With the break over, I took Ogill and Nolzas along with me and Merlit in our squad. We went to a different Cosqux with yellow flowers. The Ichae on the ground were all a nice pink color. We ate the pollen together before we got to work. I collected all the pollen I could in the jar I was given. Ogill and Nolzas were doing the same. When we gathered the nectar, it was time to go. The guards told us to gather together and wait however. A large spear whipped by our faces and we saw a group of nine angry looking yellow and black Phesurs. They were the Darkars. Our subrace, the Dirkirs, were a color mutation. "This is our territory, Bluebacks! Get lost and leave the pollen with you!" one of their fighters said. "Not on your life Blackstripe!" a fighter of ours said. They then began fighting. I had my group land on the ground. We were followed by four of their gatherers. "Where are you going!?" one challenged. We put our jars on the ground and yelled as we charged them. They were not combat oriented, so they were pushovers. We knocked them out. Merlit and I took their oil and smirked in triumph.
As we finished up, we saw that one of our fighters had died. He collapsed near us. I took the spear he dropped and walked over to the foes we defeated. I stabbed them through the skull, killing them. A fighter on their side saw what I did and charged us. They were intercepted and stabbed from behind with a spear. It was one of our brave fighters that did it. It seemed to be a really good showing and we won the battle. I got a lot of exp. for my part in it as well. I got all the way to level 5. They were all really high level gatherers it seemed. I put it into my Melee tree. It gave a 25% boost to both bladed and blunt weapons. It certainly would be very good for when I left and used a weapon. I brought Ogill and Nolzas in for a tight hug. They both blushed green in the face. "Thanks for helping me. I think focusing on combat would be a good idea." I said in a suggestive voice. They nodded their heads. NPCs in the party could choose their own perks when they leveled up. You could influence them in their decisions if you had a good relationship with them. I certainly did have a good relationship with them.
I made sure the four of us regrouped with the survivors and got out of their. We had the pollen and the weapons of the enemies. I was praised for my stalwart defense of my fellow gatherers. Some where even questioning if I would be rewarded by a royal. That would be a stretch. I was only level 5 after all. I was going to go back to my quarters when an elder gatherer came up to me. "The rest of us are just wondering about your intentions here. If you did not like us, you would tell us. We know that you could have been a fighter. You showed that today. You even have the start of a harem with you. Some of the others might think that you think you're better than us." they said. I shook my head and said "Never. I just like making honey and wax." They let me go and I made sure to watch myself around them. When it was time to make honey my harem members looked sad they could not be the ones kissing me. I just shrugged and encouraged them to focus on their work. They did D work. I did S work again both days. They both did D work for the wax days and I did C work. It was fine.
