Ch. 5 A Date Interrupted

I had to go back and buy a new shirt after I realized my new muscles had torn the other one. 'If I keep getting stronger this will definitely be an issue' I thought to myself. However I was glad, I would definitely have enough money for the change in wardrobe if I kept going like this.

Once I got back to the car I saw Bella in the back sleeping and smiled. 'She worked hard today didn't she? When we get home I'll let her out to play with her brothers.'

On the drive home I realized just how long I had been in the Rift, it was 7 PM when I left the store so I had to have spent well over five hours in the Rift. I grabbed my phone and called my boss.

"Yeah Odellin, what's up?" I grinned as I explained what happened the night before and today. "That's awesome. So what are you gonna do?" I responded "Well I think I'm gonna give this a go. I mean if you had this ability what would you do?"

He hesitated for a few minutes and then "Alright well I wish you good luck. I'll send your check to your account. Keep in touch and if you ever feel like coming back, call me." and I said I will and hung up.

I stopped at an ATM on the way home and used my badge to pull out 100 dollars, I planned on being out all night. When we pulled up to the house I opened the door for Bella and she jumped out, running up to the front door.

As I was closing the door I heard a scream and turned around. Bella was trying to smell the babysitter Claire. Running up I called out "Bella, leave Claire alone. Sorry Claire, she is just trying to get your scent."

Claire stopped screaming and stood there for a moment with her hand on her chest and then sighed when Bella did a few circles around her sniffing her, then nuzzled her leg.

"What the heck is she Mr. Hundai?" I smiled and walked up "She's my Dire Raccoon Animal Companion. I became a Rift Breaker." I said showing her my badge.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled "So cool. Can you do like magic and stuff?" she asked and I nodded, then pointed my hand at a tree and blasted it with a Force Missile. A hole about the size of my fist appeared in the tree and she squealed in delight.

"Holy crap that's so cool. How do you get a spell like that?" I laughed "You gotta kill a Goblin. Or you can buy a spell stone." then she shuddered "Nah, I think I'll leave that to you. So how long do you think you'll be gone?"

What I was about to say didn't come out as Lynette came outside. She looked stunning and I don't mean just any plain stunning, which is what I always see when I look at her, she looked like she went all out for tonight. I heard Claire giggle as Lynette walked up and grabbed my arm after whispering to Claire.

She dragged me to the car and said "So where are we going hubby?" I just shook my head "I didn't expect you to get dressed up like that, so dine in is the choice now. How about Texas Roadhouse?"

She hopped in the passenger seat and nodded "I'm good with that. So tell me everything. I've been doing some research online, but it's mostly unexplanatory."

As we drove I told her everything that happened and explained all the stones I could get as well as my two spells. She nodded along, cringed and oohed and aahed at all the right moments. She was definitely listening.

Once I finished explaining she asked "Think you could save me a strength and a dexterity stone or two? It would make dealing with your little heathens easier."

I started laughing and she did too as we pulled into the parking lot. I parked, ran around to the other side and opened her door. She took my offered hand and I locked the car behind us. We walked up to the entrance and I was the first one to notice.

I grabbed Lynette and pulled her back behind me as a group of Goblins rushed out into the parking lot from the woods behind the restaurant. I grabbed my phone and threw it to Lynette while yelling "Call Will and Tyrone. Tell them what's happening"

I noticed another man rush around to face off against the Goblins and we locked eyes for a moment. I nodded to him and shot off 7 Missiles at the first Goblin, dropping it instantly. There were 4 total.

He ran up and jumped over the one trying to attack him and came down to a roll, grabbing the dropped crude sword and stabbed another Goblin in the neck just as I was shooting off 7 more Missiles. I dropped the second one with that just as my ally severed the head of another Goblin.

We stood there panting for a moment before he grabbed another crude sword and called out loudly. "Everyone who isn't a Breaker get in the building now. There are more coming."

I checked my MP bar and sighed, I had 260 left. "Hey bud, I need a ranged weapon of some kind. I have the Mana Arrow spell, but I was going to get a gun or something tomorrow." he nodded and bent down, grabbing one of their crossbows he tossed it to me.

"I'm Zach" he said coming closer. I nodded as I saw a blue crossbow bolt materialize on the crossbow "I'm Odellin. Where the fuck did they come from?"

Zach shrugged and said "No clue bud, but I'm willing to bet there is a gate that's gone untouched in that forest somewhere. Until the IRBA guys get here we gotta hold them back. You ready?"

I grinned and pointed the crossbow towards the forest "Too bad my Bella isn't here. She'd rip them limb from limb." Zach nodded and we both walked between the building and the little forest area.

Zach was the first one to hear them and he nudged me and pointed. The bushes closest to us were moving unnaturally. I growled as I took aim, then I felt it. I don't have any clue how she got here so fast, but I felt her coming.

"Just a few minutes Ode and we have backup." I said in a low voice to myself, Zach smiled at that "Animal Companion huh? I heard about them. Let's just hope we last a few minutes." and they appeared.

Well not so much appeared as they sprang out from the bushes. I lined up my shot and pulled the trigger. Now I will say that even though it was a small crossbow, maybe half the size of a human sized one, I still felt the kick from the Mana Arrow that became a crossbow bolt leaving the crossbow.

It hit straight to the chest of the first Goblin that popped out. It staggered for a moment before it fell and was trampled by 10 more Goblins rushing out. I could faintly hear sirens in the background but my adrenaline was pumping my heart too fast to concentrate on more than the battle.

Zach rushed in and began whirling the blades like he had been doing it for years. Mana Arrows fired out from my new crossbow one after the other over and over. Half of them missed their target by a hair, the rest landed in stomachs, chests and arms.

Every time I hit one Zach was there to finish it. It felt like he knew where to be as we continued to fight. Minutes passed and we took down almost 12 Goblins before they started spreading out.

Three of them charged at me and I let loose with 12 more Force Missiles, taking two of them down just as the third jumped on me. It stabbed its dagger into my thigh and the pain was unbelievably excruciating.

I have been in accidents before on my bicycle when I was a kid, broken some bones here and there, but that small jagged dagger with the strength of the Goblin pushing it into me hurt more than anything I have ever experienced before.

Just as my vision was starting to go dark from it stabbing me again and again and my health was down to 50 I felt the weight of the Goblin leave my body and the most beautiful growl in the world.

Looking around I spotted Bella with her jaws around the Goblins neck, shaking it like it was a chew toy, then I heard the telltale snap that accompanied a bone breaking. I pointed at Zach and said "Help him." Bella didn't even hesitate and charged the remaining Goblins as I tried standing up.

Once I was able to muster enough strength to get up with the aid of a nearby vehicle, I saw the battle was over for the moment. I heard the sirens much louder then and a man rushed over to me.

Healing energy encompassed my body and I saw my HP steadily rising to full within ten seconds. "Are you alright?" I heard the man say and I nodded, seeing the EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) standing there looking slightly drained from healing me.

Just as I was about to say something 2 men in IRBA suits walked up and made a beeline for Zach and I, the former of which had come over to help if I needed it.

I scratched Bella's head as she nuzzled me, her worry clear through the bond we shared, as the taller of the two Association employees began speaking.

"We thank you for your timely assistance in this matter gentlemen. If you wouldn't mind sticking around for a few while the police clear and cordon off the area it would be appreciated." we both nodded and the IRBA guys began giving the police orders.

It took another twenty minutes before the area was taken care of and I saw both Tyrone and Will pulling into the parking lot. They came straight to me and Will clapped my shoulder "You just couldn't wait could you? Had to go and find yourself an open Rift without us."

Tyrone chuckled at that and I grinned, then said "Yeah well if I had to wait for you two, I would be old and gray." We all got a laugh from that as Lynette ran out of the restaurant with half of the people inside.

She ran straight to me and jumped into my arms. "Ode, oh my god are you alright? I saw that thing stab you." She said in a frantic voice as she looked at all the tears in my new clothes. I sighed as I looked down and groaned out "I am fine. Just gonna need some new clothes now."

Then I turned to Zach and offered my hand, "You're wicked with those blades dude." Zach smiled and twirled the blades in his hands before holding them both with one hand and using the other to shake mine "I picked up a few things here and there." then Tyrone turned to him and looked him over for a second.

His eyes lit up as he recognized Zach "I know you, you're Zachary Michealson. You're a member of the Blue Dragon guild." Zach nodded and bowed "The one and only. Speaking of, Odellin I am sorry your date got interrupted, but I have to get on the phone and get my guild to get the raiding rights for this Rift. I'll give you a call when we raid it so you can join. Oh and the Mana stones here are yours. I think it's only fair, don't you Bernard?" He said to the Association employee standing next to Will, which I only just noticed.

The Association employee frowned for a moment, then nodded "Of course. As the ones who stopped this raiding party of Goblins before they could do more damage the loot is yours." then he turned away and walked to his partner.

It was then that I looked around and saw 24 of the little green men laying on the ground, some dismembered, others with bite marks and still others with holes in different body parts.

"Wow, that was a lot of Goblins, are you sure Zach?" I asked and he nodded "Yeah, I would normally split them, but think of this as an invitation, for when you hit level 10." he said with a grin, then turned and walked away.

Lynette looked at me and chuckled then, her worry gone from her face "Well I did want some strength and dexterity mana stones didn't I?" and I laughed aloud at that and kissed her cheek.

It was almost an hour later when the bodies were all cleaned up and I had a pile of 24 different colored Mana stones. All of them were stat stones, no skill stones. It didn't bother me too much so I walked over to the car and grabbed our diaper bag and dropped all the stones in it.

Turning to Lynette I smiled "Shall we continue date night?" and she grinned while taking my arm. Will and Tyrone wished me luck and headed off as well.

As soon as I came in the door almost everyone there greeted me, now I know I almost died and I know I wasn't the only reason they were safe, but it still felt nice.

We got seated right away and the management gave us anything we wanted, free of charge. So naturally I pigged out. I ate 2 plates of ribs and mashed potatoes, 3 pieces of cheesecake and drank half my body weight in Pepsi. Yes, I am a simple guy with simple tastes, but I was starving. Bella and Lynette were given the royal treatment too, with Bella getting head scratches from all the kids in the restaurant, which made her puff out her chest in pride and lick a few of them, who ran off giggling.

When we left the manager came out and thanked me again and asked if she could take a Selfie with me. I looked over to Lynette who smirked so I said yeah. She literally posted on her Facebook wall as soon as she took it with the caption 'Rift Breakers, saving my ass and my job'.

When we got back to the car Lynette got in the drivers seat and I sat in the passenger seat. Then she turned it on and as I asked her "Where are we going next honey?" she only smiled and drove out of the parking lot.

We drove for about fifteen minutes before pulling into the Marriot hotel. "Why are we at a hotel?" I asked and she had a gleam in her eye. Being married to this woman for three years now, I knew what that meant.

She pulled me up to the counter and we booked a room with a big tub, then got the room keys and headed up to our room.

It was the best night ever.