The distance from Timberbrook to Fairhaven was a bit less than a day's travel by wagon or riding down the river. That was how Cheese had always done it, those long rides on the back of gargantuan logs were the only way he`d been to the city, and in truth he had never actually been within the port cities walls, they had always slept the night in the Mill that was a few hundred meters from the city's walls. He had often thought about venturing inside, yet he had never had the coin to do so. His small salary from the mill would not allow for him to splurge like some of the other men did. Not if he expected to be able to buy the fine exotic foods he so loved and still manage to slowly save up for a dowry one day. Most men who reached marrying age would sleep in the communal longhouses or workers houses of the mill; it was only those men who married that spent on their own homes.

  Thus, he was very annoyed at their slow progress to the Mill. They had been stumbling forward for the better part of a day. Cheese was unable to progress at much faster than a walk, and his lethargy from the draining of his energy was showing. yet none of the brothers dared to slow, they would rather be caught limping away from their foe than asleep. A full day passed like this. Then as the moon began to rise a howl reverberated through the air. All three stopped quite quickly.

  "They are off course" his Char said. His eyes gleamed as he listened to the howling of his pack.

  As Cheese thought about it, he nodded. "The woods must be alive. Weve spent all this time thinking about invaders, I wonder what it is they hunt" he said calmly.

  There were many things that lived in the woods that could draw the ire of the wolves, but it would not do to dwell on it. The wolves had a job to do, and so did the men. Then suddenly from the direction of Fairhaven, north of the earlier howl came another fainter one.

  "Thats my girl," Said Char. "They split the pack. Marien was injured in the fight. A broken hind paw, they must have sent her to Fairhaven when they caught scent of whatever this is."

  "Well," said Cheese looking at his Indicator "Whatever it is, we need to move. That Giant is blind, but he's still a threat and we need to make sure we report to father."

  As he spoke a notification pinged at all three brothers. And before they could read it Cheese saw his indicator swing around wildly a few times before it turned south, indicating it pointed to a creature some 635 Kilometers. That was a vast distance, Cheese was unsure if that was the mainland, but it must be. And as he watched the system began an announcement.

  Planetary Alert:

  The Mountain Father leader of the Giant kin of Eros has fallen. All his surviving followers have now lost touch to their pathway home and as such are no longer considered incursion members. This has affected 0 incursion members. He fell to a combined effort of the High Preist of Yid, The Heretical Chosen, and an unaligned warrior by the name of Waff. The battle took 17 hours and resulted in the Great foe, an Expert level threat succumbing to his wounds. The Heretical chosen will get 50 Percent credit for this feat, as he slayed a guard in single combat. The other factions shall evenly split the remaining credit when quest rewards are distributed.

  This marks the first falling of an Incursion Leader, and a closing of the pathway that particular pantheon was using to invade this world. Your systems have been updated to show progress twords ridding your world of this threat.

  Incursion Leaders Remaining: 5/6 Invaders remaining: 952

  A tendril of energy began to fill Cheese, and he was silent as he felt his body recover. He noticed his brothers were in a similar situation. As they waited and listened to the message all three were rejuvenated.

  "What in the-" began Char. His form was glowing a soft green as he spoke.

  Cheese felt his core begin to fill, and he began to get lightheaded. After a moment he felt close to bursting. In time it stopped, and all three brothers stood there panting. Finally, Waff spoke saying,

  "Six Is much better than 9-5-2" said Waff. As he spoke the numbers, he said every number individually as Nine-Five-Two.

  "Are we going to just ignore that?" Shouted Cheese. "My finger was snapped, and I was on deaths door, and you want to talk about numbers?"

  Waff looked at his brother and then said "I don't know what that was. But I can't help it. We killed a giant, we got better. If you have a better reason for it then I`m all open to your suggestions."

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  "True" said Char with a shrug. "All we can do is hope someone knows more. For now, I`m also concerned about those foes more than an explanation."

  "About that" interrupted Cheese with a frown. "We got report that the capital and the county seat are in turmoil. How is that possible. If there are no invaders does that mean the King lied to father, He said they were unable to repel the invaders at the capitol, yet it is not that far away. I have never actually been there, but it is supposed to only be six days by wagon. That would mean at most a couple hundred Kilometers."

  "We simply don't know" Replied Char, he was now wearing the same frown as his brother.

  "Well, what we do know is that we need to report to our father" Waff said, he had finished pissing and was now eating some bread he had pulled form a pouch. As he watched Cheese saw him take out a pouch and dip the bread inside of it. A sweet smell of honey filled his nostrils.

  "You could at least wash your hands" Interrupted Char.

  "You sleep wif woves" Waff said around gulps of honey coated bread. "But if`n it would please the high priest I`ll go find water n` do so" Waff wore a smirk on his face as he chewed the last of the bread. "You`re just mad you don have no vittles yerself!"

  "About that" Interrupted Cheese leveling a look at Char "Yids high priest? when did that happen?"

  "Ten minutes after the incursion started" He replied blandly. "I was alone unlike many. I was beset by a single small green creature. I killed it, but right after I finished it I felt a wave of.... almost darkness. It is hard to explain. I ran to my shrine, and when I got there it was gone. Then a moment later I got a notification telling me the High priest had fallen. Then moments later another, and another. It didn't stop, as soon as one was named another fell. Until the system told me that I had been chosen. When that happened the energy pulse, I felt earlier rammed into me. It almost killed me but I..." He looked at cheese for a moment and said "I don't have to tell you of all people. I was strong enough and I defeated it. My fight was not as hard as yours, but the energy was of the same make."

  Cheese nodded, and motioned for them to begin their run now that they were healthy there was no reason to not make it to their people in good time. As they did, he stuck close to his brother and asked, "Have you gotten any special privileges since you were made High priest?"

  "No" replied Char "And before I tell you more, I need an oath brother, an oath that you will not target my Goddess."

  The idea honestly shocked Cheese. yet there was no malice in his brothers' words. He sensed no fear either, just that he needed what he asked for before he continued. "You have my oath that I will not act against her if she does not act against me or our people" Cheese said after a bit of consideration.

  That seemed to work as Char said "A quest. I received a quest. If I am to bring her back, I must finish the incursions and invest faith into her shrine. I don't know exactly what that means, but I can also see the count of priests, and every time someone prays to her, and it worries me." He looked pained by his words, and Cheese could sense a tinge of worry on his brothers' face. Yet the smaller man continued "There are three other priests, I must assume that like me they were acolytes when this began. I can send them messages, and they me in a way. You see when any of us prays we can hear it, almost like we were gods ourselves. I think all of this is the systems way of letting us have a chance to help our goddess. They are all in the same place, in a forest in the land of that Imperator from the system announcement."

  Cheese and Waff who had drifted closer simply listened as their brother continued. "They said that they were in the court of a Priest of Yid. When the incursion began, they felt something, but they couldn't really describe it. The priest told them to be calm, and then after a moment they saw the same notifications as me. Their Priest was chosen to replace the high priest, and in moments he fell to the necrotic power. Then it simple left. In time it came back killing a number of them who rose to fill the seat. They had no congregation; they were like me. I think all of Yids churches are like mine, simply out in the wilderness. She does not preach; she does not have her people gather. Her way is to embrace nature and embrace those who live in it." There was a pain on his brother's face. Cheese wanted to speak but couldn't find the words, so on he listened. "I can see her followers. They number less than a hundred. I don't know if that's enough, and what's worse her entire pantheon fell. I have seen the statues of the church. Yid, Na`here, Poseidon. The Blood huntress remains, but I can feel it, she has left their pantheon and founded her own."

  "So" Waff said "I'm thinking its pretty simple what ya gotta do"

  Both Cheese and Char smiled, expecting some funny retort but their brother surprised them. "We need to kill these incursions, and Cheese needs to share you some power"

  They were so shocked that both men stopped their running and stared at him.

  Waff stopped a moment later and looked back at them "That or take her into your pantheon, that way you don't go around all mopey little guy" His big oafish face was smiling as he said this, but Cheese and Char were simply stunned at the man's words and couldn't even tease him on it.

  Once they collected themselves, they began their run again. They conversed on the topic and decided that it was probably worth a try after all. As they did Cheese checked his faith counter, it had steadily picked up speed after the fight earlier. It was now back above 200 and growing.

  As they bounded forward Cheese laughed and said "oh and Char"

  "Yes" came the reply through gritted teeth.

  "I`m partial to Eggs for breakfast brother."

  Waff let out a howling laugh that was a nice accompaniment to the thud of tired feet.