Chapter 14: Yeah, we need a mage...

 Vincent: Archer. Doesn't understand what his thumbs have to do with anything. 

Augustine has been staring at my thumbs for the past couple of minutes, instead of reading the quest board. He shifts, and turns to stare at Atha's thumbs next. 

"Ok, what is this about?" I ask, as Augustine goes back to staring at my thumbs. 

"Well, you see, there is this girl," he says, and I frown at him. 

"You are going to invite people in the harem without asking us?" I ask. Atha snorts. 

"He said a girl, Vince. I very much doubt that he wants her to be a part of the harem," the Naga dungeon core says. Then, he points at a quest in the A column. "This one looks promising. I'd love to get my hands on a dragon schema." 

"We are not ready for an A quest," I tell him with a straight face. "Tine, do tell me, what does a girl has to do with you looking at our thumbs?" 

"Well, she said that we, all three of us, have small...penises," Augustine mutters, and looks at his feet. 

"I still don't understand what our thumbs have to do with that," I tell him. Does he really believe in that silly theory about thumbs and sizes? 

"What if it is true?" He bites back. I stare into his eyes, and notice that they are full of dread. I have to chuckle at that. 

"Then you will be in less pain," I tease him. He waves his finger at me. 

"Why me? You are the one who will be the bottom," he says. I furrow my eyebrows. Really, just because I am an archer, I get delegated to being the bottom?

"You are the musician," I tell him, and point at Atha. "Atha agrees, right, Atha?" 

"I have two dicks, which are enough to make you both into bottoms," he tells us, and then points at another quest, this one in the F column. "If I can't have a dragon, then at least a water spider? It will go well with Dru's dungeon. I can take one for my own schemas, and bring her one for her dungeon." 

"She doesn't like insects," Augustine says. 

"Why aren't you saying that he can be the bottom too?" I ask, affronted that Tine is not questioning Atha's position as the top man in the harem. "What happened to: The harem is mine. I will let it grow to outrageous proportions?" 

"He is a dual sword wielder, in more ways than one," Augustine says with a shrug. I am just about to retort that Atha has a slimmer build than I, even if his muscles are more chiseled, when someone chuckles behind us. 

"Oh, I am sorry. I just couldn't help it. You guys are so silly," I turn around, and see a mage, you can tell by the black robes, behind us. 

"Do you need a party?" I ask. We do need a mage. Mages are good crowd control. Just like archers. 

"What can you guys bring to the table? I am a water mage with a slight wind sub affinity," he tells us. I move closer to him, and offer my hand. 

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"I am an archer. I know many barrages, including the Behemoth strike," I tell him, as he takes my hand in his. "My name is Vincent." 

"I am a Song weaver," Augustine says, as he takes a step towards us. "I play mostly my own attacks because I can't be bothered to remember the official ones. They are so...classical. My name is Augustine."  

"I am Atha, no relation to that Atha. I am a dual wielder and a dungeon core," Atha says, with a smile. 

"Well, my name is Dean. Nice to meet you all. I am ranked D, what are your ranks?" The mage asks. 

"F," we chorus. I bow my head, thinking that this is it. We are going to get turned down by Dean. 

"Oh, that is cool. I always wanted to get the full journey. You know, I asked guild master Warren to start me off as F, but he said no. You can do a tornado, he said, even if it is a small one. Not only that, but you must start off with a D rank," Dean rubs the back of his head. I notice that Augustine is staring at his thumbs. 

"How old are you, Dean?" Augustine asks. 

"Twenty-one," Dean tells him. He tilts his head to the side. "Do you guys have an age requirement for the party membership? That is so cool. I mean, you already act like pros. Do you go in formation everywhere?" 

"Well, no. We move around like normal people," I say. "But, if you join us, I suppose we can up our game." 

"You guys have nothing against me joining you?" Dean asks, and he lightly bounces on his feet. "Sorry, I get easily excited." 

"Group huddle," Augustine declares, and the two of us, Atha and I, huddle around him. Augustine gives Dean a look, when he tries to enter the huddle. 

"Yeah, sorry. Members only, I get it. I'll go and wait by the water cooler," he says, and drags his feet to the water cooler. 

"We might end up getting him killed," Augustine says, and then looks at Atha. "He is so..." 

"Naive?" Atha finishes for him. "Yes. But, think about it this way. We will be doing him a favor, if we allow him to come. I mean, everyone else would use him for their own means." 

"He is a nice kid," I say because Dean acts like a teenager, instead of an adult. 

"He is older than you," Augustine reminds me. Then, he sighs. 

"Who is in favor of letting Dean join the party?" Augustine says. Atha and I rise our hands. "Then the two of you will watch his back." 

"So will you," Atha says, as he gets out of the huddle. 

"By that, I mean, watch his back, so he won't end up getting used," Augustine says. We go to Dean. The smile he gives us, when we tell him that he is now a part of a nameless party, is enough to lighten my mood.