The Forgotten Faithful: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 2) by Cajiao, Jez (little red riding hood ebook TXT) 📕

since I’d created him. I wasn’t having him feeling discarded, not Bob. “I’m sorry, buddy; I’ve been caught up in everything, and I’ve not given you the time you deserve. I need to ask you a question, though, and I want you to think as hard as you can, okay? Nod once if you understand me.” Bob stood motionless for a long while, and just as I was about to speak, he nodded, slowly. “That’s great. Okay then, Bob, you nod once for yes, and twice for no, okay?"

"Do you understand that?” Again, there was a long break, then he nodded once.

“Whoo boy, I really hope you actually understand me,” I muttered, then I straightened up and looked him in the eye sockets. “I need to know if you want to stay with me, if you want to keep doing what you’ve been doing, acting as my bodyguard and tank in fights. I need you to nod once; if you don’t want to, then nod twice, okay?”

There was a long pause as Bob seemed to consider, then a nod. I was just about to relax, when he pointed to the side, directly at the people mingling about, waiting on me. I looked over at them, then at Bob, who kept pointing at them, then slowly pointed at me, then at them and nodded firmly again.

“Okay, I’ve no idea…” I muttered, and looked at Oracle, who sat with a huge grin on her face. “What, you get what he means?” I asked her. She leapt from my shoulder, coming to point to the left of our small group, and Bob slowly pointed to me, then to her, then across to the far side at the people gathered there.

“Of course!” Oracle cried out, flying across to land on one of his huge shoulders, leaning in and kissing the polished dome of bone.

“Well don’t keep me in fuckin’ suspense, Oracle, give me a clue here!” I said, exasperated.

“He wants to be a bodyguard still; he wants to protect you, but he also wants to protect us all!” she said, flying back to hover before me. “Think about it, Jax. His mind is based on your own, and what’s the strongest impulse you feel?” A proud smile played on her lips.

“I… I don’t know?” I muttered, thoroughly confused.

“It’s the impulse that brought you here, the one that drove you through all the dreams you had, it’s the one that made you take all these people in, and declare war on Himnel and Barabarattas, despite it being ‘just you’,” she said, flashing to full size and landing gently.

She stepped close, placing her right hand over my heart, and smiling at me, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

“The need to protect, Jax. You always stand up for those that need it. You’ll fight anyone to help those that need a friend, and Bob…?” she said, half turning and reaching out to him. He slowly reached a massive hand out to her, and she patted it, her smile growing even wider. “Bob feels what you feel; he wants to be a bodyguard, but not just for you. he wants to protect us all; isn’t that right?” Oracle said, looking up at Bob, and as I watched, he slowly nodded his head a final time, before lifting his right fist and smacking it into his chest in salute, the dull boom echoing back from the vaulted ceilings and around the quiet hall.

“Then that makes things even easier, my friend.” I said quietly, smiling up at him. “Thank you. You’re going to be busy, though! Come on, let’s get this started.” I returned the salute to Bob, and the three of us turned, walking over to where everyone had gathered.

“I’ll make sure everyone that hasn’t already sworn gets the Oath pushed out to them… and I’ll make sure there’s enough mana ready for when they swear.”

Oracle spoke in the silence of my mind, and I smiled at her, nodding a thanks as we came to a halt before everyone. Not all members of the Tower were there, but enough were, and more were trickling in every minute. There were enough here to get started, though, and I began speaking to all that were gathered, waiting on me.

“Thank you all for coming here. I know that some of you have gone through this before, but I think it helps our new recruits to see that you all did the same. We’re going to take the Oath now, and after that, you’ll be citizens of the Great Tower. Once that’s done, we’ll get you somewhere to call your own, a job, and we’ll get on with the day!”

Oren emerged from the mass of people, assuming what he’d decided his role in all this was.

“Right, you bunch o’ buggers! You’ll be seein’ a notification from th’ Tower right about now! I want ye all to take a deep breath, and repeat after me…I swear…”

“I swear to obey Lord Jax and those he places over me; I will serve to the best of my ability, speak no lie to him when the truth is commanded, and treat all other citizens as family.

I will work for the greater good, being a shield to those that need it, a sword to those that deserve it, and a warden to the night.”

“I will stand with my family, helping one another to reach the light, until the hour of my death or my Lord releases me from my Oath.”

“Lastly, I will not be a dick!”

I felt the mana flowing from the Tower again, directed entirely by Oracle this time. I’d not been involved at all, beyond being the focal point, and I felt an awareness of their mana streams all joining my own. I could feel where each of them stood in that moment, before the feeling died away, and I opened my eyes again, unaware I’d closed them. I smiled at them all, seeing that more had arrived dirty and sweating during the