“Uggghhhhh… oh my back!” Aliza cried out.
It was barely dawn when the stiffening pain woke her from her deep slumber. Mustering any constitution she had, pushed herself out of bed and was greeted by the musty smell of her pits and garden. She wished she could be a puppet on strings so someone else could do the walking for her to the bathroom.
“Just need… Epsom salts… and oil.” she cringed with every step. The smell of eucalyptus and rosemary calmed her while the salts did their work relieving her body of the aches and pains, giving her legs and arms a firm massage. “When did my limbs become so knotty?”
Feeling a little more nimble, she dressed herself and headed downstairs just in time for breakfast to start. It was the earliest she had come down for breakfast and it caught Tohea off guard coming into the dining hall to see Aliza in work clothes ordering breakfast. But also concerned her when she saw Aliza slowly and carefully sit herself down.
“Aliza, are you alright?” She said pacing to her table.
“Huh? Oh, Tohea! Yes, I’m al-right.” Her voice pitched as she turned to Tohea.
“You look a bit… stiff. Are you sure?”
“Well… ok. I’m trying to earn some gold for the immigrant judge next month. So I took up a couple of jobs yesterday. Well… a job. I’m heading to the other one after breakfast. I worked at the lumber mill yesterday.”
Tohea belted out in laughter echoing in the dining hall, waking up all the other sleepy occupants in the room.
“That makes sense now. Why would you do that first?”
Aliza cringily shrugs, “I thought it would be easy.”
“Oh, you have a lot to learn Miss Menona.”
“That’s what Herris said.” she grits her teeth and narrows her eyes.
“Yeah, he knows how to get under people''s skin. But he means well. Take what you can from him and you’ll get used to it.” She pats her shoulder which sends a shock through Aliza’s entire upper body. “Sorry…”
“It’s ok.” She painfully lets out as buries her head in her arms.
“Just a little advice, stretch before work and after work no matter what the labor is. Your limbs will thank you later.”
With a thumbs up, Tohea heads off to her office as a waitress brings over her porridge. Looking at the plain bowl, Aliza could only sigh and eat it as fast as she could.
Just until I get my house.
Taking to an empty part of the port, Aliza stretches as much as she can working out all the clicks and ticks in her joints and stretching her muscles into submission. When she reported to Holstic, her job for the day was to help with restitching the sails for the wooden fishing boats. She wanted to be happy that this was going to be an easy job. She’s been sewing her own clothes since she was 10. But after yesterday, she bit her tongue until she was brought to the sewing stations. Luckily she did, there were several sewing stations with machines that seemed to be doing most of the work. Feeling more out of place than she already was feeling, Holistic eased her by directing her to the patchwork area. Some of the smaller sails needed to be done by hand. She thanks him and dives headfirst into sewing.
When she was done, her arms felt like stones. It may have been an easier job, but she forgot how heavy the sails were. She kept pricking her finger when she underestimated the distance between each stitch. She finished the job efficiently enough to earn her pay for the day, 30 GP. She asked if there were any other jobs she could help with until next Welden.
“Like I said, cargo isn’t here for another week. Sorry, not much I can do there.”
“I-I understand. Thank you still. I shall see you next week.”
Well… that gives me some time before going back to the lumber mill. I’ll go there every day if I have to.
Fueled with spite, she headed straight for the lumber mill determined she could hit the 10-log limit. Herris was a little surprised to see her back so soon. Though judging by her slumped posture he could tell that this was not a good idea for her to be there. But he was also curious how far she was going to push herself to prove a point.
Without any greeting, barely even a glance in his direction, Aliza held out her hand for a hook. An amused smirk twitched on the side of his mouth as he handed her one. She marched to the pyramid, and following what was instructed yesterday, used her core and legs to get it out of the pile and on her shoulder. The sharp pain that struck nearly made her buckle and a small yelp grabbed Herris’s attention.
“Princess, you are out of your league.”
“Leave me alone! I can handle this!” She barks. Herris stayed put with his arms crossed glaring down at Aliza.
With a rage now fueling her strength and constitution, she rolled the log to the other shoulder and dropped it to the machine. Stomping around the man, she pulled the lever, walked back to the pyramid, and watched the log cutting before moving on to the next. She hauled 5 logs onto the machine with the last one almost falling on her completely. Herris assisted her with the last one. Still fueled with rage, she hobbles downstairs and to the cutting stump barely managing to cut 10 logs before her arms and legs gave out. Herris grabbed the axe that she wielded over her head as she slumped to the floor wincing and grunting from the pain.
“Alright, that''s enough. Time to go home princess.”
“I’m… not done here.” She growls peering into his eyes. “I can still-”
“I will not tolerate this level of stupidity at my mill. Come back when you’re less sore and irate. If I catch you here within the next few days I’ll call the guards and they’ll drag you off the property.” He barks. He takes her hand and claps her a bag of payment. With another glower at him, she storms off and heads back to the Inn.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Counting all her coins so far, she has just under 100 to her name. This is good, but now she has to account for her meals for the next week, which can eat up half of her earnings.
“I’ll just have to suck it up and get the more affordable dishes instead. But what of this immigrant judge? At this rate, I might as well be sent on the next ship elsewhere.”
But where else could I go?
“Miss Menona. You got mail.” A voice called from behind her door. The night manager handed her a letter from the Syris Department of Immigration. Thanking him, she cleared her space at her desk, ripped open the envelope, and read the letter.
Dear Miss Menona,
My name is Tera Stroud, Special Inquiry Officer of the Syris Department of Immigration. I am pleased to hear of you coming to our country in the hopes of starting a new chapter of your life. I will be your standing judge during your naturalization to Syris. I shall arrive in Tula on the 4th of Winter’s Rest to discuss requirements, check-ins, and proceedings while also answering any questions you may have. Please have your birth certificate, tax documents, and 100 GP for payment upon our appointed date. If any concerns or changes come up, please send a message via Sending Stone to contact me immediately.
Have a good day and blessed thee Tendia.
“Two weeks from today. Fuck me… Pretty sure Father destroyed those documents a long time ago. Keep his lineage alive unless they''re me, right?” She says burying her head. At a loss, Aliza kept rereading the letter with nothing to do. “All I can do now is conjure the money.” Looking back at her stash, she clenches her jaw, cursing herself. “Only if it’s necessary.”
A week went by and her earnings were down to 20 GP. A week of sore limbs and pricked fingers undone. Who knew that half of her wardrobe was dry clean only? Down a few dresses but like she would have the opportunity to rub elbows with nobility to wear such things. She hoped that at least she would make a decent paycheck by helping with cargo and could recoup some of that money. Also with a now healed body, she wanted to try the lumber mill again. Donning a brown tunic, black pants and boots, and her hair tied back into a ponytail, she was ready to conquer the day.
After some stretches with the crew, the first ship docked and soon was given clearance to unload the cargo. Remembering what Herris said about legs and core, she was able to successfully help others with large crates. Though moving the heavy cargo around proved to be another challenge that she was determined to beat. Once the first ship was done in just under an hour, they waited for the next ship to come.
Thomas gave Aliza a solid pat on the back commending her for hard work.
“That was very good. How are you feeling after all that?”
“Pretty good I’ll say. Though my legs are saying otherwise. How many more ships are supposed to be here today?”
“They say five, mostly from Sia. Be lucky there are no Monster Hunters up here or they would require us to become barbarians for that cargo.”
Aliza’s brows raised, “Monster Hunters? What do you mean?”
“You know, T-Rex’s, giant lizards, Wyverns, wild Drakes, the works. They fight them so they never reach the rest of the world.”
Aliza’s shaking hand covers her mouth as she stares off at sea. They do exist? How can people be so calm about this?
“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about Aliza trust me. The Monsters are mostly in Sia. Though there are rumors of these giant wolf monsters in caves in Aurora.”
“Remind me never to visit there in that case.” She nervously chuckled.
“Well, never mind that, how has your earnings been.” Aliza’s pauses and disappointment were written all over her face. “That bad, hm? Don’t worry, I think the pay is 100 or 150 GP for helping today. So you’ll be fine.” Aliza turns to him, forces a smile that wasn’t lost on Thomas. “Maybe if you talk with Holstic, he can get you on the next cargo run with us. You don’t mind another ship ride across the world don’t you?”
Aliza genuinely snorted building up to a hearty laugh. “So I can spend most of my days puking up my meals? Thank you but no thank you.” Thomas embraced her tightly as they laughed off the suggestion.
“Next ship approaching! Let’s go!” one of the lookouts called out.
“Alright, ready for this one?”
“Let’s do this.” She grits through her teeth.
After the docks, she headed straight for the lumber mill. An aching weight filled her chest as she spotted Herris at his usual spot. Against her reservations to just turn around and head back to the Inn, she swallowed her pride and marched up the stairs. When Herris laid eyes on the hot-headed woman, he just nodded and gave her a hook. Aliza fought the fidget in her hands and then spoke. “I’m-sorry sir. About last week. I was not in the right headspace but that’s no excuse. That display will never happen again.”
“Good to know princess. Now go ahead.” He said plainly.
Aliza lightly nodded and went to the pyramid. She managed to pull and get the log to her shoulders. She struggled a bit at first to roll and drop the log perfectly into the machine but all she cared about was getting the damn thing in without messing up her back again. She managed 5 logs this time and after straightening her back… could tell that she will be sore tomorrow. But her form was much better this time around. She also chopped ten logs earning her 50 GP.
“Thank you,” She spoke timidly to Herris.
“Better job today. Still have a long way to go princess,” he says as he walks back to the machine. A wave of ease washes over Aliza, at least glad that he’s not one to hold a grudge. Though she would love it that he never called her princess again.
A long way to go.
During the next week, she didn’t return to the mill. Her back was killing her from the last job and yet again, her earnings hit below 100 GP when she had to pay for meals and pay by the hour to wash her clothes. And yet again, she went to the dock for extra work but they were full of help every day she went.
“Fine. No choice.” She growls staring at her bag. She grabbed a 100 GP bag and tied it to her belt. Suppressing the anger that wanted to control her senses, she did one last check of her dress and hair before pacing to the dining hall. As she looked around the room, she forgot one important detail.
What in the hell does this woman look like?
She then spots a woman at the bar with a neatly pressed black dress and red corset. Her pointed ears with several gold earrings pieced up to the tip—deep olive skin and curly brown hair that flowed to her lower back. The woman looked around the room and then laid eyes on Aliza. Her hazel eyes pierced her brown ones, her smile was warm and genuine. Aliza swallowed harshly at the sight of this striking woman and carefully strode to her.
“Umm… are you… Tera Stroud?” Aliza clasped her hands in front of her trying to control her fidgeting hands.
“Yes, I am! You must be Aliza Menona correct?” She asked reaching out her hand. Aliza nodded and carefully took her hand. Dainty and manicured, she looked to be a woman of high nobility. Her chest held high, straight shoulders, and direct eye contact. But those eyes were… kind and soft. Aliza was used to someone of her status being intimidating and cold. The longer she looked at Tera, the more confused she became. And her guard was starting to come up.
“Great to finally meet you. Shall we talk here or would you prefer one of the other tables?”
“Ummm… here would be fine by me.”
“That’s fine. Please sit Miss Menona.” Aliza nodded and hopped onto the stall. Rolim gave both women a tankard of water and gave Aliza a soft face of “good luck.” After Tera pulled out documentation, blank parchment paper, and a fountain pen, she crossed her legs and gave Aliza her undivided attention. “So what brings you here to Syris?”