The Scruffy Heroes

==3.1.1) ANSWERS==
There were only three people left in the Axe and Scottman Inn. The previous part of the story had taken a couple of hours for Big Jack to recall. Seb could have sworn that the large man had tears in his eyes in parts.
….To be honest I had a massive lump in my throat too.
Shadow heart had successfully completed his post death mission of getting absolutely blind drunk. He had also managed to spill a whole tankard of ale down his dark red tunic before shouting. 
“SEE! weak arms by name weak arms by nature.”
The old man was now passed out slumped over the bar and making snoring like sounds. 
More like a growl…
Big Jack had seemingly finished all his duties and poured himself and Seb another ale each.
“I guess you’re staying the night Sebastian. I have a room you stay in. It's nothing special but you don’t have to pay me for it.”
Seb himself was a little drunk. 
“Wow. Thanks Big Jack. You do realize though that if I stay not only do I demand you finish the story but also give me some answers……Scotty” Seb thought he managed to mask his serious demands and punch-line in a joking tone sufficiently. 
Luckily his did.
“Is that so?....Well I wouldn’t want to disappoint such an avid listener. I will finish the story…..It shouldn’t take too much longer……and you will have your answers….but they might not be the ones you are expecting…..Sebastian”
Big Jack wondered over to the front door of the inn and locked the shutter. He glanced outside into the darkness of night the light of the moon could be seen from where Seb was sat at the bar. 
“Its good story telling conditions Seb. Nice surroundings, good company and silence.”
….Yeah except weak arms snoring.
As Big Jack headed back to the bar suddenly there was a loud knocking coming from the door with some sort of high pitched voiced coming from it whining. Jack turned back towards the door. 
“Oh heck. I didn’t think you were coming tonight! I will let you in”
He opened the door quickly and there standing in the door way was an elderly woman wearing a simple commoners dress and hooded overcoat. She looked furious at Jack. 
“I have told you before I hate having to knock. It could attract Balverines.” She let herself in. 
Jack looked over at Seb. His expression looked like he was about to laugh but at the same time like he was scared. 
“I’m sorry I didn’t realize tha…..”
“Quiet….oh and what’s this? Late night lock in eh? Ron again passed out on the bar.”
Just at that point conveniently a couple of decks of cards fell out of Ron's pockets and scattered all over the floor. 
She shook her head towards Ron and walked towards Seb with youthful grace. 
She got up close to Seb. She may have been in her seventies or eighties but the way she moved and the way she talked seemed to be that of a young woman. Her wrinkled face contorted at Seb. 
“And who are you? Eh?” she said staring directly into his eyes. Her piercing blues eyes not only held his attention but made him feel like he was trapped in them. 
“I’m Se…se…..”
“Spit it out lad.”
“Sebastian. His name is Sebastian. I am telling him how I got my axe surely there is no harm in that. Look. I will even pour you a nice cup of hobbeapple wine….the one you like.” Big Jack placed his huge hand on the elderly woman’s bony shoulder. She seemed to lighten up. 
“Which part of the story are you up to?” she said as Jack poured her a cup of wine. 
“The last bits.” He said being careful not to spill any of the wine. 
“Those are my favourite parts.” She said sitting next to Seb. She addressed Seb again. 
“Apologies for my abruptness. But I never know what Jack gets up to while I’m away in town.” She sipped the wine. 
“That’s okay. Big Jack was telling me all about Kingsley Scott and the Axe right there” Seb pointed to the Axe. 
“Oh that old thing it’s being sat there for decades. It’s about time we got rid of it.”
Big Jack stepped in. 
“The day you rid this place of that axe is the day you rid this place of me.”
“Okay okay. It can stay. I am quote fond of you.” The old woman said smiling. 
“I am sorry let me introduce my self. You can call me Liz. Most people do. I own this inn.”
Seb’s mouth nearly hit the floor. 
“But I thought big Jack did?”
“Jacky here runs it. He’s the inn keeper. I own it. I actually live in it too. I assume you’re staying in a guest room tonight?”
“I am thanks.” Seb was trying to compose him self through is alcohol related dizziness. 
“Okay Jacky continue with the story. This will set me up nicely for bed.” The old woman shifted in her chair next to Seb looking to get comfy.
Jack began
“Kingsley travelled for days and eventually got to the gates of the legendary heroes guild and…..”
Jack was interrupted. 
“Wait wait wait. The guild years a boring Jacky. Young Sebastian doesn’t want to hear about all that. How Kingsley trained to become a hero, how he became a hero of strength and strength related will. How he become friends with a group of other heroes called “The Scruffy Heroes”, how he trained so hard everyday for years to become strong enough to take back his birthright. Lets just go to the end part.”
There was an awkward silence in the room. Apart from weak arms snoring. Big Jack crossed his arms. 
“Okay then….just the end.” 
==3.1.2) KINGSLEY==
Oakvale was a little village on the south coast of Albion. It was a beautiful picturesque settlement that was home to a growing population. In recent years it had been victim to various bandit raids. One of which nearly wiped the village out years ago. To the villager's credit they always bounced back and rebuilt. 
Kingsley was sat on the beach, the warm rays of the sun on his shoulders. There were a few sea gulls flying about looking for unlucky fish bobbing about the surface. Kingsley ate a piece of bread and cheese as he sat. The sounds of the waves on the shore and the slight breeze in the air would make anyone relax. 
Not Kingsley.
This is where she was born. This is where she lived before moving to Bowerstone. This place reminds me of her somehow…..Emily….my love.
Kingsley had not returned to Bowerstone after that day by the cabin. For years he had trained for years he had suffered, Endured scars, broken bones. He had even lost an eye. All in the singular pursuit. 
To become powerful enough to seek his revenge.
Every time the feeling of guilt for abandoning Emily rose in his stomach like a fire it was soon put out by the waves of anger he felt for his uncle and his cronies. 
He felt the tattoo on his chest. It always gave him comfort. 
Still….I should have sent her a message so she knew where I was, where I was going. For all she knows I could be dead. For all I know she could have married another....
He emptied the thoughts from his head. He was a Hero now. This is what he had trained for years for. He had a duty. He looked at the quest card he was holding. 
…..Seek the kidnapped man.
A man had being kidnapped by a group of bandits north of Oakvale. Kingsley was waiting on the beach to meet the Mans family to get some more details about what had happened. 
Kingsley heard some people approaching from behind. He quickly stood and turned to face them. 
“Wow! That is the biggest great axe I’ve ever seen!” keep the high pitched voice of the little boy standing next to his mother. He wore little brown shorts and a white shirt. He looked like he had being crying but the axe had cheered him up. 
“Can I show him?” Kingsley said to the boy’s mother. 
“Of course. William be careful. My sweet boy”
“Okay Mother.” The boy replied. 
Kingsley showed Ronald’s revenge to the boy. It had taken some battering over the years but still was as dangerous as ever. 
The boy looked at the axe up close and examined it. Kingsley spoke to the child like most adults would to a five year old boy. 
“It's realllllly good….. Isn’t it? I use this on all the baddies and it's going to help me get back your daddy it is….so you don’t have to worry kidda.”
The boy looked at Kinsley almost insulted. 
“I’ll have you know that this weapon is in dire need of some constructional repairs. Particularly the load bearing hilt pin. It appears that over what looks like some years of heavy use it has developed a hairline fracture and possibly may snap in the coming months. I would recommend going to a decent blacksmith. We have one here to get the repairs done immediately.”
Kingsley literally didn’t know what to say to that he just stood there. 
I will get the axe looked at though now he mentions it.
“William! How rude this man is going to get us your father back.”
That remark by the boy’s mother didn’t dissuade the child. 
“The Reavers who captured my father have done it simply to hold him for ransom. We are particularly well off and I would suggest that there were here only to get him and hold him in their safe house.”
Kingsley still taken aback replied to the boy.
“The Reavers? What are you talking about kid?” Kingsley replied. 
“Yes the men who seized and carried off forcibly my father and deprived my mother of her husband.” The little boy looked up at Kingsley his black hair waving in the wind. 
“Our intelligence says they are north of Oakvale. That’s where I will start.”
“You’re wasting your time Hero. He has being transported to the Reaver’s house in Bowerstone. This is to ensure that we can’t find him in the Oakvale outskirts.”
“How do you know this?” Kingsley said shocked. 
“I have my ways Sir.”
Kingsley looked again at the information on the quest card. 
“I…..we, my mother and me submitted that before the new information. He is being held in Bowerstone. I guarantee it. Please Hero get the man back for her sake.”
He nodded at the crying woman. 
“Okay young man. I will have a look about in Oakvale first…..”
“Listen to me. I know for a fact he has being taken to Bowerstone. The longer we talk here on the beach the more risk my father is in.”
At that point out of nowhere a sea gull swooped down and snatched the loaf of bread from Kingsley’s hand and flew away wings flapping hard. 
The little boy hurled himself on the beach towards a small pile of rocks. He picked up a rock the size of a grape and knelt on one knee and closed one eye. 
He threw the rock in a huge arc high above the flying gull. 
Somehow the gull flew into the rock in mid air. Knocking the bread out of its beak. 
The boy picked up the loaf and handed it to Kingsley. 
“That was an impossible shot.” Kingsley said astonished and impressed by this little boy. 
“Trust me. He is in Bowerstone…..and you will need help.”
Kingsley decided to trust this peculiar little boy. What was there to lose? it was his own father after all. 
“Okay thanks….little man. Please tell me before I go can you direct me to the blacksmith?”
==3.1.3) RON==
It was a bright clear day in the training yard. The heroes guild was full of life with would be Heroes hacking and slashing away at the training dummies. This new batch of recruits were all fresh faced youngsters. There was about ten in total all in their teens. There had being a big surge in heroism interest in recent years due to the exploits of the famous Hero of Oakvale. It seemed that many kids grew up hearing tales of his bravery and valour and wanted some of that for themselves.
Who could blame them?
Ron Shadowheart stood balancing on a tree stump his bright red hood and overcoat flapping in the wind. The sound of the nearby Demon door could be heard. It was being teased by some of the more experienced should know better recruits. 
I’ve had enough of that.
He jumped from his perch and in mid-air picked a deck of cards from his inside pocket and hurled the whole deck towards the teasing teenagers. The will infused cards sped and spiraled towards the group. Every card in the deck following suit flowing through the air none deviating from the intended path. One boy noticed immediately the deck flying towards them picking up speed. 
“Oh heck! Run!” he screamed. The group quickly fled jumping in every which way direction they could. One boy even jumped in the stream to get out of the of the path of the cards.
The deck of cards flew straight and true and hit the demon door gently as they did they hit the floor.
Nothing more, no magic explosions or sliced up recruits.
Just a deck of playing cards.
“OW!” was heard from the demon door.
“Oh pack it in you. I didn’t cast any will on them. It was just to teach these four a very important lesson.” Ron said as he moved scratching his wavy brown haired head. 
“AND WHAT LESSON WOULD THAT BE?” said the booming voice of the door. 
Ron looked at all the recruits. 
“If you’re going to tease Demon doors then you should be willing to be teased by teachers.” He started laughing at the students. 
“Sorry sir. We will get back to our study.” The group quickly ran off tails between their legs. 
Ron skipped back over to the will training area and jumped back on to the tree stump. 
Ron turned his attention back to the group who had nearly finished on the archery range with archery master River Shale. Ron had being given the duty of looking after the will training for this group at breakfast while he was tucking into his porridge. 
….Well actually told to by Maze.
Ron had reluctantly agreed. Thursdays were always Bishop Alger’s shift training the recruits in will. Today though Bishop had had some quest to take care of that should of being completed days ago. However, for reasons unlike Bishop he had failed to complete the quest in a timely manner. This occurred to Ron as a bit strange as Bishop had become arguably the most powerful member of “The scruffy heroes” over the last few years. People would often say that bishop was the dark horse of the group. It was only last week that the ginger mage had hit a troll with a way of will so hard that it actually launched the troll into a tree two fields away. 
He picked up a hell of a lot of renown for that little feat.
The “Scruffy Heroes” were a bunch of Heroes who had more or less stuck together since training as apprentice heroes. There was of course Ron himself who over the years had perfected his unique will abilities to augment playing cards with will. Sure it was a bit different from the norm but on many occasions had got the heroe’s out of many scrapes. There was also the little fact that Ron had died eleven times to date and each time returned, healed without a scratch on him. Ron was sometimes referred to as the trickster of the group probably due to these collective abilities. 
Then there was the Ravi Argal quite formidable to the unknowing foe. He had a power that many couldn’t control. A power that really bites back you could say. He had purchased recently a title from the title vendor “The Wolf”. 
I can’t for the life of me guess why?
Heid Wiell although for years had snubbed the group and at some points even resented some of its members had eventually lightened up. 
Well a bit anyway.
Not exactly a true hero. He didn’t possess any will powers. He couldn’t match the strength of Kingsley Scott or the skill of River Shale. But what he could do was fight. There was a time when Kingsley had challenged him to a friendly sparring match in front of some new recruits I think maybe to show off his strength.
It may have taken under ten seconds for Heid to trip up and beat Kingsley. Overall Heid Wiell was a very dangerous man. He was small and quick and was renowned for ending fights quickly and viciously. He gained the name “The Viper” from the common folk. 
Suits him down to the ground really.
Needless to say “The scruffy heroes” were quickly becoming the go to heroes for the common man. Yeah they didn’t look the best and yeah they didn’t have the best weapons or best trophies but they were cheap, relatively successful and sometime would even be paid in beer. Much better then some of the extortionate rates of some of the more known Heroes. 
“Sir….SIR” came the voice of a young girl. 
Ron broke out of his trail of thought. 
“Hello…what can I do for you young miss?” he thought it best to hop back off the tree stump. 
“Pardon me sir but we have a lesson with you now.” The young girl indicated to the group of young recruits stood behind her all looking at Ron. 
Ron suddenly noticed them all stood there. 
“Hmmm…..how long have you all being standing there?.....nevermind.,…Will will will will will.”
The young girl kept silent. 
“Okay okay. This is lightning. Stand back.” The young recruits took a step back. 
Ron raised his left hand towards the training dummy about twenty yards in front of him. He squeezed his fist together and then let his hand open quickly. A surge of electric exploded from the palm of his hand striking the dummy and almost instantly incinerating it into a blackened stump. 
“Oh dear…erm….maybe I should of calmed that down a bit. Nevermind…nevermind. We will use the other ones! A ha”
“Stop burning training dummies Kid.” Came the low toned familiar voice stood behind Ron. 
Ron knew straight away who it was not only by the voice the fact the bloody sun was blocked out by stood next to him. Ron decided to ignore the recruits. 
“Kings! All sorted in Oakvale then? Didn’t take you long?”
The group of young recruits started to stir. One boy said. 
“Wow First Ron Shadowheart and now Kingsley Scott I think I’m going to faint.”
“Do not faint. You’re dismissed for now all of you. Go and read the Tale of Maxley in the library. Some important lessons to be learned in there. I think” Ron waved his hand and with then the students headed off towards the library. Ron took the opportunity to hop back onto the tree stump. 
“Thanks Kid. Maze got you working Bishops shift has he?” Kingsley looked puzzled to why Ron had jumped on the stump. 
“He has today at least…. Bisphop’s out questing”
“I haven’t seeked the kidnapped man yet. He’s being held in a safehouse in Bowerstone.” Kingsley wiped sweat from his brow. 
“How do you know that?” Ron had started balancing on one foot on the stump.
“Don’t ask. I’m going to need your help though.” Kingsley seemed more confused to what Ron was doing. 
“Absolutely, Kings you know that. You don’t need to ask.” Ron did his best to reach up to Kingsley’s shoulder and pat it. 
“Ahhh now I understand why you were on that stump you nutter. Where are the others? River, Ravi, Heid?” Kingsley said giggling throughout
“Me and river cant get away Maze was freak out. So that rules out River. Ravi and Heid are travelling back from all that trouble in bower lake. Can you wait for them? Should be back in the morning then we can all go. The scruffy heroes are go!! So to speak”
“No. I think me and you can do it now…hopefully.” 
“I’ll bring a few extra decks then.” Ron patted his secret deck pockets to get a mental count of how many cards he had then noticed Kingsley’s axe. 
“Ooooowww Nice…you have shined the axe.”
==3.1.4) EMILY==
Bowerstone was growing. New developments were being planned everywhere. There was a design for a central clock in the heart of Bowerstone south, as well as a new inn and more housing. Everything from the way people traded to the way the guards patrolled the city indicated that the city over the years had thrived.
Emily’s family Furniture shop hadn’t.
Following the disappearance of Ronald Flowerman and Scotty the supply of the high quality hobbewood had ceased into Bowerstone. This had led to the furniture shop having to buy cheaper wood and produce lower quality furniture that didn’t sell. It only took a year before the shop had to close. It was only another few months until Emily and her family were evicted as they couldn’t pay the rent on the shop. This put them out on the streets homeless. 
Emily during that time had tried her best to stay up beat and took every little bit of work on she could. Her father had done the same. While her mother did what she could to maintain the small shack they had built within the city walls. It was only half a year before her father’s heart had given in. The man had died in a muddy puddle, cold and alone clutching on to the 5 pieces of gold he had earned cleaning toilets at the pub. 
Pathetic.
Emily’s mother had taken her husbands death hard. She started having night terrors and long drawn out episodes of constant crying. One day after Emily had returned after picking brambles from some weeds that had grown nearby the pie trader stall, She found her mother hanging by the neck from the badly cobbled together shack she now called home. Her mother hung there lifeless, feet dangling about six inches from the floor swaying in the wind. Her face was relaxed and peaceful. Emily had realised that her mother had being happy when she took her own life. 
Anything to get away from the pain. From what the family had become. Rest in peace mother find father in the after life.
Emily had lived on the streets now for years. Her clothes were dirty; her once long beautiful red hair had being cropped short. The five or six inches that were left on her head were matted and dirty. Her pale completion had given way to a more weathered light brown colour due to the sun and wind. Living on the streets had toughened her up she had learnt to look after herself. Only last week she had fought off two other homeless people for the pieces of stale bread thrown from the bakery after they were too old to sell. She had sustained quite a heavy scratch to the face. 
It was worth it though for a full belly.
Emily was in her shack. Although basic, it did have a small bed made from scrap pieces of wood she had found. She even had some space for a crude table and chairs made from small and large old ale barrels. She lay on the bed looking at the wooden roof there was a small hole between one of the joints allowing a small bit of sunlight through. 
Today I need fix that. If it rains I’ll be soaked in my sleep.
She sat up on the bed. The sheets she had were brown with dirt like her clothes. She sighed. She reached under her pillow to the secret box she had hidden in a little nook under the bed. She pulled out the small used box and opened it. 
Still as beautiful as the day I was given it.
The ring shone bright. Its green emerald drawing your eyes to it. She had often thought about selling it during the hardest times but her parents had always forbid it saying that its the last thing she had that tied her to the past and that her fiancée would return one day. 
He never had.
She had come to the conclusion that he was either dead or had moved on. No body really knew what had happened to Ronald and Scotty. 
“Well, looks like we are going to be busy today. What do you think boy?” from under the bed the small cross breed dog popped out shaking its tail. The brown and black dog was excited to see his owner. 
“Come now my little chicken chaser. We need to go find breakfast.” The dog headed for the door. 
Emily picked up her carry bag and proceeded out into the warm Bowerstone morning. The market was beginning to be set up and there was sure to be opportunities for some food scavenging. 
A group of guards ran past Emily picking up speed. 
“To the old mill house. TO THE MILL HOUSE!” The leader had shouted as the group ran past with their swords held a high. 
Something is happening at the old mill. I wonder if there may be anything I could acquire?
Emily followed the guards through the streets towards the old mill house. It was a mill that had produced flour for baking up until recently when it had being closed as its owner had made a new modern mill on the outskirts of the city. 
When she finally reached the house there was a crowd gathered watching what was happening. There appeared to be some sort of stand off between two groups of men. 
She made her way through the crowd pushing to the front to get a batter look. Guards circled the scene keeping the crowd back. 
There were bodies everywhere. It looked like a bunch of bandits maybe fifteen all laid about dead or nearly dead. One man looked like he had being chopped in half. His entrails splattered all over the dirt floor. 
It turned her stomach.
There seemed to be only four men left. There were two stood with there backs towards Emily. A small man and a massive man. She noticed that the thickness of one the massive mans legs equaled that of both of the small mans. The small man was wearing a bright red tunic and hood.
Bizarre for a warm day.
The massive man carried a huge old axe that was covered in blood and looked like it had caused most of the damage to this pack of bandits. The Red hooded man turned slightly and that’s when she saw the seal. 
The Guild seal.
The two men stood in front of her were heroes and lately all heroes managed to do was cause trouble. 
The other two men were stood about ten feet away. One man who looked like he could have been the bandit leader had a man held captive with a knife to his throat. 
“I will cut him I tells ya!” the bandit leader called out to the heroes. 
The hooded hero responded. 
“I wouldn’t recommend that. You are not holding all the cards are you?” He seemed to produce a deck of cards and hold them up for the bandit leader to see whilst smirking. 
“We killed your men. You’re surrounded by guards. You can’t win hand over the man and you will live.” Came the voice of the huge man that to Emily sounded forced like he was putting on a fake heroic voice for the crowd.
“Do you think dat I’m stupid hero? Do you think Dat I wouldn’t av a plan B? Let him free lads!”
From the old mill tower two bandits appeared holding massive iron keys. 
“We have unlocked him boss. He’s not happy!” suddenly from behind him the tower exploded brick and rubble flew everywhere. From the wreckage emerged what the bandits had being hiding. 
A rock troll.
It was only young and not an adult but still as aggressive and still as dangerous. The troll immediately grabbed the bandits that had incarcerated him and squeezed them to death. The breaking of their bones could be heard from where Emily was standing. Ones mans eyes burst from his head due to the pressure. 
The crowd scrambled. Emily did the same taking cover under a horse cart. She watched as the larger hero burst forward with incredible speed towards the troll axe raised. As he brought the axe down the troll punched the huge hero in the gut launching him flying back 20 yards into what remained of the old mill. 
The smaller hero attacked launching six playing cards in quick succession towards the beast. Each card appeared to light up and set on fire as there whirled through the air into the belly of the beast setting it on fire. 
The screams of the beast shook the floor. The large hero was up again and now coming back he didn’t have the axe now and hurled himself towards the troll. He hit the troll in the face with a clubbed fist knocking it to the floor. 
“You punch me ill punch you trolley”
The troll came back with another punch this time it threw the larger hero back thirty yards. 
The hooded hero had gone after the bandit leader and captive man who had tried to get away. 
“Hold it right there. Let him go NOW!” the small hero who had looked almost playful before didn’t anymore he looked determined….Heroic. 
He held up three cards. 
“Last chance” he said. 
“I don’t think so hero.” The bandit shouted. 
That was when the troll from behind brought his whole weight on top of the hooded hero crushing the him instantly on the floor spraying his blood all over the bandit leader and his captive. 
The large hero had made his way back to the fight and looked at the remains of his colleague. 
“Oh Ron..not again.” He said as he held up his axe once again towards the Troll. 
“What are you two like Kings!” shouted a third hero who had suddenly appeared in similar garb to the first two stood across the yard. He had red hair in a pony tail with deep glowing will lines all over his body. 
From his hands a ball of white lightning exploded towards the troll. The troll tried to escape its grasp but couldn’t. The large hero lifted his axe and brought it down into the trolls head. After a second it was dead and fell to the floor. 
Now only a rock.
“Where have you been Bishop?” the large hero shouted. 
“You know me Kings…Out and about….so to speak.” The ginger mage looked at the crushed smaller hero in front of him next to the bandit leader. 
“I can see his brains from here. Can you?” the ginger mage said to the large hero. 
“Ah yeah…That’s new.” The large one replied with a smile. 
“I am still gonna cut him” the bandit leader interrupted the scruffy looking heroes he appeared nervous now that all his cards had ran out. 
“Just hand him over and you will live. You only get this chance. ….Not another word just the man now…...” The ginger mage said keeping eye contact. 
“No I want the money and den im gonna escape.” The bandit leader said. 
With a swoosh a card travelled through the air nicking the bandits throat. The card looked to be infused with a piecing spell that sliced the mans throat. The bandit released his captive and dropped to his knees blood spilling from his neck. 
Emily didn’t see where the card had come from. Then she saw the impossible. The little crushed hero stood up and walked over to the bandit leader. 
“You were warned not another word. Now rest.” He pushed the man to the floor. As he turned Emily could see that he had completely healed. Brains back inside the skull and all. 
Emily could see that the immediate danger was over and thought she would sneak away before she got in any trouble. As she crawled out from under the cart she heard a voice. 
A voice she knew, a voice she had never heard for years. 
Scotty?
She stood up and walked around the cart. All the crowds had cleared. She was fixated on the voice. She walked up the huge hero from behind listening carefully. 
“You could see you’re brains Ron, that has to be the worst one so far…… Bishop can you get this guy back to his family? Just use the Cullis gate……Can’t believe I let a rock troll punch me twice…..”
Emily didn’t know what was driving her legs. She was just walking towards him. She stopped and again almost out of her control said. 
“Scotty?”
The large hero turned around. He had medium length unkempt hair that partly covered his face. He only had one eye. The other was covered with a piece of cloth. For a moment he stared at her. Then he spoke. 
“Emily…I’m….I’m sorry.”
She felt her knees give way and she dropped to the floor. Her eyes filling up with tears. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He had grown. His muscles had doubled in size. There was a tattoo on his chest. He wore black hero garbs similar to what the other two were wearing. 
She couldn’t speak through her shaking and crying. 
The other two heroes seemed to know her. They helped her get to her feet. The small one who had returned from death spoke softly into her ear. 
“He was always going to come back for you.” 
Then the ginger mage spoke. 
“Yeah after he completed his mission. Didn’t want you to get tied in to all of this.”
She looked again at her grown up Scotty. She didn’t know whether to kiss him or hit him. 
“Scotty…you’re a hero? This is what you have being doing? All these years” the other heroes continued to hold her. 
The large hero placed his hands under around her and picked her up effortlessly and hugged her gently. 
He smells the same.
“Emily I couldn’t let you get involved in this it’s too dangerous. I need to tell you everything. Everything that happened to me before you met me. The reasons why I left. What I need to do.”
She stopped him. 
“After you left we couldn’t get the hobbe wood so the business suffered. We were eventually thrown out of the shop to live on the streets. My father died cleaning toilets trying to survive and my mother killer herself because of his death. I have being alone for years living on the streets with only my dog to keep me company. You will never leave me again Scotty….Never.”
She kissed him. 
It felt the same.
“The shops? Gone? Because you couldn’t get that wood?” he put her down. He looked in pain like he thought it was his fault. What happened to her and her family. There was tears in his eyes. 
“It’s not your fault Scotty not now that you’re back to take me. You are going to take me? Aren’t you?” there was desperation in her voice. 
“Yes. I’m never leaving you again. Emily.” He held her close. 
He looked at the other two heroes. 
“You know that thing I told you about?”
“The uncle thing?” said the ginger one. 
“Yeah” Scotty said. 
“It’s finally time….. Time to do this.”
“Okay we’ll get the rest. We will meet you in the guild tomorrow at dawn.”
Scotty nodded to them in acknowledgement. 
He looked at Emily. 
“I will look after you know. We will be together. I have never stopped loving you. I need to explain everything. I will start at the beginning. My real name is Kingsley Scott….”