The dusty, cracked earth of the badlands finally yielded to the rolling green plains of the central kingdom. On the far horizon, the towering spires of the Capital pierced the sky.
Ser Duncan The Tall marched dead-center down the King's Highway. At eight feet tall, his heavily muscled frame acted as a walking eclipse for anyone trailing behind him. Despite the midday heat, his brow was completely dry. He carried a colossal stone war-hammer draped over one broad shoulder, humming a deep, rumbling tune that vibrated in the chests of passing travelers.
Perched on his other shoulder, legs crossed, rode his Vice Commander. Claire Bell kept her oversized black cloak pulled tight to shield herself from the punishing sun, while dark cut-off shorts allowed her to catch the summer breeze.
"Duncan," Claire sighed, eyeing the road ahead. "There's a roadside tavern coming up. Put me down. We should rest and gather intelligence before we plunge into the Capital's political district."
"Food!" Duncan cheered. His stomach let out a groan that sounded like a dying bear. He knelt, offering a slope for Claire to hop lightly into the tall grass.
As they approached the Golden Lion Tavern, the atmosphere shifted. A hundred infantrymen rested in the shade of the surrounding oaks. Their armor bore the crest of the Southern Domain, and the crisp, uniform way they sat at attention spoke of hardened discipline.
Duncan's eyes lit up. He pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the tavern.
Conversation died instantly. The local patrons froze, staring in absolute shock at the human mountain ducking through the doorframe.
At the largest table in the center of the room sat Bella Snow. The white-haired Demi-human was entirely focused on devouring a massive rack of roasted boar. Her white cat ears twitched at the sound of the heavy, booming footsteps.
Beside her, Vice Commander Lily Violet took a slow sip of tea. Her dark eyes flicked up to appraise the giant and the cloaked woman beside him.
"Well, well, well!" Duncan's voice shook the rafters. He brought his stone hammer down onto the floorboards with a heavy thud, splintering the wood. "If it isn't the Feline Knight of the South! I've been hoping our paths would cross."
Bella swallowed a mouthful of meat and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. She looked Duncan up and down, her feline eyes narrowing. Her white tail began a slow, rhythmic swish. "Duncan the Tall. I hear you prefer punching rocks to actually swinging that oversized mallet. Word is you've got the heaviest fists in the Order."
"And I hear," Duncan grinned, flexing a bicep the size of a tavern keg, "that you punch Stone Golems to gravel just to warm up."
Bella pushed her chair back and stood. She barely reached Duncan's chest, but as a dense, golden aura of Paladin mana flared around her, the size difference vanished. Her nails extended into wicked claws. "Care to test that rumor, big guy?"
"I thought you'd never ask!" Duncan roared. His own blinding golden aura erupted outward.
Chaos consumed the tavern. Patrons screamed, scrambling for the windows and back doors. The sheer pressure of the two Paladins' clashing mana shook the building to its foundations. Plates rattled off shelves, glass shattered, and wooden support beams groaned under the crushing magical gravity.
Duncan threw a massive, mana-coated right hook.
Bella didn't flinch. Smiling savagely, she coated her own fist in golden light and met his strike head-on.
The impact was deafening. A shockwave of golden energy ripped through the room, tearing the roof tiles clean off the building. The front doors blew off their hinges, sending a cloud of dust and debris billowing out onto the highway.
As the dust slowly settled inside the ruined tavern, the scene cleared.
Duncan and Bella stood locked in place, fists pressed against each other in mid-air. The floorboards beneath them had completely caved in, leaving them standing in a crater of shattered stone foundation. Neither had given an inch.
Duncan threw his head back and let out a booming laugh. "Incredible! Your strikes are as sharp as a dragon's tooth!"
"Not bad yourself, giant!" Bella laughed back, retracting her claws and casually patting his massive arm. "It's been a decade since I felt a punch like that. Percival Kent is the only one who hits harder!"
While the two Paladins swapped compliments in the center of the wreckage, their Vice Commanders had relocated to the only table that survived the blast.
Claire Bell sat across from Lily Violet. Calmly, Claire poured herself a cup of tea from the intact teapot.
"Is he always like this?" Lily asked, her expression deadpan as she watched Duncan flex his arms for Bella's amusement.
"Always," Claire sighed, pulling her cloak tighter. "If he isn't smashing boulders, he's throwing tantrums about being bored. Is she always like this?"
"Worse," Lily replied dryly. She checked her silver pocket watch. "If she doesn't fight something every three days, she starts leaking mana and destroying the local ecosystem. Managing a Paladin is a nightmare."
Claire tapped her teacup against Lily's. "To the Vice Commanders."
"To the Vice Commanders," Lily agreed, taking a sip.
Bella bounded over to the table, her tail swaying happily. "Alright! Since we blew the roof off this place, we should probably march the rest of the way together. The Capital isn't far, and I want to see Kent and William!"
"Agreed!" Duncan cheered, hoisting his hammer. "To the Capital! Let's see what these corrupt politicians want with the Phoenix Order!"