《Waking to Dragons and Elves》


 -1 Authors thoughts about the world.

    Maphere, the dimension of dimensions.


    The collection of heavens.


    Maphere is a world that has been in development for multiple uses, for around 8 years so far. It didn''t originally start off as a world for writing stories but as a school project.


    I decided for english classes, as I wasn''t that good at them, that when we did creative writing, or writing based on a phrase, I would incorporate it into the same story-line, with the same characters, learning more as they explored these numerous places.


    This developed over many years, where I''d write dialogues between different characters, keeping the main character and having someone random interrogate them as they travelled in a cart with the main character chained up.


    Or where two main characters found themselves inside a haunted house and had to solve the puzzle around the death of the owner to leave.


    This massive number of concepts which involved the same few characters, started to cause contingency problems if I was to write anything solid. That was till I started playing, and running D&D; dungeons and dragons where I took my world-building to a realistic and large scale, reworking economy of cities and adding numerous bits of detail I would never have thought to include.


    But D&D helped me with the one thing I needed, a way to combine multiple ''worlds''. This was in the form of planes by the spell ''planar shift''. A spell that allows people to travel between the countless number of ''worlds'' that could exist. Which lead me into making a specific character who had the power to bring all those people together into one world. [It would be a spoiler to the person here]


    That character allowed me an in lore way to combine different worlds, and in the process lead me to treat the existence of Maphere, as a parallel world. This is referred to a lot by the ''lost worlds'' even within my own lore.


    Treating this whole world as a real place has lead me into many places I never thought to find myself.


    I have spreadsheets for ores and blacksmithing, price lists and research for fish and other creatures. I even researched into crop growth and growing times just to get everything right, to get the correct scale and development of everything I could.


    This also means that there are multiple ''conlangs''; constructed languages, I have built into the world; but a year ago my original draft of Chapter 1 involved too much text being impossible to understand. I felt it was needed to have the language be visible causing a large part of the chapter to be unreadable unless someone took time to later look back to translate.


    At a later date I will involve a few words from Necin which is a language in this world, the most common one the Jual uses. Jual being their language equivalent for something ''close enough'' to human.

 1 Dream turned Nightmare

    First it was clouds, next it was a cool wind. In the end it was the call for a storm.


    I''m pulled up by familiar hands, embraced in a hug of fear in my sleepy state followed by muffled crying which helps pull me awake. My first reaction is to check my surroundings.


    Instead of my house, it is a field. Instead of my air conditioning, a cool morning wind. Instead of my sister being happy, she is crying.


    "Hey, hey." I attempt to get her attention by patting her brown hair and holding her a bit closer to show I''m awake.


    "I thought you wouldn''t wake up" she managed to get out in sobs, each sob like a knife stabbing in my heart causing me to hug her tighter on reflex.


    "Well I''m awake and I''m here for you. We can''t stay here so how about I even give you a piggyback while we work out where we are." I say trying to reassure her but all it does is make me question where we are more.


    Looking around all I can see is the large field we are in, the faint wind and the sun beating down overhead trying to warm up what the wind cools down. There seems to be a group of trees to the east and standing up I notice a dirt path to the north heading both east and west.


    Each tree seeming to have a reddish colour to the leaves like a burnt autumn has arrived.


    Guiding my sister Elyn up towards the path I notice a group of people travelling in from the west as if they are travelling to the forest.


    They seem to be riding some sort of cart, with a few people walking along with the horse pulling it, the moment I come into sight they seem to go defensive. What I didn''t expect is that those of them who looked to be in a sort of armour, would pull out swords or open their stances while holding their shields.


    I have a minute before they turn up to think of what to say at knife point, although I suppose it would be sword point.


    I doubt a ''how is the weather'' would suffice since they seem to think I''m a threat. I''d also want to get Elyn on my back now in case we need to run away, she seems happy with the idea of a piggyback while I''m in a cold sweat not wanting to die before knowing where I am.


    "We come in peace and bring no harm." Realising I''m quoting a movie I try to rephrase what I''m saying, "We are travellers not knowing where we are, could we share stories?" I call out hoping they might have an interest in something I''d say.


    This only makes them more hostile as far as I can tell, they move in formation this time some staying near the cart while a few others walk towards me.


    Before I can respond a woman calls out of the cart in a sharp-sounding language I don''t understand which stops the warriors advance till the cart catches up. They pull up to the side of us which still puts me on edge but at least I''m not surrounded for now and have a route away, the fights I used to get into years ago taught me to never be surrounded.


    The woman who spoke steps out of the cart, looking my up and down before noticing Elyn on my back. She directs another command in that unknown language at her warriors before frowning and facing me.


    "How do know lost language?" she asks me attentively in a form of broken english.


    A flash of confusion probably shows on my face because of the way she refers to my language as ''lost''.


    "I''m unsure what you mean, this is the only language I know." I reply half hoping for her to be of more help.


    The moment I speak up she looks like she is suppressing laughter at my reply.


    "The last people not dead to speak with the lost language are the royals and coins and you look nothing like either of them."

 2 First night camping

    "Enough about lost language, where headed boy?" She glances around as if suggesting there is nowhere of supposed interest nearby.


    "First my name is Emyr not boy, and we were travelling but I have forgotten the direction and the name of the city we were heading to, could I ask nicely for you to show us the way?" I try to ask in an innocent manner.


    She frowns at me for a moment as if trying to understand me or my intentions.


    "Fine but you shall walk in front of the cart and we have no food to spare. The travel is only another day and a half in this direction." She says as she points at what I believe to be east.


    "Not get stabbed by the monsters that might jump out at you." she directs at me mockingly in her broken english.


    "I know how to fight..." I try to comment before she waves me off with a hand gesturing towards the front of the cart where the horses are currently being given drinks. I walk over obediently and for the rest of the day while carrying Elyn on my back, we walk due east.


    Following the path eventually the forest gets larger in the distance, the vivid red leaves laying on the path showing off their deep colours the closer I look with their mixes of reds and browns dancing differently on each leaf. The weather being mild but a bit dry, the driver of the cart offered me a pouch of water as he saw us not carrying much and the fact that Elyn started coughing slightly making him take pity on her. I of course check the water by drinking some myself first but Elyn seemed happy after having had something to stop her cough.


    The wildness of the grass dies down the further we go and eventually we reach a clearing on the south side of the road as it grows darker for night time, almost as if they scripted the whole thing, each warrior takes up their role in setting up camp before a few mutters as they seem to decide who stays awake and when.


    Watching them set up a patrol starts to worry me, I don''t believe they will do anything bad to us since their employer is passive towards us, but I don''t plan on getting any sleep tonight even though my arms and legs are tired from walking for hours while carrying Elyn. I''m still not sure I trust them.


    A cry in the night makes me jump awake, I hurriedly look around confused at where I am before remembering and noticing Elyn sleeping against me fast asleep, stirring from the yell. She wakes up and looks at me and then our surroundings, I give her a hug before walking out of the tent they set up for us with Elyn hanging off my arm.


    Through the opening of the tent the yells are getting more frequent and louder, a few sounds of swords being swung and people sounding like they are hurt, I pat Elyn to comfort myself and to get her attention.


    "Ellie, I want you to be a good girl and stay here for a second, Big brothers gonna go check what is happening, can you promise me to say silent?" She nods in her half asleep state so I help her lie back down in the back of the tent, before peeking outside.


    I''m met by tragedy, some of the fighters who were guarding the cart yesterday are on the ground bleeding out from their broken limbs and smashed in helmets while the rest are fighting a large shadow which is running at each small group of guards angrily killing them on sight, the wounds glinting in the moonlight as the creature is lit by the moon from behind it lets out a cry followed by warnings yelled by the guards at my direction, the alertness and panic in their voices as it charges in my direction, straight at the tent where Elyn is sleeping.

 3 Gang training

    Its large body glowing from behind, charges unhindered by the campfire or the tent that was in the way. Its eyes glowing red with a grudge as its pig-like face snarls at me in its charge. The smell of blood from the fallen guards fills my nose as the pressure increases beyond what I''ve felt in gang fights.


    The adrenaline of having a gun to your head but being unable to get out of the way, the final fight or flight as you struggle to survive.


    My brain goes on overdrive as I think of options. How my knife wouldn''t help me reach anything vital on the monster and how even if it died the momentum would make it crash into the tent Elyn was hiding in half asleep.


    In a split second I make the only choice I can think of. I step quickly to the side out of the way of the tent, nearly landing on my ankle wrong causing a small burst of pain as I get my footing. I pull out my knife from the back of my shirt at the same time I side-step, aiming at the creatures face as it charges looking it dead in its bloodshot eyes charging at me following where I moved to.


    40 feet, 30 feet.


    I wait for the best timing I can find,


    20, 15.


    "NOW!" I yell as I sling the knife at the monsters face aiming right in the middle hoping to blind it for even a second as I jump and roll to the side. Curling up my body to reduce the impact and pain as I learnt for every gang induction I did out on the streets as gangs fell and rose. I joined many gangs and left many more.


    The roars increase as I cover my head and keep rolling, trying to move out of the way as fast as I can and then further to try and leave its reach should it manage to stop. The anger boiling in its roar as it lashes around seeing me dodge, with my head down trying to keep rolling I feel the earth jump once as if it stopped suddenly.


    Feeling like will keep chasing me, I got up to dash while looking behind me over my shoulder to see how close and fast it was. All the time searching for the closest tree to somehow slow it down.


    I glance behind and see it there its red eyes still looking at me, at the same time I lose my footing as my brain stops and I fall onto my front in a panic.


    "It''s dead?" I say quietly as I stand up in disbelief blinking a few times unsure of what I''m seeing.


    The darkness making it harder to understand what happened as the beast had charged right through the campfire we made but the gurgling stops after a second of it flailing around in its death throes.


    Barely managing to compose myself on the floor I stare at it while breathing heavily from the action. I realise I''m smiling, like I had fun, something I never felt back when just hurting people from other gangs. I always loved the adrenaline from fighting but it was never enough, now I think I''ve found my calling in killing.


    Stopping for a second I realise something isn''t right.


    I finally notice it; my knife, glinting in the moonlight.


    Stuck in a tree on the other side of the path, no where near the monster.


    I laugh at myself pitifully as a rush of emotions arrives as I''m coming down off the adrenaline, I remember how that knife was never for throwing and that I''ve never practised throwing it anyway. In a real fight I''d stay in close quarters, not throw away my only weapon. I ridicule myself for being so stupid. I should know better.


    As I go to stand up Elyn jumps on top of me silently crying, I can only assume she saw everything that happened.


    Taking her with me I retrieve my knife while replaying the whole fight in my head. It charged through the fire and the tent in front of me while glowing. I glance back at the creature remembering how dark the surrounding area was when it died.


    The creature lacks a glow, instead as I was spacing out the woman who I spoke to earlier in the day is holding what seems to be a ball of light above her hand as she instructs the warriors who could still move to treat and bury the dead.


    "Magic?" My hoarse voice mutters as I keep thinking. I feel a pull on my arm from Elyn as she stopped to stare at the light, luckily it was within arms reach of my knife which I collect before taking her to the woman for a closer look.


    I approach cautiously with Elyn dragging my arm as much as I''ll let her walk towards a woman with unknown powers and therefore an unknown threat.

 4 The magic of Magic

    "Miss, how did you get that fairy?" Elyn calls out softly as if talking to the air out of nervousness rather than the woman. She looks up from guiding the warriors with a brief look of surprise on her face.


    "You speak the lost but do not know magic?" she answers cautiously looking in my direction standing there in her black robe and hood as if asking me the question instead. She waves the orb of light around as if to distract Elyn while she asks me.


    "That might be another thing we have forgotten, it wouldn''t be trouble to explain it to a child would it?" I attempt to reason with her while planning to listen in on the side.


    She looks like she might sigh but instead nods as if to agree. After taking a brief glance at the camp, probably checking if there is anything left to do, the woman pulls over one of the knocked over chairs before sitting down.


    "Magic, the ruling class wants people believe something inborn. Something impossible teach." Her broken english distracting me but Elyn seems to be hanging on every word with a gaze of amazement. "This would usually be true test to if you are one of them or not. Unfortunately I learnt differently and the result of your test won''t make me see you as special. This because I found that magic ties directly to this lost language, the language you speak well. As long as you say words to make the image in your mind, you will feel like you are pulling on the world slightly before being able to use the spell you cast."


    She looks up at both of us as if checking we are looking while pointing her palm at the same tree my knife ended up in. "Spirit of Earth congeal and pierce." She mutters loud enough for us to hear but seems to be focused a lot more on what she is doing.


    Slowly after a second a small rough cone about a foot long, grows in front of her hand before launching at a speed similar to the speed I threw my knife. I can feel Elyn jump slightly as she watches the whole thing happen before she goes entirely still, probably thinking about what she saw.


    "Any words work as long as they make sense?" I confirm with the woman briefly as I plan to test it. She nods in reply.


    I take a deep breath, suppressing my childhood memories shouting out spell names when I was back at school.


    "Spirit of water, condense and rain." I choose water since it should be the least harmless type to use.


    I feel the air around me focus near my hand, I feel the world tugging at my skin pulling my perception apart. The embrace of an emptiness which starts echoing in my head. A voice talking like a cool breeze in my ears.


    My hand starts to feel cold, damp as moisture collects around it, waving my hand slightly I see drops of water fall off it. In that moment I feel connected to the many things around me, the power to influence them slightly.


    I reach out with my mind, feeling out towards the nearby tree and watch as the water on my hand slowly gravitates towards the tree, slowly but surely crawling outwards. I blink in reflex to my astonishment.


    I keep trying to focus and feelthe world around me as my senses reach out even further, I can feel the wind moving but I can even feel the few leaves falling in the wind.


    My mind fills up with thoughts, the water at my fingertips falls to the ground.


    The world goes black.

 5 Elyn Summoning an answer

    I watch as the woman waves her hand about with the light following it, dancing like a fairy in the wind, glowing all shades of yellow I can think of and even more!


    She asks my bro about some ''lost language'' which I don''t understand but then follows up with the word magic. I love magic, I used to love all those shows on TV about the superpowers people had and they were able to summon flowers and talk to faeries and even fly!


    I really want to fly, I glance up to the sky to look for birds and see none since it is still dark out, instead of birds a few drops of water fall on my face making me almost sneeze in surprise.


    Emyr moves his hand which seems to be covered in water around over my head. I go to complain about him getting my hair wet but the focus on his face makes me reluctant to speak up.


    I watch fascinated as the water ripples before he points his hand out and the water starts crawling forward like it is slowly fleeing away from him.


    The air getting slightly colder as my breath becomes a light fog lit up by the flickering fairy light the woman is still holding.


    After a second of stillness Emmie drops to the ground almost on top of me. I try to catch him but he is a foot and a half taller than me and weighs even more than I can carry, I end up half flattened as I soften his landing.


    A slight stifled laughter comes from the woman which makes me slightly angry.


    "How could you trick Emmie into listening to you, I hate you go away!" This is one of the rare times I raise my voice beyond a whisper to anyone but my brother. I gather myself as I yell at her to go away, and I feel a weightlessness which pulls me slightly forward as focus on her being pushed away so she can''t harm Emyr as I struggle to pull myself from under him.


    Even with my focus on trying to help Emyr lie down properly I can feel the force that I wished for, heading towards the woman, rushing and pushing at her. At the same time my struggles under Emyr get easier and I quickly roll him onto his back before brushing his brown hair out of his closed eyes.


    Looking around for the woman I see her feet are almost fused with the ground to keep herself on the spot but the tent behind her has been knocked over. Her cloak hanging off her shoulder as if torn by violent winds revealing her purple dress underneath the frills lined with flowers that look almost real.


    If it wasn''t for the light going out making it hard to see her face she might almost look pretty.


    I shake the thought out of my head, she wanted to hurt Emyr, even though he is only just 20 he normally protects me, so now I have to make sure he isn''t hurt.


    While keeping my eye on the woman with a threatening glare, I try to sit Emyr into a more comfortable position, making sure the jacket and jeans he has on haven''t got holes in from the fight earlier. I bring out the handkerchief I keep in one of the pockets of my jeans and try to clean up some of the mud from his face all while having a staring contest with the woman who starts focusing on the survivors of the camp instead of us.


    I sit there hugging him to keep him just a bit warmer, after a few minutes he stirs blinking blankly at the sky as if enlightened, the pupils of his eyes like large dishes that almost frighten me. After a minute they return to normal and after a few blinks he seems conscious enough to stand.

 6 Undercover Genius, Recognised Idiot.

    My eyes feel sore like they were being pulled out, before I lost consciousness I felt like I was aware of everything, I could feel the texture of all the plants and trees nearby, even the feeling of Elyns hair as I went to pat her.


    That overload was almost bearable but the feeling of being pulled out of my body tore away my focus causing me to collapse. When I tried to move the water from my body I felt a barrier stopping me from throwing it, the few drops that landed on Elyn each causing a stabbing pain in my head breaking my focus.


    I remember the thing that truly make me lose focus though, was the voice that echoed in my head.


    - -


    Affinity discovered: Water


    Resulting grade: Apprentice [11]


    Achievement: Self Discovery


    Achievement Reward: Firstborns Blessing


    [Gains a small ability to communicate in a non-fluent language]


    Language discovered: Necin


    Resulting grade: Unskilled [4]


    - -


    I think lost focus and then ended up fainting from the amount of information being crammed into my head from trying to use magic.


    I''m not really used to hearing things in my head. I know some claim to hear voices but that wasn''t on my list for things to do today, along with being dragged to an unknown place with my 10 year old sister.


    I drag myself to my feet with the help of a pair of small hands trying to support me the best they can and pat her head as thanks. Looking around the woman seems to have left to interact with the rest of the camp at this point as they were tidying up and moving the bodies into a pile.


    I decide it might be best to move on instead of hanging around outside next to a burning camp, so I bring Elyn the way we were originally heading with the cart, hoping we don''t meet in the future.


    While I wasn''t given any information about the town we are heading towards I can vaguely understand the conversations people had yesterday while we were walking as if someone had uploaded the information in my head.


    From what I can remember from the previous day we are heading East which gives me somewhere to start. I also heard the name Ayrith which I can assume to be the town I''m headed towards.


    The cries before I left my tent screaming ''Troll'' at the creature. I''m not sure what the internet has to do with a large deadly monster but I was never against dealing with those people in a similar manner.


    We pass by the forest which allows me to relax a bit, knowing it would be harder to sneak up on us. I also attempt to make a small light using magic as we travel on the path so we don''t trip. Elyn seems to like chasing the motes of light I''ve been able to create. Once I realised how to cause the specks of light to appear I heard that robotic female voice again.


    - -


    Affinity discovered: Light


    Resulting grade: Apprentice [12]


    School of Magic discovered: Conjuration


    Resulting grade: Unskilled [8]


    - -


    While it surprised me, this time I didn''t start fainting the moment I tried to use this sort of magic. I eventually started to slow down while walking, trying to move the lights away as Elyn ran around trying to catch them, playing Cat and mouse till she caught a few.


    When we were about to start walking, just as we could see the city in the distance, an arrow lands in the ground by my feet.


    "Your lights either mean you are stupid, or wanting to die!" A rough male voice calls out to me. "If you want to stay alive..." He glances a bit more at me before looking puzzled.


    "If I want to stay alive I should join you?" I reply quickly to play on his confusion.


    "Uh, yeah. You don''t look like you have anything that useful on you, so we could definitely find you some work as you look strong enough to labour all day for us. All you have to do is accept our bosses gift of a necklace before joining so we can all start as family. I have one here I was saving for a promising recruit like you" He absentmindedly let down his bow while reaching into a pouch on his side to pull out a small wooden box.

 7 A Contract to be broken.

    While the man was paying more attention on getting out the small wooden box, I managed to get a lot closer.


    "Are there any more of our family near here? You might want to introduce us." I offer to him, checking if there are any more hidden people waiting to attack us. The amount of ambushes I got screwed over by were uncountable back when I was in gangs. I can''t afford to make a mistake with Elyn nearby.


    I walk towards him, slowing down as he glances back up again with a small box in his hand, standing a few meters away from him he looks at me and throws the box towards me.


    "Put on the gift and I can take you to the leader.." He begins to speak but before he can finish I rush him down, taking long strides hoping to catch him before he can respond.


    The problem for me, is that he is a trained fighter and I''m not. In a split second he goes to draw the bow he was holding, drawing it to shoot me in the chest. I dive trying to go for his legs.


    I slip barely under the arrow he was aiming at my chest, stumbling as I dash to block his next shot. He goes to grab a knife by his waist but by the time he has a hold of the handle I stab forward with my knife at his upper right arm.


    That was my first mistake, but I tried to make sure my next move wasn''t one. reaching my leg forward to catch his ankle I manage to make him trip as he stepped backwards I stab again at his stomach, making sure to actually do more than cripple a limb, I stab a few times before rolling away trying to not be hurt myself.


    My jacket covered in a bit of his blood from where I cut his right arm. He howls in pain while trying to grab his knife with his left hand instead. I glance over my shoulder to find Elyn safe and then direct my attention at him again. He crawls to his feet, when I go to kick him he tries to slash at me, thankfully it caught my clothing but now I have a hole in my right jean leg. I decide against kicking him again.


    There is only one thing I can try. I try to quickly focus on the ground beneath him, trying to picture the plants around him holding him down. Forcing my mind into the plants I force them awake and moving, I can feel myself feeling sick, but hold back from collapsing to trap him.


    After a small period of struggling, he ends up covered in plants face down on the ground. Taking no chances I move around to his legs and start cutting away at them a bit to limit his movement should he try to flee. Trying to make him unable to move, I walk to his right arm stamping on his hand and start cutting at the joints in anger and partly fear.


    Exhausted I sit down near him watching his movement as I recover my breath. Thanking that I''m not afraid of blood and violence. The voice sounds once again in my head like an annoying mosquito buzzing near my ear.


    - -


    Skill discovered: Bladed Weapons (Knife)


    Resulting grade: Adept [26]


    - -


    I sigh as I collect myself, cleaning up a bit before stabbing the unmoving mans neck and cleaning the blade on the plants that cover him.


    I go back to Elyn knowing she wasn''t harmed in the middle of this.


    "Ellie, next time I think if that happens, I want you to duck on the ground, it might be dangerous if you stand there even though you were a good girl" I pat her head softly and give her a hug as I praise her.


    After that whole encounter, I decide to take a few more minutes to rest as Elyn complains about the hole in my jeans. Afterwards we head to the city sitting on the golden horizon.

 8 Backtracking

    "Emmie, what did you say to that man?" Elyn leans forward over my shoulder as she inquires.


    "What do you mean? I was talking to him about co-operation, you should have been able to hear that right?" I look back over my shoulder at her.


    "No I heard you say weird words together. Did you not tell me about a secret language you know?" She starts poking my back, pouting a secret I didn''t know about.


    I stop walking for a moment and rethink what happened.


    I heard a man yell and I replied. But I didn''t realise I was speaking another language, it just felt natural. Looking back I suddenly understood what they said and didn''t even question why I could remember the town name spoken by the people on the cart.


    I resume walking towards the city gates, where I can see a few guards already patrolling in their own armour.


    Summing up what I know so far, I''m in an unknown place. Where people speak another language which I can suddenly understand because of a voice in my head. In addition to that, there are creatures that I''ve never seen before, and everyone uses basic carts to travel with swords to defend them.


    Either I stepped into a reenactment or I''m in some other country or world.


    My bets are placed on the other world, I don''t know any actor who could play an 8 foot tall troll.


    As I slowly break down from realising the situation I''m in, I get hugged from behind bringing me back to the world. I thank Elyn in my mind silently for being there as I near gate causing one of the guards to approach.


    "Sir, what is your purpose in this town?" The guard with some sort of leather armour and a spear walks up to me inquiring, as if he won''t let me pass without an answer.


    "I have arrived here due to an item I found on my travels when I defeated a bandit on the road. I am seeking a form of appraisal for the object and to possibly sell it on. Could you recommend me a well known merchant?"


    He looks almost surprised at my reply before nodding and inspecting my clothes. After a brief glancehe walks back to his post with a grunt.


    After pausing for a second, realising I didn''t get an answer about the merchant, I walk into the town staying aware of people walking nearby.


    The town has large dirt roads with shoddy large brick buildings as if they were made by hand and piled on in a hurry. There are only a few wanderers as people head to where they need to be. The road leading deeper into the town with some richer looking buildings closer to the centre of the town.


    After walking a short while around the outer parts of the town to familiarise myself with the conditions in this world, I find a building with groups of people coming in and out. They all seem to be wearing armour and carrying weapons with a special chain of differing colours.


    Intrigued I consider heading to the building, but I decide I should probably solve the problem of money by selling the trinket in the box I have.


    As I walk into a large market area, I realise that there are many things I haven''t seen before on sale. Many different low grade clothes and household tools made from a dull looking and dented metal. A few stalls showing weapons and armour which look somewhat battered and worn stand out proudly showing off their goods.

 9 Exotic Jewlery

    Thearmours on show seem to be very popular even when they are minimal quality, compared to what I''ve seen in movies where the metal would shine in the sun. The weapons effective enough to have some buyers.


    I grow slightly tired of watching people testing the equipment on sale and head deeper into the town trying to find good enough shop to examine the necklace the bandit had in the wooden box. Taking a look myself while avoiding touching it, the necklace is a plain grey object with a small purple gem in the centre and what look like some glass fragments coating the necklace in a way designed to not harm the wearer.


    While it looks somewhat valuable, it doesn''t look nearly as valuable as the gold and silver jewellery my mum used to keep. After her passing the jewellery helped me stay on my feet enough to care for Elyn even at a slight cost to myself.


    I come across a shop with a banner showing a sort of necklace on the wooden board outside with some unreadable text I vaguely understand to be of that Necin language the voice mentioned.


    The shop has a second floor compared with the surrounding buildings only having a ground floor, there are a few vines growing up the building adding to its crude beauty. The windows with some crude bars over as if to allow in light but not people matching the guard who is standing outside..


    I put Elyn on the ground and hold her hand so I don''t lose her as we enter the store. The guard gives me a look before staring at my jeans and jacket as they seem out of place.


    A small bell rings as we enter the dimly lit shop. The middle age man behind the counter looks up from his task as we enter. A younger man, seemingly about my age approaches to speak.


    "Welcome to the Verdugo Brightsmiths Sir, What is it you need today?"


    The mans bright eyes evaluating me the moment I step in, examining my clothes just like the guards his mood seems to improve slightly.


    "Are my clothes really that special?"


    "Of course Sir, anyone with an eye for detail can tell how valuable those materials are and the method to make them like so. If Sir wishes to explain where they are from I''m sure the owner herewould be thankful for a new business opportunity."


    I glance at him shaking my head slightly


    "Do you have a way of telling what this object is?" I offer him the box with the necklace inside.


    "If that is Sirs wishes that can be done. Lets see here. Sir, have you not seen a Mage-Vice before?"


    He glanced in the box and asks me a question about some mage object? I shake my head in reply.


    "Mage-Vices were designed many years ago as a method of keeping mages unable to cast their magic should they be caught in wars as slaves or if one is a prisoner in a dungeon. They usually take a rare material called Planeglass to allow them this ability as well as the purple gem known as a Voids tear which can be even rarer in some places. Even the metal holding them together is silver making it quite expensive. I dare say sir, if you would be willing to sell us this for 3, no 5 gold, we would be happy to buy it from you."


    "If you would buy it happily for 5 gold, that means you would still reluctantly buy it for 15 gold, am I correct?"


    "While Sir might not have practice at bartering, that would be true yes, Sir. If you would be willing for 13 gold we can make the sale right now sir, we don''t have all the money you request on hand and wouldn''t want to owe Sir any form of debt."


    "Great, we have a deal for 18 gold then. I will remember this place fondly in my report."


    I try to put on an air of being backed by someone larger. I don''t feel like explaining how we have the clothes we do without some sort of backer.


    "Very well sir, we have a deal, we might just have all the money you require here give us a few seconds."


    He walks away leaving the necklace on the table as he goes upstairs past a guard.


    After a minute of waiting he comes back with a two pouches of money, explaining he didn''t have 18 gold coins, but was able to find enough silver coins to make up for it. The pouches contained 15 gold and 300 silver. I made sure to roughly count it out while checking his expression to see if he was cheating me, a skill I learnt when gathering protection money years ago.


    Either he does this too much, or that it is the correct amount.


    "Thank you for your assistance in this matter" I pull Elyn out of the shop and decide to walk around a bit more.


    The streets are even emptier now it is getting to the late morning, the few people walking around seem to be going between the market and the building which had those people in armour with dog tags walking in and out.


    I decide to buy a few bags to carry the money and whatever snacks I might plan to buy.


    I can feel someone following us, but they don''t seem to be doing anything other than watching.


    I decide indoors might be a better choice, and head towards the building everyone is heading to. I make sure to buy Elyn a snack, but that too longer than expected as most of the stall owners outside refused to let me buy anything using a silver coin. Instead I had to use the copper coins I got as change for the bag to buy some snacks and a proper meal for Elyn.


    I made sure she had a proper meal, not just meat but included some vegetables for her. Even I was surprised since they seemed to be a lot more bland than usual, the meat tasted entirely of salt and a bit of fat while the vegetables felt like I was chewing on flavourless gum.


    I make a mental note to spend a lot more on good food at a later date, Elyn needs to eat properly and while I feel full, I don''t think that meal was good enough for her.


    She tugs at my arm as we pass a stall close to the building I was heading to with those people in armour, the stall seems to be selling these weird white balls wrapped in a green leaf. After asking what they were the man behind the store answers that they are small snacks meant to fill you with energy, since Elyn wants one I buy a few.


    I''m surprised there is something with flavour in this town. The weird balls happen to be boiled eggs, or something that tastes quite like it. With a bit of flavour from a seasoning that tastes like white pepper, followed by the leaf I can only assume is some sort of rosemary.


    While it isn''t filling, it makes a world of difference compared to the meal earlier. I buy a few more, with less pepper for Elyns sake as I thank the man and finally take the last few steps towards the building that interested me.


    This building, looking similar to the Brightsmiths building, has a second floor, but it also has a spacious first floor compared to most of the buildings I''ve seen, the wide double doors kept open as groups of people walk in and out.


    After giving Elyn a reminder to stick close, we head inside.

 10 Mistaken impressions

    The first impression I get from the place the moment I step in, is that people know what they are doing. The smell of sweat and iron in the air almost makes me gag, I look down to check on Elyn and can see her breathing through her top probably to cope with the smell.


    We get more than a few glances of people watching us enter and observing our clothes, or little Elyn who is accompanying me. My first thought is to buy better, more common clothes to fit in.


    I notice to one side is a row of counters that vaguely remind me of banks with a teller at regular intervals. To the other is an open bar with another door leading out the back to what I assume is some beer garden. There also seems to be some stairs up to the next floor but with the imposing guards in black armour no one is using the stairs.


    I decide the best way to find out information is to ask at the counter and head over to one of the girls stood at the counter. The one I chose was short with long curled auburn hair matching her similarly coloured dark skin and grey eyes who seemed to be on one of the sides attracting less attention, she looked a bit skinnier than the few girls stood in the middle. I start assuming they get paid per commission.


    "Hello Sir my name is Loreena, how can I help you today? Are you here to post a request, hire a party or another matter entirely?"


    "Um, yes I''m looking for information as well as some kind of map, we got lost on our way to this city and we wish to travel back home."


    "Ok sir that would be fine, if you can make a list of the information you require, our guild will try to find it before giving you a price for the information depending on its rarity. As for a map, the most basic one of the nearby area is cheap due to new adventurers collecting their notes over time and handing out their map, but for information further afield you might need to pay more depending on the detail. For the information you asked sir, the total is 4 copper for a copy of the map."


    "Yes that will be fine, I would also like to know about the surrounding towns and cities, I forgot to research that before I came to this area. Information such as their names and general direction. I also met a strange woman on my travels who could use magic and dressed in a cloak. I was wondering if anyone here knew of her as she was attacked by a troll just on the road to the west of here. She wasn''t hurt but a few of her warriors were."


    "Ah yes, the summoner Ilmilmis, we know of her, she recently came to this area, patrolling with some hired mercenaries claiming to ''feel great power at work''. Rumour has it she was being cryptic for taking a holiday of sorts but some think she was studying something in the area. As for the details of surrounding towns and villages, can I ask Sir to join me in a room to the side, we like to keep information we sell a secret to anyone but the customer."


    I''m lead into a room at the side, it even has a few flowers in it making the smell bearable, I can hear Elyn slightly gasping for breaths of fresh air.


    "Is the little lady alright? We could bring you drinks if that would help sir, we have some tea in the back or some handmade juice should the little lady require something sweeter."


    I feel Elyn squeeze my hand as juice is mentioned and ask for juice for her.


    "Now Sir, was there any other information a noble like yourself might want before hiring any warriors for travelling back home?"


    Startled at her wild guess at my status, I keep drinking the tea till I can calm my mind enough to reply properly.

 11 Noble intentions

    Thinking about my options, I decide to pick something less criminal.


    "Loreena must be mistaking something, I am just a merchant from a company who happened to be stranded and left walking in unknown lands. I have money and that should be enough to get home eventually. So I might have some use of a fighting force on my travels, but I am not of a noble rank."


    She blinks as if to reevaluate me and my position.


    "Very well sir, I''m sure we can find you mercenaries to assist you in your travel and guard your goods should you need that. As for the information you require there might be a lot so please freely ask and I will total up the required payment."


    "Actually I assume this should be enough payment, if not I can pay the rest, but first just answer my questions." I place down a gold coin knowing how normal shops don''t accept gold currency.


    Her face brightens as she sees the payment, as I guessed they are likely paid by the amount each person earns. It is also useful to note that this store can deal with larger amounts of money, I make a mental note to trade down some coins for the travel later.


    "First I want to know about the surrounding cities, what they produce and the nearby nations. I''d also like to understand what technology people are accustomed to as I see no cars.. metal carts being driven, ridden around."


    Tripping over words apparently being one of my skills today, I finish my tea while hoping she understood what I was asking. Elyn on the other hand, sneaks one of the egg warp snacks out of the bag to eat, I swear to find her some better food.


    "The nation we are currently in is The republic of lights, also called Himlerith, known for being a major trade nation of the world, although situated in the colder north, our nation has access to rare materials which is likely why Sir left his country to trade here originally. Most of the nearby cities are either mining cities or outpost cities and this is about as far north was people usually get, any further and even it being summertime won''t protect you from the cold."


    So if I wanted to let Elyn live in peace while I figure out where we are, going south where it warmer is the best option. I''ll also have to act like a trader now if I wish to keep up my image, but it should help with my money if I can do well, even though a small inn I''m told is 30 copper a day, the gold coins I have now will run out in a few years, or less if I plan on travelling.


    "This is definitely useful information, now the additional things you mentioned, mercenaries. I would like a group who would are trustworthy to protect my sister, this might mean they have girls in their group so I can know they are less likely to hurt my sister. But I want to possibly hire them for long term protection that might last over a year as I travel, if needed I can pay for the inn they stay in and food with a wage if it takes that much for a trusted higher grade group."


    "Yes Sir, I''m sure we can arrange you to be protected by a steel ranked party unless you wish to wait a week or two and we could possibly find a silver party to help protect you. Unfortunately this is only a small village, if you wished for a stronger party you would have to head to the capital of Himlerith; Undam, to find a guild of a tier 3 or higher, without going there you are stuck with a tier 2 guild like us or someone below."


    "No, I think a Steel party would be fine, I am in a hurry to get back home you see."


    "Yes of course Sir, if you wish we can gather some of the parties that meet your requirement by the end of the day if that is an acceptable wait."


    Nodding to agree, the lady offers for me to stay in the room after she processes the payment for the questions. At lunchtime they bring some better quality food that I am thankful for due to Elyns sake. Loreena seemed very aware of that and was helpful so I consider leaving her a few silver as thanks so she can live better for a while.

 12 Claws or Talons 1

    After sitting in the room on the comfy chairs for a while, Elyn dropped off to sleep. This gave me some freedom to roam around within the building, with Loreena keeping an eye on the door for me.


    - -


    Language improved: Necin


    Resulting grade: Unskilled [5]


    - -


    The notifications mean nothing to me yet, but I do know it has become a lot easier now to understand the intent behind what people are saying. Before it was like talking to a brick wall, now it is talking to a brick wall with a face glued on.


    This boost happened in the middle of me listening into conversation around the hall while trying to act less suspicious in my well made clothes. I make a mental note about getting some ''worse looking'' clothes so I stand out less.


    Besides learning a bit about the order of party ranks, which will help me once the groups arrive for my interview later, I also saw a fight go on and it helped me get an idea for what some of the party ranks represent.


    The lowest as I had expected is Copper, these guys almost always take the boring ''carry objects through town'' quests. I make a mental note they are generally good at labour while not always being trustworthy.


    Apparently bronze is next, which made me wonder about the lack of a tin rank, bronze ranks usually collect herbs from nearby, well trodden paths. So I group them together with those crazy herbalists back home who would buy their own mortar and pestle to process the random leaves they found into a powder.


    Iron and Steel ranks seem to be the guys who learn to fight monsters, although what other monsters there are I''m unsure of yet. It seems many parties stop at Iron rank as many are part of a Tier 1 guild limiting their rank unless they move to a better ranked guild. From what they talk about, Iron rank seem to be people who could fight against trainee martial artists and Steel might be able to beat some of the better martial artists I''ve seen on TV. Adding in their special skills I saw one person demonstrate to his friends, their fighting power seems better than the people in our country who fight for sports.


    Steel and Silver ranks are found at Tier 2 guilds like this one I''m in, apparently the name of the guild is Roaring Brigade.


    The ranks above that are limited to guilds graded Tier 3 and higher up to Tier 5, but besides hearing the ranks of Gold, Platinum and Diamond, I have no way of knowing their strength.


    Loreena walks over in the afternoon to inform me that the parties have been gathered and are waiting my approval, so I wake up Elyn and hand her a snack as we head to one of the training yards.


    We are greeted by parties comprising mostly of men, with a few women who seem dressed up as archers and one who looks like a different version of a medic with a few bags full of thing like bandages and what look like better made poultices than I was ever given.


    "Group up!" Loreena shouts in their direction, causing the few who were asleep to wake up quite quickly. I mentally make a note of which groups they go to and remove a few points on alertness.


    Suddenly a group runs in to the courtyard to mine and Loreenas amazement as they line up at the end in their own group.


    "Sorry we were late, we only just managed to rank up and they said there was an important long term travelling job for a merchant taking place in a few minutes, I hope it is fine if we also join as we were also recommended to participate by the counter."


    I reply with a nod as I inspect the group of 5 who entered last, 3 girls and 2 guys. One of the girls even carrying a shield larger than Elyn. The two other girls, one with a bow and the other with some medical supplies look like the typical support roles of a party. The girl with the bow having short brown hair, as seemingly custom for all the people using bows who are standing in front of me. While the medic girl dressed in what seems to be a thin ''combat robe'' which stops around her knees as if to still give movement while providing protection seems to be muttering as she catches her breath.


    "Now since everything seems to be in order, I would like each party to introduce themselves to this Sir while stating their party name and rank. Later we will have some demonstrations if required by sir to test your capabilities, as long as you try hard the guild will refund the time you spent here if you are not hired."


    "Actually I don''t think that is needed for a few of the parties." Pointing at a few of them, including the one who arrived late, "I don''t think any of these parties are suited to my needs, if I need to explain why I''d be happy to."

 13 Claws or Talons 2

    Silence suddenly came over the courtyard, the first one to speak was Loreena.


    "If that is what Sir requests then that is fine, but i Sir is willing, an explanation would help those rejected, to know where to possibly improve."


    "Very well then, I shall first explain why those parties have been refused, the first test is unity. I have worked in many teams and groups before, and one of the core aspects for fighting is unity. Without it a group will fall apart and mistrust each other, this can be noticed by how distributed your equipment is, on top of how you interact within the group in social situations, along with a few other reasons, I don''t believe that those groups can hold up to the pressure I might end up in and was hoping to politely deny you before I could hear your party names which if heard would mean refusing you is also refusing your honour."


    Everyone blankly stares in my direction as I half think back to when I had to organise patrol groups.


    "Very well Sir, do any of the parties have a problem with that?"


    After a round of people finally accepting my reasons, the courtyard has already been more than halved.


    "Now we have the room, I would ask for each party to send their strongest and weakest fighter and we will have a little tournament of sorts. First I wish to duel a few people, it has been a while since I had training, and it would also help each of your parties understand my capabilities for when you are defending me. If that isn''t enough I have one other method but this one should make it fun."


    The remaining 4 parties each choose their members to step forth into my little test. I feel like laughing maniacally but restrain myself.


    My first opponent going by the name Gavin Cromwell, with his curled brown hair and blue eyes steps up to my challenge holding a training sword and shield, I of course pick a training dagger. Apparently this elicited a few laughs from Gavins party called The Scarlet Bears before I looked in their direction and they shut themselves up quickly.


    Loreena goes over the rules before declaring the match to start, I rush straight out the moment I hear the confirmation to start. My speed being nothing new to Gavin, he brings his shield to face me making it hard for me to attack around.


    My first attack bounces off the shield more than I expected causing my to stumble slightly leaving an opening that Gavin tries to capitalise on. Using all my strength to recover the dagger and my balance allows me to just barely use the force of his strike to step backwards causing the rest of his attack to miss.


    I realise that I''ve never dealt with a gang member holding a shield before and have no idea how to get past one. Looking for openings I start circling around Gavin hoping to noticing a flaw when he turns or any long term conditions that would force him to leave openings. To my amateurs eye the only opening I can see is when I try to dash to his left on the side of his shield which causes him to lower it slightly to keep an eye on my footing.


    This leads me into pushing at this flaw, I deliberately keep running around his left side forcing him to keep lowering his defence hoping to get in a strike. After a few seconds I notice that his turning is also slightly slow, so I reconsider and back off after trying a few strikes to the bottom part of his shield.


    Taking advantage of each of these factors, I run around to his right side which makes him instinctively follow me around, I launch a few attacks forcing him to bring his shield arm across his body to block me on his right side.


    In a single move, I thrust my dagger at his shield with a large amount of force, forcing him to take the attack seriously, at the same time I duck under his shield and dash around to his left side where he left an opening for that brief second he was recovering.


    The shield starts moving back as he attempts to search for me, but I aim my training dagger at his waist and strike with enough force to break his stance.

 14 Claws or Talons 3

    I feel the knife collide with him and can feel him step back from the strength I put into the strike. But what I didn''t expect was that he was able to move his shield fast enough to put it in the way.


    Disheartened, I know that this match is over and call it, shaking Gavins hand as he was able to guard well against me. I feel slightly depressed as I know that while I learnt to fight, this world takes it a lot more seriously than I might have before.


    Shortlisting Gavins group as a possibility I move onto the next three groups, each with similar outcomes. Against the ranger I was able to almost dodge the arrows aimed at me, but I came out with bruises instead for thinking I could succeed in dodging them more than once by luck and against a buff guy who focused on heavy weapons I managed to fight equally but being unable to block I never got in any sort of hit as I didn''t want any broken bones by the end of the test.


    Loreena seems slightly impressed that I could hold my own in some cases as I suppose I showed that I''d be able to fight and probably beat an Iron rank member with a bit of a struggle, I suppose she saw me originally as some weaker merchant who had more wealth than strength.


    In the end I select two parties as my favourites and consider hiring both for a total of 15 mercenaries, one being a group of 6 with Gavin leading them and the other group being the remaining 9 led by a woman named Bimaya Farpetor who seemed to prefer relaying her thoughts through another woman in her group rather than talk to me directly.


    In total the two groups have 11 males and 4 females, 3 of the girls coming from Bimayas party called Madshields. With a force this strong, I should at least survive the trip to a safer, more populated are right?


    I''m left with the final question, do I find a stronger party to guard me, or do I keep these people? These groups will take most of my money eventually, but if I hire a better party I could go further depending on what happens.


    After inquiring, apparently there is little need for parties above Silver to even show up when trouble occurs usually, so having two Steel parties is probably safe enough.


    Afterwards the two parties I kept are gathered in the courtyard again.


    "You might all be wondering, so I will begin to answer you. I am Emyr Esgynnwr, This is my younger sister Elyn Esgynnwr. For a few different reasons we find ourselves away from our homeland and wish to return. Hence I need to hire reliable and skilled people such as yourselves. The time of employment will be undecided but you will be paid the same wage all the time.


    My only rules are that Elyn is to be protected before me, and that everything you do while employed by me is under my name. This also means you must respect my name or face a penalty. While I''m not against drinking, I will take it as a personal offence should someone run around like an idiot when they are working for me. As well as that, anything gained from working with me, will be given to me, and I shall give a bonus based on the task. You are bodyguards, and will guard me as such, killing my enemies such as monsters means you get paid a bonus, that doesn''t mean you can take the rewards off my enemy without my approval even if I require help harvesting things.


    As long as these are terms you can abide by, we can negotiate how much each person gets paid before writing up a contact that this guild can help enforce should the need arise."


    I notice everyone seems to be a bit dumbfounded with me talking about conditions only for Loreena to walk over and whisper to me. At the same time Elyn drags me slightly away from Loreena as if not wanting me to get close to her.


    "The guild already is treating this as a bodyguard request and most of what you said has already been mentioned to them before, Sir."


    I stop for a moment realising how stupid I must have sounded while looking so confident.

 15 Awkward moments

    I recollect myself as much as I can, trying to hide my embarrassment even just slightly.


    "Ah, yes. I just, just like to establish my bottom lines. Especially the part about protecting Elyn over myself. I assume the girls in the parties will be capable of helping with that. I will mention though that she doesn''t understand this language properly as she only knows the language from our homeland."


    With a few nods of agreement we leave the courtyard and start writing up contracts, the guild does most of the writing. Making sure there are rules set so they can''t attack or rob me or Elyn, that they can flee if I take them to a significantly dangerous place and I ignore their warnings among many other small rules. Both of the party leaders and I sign a copy causing a small glowing chain to briefly appear from the contract towards one of each persons wrist who was included in the contract, as if binding them to it.


    Along with a long note written by Loreena we now are prepared for travel. I can''t help feel a bit unprepared and uninformed, but I''ll take my chances away from the dangerous woman, apparently named Ilmilmis. I make sure to have bought a cart along with two horses and some valuable goods I saw on notices in the guild as being harder to obtain. Apparently people value a herb called Pudina Milfoil which is used in healing along with Hard Tulips which are more common but less effective as a substitute.


    Pudina Milfoil is usually found in swamps but there was apparently one up north in a more dangerous area, the plants have spiny leaves which are usually collected for potions.


    Harp Tulips on the other hand are harvested for their buds, which are harvested at nighttime when the flower is asleep they told me. Apparently it also has a mild laxative effect which Elyn laughed at a bit when I explained it to her.


    We head the only way we can safely which is south, towards greater civilisation. Heading to a place with more people also gives me a chance to learn what I need in regards to continents that the guild didn''t mention. According to the guild only 6 nations exist in the world, which confused me for a second. Either these people have been hidden from the outside world for a very long time, or this isn''t my world. I''m starting to believe the latter.


    I make sure to buy a few of the wrapped eggs since Elyn liked them so much, the man at the store even gave me one of the spices he was using that Elyn enjoyed.


    "Hey, Elyn. What food do you think you want once we reach a larger city?"


    "I want the large fish, I miss the fish you used to buy on a Friday along with those chips, do they have chips? I also want more sweets, why aren''t there sweets Emmie? Do people not get to eat sweets here? Why can''t we make people some? People look unhappy do they not have enough sweets, why can''t we give them any?"


    "I''m sure if we try we could make and sell sweets to people, when we reach a place with more people do you want to try it? I''ll let you taste test before we sell them to people."


    "But what about the other kids? Don''t they get sweet things? If you sell them then won''t the adults steal them?"


    "I''m sure we can sell some to children, if you don''t eat them all that is."


    In response to her pouting at my comment, I laugh to myself as we finish buying the food and other supplies needed. On the pretence of having a servant usually prepare for my travel I got enough help from Loreena about what to take and what routes are better towards Undam, the capital.


    I still feel a little embarrassed at my lack of knowledge, so I make sure to ask a larger number of questions before I leave, having the answers noted down for me to carry which is the paper I was carrying all day, trying to remember the replies and answers I was given.


    Surprisingly enough though, only one person; one of the girls we hired for protection, was able to recognise the language I was talking to Elyn in. The girl referred to it as ''magic language'' as her teacher taught her a few words in it. It looks like no one in the guild or elsewhere could understand what I was saying, or notice anything wrong with it besides not understanding it.


    Through experimenting, I learnt I was able to switch which language I was using as long as I focus on a person it switches to something they can understand. A useful but awkward ability since it stills feels like I''m talking normally.


    So with the 15 guards, a large cart and two horses pulling it along with weeks worth of supplies and trade goods, we head out.

 16 Country road

    We set out, cart packed with goods and materials while covered by a large layer of fabric to protect some of it from water, apparently it is a thick tanned leather hide meant to protect the plant cargo from rain. They seemed a bit unsure what I meant when I brought up transporting the plants live, apparently only alchemists do such a thing as it can cost more and isn''t that effective.


    After all our preparations, along with some of the mercenaries saying goodbye to their family, we set off; down the south road out of the town. Apparently they dislike the word ''hireling'' but I''m not even sure what the difference is, I suppose it might be like those politically correct people I had to deal with sometimes. They would claim that gang member was incorrect, that we were ''misguided youths'' and the link. I know most of them were shut up when they came face to face with the real thing.


    Elyn for the most part found it interesting to play with the horses, I had to keep warning her to never approach them from behind so instead she would walk with them till she got tired every half hour of walking.


    "Why do the horses have to pull our things? Can''t we just ride on them, doesn''t this pulling our things hurt them?"


    It took a while to explain how the harnesses are made to reduce the weight they have to deal with which accounted for most of the time she spent resting.


    The guards shouted a few warnings at her which I had to translate when she ran around picking different flowers, in the end one of the girls in the party made flower necklaces with Elyn to keep her distracted before she went and touched something poisonous in one of the areas we were going through. Elyn apparently ended up learning the word for flower due to it being brought up enough in conversation as well as the most basic greetings. It was nice to see her still willing to learn even if she isn''t familiar with the environment.


    Luckily travel went by quietly, the few monsters that did appear were extremely weak and were quickly handled by only a few people while the rest stayed alert for additional ambushes. They seemed pretty focused on the enemies possibly flanking us, something I wouldn''t have considered from these goblin monsters they killed 15 of just a moment ago. The topic of flanking made me realise I was underestimating creatures in this place. I thought they were strong and dumb like that troll from a while back but according to Gavin, they are capable of even using basic siege tactics.


    The troll from before was only capable of charging and attacking the things it saw as weak. It probably targeted me as I wasn''t going to be able to defend myself. These goblins tried to fight in groups, although not for long before the 5 people picked from Bimayas party finished them off with two people on each side and someone with a shield in the middle as their formation, they overpowered the weaker weapons of the goblins before crushing their side.


    The tactics of this world might be something to consider though. While devising plans for camp I had to point out what I thought were somewhat basic factors for fighting. That it wasn''t just about flat terrain and wide open spaces, but the use of traps that they were using for food could be used for alarms. I have a feeling only the more knowledgeable parties learn to do it after a while.


    I had to explain a bit before one of the women named Mirabelle was able to understand everything I was saying, but due to a lack of preparation towards alarm traps didn''t have enough tools to secure the whole camp. These events keep leading me to the conclusion that explaining knowledge from my country might be very beneficial for my survival at a later date, so I begin taking mental notes when I notice something wrong to follow up on later.

 17 Alarm bells

    The two parties agreed on their night watch as I was sat by the fire attempting to roast some small creature Mirabelle caught in one of her traps outside of camp earlier. Apparently it is common to forage for food to cut down on costs. Thinking back this makes the amount of snacks I brought somewhat useless. Glancing over I see Elyn eating another wrapped egg, so maybe not that useless then.


    Apparently Mirabelle also was happy to stay up for the majority of the night for helping with the watch which surprised me, she explained that she was actually an elf, which for a moment got her a blank stare in reply. I make a mental note against being racist as I ask her what she knows about the other ''non-monster'' races. She told me off lightly and said that they were called the cultured races, which I don''t see the difference, but I suppose semantics is a thing in every world.


    Apparently besides the dwarves and elfs there are also a few halflings, orcs and demibeasts such as lizardfolk and Tabaxi, Tabaxi also known as ''Cat people''. I say Elyns eyes brighten up when I mentioned it to her, she always had an affinity for cats specifically. I wonder if I could hire one as a carer down the line, it would help her learn how to speak this Necin too if she had a reason to learn it.


    As I sit there at the fire spacing out, one of the mercenaries adds some fuel to keep it going while I''m still thinking. A fire usually means passion or destruction. But what most forget is that if a forest burns down, a new one will grow eventually. The seeds might get burnt, but they survive thrown into a new place. Along with other new plants getting a chance to fight.


    I sit on the meaning for a while before sending Elyn to bed. Now most of the mercenaries are getting ready for sleep, but I don''t find myself sleepy due to the last time I tried camping. Thankfully one of the mercenaries knows how to drive the cart so even if I sleep I won''t be missed.


    The night is cold, apparently the blankets I bought originally aren''t enough, instead I decided to sleep hugging Elyn so she doesn''t get too ill. She always used to come and sleep with me when she had nightmares and as my sister we never found it awkward, in the end she ends up hugging me with a small smile on her face while asleep as I keep her warm.


    A quiet night, but also a cold one. The world I came to turned from green to white. While it is enjoyable to Elyn, it is hell to me with how cold it has gotten in the night. Thankfully the fire is still going so I ask them to keep it on for a while while I warm up. Apparently some of our water froze overnight too so we had to spend a bit of time fixing that anyway.


    After packing up the camp I remember how when I was dragged here, it was around the same season in my country with all the lights being hung across town ready for December and the new year. I make another mental note to ask about seasons and calendars secretly at a later date.


    After warming up everything and preparing we head off for the rest of the days journey towards the next town where I plan to buy many more blankets for Elyn to stay cosy in, especially while travelling. After asking the group I''m with, they seem to be fine if I was to also get a carriage for her to travel in and the price is well within the money I have left even if I was to straight out buy one. Both get added to the shopping list the moment I find a nice clean, warm inn. Along with a bath for the both of us.

 18 Long roads

    It took another camp the following night and then most of the day to eventually get to Auriluire which is the city on route to Undam, the capital down the south. Having lost my energy to run around looking for my homeland which might not even be possible to reach currently, I decide it might do well if I set up shop near Undam after exploring for the year I''ve hired these people for. If I have funds then I can gain more power and contacts which should give me some chance of getting back home.


    While I''m still confused on how we got here, I know being depressed in front of Elyn doesn''t help things. The second night camping it looked like she was crying in her sleep so she must be unable to cope right now with the change of environment. She always did try to stay strong so she could help me but little moments like that remind me how she is still a kid. I swear I''ll find a way to make her some sweets and to keep her comfortable, she might need a few friends but none of the children I saw on the streets seem like they would know how to play nicely.


    When I think of large groups of kids, I''d assume places like school or daycare. According to Gavin he hasn''t ever heard of anything of the sort and apparently school is limited to the heirs of companies normally by private tutors with long lists of pupils. The only other place I could think that has kids is orphanages but I also got told that most of them get taken over by gangs to ''develop the next generation''.


    After a while travelling we arrive at the town, Auriluire. I''m told it gets its name off the person who first travelled here as they were heading north for a frost flower, although no one knows the true name of the herb.


    According to the story the woman trekked up really far north just for a single herb, she made a camp here to settle down in for the winter before trying to head out. She spent ages out in the snow learning the land, setting traps for food and trying to find any glimpse of the herb she was looking for, even after falling off hills and cutting her hands open numerous times, only made worse by the biting cold. One time once she got back and was sat around a fire rethinking her approach, a group of travellers turned up. They brought a letter about her mother dying before she could get the herb to rescue her and a gift from her mother of the blanket she grew up with. In her grief she went into the mountains that day with the blanket and never came back. The story says that later on someone found the herb in a swamp nearby the ladies hometown where her mother was and that while the woman rushed away to help, if she had stayed with her family things could have still worked out. Neither the woman or the blanket were seen again, but it is said that some herbs that were seen by the woman started gaining the properties of others, as if to make them more useful to everyone.


    So there is a second meaning to the story, look at what is close to you as it can solve a lot more if you let it. Elyn seems happy though as I kept giving her hugs while listening to the story, as it reminded me how much I''d freak out and go to run to the shop if Elyn got hurt but we always had first aid in the house, it would just slip my mind as I panicked. at one point she started locking the door so I didn''t have to run around before she could remind me and only then did I start remembering.

 19 Protection from wha

    We reach the gates of Auriluire, apparently I don''t have to lift a finger as Gavin speaks to the guard and gets us inside the city. The stone walls seem a lot more imposing than the wooden walls of the previous city. I''m told this is because a lot more people we will encounter now actually have money and that this is probably the last town we won''t be charged to enter.


    I decide to spend enough for a good inn for me and Elyn, we share the same room with a double bed but now we have something comfy to lay on. Our guards went and hired their own rooms from an inn down the street which is cheaper, but I did get two small rooms nearby for the party leaders to live close enough to be by bodyguards should it be required.


    This got me treated almost like royalty by the innkeeper who probably hasn''t had someone ask for something like that before and even if they had, not for two people more than likely.


    I sent out some of the group members for errands, making sure we have warmer clothes, buying some blankets and winter clothes, but I will probably have to get some custom made so they actually look nice.


    Elyn as usual wanted to wander around town looking for different snacks, apparently there was a stand selling things that look like kebabs with a bunch of different ingredients on them. Both of us try one to find out one of the meats tastes really nice, we got told it was a type of rare deer found in these parts which apparently guilds rate as an iron rank danger. Which starts giving me the idea to hunt down more of these creatures as I casually buyout all of the deer meat the man has on offer using snacks as an excuse, I save a few bits of meat for each of the people working for us as I feed the rest to Elyn who kept giving me a bit so I wasn''t left out.


    Besides the food and clothes shopping, I decide having something more than the dagger I brought with us would be a good choice. After asking directions with the help of Gavin intimidating anyone who thought to steal or extort money from me, we found ourselves at a weapon shop.


    The clanging of metal frightened Elyn at first, so I ask Gavin to look after her outside while I go in to take a look. The banging of metal coming from the back of the shop was pretty noticeable once we got somewhat close. apparently the shop is at the edge of the town for two reasons.


    First reason is the noise, and I can agree not wanting to put up with this every day.


    The second is the business. We past right by this blacksmiths last evening, which shows how placement can help as he likely gets many requests for repairing weapons.


    Instead of the stereotypical male dwarf, smithing away out the back like I was expecting, I''m met with a short girl carrying around logs and charcoal.


    "Are you the blacksmith here?" I probably look as confused as I feel but I don''t want to get something wrong so I ask politely.


    "No that would be my dad, he is currently out the back working, what can I do for you?" She puts down the logs she was carrying, her face covered in black marks probably from the charcoal as she asks.


    "Ah yes, I was looking to see if there were any long daggers I could consider buying, I''m only here for a few days so I don''t wish to rush you with a custom order. I could also do with a set of throwing daggers if you have anything small enough for that. I think back to my failed throw the first time and begin to blame my lack of proper weapons rather than my lack of skill.

 20 The pointy stabby implements

    So I was technically correct. The dad is out the back streotypically smithing away. I do also notice that he is a dwarf. I sigh internally at how cliche this feels.


    "Custom order? We can do those in just a day or two if you know what you want right now. I''ve had a slow week of business since it seems to be getting colder out. People always seem to go travelling less around this season, I was almost about to cool the forge for the rest of the month, thats why Bali here was cleaning up the remaining logs. I''m Throri should you need to ask around for me later."


    "Ah, yes. I was hoping for something similar to this dagger but a bit longer, it doesn''t have to be the same material."


    "Oh? This doesn''t look dwarven made. It looks like something those old gnomes were rumoured to make, only in a lot better condition than those old relics people dig up. Tell you what, give it to me to study for a bit and I''ll make you your custom order within 2 days cheaper than I''d ask for on a rushed custom order."


    After agreeing he looks in the girls direction causing her to pick up the logs again before sitting down at a table at the side of his workshop to study the knife from my world.


    I decide to take my leave just as Elyn pokes her head around the corner, I suppose the lack of hammering helped her find courage to look in. Gavin standing on the edge of the road keeping an eye on her, he takes a few quick steps forward as he realises I''m watching him.


    Two days to relax, or in my case practise. We return to the courtyard of the inn I was staying at where there seems to be a training field. I ask Gavin to help me practise with shortswords which seem to be a similar length to the weapon I want.


    It was at this point I realise how bad I am. The voice reinforcing that hurt my self-confidence too.


    - -


    Skill discovered: Bladed Weapons (Shortsword)


    Resulting grade: Unskilled [8]


    - -


    Yeah, really unhelpful. So with my bruised body and ego, I take a rest. Elyn hugging me gently from behind trying to avoid pressing on any of my many bruises. I assume this is Gavins paypack for me barely beating him the first time. He looks a bit too happy with himself at the outcome of the fight, so I find a wooden practice dagger from nearby and call for a rematch.


    Apparently my bruising made me easier to tire and I am defeated a bit too swiftly and almost with a bit of vengence. I could barely get in my first few dodges before he rammed the practice shield at my head making me black out for a minute. The only upside I had gotten out of this was the second time the voice spoke in my head.


    - -


    Resistance discovered: Stunned


    Trigger chance: 1%


    Achievement: Tough Nut


    Achievement Reward: Thickheaded


    [Gains a minor reduction to external forces causing brain damage]


    - -


    Well at least I''ll be getting stupid slower than before. But I really don''t plan on being hit around the head too much. It always made me wonder how those tough guys in sport could have their heads kicked in daily and not die from it. I think I remember reading one report about the guy who did though.


    Going through a list of tools and skill I can think of, my streetwise habits might come in handy, or my knife skills which are well trained compared to people who are above average in this world. I try to run through most of the things I know from my world, but I never learnt how a fridge worked or anything complex enough to turn into something to sell. There is one new subject I''ve learnt recently though I should spend more time learning about though.

 21 Un Natural dispositions

    Yes, the new subject. Magic.


    While I was taught it haphazardly, I managed to gain some understanding on my walk to the first town. First was that language had an impact on what happened. If I said ''Lighter'' and pictured a lighter you might use when you smoke, it would produce a smaller flame than when I used the word ''bonfire''.


    This was how I made those fireflies that Elyn was playing with. I thought of just fireflies and tried to imagine them filling the air and after a moment a few appeared and kept increasing in number. IF I hadn''t been distracted I probably would have lost control in making them.


    What was that phrase the man said to me? ''Your lights either mean you are stupid, or wanting to die!''?


    Why would making a light so you don''t fall over be a problem? If I went without a light I wouldn''t be able to see where I was going. Oh. If I know where I''m going, so does everyone else.


    I make a mental note to devise some ''heat vision'' spell instead for future use when I understand magic better.


    My practise with magic involved sitting down and attempting to do different tasks, the first was to light up the area around me, the second was to make some water like I did before.


    This time instead of throwing the water, I attempt to hold it there in the air. Getting a smart idea, I attempt to light a fire under it to see if I can heat it up. I move the water over to me and reach out my hand as if I have a lighter to heat up the water.


    The moment I think of fire, the water in front of me pushes out everywhere, burning me in the process as it rapidly evaporates and expands. Thankfully I closed my eyes in time, but my face, arms and hands sting from the burns of steam.


    So now I''m bruised, burnt and tired. What a good combination.


    Sitting there hoping the pain goes away starts to make me consider if magic can heal me.


    While I''m not sure where to begin, I know that burns damage the skin and nerves.


    "Repair skin and nerves, remove burns." I focus on trying to believe that my skin is healing. After a minute of enduring the pain, I see in the corner of my eyes, my hand starting to look better. Or not. I can''t tell. As I focus on that area more, suddenly it starts changing more rapidly under my eyes, what was once red burns has settled a lot more. While not perfect, it has reduced a lot of the time I''d spend needing to rest. Closing my eyes I sit there for over 20 minutes trying to focus on every part of my body that hurts, even the bruises.


    I get the smart idea to ''reinforce'' my bones, trying to come up with some long sentences for that ends up making my body feel a bit slower as if I weigh a bit more than I used to. Copying that idea I try to do the same to my muscles, but only get finished on my arms and legs before I collapse from running out of energy.


    Apparently I slept most of the next day as when I woke up I found Elyn sitting nearby the bed half asleep waiting for me to wake up, with a few dried tears in her eyes. I''m sure seeing me asleep there was a shock for her again. I make sure to hug her and keep her in my hug till she stirs and wakes up.


    "I''m sorry for making you worry again." I hug her more and keep patting her head to reassure her.


    I start coughing which puts another worried look on her face. After a moment I stop before realising the problem I caused myself when I was messing with my body earlier.

 22 Side Effects

    What I didn''t realise, was that making my body heavier, didn''t just need my legs to be stronger, but also my organs. Much of the bruising had come back and was even worse than it should have been. Many of my muscles felt torn and out of place, even breathing hurt to some degree.


    I collect myself while trying to find and fix the problems I can think of; while breathing becomes a lot easier, I become more tired.


    The benefit of all of this is I''m becoming used to how much magic I can use. Even if it causes me to collapse with exhaustion by the end of it.


    The feeling of my energy drain from me while uncomfortable, leaves me with a sense of achievement each time. Almost making me feel slightly drunk each time I use most but not all of my power.


    By the end of the day, Bali turned up to say her dad had finished the custom order. This reminded me I slept for nearly a whole day before waking up.


    After tidying myself up a bit, we head down to have the final touches made to the weapon I will probably use from now on in a fight.


    The smoke from the forge bellowing high like a dragon trying to hide behind the building leading me to think it is being finished up right now. We walk in the forge to hammering, causing Gavin to help look after Elyn outside as I head through to the back.


    While still focused on smithing, Throri looks up at me in the corner of his eye before glancing at Bali and back down to his job. Bali taking his cue brings over a bowl and offering a knife to me. I glance at them a bit confused before she explains that this weapon is a high enough grade that my blood might help enhance it.


    Reluctantly I make a cut large enough across my wrist to cause a lot of bleeding. I''m somewhat confident at healing myself now thanks to my control, even if I have to grit my teeth against the pain. If not I have learnt about healing potions recently from Gavin and planned to buy some for emergencies which he claimed could heal most minor wounds as long as they didn''t go more than a finger joint deep or damage anything solid like bones.


    The bowl is placed in front of Throri, moments later he grabs the bowl, half filled with blood and begins to pour it over the blade, the heat burning it as it touches the surface, half congealing from the heat and half evaporating with a pungent smell as it burns away. He rests the sword in a shallow case before pouring the rest of the blood in, letting it cover the hand-less blade.


    After a few minutes, he pulls out the blade before heating it once more and tempering it finally in water while helping clean off the remaining blood. Apparently he didn''t empty the bowl and pours the remainder in with a sort of black liquid he had sitting on the side I didn''t notice before.


    After the blade has cooled, Bali brings him a wooden handle, neatly covered in leather, he starts by forcing the liquid into the hole at the end of the handle, before fitting the blade into it as if it is some sort of glue meant to keep the handle on. With a few extra straps to hold the small guard in place, the weapon is hammered with a wooden mallet to make sure it is secure before he fastens it tightly and hands it to me.


    "For the first day or two, let it settle, don''t let it get wet. After those two days you can take off the additional leather by pulling this bit, once you have done that, the weapon is finished. If you want the chance of the weapon getting more powerful, I recommend keeping it in physical contact with you all the time before you remove the leather bindings for the handle. The sheath I had made for the blade fits well, but if you need it remade in the future it shouldn''t be too hard for a good craftsman."

 23 Travel or Trouble

    Now more prepared than ever, with a new weapon, new clothes and blankets, and with some special items like the healing potions. I deem myself prepared to head to the safer capital to reside while I figure out what I''m doing to get back home.


    The only thing I''m apparently missing was suggested by Bimaya, the second party leader who seems to prefer watching from a distance than informing me of something. She suggested that now we are in a more established town, I could buy some scrolls.


    Originally I was confused at why I would want to buy bits of paper, but after an introduction, I realised that having a few spell scrolls on hand could be useful for Elyn to defend herself with.


    I am guided to another larger building, this one the size of half a school, with numerous people walking in and out every few minutes. The building looking a lot cleaner than the creeper covered walls of the other buildings I''ve seen before.


    Entering the building I am met by a reception area, with a few people at the counter, each with a book in front of them. One of the receptionists seems to be dealing with a male customer while the other two have their heads down working on the papers in front of them.


    One of the women at the desk looks up as I near the counter before offering a small book for me to read. Apparently it contains a list of most of the scrolls they can sell to the public. Instead of reading I decide to just ask the lady about protective scrolls that can be given to a child. She seemed to believe that a magical item like jewellery would be more effective than a scroll but also mentioned how they are only sold in capitals due to how some can sell for multiple gold coins.


    The scrolls actually seem pretty expensive compared to most other objects I''ve been buying. The cart we ride in only costed about 3-4 silver coins but the scrolls can cost over 20 silver depending on the effect. From the scrolls she listed for me, I bought three that would cause an attacker to think the person they were attacking was someone they knew. While it isn''t able to make them do anything due to the short duration, people don''t usually attack their friends which would give me a few extra seconds to react in the worst cases. Besides that, I took a few purify scrolls which might have a positive effect on the taste of food, and even if it doesn''t they are also used for removing poison from food and drink anyway.


    Since I put most of our gold aside as ''savings'' we only have about 2 gold left I''m letting myself spend, the other 15 gold will be kept in my jacket from my world. Most of the clothing I used to buy was double or triple layered cloth, so dropping the coins in holes on the clothes would make less sound and make them less noticeable. The extra coins we have I spend on Elyns snacks, I don''t want to see her hungry again because of poor food.


    The cart is prepared and everyone is ready to move out. Making sure we packed everything and after checking a few times with the team, making sure they don''t suggest any more items, we head to leave the town in the direction of Undam.


    As we were nearing the gate, a horn ran out across the city, the gates all closing seconds after with the guards clearing away the people standing in the way.

 24 Locked in

    The iron gate slammed shut, the guards readying their weapons and calling people to back away. A large column of smoke appears at the northern gate of the city the other side from where we were leaving.


    The guards keep yelling that no one is allowed out and everyone is to remain calm. As the quantities of smoke increase tenfold at irregular intervals across the northern wall. Assuming we are under attack, I first check everyone is around and that no one has stolen any of the valuable goods I couldn''t stuff into the bag I bought. Even my hidden money storage is safe, allowing me to pay a bit more attention at the smoke.


    A thick black smoke rising higher and higher, the still winds making it seem like dark tendrils reaching to grasp the heavens. Screams echoing through the town as people are hurt beyond my eyesight. Faint sounds of metal clashing together along with monstrous roars can be heard faintly.


    Being unused to beasts attacking the city, I start panicking. Asking the nearby party members about the event, I start tying down things I don''t think are attached enough to the cart should we need to flee quicker. Even though the party members seem to be used to the event, I don''t stop myself from ordering them to stay alert.


    I''m not cowardly, I just prefer to live, so I keep telling the member in charge of driving to be ready to save my items. I get a few looks from the nearby people as most just head to their houses to stay safe.


    A few bangs get louder as the minutes tick by, the smoke pillars increasing in numbers. The sounds getting louder here and there as the amount of people running around increases. My tension rises as the guards standing nearby start forming into ranks as if there might be an actually threat.


    The guards suddenly take off with a command someone barks at them, as they head towards the closest smoke pillar.


    The smoke so thick that the light is starting to be slightly obscured between the wall and the smoke causing the surrounding area to slowly lose visibility. A few louder screams as the smoke draws closer, the bestial roars increasing in frequently along with the screams.


    The first sight I get is a group of ugly faces running from behind a house, crude spears in their hands as they brandish them at every pedestrian they pass. They dash to and fro the houses they pass jumping around for each person they kill, tearing everything that isn''t fixed to a surface and hurling it at anything that moves.


    In that moment, due to the clearing we are stood in, a group of about 30 of them, lock eyes with our group before screaming and charging towards us. Their blood red eyes and near broken spears all pointed in our direction.


    The first line of defence are the shieldmen on Gavins team who group together well and are supported by the spears from the others behind, I attempt to join in as I know spears are a bit easier to handle than other weapons since they can just be used for stabbing.


    After a few tries I manage to get in a few hits, before realising the creatures have started to attack the two people on the outside of the group, I brandish my knife as I charge to support the right side, as I hunt down the creatures trying to lessen the burden on my defenders.


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    I square up to the enemies as they keep swinging at me, I have to pay a lot of attention so I don''t walk away from the formation, but we eventually get a foothold.

 25 Rallying Cries

    Noticing we have managed to hold back some forces, the remaining people nearby flock towards us. The main problem being that they flocked towards us. We suddenly find ourselves protecting too many people to manage, with more screams coming from here and there as we try to keep just ourselves alive.


    The groups of people streaming in from all areas, a few people dying just before they reach the line of defence we have set up, some people grab the bodies of their family in fear when they die, others carry them with a face that tells me they don''t want to leave them behind.


    I decide with so many people around, I need to grab the bag of clothes which I hid the money inside each of the clothes. Now with a second bag my movement is a bit slower, but I also now have no worries about what happens to my goods.


    After a few minutes of fighting these numerous small creatures, we are beginning to have a problem of body walls, originally we had room to throw the bodies behind us to keep clear vision, now that space is occupied by the many people who ran over to be protected.


    I decide we should rally against one of the nearby walls, yelling at the people who are in the way to slowly retreat to it. Eventually as we remove some of the burden from being flanked; our party starts being able to manage the fighting. We also left the many bodies behind which left a funny donut shape due to the monster bodies.


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    Some of the bystanders look thankful but some of them look angry at the situation, I''ve probably never seen such a rainbow of emotions before from a group of people. Their homes are likely destroyed and many people were killed but they themselves managed to live. I wonder how many will suffer from some sort of survivors guilt.


    One of my close friends had an issue like that, he was patrolling downtown for one of the gangs but some idiot decided a hit and run would beat the knife fighting that was planned later that day over territory. Only my friend survived and it haunted him till he left the gang and went for help. Its not something you can really make light of.


    Even though the noise in the plaza has calmed down, there are still screams coming from some of the houses, the screams of guys being the only ones to end due to being killed. Blood fills the gaps between the stones, a mixture of both human and monster, the darker red from humans fighting against the reddish-green blood of the creatures, fighting just like the guards I hired who are doing a good job of keeping me alive as I space out.


    After half an hour of fighting, eventually a few more of the city guards appear, everyone on my side being tired and I even tried to help with my magic spells. I decided to use more water magic since fire could cause a problem with all the corpses of monsters. By the time the reinforcements arrive, the air feels a bit drier from me using the humidity to help me get water quicker. I make a mental note to get a container of water to use for some spells, before realising we have waterskins and I just forgot about their existence entirely. I was never accustomed to carrying around water bottles back where I lived so I didn''t even remember that I had some on me.


    The city guard has appeared, wearing similar armour to the guards assisting us. Unfortunately they don''t seem to have the same motive as the first guards. As the monsters near us are culled to the extreme, the new guards who appeared walk past the monsters and straight at us with their weapons raised.

 26 Overcrowded

    Waterskin in hand I stare blankly at the guards as they yell at us.


    "Intruders, surrender your hostages or die!"


    This only causes the civilians to cower even more from the power in the mans voice as he glares at the few of us with weapons. The dry air causing me to feel suffocated as their well equipped forces bear down on us.


    Anger building up inside me I yell back,


    "What is this claim against us, we protected these people who ran over to us."


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    I get a reply of a mocking smile as he glares at each of us with weapons, some of us barely able to stand from tiredness.


    "You dared to lure creatures into town only to garner favour amongst us. We have it on good word that you travellers are traitorous."


    The civilians surrounding us start to slowly back away with all the claims of the town guard. Some even with fear in their eyes similar to the fear they showed the monsters. I feel slightly sick at the present outcome of this.


    "This is unfounded, your claims tarnish my reputation as a trader."


    "Trader indeed. You traded an item recently to a shop which caused reason for alarm. You sold a mage-vice bearing the Dukes mark and recently the Duke of this city reported one missing. You are a thief and now you use these civilians as trading goods, just like you do a handful of coins. There doesn''t need to be a trial, only a block, thieves normally have their hand taken, but for you we can take your head on the dukes orders."


    "Just stop a minute you egotistical bastard, shut up and stop spouting your useless trash, my cart carries no chains, no way to trap people, and we haven''t stopped these innocents from fleeing. You should know the adventures guild wouldn''t allow people to be hired for evil acts. You as a person in power should be thanking the defenders of the innocent who didn''t even ask for a reward before you started claiming they were criminals, where is your proof, who is your witness?"


    My reply finally gets a response from the leader, his glaring becoming more self introspected than angry. After a minute of waiting that feels like an hour the man speaks up with an unsure look on his face.


    "I have decided that the block would be too fast, for saving the lives of people regardless of your intentions, I have decided to put just you the leader in a cell while we decide on a course of action.


    I get dragged along trying not to resist too much and hoping that the people I hired don''t just abandon me because of this confusion. My arms tired from swinging my weapon in a life or death situation for half an hour now being weighed down by the shackles gripping coldly at my flesh like a hungry dog.


    I''m dragged along to a nearby cell, according to the guard outside my cage they didn''t need to put me in a public cage because I''d get something worse than humiliation soon. Thankfully they didn''t assume I was a mage and so I still have my powers should I need them, I tested it by trying to keep myself warm using magic, which I managed to do with only minimal burns in the end.

 27 Chained

    After kicking the wall an uncountable number of times, I decide to stop before I hurt myself in anger. I can''t think of any reason why they would decide to be so stupid and lock me away instead of deal with the monsters who invaded.


    Minute or hours of silence pass, a faint trickle of water hitting stone making one of the most headache inducing noises, the rats which keep waking me the moment I go to rest by running around my feet.


    Just as my eyes adjust to the darkness of this cell, a light comes from around the stairs down into this area, nearly blinding me as I hear multiple footsteps heading my way. Their steps in rhythm with the water drops which keep beating at my ears constantly.


    "Is this the one?" The rough male voice holding the light inquires to one of his companions.


    "Yes, he is the one I have been looking for, you can unlock the cage and leave us alone for a moment." A familiar female voice says to the guard.


    The two men accompanying Ilmilmis nod as they turn and leave. Ilmilmis on the other hand looks at me with interest.


    "You look almost shocked at me turning up, you should know running around in my territory would get you found out. I''m just glad you gave me a reason by robbing that bandit of the mage-vice. I was planning to tear up their whole stronghold but you managed to get there first. I wonder how I should repay my hero, who even went so far as to save my citizens." she looks quite pleased with herself at how this turned out.


    "Your hero would do better not being arrested and thrown into a dungeon." I attempt to try and accuse her.


    "Ah but you see, you interfered, the population in this area was getting too large and this town was working with those bandits, if I didn''t order you captured they would have killed you. You should be glad I sent a message to that man who was going to publicly execute you. The monsters you killed were also one of my methods of helping the process along before someone who knew how to cut more than rockbread turned up and started assisting the wrong side." she puts on a face as if she is disappointed before perking back up.


    "Well if you don''t want me executed what are you going to do? Where did you put Elyn, I''ll kill them if they touched her even if you get in my way."


    "Ah but you see, she is having quite a nice time with my own daughter, they are already such close friends. I even gave them a few toys to play with, although your precious Elyn doesn''t seem to like playing with monsters very much."


    "What the hell are you doing to her? Let me see her now, if you have a daughter then you would know how much you''d be lost without her. She is the only one you have just like Elyn is the only family I have left."


    "One thing I would be so very interested to know about you, is how you even became able to speak to me normally. You don''t see many people learn how to speak a different language within a day or two."


    "I''ve always been quick at learning, how do you think I learnt to use the knife? Where I''m from it is natural that people can learn things in just a few months."


    "People? You mean there are a group of people who are actually literate? Does that mean you are both from the Hollowmantles?" she asks half in surprise.


    "I''m not sure if you have a different name for our group, but yes everyone from where I''m from is literate. It is pretty rare for people to not be."


    "In that case I think it might be better for now if I reunite both of you to examine everything closer, for now I forbid you from leaving my estate here, the town guards still believe you are the one who summoned the creatures to attack in an effort to claim fame." she tells me knowingly


    I catch onto her other meaning, "You mean to say that you had to suffer for doing that in the past?"


    "Lets move the detailed talks to a later date in a more comfortable place, for now your gear will be held in the guard-tower, I recommend not going near there at your own risk.


    The cell also isn''t the most clean place, so if you wish to wash up I could send over a few maids to assist you. It is the evening after all so they should have boiled the water for my own bath.


    You shall be restricted to the guest building, it has a small kitchen with a few staff, a few rooms to sleep in and a main gathering room, you shouldn''t be able to get lost if you stay in there."


    "Thank you for your; hospitality, I suppose. After allowing me to enjoy the service of your jail guards." I comment sarcastically to myself.


    "Well if you like it there, I''m sure Merle would love someone to keep company when he tests out his new torture equipment I bought him last month in preparation for the leader of the bandits." She comments with a smile.


    "Just let me rest already, I hope Elyn is there too?"


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 28 Elyn Holiday

    Emmie stands there yelling at the group of armoured men who ran over who look like some of the men who were helping us. I can''t make out what they say but it looks like they are metal police officers who have come to help the people we were helping.


    The place goes silent for a second while I stare at the little creatures Emmie was hurting. The green and red puddles glittering in the day light like dancing fireflies.


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    I hear the man talk to Emmie again but in a loud cold voice as he looks behind himself at a metal cage the size of a person before leading Emmie away.


    Emmie makes sure I hear his whisper, "Stay with the woman we hired, treat her like a babysitter while I''m gone, don''t forget that."


    I stand there dazed as I''m unsure what to do with Emmie gone. I''m left sat on the cart with our money hidden in one place and our food put on top. The men who we hired seem a bit confused but stand up when Emmie talks to them and nod in reply.


    Now everyone has stopped fighting and the small creatures have stopped moving. There are a few people in the group behind us who have started crying. Some of them are crying holding sleeping people and others are crying with others.


    While I try to look at one of the small creatures I am distracted by one of the men we hired trying to now move the cart away from the area. Before we can even start moving another group, dressed in even shinier metal approach and start talking to the leader moving our cart.


    After talking for a few minutes I''m taken with the cart in the same direction Emmie was.


    We arrive at two large houses stood next to each other. The cart I''m still sat on gets taken around behind the smaller house of the two. Only one of the people Emmie hired is still here, the woman who was followed by the 8 other people. The other group walked away while we were moving here.


    "Boyoma?" I try to remember the woman''s name and try calling her it only to get a shake of the head.


    "Bi ma ya." she spells out slowly to help me pronounce it making sure I''m watching as she says it. She then gestures towards me as if to get me to try again.


    "Beemaya" I try my hardest but it doesn''t sound right. She does smile and shrug when I attempt to get it right, so I decide to call her Bee.


    Bee reaches to lift me down from the cart, helping me stand up while my legs wake up. She nods as I look up at her with a faint smile.


    Holding my hand she leads me indoors towards a large table with different foods put out on it. There are some people stood around the outside of the table against the wall who look like those maids Emmie kept reading about. Bee helps me sit in one of the chairs near the door at the end of the table and she sits on the side.


    Plates are put out in front of us as i stare at the different colours of food on the table prepared as if for me. Bee looks at me again while gesturing in the direction of some of the plates. I think she is asking me to pick.


    I point at one of the fish-like foods and then at one of the plates with some kind of bacon before pointing at what looks to be an orange coloured apple. Bee gestures at one of the maids to help before pointing out her own foods.


    I can''t help but stare at how Bee reminds me of those posh people I saw on TV, she seems almost too comfortable with being here.


    Distracted by the food being placed in front of me I start eating. The fish tastes slightly rubbery while the bacon has the taste of salt and fat making me drool. I try to get Bees attention by pointing at the bacon again and one of the maids helps bring the plate over to add more to the dish in front of me.


    Bee points at the bacon and starts sounding out a name, "Tsuta eroli."


    After I finish off as much bacon as they are going to give me, I start taking a bite into the apple before realising how sour it is making me bite my tongue. Bee laughing as she watches me eat it. After a few bites of trying not to waste the apple I can feel my mouth stinging and decide to leave the apple on the plate before grabbing one of the nearby drinks of water.


    After food, Bee tries to take me to what seems to be a bedroom, the room is really big and has a few paintings on the wall which I don''t understand. She gestures at what looks to be the bath and drags me there. I feel like I''ve been camping for a month so I don''t refuse but I have no way to say that I''m fine alone so in the end I get help before one of the maids brings in some pyjamas for me to wear.


    I don''t want to sleep without knowing where Emmie is, I''m worried about where he went to and what is happening to him. Back home he would lock me in the house at night sometimes while he went out but I''m not sure if he will come back this time.


    I used to cry when Emmie left the house overnight, he always looked worried or upset but kept smiling at me, telling me it would be fine and that he would come back quickly. A few times he sent over a babysitter who he knew from when he used to go to the school I went too. Only after I get sleepy from being upset do I fall asleep in a bed too large for me, alone in the huge dark room.

 29 Elyn Bitterswee

    I throw the covers of the bed off me while forgetting where I am. The smell of flowers and the warmth of the room confusing me.


    A knock from the door and someone talking to me with words I don''t understand. I get up and walk over to the door to open it.


    I''m greeted by a bundle of clothes in my face, and looking up they seem to be carried by a woman wearing a maids outfit like the ones when I was eating last night. A cough as she tries to get my attention before talking to me again.


    All I can do is stare at her blankly, not knowing what she is saying. She decides to hold the clothes under one arm and gestures as if she is eating with the other. Now knowing what she was trying to say I nod as I attempt to find where I ate last night.


    It takes me a few minutes walking, well ok, a lot of minutes walking. I think I got lost five times already before I stumble into the right door leading to the hall I ate at.


    After another round of sitting at a table while being given whatever food I point at, I feel full and go to stand up only for another servant to help move my chair back which made me jump.


    Stood back in the hallway I realise I have nothing to do. I have no games or books I can play with or read. I end up walking the building unsure of what to do.


    At some point I find myself in a less shiny part of the house, the walls are dull and there are no decorations. The windows are plain compared to the coloured glass of the large hall.


    A smell grabs my attention, the smell of cooking. Similar to the one I''d smell at the start of the week when Emmie goes out of his way to make me bread instead of buying it from the store. Only this smell is a lot more sour and reminds me of some of the bread I was given at the table.


    I find myself already walking in through the door following memories of when I helped Emmie make it every week. The man inside the room gets up and checks over his shoulder at me, who just walked in. He gestures in my direction with a flat hand and a word I can only assume is ''stop'' while he finishes his tasks and turns to me.


    While he is finishing up alone in the kitchen I let my eyes wander at the variety of different plants and ingredients in the room. A sealed door leading to another room which I heard Emmie talk about, a ''walk in fridge'' like the one he had when he used to work. On the edges of the door are glowing shapes and just looking at some of them make me feel cold with their spooky blue glow.


    The man brings his attention back to me as I stare back up at him, he has a smile glued to his face like the animals in the kids books I''ve seen. Emmie always says they have punch-able faces but I never knew what he meant.


    He gestures around the kitchen as if introducing the room to me. I decide to keep staring at the counter he was making bread at which he takes note of and gestures that I should walk over to him.


    He grabs a nearby stool from one of the walls and puts it next to the counter, offering to help me up on it.


    After I''m seated he puts out a few different ingredients, different leaves and seeds and a few small hand sized ingredients like fruits on the table.


    He waves his hand over the ingredients as if letting me pick. I reach out a hand towards some of the round white seeds while looking at him, he somehow makes his smile larger while gently nodding.


    On closer inspection they seem to be like white coloured peas, the man grabs a small handful from a nearby basket and throws them into a small bowl which he begins stabbing at with a stone club. After a few minutes he gets a small plate and pours the dust onto the plate. The smell reminding me of the food I ate from that street cart days ago.


    Remembering this I reach out towards the eggs grabbing a few and start trying to smell for some of the herbs I tasted when I had the snack. The man, probably realising what I was looking for, brought over a larger basket filled with a single type of plant. It smells differently to the one I remember so I shrug.


    The man decides to start boiling a few eggs, using a bowl which he places on the stove to boil them he then gets a few more of the white peas and starts grounding them down before moving onto the herb and cutting it into small bits unlike the food from the street stall I had before where it was roughly cut.


    After he is done preparing the spices he pulls out the eggs before peeling them quickly and coating them in the herbs lightly. The ball of light green spices covering the egg looks a lot more pretty than the ones the street stall were selling, it even looks round without little leaves sticking out which I thought looked cute.


    After a moment of cooling down, he offers the three he prepared to me on one of the nearby plates he found. I pick one up with both hands to bite down on it.


    I can taste the herb he put in and it mixes well with the slight burning of the pepper, it tastes almost like the dill Emmie brought in once only less bitter instead of the spice that the street stall used. The egg itself has a sweet flavour to it and the inside isn''t dry like Emmie always makes. Without noticing at first the man has also brought over a cup of water and placed it near for if I want a drink.


    After enjoying a snack Emmie would usually scold me for. I decide to thank the man even if he can''t understand and he nods in reply.


    Emmie is usually against snacks outside of meals but I''m sure he won''t mind this once if I don''t tell him.


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    Now I''m thinking of Emmie though, he told me to stay with the woman who I haven''t seen since yesterday, I should go find her.

 30 Return

    Gazing up as I walk outside of the jail building looking at the sky and the sun, faint clouds circling the sky with birds of different colours dotted about like sprinkles on pure blue water.


    If the sun is to be believed, today I''d be making the weekly bread with Elyns help. That would require both the machine and Elyn, while I can''t find the machine, I can try to find her instead.


    Being shown to the residence that Ilmilmis talked about I start calling for her as I walk around, after a few minutes one of the servants points me in the direction of the kitchen to my surprise.


    The smell of fresh bread and spices helps guide me to the doorway where I find Elyn sitting happily at a table eating snacks one of the chefs was preparing for her. Some bacon being cooked as well as some eggs on a plate in front of her while the chef looks happy to have someone enjoying his meals in the kitchen.


    I nod towards the chef as he notices me come in before addressing Elyn.


    "Is this your new big brother? How is his cooking compared to mine do you think?" I ask her jokingly as I go to hug her. She jumps down leaving her food behind and hugs me back.


    "I missed you Bro, please don''t leave me again." she starts crying lightly as her small arms struggle to hug me properly.


    "Yeah I missed you too, don''t worry I don''t have to go anywhere again. Did they look after you like I asked?"


    She nods in reply as I start addressing the chef.


    "Were you told how long we are staying for and is there an additional room for me to sleep in?"


    "Yes of course, we will have a room prepared by the end of the hour, as for the duration of your stay we were not informed, only asked to provide what you need." He replied with a slight bow before preparing to continue with his work.


    After a moment of hugging Elyn another knock sounds from the door with a brunette haired maid standing there as if looking for us before breaking eye contact as she addresses us.


    "Excuse me, I have been asked to deal with your day to day, if there is anything you need I should be able to help provide it." She states expectantly towards the two of us with her own bow.


    As much as I love having people cater to my needs, the bowing seems a bit weird, for now I''ll ignore it as it isn''t harmful.


    "Ah yes, I will thank you in advance for your care then. If it wouldn''t be too much difficulty I''ve actually had issues recently getting proper light armour of a good enough quality, I was only able to commission the dagger which was taken away from me the other day if that could also be returned to me."


    She takes a moment to process my request before bowing again.


    "If that is what my lord requires it will be done, what time would my lord prefer to train if that is the case and would you require a sparring partner?"


    "Well once I get my weapons I''ll want to at least warm up, it would be nice to have someone to warm up against too though if you are able to find someone. Elyn you want to watch as well?"


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    Elyn, still hugging me nods as much as she is able without releasing me from her grip, I pat her head to reassure her that I''m not going anywhere.


    We wait for a few hours, with Elyn telling me about the different food she was eating an encouraging me to try some. I on the other hand try not to eat too much because I know it can dull my senses to eat till I''m full, something I learnt from fights before. Although when I used to do it, I didn''t want to cost Elyn a days worth of food if I didn''t come back alive. Later on one of the higher ups brought it up as a concern with some of the more skilled members who were getting lazy with our recent domination and I happened to hear it.

 31 Thinking back to look forwards

    For a few hours I sat listening to the different stories of food Elyn had the other day while sat at the large table having people serve her while she attempted to see the top of the table and was given a few cushions to give her more height. She talked about the flavours of the different foods and which she preferred which also gives me a few ideas for dishes I might be able to make her once things have settled down. Every other sentence littered with words about how she doesn''t like spicy food no matter how much I used to try and make her some


    I take a moment to myself however, this title I was just granted by a maid who seems happy to execute most tasks I''d ask for or the dark and dank jail cell I was kept in with the eerie silence broken only by some howls and wails coming from deeper within and the people in heavy armour who were guarding the place waiting for an excuse to break into a cell to shut you up. It all seems so surreal compared to the world I''m used to.


    A poke to my face by the little devil sitting next to me breaks my thoughts for a second as Elyn finishes her most recent story on food before starting to talk about the room she stayed in and how it was like a hotel while trying to get my input and attention.


    This drags my thoughts back to where we used to live, some run down cheap apartment on the edge of the poor side of the town we lived in that I could barely afford by being some nameless grunt in a large gang who would happily get you killed instead of paying you if given a reason.


    I laugh slightly and hug Elyn a bit as she continues talking about how the bed was as fluffy as marshmallows and how she turned the blanket into a small den using some of the pillows as supports.


    I wasn''t able to provide for her well in our first world, we were born too late to find our own way, but too early to have a chance. A world filled with smoke, war and torn apart by people holding the idea that their scrap of land meant more than another.


    There was nothing for us there but pain, to be left alone with only each other. No way to be free, trapped by a society that sought to hunt us down and make us the next expendable parts. Something I''d have given my life to stop Elyn needing to face.


    Before I realised it I had started laughing. Elyn started to push my face as she became surprised at me and wanted to flee the hug.


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    I turn and address her casually after laughing for a minute.


    "Ellie, do you like the food here, the people? What about the magic, its pretty cool right?"


    "I wanna see more and always have fun foods if they aren''t hot spicy." She exclaims as if trying to preach, only getting another chuckle from me.


    "Well, we might not know this new place and I know you didn''t like our old one much, but do you trust me to find us a new home here? A place where we can have the best food and never need to leave. A safe place where we can rest and friends to be with."


    After a moment of silence, one of her rare moments where she is seriously considering an option she nods before going back to hugging me.


    "Only if it isn''t hot spicy food." She replies as she buries her head in my chest.


    After our talk, we sit there enjoying the birds and the sunlight, the cool wind rushing through the courtyard as we are shielded by the tree in the middle of it. The faint smell of flowers adding a unique touch to the silence left behind by the lack of cars and traffic.


    After a while of relaxing, watching the trees wave at the passing clouds, I notice our little maid has returned leading a shirtless buff guy around who places a box down probably containing a bunch of the things we had before leaving.

 32 Edge of a blade

    The maid sent off the burly guy after he put down the box. I realise at this point I didn''t ask for her name.


    "Hey if you are helping me and all that I think I need something to call you." I direct at her questioningly.


    "This ones name is Sarryn, my lord." She replies with a slight bow.


    After that the maid, no Sarryn, starts unpacking the box, its now I notice that she has changed from her maids outfit into some sort of tighter fitting combat gear while she was gathering the things earlier.


    I''m thrown a wooden sword, a bit longer than any weapon I''ve learnt to use but it isn''t nearly as intimidating as a real weapon. Catching it it feels heavy as if there is some metal inside, to give it weight but I expect at most you could break a bone using it as a club. Sarryn has a similar sword that she kept a hold of and is sorting out a bit of defensive gear probably for me to put on although I still expect bruises tomorrow.


    It takes a good 10 minutes to finally get some of the armour on, something about how it has to fit properly to provide protection and full range of movement. After a few more tugs at some of the armour Sarryn nods as if pleased at her work while I stand there feeling slightly restricted by this new armour.


    After being given a few moments to get used to the feeling we start the lesson.


    She starts addressing me, "So, I can already tell you don''t have proper form with this weapon, your stances are lacking which means you likely don''t know any guards. I do not plan on teaching you a style but the basics are required. She puts her right foot forward, leaning her right hand holding the sword on her thigh.


    "First I want you to attack me, I want to know if you have any skills with bladed weapons." she says as she stands there, not even holding her sword up.


    "Now?" I ask questioningly, wondering why she doesn''t look like she is defending.


    "Yes, you will find that you probably could not hit me even with a month of training."


    I''m not entirely sure I''m happy with her evaluation even if it is true, so I give up the rest of my complaints and move forward to hit her right arm as if disabling her.


    She however moves quickly from her resting position of hand on leg up and outwards in the direction my cut was heading for, a slight thump as our weapons bounce before she follows the movement down, throwing my sword to the side, followed by a cut upwards, stopping at my chest.


    "I''m starting to believe what you said Sarryn." I state pretty honestly towards her, the reply I get is her stabbing the wooden sword into my gut pushing me back.


    I start up again, throwing a few cuts here and there, each one being parried as she changes from one stance to the next like flowing water. I try a few sneak attacks and feints but the size and weight of my weapon throw off a few of my attacks and the rest leave me with bruises from where I was hit in retaliation for leaving myself open.


    "Good, we can take a few minutes to rest, first I have a few comments before we make improvements. You seem to understand not standing up straight but your stance isn''t wide enough and your feet aren''t ordered properly, pay attention to your balance and weight, the core is important, don''t forget to move your hips when you strike. Whenever our swords meet in a bind, you seem to forget that we are still fighting, which leads me to considering you learnt to fight like an assassin instead of a swordsman, when swords meet you need to pay attention to the positions of the blades, to hold your opponents blade closer to the guard on your sword, while keeping your sword further on the end." she continues on for a few minutes before checking I understood how to apply leverage using swords, keeping a firm enough grip while also making sure I kept the sword between me and the opponent.


    After a drink of water we start up again, this time with me keeping some of the lessons in mind. I pay attention to her stance, she is holding the sword diagonal as I approach, seemingly wary of how much I could take away from her teachings.


    I try and attack the same angle she is holding her sword to make it harder to block but it takes a single action to turn the blade slightly before using the guard of the sword to catch my strike and throw my attack to the side again before yet again stabbing me in the gut even as I attempted to step back from my failed strike.


    "See you keep forgetting balance, your core will take training but you will eventually adapt. Now since you were so focused I''d recommend we take a break, it seems the young lady is a bit hungry and tired." she says directing a look at Elyn.


    "Yeah, I think I should get this off and go for a walk while some food is prepared then. I comment to Sarryn as she starts helping to take off the armour I have on.


    "I shall go inform the chefs then my lord, are there any preferences my lord and the lady have that I should relay?"


    "Yeah sure, I don''t mind any food honestly, so just make sure there isn''t anything spicy for Elyn and it should be fine. Something sweet for dessert would be nice as well I think." With my reply she bows before heading in the direction of the kitchen.


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 33 Cabin Fever

    The days dragged on, daily training, resting by the tree in the courtyard, learning how to read and equip armour properly without help. Everything leading up to becoming more self sufficient if we weren''t trapped at someones house with no way to flee.


    We spent a majority of the time in either the kitchen or the garden. I would spend my time cooking, training and then playing with Elyn while she would eat snacks I made, watch me get beat up and play with me.


    Strangely enough once we had settled in it seemed like Ilmilmis had left the town. Which probably had something to do with her travelling when we met her.


    After a while things dragged on however. A few weeks of endless training in a mind numbing cycle and I began wanting to leave. The endless and boring same few actions repeated over and over. Elyn seemed to be suffering too, she started asking for books which had to be read to her as she learnt how to read the words of this new language.


    It was at this point forces beyond our understanding started to move.


    Sarryn approached me as I was resting with Elyn leaning against me while we sat under the tree in the courtyard.


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    "My lord, I believe you have learnt enough of the basics that it is now time for us to move." she addresses me expectantly.


    Curious to what she means I ask, "Time for us to move where?"


    "It was never safe here my lord, now Ilmilmis has left we have to move quickly before we are noticed." she says while glancing around with her eyes, making sure no one entered the courtyard while we are talking.


    I take a moment to think, sure I didn''t like Ilmilmis much but I can''t see where she was a threat. At most her trying to kill some peasants who were working with the other side. Which for gangs is pretty common, step out of line and you get punished one way or another. The only issue is how long it was going on for before she took action as that would display how skilled a leader she is but she failed at that, someone else was able to step in.


    Someone else stepped in. A leader would usually want to eliminate the people undermining their leadership to take credit for what those people did. I was stupid, we need to leave before she decides my actions of saving the towns folk was rebelling against her power.


    "Yes we need to leave, I''m not sure we can trust you, but I agree we need to leave here today. Give me a reason why I should trust you and we can go." I start whispering back to Sarryn.


    I have to place Elyns safety first and that requires getting far away from the areas Ilmilmis controls.


    "I do not know is this suffices, but I have a token here marked with the symbol of my group, I am a part of The Travellers and each member has one of these tokens, they are made magically by a specialist craftsman I am only second to. These tokens are used to identify the members of our group no matter their appearance and are not given out lightly even to people like apprentices."


    "Anyone can copy something with enough skill, how can you verify they actually own the token and not just found it."


    "To assure you of our security for these tokens I shall name the three methods we use to make tokens authentic,


    These are authority, blood and companion.


    Authority requires someone with a higher ranked token to be the one giving out a rank.


    Blood requires the token to be bound by blood to the person using it, and to break if they die.


    And companion is that the token is an item of magical attunement, meaning it will be magically bound to a person and break if that attunement is lost, an effect similar to death but not requiring them to die. One additional feature of magical attunement is the ability to recall the item to you, so it makes it impossible to get lost.


    Anyone given a token would not lend it out lightly due to any crimes their token is witness to, becomes theirs. That is to say someone stealing it and murdering a village, the owner of the token would be held accountable and not the person doing the killing."


    "I feel I need to look into this magic more, later you should teach me about it as I feel like I''m able to do anything with it, as I''m fluent in the magical language. For now I''ll agree the token is enough proof of you not being an underling for Ilmilmis, I doubt something to valuable would be in the hands of someone lower than her if she still has to deal with bandits herself."


    Our plans to escape started to move. First the supplies, food, water and equipment. We secured two tarps for camping along with a few other items like a flint from the kitchen for starting fires as well as a bit of tinder if we were unable to find enough on short notice, we packed multiple knives, one was for skinning another for cooking, one for trees. I made sure to pack a few spices for Elyn, some salt, pepper and some of the basic herbs that wouldn''t be noticed as missing since I usually cook in kitchen anyway. We got proper clothes with padding and some ropes for additional uses.


    I can only hope Elyn has enough energy to keep moving, if not I''ll have to carry her and some of the supplies at the same time.


    Close to the end of the day when we were finishing up, Sarryn looks up from packing items into the bags with me and stops for a moment before talking.


    "She came back, I''ve just been informed she has been seen on the road heading back already. We need to move through the night to try and reach the first safe point." She does a final check of the bags before taking the heavier bag and offering me the lighter bag, I don''t bother to question her actions as I''m talking to Elyn as I put the bag on.


    "Elyn, we have to go for a walk tonight, to keep you safe. You need to follow me closely and try to keep moving, I''ll carry you for the start but we need our strength okay? So please try to put up with walking for a while." she nods in reply which is our point to start moving out.