I moved my sword and swung it in a wide, heavy arc, hitting the hilt of his sword and knocking it out of his grasp with a CLACK!

The bell rang- and I was the victor! Emmie gave me a smile.

“Good work, friend! That was quite the sporting battle.” I went up and gave him a hug as the crowd cheered me on.

“I won’t even lie, you gave me a run for my money there.” The announcer, however, interrupted our conversation.

“Mares and Gentlestallions! Give it up for the High Lord Executioner!” My girlfriend ran up to me and gave me a hug from behind, and Emmie’s partner did much the same to him.

I was presented with my prize and slowly the crowd began to disperse- and eventually, we parted ways… but not for long.

“Meet ya’s at the bar in a bit?” we all nodded and split up. I gave Dee a kiss on the cheek, “I’ll meet up soon! Just gotta shower first.”

---

The pub was quite busy tonight, it seems. And since I turned 21 a couple weeks ago- I could finally buy my own booze and cigarettes! It was… quite nice.

“Ah, there she is!” I heard my buddy yelling from a booth. I wasted no time in joining them- sitting next to my lover, with Emmie and his boyfriend across from us. “Thought you’d gotten lost!”

I rolled my eyes, putting a wing around Dee. “Oy, waitress!” I yelled, “Can I get a whiskey on the rocks over here?” She smiled and nodded at me- presumably, going to fetch my liquor.

“So anyways… How've you been?” Emmie asked me, “I haven’t seen much of you since school let out for summer break.” I just shrugged.

“Eh, same old same old. I’m still going out hunting every now and then, and in fact I planned on taking another trip tomorrow.” I said with a smirk. “I finished another piece today and I wanna christen her properly.” He just chuckled in response. Honestly, I was quite surprised as to how indifferent he was about the whole thing. He says those guys probably deserve it- and if it’s not me, it’ll just be someone else bringing them to justice.

“I heard rumors, recently…” I started, and he tilted his head. “About there being some weird discovery a little ways west from here?” He nodded.

“I’m not supposed to discuss this, but…” He leaned in, “Absolutely, and the archaeology… and to a lesser extent, the occult studies departments have been going wild over it. They say it’s some ancient griffon ruins- from before the pony migrations!” That… gave me pause.

“What the hell were griffons doing all the way over here back then?” The waitress handed me my drink and I took a swig.

“That’s the crazy part! We don’t know yet! These ruins are the first of their kind… possibly ever discovered in Equestria!” Plenty of ancient griffon burial grounds existed in this land… but none are anywhere near that old. “Right now we have some surveyors scouting the place out, and hopefully the entirety of the archaeology department will be in on it soon!” I can see the sparkle in his eye- he was quite passionate about this stuff.

“Must be a dream come true, huh?” He nodded with a smile.

Dee spoke up next. “You don’t think there’s any… things patrolling the place, do you?” Emmie just shrugged.

“I mean, it’s always possible, but unlikely in this case. Undead guardians are pretty common in pony ruins, but almost completely unheard of in griffon ruins.” He shrugged, “Of course, there’s always exceptions- usually explained by the presence of unicorns about the place.” I put my wing around Dee.

“Don’t worry babe, I’ll protect you from the scawy zombies!” She rolled her eyes and elbowed my side with a smile. I gave her a mock snort. “Huh, this is the thanks I get for wanting to protect the love of my life? Say it ain’t so!” We leaned in for a quick kiss.

“I suppose you guys wanna hear all about the stuff going on in the business department, huh?” She said with a snort, “We recently learned how to properly take a three martini lunch.” We gave her a good laugh for that one.

“Come on, honey. Just because your work isn’t as exciting, doesn’t make it any less important.” She gave a shrug.

“Eh, I enjoy it, personally.”

“To each their own, I say.” I said, raising my glass to take a drink.

“You can go on your little adventures all you want,” Dee said as she took a sip of her wine, “as long as you come home in one piece. I’m perfectly content with staying behind the scenes.” And of course, hearing all the details of my… work. I gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Emmie nuzzled up against his man, and I had to ask.

“So, how did you two get together? If it’s not too personal, that is.”

“Well, we actually met here! I took my seat at the bar and he sat next to me. I was… a little intimidated at first. I was just sipping my gin and tonic while he was hammering back shots.” Heavyweight giggled. “Finally I joked about there being blood in his alcohol stream… and we kicked it off not long after that. Then we did it again the next day. Then the next. Then the next.”

I gave him a wide grin- I was honestly proud of my boy here. “Eventually, I popped the question… and we’ve been dating since.” I raised up an arm to give him a fist/hoof bump.

“My man!” I looked over to Heavyweight- “And you better be treating my pal right, ya hear?” I pointed at him with a smirk and he laughed.

“Aww, come on, Leona!” Emmie said, cuddling up to his side. “He’s just a big ol’ teddy bear.” I just snorted.

“Yeah- one that could crush your skull between his thighs like a grape.” he blushed and we all laughed at his expense.

To my shock, Heavyweight spoke up. “Well, working at the docks all day… you’ll build up quite a lot of muscle.” He spoke surprisingly eloquently for what I presumed to be a rough-and-tumble laborer. “Heck- I’m willing to bet that I could lift both you and my wonderful coltfriend here.” I gave him a wide grin.

“Tell you what, bud, I got a better idea.” He cocked an eyebrow. “You may be strong… but I bet I can outdrink ya’.” He blinked at me… then his face grew into a devious grin.

“You’re on, feathers.” I whistled.

“Oi, waitress! Can we get a couple shot glasses and a bottle of your strongest liquor over here?” She seemed taken aback, but presumably retreated to fetch the goods.

“What’s the winner get?” he asked me, and I shrugged.

“Personal satisfaction.” He gave me a wide grin.

“Good enough for me.”

He swapped seats with Emmie so we were directly across from each other. The waitress brought out two shot glasses and a bottle of-

“Absinthe, huh?” I popped the cork and took a whiff- and cringed fiercely. “Woah-ho-ho!” I poured out two shots.

“Ready when you are, tough guy.” wordlessly, he slammed back the shot and I followed suit. Holy fuck that burns! I sucked in air through my nose, and noted the pleasant licorice aftertaste.

Just then, Dee leaned across the table and said to Emmie, “I feel like we’re gonna regret letting this happen.”

I just laughed.

---

I awoke the next day in bed with a pounding headache and a dry mouth. I don’t know who won last night- but realistically, the answer was fucking no one. Dee was still next to me, fast asleep- it was early morning, and I really needed a piss.

I stumbled out of the bedroom and nearly fell down the stairs on the way to the bathroom.

That done, I examined myself in the mirror… and came to the conclusion I looked about as good as I felt. I managed to feel my way towards the kitchen, grabbing our blender out of the cupboard. This… was gonna take drastic measures.

I poured in a bit of pickle juice, then threw in a couple pickles. A splash of vodka. Cracked black pepper. Lemon juice. And sauerkraut, right from the jar. I then signed the cross and prayed that the sound of my blender wouldn’t kill me on the spot.

After suffering for 7 seconds, which felt like an eternity, I poured myself a glass of this witch's concoction. I don’t know why it’s so good for a hangover- but I powered it into my throat regardless.

After a couple good forkfulls of sauerkraut, I stumbled into the livingroom and passed the fuck out onto the couch.

“I can’t believe how much I hate everything.”

---

I woke up at noon, feeling considerably better, with a blanket wrapped around me. I found a note on the coffee table from Dee- she says she decided to go shopping, and wished me luck if I decided to go hunting today.

After a quick shower, I immediately got ready- Strapping on my baldric and holstering three of my four pistols. I still had to load the last one, which I did lovingly.

I used a measure to pour just the right amount of powder into the barrel, then added the “ball” and a paper wad to keep it in the barrel. Ramming it tight, I primed both pans and set it to half cock, throwing it into one of my left holsters.

I strapped my dagger to my arm and holstered the sword at my side. I grabbed my bag, threw on my frock coat, and clipped on my capelet and hood.

I made my way to the guard station wordlessly, the bell ringing as I walked in. Wordlessly, I made my way to the pinboard and grabbed a poster.

A runaway griffon pirate, named Obed- his crew was captured and he’s been on the run since. His main distinguishing feature was his shattered beak, for which he used a wooden prosthetic instead.

“Last known whereabouts for that one were somewhere to the north. We don’t have much else to go off of.” The guard answered my question before I could even ask it. He knew the drill by now. I simply nodded, wordlessly heading out the door.

Already, I had a few potential ideas. Flying low along the shoreline, I was keeping an eye out for any caves or signs of activity. If I had to guess, he’d probably be living near the shore, where he could catch fish to sustain himself. Meanwhile, drippings which filter from the top of a cave should provide a supply of… relatively safe drinking water.

After a few hours of searching I believed I had found what I was looking for. Slightly recessed in a cave which would be practically invisible if you were above it, was a griffon roasting a fish over a fire. He hadn’t noticed me, yet- and I used my binoculars to take a closer look.

Wooden beak. Bingo. I landed behind him casually and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Pardon me, Mister. You wouldn’t happen to know about any runaway pirates, would you?” I asked with a smirk.

Wordlessly, he growled and pulled out his cutlass, charging in just a bit faster than I anticipated.

“Ohhh, I love it when they fight back!” I barely had time to pull my own cutlass out and block his attack. He was quite skilled, too- and fast.

But I wasn’t fighting for sport today. I blocked a few more swipes, our cutlasses making light Clink sounds.

Then he went for a thrust, which I dodged by doing a backflip into the air. Quickly, I reached for my new pistol and clicked the… funny switch. Using my holster to cock it all the way, I drew it just as I reached the crest of my jump. Time seemed to move in slow motion as I lined up the shot and he ran in for another swipe.

BA-BANG!

The recoil was wonderfully intense. He stopped dead in his tracks with two quarter sized holes in his chest. His feathers were smoldering from the unburnt powder, indicating just how close I actually was when I pulled the trigger. He dropped his sword and tried to form words- but whatever he was trying to say just came out as pained gurgling.

Slowly, he fell to his side, blood leaking from his wooden beak as he uselessly clutched his chest.

He looked up at me, a look of terror and hate in his eyes as I lit up a cigarette. “Cheer up, man. Maybe you’ll have better luck in the next life.” I used my cutlass to sever his spinal cord, killing him instantly.

Then I looked over to the still cooking fish and smiled. “Just in time for dinner, too!” Thankfully, I always carried salt with me, just in case.

---

Thankfully, I’d invested in a more… hydrophobic bag, so I wasn’t drenched in blood from it leaking through. I simply washed my hands off in the seawater.

The police station door opened with a ding. The officer on duty barely even glanced over his magazine.

“Hello, Leona. I assume you’re not just stopping in to say hi, are you?” He set his magazine down and I handed him the poster.

He was a unicorn- so he simply levitated the head out of the bag, smiling as he examined it. Then he put it back and tied the bag back up, and began writing out my check.

“I don’t know how you do it, Leona… but the Equestrian Crown thanks you for your service.” I just shrugged.

“Eh, no big deal. I just got lucky today- he just so happened to be in the first place I looked.” the guard snorted with a smirk.

“Whatever the case… enjoy your prize.”

I took my check down to the bank to cash it- but I also had to make a withdrawal. I had something that I’ve been… putting money aside for awhile now.

Bag of money in hand, I made my way to… well, it’s a surprise. You’ll see, soon enough.

---

“Dee! I’m home!” I yelled through the house, finding my lover reading a book in the living room. She gave me a warm smile, and I nuzzled her cheek. “I got us dinner reservations tonight!” Her eyes widened.

“Oh? Where at?” I just gave her a smirk.

“You’ll see. First things first, I gotta get a shower.” Thankfully, my frock coat could easily be turned back to its original state- and I even got it washed before I got home.

Once I was all cleaned up, I put on my good clothes- but also kept one of my pistols in a regular holster, concealed under the coat. I refused to go the way of Batman's parents, I’ll tell you that for free. I even grabbed that wide brimmed hat with the rounded top.

Dee was also wearing a beautiful dress- that same one she wore when we were presenting that project.

Why? Well, because she looked damn good in it.

The restaurant we were eating at was a real high end joint. One of the oldest in the city, too- it was originally founded by a pony/griffon couple, and features both pony and griffon delicacies. The waiter led us to our seats and gave us a few moments to order.

That all said and done, that just left the two of us. A soft piano played in the background and the wine was…

Well, I never was a wine gal, but Dee seems to like it. I’ll take a whiskey any day of the week.

“So I have to ask… what’s the occasion?” She asked, and I just gave her a chuckle in response.

“Well, I figured, since our three year anniversary is coming soon… I thought I’d do something nice.” She giggled and said,

“You really didn’t have to, you know.” I grinned and said,

“But I wanted to!” she was unable to argue with my flawless logic, so we just… chatted for the next while. I don’t even remember what it was about- I was just enjoying being with her.

Our dinner was wonderful, as well- She ordered pasta shells, stuffed with several different herbs and cheeses with a tomato sauce atop… and I ordered the same thing, but with meat instead of cheese.

You literally cannot go wrong with Fertilian (Italian) food. Just to think- if she and I wind up taking over, we’ll be able to eat like this every day!

Baby steps, though.

And after dinner, we just… walked and talked for a bit. Eventually, I took her to a spot near the shoreline that I picked out. The moonlight shimmered across the open ocean, and far in the distance, a large reef with an odd rock formation could be seen.

“I had a wonderful time tonight.” she gave me an adorable smile and I nodded in response. It’s about to get a whole lot better.

“You know… we’ve been together, what, three years now?” She cocked an eyebrow as I got up from the rock we were sitting on. “And you know, I’ve enjoyed our time together. You get me in a way no one else really can.” I glanced to the side.

I was feeling nervous as all hell.

“I love you. I guess what I’m trying to ask is…” I reached into my coat and produced a small wooden box. “Diamond Tiara… I want you by my side, come hell or high water.” I looked up and her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, both hooves covering her mouth. I smiled and clicked the button on the front, causing the box to pop open.

Inside the velvet lined box was a custom made amulet. It was pure silver, decorated with gold inlays. There was a sky blue gem in the center which matched her eyes wonderfully- surrounded by a wreath of feathers, and with a design resembling her cutie mark at the top.

“I guess what I’m asking is… will you marry me?” After a few seconds of painstaking silence, I began to worry… until she started nodding her head, as if to snap her out of a trance.

“I… y-yes. Yes, yes!” she launched forward and wrapped her arms around me, and I did the same with my wings. “Yes!”

I couldn’t help but cry tears of joy, and neither could she. The whole situation felt cheesy as all hell… but I loved it so, so much.

Memories like this… they’re the kind you cherish your whole life, you know?

At first, I thought this night couldn’t get any better… but fuck me, it did.

Oh Lord how it got better.

We were both walking home- Dee was wearing her new amulet and we both had these stupid, silly grins on our faces. I had my wing wrapped around her as we walked side by side.

Then, a shadowy figure appeared from the alleyway in front of us.

“You!” He was wielding a glass shard, the “handle” was wrapped in scrap cloth. Dee froze up- but I just scoffed.

“Amateur move, bud. You’d have gotten much better results if you just waited until we passed the alleyway.” He growled at me.

“You killed my brother! Now I’m gonna-”

BANG!

As he was about to start his monologue, I whipped out my pistol and shot him in the chest.

“Mistake number two- never start your speech until your target is on the ground dying.” The smell of sulfur hung in the air- the flesh around the bullet hole was singed from the burning gunpowder. I looked over to my beloved with a smile- and saw that she was red faced, biting her hoof to try and concentrate.

“You enjoying the show, honey?” After a few seconds, she nodded slowly.

“Hrrrgh… you… you sick fuck!” He clutched his wound to try and stop the bleeding- evidently, he noticed how turned on my future wife was getting. I smiled, deciding to have a little fun.

“You know, Dee… maybe I should put this poor bastard out of his misery.” I held my pistol to his temple and his pupils shrank. I looked down at him. “What you think?”

He began to tremble fiercely, shaking his head.

“Hmm? What was that? I can’t hear you. Let me ask again- do you want to die tonight?” tears rolled down his face.

“N-no! I don’t want to die!” I gave him a wicked grin, pressing the gun to his temple even harder.

“Beg! Beg, little man!” He was sobbing on the ground by now- it was… blissful.

“Please… please don’t kill me! I-I’m sorry!” he whimpered as he begged for his life, and Dee looked like she wanted to fuck me on the spot. “I-I’m sorry!”

“What is going on… here…” I turned around and saw the guard. I just gave him a friendly smile.

“This guy tried to rob us. I thought it necessary to teach him a lesson. You may want to get him to a hospital if you want him to survive the night- that powder singed his flesh pretty badly, and There’s a lead ball nestled somewhere in his gut.” I holstered my gun and the poor fucker curled up into a sort of fetal position.

His suffering was… exquisite.

The guard just blinked. “This… he escaped from prison earlier, and we’ve been looking for him all night.” The guard, who was a unicorn, used his horn to send a flare up into the sky. I just snorted.

“Ah, fantastic. Glad to know our police force lets deranged maniacs like this run around.” I said, rolling my eyes without a hint of irony in my voice. Soon, several more guards appeared to help cart away the dying man.

I was approached by the guard chief- he had an odd look on his face.

“You’re making me look incompetent, you know.” I just snorted.

“Looks are rarely deceiving. If this guy was any smarter, either my wife or I could’ve been hurt.” I scowled at him. “Ensure this doesn’t happen again.” I know she’s technically not my wife yet… but fuck em.

Dee and I stalked off not long after that. I could almost smell her pheromones in the air as we passed the threshold of our house.

That night… I don’t think I’ve ever seen her or anyone cum that hard. It was an orgasm so intense that I thought she was having a seizure at first.

It was awesome.

---

The next day, I couldn’t be any happier if I tried. I’d already sent the letter out to Mamma letting her know the good news. We hadn’t even gotten to planning the wedding yet- we were just… enjoying each other's presence. It was… blissful.

We were on a park bench, leaning into one another- when I saw a familiar blue face in the crowd.

“Ay, Emmie!” I yelled and waved, and he made his way over with a smile. Then he noticed my wife’s amulet, and his smile widened.

“I take it you popped the question?” We both nodded. “Congrats!” I got off the bench and pulled him in for a quick hug.

“I’ve actually been looking for you!” He said, and that piqued my interest. “Do you remember the other night, when we were talking about undead guardians?” My smile grew wide.

“Well, last night they broke into an even older chamber of the tomb… crawling with… things! We don’t even know what they are- aside from the fact that they do not want us there.” He seemed excited, and what he was saying was music to my ears.

“We’re looking for any able bodied fighters- and you were one of the first people to come to mind.” He held out a hoof. “What do you say, old pal?” I thought about it for a moment and shook his hoof.

“If the college can promise to get me a good supply of saltpeter, I’m in.” He gave me a pat on the back.

“You’re gonna have a good time, I can tell!”

He wasn’t wrong. Not by a mile.

Leona proposed! Meanwhile, Diamond Tiara's had the night of her life- thus far.

I wonder what Leona will come across in that ancient temple?

As always, thank you for reading! Likes and comments are encouraged and appreciated greatly :3