ã€ŠAnna&#x27;s Dreamã€‹


 Chapter 1

    The dreamer noticed something. It felt like being poked or maybe a light shining into a dark room. This was new. It couldn¡¯t remember ever feeling anything like this before. It looked with countless eyes and found a light in the dark. A tiny crack in reality that seemed to be getting larger.

    Curiosity overtook it and wanting to see what was on the other side, it moved the eye nearest to the crack. Looking through, ¡°Ah. There are small dreams there,¡± it thought. It wanted to know more about them, so it memorized all there was to know about the dreams. They seemed so happy. Yet something was wrong. Some of the dreams were fading.

    The dreamer was curious as to what was happening to them. It pressed the eye against the crack which seemed to be getting larger. The eye couldn¡¯t go through the crack, so the dreamer watched as the dreams faded one by one, until only five remained.

    Suddenly the eye pushed through, and it found itself in a strange world still looking at the dreams. It noticed that these were different from the others. ¡°Ah, nightmares. That¡¯s what happened to the good dreams,¡± the Dreamer thought. It pulled a multitude of tentacles through the crack, so many that the whole area was covered in them. They began to writhe and lash about destroying anything in the general vicinity. ¡°There. The nightmares are gone,¡± it thought.

    The dreamer looked around. ¡°So many dreams are here. So many good dreams. I¡¯ve never had dreams like these before,¡± It thought. It decided to create a form, a form of all the good dreams combined, to create the perfect form. The eye and tentacles dissolved into a sort of liquid shadow. The shadow stuff flowed to a spot below the crack and began to compress tighter into a form. More and more shadows flowed from the crack. It was pulled into the form, and the form compressed. Soon all the shadows were pulled in, a form lay motionless, and there was stillness in the night once more.

    The woman opened her eyes and saw the stars. Looking at them for a moment, she almost seemed to remember looking at them before, but that couldn¡¯t be the case. This was the first thing she could remember seeing.

    She sat up and swung her feet over the edge of the stone she was sitting on. Looking around, she saw five tall stones that had symbols carved into them. She didn¡¯t recognize any of them, but they seemed to sparkle.

    Sliding off the stone, she turned to look at it. The ground was slick, covered in some kind of gooey substance. The stone she had been sitting on looked like an altar. ¡°How do I know what that is?¡± she thought. Suddenly a flood of memories assailed her mind. She started to get dizzy and her chest warmed. The memories were disjointed. They didn¡¯t seem to belong to the same person and weren¡¯t in any order. After a moment, the feeling went away.

    ¡°I wonder what that was?¡± she thought. Suddenly she had the feeling she needed to leave this place. She headed towards a path that just felt right and started walking, leaving the altar, stones, and strange gooey stuff behind.

    She had been on the path for half an hour when she noticed a rough trail that led off into the forest. ¡°That looks familiar,¡± she thought. The memory of the place was different than what she currently saw at the moment. It was gray, but the memories were full of color. She wasn¡¯t sure why. She walked down the rough path wanting to investigate it.

    At the end, she found a cabin. It was different than the memory as well. Not only was it gray, but it also looked as if the front door had been knocked down.

    She walked to the door and looked in. The place was a mess. The once carefully placed contents were either missing or broken. She had vague memories of men in black robes breaking the door and grabbing her, but it was all a blur, so she couldn¡¯t be sure. She walked in and inspected the place looking for anything of use. She looked around for a while, but the place had been thoroughly ransacked, and nothing useful remained.

    She left and went around back, remembering something about a line. The memories nagged at her. ¡°I must need whatever it is,¡± she thought.

    There was a line tied between two posts in the ground. A dress was hanging on the line slowly fluttering in the breeze. The memories had cleared some, and she had been correct. They were from multiple people, and all of them seemed to be the same basic shape as her. There were other people who were shaped differently. They wore clothing that was a different style. She wasn¡¯t sure why. The memories were still too jumbled. She took the dress off the line and pulled it on, having to wiggle some to get it over her chest.

    It was baggy on her, and the sleeves came to just above her wrists instead of just below her elbows. It reached to her ankles instead of mid-calf. The only part that was tight was around the chest. She looked down and noticed that the cloth seemed to be straining some in that area.

    She looked around the area of the cabin a few times. Not finding anything of value, she headed back towards the road to the village having realized that was where the memories were leading her.

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    Many hours of walking later, she finally approached the village she had seen in the memories. It was morning now, and the world was filled with color. ¡°That must have been the difference from the memories earlier,¡± she thought. Looking at the colors there was something the memories called darkness, but she hadn¡¯t seen that yet.

    She walked to the gate leading into the town. There was a stone wall built around the place and two guards relaxing. They were the different shaped people. ¡°Men. That¡¯s what they are called. I¡¯m a woman then,¡± she thought. She waved at them, and they waved back. They stared at her as she walked into the village but didn¡¯t say anything as she passed. There were more men than women on the roads right now, but not that many more. They all seemed to stare at her for a moment, mostly looking at her head and then her chest.

    She looked down at her chest. ¡°Wow, they are really big,¡± she thought. That part of her must have been three times the size of any of the other women in this town, maybe more. She couldn¡¯t tell while everyone was wearing dresses. ¡°I wonder why?¡± she thought.

    Most of the people in this village had brown hair that was slightly curly. The men wore it closely cut, and the women wore it just past their shoulders. Her own hair was multicolored and was down to just above her butt. ¡°It looks like a rainbow,¡± she thought, searching through the memories.

    Not certain of where to go or what to do, she started walking. After spending several hours aimlessly wandering around the village, she found herself back at her starting point.

    Not knowing what to do next, she asked a young woman carrying a basket of clothing if there was a place to stay around here? ¡°The Inn has a few rooms for rent, but you¡¯ll need coin. If you don¡¯t have any, Ted may let you work there,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied and set off to find the Inn.

    She found the Inn soon after. It was near the water, a short walk from the piers. It was a large two-story building that was half stone and half wood. There was a sign that had a mug on it.

    She walked in and was assailed with the smells of smoke, unwashed men, and overly spiced food. After taking a moment to overcome the powerful sensation, she walked toward the bar. It was filled with men, and they were all staring at her.

    The man behind the bar was large and seemed to have spent his entire life carrying large objects around. He walked over and greeted her. ¡°What can I do for you Miss?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I need a place to stay. I¡¯ll work if you¡¯ll have me,¡± she replied.

    He looked her up and down again carefully inspecting her. ¡°Name¡¯s Ted and yes, I have a place for you. Several girls went missing a few weeks back, and I¡¯ve been shorthanded ever since. We also have a small room open. You can stay there,¡± he said after sighing.

    ¡°I need a name,¡± she thought. ¡°I¡¯m Anna. When can I start?¡± she asked. Anna had been the name of the woman who lived in the cabin.

    ¡°You can start right now,¡± he said.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Go into the storeroom and bring me a fresh ale barrel. These louts are drinking me dry tonight.¡± The last part seemed to be directed at the customers who simply hooted in response.

    She walked into the back room seeing a kitchen to the right and the storeroom where the ale barrels are to the left. There was also a door that led outside. Looking around, she saw a small boy washing a huge pile of dishes in the kitchen. Nearby, a woman was stirring a large pot that hung over a fire. ¡°That must be food,¡± Anna thought.

    A lot of the memories had something to do with eating. She assumed it was important. The woman looked at her for a moment.

    ¡°Who might you be?¡± she asked.

    ¡°My name is Anna, and Ted hired me to help. He told me to get a barrel of ale and bring it to him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Elizabeth. The ale is in the storeroom,¡± Elizabeth replied.

    Anna walked into the storeroom, lifted a barrel off the rack with one arm, and put it on her shoulder like the woman with the basket she had seen earlier in the day.

    She left the storeroom and noticed that Elizabeth and the boy were staring with wide eyes. ¡°I hope this is the right barrel,¡± she thought.

    ¡°Anna, is that full?¡± Elizabeth asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re as strong as a troll. Well, get that to Ted,¡± Elizabeth replied while shaking her head. Anna shrugged and walked back to the front of the inn carrying the barrel. Ted looked at her and almost tripped when he saw her but recovered quickly.

    ¡°Put it over here,¡± he said.

    She placed the barrel on a rack nearby.

    Ted tapped the barrel and began filling mugs, placing them on a tray. ¡°Bring these to that table,¡± he said, pointing at one of the many tables. ¡°Don¡¯t spill any,¡± he added.

    Easily picking up the tray, without so much as sloshing the drinks, she proceeded to carry it over to the table and placed it in front of the men sitting there. The men smiled at her and a few of them placed a coin on the tray. Turning around she felt a pinch on her butt, she looked back to see one of the men grinning at her. Not sure what to do she just looked at him, his grin faded and he looked away. She walked back over to the bar.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them do anything you don¡¯t want them to, and if they get too handsy, let me know. I¡¯ll knock some sense into them,¡± Ted said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Anna replied.

    She handed the coins to Ted and he shook his head. ¡°Those are for you. They already paid to drink. Put them in this mug. I¡¯ll keep them till the end of your shift,¡± he said.

    She smiled and turned around with another tray to get back to work.

    Hours passed, and other than a few pinches and gropes, the night went well, although she did have to squeeze that one man¡¯s hand who tried to lift her dress. After that, all the other men seemed subdued.

    After the last of the patrons left for the night, Anna sat at the bar listening to Ted and Elizabeth talk. ¡°You¡¯re a natural Anna,¡± the woman said.

    Ted nodded. He handed her a key. ¡°Up the stairs, you¡¯ll have the last room on the left. It¡¯s cold in that one. Grab an extra blanket from the closet at the end of the hall if you need it,¡± he said.

    She took the key and the coins and headed up to her room. It was a small place with just a crude rope bed with a poorly stuffed straw mattress on it. She wrapped the coins in a small cloth she had found some time during the night and laid on the mattress falling asleep almost immediately.

    She was in an empty field with a sky that went on forever. She could almost hear voices. They seemed like whispers. The whole place felt familiar, but she didn¡¯t know why.

 Chapter 2

    She woke up early the next morning and went downstairs. No one seemed to be awake yet. She heard sounds coming from the back and went to investigate.

    There was a young girl, maybe twelve years old, in the kitchen starting a fire beneath a medium-sized pot that was filled with water. Beside her was a large sack filled with grain of some variety.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Anna said.

    The girl started and looked at her wide-eyed.

    ¡°So pretty,¡± she said, then paused for a moment. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna. Ted hired me to help,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m Beth. I¡¯m glad dad hired someone,¡± Beth replied looking at her again. ¡°That dress doesn¡¯t fit you. Where did you get it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I found it. What do you mean it doesn¡¯t fit?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all baggy and too long, and I think your boobs are too big for it,¡± Beth said pointing at her chest.

    ¡°Where can I get one that fits?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I can make one for you if you get some cloth. I can sew. I¡¯m really good at it,¡± Beth said excitedly. She had a huge smile on her face now. Anna smiled back at the girl.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where the shop is, and I don¡¯t know what kind of cloth to get,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°The weavers are on the same road as us. Just walk away from the piers. They are near the edge of town. There is a big loom sign out front. Tell them you are going to be making dresses. They will show you what to buy,¡± Beth said. Beth ran over and gave her a hug before rushing back to the pot to continue her task.

    Anna left the inn and followed the directions she was given.

    It didn¡¯t take very long to find the weaver''s shop. She spotted the sign and noticed women with stands in front of the building. The stands were overflowing with bolts of cloth.

    She walked up to one of the stalls that had bright and colorful cloth.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± the woman behind the stall asked.

    ¡°I need some more dresses, but I¡¯m not sure what to get,¡± Anna said.

    The woman looked at her for a moment, glanced at her hair then chest before looking at her face.

    ¡°What kind of work do you do?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I help out at the Inn,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°A barmaid then. Alright, you¡¯ll want clothes that hide stains that you can wash often. Here. This will do,¡± the woman said pulling several colors of a thick cloth from the booth.

    She asked Anna how much she could spend, and Anna showed her the coins from the night before.

    ¡°You should be able to make a couple of dresses with that much cloth,¡± the woman said taking the coin and cutting her off large sheets from each of the colors.

    Anna thanked the woman and set off to the Inn with her cloth.

    The return trip had much more foot traffic. It seemed like several ships worth of men had woken up and started to walk around. At the same time, most of the men were looking at her as she passed.

    ¡°I wonder why they keep looking?¡± she thought and continued back.

    Entering the Inn, she found Ted and Elizabeth sitting at a table with Beth and the small boy she had seen in the kitchen the day before.

    ¡°I think his name is Mack,¡± she thought.

    As soon as Beth saw her, she exploded from the table before being caught by Ted.

    ¡°None of that. Finish your food. Then you can help Anna,¡± he said.

    Beth sat dejectedly back down. ¡°Fine,¡± she muttered.

    Ted waved her over. ¡°Come eat,¡± he said.

    She dropped the cloth nearby and sat down. The breakfast was porridge sweetened with some local berries. It tasted good. She decided she liked sweet and proceeded to eat three bowls full, stopping only when she got a strange look from Elizabeth.

    ¡°Well, that explains that,¡± Elizabeth said, glancing at Anna¡¯s chest.

    After they all finished, Mack cleared the table and took the dishes into the back room.

    Beth grabbed Anna by the arm, pulling her out of the chair. She looked at the cloth. ¡°Leave it here. I¡¯ll bring it upstairs when we¡¯re finished. Now come on and let¡¯s get you measured,¡± she said, pulling her out the back of the inn through the door in the kitchen.

    Behind the Inn was an open space. Tall stone walls lined the perimeter. In the center of the space was a well, and clotheslines were tied to hooks. They ran the length of the outdoor space just behind the well. There was also a large washbasin and bucket sitting next to the well.

    ¡°Take off your dress so I can measure you. We should be fine back here. Everyone is busy working right now,¡± Beth said.

    Anna pulled her dress off over her head. She had to wiggle some to get it over her chest.

    Beth was watching and turned bright red. ¡°You don¡¯t have any underclothes?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. Do I need some?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll make some for you as well as a couple of dresses,¡± Beth replied. Beth used a string and wrapped it around several spots, lingering on her chest and hips for some reason. All the while she seemed to be turning redder.

    ¡°All done,¡± Beth said, letting out a sigh. Just then they heard a crash coming from the house.

    ¡°MAAAACK!¡± Beth yelled running toward the house. After entering, Anna could hear muffled yelling and some crashing sounds. She put her dress back on and Beth exited the house.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about my brother. He¡¯s turning into a peeper,¡± Beth said. Anna just smiled at her, and Beth shook her head and sighed.

    She followed Beth back into the Inn to find Elizabeth in the kitchen. Now she was glaring at the boy, who turned around revealing a large purple spot over his right eye.

    As soon as he saw her, he turned bright red and turned around quickly. He began scrubbing away even harder at the dishes.

    Elizabeth¡¯s eyes narrowed when she saw this and started chopping a vegetable of some kind. She seemed annoyed.

    Anna didn¡¯t have to work until evening. Ted had told her that the Inn wouldn¡¯t get busy until the men got done with their daily routines. Only a few sailors would start drinking first thing in the morning.

    She wasn¡¯t sure what to do until Elizabeth told her and Beth to go out and get some ingredients for the evening meal. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any fresh mushrooms since Anna went missing. Not her. The one who used to gather fresh ones from the forest,¡± Elizabeth said when Beth gave her a look.

    ¡°Anyway, someone collected a bunch of wild mushrooms and herbs, and they are selling them in the market right now. Beth, I want you and Anna to go buy some, and stay with Anna. Young women and girls have been going missing, and she may not look it, but she¡¯s strong,¡± Elizabeth said looking at Beth.

    Beth looked at Anna. ¡°But she¡¯s so small,¡± Beth said.

    She was right, Beth was still a child and she was only an inch or two shorter. Ted towered over her. Elizabeth was at least four or five inches taller. Anna used the memories. They were even clearer today, and found something that may help.

    She decided to pick up Beth and put her on her shoulder. There were many memories of this happening to the girls, and a few memories where they picked up a younger sibling, so it seemed perfect.

    Beth squealed and squirmed until she was on her shoulder. Then she whooped with glee and giggled. The girl hugged her head. ¡°I get it. I get it. Put me down now,¡± Beth said still giggling.

    Elizabeth was smiling at them. Even Mack had turned around and was smiling. Anna smiled at the boy in return who quickly turned back around.

    ¡°I wonder why he keeps turning red?¡± Anna thought.

    Elizabeth led them to the storeroom where she handed Anna a large wicker basket with a lid. It had two leather straps.

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to wear it on my back to carry things,¡± Anna thought after searching the memories.

    ¡°Have you ever cooked with mushrooms?¡± Elizabeth asked Anna.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen one before. None of the girls I got these memories from seem to have cooked with them either,¡± she thought. ¡°No,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Alright then. Beth, you know what to get. Make sure you fill that basket. We are expecting three ships today. I don¡¯t want an inn full of hungry sailors with nothing to feed them,¡± Elizabeth said. Elizabeth gave Beth a few coins to pay for the mushrooms and sent them on their way.

    As they made their way to the mushroom vendor, there were more men out now. They were dressed differently from other men, wearing large baggy pants that fell just below their knees. Some had long-sleeved shirts, others no sleeves, at least one man with just a vest, and all the clothing was brightly colored. The men themselves were darker than anyone she had seen so far. They were scarred with markings all over them.

    ¡°Tattoos,¡± she thought, after looking through the memories once more.

    The men were cheerfully talking to each other but seemed to fall silent when she walked past. They all seemed to be staring at her. One even whistled.

    ¡°Why are they looking at me?¡± Anna asked Beth.

    Beth had been looking at the buildings they passed and was chattering away about them. She stopped talking and looked at the men as if she had just noticed them, got a big smile on her face, and looked at Anna. ¡°Because you''re pretty. You must be the prettiest woman they have ever seen,¡± Beth replied with a huge smile on her face.

    ¡°I am?¡± Anna asked. ¡°Yes, at least I think so. You¡¯re the prettiest woman I¡¯ve ever seen. Now come on. We must get the mushrooms and get back. Mom will be mad if we don¡¯t hurry,¡± Beth replied, tugging Anna¡¯s hand.

    They made it to the market soon after. Beth had practically dragged her. ¡°Nice ass rainbow. Want to have some fun?¡± a man said from behind her.

    ¡°Hey toad face, why don¡¯t you just hop away. That was so lame. Come up with something more clever next time!¡± Beth yelled at the man.

    ¡°He does look like a toad,¡± Anna thought after looking through the memories again.

    He turned bright red and stormed away. The crowd was laughing at Beth¡¯s comment. Anna looked at Beth. The girl just rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Come on. It¡¯s over there,¡± Beth said pointing at the market stall they were sent to find. There was a crowd around the stall. Beth just shoved her way through dragging Anna along.

    The stall was filled with mushrooms and herbs of all kinds. Anna didn¡¯t know where to start. Beth on the other hand started pointing out mushrooms. She was packing the mushrooms into the basket.

    First, there were ones that looked like a large ear. Then there were ones that looked like buttons. Finally, there were ones that had long stalks with a bulbous end that was rounded at the top. It flopped around when she picked it up. The merchant looked like he wanted to laugh but didn¡¯t.

    The basket was full, and they started back. ¡°Hey, I got some coin left and that went faster than I thought. Want to get some fruits like the ones we had with the porridge? I know where mom gets them,¡± Beth asked.

    Anna nodded, and then she was being pulled again.

    She found herself in front of a stall that had all manner of brightly colored fruits and small treats. Beth scooped them all up and paid the merchant.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Anna, eating them one after another, loved the little fruits until she found a sour one. The face she made caused the merchant to laugh. He offered her a drink of fruit juice. It was sweeter than the fruit and helped with the sour taste. She thanked him, and then the two of them made their way back to the Inn.

    Anna went to the kitchen. Beth had grabbed the cloth and rushed upstairs to start the dress.

    ¡°Where did that girl run off to?¡± Elizabeth asked.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s starting my dress,¡± Anna replied.

    Elizabeth sighed, ¡°Well, I supposed you do need it. That one looks like it''s going to burst at the seams the moment you sneeze.¡± Elizabeth said.

    Anna hadn¡¯t sneezed yet, so she wasn¡¯t sure if that was true.

    ¡°Well, put that basket over there and then come help me cut these up,¡± Elizabeth said gesturing to the vegetables on the table.

    Anna hadn¡¯t cut anything before, but a few of the memories showed her how, so she took a knife and started. She made quick work of the vegetables on the table and finished in seconds.

    ¡°What? How you know...what...you¡¯ll chop things from now on. Here,¡± Elizabeth said pushing a pile of mushrooms her way. The mushrooms were finished just as quickly, and they moved on to the chicken.

    Elizabeth showed her how to cut one up, and she finished the rest of them in a minute or so, perfectly copying what she had been shown.

    ¡°Alright. In the pot with all of this,¡± Elizabeth said. The pot was filled with boiling water. It slowed as they added ingredients. Elizabeth put a handful of salt in the pot. ¡°It helps with the taste, but don¡¯t use too much. It''s expensive. We will add flour in a few hours. Now we need to raise this pot. See those hooks? We just lift the pot and hook them to the links. It shortens the chain. Now where did I put that lifter?¡± Elizabeth said.

    Anna reached over and grabbed the pot with one hand, lifted it a few inches, and hooked the links together just like Elizabeth had said. She turned to see the woman staring.

    ¡°Give me your hand. You didn¡¯t burn yourself, did you?¡± Elizabeth asked wiping the soot off Anna¡¯s palm. At first gently, then rubbing. ¡°Not a mark,¡± she said stopping. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not something you see every day,¡± she continued as she looked at Anna. ¡°I know you''re strong and tough, but please don¡¯t do things like that. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt,¡± Elizabeth said.

    Anna smiled at her and then hugged the woman. ¡°Beth does this all the time. Maybe it helps,¡± she thought.

    Elizabeth stiffened slightly at first, and then hugged her back. She pulled away a moment later and had a strange smile on her face.

    ¡°We need to move some more tables to the front. I know the perfect person for that,¡± Elizabeth said.

    They went into the storeroom, and Elizabeth pointed out the tables while she moved to grab the chairs.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe she moved those by herself,¡± Ted said pointing at the tables.

    ¡°You watched her carry a full ale barrel, and I¡¯m telling you she picked up the big cauldron with one hand and hooked it. Not a mark on her afterward,¡± Elizabeth said.

    ¡°Anything you want to tell us?¡± Ted asked.

    Anna just shook her head.

    ¡°Well, you''re not the first person to come to Fishport looking for a new start. You seem harmless enough, so we won¡¯t pry,¡± Ted said and Elizabeth nodded.

    The main room started to fill up as the men of the town got done with their daily labors. A few women could be found as well. She saw a familiar face from the weaver stall.

    ¡°There are going to be a lot of rough men in here tonight. Remember you don¡¯t have to do anything you don¡¯t want to,¡± Ted said.

    Anna nodded.

    ¡°She¡¯d better not be doing anything of the sort. We are not that sort of place,¡± Elizabeth said.

    Ted shrugged and she glared at him.

    ¡°Alright. None of that sort of thing,¡± he said.

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Anna thought looking at them confused. They both laughed.

    ¡°Never mind,¡± Elizabeth said looking at her.

    At first, it was the same crowd as the night before. She recognized most of the people. They joked with Ted, and insulted each other in a playful manner. The men from last night remembered her display and didn¡¯t grab at her too much. She did hear some things from them.

    ¡°I wonder what tight butt means,¡± she thought.

    Picking up two more trays, she found that she could easily carry them.

    The colorful men she had seen earlier began to pour in, filling every table. They were way grabbier than the local men and would try to pinch her every time she went near them. She discovered that she was far more agile than them and was able to dodge the hands while still delivering the drinks.

    The tips still poured in, and the men started to make a game of trying to get her. This lasted well into the night.

    She was bringing drinks to a single table. Most of the other men had slowed down, but this group looked as if they wanted to pass out drunk. That¡¯s what Ted had said about them. She only needed a single tray for them and passed out the drinks quickly.

    Most of the men tossed coins on her tray. One man held up a large silver coin. She reached for it. The man grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him. She dropped the tray because of the sudden motion.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to earn that wench,¡± he said. His hot breath smelled of alcohol.

    ¡°Ted said I didn¡¯t have to do anything I don¡¯t want to,¡± she thought. Not knowing what he meant by earn and not wanting to find out, she pulled her arm back, and while she didn¡¯t weigh all that much, the force of it pulled the man to his feet. He was still holding on to her arm.

    ¡°Whore, I¡¯ll teach you,¡± the man said raising his fist to hit her.

    ¡°She told you no, you damned fool. Hell, I¡¯d turn you down for a silver. What made you think you could afford her?¡± the woman from the weavers¡¯ stall yelled at the man.

    He stared at the woman. ¡°Quiet woman. You couldn¡¯t pay me to take you!¡± the man yelled back.

    ¡°Go back to your ship and stick it in the cabin boy you dirty sailor!¡± she replied with a shout.

    The sailors all stood up at this comment.

    ¡°By the black god, get your hands off of her this instant!¡± Ted yelled. He moved through the crowded room like a wave breaking on the shore.

    The man let go of her at the sight of Ted.

    Her eyes darted around the room unsure of what to do. She saw Elizabeth motioning for her to join her. She ran, moving so quickly that the woman seemed shocked when she reached her.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± Elizabeth said. She went into the back.

    Anna could hear her talking but couldn¡¯t make out what was being said because of the shouting in the front. She heard the back door slam and then Elizabeth returned to watch the unfolding situation.

    The locals and the sailors shouted back and forth. Both sides getting tenser by the minute. Ted was the only reason it didn¡¯t come to blows. This went on for a few minutes.

    Then the door burst open, and a well-dressed man walked in. He wore a coat that came down to his knees. It was dark red with a bright green shirt. His pants were striped and tucked into shiny leather boots that came up to just below his knees. He wore a thin sword on his belt.

    ¡°What is going on here!¡± the man yelled.

    ¡°This man assaulted my barmaid,¡± Ted said pointing at the man who grabbed her.

    The well-dressed man walked toward him. ¡°Is that true?¡± he asked in a measured tone.

    ¡°No, no Captain,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Well, what happened?¡± the captain asked.

    ¡°I offered her some coin for a bit of fun, and she got mouthy,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Where is this barmaid?¡± the captain asked. All eyes turned to her. The captain motioned for her to come to him. ¡°I don¡¯t bite. Come here,¡± he said.

    She looked at Elizabeth and nodded. Anna walked toward the man.

    He looked her up and down as she moved closer. ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± he said when she was next to him.

    ¡°I dropped off the drinks, and the other men put coins on my tray like they usually do. He held a silver one up, and when I tried to take it, he grabbed me and pulled me closer to him. He said I had to earn it. I didn¡¯t want to do anything, so I pulled back. He stood up, called me a whore, and then he raised his fist,¡± Anna replied.

    She didn¡¯t want to tell the captain she pulled the man to his feet.

    He eyed the sailor who looked like he was going to melt from the gaze. ¡°So, you offered her a single silver, and then tried to beat the tiny thing when she turned you down?¡± the captain asked coolly.

    ¡°Sir, I, well, you see...¡± the sailor tried to speak, but the captain held up his hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care to hear your excuse. Since you have enough energy to assault women, you can go back to the ship and start polishing the brightwork. It had better shine like the dawn by the time I get back because if it doesn¡¯t, well...¡± the captain replied letting his words trail off.

    The sailor went pale imagining some horrible fate and rushed out the door.

    ¡°As for the rest of you, if you can get into a pissing contest with the locals, you can sand the deck. The sea dragon had better be as smooth as a baby¡¯s ass by the morning!¡± the captain yelled.

    The rest of the sailors rushed out of the Inn.

    The captain pulled a large stack of silver coins from his coin purse and handed them to Ted.

    ¡°For your trouble. You won¡¯t see that lot again. I¡¯ll send the bosun with the rest tomorrow. He¡¯ll keep them in line,¡± the captain said.

    Ted nodded. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    The captain reached into his pouch and pulled out a small yellow coin and handed it to Anna.

    ¡°For you miss,¡± he said with a smile.

    She looked at it for a moment. None of the memories had a coin this color. She looked back at him. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.

    He barked out a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s gold. I hope you find more. Don¡¯t spend it all at once,¡± he said and walked out of the Inn.

    They began to pick up the chairs that had been knocked over, the locals helping them clean up. After they had finished, people started filing out.

    The woman from the weavers¡¯ stall walked over and handed her some coins. Including the silver one. ¡°Figured you earned it,¡± she said.

    Anna took the coins and then hugged her. It seemed like the thing to do.

    ¡°Easy there,¡± she said.

    Anna backed away. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what he wanted,¡± Anna said looking at the silver coin.

    ¡°Really? Wait, how old are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Eighteen,¡± Anna answered.

    It was the number that popped into her head.

    The woman touched Anna¡¯s cheek and looked at her face. ¡°You are young, now that I get a good look at you. Well, don¡¯t worry about what they want. Just keep telling them no,¡± she said and smiled.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m Loren by the way. Come down to the weaver¡¯s if you need to talk. I¡¯m a spinner there,¡± Loren said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m off. I need to get up early,¡± Loren said and walked out the door, waving bye on the way out.

    She went to her room soon after. Nothing in her memories had prepared her for today. ¡°I¡¯m going to sort through all of them tonight,¡± she thought, and began.

    It took a few hours, and she went to bed as soon as she was done.

    That night, the field was filled with tentacles and there were a few eyes floating in the sky. She recognized them immediately.

    ¡°It¡¯s me from before,¡± she said. The tentacles wiggled at her words and the eyes looked like they may have twinkled.

    She woke up early the next morning and went to help Beth in the kitchen.

    ¡°I finished both dresses last night. I, uh, made myself one out of what was left over. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Beth said nervously.

    ¡°Why would I mind?¡± Anna asked. She didn¡¯t know why that would be a problem in the first place.

    Beth beamed at her and gave her a tight hug. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you,¡± she said, then took a step back. ¡°We can try them on after breakfast,¡± Beth said.

    Anna nodded, and they continued making breakfast. They brought out the bowls and spoons for breakfast and set the table. The rest of the family was down just before they were done.

    They all sat at the table and began to eat. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a night like that in a while,¡± Ted said.

    ¡°We used to have more barmaids, and they were local girls. Could you imagine one of them grabbing Gabby like that?¡± Elizabeth said with a sad smile.

    ¡°Ouch, yeah. He would have lost that hand,¡± Ted said shaking his head.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Beth asked. She had been sewing all day yesterday.

    ¡°Some sailor grabbed Anna, and then everyone started yelling. I had to go get the captain. He yelled at them, and they went away,¡± Mack said.

    ¡°What!! really?¡± Beth asked.

    ¡°Yes, really. That¡¯s why I send you upstairs when ships that big pull in,¡± Elizabeth replied.

    ¡°The captain gave me a gold piece,¡± Anna said and pulled it from her coin purse.

    ¡°Wow, can I see it?¡± Beth asked.

    ¡°Yeah, me too?¡± Mack asked right afterward.

    She handed the small coin to Beth, who stared at it. She handed it to Mack who looked at it with wide eyes. He handed it back to Anna, who put it away.

    ¡°Keep that safe,¡± Ted said.

    ¡°Mom, I made two dresses for Anna and one for me all in one day,¡± Beth said proudly.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting so fast. You both need to wash up before you put on new clothes. We will do that after breakfast.¡± Elizabeth said. Mack grinned at her.

    ¡°Boy, go grab some fresh fish. I¡¯ll get you a note for two barrels. That should cover the meal for tonight,¡± Ted said, seeing the look on the boy¡¯s face.

    ¡°But dad,¡± Mack said.

    ¡°No buts. The womenfolk are busy, and I have to get this place ready, so you¡¯re the one that must go,¡± Ted said cutting him off.

    Mack lost his grin and looked dejected.

    Mack zoomed out of the Inn.

    ¡°He¡¯s in a hurry,¡± Beth said.

    Ted just shook his head. Elizabeth grabbed a brush and Beth cringed.

    ¡°If you¡¯d brush it every day like I told you to, it wouldn¡¯t get so many tangles,¡± Elizabeth said.

    Beth crossed her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she said.

    ¡°We could shave it,¡± Elizabeth said.

    ¡°Uh, never mind. I¡¯ll brush it,¡± she said with a sass in her voice only a twelve your old could manage.

    They went out back.

    ¡°Fill that basin for us Anna,¡± Elizabeth said. Beth and Elizabeth were undressing.

    She filled the bucket and noticed that the other two were still wearing underclothes. She shrugged and pulled off her dress needing to wiggle some.

    ¡°So bouncy,¡± Beth said watching her undress.

    Elizabeth smacked her in the back of the head. ¡°It¡¯s rude to stare,¡± she said to the girl.

    Beth rubbed her head.

    ¡°Please tell me you made underclothes for her?¡± Elizabeth asked.

    ¡°I did,¡± Beth said.

    Elizabeth looked her up and down. ¡°Do you shave?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That has something to do with scraping a knife on your skin to get rid of hair,¡± Anna thought. That¡¯s what the memories told her. She looked down and didn¡¯t see any hair except for what was on her head. ¡°No,¡± Anna replied.

    Elizabeth kept looking her over. ¡°I thought staring was rude,¡± Beth said putting her hands on her hips. This earned her another smack. ¡°Ow, fine. I¡¯ll be quiet,¡± Beth said, rubbing her head again.

    Elizabeth tossed Anna a rag, and all three of them started wiping off. They were finished and got dressed again.

    ¡°We only have two brushes. You can use mine when I¡¯m done,¡± Elizabeth said as she started to brush her hair.

    Beth started as well but was having trouble pulling the brush through.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you when I¡¯m done,¡± Elizabeth said, noticing the girl¡¯s frustration.

    Elizabeth finished and handed Anna the brush.

    Anna started to brush her own hair. The brush glided through encountering no resistance.

    ¡°See? She must brush her hair every day. Look how long it is with no tangles,¡± Elizabeth said, noticing Anna¡¯s lack of effort.

    ¡°I do. I used my fingers when I didn¡¯t have a brush,¡± Anna replied. She decided to back Elizabeth on this. It was obvious, even to her, that Beth wasn¡¯t taking care of herself. Anna dumped the wash basin.

    ¡°We normally just use the bucket to empty it, but that works too,¡± Elizabeth said shaking her head.

    They headed back in and reached the front room. They started to get the Inn ready for the day when Mack burst through the door.

    ¡°I got them,¡± he said. His face was red from running. He saw the three of them and frowned, then slunk into the back.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s try on the dresses IN YOUR ROOM SO NO ONE PEEKS!¡± Beth yelled.

    Behind her, they heard a shuffle and some clanking coming from the kitchen. Ted chuckled.

    Beth dragged her upstairs and into Anna¡¯s room. She rushed out for a moment to grab the dresses from her own room and rushed back.

    ¡°Okay, let''s try them on,¡± she said while undressing again. Anna undressed as well.

    ¡°Put these on first,¡± Beth said handing her the underclothes.

    Anna put them on. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± she thought. The underclothes just felt wrong, so she took them back off.

    ¡°What did you do that for?¡± Beth asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like them,¡± Anna replied.

    Then she started to put on one of her new dresses.

    Beth just shrugged and put on her own new dress.

    The new dress was the same style as the old one, but it fit her perfectly. It was hugging her figure without being tight. It was also the right length, mid-calf, like the other dresses she had seen.

    She looked at Beth. The girl''s own dress was similar but made from multiple colors of cloth. It was much shorter coming to her knee.

    ¡°Let¡¯s show mom,¡± Beth said, grabbing Anna by the hand yet again and pulling her out of the room.

    Beth let her go and Anna walked down the stairs first.

    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Ted said, seeing the dress. He looked at Beth. ¡°That¡¯s a bit short,¡± he said to Beth.

    ¡°I ran out of cloth,¡± she replied.

    Ted shrugged.

    They went into the backroom. ¡°Look mom,¡± Beth said excitedly.

    Elizabeth looked at them both. ¡°It looks very nice, Anna. Beth, you seem to be missing something,¡± she said pointing at the girl¡¯s legs.

    ¡°I ran out of cloth,¡± Beth replied shyly.

    ¡°You can wear it when it gets warmer and not until then,¡± Elizabeth said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Beth replied.

    Anna walked over to help with dinner.

    Elizabeth watched her walk. ¡°Did you give her underclothes?¡± she asked Beth.

    ¡°Yes, but she didn¡¯t like them and took them off,¡± Beth replied.

    Elizabeth sighed and shook her head as Anna picked up the knife to start cutting.

    ¡°At least wear them when you wash. I don¡¯t want to chase Mack out of here every time you need to clean up,¡± Elizabeth replied.

    ¡°Okay, I will,¡± Anna said and started chopping.

 Chapter 3

    That night, the normally boisterous atmosphere was subdued. The locals were all there, and there were just as many sailors as the night before. Some even appeared to be from different ships. The cause of the mood was most likely the weathered old man sitting by the bar.

    He was short, only as tall as Elizabeth, with a shaved head and tattoos covering every visible part of his body. His skin looked like old leather, and he seemed to have a permanent sneer on his face.

    ¡°That must be a bosun,¡± Anna thought. She made the rounds and passed out drinks.

    The bosun would just stare at the sailors she was serving. They were polite, and none of them tried to touch her, but they didn¡¯t give her tips either.

    She brought a tray to the only table filled with women. It was the women from the weaver¡¯s shop, and they were as loud as ever. ¡°Anna, I think I need one of them. Keeps the men calm,¡± Loren said, pointing at the bosun who just shook his head at her. ¡°Oh, come on. I¡¯m fun. You wouldn¡¯t even have to pay,¡± she said to him.

    He made a face, maybe it was a smile, but it looked like it hurt for him to do it.

    ¡°Why does it look like he needs to shit,¡± another woman at the table said.

    A sailor chuckled. The bosun glared at him. His face started to pale.

    ¡°That¡¯s going to hurt,¡± the same woman said, looking at the sailor.

    ¡°Shut up, Kim. Let the man spend his last night in peace,¡± Loren said.

    ¡°We know Kim wouldn¡¯t do anything to make it a good last night,¡± one of the other women said.

    ¡°Hey. He would die with a smile on his face,¡± Kim replied.

    The women at the table all started to laugh. ¡°Come on and sit with us. It¡¯s as lively as a graveyard in this place tonight,¡± Loren said. She patted an empty seat next to her.

    Anna looked at Ted. He just shrugged, so she sat down.

    Kim whistled at her. ¡°They don¡¯t make them like that often,¡± she said looking at Anna. ¡°Bet she gets ALL kinds of tips,¡± she continued, leering now.

    ¡°Hush, you. She doesn¡¯t even know what men want. She¡¯s only eighteen,¡± Loren said.

    Kim looked at Anna again. ¡°Shit. She is young. But still, did she just fall off the produce cart? How can she not know that?¡± she asked.

    Anna just shrugged. ¡°What are they talking about?¡± she thought.

    ¡°Well, we all got a past. Don¡¯t worry about it. You don¡¯t have to tell us anything,¡± Loren said.

    Ted waved and Anna got back up. Loren tossed a coin on the tray, and when Anna walked away, she smacked her butt lightly. Anna turned around and looked at the woman.

    ¡°Now I just feel bad. Okay. Off with your tight butt. I need way more to drink now,¡± Loren said. The other women chuckled.

    ¡°That¡¯s the second time I¡¯ve heard that. What does it mean?¡± Anna thought.

    The rest of the night went by quickly. She didn¡¯t make much, but it was easy. Everyone started to leave, and she watched Loren and the bosun walk out together. She went to bed that night still wondering what everyone was talking about.

    She had the same dream she did every night. ¡°At least I understand all of you,¡± she said to the tentacles in her dreams.

    The next few days were much the same. The sailors seemed to lighten up. The bosun was in a good mood and didn¡¯t mind some of the games they wanted to play with Anna. She dodged all the grabs and pinches and was rewarded with good tips again. A few men got frustrated with their lack of ability to touch her, but the bosun¡¯s presence was enough to keep them calm.

    Loren left with the bosun each night. The rest of the women at the table whistled and hooted as she walked out the door. She replied with an obscene gesture.

    The last night the ships were in port, it was a bit livelier. The captains of the ships visited and sat at a table together. All three of them were dressed as brightly as the first one. He winked when he saw her.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t lying when you told us about her,¡± one of them said.

    ¡°She¡¯s a beauty that¡¯s for sure. I can¡¯t quite place where she¡¯s from. I¡¯ve never seen the likes of her,¡± the other said.

    ¡°Tell us, where do you hail from?¡± the first one asked.

    Anna just smiled and shrugged.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Is that your hair color or did you dye it?¡± one of them asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s always been like this,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Mind if a cut a lock? I¡¯ve never seen hair like that,¡± he asked.

    She didn¡¯t really care. It was really long anyway and got in the way.

    ¡°Sure,¡± she replied.

    He pulled out a sharp-looking knife and took a small amount and started to cut. It didn¡¯t work. He started sawing on her hair, but all it accomplished was to dull his knife.

    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t pay much for that,¡± the captain from the first night said and handed him his own knife with a chuckle.

    ¡°Much appreciated. If I¡¯m ever in that port again, I¡¯ll let the craftsman know I¡¯m not pleased,¡± the man replied. He took the other knife and looped her hair over the blade and pulled. His armed bulged with effort, but still nothing happened. He sawed at it some before giving up and handing the knife back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the knife. That¡¯s dwarven made, am I right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It is, and I¡¯m never going to hear the end of it from the next one I find,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Why do you need a dwarf?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They sharpen dwarven-steel the best. I can put an edge on it, but it''s not the same,¡± he replied.

    The man who had been trying to cut her hair was inspecting it. ¡°Not a mark on it,¡± he said, showing the others. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want to tell us where you¡¯re from?¡± he asked.

    Again, she just smiled and shook her head.

    They invited her to sit and talk for a while. They told her about the sea and the many places they had been. She chatted with them for a few minutes before getting back to work.

    The night wound down, and they cleaned up after the last people left. She went to bed soon after thinking of the ocean and the stories she had heard.

    The next few days were slow. She got up, helped make breakfast with Beth, and then the two of them would get whatever fresh ingredients were needed for the day. Then they would help make the meal for the evening.

    The morning after an incredibly dull night, they sat around the table eating breakfast. Anna had put twice the normal amount of fruit in her bowl that morning.

    ¡°You really like sweet things, don¡¯t you?¡± Beth asked.

    Anna nodded while shoving another spoonful in her mouth.

    Elizabeth had told her that she would choke if she kept eating so much so fast, but it hadn¡¯t happened yet, so she didn¡¯t bother slowing down.

    ¡°I know a place where you can get something sweeter than fruit. Wanna go with me?¡± Beth asked.

    Anna swallowed the big mouthful without chewing. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Are you going to see William?¡± Elizabeth asked.

    Beth flushed red. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.

    ¡°She looooves him,¡± Mack said.

    Beth reached over and pinched him hard on the arm.

    ¡°Ouch! Mom, she pinched me,¡± Mack whined.

    ¡°Beth, don¡¯t pinch your brother. Mack, don¡¯t tease your sister,¡± Elizabeth said.

    ¡°She says that a lot,¡± Anna thought.

    They finished breakfast and Beth ran upstairs. She came back down quickly dressed in her multicolored dress. Elizabeth just smirked at the girl.

    ¡°Ask them if they need anything,¡± Elizabeth said, her smirk fading.

    ¡°I will,¡± Beth replied sadly. Her usual smile was gone.

    Beth didn¡¯t need to drag Anna. She wanted to taste the thing that was sweeter than the fruit. Beth wouldn¡¯t tell her what it was. They moved quickly. Beth was excited, and Anna could keep up with anyone, so they moved at the girl¡¯s pace.

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    They found themselves in front of a plain looking building. The only feature that stood out was a large chimney on one side of the building. Beth knocked on the door and a round man answered.

    ¡°He¡¯s fat,¡± Anna thought. That¡¯s what the memories said anyway. They also said not to say that out loud.

    His face seemed to light up when he saw her. He had a huge smile. ¡°Beth, it¡¯s good to see you, and you brought a friend. Who is this lovely young lady?¡± he asked.

    ¡°This is Anna. Dad hired her to work as a barmaid.¡± Beth replied, halting at the end.

    The man got a pained look on his face. His smile returned. ¡°Hello Anna. My name is Ron. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he said, holding out his hand.

    She shook it using less pressure than him. She had realized women were weaker than men for the most part, and that everyone here was weaker than her.

    ¡°Come in. I¡¯ll go get William. He¡¯ll be happy to see you,¡± Ron said.

    They entered the house, and she smelled fresh bread. A woman was kneading dough on a floured table. She was as round as Ron. She turned around.

    ¡°Beth, it¡¯s good to see you. What brings you here, other than seeing William that is?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I, uh, wanted Anna to try some cupcakes,¡± Beth said haltingly. The woman smiled at them.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Anna. I¡¯m Mabel,¡± Mabel said. Beth turned red.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mabel. I forgot to introduce you,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just be more mindful. So, Anna, how do you know Beth?¡± Mabel asked.

    ¡°I work at the Inn,¡± Anna replied.

    Mabel looked pained for a moment just like Ron. She recovered just like him. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear Ted found someone,¡± Mabel said. Her voice didn¡¯t match her smile.

    ¡°Mom wanted to know if you needed anything?¡± Beth asked.

    ¡°No, no, we are getting along just fine. Gabby had been spending more time working at the Inn. I think she met a boy who worked at the docks. I, I think she would have moved out soon anyway,¡± Mabel said. She began sobbing softly.

    Beth rushed over and hugged her. Ron and William rushed back in, and they hugged Mabel and each other.

    ¡°Where did she go? Where did she go? Why did she leave? I want my baby back!¡± she wailed.

    Anna knew exactly what happened to Gabby. A memory from the first Anna popped into her head. She was tied up with other women and looking around, she saw a face that looked like a younger version of Mabel. The young woman¡¯s face was red and puffy. She had been crying. She saw a black-robed man walking nearby. The captives shied away from him.

    She was back in the bakery. She looked around not knowing what to do. ¡°I can¡¯t tell them what happened. They will know what I am. They can¡¯t know,¡± Anna thought.

    Thinking of Gabby had brought some of the woman¡¯s memories to the front of her mind. She remembered kneading dough with Mabel.

    Anna walked over to the forgotten dough on the table and began to knead it. She started to hum a tune from the memory.

    ¡°Gabrielle, is that you?¡± Mabel asked and rushed over to Anna.

    She hugged her tightly. ¡°Oh, you were just like her, standing there at the table humming her favorite song,¡± Mabel said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just trying to help,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I just miss her. I wish I knew where she went,¡± Mabel said. She turned to Beth. ¡°You know what? That bread looks like it¡¯s ready to rise. Let¡¯s get it in a bowl and start on those cupcakes. I¡¯ll even mix some fruit juice in with the frosting. It turns it pink. That was Gabby¡¯s favorite,¡± Mabel said.

    Anna finished the dough and put it in a large bowl. She covered it with a thin cloth.

    Mabel had sent Will off to fetch some fruit and fruit juice. The boy knew what kind and how much to get.

    Mabel gathered the ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and some spices. There was also a very fine white powder.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked pointing at the powder. ¡°Rising powder. At least that¡¯s what the man who sells it calls it. He gets it from the capital. It makes bread rise when you cook it. Works perfect for cupcakes too,¡± Mabel replied.

    Mabel mixed it all together adding water as needed to create what she called a batter. She then poured it into tin molds. The molds were placed on a tray, and that was put into a smaller oven. They only needed to be in the oven for twenty minutes.

    When they were finished, Mabel took them out and placed them on a cooling rack still in the molds. ¡°You have to let them cool before you take them out of the molds. They will crumble if you try too soon,¡± Mabel said.

    ¡°How do you know when they are cool enough?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Just comes with experience,¡± Mabel replied.

    William returned with the rest of the ingredients.

    The frosting was simple, just butter and finely ground sugar. Mabel added some of the fruit juice. When finished, it was bright pink.

    Mabel cooked the fruit then peeled and diced it. She poured the remaining juice into a small pan and added sugar, heating it up until it just bubbled, then placed it to the side to cool.

    Once the cupcakes cooled, they carefully removed them from the tins and placed them on a tray. Mabel spread the frosting on the top of each of them, leaving a small divot on the top of each one. She placed a few pieces of cooked fruit in the divots and then spooned some of the syrupy fruit juice over the fruit.

    ¡°All done,¡± Mabel said. Anna took one and bit into it.

    ¡°So sweet. I want more,¡± she thought, eating one and reaching for another.

    ¡°She likes it,¡± Beth said.

    ¡°Looks like,¡± Mabel said.

    Anna had started her third one by the time the two finished talking. They finished the cupcakes.

    Beth and Anna stayed to talk for a while longer, Beth spending most of the time talking to William. Mabel and Ron told her about Gabby.

    They waved goodbye to the bakers.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to be back till sunset, so let¡¯s go do something fun,¡± Beth said.

    The days turned to weeks, and she spent her time working and helping with the chores around the Inn. She spent most days exploring the town with Beth and trying to find all the sweets that were available. The two of them became fast friends.

    Mack apologized for peeping, although he could never quite look at her without turning red.

    Anna was having a great time until she came home from her daily adventure with Beth. Elizabeth rushed over to take Beth¡¯s hand and she looked at Anna.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust that man.¡± And she pulled Beth into the back.

    Anna looked around and saw an ostentatiously dressed man with some kind of stringed instrument slung over his shoulder. She noticed sparks floating around him. They seemed to be settling on Ted. She was waved over by Ted to be introduced.

    ¡°He¡¯s got pointy ears,¡± she thought with wonder as she looked at him. He was thin and a bit shorter than most of the men she had seen around the village. ¡°I wonder what Elizabeth was worried about?¡± still thinking to herself.

    ¡°Fair maiden, your beauty is breathtaking,¡± the man said while grabbing her hand, bringing it to his lips, and kissing it on the back, all the while looking into her eyes and smiling. Not sure what to do, she smiled back. He let go of her hand when Ted cleared his throat.

    ¡°Soulstram will be here entertaining our guests for the night. Make sure to fill up his mug while you are making the rounds,¡± he said. Anna nodded and started to fill mugs for the customers filing in.

    She watched Soulstram play from the bar. Everyone seemed to be drinking slower, watching the man play and smiling. It was odd. She also noticed that the sparks seemed to float around the room when he played and settled on people. It was quite pretty, so she didn¡¯t mind the slow night.

    Several hours had passed, and the Inn was starting to clear out. It was a good crowd, even though they hadn¡¯t been drinking. Soulstram waved her over with his mug. She grabbed a full mug and walked over to him.

    ¡°I was getting a bit parched. Thank you,¡± he said as she handed him the full mug. ¡°Tell me, do you like my songs?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, very much,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I have a special one just for you. Come closer and I¡¯ll play it,¡± he said.

    She leaned towards him.

    He began to hum a tune and slowly pluck at the strings of his lute.

    ¡°That¡¯s what he called it anyway,¡± she thought.

    The sparks seem to intensify, and she noticed an orange glowing coming from a jewel embedded in the head of the lute. The sparks seemed to be swirling all around her, faster and faster. It was beautiful and dazzling. She loved it. She smiled and started to twirl with the sparkles.

    Soulstram stopped playing abruptly.

    She turned to him, and his face had gone pale.

    ¡°P-p-pardon me, ma''am. I had no idea. I apologize for my behavior,¡± he said and got up abruptly. He walked towards the bar.

    Anna walked up behind him and grabbed his arm, spinning him around roughly. ¡°I was having fun. Why did you stop?¡± she demanded.

    His face grew even more pale. ¡°Please, you''re hurting me. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you were a mage let alone an enforcer. Please, just let me go,¡± he begged.

    She let him go and he hurried out of the pub.

    Ted rushed over to her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, but what¡¯s a mage, and what is an enforcer?¡± she replied.

    Ted got an odd look on his face. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.

    ¡°He wanted to play me a song. It was pretty, so I started dancing, and he just stopped and started to walk away. When I asked him why, he just said sorry and called me a mage or an enforcer,¡± she said.

    ¡°That boy is daft if he thinks you are an enforcer. Probably wanted to run out of town before he got accused of siring a brood,¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s siring a brood mean?¡± Anna asked. The memories had something about chickens and broods, but that didn¡¯t seem right.

    Ted looked at her and shook his head. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s clean this place up.¡±

    That night when she slept, she danced with the tentacles, the eyes spinning with each other.

    Elizabeth met her at the stairs in the morning. ¡°Are you ok? He didn¡¯t hurt you, did he? I told Ted not to hire that man. You just can¡¯t trust bards. The whole lot of them are no good,¡± she said, though it seemed like she was more talking to herself than Anna.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt me. He seemed scared. I don¡¯t know what I did, but he ran away,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°He ran from you,¡± she paused to look Anna over again. ¡°Maybe he preferred menfolk. Didn¡¯t peg him for the type, but you never can tell. Oh well. I guess I didn¡¯t need to hide Beth away,¡± she said.

    Anna had no idea what was happening, but she decided to let it go. Some things just weren¡¯t worth knowing.

    They chatted for a few more minutes before sitting down at the table to eat. After breakfast, Anna decided to ask around town about the bard to see if he was still around. She wanted to find out about the sparks but didn¡¯t think that Ted or his family would know. They didn¡¯t seem to notice them, and she didn¡¯t want them to think she was any odder than they already did.

    She sighed. ¡°Why is this so hard?¡± she thought, just wanting to see the sparkles again.

    It was a bit later in the morning than normal. She wanted to dress special. Maybe the bard would talk to her if she had a shorter dress on.

    That¡¯s what the weavers said to do if you wanted to get a man¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they mean by that, but they know men better than me,¡± she thought.

    Beth had made her a dress a few days ago, but Elizabeth didn¡¯t want her to wear it to work. Something about not that kind of place again, whatever that means. She shrugged. The dress in question came to just above her knee and was made from a thin cloth that seemed to hug her. When she put it on, she wondered why everyone looked at her.

    ¡°Must be working. Now, if I can just find Soulstram, I¡¯ll get him to talk to me,¡± She thought.

    She asked around town and no one had seen the bard. She was just about to give up when she heard a lute in the distance. She jogged over to find him in front of the weavers¡¯ shop, chatting with Loren. She was so happy. Loren was surrounded by sparkles.

    She decided to sneak up so he wouldn¡¯t run away like last time. She got right behind him before calling his name.

    ¡°Soulstram!¡± she shouted.

    He jumped in the air and nearly fell over, turning around to face her with his hand on a small dagger that was in his belt. He looked at her and then down at his dagger and dropped it immediately.

    ¡°Anna, there you are. I¡¯ve been looking for you all day,¡± he said.

    Loren shook her head and started looking sternly at him. ¡°You were charming me, weren¡¯t you?¡± she said, more of a statement than a question. ¡°Anna, did he charm you too?¡± Loren asked, starting to step closer to the bard.

    She picked up a laundry bat in the process.

    ¡°No, but I do need to ask him something. You can have him back after I¡¯m done,¡± Anna said.

    Loren looked at Anna and nodded. ¡°Alright, but if I see any funny business, I¡¯ll thump him for you,¡± she said, waving the bat around.

    Soulstram gulped.

    Anna grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away a few feet.

    ¡°Ma''am, I¡¯m not sure what you saw, but I can assure you that there was no nonconsensual spell casting going on here,¡± he said.

    ¡°Do you mean the sparkles? Is that what spell casting is?¡± she replied.

    He simply stared at her with wide eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t know what spell casting is but you can see magic?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I guess so. You made the sparks dance around me and I liked the way they looked, but then you stopped. Why?¡± she asked.

    Just as he was about to respond, she heard a shout in the distance and turned to look.

    He broke away and ran faster than she had ever seen someone run, ducking into an alley and disappearing from sight.

    Loren rushed over. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna answered. ¡°He seems to run away a lot,¡± she added.

    ¡°His kind always do,¡± Loren said with a sigh.

    The bard had said that she had seen magic and that it had something to do with spells, but nothing in the memories could explain either word.

    ¡°Maybe someone else will spark like that,¡± she thought. It cheered her up.

    She returned to the Inn. She didn¡¯t feel like exploring today. Everyone was staring at her for some reason.

 Chapter 4

    After the bard¡¯s departure, everything had gone back to normal. Mostly normal anyway. Anna asked around town about spell casting, simply telling people she was just curious because she thought that the bard had tried to charm her and a few of her friends.

    The men in town seemed to have the same reaction, getting angry and threatening violence against the man if they ever caught him. Half the women had the same reaction as the men. The other half sounded scared.

    She sighed. "I guess I¡¯ll just have to let it go for now," she thought.

    The time passed quickly, and before she knew it, the season had changed to summer. This was the time of the year when the port did most of its business, and life was good.

    Anna was down at the docks. She was picking up the fish they would use for meals for the next few days. Fresh fish didn''t keep, so someone had to pick them up regularly. She was that someone.

    Ted had started sending her instead of Mack because she always seemed to get better deals, and she could carry a lot more back than anyone else at the inn.

    ¡°They are always so nice to me at the docks,¡± she thought.

    She went to the fishmonger and noticed that a large ship had pulled in overnight. It didn¡¯t look like most of the ships she had seen. The hull was larger and deeper, and it had more sails. She admired the colorful paint and grinned at the carving of a nude woman. The carving was smiling as well. For some reason, the sailors had paid extra attention to its breasts.

    They were larger than most women¡¯s, smaller than her own as usual, and it looked as if they had been exposed to a breeze the way the nipples poked out.

    ¡°People like boobs,¡± she thought.

    The fishmonger was a weathered old man who used to be a fisherman until he had lost his legs in some unfortunate accident. She¡¯d asked him about it, but he just told her it was no tale for a woman.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what he means by that,¡± she thought.

    The fishmonger smiled at her. He was missing most of his teeth, and the remaining few were black. ¡°Got some river fish, and a boat made it all the way to the inland ocean and back if you want something different,¡± he said.

    They didn¡¯t get fish from the ocean very often. She knew Elizabeth liked to cook with river fish, mostly because of their cheapness, but the ocean fish were colorful, and she liked the different textures, so she decided to get a barrel of both.

    ¡°They won¡¯t mind,¡± she thought. ¡°I want a barrel of each,¡± she said.

    ¡°Alright miss. You can pick them up in an hour or so. We still have to unload them. That cargo ship came in for repairs last night. Hit some rough seas and sprung something terrible. Those poor boys have been pumping all night. They are trying to get it unloaded so they can get to the leak.¡±

    She looked at the ship again and saw water pouring out of a few spots on the side. ¡°Bilge pumps,¡± she thought.

    The sailors just loved to tell her all about the sea and ships and all the ports they visited. They just went on and on. She usually just smiled and nodded at them. She had never even seen the sea, or anywhere but here for that matter. Neither had any of the girls whose memories she possessed.

    She didn¡¯t bother with the memories much anymore. She learned everything she could from them. At least she thought she had anyway.

    The men were unloading the ship with a few large cranes; although, they didn¡¯t seem large enough for this job. She turned to the fishmonger and smiled at him. ¡°What¡¯s on that ship?¡± she asked.

    He scratched himself and spit. ¡°Spices from the islands I¡¯d say. Only reason a big ship like that would be in the ass-end of nowhere like this,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What does this have to do with butts?¡± she thought.

    ¡°Sorry miss,¡± he said.

    She was even more confused by his apology but didn¡¯t say anything. She just smiled.

    He grinned and nodded.

    Suddenly she heard a terrible groaning sound, then a crash followed by a lot of shouting. She swung back around to see that one of the cranes had collapsed. She ran to help.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Moving through the crowd with ease, she made it to the other pier in moments.

    The crane was surrounded by men trying to lift it. They struggled in vain, not strong enough to move it. Others were pulling at the broken cargo that was scattered around.

    She rushed over to help, hearing that men were trapped beneath the crane and other debris. Pushing several men from her path, she took hold of a sturdy portion and lifted the entire thing into the air effortlessly.

    After a moment of shock, the men began to clear the wreckage of the crane and the remains of the cargo. She watched as they pulled mangled bodies from the broken crates one by one. It looked like one man wasn''t moving at all. He was obscured by some men so she couldn''t make out what had happened to him.

    She shifted to get a better look but wasn¡¯t able to.

    ¡°You there! What the fu... Miss Anna, what, how?¡± the dockmaster¡¯s statement turned into a question. He looked at her and then the crane several times. ¡°You can set it down now. We can clear the rest,¡± he said. He sounded confused.

    She carefully set the crane down and looked at him.

    ¡°Will he be alright?¡± she asked.

    The dockmaster looked at the still figure. He was covered in a cloth for some reason.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know miss. You can head home now if you¡¯d like. I¡¯ll have one of the boys deliver the fish. You¡¯ve done enough for us today,¡± he said then started to walk away.

    ¡°How did he know I bought fish?¡± she thought. She had never really talked to the dockworkers. They just came into the inn, got drunk, then left. The most they did to her was try to pinch her butt.

    She wasn¡¯t sure what she should do. She had time before she needed to be back at the inn. Beth was busy with Elizabeth today, so she couldn¡¯t go back to get the girl. She shrugged and went to get some sweets.

    The streets were oddly empty. She made it to the merchant that sold her favorite treats quicker than expected.

    He was looking around confused by the lack of people. ¡°Miss Anna. It¡¯s good to see you. Do you know what happened at the dock? Everyone rushed away. I heard there was an accident,¡± he said.

    ¡°A crane fell,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s terrible! I hope no one was hurt,¡± he said. She nodded and smiled.

    Some of them were hurt, but she didn¡¯t want to tell him that. She bought a few boxes of her favorite candies and went back to the inn.

    Ted was behind the bar and the dockmaster, along with several large dockworkers, were there.

    ¡°Are they mad at me? Did I mess up? I hope they don''t hate me,¡± she thought as one of the large men walked over to her.

    ¡°Miss, thank you,¡± the man said pulling her up into a bear hug. He squeezed her against his chest. She was so small he lifted her off of the ground. Her legs sort of dangled, and she didn¡¯t know what to do, so she just went kind of limp.

    The dockmaster coughed into his hand. ¡°Put the lady down you lout. You¡¯ll crush her before we can thank her properly,¡± he said.

    It didn''t feel like he was squeezing her all that hard, and she was certain she''d be fine, but she didn¡¯t say anything. The man set her down with a sheepish look on his face. She smiled at him and then looked at Ted.

    He was pulling several mugs out, and he got a bottle from under the counter. The one he told her and the children not to touch. He poured the contents into the mugs and passed one to everyone there.

    ¡°To William,¡± he said.

    ¡°To William,¡± all the men responded back. Then they tapped mugs.

    Anna tapped hers a moment later. They all downed the mugs, including her. The drink was rich and well-spiced. It had almost a sweetness to it, but not quite. She liked it. She didn¡¯t know exactly how to describe it. None of the memories had anything like it.

    She had tried ale before and didn''t like it all that much. It was just bitter, and it didn¡¯t seem to have the same effect on her as everyone else. This drink did nothing to her, other than leave a pleasant aftertaste that is.

    It seemed like it had a much stronger effect on the men compared to ale. They were all red-faced after the first mug.

    ¡°That was nice,¡± she said, causing the men to break out into laughter.

    ¡°Miss, we watched you pick a crane up and hold it over your head for half an hour, and now you down a mug of dwarven black ale and tell us it¡¯s nice. If you weren¡¯t built so well, I¡¯d swear you were half troll or dwarf,¡± the dockmaster said.

    He shrugged then slammed the mug down. ¡°Well dwarf, troll, or good-looking woman, you¡¯ve helped us all today,¡± he said.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not mad at me?¡± she asked timidly.

    He looked shocked. ¡°Where in the abyss would you get the idea we were mad at you from?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t save William,¡± She replied quietly. The dockmaster put his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°No one could have saved him. The crane fell right on top. You did more than anyone else could,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± she replied. He smiled at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re a good woman, Anna. Strange, but good,¡± he said.

    ¡°Boys, I think we need another round,¡± Ted said. The men all cheered.

    It turns out that another round means ten or so, and the men spent the rest of the time telling Anna about William. She loved the stories but hated the ale that went along with them. They teased her about the candy she tried to sneak to get the taste out of her mouth.

    After a few hours, the evening customers started to come in and join the group. Anna got up to get ready for the night when Elizabeth came over and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll serve tonight. Just spend some time with them. You¡¯re the hero today,¡± she said, leaning in closer. ¡°Don¡¯t take any of them to bed,¡± she whispered, patting her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Why would I want someone in my bed?¡± Anna thought. She shrugged and went back to the conversation.

    The night seemed to last longer than normal for Anna. She was not used to being the center of attention.

    Men that would normally leer at her or try to smack her butt were treating her like she was just another dockworker. All of this was just too strange for her.

    After things quieted down, she slipped off to bed before anyone could ask her any more questions.

    When she went to sleep, the eyes all seemed to be looking at her. In her dreams that night, she smiled up at them. "I''m glad you''re all here with me," she thought.

 Chapter 5

    The next morning, she went downstairs and left before breakfast. She decided that she needed a cupcake first thing. The bakers got up early, and they would always make her one when she asked.

    It was early enough that the streets were mostly empty. The sun had just risen over the water by the time she reached the baker¡¯s house and got a wonderful cupcake with the berry frosting she loved.

    It didn¡¯t make it all the way back to the inn, but after all the ale the night before, the treat was just what she needed to get that bitter taste out of her mouth.

    She spent that day doing chores around the Inn and chatting with Beth who had missed all the excitement the day before.

    It was quiet at the inn for the next few days. Beth was still working on something with Elizabeth and didn¡¯t have time to explore.

    Anna didn¡¯t bother going out without her. It just wasn¡¯t the same without the girl.

    She was sitting in the common room not doing much of anything because she had finished with the chores early.

    When a strange figure came into the Inn, it was still fairly early, so she was surprised to see anyone.

    This person was tall and lean and walked with a light step. She couldn¡¯t make out any features. Whoever it was, they walked right up to the bar, asked if there were four rooms available, and then pulled out a gold coin and tossed it on the bar.

    Anna and Ted looked at the coin for a moment, then Ted scooped it up and put it in a box under the counter.

    ¡°Yes sir. We have four rooms available. How long will you need them for?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°A few weeks at most. We are investigating some ruins to the west,¡± the man said.

    Ted seemed shocked at first. Then he calmed down. ¡°Adventurers?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the man replied. He pulled his hood down and Anna saw his face. It was lean with delicate features, and his ears were even longer than Soulstram¡¯s.

    He seemed to notice her staring and turned to glare, but when he saw her face, he seemed shocked.

    He looked away quickly and whispered something to Ted.

    Ted looked in her direction and shrugged.

    The man pulled his hood back and left.

    ¡°Anna, go get the rooms ready,¡± he said.

    She grabbed the cleaning supplies from the storeroom and went upstairs to work.

    She was excited about the man with the pointed ears, but he didn¡¯t come back during the day.

    She started her shift that evening. It was a busy night at the Inn, and she was doing well for tips. She heard that another ship had pulled in.

    ¡°Must be where that man came from,¡± she thought.

    After she had rescued the men on the docks, the dockworkers seemed to keep the sailors from getting handsy, and they tipped better as well.

    ¡°I can buy so many candies,¡± she thought looking at the mug Ted kept for her.

    A few hours later, the man and three others came into the inn and took a seat at the table near the fireplace. Along with the tall man, there was a short wide man with a beard so long that he had tucked it into his belt.

    There were also two women as well. One of them was tall, almost as tall as most of the men in the village, but not as tall as the tall man. She had pointed ears as well.

    The other woman was about average height for a woman, which meant a few inches taller than Anna, and she was completely bald. Anna had never seen a bald woman before. It was quite the sight. She was also the darkest person that she had ever seen.

    They waved her over and she filled a tray with mugs and some bowls of the stew to bring them.

    When she got to the table, she noticed that the tall woman had sparks around a stone that was embedded on a thick leather glove on her left hand. She started to pass out the mugs and bowls.

    When she got near the stone, it lit up glowing brightly. Everyone at the table stopped and looked at her. They took her arm and pulled her into a seat at the table.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the tall woman asked.

    ¡°Anna,¡± she replied. The woman began to say something else when the bald woman interrupted.

    ¡°Do you come from a mage bloodline?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what a mage is,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How old are you lass?¡± the short man asked.

    ¡°Eighteen, I think. I don¡¯t know my birthday,¡± she replied. She wasn¡¯t that old, but it felt right after looking through the memories.

    ¡°Eighteen with so much power. Goddess, how did no one ever notice?¡± the bald woman asked. Anna shrugged.

    ¡°I saw the gem and it was surrounded by sparks. What are the sparks, and why did it glow?¡± Anna asked

    ¡°Sparks! You have mage sight?¡± the tall woman exclaimed.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Soulstram said something about that, but he ran away before he could explain,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Who in the abyss is Soulstram?¡± asked the tall man.

    ¡°He was a bard. He tried to charm me, but it didn¡¯t work. He ran away, but I found him trying to charm another woman. He ran away again. He had pointy ears like you two do,¡± she said excitedly.

    The tall man and woman turned red when the bald women gestured for them to be calm.

    ¡°Anna, these two are Elves. It¡¯s very rude to call an elf pointy ear,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. What is an elf anyway? I¡¯ve never heard of them,¡± Anna replied. She looked through the memories again quickly, and none of them had elves in them.

    The tall man and woman looked thoroughly scandalized by this turn in the conversation. The bald woman had a thoughtful look, and the short man was laughing so hard it looked like he may pass out at any moment.

    ¡°Let''s see, I¡¯ve heard of trolls. They are big, hairy, and strong, and they eat people sometimes. I¡¯ve also heard of Dwarves. They are short and hairy and strong, and they like to drink too much and swear a lot,¡± Anna said.

    The short man fell off his chair laughing, and when he caught his breath, he stood up.

    ¡°Lass, that¡¯s the best description of my people I¡¯ve ever heard. I owe you a drink for that,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a dwarf. Do you have any dwarven black ale? It¡¯s my favorite, but there isn¡¯t any left in town,¡± she said.

    All four adventurers stared at her.

    The dwarf grabbed a mug, downed the contents, and then pulled a flask from his belt. He opened the flask and began to pour the contents into the mug. The flask sparkled strangely. It never seemed to run out. The mug was full to the rim, and he slid it over to her.

    ¡°Here you go lass. Drink up. That¡¯s the finest black ale you''ll ever drink,¡± he said.

    She took the mug before anyone could say anything and downed the whole thing in a single pull. Slamming the mug down, the table shook, and she let out a belch that echoed throughout the room.

    Men around the inn cheered.

    ¡°Lass, are you sure you¡¯re not half dwarf?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not with hair like that,¡± the elf man said.

    ¡°Or with a rack that big,¡± the elf women said.

    They all looked down at her chest. Anna sighed. ¡°I get that a lot,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to test something, if you¡¯re willing,¡± the elf woman asked pulling a small clear bead from her bag.

    ¡°Yes. What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked, answering the question and pointing at the bead.

    ¡°It checks for the amount of mana a person has. It will show how much you have and what color it is, not that the color matters that much,¡± she said, holding the bead out.

    Anna took the bead.

    ¡°Put it in your palm and just look at it. It will do the rest,¡± she said.

    Anna put the bead in her palm, and when she did, it began to shine a bright purple. It got brighter and brighter before it popped and made a sizzling sound. She dropped it immediately and looked up.

    All four adventurers were staring at her with their mouths hanging open.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s not supposed to do that,¡± she said.

    ¡°No, no it isn¡¯t,¡± the elf woman said.

    ¡°We have a lot to talk about,¡± the elf man said standing up.

    The elf man walked over to Ted. They spoke for a moment before the elf man handed him a few coins.

    Ted nodded at him, and he walked back to the table. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about working for the rest of the night. I covered it. Let''s head upstairs,¡± he said.

    The adventurers grabbed their drinks and downed them, except for the elf woman. The dwarf drank her mug. They grabbed the bowls of stew and headed upstairs. Anna followed them.

    They gathered in the elf woman¡¯s room. She was a mage it turned out, so she had all kinds of sparkly things to show Anna.

    She had a pouch filled with gems. They all sparkled except for one round one. It didn''t sparkle. It glowed with a soft green light.

    They all took seats in the room. The three women on the bed, the dwarf sat at the writing table, and the elf man leaned against the door.

    ¡°I¡¯m Voekeer. That¡¯s Lyreen, Barika, and that hairy bastard is Thokri,¡± The elf man said.

    Lyreen was the elf woman, Barika the bald woman, and the dwarf Thokri.

    ¡°He is really hairy,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°Anna, you have the most raw mana I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Lyreen said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone break one of those. Even the archmage at the guild doesn¡¯t have that much mana,¡± she continued.

    She sighed and took a breath. ¡°Anna, would you like to learn magic?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes,¡± Anna replied excitedly. She seemed more like a child than a grown woman at that moment, and the adventurers could only smile while watching her.

    ¡°This is a spell focus,¡± Lyreen said, pulling a small gem out of her bag. ¡°This is a good starter one. You won¡¯t be able to cast complex spells or use all that much power, but it¡¯s forgiving and won¡¯t fizzle out if you lose concentration. I keep a few of these around to practice with, so you can keep this one,¡± she said handing Anna the crystal.

    Anna took the gem and it began to glow.

    ¡°Alright, the first thing you need to know is how to feel your own mana. By the way, can you see your own mana?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. The first time I saw anything was when I met Soulstram. He was the only person I¡¯ve ever seen use magic, except for you that is,¡± she replied.

    Lyreen collected her thoughts for a moment, while Anna stared at the gem in her hand.

    ¡°Now close your eyes. Inside your chest, near your heart, you should feel a warm spot that tingles when you pay attention to it. That¡¯s your mana core. It¡¯s where all your mana comes from. Once you get a feel for it, you will notice that there are pathways that lead all around your body both to and from the core. These are called mana channels. They carry the mana all around your body and release it into the air. Some of them even draw mana into your core from your surroundings. What I want you to try is to pull the mana from the pathways leading out into your core and stop the mana from the pathways leading in. This will stabilize the mana you have in your body, and it¡¯s the first step in casting spells. We call this technique mana control,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna closed her eyes and started to feel inside her chest. She felt the core. It was hot and pulsing, not warm and tingly. It felt like a fire that had oil dripping on it, just waiting to explode.

    That wasn¡¯t all she felt. There was something else in her chest on the opposite side, black and cold like the night sky. When she focused on it, she felt like she was in one of her dreams again.

    Pulling herself away from the black core, she focused on her mana core again. She could feel the channels pulsing all over her body. All of them seemed to exit or circulate in her. It seemed like she didn¡¯t have any that drew mana in.

    Putting aside that revelation for the moment, she started to draw the power into her core. She could feel the channels emptying, and her core got hotter and hotter.

    ¡°Open your eyes, Anna,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna opened her eyes and looked at the woman next to her.

    ¡°Now look at your focus,¡± Lyreen said, pointing at Anna¡¯s hand.

    Anna looked down at the crystal. The light had almost gone out completely. ¡°I did it!¡± she shouted excitedly.

    Just then, the crystal started glowing brightly again, and Anna¡¯s face fell. ¡°Oh no,¡± she said.

    Barika patted her leg. ¡°It¡¯s alright child. Just keep practicing,¡± she said.

    ¡°She¡¯s right. Now, we will be gone for a week or two at the most exploring those ruins. While we are gone, I want you to practice this every day until you can keep the crystal unlit while looking at it. Once you do that, I will teach you the next step,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna nodded.

    ¡°Okay, then go practice in your room. We need to get ready for our expedition tomorrow."

    Anna got up and left the room. She immediately went to her own room and locked the door behind her.

    She put the crystal on the other side of the room to make sure it was safe and then closed her eyes.

    Instead of focusing on her mana core, she focused on the black core. Instead of having channels, this core seemed to pull her in the more she focused on it. She went deep into the core, and it reminded her of her dreams.

    After spending some time there, she decided not to use it until she had a better understanding of magic. She didn¡¯t want to break something again.

    She laid in the bed and fell asleep quickly. That night, in the dreams, the eyes seemed more numerous than any dream she had before.

 Chapter 6

    She woke up later in the day than normal and found out she had missed the adventurers as well as breakfast. Elizabeth gave her a bowl of cold porridge, which she ate quickly, and deposited the bowl in the dish wash basin in the kitchen.

    After doing her daily chores, she went back to her room to practice instead of going out for her usual trip around the town with Beth. The girl was finished working with her mother, but now Anna was the busy one.

    She spent the rest of the day practicing mana control. She managed to get the crystal to go out several times, but it lit right back up every time she looked at it.

    That evening, she went downstairs to start her shift. Ted waved her over.

    ¡°Anna, what did those adventurers talk to you about?¡± he asked.

    She explained the events of the night before. Ted¡¯s face fell after hearing the story.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to get to work then,¡± he said. She grabbed a tray filled it up and headed to the tables.

    She went straight to bed that night. The eyes were back watching and waiting.

    The next several days were the same, practicing all day and working at night.

    By the third day, she was able to keep the light out even when looking at it, and by the fifth, she didn¡¯t need to close her eyes. She made steady progress, and by the tenth day, she could control her core with no conscious effort. Like walking or breathing, she only needed to pay attention to it when she wanted it to do something.

    She decided to wear the gem as a neckless so she could practice making it light up at will. She thought it would be pretty if she did that.

    The jeweler in town wrapped the gem in a piece of wire and hooked it to a strip of leather.

    After twelve days of practice, she could make the gem light up in different spots and make glowing symbols if she wanted to. She couldn¡¯t wait to show Lyreen.

    The party showed up in the late evening on the fifteenth day. They went straight to their rooms to sleep, not even stopping to say hello.

    They came down late the next morning looking like they had slept in their clothes. Except Barika. She looked well rested.

    Anna had started to pulse the crystal out of habit, including making the light swirl on the inside.

    Lyreen looked oddly at her before walking over and sitting down at the table.

    ¡°How,¡± she said, pointing at the crystal.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been practicing like you said. See?¡± She began to make symbols in the crystal, and Lyreen just stared.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone that can do that,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I have. The archmage can control gems like that,¡± she said.

    ¡°We are staying for another week before we head out,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°We talked it over while exploring the ruins. Would you like to come with us?¡± he asked.

    Anna was torn. She liked this town, but she wasn¡¯t going to learn much else here. Apart from the stories the sailors told, this place wasn¡¯t very exciting.

    ¡°I think I will,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s the spirit,¡± Thokri said. ¡°Come on Lass. Let¡¯s go get you outfitted.¡± He pulled her arm, dragging her out the door.

    Thokri stopped when they reached the middle of the road, not sure where to go.

    Anna guided him to the market stalls a few streets away, and he was off again, dragging her from one booth to the next.

    She bought a pack, a bed roll, a small tent he called a shelter, and even a tin mug with a lid. He told her she could cook in it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to starve,¡± she thought, looking at the size of the mug.

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    They went to the food market next and walked past all the wonderful food to a section she had never stopped at.

    This vender had dried hard bread squares and tough dry unseasoned, except for the layer of salt, meat strips. Thokri called it jerky and seemed to love it.

    ¡°I really am going to starve,¡± she thought.

    ¡°One more stop,¡± Thokri said, pulling her away again.

    They began walking back toward the goods market when Anna noticed they were heading to the stall with a stylized boot on the front.

    ¡°No, nope, not going to happen,¡± Anna said while lifting the dwarf up with one hand. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the stuff you claim is food. I¡¯ll deal with the tiny portions. But there is no way I¡¯m wearing shoes!¡± she said glaring up at him.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied with a shocked look on his face. She set him down and stormed back to the inn.

    After returning, she dumped her new gear in her room and went back to the bar to find Ted.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be leaving with the adventurers,¡± she told him.

    ¡°I figured that was going to happen being a mage and all. I didn¡¯t see you staying,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You''re leaving?¡± she heard a small voice behind her.

    Turning around, she saw Beth looking at her with big eyes.

    ¡°Yes. I need to train, and the only people who can train me are leaving in a week. I have to go,¡± she replied. ¡°But I¡¯m going to need a few travel dresses, and you¡¯re the only one I know who can make them fit just right,¡± she added smiling.

    Beth smiled as well. ¡°Bring me the cloth, and I¡¯ll make as many as you need,¡± she replied smiling back.

    Ted told her that she didn¡¯t need to wait tables anymore and that the adventurers had paid more than enough for her room as well.

    Not sure what to do with herself, she went looking for Lyreen to see if she could get a lesson before the day ended.

    She found the adventurers behind the inn. The two elves were standing facing each other holding sticks in one hand. They would hit them together at odd intervals making a cracking sound.

    Barika was sitting on her knees nearby. She had her head bent down and her hands were holding each other with her fingers interlaced. There was a small statue of a women in front of her.

    ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s doing?¡± Anna thought while looking around.

    Thokri sat on a rock watching the elves intently while drinking out of his flask.

    She sat down on the rock next to him feeling bad about yelling.

    She turned to apologize. Before she could get the words out, he held out his flask and waved it towards her. She took the flask and drank savoring the flavor. She handed him back the flask smiling.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. He nodded.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied. He looked at her, and then back at the elves, and then back at her, and got a strange smile on his face.

    ¡°Lad, while you¡¯re playing with your stick, why don¡¯t you show the young lass here how to defend herself?¡± Thokri asked.

    Voekeer looked at the dwarf. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. She is going to be training to be a mage,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Baa, she won¡¯t be able to singe skeeters in a week. If you don¡¯t think your stick can handle a round with her, just let us know,¡± Thokri said.

    Voekeer got a stern look on his face, snatched the stick from Lyreen, and stormed over to Anna. Thrusting the stick in her direction, he said, ¡°Here. Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡±

    They walked back over to the spot he and Lyreen had been practicing.

    ¡°First, I¡¯ll demonstrate the proper way to hold a sword and how to swing one,¡± he said. He held the stick in his right hand loosely, putting his left foot back and his left hand held near his waist. He began to swing the stick first from his right shoulder down to the left then from the left down to the right. He stopped.

    ¡°There. Now you try,¡± he said.

    Anna copied the stance and began to swing.

    ¡°Good, good. You can stop now,¡± he said.

    She stopped, and he stepped closer.

    ¡°Now I want you to hit my stick with yours. Use the top third of it to hit the middle of mine. I want you to swing as hard as you can so I can get a feel for your strength,¡± he said.

    She nodded and looked at Thokri. He was smirking. Lyreen had taken a seat next to the dwarf.

    ¡°Go on. It¡¯s okay,¡± she said.

    Anna swung the stick with all the force she could muster. When they connected, the was a loud CRACK, and Voekeer¡¯s stick exploded into splinters. They flew across the open space and hit the stone fence. She looked down to see that the top half of her stick was gone.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Voekeer said in a pained voice. She heard Thokri laughing.

    ¡°Guess your stick wasn¡¯t up to it,¡± he said, doubling over laughing again.

    ¡°You knew about this didn¡¯t you, you dammed dwarf!¡± Voekeer shouted.

    Barika rushed over and placed her hand on his. Anna watched as a golden light seemed to form around their hands and soak in. Barika took her hand off Voekeer¡¯s, and his hand seemed completely fine.

    ¡°Aye, I did. She scruffed me like a cur when I tried to get her shoes. Figured you¡¯d want to know about it, and this was the best way I could think of,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Well, I think that display proves my point,¡± Lyreen said.

    All the adventurers seemed to be nodding at that statement.

    Anna looked around. ¡°What?" she asked.

    ¡°We have been talking about your heritage, and we think you¡¯re a Fae child,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Races can¡¯t mix naturally. It takes magic for an elf and a human to have a child together,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Oh, so what does this have to do with the Fae?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I was getting to that. The Fae are made from magic, so if they go out for a tryst, a baby will usually happen. Now, the reason we aren¡¯t up to our necks in Fae children is because they don¡¯t come over very often, and they always take the babe with them,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°How could I be a Fae child if they keep them?¡±

    ¡°Because the children that aren¡¯t Fae enough are brought back and left at a village of the race of their non-Fae parent. They also lose all of the memories from the Fae realm,¡± she added.

    ¡°This is perfect. I can just tell people I¡¯m a Fae child, and all the strange stuff will get blamed on that,¡± she thought.

    ¡°That make sense. So, what does that mean for me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, not much, but you may have trouble learning mortal magic if you¡¯re too much like the Fae. They cast spells different from the rest of us,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine. I mean, if I am part Fae, it''s not much since they didn¡¯t let me stay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably right. Let¡¯s go start. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a natural,¡± Lyreen said. They headed into the inn and up to Lyreen¡¯s room to practice.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°We can try again later,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get why I can¡¯t do anything,¡± Anna said with a huff.

    ¡°I have no idea. It must be your Fae blood. Maybe the archmage will know. We will ask him when we get back to the guild. Besides, there are other kinds of magic like enchanting or rituals. Maybe you can do one of those, but I just don¡¯t know them myself,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna sighed. ¡°I am getting tired. I think I¡¯ll go to my room now,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what tired means, but it seems to make people leave you alone,¡± Anna thought.

    Lyreen nodded, and Anna got up and left the room as she headed to her own and flopped on the bed.

    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on? As far as I know this body is human, isn¡¯t it?¡± she thought.

    Thinking of what she learned that day, the process of casting a spell wasn¡¯t all that hard. It turned out just to be mostly focusing power in the focus, hence the name, and pull it into your other hand while visualizing what you want to happen. She watched Lyreen do it a dozen times but she just couldn¡¯t. The power just wouldn¡¯t leave the focus for her. After pondering over the problem for some time, she finally gave up and fell asleep.

    She woke up early the next morning.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll wait on magic. It¡¯s pretty, but I want to try more with my body right now,¡± she thought. She got dressed and slipped out of her room before walking over to Thokri¡¯s.

    She knocked on the door and heard some shuffling sounds coming towards the door. The door opened with a creaking sound as the bleary-eyed dwarf looked at her.

    ¡°Aye?¡± he asked, looking sleepy still.

    ¡°Thokri, I want you to teach me how to fight. You¡¯re stronger than Voekeer, and I think you could teach me better,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied, looking at her. ¡°Let me get dressed, and I will go out and find you a weapon. I don¡¯t think a sword will work,¡± he said, closing the door.

    She waited for a few minutes while he got ready.

    He opened the door again, and they left the inn for the market. This time, they headed directly to the weapons merchants.

    They arrived there just as the merchants were opening for the morning. Thokri started looking through the stacks of weapons. None of them were what you would call good, but they were all serviceable. He picked through axes, hammers, spears, and all manner of other things Anna couldn¡¯t identify.

    Finally, he picked up something that he seemed to find acceptable.

    ¡°This is it lass. This is the one,¡± he said before showing her what he had found. It was a club as thick as her forearm and thinner at the grip with a rounded shape it the very bottom. It was about as long as her arm from elbow to fingertip.

    Taking it from the dwarf, she looked at it closer, noticing it had four strips of iron nailed to the sides and bent over the top making a sort of cap. The grip was wrapped in sturdy brown leather.

    ¡°Go on. Swing it around.¡±

    She started to take the stance that Voekeer showed her.

    ¡°No lass. That ain¡¯t no sword. Like this,¡± Thokri said as he stood with his right leg slightly back, acting as if he held the club in his right hand while holding his left hand in front as if to grab his opponent.

    Anna copied the stance and started to swing the club.

    ¡°Step forward with your right foot and swing your hip into it. You got enough of that,¡± he said, correcting her stance.

    Anna nodded and copied him. She swung it a few times, enjoying the feel of it. ¡°I like it,¡± she said before turning toward the vender. ¡°How much?¡± she asked.

    The merchant replied, ¡°Three coppers for you.¡±

    She pulled the coppers from her pouch and handed them over. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a smile.

    Thokri looked at her and then the club. Then he looked at her belt. It was a new leather one she had bought. She had a few pouches on it to carry coins and other necessities like candy.

    He tugged her arm. ¡°This way,¡± he said.

    She followed him until he stopped in front of a smithy.

    ¡°Give me the club and your belt,¡± he told her.

    She handed over the club and took off the belt before handing it to him.

    He walked to the smithy and began to talk and gesture wildly at the man near the forge. This went on for a few moments before the man put his hands up and stepped back in surrender.

    The dwarf then went to work.

    She tried to wait patiently for a while but was soon distracted and started to look around and chat with the people as they walked by.

    Thokri came back out a half an hour or so later. He handed her the belt and club. ¡°Here you go lass. All done,¡± he said.

    She looked at the belt, which now had an iron plate with what looked like two hooks coming out of it. She put the belt back on and adjusted the pouches before he handed her the club.

    ¡°Put it on the frog like this,¡± he said.

    ¡°Frog?¡± she thought, confused for a moment. ¡°Oh! That must be the iron hooks,¡± she thought and smiled to herself at the funny name. She put the club on the frog, and it swiveled when she moved.

    ¡°That¡¯s so you can pull it out easier,¡± he said.

    From there, they headed about to the inn.

    ¡°Lass, you have to go easy on me while I¡¯m teaching you,¡± he said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re as strong as they come. I can¡¯t teach you anything if you keep flinging me around like an old rag,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Like a butterfly. They are so pretty and delicate,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye, but don¡¯t call me a butterfly. I just can¡¯t handle it,¡± he replied gruffly.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she replied, but he only grunted in response.

    They arrived at the inn and went straight out back. It was empty still as the other adventurers hadn¡¯t woken up yet, and the family was still doing their morning chores.

    ¡°Alright lass. Take off your belt and your necklace. Tie up your hair if you can.¡±

    Anna took off her belt and necklace and pulled a piece of ribbon out of one of her pouches. The ribbon was from a candy box and she liked the color, so she kept it. She tied her hair into a ponytail and walked back over to Thokri.

    ¡°First, I¡¯ll teach you how to grapple. Grappling is real fighting. You need to learn it before you start waving weapons around,¡± he said.

    She nodded.

    ¡°Now, let me show the moves on you, and let me do it. I know you can stop me any time, but you need to learn this.¡±

    She nodded again.

    ¡°Wait. You need to learn how to fall first,¡± he said.

    ¡°Learn to fall?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied. Then he grabbed her by the arm and stepped behind her leg, pulling her arm and twisting his hip. She found herself off balance.

    ¡°On the way down, land on your shoulders, and then roll your arm out to soften the blow.¡±

    She fell and landed as he said, but it didn¡¯t feel any different than landing normally. She didn¡¯t say anything to him.

    ¡°Good job lass. That¡¯s how it¡¯s done,¡± he said. After that, he showed her various ways to throw people and pin them on the ground. It was all very fun. She really enjoyed learning this.

    ¡°Lass, does this hurt?¡± he asked.

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    She had found herself facedown with her arm bent at an odd angle. She wasn¡¯t really sure what he meant by hurt. She didn¡¯t feel any different than normal.

    ¡°What do you mean by hurt?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You know, ¡®ouch pain¡¯, getting cut, blood, that kind of hurt,¡± he said.

    She thought back on the last few months. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been hurt,¡± she replied.

    He let her go and she sat up. ¡°Hold on,¡± he said before going over to his belt. He pulled out a small knife.

    ¡°Hold out your hand,¡± he said as he approached her again.

    She did, and he took the knife and poked her lightly on the palm. When she didn¡¯t react, he kept pressing until the knife flexed. He pulled it back and looked at it. The tip was bent slightly.

    ¡°Lass, don¡¯t tell anyone else about this,¡± he said.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen,¡± she thought. ¡°Can we keep training?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said before finally taking his eyes off the knife.

    They spent the rest of the day going over the basics, going back into the inn after the sun went down. Thokri stayed at the bar, and she went upstairs to her room to try magic again.

    ¡°Maybe it will work this time,¡± she thought. After a few more hours attempting magic in her room, she still couldn¡¯t get the hang of it. ¡°I¡¯ll just go to bed now,¡± she sighed.

    She was grasped by the tentacles and flung around. It reminded her of her practice with Thokri. The eyes watched it all as usual.

    Over the next few days, she learned more advanced grappling, as well as hand to hand which for some reason also involved kicking.

    ¡°People are weird,¡± she thought. Weapons were the last thing she learned to use, and Thokri even made her a straw man to hit. Not too hard of course.

    The day before they left, she met Beth in the common room. Beth grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the storeroom where she had five dresses laid out on a table.

    Anna walked to the table and picked up one of the dresses and inspected it. The cut was similar to the first ones Beth had made with a few changes. First, there was a leather strap sewn just under the bust. The bust area itself was reenforced with a few extra layers of cloth.

    Beth noticed her looking at it. ¡°The belt will help you keep your boobs from bouncing when you run. I know you don¡¯t wear a wrap, and the extra layer will stop you from giving everyone a free show when the wind blows,¡± Beth said.

    Anna chuckled. Elizabeth had complained to her a few times about poking out, but they had a mind of their own, and she couldn¡¯t complain about the extra tips she got on nights the door was open.

    Continuing her inspection, the material itself was thicker and stronger than her other dresses. The seams were stronger, and it was also reenforced around the hip area. She assumed it was so that her belt wouldn¡¯t wear a hole in the cloth on the long walks.

    The skirt portion was slightly shorter than before, just above the knee with slits in the sides that went up to her mid-thigh. ¡°That¡¯s so your butt doesn¡¯t pop out when you crouch down,¡± Beth said while smiling.

    ¡°These are perfect,¡± Anna said before turning to hug the girl.

    ¡°Wait. There¡¯s one more,¡± Beth replied, taking her by the hand and leading her back into the common room.

    Elizabeth sat at one of the tables, and there was a package on it in front of her. Beth pulled her all the way to the table, and Anna smiled at Elizabeth.

    ¡°We made this as a going away present. I hope you like it,¡± Elizabeth said.

    Anna looked at the package; it was an oil cloth folded on itself with straps sown on. The straps were tied into a loose bow on the top. She untied the package, and upon opening it up, she found another dress.

    She picked it up to look at it closer. It was the color of sunflowers in the springtime, and it was made from a light and thin cloth. The sleeves were short enough that they would only go down to just above the middle of her bicep and was slightly ruffled at the shoulders.

    It had a keyhole neckline, and the bust was much more form fitting than her other dresses. It had two embroidered butterflies, one on each breast facing each other, with a ribbon stitched to the front and the back just below the bust. They were laced together at the sides going down to the top of the hip.

    ¡°It will keep the dress tight and show off your figure. Just tighten up the ribbons and tie them in bows on each side,¡± Elizabeth said.

    The skirt was even more form fitting and shorter with a slit that went two inches below her hip.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like to wear underthings, so make sure you cross your legs when you sit. If you don¡¯t, no one will have to guess a thing,¡± Elizabeth said laughing.

    Anna hugged them both, and then she set down the dress and started to unbuckle her belt. Beth and Elizabeth both grabbed her hands.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t. Go change upstairs! I keep telling you that this is not that kind of place,¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°Beth, go with her,¡± she added.

    They bounded up the stairs into Anna¡¯s room.

    The dress wasn¡¯t that hard to put on, though Beth did help get the ribbons right. Now it should be easy to do by herself.

    They left her room and went back downstairs. Elizabeth was at the bar now, cleaning the mugs. She never thought Ted got them clean enough, so she always went back to wipe them off again.

    Seeing them come down the stairs, she walked to them, and they met near the middle of the room. She grabbed Anna with both hands just behind the elbows and held her away before looking her over.

    ¡°It looks wonderful on you,¡± she said.

    ¡°It fits great,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Beth is getting good at sewing. I think she may start apprenticing with the seamstresses soon,¡± Elizabeth replied.

    Anna made a face and Elizabeth laughed. ¡°They don¡¯t talk like that around children. It will be fine,¡± she said, knowing what Anna was thinking. They both laughed at that.

    The three of them chatted about clothes, dress making, and Beth¡¯s future with the seamstresses.

    Soon, the adventurers joined them.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to turn heads in that,¡± Barika said, and Anna nodded.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go out today. I want to say goodbye to all of my friends,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Make sure to get your things packed. We will be leaving at sunrise tomorrow,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I will see you all this evening,¡± she replied, waving as she walked out the door.

    She headed towards the docks first, planning on stopping by the weaver¡¯s shop on the way.

    It was warm already, despite being early in the morning. There was a nice breeze coming off the river. She stopped for a moment, closed her eyes, and the breeze picked up temporarily. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes and continuing her walk.

    The reason she disliked underclothes was simple. She hated the way the bindings pushed her breasts against her chest. It felt better when they could bounce, and she loved the feeling of fresh air under her skirt. It was also the reason she turned down the travel pants the adventurers had tried to get her to wear.

    She made it to the weaver¡¯s and found several women outside enjoying the weather before they got started for the day.

    The women waved her over and asked about her new dress. She told them that Beth had made it, and they all agreed that she was good and couldn¡¯t wait to work with her when she started her apprenticeship there.

    After talking for a few minutes, she said her goodbyes and mentioned going to the docks.

    ¡°You¡¯d better be careful with those,¡± Loren said, poking her finger in between her breasts through the cutout below her neckline. ¡°You¡¯re bound to make some poor man fall in love, and then you leave the next day,¡± she said laughing.

    Anna wasn¡¯t sure what Loren meant by that, but she knew how to respond. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be there to comfort him,¡± Anna replied, leering at the woman like a sailor.

    Loren waved Anna off, trying vainly to stifle a laugh. She failed, and they all broke out into a fit of laughter.

    Anna hugged them all before saying her goodbyes and left. ¡°I wonder what they mean by comfort,¡± she thought as she walked away.

    She made her way to the docks, enjoying the breeze that had grown stronger now that she was closer to the water.

    Stepping onto the dock, she heard several good-natured whistles and even a cat call or two. She knew all the men who worked at the dock. The few she didn¡¯t recognize were most likely sailors, although most of their kind was still dealing with the after-effects of last night¡¯s revelries.

    She spotted the man she was looking for and headed in his direction. He turned and saw her as she walked up.

    ¡°Anna, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± the dockmaster said in greeting.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I found you. I wanted to say goodbye before I left,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Good luck on your journey, and if your ever come back, we¡¯ll have a drink,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± she agreed, shaking his hand and then walking away.

    She found herself at the treat merchant after wandering around for a while.

    ¡°I should get some candies for the journey,¡± she thought, heading for the hard candy vender and buying several boxes of them. ¡°That should do it,¡± she thought, also picking up some oilskin to wrap the boxes in so they didn¡¯t get wet.

    ¡°Now, the most important stop,¡± she thought.

    She arrived at the bakery, only to find it closed. The bakers weren¡¯t home either. Not sure where to find them, shrugging, she walked on.

    By then, it was late afternoon and the common room was starting to fill up. She spotted the adventurers and walked over to join them sitting at the table.

    Beth walked over carrying a tray. The girl put drinks and food in front of each of the adventurers.

    ¡°Would you like some too?¡± Beth asked.

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Anna replied. She tossed a piece of candy on the tray like a coin, and the girl grabbed it and stuffed it into her mouth.

    ¡°You know the way to a woman¡¯s heart,¡± Voekeer said, and the adventurers raised their mugs.

    ¡°Here, here,¡± they chanted in unison.

    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d be telling a raw recruit like you not to drink and get enough rest, but I don¡¯t think you have to worry about that. Instead, I¡¯ll tell you to pack up and be ready in the morning,¡± he continued.

    Anna nodded.

    Beth returned with food and drink, refilling their mugs until they all finished their food before heading up to bed.

    Anna went to her room early and packed up. Looking at the pack that contained everything she owned, she laid down and wondered what tomorrow would bring.

    She woke up before dawn. The dream the night before was filled with the usual eyes and tentacles.

    Anna seemed excited, as she was quivering wildly at the thought of leaving.

    She grabbed her pack and left her room for the last time.

    Heading down the stairs, she found Ted and his family already sitting at the table. She joined them and was given her usual bowl of overly sweet porridge. They idly chatted while eating, waiting for the adventurers to come down.

    They didn¡¯t have to wait long. Soon the band came down the stairs. She had never seen them in their full kit before.

    They were a sight to behold. Voekeer was wearing a black cloak with the hood off and had a silvery shirt on that looked like little metal rings woven together along with a long slender sword on his hip.

    Next was Lyreen. She had a similar cloak, but instead of the glove, she had a gauntlet on her left hand that had the largest focus Anna had ever seen attached to it. Both elves had similar packs, though they seemed to be made from oil cloth instead of leather, and were smaller than hers.

    Next was Barika. She had a brown cloak made of a thinner cloth than the elves, and she caried a long staff with strange symbols carved into it. She was wearing a necklace shaped like a woman with exaggerated hips and breasts. Her pack was nearly identical to Anna¡¯s in both material and size.

    Last and most impressive was Thokri. He was outfitted in metal armor head to toe. His helmet was round at the top with two plates over his cheeks and a large bar coming down over his nose. Despite that, he somehow had his beard flowing down his chest.

    ¡°I wonder if it snags,¡± Anna thought as she looked at him.

    He carried a spear as long as Voekeer is tall, and his pack was huge. It had all manner of weapons strapped to it, along with what looked like a full set of pots and pans.

    She slung her pack over her shoulder and went to join them.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Beth cried. Running over to hug Anna, she looked up with her eyes starting to wet.

    ¡°Will I see you again?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I hope so,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll send you something from everywhere I go. Would you like that?¡± she continued.

    ¡°Lass, you won¡¯t be able to do that,¡± Thokri said sternly.

    Elizabeth walked over and peeled Beth off Anna. ¡°Why don¡¯t you draw pictures of the places you go? You could send them when you fill up a book,¡± Elizabeth suggested.

    ¡°I could do that,¡± Anna said.

    They left the pub with the family crowding into the door to wave goodbye. She waved back, then turned around to catch up with the adventurers.

    They left the city a few minutes later, walking away from the only home she had ever known.

 Chapter 8

    They walked along the dirt path leading out of the village, and after a few hours, they reached the crossroads.

    They took the path to the right onto a much larger road that was lined with stones that raise slightly in the middle and curve down to small gutters on either side. The surface was smooth with ruts dug into the stone slightly larger than most of the carts she had seen.

    ¡°They must use bigger ones,¡± she thought.

    ¡°Anna, let us know if you need a break,¡± Voekeer said, interrupting her line of thought.

    ¡°I will,¡± she replied, still looking at the ruts.

    ¡°I mean it. If you push yourself too hard the first day and get hurt, it will take us longer to get to the next ruin,¡± he said firmly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± she replied.

    He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head and continued walking. They walked until the sun was directly above them in the sky.

    ¡°Time for some grub,¡± Thokri said, the others nodding.

    ¡°Grub? Isn¡¯t that a bug?¡± Anna thought, then shrugged.

    They looked for a place to stop, finding a clearing just off the road with several large stones that looked perfect to sit on, and even a small fire ring.

    ¡°I wonder if a lot of travelers stop here,¡± she thought.

    The others took off their packs and sat on the stones, and Anna did the same. Thokri pulled out a tin from his pack and began grabbing tinder to start a fire. Voekeer set off into the forest for firewood, she guessed.

    ¡°Anna, let me see your feet,¡± Barika said, walking over.

    Anna lifted her feet, wiggling her toes at the woman. Barika leaned over and grabbed her foot and inspected it closely.

    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any callouses at all, but your feet aren¡¯t torn or even red. I¡¯ve never seen someone walk half a day barefoot on stones without a single mark,¡± she said astonishingly.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika stood up and shrugged. ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have to worry about shoes after all,¡± she said. Anna just smiled as a reply.

    Voekeer returned with an armload of wood of various sizes, and soon Thokri had a small but hot fire going.

    The adventurers began pulling their rations out of their packs. Thokri had shown her how to portion the rations so that each package contained enough for one meal. Opening the package, she took out the dried meat first and started chewing it.

    It was tough, and somehow salty and bland at the same time. She had only gotten through a single piece before deciding to give up and eat the hard bread.

    ¡°They called it hard tack,¡± she thought, understanding the hard part but not the tack. Shrugging, she took a bite and started crunching away when Thokri looked up.

    ¡°No Lass, not like that. Bring that here,¡± he said.

    She grabbed the meat, and still holding the bread, walked over and handed it to him. He took it and broke up the bread before he dropped the meat in a pot along with the rations of the others. He then filled it with water and placed the pot over the fire on a tripod he had setup when she wasn¡¯t looking.

    He stirred it occasionally, and when it began to boil, he pulled the tripod up to lower the heat.

    After it had simmered a few minutes, Voekeer brought a handful of wild herbs he had collected and dropped them in. Soon after, Thokri took the pot off the heat and set it aside. Then he poured water over the fire and stirred the embers serval times to make sure it was out.

    They all got their mugs and went to the pot, filling them up in turn. She ate the stew Thokri had turned the rations into. It didn¡¯t taste all that different from before, except instead of being crunchy, it was mush, and the meat was slightly less tough.

    She could almost taste the herbs, but they didn¡¯t help much. She finished the mugful quickly, trying to get it down as fast as possible and drinking large amounts of water in the process.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it lass,¡± Thokri said as she ate a piece of candy to get the taste out of her mouth.

    ¡°No. I won¡¯t,¡± she thought. She looked at Voekeer. ¡°You said we could hunt for food,¡± she said with an admonishing tone.

    ¡°Yes, but not around here. Too many farms. They chased away all the game,¡± he replied.

    She sighed, packed up her things, and they got back on the road after cleaning up. They walked the rest of the day and found a suitable spot to setup camp for the night.

    They ate the same bland ration for dinner, and Anna had the mid watch that night.

    After Lyreen relieved her, she slept well. Before dozing off, she thinks that this was a good first day as an adventurer. Other than the food that is.

    The next couple of days went much the same. However, when they stopped for the night on the third day, Voekeer decided that they would stay at this site the following day to hunt for some game.

    Anna was so excited by this she couldn¡¯t sleep and asked to be on the first watch.

    A few hours after dark, she heard Voekeer leave his tent, but instead of going to the forest to relieve himself, he went to Lyreen¡¯s.

    After a few minutes, she heard a soft moaning coming from the tent.

    ¡°I wonder what they are doing,¡± she thought. Not wanting to disturb them, she stayed away.

    The moaning got louder and louder before suddenly stopping. Voekeer left a little while later, going around his tent and to the forest to actually relieve himself this time. A few minutes after he returned, Lyreen headed there as well.

    Thokri showed up to take his watch a few minutes early. She headed towards the forest, having to pee.

    She walked farther away than usual, wanting to look around some before the morning. She could see in the dark like it was daytime, except without the colors.

    She found a spot and squatted to pee, hiking up her skirt in the process. She was glad it was so short. Long skirts were a pain and got dirty easily.

    She heard a stick snap nearby and stopped midstream, she quickly pulling down the skirt while standing up.

    Something rushed out mouth open, and almost out of reflex, she grabbed the things lower jaw and yanked. It came off in her hand, blood gushing out over her arm. She jumped back to avoid getting it on her dress. The thing gurgled and thrashed around as it convulsed in pain on the ground. It reminded her of a dog, only bigger and furrier. She kicked it into a tree and then stomped on it until it quit moving.

    After tossing the lower jaw to the side, she grabbed it by the tail and started to drag it back to camp. ¡°Maybe this will taste good if I can get Thokri to cook it,¡± she thought.

    She dragged the thing into camp and waived at Thokri.

    ¡°Look what I found!¡± she said.

    He trotted over to see. ¡°BY THE STONE ONE¡¯S BALLS!!! YOU KILLED A DIRE WOLF!¡± he shouted in astonishment.

    This caused all the other members of the party to come spilling out of their tents. Barika ran over and grabbed her hand, still covered in blood.

    ¡°What happed? Are you hurt? Do you feel it? Are you still bleeding?¡± she asked in rapid succession. She abruptly stopped talking and stared at Anna¡¯s hand and arm after wiping it clean and not seeing a mark. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she demanded.

    ¡°The lass has skin tougher than dragon hide and doesn¡¯t feel pain,¡± Thokri said concisely.

    ¡°So, she¡¯s beautiful, indestructible, and strong as a troll. What¡¯s next? You¡¯re going to tell me she doesn¡¯t bleed once a month?¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Why would I bleed once a month?¡± Anna replied, confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s just great now, isn¡¯t it,¡± Lyreen said and stomped away.

    Voekeer ignored the women. ¡°Would someone tell me what happened?¡± he asked.

    Anna told them about her trip into the forest. Lyreen had come back to listen and seemed to have calmed down some.

    ¡°Well, if there was a dire wolf here, then there will be no game, so we will be packing up in the morning. It will be a few more days of walking to get out of its range,¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna groaned. ¡°Can we eat it?¡± she asked, and pointed at the wolf.

    ¡°Aye. Most don¡¯t like the taste, but it¡¯s fresh. You want the pelt, lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she responded, relieved that they would indeed be able to eat the creature.

    ¡°Well, drag it over there and give me a hand,¡± he replied.

    They dragged the wolf to a nearby tree and started to clean it. The work went quickly, and as soon as they were done, she went to bed.

    That night, the dreams were filled with blood, and the eyes watched as impassively as ever.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    They cooked the dire wolf and ate their fill the next day. It was stringy and tough and gamey, but it was different, and she was happy about that. The rest was smoked and went into Thokri¡¯s pack as extra rations.

    The pelt was brain tanned, and the hair was left on. She folded it up and stuffed it in her pack, intending on sleeping on it. She loved how soft it was.

    After smoking the meat and tanning the hide, it was already late afternoon.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t get far with this much light left,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind staying another night,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°It is a wonderful view,¡± Voekeer said, looking into her eyes before they turned and walked away.

    ¡°What view?¡± Barika said.

    Thokri shrugged. ¡°Never can understand elves,¡± he said knowingly.

    Anna sat on a rock watching the forest that night, trying to ignore the sounds coming from Lyreen¡¯s tent. They had been getting louder each night, doing whatever they were doing. She wondered if the others heard it as well but were just ignoring it.

    Sighing to herself, she began to sing. It was a song from before she was a person. ¡°Or is it?¡± she thought. She couldn¡¯t quite remember where she¡¯d learned it, but she knew it all the same.

    ¡°That was beautiful,¡± Barika said.

    Anna stopped and looked at her. She hadn¡¯t heard her walking up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that language before. What is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just remember it. It was from before I think,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°You should sing more often. It¡¯s nice,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I¡¯m odd enough. I don¡¯t want people to think I¡¯m any stranger,¡± Anna said sadly.

    ¡°You¡¯re only odd compared to average human women. As far as anyone knows, you¡¯re totally normal for a Fae,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°She was right. Not about me being Fae, but that I¡¯m not really human and need to stop comparing myself to them,¡± Anna thought to herself.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. It¡¯s just hard being different,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I know, child. But, it¡¯s better to be your true self than lie to fit in. The friends you make by lying won¡¯t really be friends,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Thanks. I needed that,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika smiled at her. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to be different, so tell me. Do you know what the song is about?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. I wish I did,¡± Anna replied, looking up at the stars.

    They packed up the next morning and headed out. Their pace was quicker than prior days, everyone starting to get into a rhythm.

    They all pointed things out to her along the way, teaching her about the different trees and plants along the side of the road. Some were helpful, some made you itch, and some could be eaten.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never itched,¡± Anna thought, wondering what it felt like.

    Their trip continued like this for a few more days. Anna was in the front of the group, looking for a hawk nest Voekeer had told her that should be on a near tree.

    Something sparked out of the corner of her eye, and she saw what might have been three figures on the road, but before she could say anything, three arrows streaked at them. One hit her forehead, and one hit her left breast.

    She heard Voekeer grunt in pain and turned to look. Before she finished turning, Thokri yelled a warning.

    ¡°Lass, get them!¡±

    She turned to see three men in rough clothes, all wearing cloaks. They had dropped their bows and pulled clubs and hatchets out and were quickly approaching.

    She stepped toward the one in the middle as he was closest while pulling out her own club. She swung her club in a downward motion at his head, hitting it. It popped, showering her and the other two with gore.

    Stepping to the right, she hit the second one with a backhand swing, knocking his face and freeing the front half of his skull of its contents, spraying towards the nearby woods.

    She turned to face the last man and stepped beside him. She swung her club with all her might, hitting him in the back of the head. The force liquified it, sending the remains spraying to her left.

    She looked back to her companions, only to see they had been covered in the gore and blood.

    ¡°Aye lass. That¡¯ll do,¡± Thokri said as he nodded, an eyeball falling from his beard at the movement.

    She walked over to them. Voekeer was standing up. Barika¡¯s magic had taken care of the arrow wound. It had simply grazed him.

    She pulled the arrow that was hanging from her dress causing her nipple to pop out.

    ¡°He shot my nipple!¡± she said. They all looked down at her chest. The nipple grew hard when exposed to the breezy air.

    ¡°Find us a river,¡± Lyreen said, looking at Voekeer. He wiped his hands off in the nearby grass and pulled a map from his pack. He looked at it a moment, nodded, and stuffed it back in his pack and walked off into the forest.

    Thokri had walked over to the bodies and was inspecting them.

    ¡°Piss poor enchantment,¡± he waved at the cloaks. ¡°Lass knocked it right off with their heads,¡± he continued.

    ¡°What manner of enchantment was it?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Concealment,¡± he replied.

    Lyreen nodded, and they dragged the bodies off to the side of the road and tossed them in a ditch. None of their possessions were worth keeping, so they went into a pile right on top.

    Voekeer returned in a few minutes and led them to a small stream with a sandy bank.

    ¡°Wash yourself, then your things,¡± Barika said.

    Anna nodded and then stripped, walking towards the river. She left her belongings in a pile on the shore.

    Once she was in, she turned towards the group. She started to scrub herself while watching her companions. The elves were helping Thokri get out of his plate armor because the buckles were sticky from all of the blood.

    Anna looked at Barika, who had finished undressing and was walking to her in the river. Her skin was dark brown, so dark it was almost black. She was well muscled, not as much as the dockworkers but more than the average man back in Fishport. Her breasts were large, hanging low on her chest. She had wide hips with a large patch of black curly hair between her legs.

    She approached, looking over Anna in return. Her gaze lingered on the usual spots. She began to wash herself, turning around to watch the others on the shore while she did so.

    Anna looked at Barika''s butt when she turned it was larger and rounder than her own.

    After the glance she looked towards the shore, somehow Thokri was stripped next, having flung his clothing off after his armor was removed. The dwarf was the most muscular man she had ever seen. Every part of his body appeared to be made from stone and bulging when he moved. His skin pale, an off-white color. Only his face and hands were tanned, and she glanced between his legs, not knowing what to expect.

    She had never seen a man without underclothing on, but she knew that it was different from a woman because there was a bulge underneath the cloth. She didn¡¯t expect to see what she saw, however.

    ¡°A mushroom?¡± she thought. It really looked like a mushroom about as long as her hand. It hung over a sack that looked to have two orbs in it. The top part flopped as he walked, and the sack bounced up and down. The whole thing looked rather silly.

    ¡°First time seeing a man, lass?¡± he said, looking her up and down.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.

    He smiled, and then handed her a brush. ¡°Hold this,¡± he said as he started to scrub himself off from top to bottom, then submerging himself completely. He sprung back up, and taking the brush back, he began brushing his hair and beard.

    Anna had finished cleaning herself off except for her hair. She wasn¡¯t sure how she was going to clean that.

    Barika had finished as well and walked back up to the shore, where she pulled a clean set of clothes from her pack and put them on before starting to clean ones she had been wearing during the attack. The elves had finally stripped and were on the way to the water.

    Anna looked at them curiously. Voekeer was a light brown color, though it was a different shade than the humans she had seen. It was reminding her of tree bark. He was lean and well-muscled. His build was too different from a humans to compare.

    He was very tall, but he was lean with taught muscles showing beneath his skin. By the way he moved, she assumed he was in excellent shape.

    Out of curiosity, she looked between his legs as well. His mushroom was smaller than Thokri¡¯s about the size of her palm the rest of it was of smaller as well but it seemed proportional.

    She was about to ask him about it when Thokri grabbed her shoulder and dunked her underwater. He then pulled her up and she sputtered, about to ask why he had dunked her.

    ¡°Alright lass, let¡¯s get that mane of yours brushed out. Lyreen, give me a hand with this,¡± he said.

    Lyreen walked over, sighing. ¡°Let me clean up first,¡± she said, walking to them in the water.

    Anna was still sitting on the river bed when she looked at Lyreen. She was the same color as Voekeer, much thinner than the man but with similar muscles. She was hairless just like Anna was and definitely a woman.

    ¡°Never seen one from this side,¡± she thought. Lyreen''s hips were narrow, but still curved like any other woman, and her waist was tiny. ¡°I think she¡¯s bigger around than me,¡± Anna thought.

    She then looked at the woman¡¯s chest, and she was shocked at the sight.

    ¡°Where are your boobs?¡± Anna asked, alarmed seeing only tiny nipples on small bumps.

    ¡°What?¡± Lyreen asked. Then she looked down, and she turned bright red. ¡°I¡¯m an elf! This is how big they get!¡± Lyreen replied in a huff.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes. Humans can be completely flat to twice the size of hers,¡± she replied, waving towards Barika. ¡°Mine are big for my kind,¡± she said, pointing at her own chest.

    ¡°What about Dwarves?¡± Anna asked, turning to Thokri who was trying to get a bone splinter out of her hair.

    ¡°About as big as the biggest in that village we found you in, not counting yourself of course,¡± he replied.

    Lyreen had finished washing herself and had started helping Thokri with her hair. She was brushing Anna¡¯s hair roughly. ¡°Why is she mad?¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°We may need to cut this,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Your hair too?¡± Thokri asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, indestructible,¡± Lyreen sighed.

    They finished the arduous task soon after. Thokri really was an expert with hair. The three of them left the water and walked up to the beach. Lyreen went to get some clothes, but Thokri just grabbed his armor and went to sit by the fire that Barika had built.

    Anna decided to copy Thokri, grabbing her belt and club. She sat next to him near the fire, and she started to scrub the club off with some sand. Thokri handed her a brush from his pack and some grease in a tin.

    ¡°Clean all the blood off, then rub the grease in. It will keep the wood from rotting and the iron from rusting,¡± he said.

    She brushed off the club. ¡°How do I clean my belt?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just brush the dried blood off and grease it up like the club.¡± He replied.

    She finished soon after and grabbed her dress to wash. It was a brown one, so it wouldn¡¯t matter if it stained.

    After she was finished, she pulled the sewing kit from her pack and stitched up the hole. She hung it up on a branch nearby to dry. She also grabbed Thokri¡¯s clothes and washed those as well. He had lent her the brush and grease. After all was clean, she hung those near hers and went to sit by the dwarf.

    He didn¡¯t want any help with his armor, so she lounged on the ground next to the fire waiting for her dress to dry.

    Lyreen walked over. ¡°Not a shred of modesty,¡± she said, smiling.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Anna replied. Anna looked at her toes, wiggling them for a moment.

    ¡°Lyreen, I¡¯ve heard Voekeer go to your tent every night, and then you start moaning. What are you two doing?¡± She asked.

    Lyreen didn¡¯t reply, so Anna looked at her. Lyreen¡¯s face was red and her eyes were wide.

    ¡°You were listening! Did you sneak up?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. I was sitting near the edge of camp like always. You were just so loud,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen¡¯s face paled somewhat. ¡°Anna, do you hear a bird call that sounds like this?¡± she asked before imitating a bird.

    ¡°Yes. There is one over there,¡± she replied before pointing at a tree in the distance.

    ¡°And she hears like an elf, too.¡± Lyreen walked away, muttering about fairness.

    Barika walked over. ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The elves are fucking, and Anna heard them,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Really? Those two?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied as she sat down next to Anna.

    ¡°So, you can hear like an elf as well?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Better,¡± Anna replied. ¡°There was another bird calling back that was over there.¡± Anna pointed at another tree. ¡°Lyreen didn¡¯t respond to that one, so I don¡¯t think she heard it,¡± she continued. ¡°Elves ears move slightly when they hear a distant sound. Hers didn¡¯t,¡± she finished.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I decided to take your advice and stop pretending to be human,¡± Anna said to Barika.

    ¡°Good advice lass, just don¡¯t tell everyone everything you can do,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why not?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, why shouldn¡¯t she, dwarf?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Well, elf. What would happen if the Queen heard of a young lass built like a stone latrine, who is stronger than a troll, couldn¡¯t be hurt, and just so happened to hear better than an elf, who had just appeared near a town by some ruins, and is wandering around her kingdom popping bandits like mosquitos?¡± he asked with a fairly sarcastic tone.

    ¡°I can see in the dark as well,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°You¡¯re not helping,¡± Lyreen said sharply.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I see your point, and you¡¯re right. We need to keep the extent of her abilities to ourselves. Although, if you find out anything else, let us know,¡± he said, looking at Anna.

    She thought about it for a moment. ¡°I can sing really well,¡± she said.

    Voekeer had a stern look on his face, and then it cracked, and he burst out laughing. ¡°Noted,¡± he replied.

    Walking away, Thokri got up and wiped the sand off.

    ¡°Time to get dressed and be off,¡± he said walking towards his clothes.

    Anna got up as well and wiped off. She walked to Barika who was crouching near her pack. She looked up at Anna, her eyes lingering between her legs before looking at her face.

    ¡°You may want to get dressed. I don¡¯t think Voekeer¡¯s heart could take it if you finished the trip today naked,¡± she said.

    ¡°I will, but I have a question,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Well, Lyreen said she had seen boobs twice your size, but seeing as she really doesn¡¯t have any, I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s exaggerating or not. So how big have you seen boobs?¡± she asked.

    Barika stood up, putting her pack on in the process. ¡°You¡¯re right about elf women. They don¡¯t have much more than puffy nipples, so they always think other women¡¯s boobs are bigger. So, to answer your question, I have seen boobs that are twice my size. In fact, I¡¯ve seen ones larger than melons,¡± she said, holding her hands a foot or so away from her chest.

    They both started laughing while walking towards Anna¡¯s clothes.

 Chapter 9

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

 Chapter 10

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

 Chapter 11

    The trip to the ruins took three days. They set up camp in a nearby clearing since it was still morning.

    ¡°We will split into teams. Normally it would be me and Lyreen, and Thokri and Barika but we have an extra now,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Baa. I don¡¯t need help looking at stones,¡± Thokri said, walking off.

    The elves departed soon after, heading in a different direction.

    Anna and Barika looked at each other and shrugged. The two of them set off to explore the ruins where they followed a path that could have been a road sometime in the distant past.

    The path was narrow with tall trees on either side. They had to climb over large roots that had grown across the ancient stones on several occasions. There was a clearing at the end of the path. Anna was shocked to see what lay before her.

    ¡°What, why?¡± she thought. It was another set of standing stones with an altar at the center.

    Barika walked next to her and looked at the stones. ¡°We found one of these near Fishport. That one wasn¡¯t overgrown though. I wonder why this one is such a mess?¡± Barika asked.

    Anna looked back at the stones. They were overgrown with vegetation. One of the five was leaning over because a tree had grown nearby, and its roots pushed the stone to the side.

    She walked over to the standing stones, and Barika walked next to her.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No, the stones sparkle, and I want to look closer,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Is there a lot of magic left?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s almost gone,¡± Anna replied.

    These stones were in far worse shape than the ones at Fishport. She walked up to the altar and put her hand on the white stone. This one was cracked in half. She could see a hollow sphere in the center of the altar. Whatever was inside, it had been taken long ago.

    She moved on to the stones. They were identical to the ones from the site she had been formed at.

    ¡°What is this place for?¡± she asked.

    Barika shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. It looks like a ritual site, maybe a temple, but I just can¡¯t tell,¡± Barika said.

    Anna stared at the symbols on each stone. They were so different from everything else she had seen here, almost like they were from another world just like her.

    They walked around the stones for a few more minutes before heading off to explore more of the ruins.

    They spent the rest of the day looking at broken stones and collapsed buildings.

    They returned to the spot where the party had decided to meet and set up their tents.

    ¡°You two find anything?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Just some stones and an altar like the last ruin. This one was overgrown though,¡± Barika replied.

    After the camp was set up, they sat around the fire that she had started, and Thokri was cooking their rations. She was chewing a piece of jerky, she liked them drier anyway, and watched the others.

    They were in a better mood since the farmstead had soured everyone¡¯s mood. It seemed that exploring this place was starting to bring it back. She hoped the next few days would be fun.

    She didn¡¯t know what the dreamer had done to her, but she felt so strange and wanted some time without new people, to figure out what had happened.

    She ate a bowl of the ration stuff she was given. She still wasn¡¯t sure it was food, but the others didn¡¯t look hungry, so it must be fine.

    ¡°Am I just picky?¡± she thought.

    After she finished eating, she laid in her bed and went to sleep.

    She was alone in a void. She looked around. ¡°Hello?¡± she asked, but nothing happened. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± she asked. She could feel the silence closing in around her. ¡°PLEASE, SOMEONE, ANYONE?¡± she screamed.

    She woke up with a start, looking around. She was alone in her tent laying on her wolf pelt.

    She slid out of her tent and put on her dress. No one else was awake, so she got a fire started and waited for the others. Barika sat next to her.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°You alright? You¡¯re up earlier than normal,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yes. Just can¡¯t wait to explore the ruin,¡± Anna replied cheerfully.

    Barika gave her a hard look, then nodded. She didn¡¯t look like she accepted Anna¡¯s answer, but that she didn¡¯t want to pry.

    ¡°How can they tell when something¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Anna thought.

    Thokri got up and started breakfast, just the same goopy rations as always, and she only ate a single mug of the stuff.

    After the others finished, the two of them headed off to explore more of the site.

    The next few days went on like this. There was nothing here, just crumbling overgrown rocks. She had hoped the exploration would cheer everyone up, but now they all just seemed depressed. She was feeling down as well.

    Every night she found herself in an endless void, completely alone.

    The group sat in camp glumly one night.

    ¡°Another waste of time,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, but it pays well,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s still a waste of time. Let¡¯s pack this up tomorrow morning,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to try something first,¡± Anna said, and this got their attention. ¡°When I was taken over in the burrow, whatever was controlling me used the other core to make something that might help,¡± she said, still unwilling to tell them about the dreamer.

    ¡°Well, go ahead. Can¡¯t hurt,¡± Voekeer said.

    She stood up and held out her right hand, palm up, before pulling from the Dreamer¡¯s core. The power flowed easily, unlike the first time in the tent. It warmed her mana channels slightly, and an eye appeared, floating just above her hand.

    Lyreen stood up and leaned forward, looking closely at the eye. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen magic do that,¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not magic,¡± Barika said abruptly. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it?¡± she continued.

    ¡°Yes. It feels like, like, I can¡¯t really describe it actually,¡± Lyreen said, still looking at the eye.

    Anna looked through the eye for the first time. Another thing she learned from her experience in the burrow was how to shut off its vision until it was needed.

    ¡°Losing myself for a few days seems like a steep price,¡± she thought.

    She saw Lyreen through the eye. The woman¡¯s face was almost transparent. She saw glowing lines like a web throughout it. Gazing down, she followed the lines, finding her mana core. It was about the size of Anna¡¯s finger and glowed with a light green hue.

    ¡°I can see your mana core and channels,¡± she said.

    Lyreen stood up. ¡°Really?¡± she asked, her face excited.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s as big as my finger and green,¡± she answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Lyreen said, nearly bouncing with excitement now.

    ¡°Without a sight crystal?¡± Barika asked.

    Anna looked at her with the eye. She had thin channels that glowed dimly. Her core was the size of Anna¡¯s thumbnail. Her mana was a dull blue, and oddly, there was a gold haze around her core.

    ¡°Your core is the size of my thumbnail, and it¡¯s dull blue, but I see gold around it as well,¡± Anna said.

    Barika looked shocked. ¡°Yes. I pray to the goddess every morning using my mana, and she bestows her blessing on me. Her blessing is gold,¡± she said.

    Looking at Voekeer, his mana core was the size of her finger, just like Lyreen¡¯s, but was dim and flat.

    ¡°Yours is the same size as Lyreen¡¯s, but is dim,¡± she said.

    ¡°As far as I know, every elf has a mana core, but most don¡¯t have enough mana to cast spells,¡± he said.

    Finally, she looked at Thokri. He didn¡¯t have one at all.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have one,¡± she said.

    ¡°No lass. No dwarf has magic,¡± he replied.

    Voekeer looked oddly at the dwarf for a moment.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what this can do,¡± Anna said, looking around with the eye. She spotted a glow from one of the ruined buildings and started walking towards it. All but Barika could see in the dark, and she simply lit the end of her staff, so they followed her.

    ¡°It¡¯s in there,¡± she said, pointing at the building. ¡°Something is glowing,¡± she added.

    Thokri walked to the collapsed entrance and inspected it closely.

    ¡°I could clear it out in a few hours,¡± he said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s come back in the morning,¡± Voekeer said.

    After a night''s rest, they were at the building again. Thokri was banging away with a pick. Anna had offered to help, but he shooed her away, explaining that one wrong hit could bring the whole thing down.

    He pulled the last stone away, and they entered. The glow was coming from a tablet on a pedestal in the room.

    She walked towards the tablet until she heard several thumps behind her. She turned to find her companions had collapsed. She rushed back to them, but she couldn¡¯t see anything wrong.

    Using the eye, she noticed wispy lines coming out from each of them leading to the pedestal. There was something glowing inside of it. Then she ran to it and found a thinner spot and punched a hole in the stone.

    There was a small crystal that was getting brighter by the second. Not knowing what to do, she reached in and crushed it. The crystal ruptured, producing intense heat that melted the stone pedestal and sent the tablet crashing to the ground. It seemed unharmed by the fall.

    She shook the molten rock from her hand and looked behind her.

    The rest of the party had recovered as soon as the crystal had been destroyed, and she explained what had happened while they were unconscious. None of them had ever seen or heard of a crystal like she described.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get a copy of that tablet for the guild. I don¡¯t want to drag it out of here,¡± Voekeer said.

    Lyreen walked over and inspected it. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this language before,¡± she said. After retrieving her writing supplies, Lyreen had returned to the tablet to copy it.

    Anna flipped it for her so she could copy the other side. None of them wanted to stay close to the ruins after what happened, so they packed up and set out.

    ¡°Where to next?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Next ruins are a month away, so we will stop at this town,¡± Thokri said, pointing to a dot on his map.

    ¡°More humans,¡± Anna said with a sigh.

    The dwarf and elves nodded knowingly, and Anna looked at Barika.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you, and I liked the people in Fishport. It¡¯s just after that farmstead, I was hoping to stay away from them for a while longer,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I know. And to be frank, I hope we don¡¯t run into any more of their kind myself. People who live in small communities and don¡¯t get many visitors often have small minds,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Barika, why did you leave your homeland?¡± Anna asked.

    Barika sighed. ¡°I was happy there until my parents arranged for me to be married to a boy when I was sixteen. He was a fine boy, but I never wanted to marry, so I ran away and kept running till I found the goddess,¡± she answered.

    Anna nodded. She understood completely. ¡°Why would anyone want to stay in a small village when they could go explore the world?¡± she thought, smiling at Barika who smiled back.

 Chapter 12

    The trip to the village took a week longer than expected. There was a terrible storm on the way there, and they had to seek shelter in a rocky outcropping for days. The wind let up, but it kept raining, so when they got to the village, they were soaked.

    Entering the inn, Anna noticed that it was much larger than the one in Fishport. Looking to the left and right, she saw two fireplaces facing each other from opposite sides of the inn. There were many more tables and a longer bar. Half the tables had groups sitting at them.

    The barmaids were rushing about in the usual fashion. They were dressed oddly. They had low cut shirts with half bodices worn tightly and pushing up their breasts causing them to nearly spill out. The skirts were just below the knee, but they were cut in such a way that they seemed to fly up regularly.

    The Innkeeper was a handsome man somewhere in his thirties, and besides him, she saw a few large rough looking men seated around the inn. They didn¡¯t look like they were eating or drinking, and the barmaids were ignoring them.

    The party sat at a table near the fireplace on the right. Voekeer returned after talking with the bartender.

    ¡°He told me that the storm could last a few more days, so we will wait it out here maybe a week after to let the road dry out some,¡± he said.

    A barmaid walked over, and putting her hands on the table, she leaned in. Her shirt drooped enough for Anna to see her breasts. They were of modest size with small pink nipples that poked out as if she were cold. She shifted her arms, pressing her breasts together and making them appear to have more size than they did.

    She arched her back slightly, pushing her butt into the air and wiggled it back and forth just a little.

    Anna was trying to figure out what she was doing when she noticed that Lyreen had started to turn red, not with embarrassment, but with anger. Puzzled, she looked at Voekeer who seemed to be the target of her ire.

    He seemed flustered by the barmaid who was looking directly at him with a slight smile on her face.

    ¡°Can I get you anything?¡± she asked, and he coughed lightly.

    ¡°Drinks for me and my companions, and food for all of us as well,¡± he said.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± she asked, blinking at him slowly.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s all,¡± he replied quickly.

    She walked away, swaying her hips in an exaggerated fashion.

    ¡°Why was she shaking her butt?¡± Anna asked.

    The question broke the tension, and Thorki let out a belly laugh.

    ¡°If that wasn¡¯t the definition of a coy smile, I don¡¯t know what is, and to answer your question, that girl wanted to take poor Voekeer to bed and have her way with him,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°You mean sex, right?¡± Anna said.

    Hearing this, Thokri lost the ability to breathe because he was laughing so hard. Anna had to hold him in his chair. Barika let out a soft chuckle. The normally unflappable Voekeer put his head on the table and covered the top of his head with his hands, groaning softly.

    She returned with the food and drink, placing it on the table and lingering near Voekeer before leaving while looking back and smiling at him again. He did his best to ignore the woman.

    ¡°Well, if you want to take her to bed, I won¡¯t stop you,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna thought this was very nice of her. It looked like Voekeer was interested after all.

    ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± he said.

    This confused her, since it looked like he wanted too.

    ¡°Sure you wouldn¡¯t,¡± she replied, and then stormed off upstairs. Voekeer ran after her, and Thokri whistled.

    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand this at all,¡± Anna said, confused.

    ¡°Lover¡¯s spat. Lyreen is the jealous type,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t ok for him to have sex with that barmaid?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No. She was saying that as an accusation, not permission. By the way she is acting, I think poor Voekeer may be the first lover she has ever taken,¡± Barika said.

    Thokri had drank Voekeer¡¯s ale, ignored Lyreen¡¯s water, and was working on both bowls of stew by this point.

    The barmaid walked over and looked disappointed that Voekeer had left. She went to Thokri and leaned over the same way as before, wiggling her butt in the air and smiling at him coyly.

    ¡°Can I do anything for you?¡± she asked hopefully.

    He let out a room shaking belch in response, and the woman looked shocked and scurried away.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°That¡¯s how you get rid of a flirty barmaid,¡± he said proudly. Barika just shook her head.

    ¡°Barika, what is sex anyway?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to need another drink for this,¡± Barika said. They all got another drink, not that it did anything for Anna. Barika described the act in detail, Thokri giving a helpful male perspective.

    Anna laid on her bed that night. The inn had enough space for them to have their own rooms, although Lyreen and Voekeer may be regretting their decision of sharing one by the sound of it.

    Thinking of what she had learned from Barika and Thokri today, she decided that it wasn¡¯t for her.

    She awoke the next morning. Another dreamless night. She hadn¡¯t had a dream since the burrows. She was beginning to worry that she would never have one again. The thought frightened her. She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do without her dream friends.

    She got dressed and left her room.

    Entering the common space, she noticed that Voekeer was at the bar already drinking and Lyreen was sitting at a table alone. Barika and Thokri were seated together, so she walked over to them.

    ¡°Are they still fighting?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Looks like,¡± Barika said.

    Anna looked out of one of the windows. The inn had glass panes; she couldn¡¯t imagine how much that must have cost. It was still raining and it didn¡¯t seem like it would let up anytime soon. She sighed. Being stuck inside with two grumpy elves seemed like a bad way to spend the next few days.

    She couldn¡¯t think of anything to do, so she started to sing the only song she knew. It was the dreamer¡¯s song. It felt different now, deeper, like part of her was flowing into the alien words. She lost track of time while singing, throwing herself into it completely.

    When she was finished, she looked around to find everyone in the room watching her, their eyes wet with tears.

    ¡°That was beautiful,¡± Lyreen said. she was holding Voekeer, leaning on him.

    The words seemed to bring everyone out of the trance, and they slowly got back to work.

    ¡°Lass, I didn¡¯t know you could sing. You got to do that more often, maybe a more cheerful tune though,¡± he said.

    She smiled at him, though she didn¡¯t know any other songs.

    ¡°Do you know what it means yet?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No, not yet. I hope I will someday,¡± she answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. It¡¯s such a wonderful song, even if it is a sad one,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Are you still fighting?¡± Anna asked, looking at the elves.

    ¡°No, I may have been too hard on him,¡± Lyreen said, patting Voekeer¡¯s chest lightly.

    ¡°Lass, that one only has eyes for you. I mean we have been traveling with her,¡± he pointed at Anna, ¡°for weeks now, and he never made a move,¡± he finished.

    Lyreen smiled. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just hard, that¡¯s all. Dating, sex, all of it,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s for me anyway,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Well, Barika told me how it works last night, and well, I think I¡¯d break anyone I was with. I don¡¯t think that would be much fun,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye lass, that would be a problem,¡± Thokri said.

    Lyreen¡¯s face went pale. ¡°That sounds horrible,¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would survive doing that. Even if he lived, it would take weeks to recover even after healing. It¡¯s not worth a few hours of pleasure,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Hours?¡± Lyreen asked. She sounded confused.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Barika replied, grinning. She winked at the elves. ¡°Might want to keep your fingers and face away from her as well,¡± Barika said.

    Thokri chuckled, and the elves looked confused by the statement. They were blushing.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not you child. Everyone else though,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna still didn¡¯t get it, but decided this was another thing she didn¡¯t really want to know.

    Boredom overtook the group, and soon Thokri had produced some dice for a game. He taught her the rules and they are all started to play. She figured out how to make the dice roll to whatever numbers she wanted early on, but she still lost on purpose sometimes so that the others would keep playing with her. She made sure to win enough not to lose any of her coin.

    Once the inn started to fill up, they went upstairs, not wanting a repeat of last night. They all ended up heading to Lyreen and Voekeer¡¯s room, it being the largest of the three. Food was brought to them, and they ate in relative silence.

    ¡°Looks like the storm will break soon. It didn¡¯t last as long as the Innkeeper thought,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°As nice as the room is, I don¡¯t think this place is suitable for relaxing,¡± Barika said, and the elves nodded in agreement.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t stay here, then where will we go?¡± Anna asked. Voekeer got his map and looked at it.

    ¡°Well, we could head to Endertown. It¡¯s the biggest city on the frontier,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, that sounds fun.¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°Add two weeks to get to the next ruins if we did,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Right. We have other things of interest to us,¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna was angry. She didn¡¯t know why, but she was just furious all of the sudden. ¡°The last thing of interest ended up with you all unconscious on the floor and me with my hand in a pool of molten rock. Before that, I was tearing Goblins apart while you ran away, and let¡¯s not forget about the bandits. The two arrows that bounced off me would have killed one of you. Then there was the dire wolf that would have eaten all of you in your sleep,¡± she said, fuming. She really wanted to go to a city.

    ¡°So many people. Some of them would have to be nice,¡± she thought before she looked at her companions. She had been too distracted while speaking to pay attention to them.

    They all looked shocked and a little nervous.

    She got a confused look on her face, and this changed the mood, and they all relaxed.

    ¡°Anna, do you want to go to the city?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said with a huff, still angry for some reason. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some more food,¡± she said, and left.

    She went to the common room and found an empty table to sit at. ¡°Why do I feel this way?¡± she thought, a barmaid coming over.

    ¡°What can I get you?¡± she asked. Her demeanor was totally different than the other barmaid.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a woman,¡± Anna thought. ¡°A drink and food,¡± she said, flipping the woman a coin. ¡°And some conversation,¡± she added.

    The woman looked at the coin, smiled, then nodded and rushed off, returning soon after with Anna¡¯s order.

    She brought an extra drink and sat down at the table, and they both began drinking.

    ¡°Do you like it here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh yes. It¡¯s waaay easier than the farm I grew up on,¡± she said.

    Anna got a sour look, thinking of the farmstead.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how I felt. All you do is work, work, work and get told what to do, when to do it, and who to do it with. I ran away as soon as I could. That was about two years ago,¡± she continued, pausing to take a drink. ¡°I worked at the bakery at first. Still do in the morning. They don¡¯t let young girls work here,¡± she finished.

    ¡°They have a bakery here?¡± Anna asked, excited.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered, confused by Anna¡¯s sudden excitement.

    ¡°Do you make cupcakes?¡± Anna said, moving closer to the woman.

    ¡°Oh, yes, and they are sooo good,¡± the woman responded, understanding now.

    ¡°Well, I know what I¡¯m doing tomorrow!¡± Anna thought.

    They talked for a while longer, mostly comparing their time as barmaids. The woman seemed surprised by how much Anna had made in tips.

    Sometime later, Anna said goodbye and went to her room, falling asleep quickly. Something grabbed her by the waist, tossing her in the air. Before she landed, she was tossed again.

    Looking down, ¡°They are back!¡± she thought, and giggled with glee at the tentacles as the eyes twinkled at her. She was so happy to have her friends back.

 Chapter 13

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

 Chapter 14

    The terrain had changed to less and less forest and more farmland.

    They were only a few days from the city when Anna heard a cry for help in the distance. She ran towards the call, seeing a cemetery and then a boy that was being chased by a man. The man was staggering after the boy, his arms oddly raised.

    She jumped over a small fence and then pulled her club out. The boy saw her and tripped trying to change direction. The man came closer, so she jumped over the boy and landed in between them.

    The smell hit her first. A deep rot permeated the air. The man looked like a corpse, skin blacked and falling off. His eyes were covered in a white sheen.

    He stopped and shuttered when he saw her, turning to try to run away.

    She moved forward and crushed his skull from the back with just enough force to send him into the dirt. She didn¡¯t want to splatter another head over herself.

    Turning around, the boy looked up at her and turned bright red. She leaned down and lifted him to his feet.

    He looked to be about eleven or twelve. He was thin, pale, had blonde hair and sharp features.

    ¡°You alright? Did he hurt you?¡± she asked.

    He stammered some but calmed down when he noticed he was just a little taller than her.

    ¡°Yes miss. May I have your name?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna. What¡¯s yours?¡± she replied.

    He looked put out, but then said, ¡°I¡¯m Gabriel Ender. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Anna. Thank you for your timely rescue,¡± he answered. The way he talked reminded her of some of the ship captains, the ones who had brightly painted ships.

    The others arrived soon after.

    ¡°Lass, what in the world,¡± Thokri started. Then he looked at the boy and the fallen man. ¡°By the Stone One, a zombie,¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a zombie?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Dead that walk. They are rare. You usually only see them in cursed places or the work of the necromancer,¡± Barika said inspecting the corpse.

    ¡°Necromancer?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Mages that work with death magic,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It¡¯s regulated heavily, but out here on the frontier, some may be experimenting,¡± Barika said, spitting afterwards.

    ¡°Regardless of that, we need to get the boy home,¡± Voekeer said. ¡°Where is your home, boy?¡±

    Gabriel looked at Voekeer. ¡°Just up the road, not half an hour walk,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s be off. I don¡¯t want to find out if there are more,¡± Voekeer said.

    There was a thundering sound in the distance, and it was getting closer.

    ¡°Oh no. I lost track of time,¡± Gabriel said.

    ¡°What lad?¡± Thokri asked.

    He didn¡¯t answer. He just stared glumly down the road.

    The question was answered when they saw the squad of knights. The knights rode around them.

    ¡°Young lord, what is the meaning of this? Who are these people?¡± he asked, hand on his sword.

    ¡°I was exploring the cemetery and was set upon by a zombie. This young woman saved me. She jumped between me and the monster and then dispatched it with a single blow. These people are her companions. They were escorting me home. They are adventures,¡± Gabriel said.

    ¡°Is that so. Adventurers you say? Let me see your badges,¡± the knight said.

    The adventurers dug a small bronze medallion out of their packs and handed them to the knight.

    ¡°Anna doesn¡¯t have one. She is a new recruit who enlisted in Fishport,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t say. You will be joining us at the estate then,¡± the knight said. It wasn¡¯t a request by the tone of his voice.

    He held his arm down and Gabriel pulled himself on to the horse, swinging behind the knight.

    They walked to the estate surrounded by the squad.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t die,¡± Anna said. Thokri snorted.

    ¡°Not the time lass,¡± he replied.

    There was an awkward silence on the walk to the estate. Neither the adventurers nor the knights wanting to start a conversation. The others seemed nervous. Anna wasn¡¯t concerned. They couldn¡¯t really do anything to her. She was only cooperating for the sake of her friends.

    They entered a garden. It was vast with neatly trimmed grass. There were shaped hedges and flowers everywhere. She liked it immediately.

    They walked down a long path. It was paved with a white stone she had never seen before.

    The house was the biggest building she had ever seen, dwarfing even the warehouses by the docks. It was covered with glass windows, and there seemed to be dozens of chimneys for fireplaces. It was unlike anything she had ever seen.

    They were escorted into the house and left in a room near the main entrance. The furniture looked expensive, so none of them wanted to sit. They were still covered in dirt from the road.

    ¡°I think there is still troll blood in my hair,¡± Anna thought.

    The door opened. ¡°His lordship, Earl Gabriel Ender the third,¡± a voice called.

    A tall man entered. He had a lean muscular look with the same features as the boy they rescued.

    He looked at them one by one and locked eyes with her. He walked over.

    ¡°Miss Anna, I must thank you for saving my son from a terrible fate. You and your companions must dine with us tonight,¡± he said, and then walked out of the room not waiting for an answer.

    An older man entered and gestured for them to leave.

    ¡°This way. We will take you to your rooms for a bath and a change of clothes before the evening meal,¡± he said.

    They followed.

    ¡°A bath would be nice. I wonder if they have soap?¡± she thought.

    ¡°We have arranged separate suites. Please follow the maid miss,¡± the man said to her.

    There were three maids. Two of them looked to be around twenty. The other one looked to be in her mid-thirties.

    She followed them into a room. It was large with a fireplace on the right wall and a large white thing sitting in the middle.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, pointing.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bath,¡± the older maid said in a neutral tone.

    ¡°An indoor bath. Nice,¡± she thought.

    Walking over to it, she stripped off her dress and began to step in. The water was steaming still.

    ¡°Miss, if you would allow it to cool,¡± the maid said but stopped mid-sentence when Anna had entered the bath. She dunked completely under the water, pulling her hair in behind her. She popped up surprising one of the younger maids. They looked worried for some reason.

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    ¡°Is the temperature to your liking miss?¡± the older maid asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s perfect,¡± Anna replied. ¡°Do you have soap?¡± she asked. They did have soap and soft brushes. She cleaned herself off. They had to change the water three times and bring in another maid to help with her hair. She was lounging in the water.

    She stepped out of the bath, finally clean. She hadn¡¯t felt this clean in weeks. She wrang most of the water out of her hair then took a towel from the table nearby.

    She walked into the adjacent room drying herself off in the process. Tossing the towel on the floor when finished, she looked up seeing another person in the room. It was a small woman with rainbow hair and...

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s me,¡± she thought recognizing her own hair. ¡°This must be a mirror,¡± she thought walking closer.

    She had never seen her whole body before. Sure there was the rippled reflection in the basin when she washed and down by the river, but nothing this clear.

    What she saw a young woman looking back at her with curly rainbow hair down to her hips. She had a thin athletic build with clear bronze colored skin and a face that was round with a youthful look. Her eyes were large and violet. A small button nose and full lips finished it off.

    Turning her head, even her ears were small. Honestly, small was the best way to describe her except for a few places. Her hips were wide and well curved, and her butt, she thought turning to look at it, was plump and round, sticking out just a bit more than other women.

    The only part of her that seemed out of place were her breasts. They were large, very large, too large for her frame. Not that they were unattractive. They were round and perky with small nipples that were slightly darker than the rest of her.

    She sighed. If you took her as a whole package, she was absolutely beautiful. Probably the best-looking woman she had ever seen. She wondered idly what the dreamer had been thinking.

    ¡°Maybe it just likes attention,¡± she thought. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It doesn¡¯t even know what attention is.¡±

    She rolled the thought around in her head, quickly realizing what had happened. ¡°It doesn¡¯t know the difference between dreams and real life and thought that the girls¡¯ fantasies were real,¡± she thought.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± she said, putting her hands on her head. ¡°I¡¯m what you get when you mix a few dozen girls and young women¡¯s fantasies together,¡± she moaned, looking back at the mirror. ¡°Well, that explains my boobs,¡± she said to herself.

    She looked for a moment longer before leaning forward. She pressed her arms against her breasts, squeezing them together. Somehow, they seemed even bigger now. Then she put her hands on her thighs, arched her back, and sticking out her butt, wiggled it back and forth.

    ¡°Can I get you anything?¡± she said with a coy smile on her face, imitating the barmaid from the inn. ¡°I still don¡¯t get it,¡± she thought, looking at herself.

    She heard a cough behind her. Standing up quickly, she turned around. ¡°I was just looking at the mirror.¡± She said it so fast that the words blended together.

    It was one of the younger maids, and the woman couldn¡¯t contain herself and burst into giggles that caused Anna to start giggling. It took a while for the giggles to die down.

    The maid had her yellow dress. She had asked for it during the bath when the older maid had asked if she had something to wear. She took it from the woman, put it on, and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

    She smiled and wondered what Beth was doing right now. ¡°She¡¯d never believe me,¡± she thought.

    The maid told her to wait in the room and that they would get her when it was time to eat. She sat on the bed leaning back. She looked at the mirror again.

    ¡°Elizabeth would be so mad,¡± she thought, seeing up her dress.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get what that dwarf meant,¡± she thought, looking between her legs again. ¡°It¡¯s the plainest part of me. Why would looking at it kill anyone?¡± It was just a smooth slit with slightly puffy lips pressing tightly together.

    She spread her legs farther apart, and its appearance didn¡¯t change. ¡°Maybe I should have asked instead of going along with the joke,¡± she thought, laying back on the bed.

    An hour or so had passed before the maid showed.

    She was led to a huge room with a table that looked like it could hold all the food in the world. It was covered in a white cloth that had gold colored thread stitched into patterns near the bottom.

    They were seated near the head of the table next to the Earl and his family.

    The Lady Ender was a tall thin woman. Her face was plain, but she wore something Lyreen had called makeup to brighten her up.

    ¡°It¡¯s not working that well,¡± Anna thought. She had no idea what was happening, but one of the maids had told her to just copy what the women seated across from her did.

    The Earl talked and talked, and sometimes other people would clap. It sounded like he was telling them about his son¡¯s rescue, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    Finally, they brought out the food. She had never seen so much. She kept eating and eating, clearing her plate repeatedly. Eventually she stopped when she noticed the Lady staring at her.

    She stopped and smiled at her, not sure what to do.

    ¡°You have quite the appetite for such a small woman,¡± the lady said.

    ¡°I like food,¡± Anna replied.

    She heard Thokri chuckle and then a thud. She looked towards her friends. Lyreen was staring at him, and he was just smirking.

    ¡°We can see that,¡± the lady said.

    ¡°Where do you hale from, Miss Anna?¡± the Earl asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered. She hadn¡¯t even told her friends about the dreamer. She wasn¡¯t about to tell these people.

    ¡°Truly?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We believe her to be a Fae child. She wandered into Fishport about three months ago with no memories. She has massive amounts of mana but can¡¯t cast spells, so we are taking her to the Archmage Ezor.¡±

    ¡°Fae child,¡± the Earl said, rubbing his chin.

    ¡°Is your hair naturally that color?¡± the lady asked. She seemed to brighten hearing her alleged parentage.

    ¡°It is,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed it when you first arrived,¡± the lady said.

    ¡°I had troll blood in it still. That stuff doesn¡¯t come out without soap,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°Troll blood!¡± the Earl said.

    ¡°Yes, we fought one on the road a few days south of here,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What happened?¡± the Earl asked.

    ¡°That may not be the best conversation in front of the lady,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°If little Anna got covered in its blood during a battle, I think I can handle hearing it,¡± the Lady said.

    Voekeer went back to eating, not looking up. The other adventurers were doing the same.

    Anna told the Earl and his wife the tale of her battle with the troll, going into great detail about the event. She left out the aftermath, including her prank on Lyreen and Thokri¡¯s comment.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a tale,¡± the Earl said. He looked like he regretted asking, and the lady was still covering her mouth.

    ¡°The lass speaks the truth,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it,¡± the Earl said.

    ¡°I have a proposition for your party. I would like you to find out what is causing the dead to rise at the graveyard. It had been peaceful. If you can find out what is happening and stop it, I will give you a full gold round each,¡± the Earl said.

    It sounded like fun to her, but she looked at her friends. They all had a greedy look, so she knew they would say yes.

    ¡°It would be our pleasure,¡± Voekeer said.

    The dinner ended soon after. The lady felt ill and needed to lay down. The party no longer needed an escort having been hired and still guests of the Earl.

    ¡°So, are you glad you let me go to Endertown?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± they said in unison.

    She entered her room finding her pack next to her bed. She opened it finding the contents all there, but they had been removed, cleaned, and repacked. The bag had been cleaned and oiled as well.

    She found her belt on the table. It had been given the same treatment. Next to it was a new dress. It was the same cut as her other dresses but much higher quality cloth. There was a note beside it.

    ¡°Miss Anna, we found out what your old dress was covered in and threw it out, we made you another one,¡± it said.

    ¡°What¡¯s with everyone and troll blood. It wasn¡¯t as bad as the goblins,¡± she thought, taking off her yellow dress. She wrapped it back up in the oil cloth, repacking it. She left the new dress and belt on the table intending to wear them the next day.

    She sat down at a desk and started to draw pictures of some of the thing she had seen to send to Beth.

    Someone knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Anna said.

    Lady Ender came in. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll...¡± she said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I was just drawing before bed,¡± Anna replied, cutting her off.

    ¡°I see,¡± the lady said. She walked over and sat on a chair next to Anna. ¡°These are well done,¡± she said, looking at the drawings.

    ¡°They are for a friend of mine back in Fishport,¡± Anna replied.

    Lady Ender sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand you,¡± she said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked looking up.

    ¡°When I first saw you, you looked like any other filthy adventurer. Then I see you at dinner, and you look like some princess from a storybook. After that, you tell us a story about tearing a troll apart with your bare hands. You seemed to have enjoyed it like some blood thirsty Northman. Now here you are, drawing pictures for your friend like a little girl,¡± Lady Ender answered.

    Anna thought about it for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m all of those things I guess, although I never thought someone would think I looked like a little girl,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your womanly charms, I¡¯d swear you were fifteen, sixteen at the most,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, yes. You¡¯re just so small,¡± Lady Ender replied. They both laughed at that.

    ¡°I wanted to thank you for saving my son. Is there anything I can do for you? Anything you want?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I thought that¡¯s what the dinner was,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No. That was just my husband showing off,¡± Lady Ender replied.

    ¡°Well, I want to send my friend these drawings, but I don¡¯t know how,¡± Anna said sadly.

    ¡°Oh, I can do that. What is her name and where does she live?¡± Lady Ender asked.

    Anna told her about Beth. The woman gathered the drawings and got up to leave.

    ¡°Oh, and do try to think of something you would like by the time you get back. My son is worth more to me than sending some letters,¡± she said walking out the door.

    Anna put on the new dress that morning. It was softer than her other dresses and was a dark red color.

    ¡°Nice. It won¡¯t stain as much,¡± thinking of her other dress.

    The maids suddenly entered the room and led her to a smaller dining room. Her friends were brought there as well. They were seated and brought an extravagant breakfast.

    ¡°It¡¯s either a curse or a necromancer. That¡¯s the only way you get zombies,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°We need a tracking stone. That would be the fastest way to sniff out a necromancer,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°How can you be sure it¡¯s a necromancer?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not some tomb out there. It¡¯s just a cemetery. If it was cursed, they would have noticed before now,¡± Lyreen replied. ¡°Still, if we just had...¡± she paused and looked at Anna. ¡°The eye!¡± she said.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one problem solved, but it will still take time to search the place,¡± Voekeer said standing up. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s be off. Leave your packs. We just need weapons and any armor you have,¡± he said.

    She put on her belt, placing the club in its holder. Looking at her necklace, she decided to leave it. ¡°I¡¯m not using it, and I¡¯ll just lose it during a fight,¡± she thought, thinking of troll.

    The party left and was accompanied by two footmen. They carried long spears with a shield and short sword for close battles. They hurried after the adventurers. Both men looked quite nervous.

 Chapter 15

    Arriving at the cemetery, they paused at the gates.

    ¡°We will search in a spiral pattern. I¡¯m guessing he will be in one of the mausoleums near the center, but who knows what¡¯s going on in the rogue¡¯s mind,¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna summoned an eye and began to look around with it. They didn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary until they were nearly to the center. A large number of zombies were wandering about.

    They readied their weapons and walked slowly towards them. The zombies turned to face the party, staring blankly at them. When they were about forty feet away, the zombies turned and started to shuffle away.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s new,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye, I¡¯ve never seen that before,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°What do they normally do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Chase down anything alive and try to eat it,¡± Barika replied.

    They continued their search, their path being zombie free. The horrors were still there. They just seemed to be avoiding the party.

    ¡°They don¡¯t smell like the first one,¡± she mused. These ones seemed to be older and had the appearance of wrinkly leather.

    ¡°Seems our friend has disturbed quite a few tombs. What is that man thinking?¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna noticed a green smokey mana in the air. She waved for the others to follow her. The smoke was coming from a medium sized mausoleum. The place looked old and untouched except for the gates that were torn off and laying on the ground nearby.

    The footmen stepped forward to enter the mausoleum. Thokri grabbed them both.

    ¡°No lads, let the lass go first,¡± he said, pointing at her. They seemed confused but obeyed.

    She stepped through ruined gates and was able to see the entirety of the space. The walls were lined with sarcophagi. At the rear was a circle with a figure standing in the center.

    She looked with the eye. The circle was a sickly green color and glowed brightly. The smoke was leaking out of a small crack at the base.

    Looking towards the figure, she noticed he was wearing thick robes that covered him from head to toe. Strange lines snaked throughout the garment.

    The others joined her. She described what she saw to the group.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to bring him back alive, so we can¡¯t just shoot him,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to use my bolt. I¡¯m not sure what it would do to the circle.¡±

    ¡°What if he won¡¯t go with us?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Knock him out,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°How?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± he said. Walking over, he hit her in on the side of her face near her jaw. She didn¡¯t budge at all. The footmen stared wide eyed.

    ¡°That hard, no harder,¡± he told her.

    ¡°Okay.¡± She turned and walked toward the man.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Lyreen said, but it was too late.

    Anna stepped on the circle. It popped and went out. The figure seemed stunned and started looking around. She walked up and hit him right in the spot Thokri had showed her. He went sprawling on the floor and didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°He¡¯s still breathing,¡± she thought. She picked him up and tossed him over her shoulder like a sack of grain.

    ¡°I found a pack and a bed roll. He must have been sleeping in the circle,¡± Thokri said.

    Anna casually walked towards the exit of the mausoleum carrying the man.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m getting used to her weirdness,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°So am I,¡± Barika answered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything she could do would surprise me now,¡± Lyreen said sighing.

    ¡°Troll balls,¡± Thokri said walking past them. Lyreen tensed up then relaxed and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m never going to live that down, am I?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, no you won¡¯t,¡± Barika said patting her shoulder.

    Anna dropped the man on the ground in front of the mausoleum.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing his robes are enchanted, so we better strip him to be safe,¡± Voekeer said, pulling off his hood.

    The face beneath was thin and feminine, finely shaped, but rather plain. There was a huge bruise forming on the right side. There were strange symbols drawn on her face twisting from her forehead down both cheeks to her neck.

    ¡°Mana tattoos. Strip her completely, then tie her hands and feet,¡± Barika said looking startled.

    Anna just ripped the robe off, and Lyreen cut her under clothes off with a small knife, tossing them into a pile next to the unconscious woman.

    She was an averagely built woman, a little on the thin side like someone that spent a great deal of time indoors and had become soft. The only thing that wasn¡¯t average about her was the tattoos which covered her completely.

    She was tied up, and Anna put her back on her shoulder. There were still zombies surrounding them, and they were still keeping their distance.

    ¡°I got it,¡± Lyreen said.

    Dozens of bolts formed in the air around her. They shot out hitting every zombie in the head causing them all to collapse.

    ¡°I can¡¯t keep letting you do everything,¡± she said to Anna.

    They returned to the manor house. The lord and lady met them at the entrance. The lord motioned Anna to put the woman down.

    ¡°Wake her up,¡± he said.

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    Barika touched her head, healing the bruise and waking her.

    She pushed herself up with her hands as best she could and looked around, still shocked by her situation.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the miscreant who woke the dead near my home. What do you have to say for yourself?¡± he asked.

    She stammered some. ¡°I, I, I was just trying to call some spirits,¡± she said.

    ¡°Just spirits you say. Then explain the zombie that tried to kill my son,¡± he said, nearly spitting on her with sudden rage.

    The woman started to shake and cry. ¡°But it was just a spirt summoning. There shouldn¡¯t have been zombies,¡± she cried.

    ¡°You¡¯re a fool, and your failed spell almost killed a noble. You will be flayed and on the pike at dawn,¡± he said coldly, having regained his composure.

    The woman collapsed to the floor crying and begging for her life.

    ¡°It was a mistake, and no one got hurt. Why does she have to die?¡± Anna thought. ¡°Lord Ender, I would ask that you spare her,¡± Anna said, copying the noble¡¯s way of speaking.

    ¡°She must be punished. This offence cannot go unanswered,¡± he said, getting angry again.

    Lady Ender put her hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him. He sighed.

    ¡°Very well. Because of your service to this house, I will spare her life. Her sentence will be changed to a lifetime of service to you,¡± he said. He looked at the woman. ¡°Do you agree, or would you like the alternative?¡± he asked.

    The woman accepted and started thanking him profusely. The Lord and Lady walked away.

    ¡°Keep her out of my sight and be gone in the morning. I¡¯ll have your reward brought to you,¡± he said and walked away.

    Thokri cut the woman¡¯s bindings.

    She stood up shakily and then hugged Anna fiercely. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you,¡± she sobbed into Anna¡¯s shoulder. Placing her arm around the woman¡¯s waist, Anna led her towards her room.

    ¡°At least we still got paid,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    The maids took the woman and washed her as soon as they entered Anna¡¯s room. The woman was dressed in a plain dress after her bath.

    ¡°It suits her,¡± Anna thought.

    Anna decided that she would use the bath again, not knowing if she would ever get another chance.

    They sat on the bed next to each other having already eaten the food the maids had brought, and now neither one know what to say.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the woman asked. Anna sighed.

    ¡°I might as well start from the beginning. My name is Anna.¡± She told the woman her story from the time she was formed to that day, leaving out the parts about the dreamer.

    The woman listened intently and asked a few questions along the way. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s some story. So much in three months. Well, my name is Elaine. I guess it¡¯s my turn now,¡± Elaine said. She took a breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m from a noble family, a poor one, and I was the fifth daughter. The only thing that saved me from being married off to a knight or spending my life as a nun was the fact that I had mana. My family somehow saved up enough to send me to the royal academy at the capital. It was a great place, but I was thrown out after my family had stopped paying tuition. They had used the money to buy my brother a marriage to a house with a better title and quit talking to me after that. I ended up selling off my jewelry and fine clothes. I used the money to buy a spell book on necromancy. There is always a market for spirit callers. It turns out that you can¡¯t get a license to practice necromancy without either a degree from one of the academies or by proving you have the experience which you can¡¯t get without practicing. I drifted around before heading out here. I thought that If I could train out here, I would be able to get the experience I needed to get my license. A Lot of good that did,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I wonder what went wrong with that calling?¡± she asked softly.

    ¡°It was leaking near a symbol shaped like a triangle with three wavy lines coming off of it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What? How could you know that? Not even someone with the sight could see that,¡± Elaine said shocked.

    ¡°I have the sight, and you''re right. I couldn¡¯t see it. I used this,¡± Anna said summoning an eye. Elaine stared at it.

    ¡°So, this is what you used at the ruins you mentioned. What can it see?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Everything, but if I see too much, I get dizzy,¡± Anna replied. She looked at Elaine with it.

    The tattoos on her skin shimmered sickly green. They were connected to her mana channels. Anna watched them a moment before looking farther in. She followed the channels which slowly changed color. Her mana core was bright yellow and about the size of the tip of her thumb.

    ¡°What did you see?¡± Elaine asked. Anna told her about her mana core.

    ¡°I wish I could do that,¡± Elaine said looking up.

    There was only one bed, so they shared it. Anna kept her dress on.

    ¡°People get all weird when I sleep without clothes. I don¡¯t want her to be uncomfortable,¡± she thought.

    They got dressed, and Anna packed her things. Elaine looked sadly at Anna¡¯s pack.

    ¡°I guess I lost my spell book,¡± she said.

    ¡°We will get you another one,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I doubt it. That one cost a small fortune,¡± Elaine replied sadly.

    ¡°I have a full round. Will that pay for one?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You have what? Yes, I mean, how did you...¡± Elaine said stammering before she took a breath. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You need a spell book to learn magic, and I don¡¯t need anything, except maybe some cupcakes,¡± Anna answered.

    She started to think about the treats.

    ¡°Cupcakes?¡± Elaine asked confused.

    ¡°Oh yes. Have you ever had them?¡± Anna asked, and then began to describe them in detail.

    Elaine just looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re a strange woman, Anna,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna replied.

    The party left the manor and began to head towards Endertown. The forest disappeared completely a few hours into the walk leaving only fields on either side of the road.

    ¡°Only a few more days walk,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad we are away from there. I never want to see another Ender in my life,¡± Elaine said shuddering.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss the bath,¡± Anna said, everyone except Elaine agreeing.

    That evening, they set up camp and sat around a fire eating. The food was surprisingly good. The Lady had told the staff to give them supplies for their journey. As it turned out, knights got better rations than adventurers.

    ¡°Elaine, have you been to Endertown before?¡± Voekeer asked the woman.

    ¡°No. I took the southern road into the frontier and traveled north along the river,¡± she answered.

    ¡°How did you make it so far alone?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°My tattoos change my mana to death mana. I looked like some kind of ghoul to most things,¡± she said.

    She caused her tattoos to glow, and the others shuddered, Anna being the only one not effected.

    ¡°How did you get them? I know they are only worn by some nomads in the desert,¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I met a man from the west. He was on the run for some crime he committed. We traveled together for a while. He gave them to me,¡± Elaine said. She looked off into the distance as if she was remembering something.

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He ran off,¡± she replied bitterly.

    ¡°Lass, don¡¯t get too loud now that you have a tentmate,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°But Elaine doesn¡¯t have a pecker. How would we have sex?¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine choked on her drink and started coughing. ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Lyreen and Voekeer have sex in their tent, and they get noisy. I think Thokri is worried that we would too and wake him up, but we can¡¯t have sex, so it¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri was laughing again. Both elves turned red. Lyreen put her head in her hands.

    ¡°I hate dwarves so much,¡± she said.

    ¡°Anna, it¡¯s called a penis. Pecker is a crude word that only dwarves and sailors use,¡± Barika said punching Thokri on the arm.

    ¡°What is wrong with you people?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°What does lifetime of service mean?¡± Anna asked.

    The mood damped, and even Thokri stopped laughing.

    ¡°It means that you own Elaine now. The only difference between that and a slave is that she can¡¯t be sold,¡± Voekeer said, a serious look on his face.

    ¡°What¡¯s a slave, and what do you mean I own Elaine? I don¡¯t understand at all,¡± she said putting her head in her hands. She had seen the way Lyreen had earlier. It seemed to help.

    ¡°Lass, I¡¯ve been many places and seen many things. I¡¯ll tell you what I know,¡± Thokri said.

    He paused for a moment. ¡°Dwarves don¡¯t do such things to others, and neither do the elves from what I¡¯ve seen, but humans, they do.¡± He sighed and began.

    It took him several hours to explain the practice.

    Anna was appalled at the idea of forcing people to work, beating them, splitting up families, even killing them, and all the while no one helped them, going as far as to bring back the ones that escaped.

    ¡°They steal their dreams,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Well, I for one am happy you showed up,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You are?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes. I screwed up my spell and raised zombies which would have killed that boy. Then a troop of knights would have been sent to investigate, and they would have arrested me and I would have been a skinless corpse with a pike up my ass by noon tomorrow if you hadn¡¯t been walking by,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You saved a nobleman¡¯s only son and then caught me, the one responsible, and then used up a favor with him to keep me from being executed. Lifetime service or not, you¡¯re stuck with me now,¡± Elaine said.

    The tent wasn¡¯t crowded despite the extra woman. Elaine had curled up on the pelt and went to sleep within seconds of laying down. Anna was asleep soon after.

    The tentacles lashed around, and the eye buzzed about angrily. Everything seemed disturbed. They didn¡¯t like what she had learned today. She didn¡¯t blame them one bit.

 Chapter 16

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 Chapter 17

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 Chapter 18

    ¡°I never found a bath,¡± Anna said. ¡°I think my hair still smells,¡± she added.

    ¡°Aye, it does,¡± Thokri said. She groaned.

    ¡°How could a city not have a bath anywhere?¡± she asked.

    ¡°With everything that happened I don¡¯t think the baths were a priority,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Well they should have been,¡± Anna replied.

    They traveled west. The road would lead back to Oldforge eventually and there were several ruins along the way.

    ¡°Next site is about three weeks away. There is nothing on the map in between. Let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t run into any more nobles along the way,¡± Voekeer said.

    The trip to the ruins was uneventful. They set up camp on a hill that overlooked the site.

    ¡°This one is bigger than Endertown,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It looks like a settlement. The other two reminded me of temples,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°They seemed more like sacrificial altars to me,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Why would you need that many?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t think I want too,¡± Barika replied.

    The site was massive and would take weeks to explore. Because of this, they decided to setup a more permanent camp. They built three rough cabins over the next several days. It would be two to a cabin.

    Of course, the elves would share one. Elaine had refused to bunk with Anna ever again after her week in Endertown, and no one wanted Anna to spend any more time with Thokri, so Elaine stayed with the dwarf and Anna with Barika.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Anna asked. Barika was grinding plants in a mortar.

    ¡°I¡¯m making balm for Elaine. She has soft feet,¡± Barika replied. She had begun to mix the plants in with some tallow.

    ¡°How will that help?¡± Anna asked, pointing at the plant mixture.

    ¡°It will sooth the pain and promote healing. The tallow holds it in place and stops moisture from getting to the wound,¡± Barika explained.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of alchemy?¡± Barika asked.

    Anna could recall something about potions and Ted complaining of scoundrel alchemists. ¡°Does it have to do with potions and scoundrel alchemists?¡± Anna asked.

    Barika laughed. ¡°Oh, child. Alchemy is the art of making potions and elixirs. There are a few scoundrels, but that is true of most professions,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Could you teach me?¡± Anna asked. Barika thought about it for a moment.

    ¡°Yes, child, but I only know a few balms and such. I never needed to learn more. I can heal with the goddesses blessing, and I have no need for most other potions,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you about the herbs while we explore the ruins,¡± she continued.

    Anna leaned back, spreading her legs so she could kick her feet. Barika watched her intently.

    ¡°I like having her as a roommate. She doesn¡¯t seem to mind when I¡¯m naked,¡± Anna thought and smiled. Barika smiled back and then went back to work.

    They decided to map the ruins before exploring inside any of the buildings, many which remained intact. The party had split up into groups of two again. With the addition of Elaine, they were even again.

    ¡°We will be getting a late start. I¡¯m running low on herb. I¡¯ll take Anna with me. She wants to learn about alchemy and identifying plants is the first step,¡± Barika said.

    Elaine looked sheepish. ¡°Sorry about having to ask you for so much balm. I¡¯m just not used to walking this much,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. We picked up the pace after Endertown to make up some time,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s our fault really. I think we all got so used to Anna, we forgot that the average person can¡¯t keep up with adventurers,¡± Voekeer added.

    They all looked at said woman.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not my fault,¡± Anna said. The rest of the group just laughed.

    ¡°Tell me, how much of your potion do you have left?¡± Barika asked Lyreen.

    ¡°Umm, I think I may need more soon,¡± she replied with a blush.

    ¡°We will keep an eye out for those ingredients as well. Looks like I¡¯ll be teaching you how to make simple potions as well,¡± she said to Anna.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°For a woman who has as much sex as you, your awfully shy talking about,¡± Elaine said with a smirk.

    ¡°How would you know how often I have sex?¡± Lyreen said shocked.

    ¡°Lass, everyone can hear you. I think I need to started stuffing socks in my ears at night,¡± Thokri said.

    Lyreen turned bright red and hid her face.

    ¡°Maybe you should start stuffing in them in your nose. I think you¡¯ll knock the cabin over with your snoring soon,¡± Elaine said. ¡°Can we switch?¡± she asked Barika.

    ¡°No, I enjoy my current arrangements,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Lass, you can always stay with the elves,¡± Thokri said, waving in their direction.

    ¡°NO!¡± all three said in unison.

    The party split for the day, the others heading toward the ruins. They headed into the forest.

    ¡°This is the fire moss we have been looking for. You need to harvest it like this,¡± Barika said while gently cutting into the moss and peeling a small part of it from the tree it was growing on. ¡°It¡¯s quite delicate, so make sure you don¡¯t crush it,¡± she continued.

    They had walked deep into the forest, Barika pointing out various plants and fungi that had medicinal qualities. They found all the herbs necessary for the healing balm early on, but the moss remained elusive until now.

    ¡°Do you have enough tallow?¡± Anna asked, remembering it was a major part of the balm.

    ¡°Yes, for a few more batches, but we will have to get some after we are done here,¡± Barika answered.

    After returning to camp, Barika deposited the herbs in their cabin to keep them safe. It was afternoon by the time the made it to the ruin.

    ¡°It¡¯s so big,¡± Anna said.

    It wasn¡¯t necessarily the total size of the place, but the scale. The roads were wider and the buildings larger as if they were built for people the size of horses.

    ¡°Yes, they must have been a large race,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I wonder what they looked like,¡± Anna said.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. No one has ever found a depiction of them,¡± Barika answered.

    They had been mapping out the roads for over a week now. The ruined city had been much larger than they had initially thought. Because of this, they had shifted to having one group go out, one foraging, and one resting at the camp. It had been Elaine and Thokri¡¯s turn to explore the city, so Anna and Barika had gone out foraging.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting good at this,¡± Barika said.

    Anna had learned most of the edible plants in the area along with medicinal ones. None of them had a bow, so they had to trap game. Barika had showed her how set traps and find game trails as well as how to clean wild game. She had used the eye to find all the game trails and set traps. The elves had collected the game and brought it back during their time spent in the woods.

    ¡°This is the best I¡¯ve eaten on the road,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen traps this successful,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I used the eye to find all of the game trails,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That explains it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Anna, we would like you to check something out,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We found another tablet, lass, and you¡¯re the only one who can safely check it out,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°We were done mapping the roads. We needed to move onto the inside of the intact buildings anyway,¡± Voekeer said. ¡°I think we should all go tomorrow. There is no telling what else she will find along with that tablet,¡± Voekeer said. They all agreed.

    They headed to the building the tablet was spotted in. The layout of the city was circular instead of the usual square grid that human, dwarven, and elven settlements were laid out in. The roads themselves were a single piece of stone. None of them were sure how this had been accomplished.

    The building they were headed to was a massive tower. There were four others around the city, but those had fallen over in the untold centuries since this place¡¯s abandonment.

    Anna entered the passage leading into the main room of the building. The tablet was just a head. The pile of animal carcasses in various states of decomposition was the only hint of the danger that lay beyond. The pile was the reason Elaine and Thokri had noticed the tablet in the first place. Its stench was wafting out of the building.

    She made her way past the pile and into the room. None of the animals had made it past the entrance. The tablet was identical to the first one she had seen. She started to sketch the symbols, walking around the tablet to get a copy of both sides.

    She used the eye after she was finished to get a better look. The tablet was glowing brightly with thousands of tiny lines crisscrossing its insides. She copied this down as well as she could and left the building, making sure to avoid the carcasses on the way out.

    ¡°This looks like a mana collector, but I don¡¯t know what this and this are doing,¡± Elaine said, pointing at several symbols and parts of the inner network. ¡°It¡¯s some kind of collector, but I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s collecting,¡± she continued.

    ¡°Life,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What? That shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± Elaine said shocked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible, but even if it was, why, why would anyone want it?¡± she continued, her voice on the edge of panic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t necromancers steal life?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s a rumor. We just use mana to animate the dead,¡± she replied, calming down some.

    ¡°What about spirits? How do you call them?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°You need death mana and a personal item from the departed. Life isn¡¯t even mana. I don¡¯t even know what you can use it for,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What is death mana?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the mana that¡¯s still inside a person after they die. It leaks out as bodies decompose and collects around them. Usually it just dissipates, but in places like cemeteries, it builds up,¡± Elaine answered.

    ¡°Why does the goddess hate death mana if it¡¯s just part of bodies rotting?¡± Anna asked Barika.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the mana itself. It¡¯s how it¡¯s being used. Death mana is used to create abominations, twisted creatures that are a mockery of life, or to pull the souls of the departed from their resting place. The goddess cannot abide this,¡± Barika said, becoming angry the more she spoke.

    ¡°The souls are willing,¡± Elaine said softly, not willing to look Barika in the eyes.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. It upsets the balance,¡± Barika was nearly yelling at this point.

    ¡°Alright lass, that will be enough of that. No sense getting worked up,¡± Thokri said. Barika took and deep breath.

    ¡°My apologizes. I know necromancy is a valid profession. It just goes against my beliefs,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s a common enough reaction to my practices. You should hear that they say about men that become necromancers,¡± Elaine said with a shudder.

    ¡°What do they say?¡± Anna asked. Elaine explained the rumors. ¡°EWWWWW, please tell me that¡¯s not true,¡± Anna replied shocked, a look of disgust and horror on her face.

    ¡°I hope not,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna took several more trips into the room just to make sure. Not finding anything else of value, they decided to leave the tablet alone, writing a warning on the entrance to the building so that others wouldn¡¯t meet the same fate as the animals.

    They searched the city for weeks. The buildings, while ruined from age, were empty, devoid of possessions as if its occupants had simply left as opposed to being forced out from war or disaster.

    ¡°This place is starting to give me the creeps. Who would just abandon a city like this?¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Says the woman we found staying in a crypt surrounded by zombies, trying to talk to the dearly departed,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°We will be off soon enough, just a few more days searching the building interiors. I found an entrance. It leads under the city. It¡¯s not a sewer. I¡¯m not sure what it is,¡± Thokri said, pointing at a smaller building.

    ¡°There had better not be another ring,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about the smell. I just got it out of my hair,¡± Anna replied.

    They entered the underground. It was complete darkness. Lyreen and Barika created light. Only Thokri and Anna could see without it. Elves had good night vision, but even they needed some light.

    ¡°The wall is marked with symbols and channels, but it¡¯s all dead,¡± Anna said as she looked through the eye.

    ¡°This could take months to map all of it. I think we need to call it soon,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, but let¡¯s map out under the city center if we can. Most races put important things near the center,¡± Thokri replied.

    The tunnels under the city lead into large open spaces.

    ¡°So many,¡± Anna said.

    Looking out of the room, there was a sea of scattered bones. There were shreds of clothing and broken pottery as well. The cloth seemed to have been preserved in the dry cool air deep below the city.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a skull like this,¡± Barika said.

    The skull was about the size of a horse with two enormous tusks protruding out of the jaw. The lower was filled with both sharp teeth in the front and wide molars in the rear portion. It had four eye sockets on the front of the skull.

    ¡°Make some sketches. We will add this to the report. I¡¯m sure the crown will send an expedition here first,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Whoever they were, they met a violent end. Look at the claw marks and teeth holes in these bones,¡± Barika said, pointing out the injuries.

    ¡°What could have killed so many so fast?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know lass, but whatever it was, it¡¯s long gone. These bones are almost dust,¡± Thokri said, poking a femur. It broke apart at the touch.

    They moved on, finding more of the rooms the closer they got to the center of the city. They spent days in the tunnels and camped in the dark, having retrieved their belongings from the hilltop camp site once they realized the importance of the discovery. This was the first time the builders of the ancient ruins had ever been found.

    ¡°The fighting was worse this way,¡± Voekeer said, signs of the ancient battle becoming more apparent. The walls were scratched and chipped. Broken bones were scattered around.

    ¡°I can¡¯t image what could have done that,¡± Lyreen said, pointing at the walls.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Thokri said while inspecting one of the deep gouges.

    The entrance to the city center was massive.

    ¡°Gods, what could have torn those doors off?¡± Elaine asked. The doors were thick and made of the same kind of stone as the walls. They looked as if a great force had ripped them from the wall and tossed them aside.

    The interior of the central room was cavernous. The party stopped and stared. The lights did not reach the other side, so the others couldn¡¯t make out the scale of the tragic event. Thokri couldn¡¯t make out all of the scene, but Anna could. She saw it all.

    There was a sea of skeletons torn and broken. Everything these poor beings owned was destroyed and scattered about. She felt a deep sadness when she thought of the loss of life. Thokri put his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°You alright lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a nightmare,¡± she said, starting to tremble.

    ¡°Aye, I''ve never seen the like,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Makes all the old tales of great battles sound less heroic if this is the result,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye lad. This is what all wars lead to in the end,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna took a breath. ¡°Nothing I can do about this now,¡± she thought, calming down.

    Barika knelt to pray. A warm glow radiated from her. She soon rose, not having said a word aloud, but all present could feel its meaning.

    They quietly mapped the space, despite this being the final resting place of so many who had most of their worldly possessions with them. Nothing of value was found because of the great age of the items.

    They decided to leave the next day. Nothing more could be learned from this place.

    ¡°Gods, I could use a strong drink,¡± Elaine said.

    They left early the next day. Everyone was still in a dour mood. Thokri handed her his flask. She sniffed at it a moment, making a face, and then took a drink, and then started coughing.

    ¡°What...the...fuck...is...that,¡± she asked, still coughing.

    ¡°Dwarven black ale. You took it like a dwarf lass,¡± Thokri replied, patting her back.

    Voekeer grabbed the flask next, taking a deep drink and turning slightly red. Lyreen was next. She coughed hard like Elaine. After her sip, she handed the flask to Barika who drank deeply, simply letting out her breath slowly afterwards.

    Anna took a drink. Nothing ever affected her, but she did like the taste. She then handed it back to Thokri who took a sip and passed it back to Elaine. They passed around the flask, each drinking enough to relax, although Elaine was staggering a bit now.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not cut out for adventuring,¡± she said with a bit of a slur.

    ¡°First time I¡¯ve seen anything like that lass, and I¡¯ve been at this for fifty years,¡± Thokri replied. ¡°But I see your point,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you sleep in graveyards?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes, but that feels different somehow. I can¡¯t explain it,¡± Elaine answered.

    They walked on in relative silence for several more hours.

    ¡°I really want a cupcake right now,¡± Anna said. Everyone started to laugh.

    ¡°You know what? So do I,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Looks like we are stopping at the first bakery we find,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye lad. That would be a wise choice,¡± Thokri said.

 Chapter 19

    The pace was relaxed. The next ruins site was a month away, and none of them were in a huge rush to get there. Having had enough of the dead cities and dead places for the time being, they planned to stop at most of the settlements along the way.

    ¡°This ale tastes like piss,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°How do you know what piss taste like?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d tell you, but you would never look at me the same again,¡± he replied with a wink.

    Anna stared for a moment, then turned away shaking her head.

    The village, if you could call it that, was at a crossroads. That seemed to be the only interesting thing about this place.

    ¡°At least we are out of that city,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that,¡± Lyreen said with a slur.

    ¡°You¡¯ve drunk enough. Let¡¯s get you to the room,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°OOOOHH, that sounds like fun,¡± Lyreen replied, walking her fingers down his chest.

    ¡°Alright, come on,¡± he said, picking her up and carrying her away.

    ¡°Weeeee,¡± she said.

    Thokri stood up and saluted with is mug. ¡°Do us proud lad,¡± he said.

    ¡°Here, here,¡± Barika chanted.

    ¡°God, I need to find a man,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°There are plenty here, lass,¡± Thokri replied, waving his mug around.

    ¡°Eh, no. I¡¯d rather not catch anything,¡± she said, putting her head on the table into her folded arms.

    ¡°Well, if you do, I have an ointment for that,¡± Barika said smirking. Elaine groaned in response.

    ¡°What would you catch, and why does it need ointment?¡± Anna asked. Barika put her hand on her arm.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later child,¡± she said.

    ¡°This again. I usually just find out something I didn¡¯t want to know in the first place. I really need to learn to just be quiet,¡± she thought and then sighed.

    ¡°Yep, I really didn¡¯t want to know that,¡± she thought as she laid in bed that night. ¡°At least I have my own room this time,¡± she said to herself.

    A thumping was coming from the room next door along with moaning and cries of pleasure. ¡°Why did I have to get a room next to them?¡± she thought. ¡°It does sound like he¡¯s taking Thokri¡¯s advice though,¡± she thought.

    She woke early the next day and headed out to find the bakery. She found the place and left quickly in disappointment upon hearing the terrible news.

    ¡°What kind of bakery doesn¡¯t have cupcakes?¡± Anna muttered as she walked through town unsure of what to do now.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a pretty thing? Why don¡¯t you come with me? I¡¯ll show you a good time,¡± a voice called.

    She turned to look. It was a scrawny man that looked like a wet rat, maybe one that had died recently by the smell.

    ¡°Yeah, no,¡± she replied. She turned and walked away. She normally didn¡¯t say anything, but really, the nerve of this man.

    She was suddenly spun around facing the man. He held a knife in his hand. ¡°Bitch, you¡¯re going to come with me,¡± he said, spittle flying.

    She slowly reached for his hand, still holding her, and squeezed it, pulling it off her arm and then twisting it in a manner she had learned from Thokri.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tear off your arm and stuff it up your arse if you don¡¯t drop that pig sticker,¡± she said, sounding like the dwarf. He dropped it. ¡°Good, now YOU are coming with ME,¡± she said with emphasis.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad he dropped the knife. I think it would have been messy if I actually had to rip it off and stuff it in his butt,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lass, that¡¯s just a saying. Please don¡¯t do it,¡± Thokri said, shaking his head.

    ¡°Well, I could have,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I know, lass. That¡¯s why I told ye not to,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, what happened to the ne''er-do-well anyway?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Well, he bought me some candy after I asked, and then I threw him out of town,¡± Anna replied, emphasizing the word asked.

    ¡°Seems like he got off easy,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°He flew twenty or thirty feet before hitting that tree,¡± Anna replied, shrugging.

    ¡°What!?¡± Voekeer, Lyreen, and Elaine said in unison. Barika sighed, and Thokri shook his head.

    ¡°He was still moving when I last saw him,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Lass, that¡¯s not what thrown of town means,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I know, but it was fun. I mean, he called me a bitch. He¡¯s lucky I didn¡¯t rip his rat face off,¡± Anna replied, holding up a clenched fist.

    ¡°Gods, I wish I was you sometimes. I¡¯ve wanted to do that to so many of those men,¡± Elaine said. The other women nodded in agreement.

    The weather was starting to cool. Fall was here, and the leaves were starting to change.

    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty,¡± Anna said, looking at the forest as they walked.

    ¡°It is. I¡¯ve never been this far north. I¡¯ve never seen so many colors in the fall,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°How did you get to the frontier?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I took a ship from Eagle¡¯s Bay and sailed to Fishport,¡± she answered.

    ¡°How about you? I know Anna just walked out of the forest one day, but I doubt the rest of you did,¡± she asked.

    ¡°We took a caravan to the coast, and then took a ship to Fishport. I can¡¯t recall the name of the harbor we sailed from,¡± Voekeer said. The other adventurers shrugged. None of them could recall the name.

    ¡°It was a piss pot anyway,¡± Thokri said.

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    ¡°You say that about anywhere that isn¡¯t dwarven in construction,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Baa, I¡¯m right, and you know it,¡± Thokri said.

    They reached the next settlement after a week of travel.

    ¡°What in the name of the Stone One are they doing?¡± Thokri swore, muttering in dwarven under his breath.

    Three young women were hanging in cages, stripped despite the cold.

    ¡°You there. What¡¯s going on in this place?¡± Voekeer asked a passerby.

    ¡°Them there, they are witches,¡± he said and hurried off.

    ¡°What¡¯s a witch?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a term for a woman that makes potions and has some magic, usually self-taught. It¡¯s not very polite. You don¡¯t hear it often in civilized places,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked. She was confused why the women were up there. They were just making potions and practicing magic, despite the terms used to describe them.

    ¡°She means we are in bumfuck nowhere surrounded by inbred goat fuckers,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good description of this place and its people,¡± Lyreen replied. She was looking at the women.

    Thokri had gone over to the women and was giving them water. ¡°Easy, lass, not too fast,¡± he said, holding his water skin for her to drink from. Voekeer and Barika were doing the same with the other two.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Get away from those harlots,¡± a man said, walking over.

    ¡°I thought they were in there for being witches,¡± Anna said.

    The man looked at her in disgust and walked by, ignoring her. He pulled Voekeer away from the cage, walking past Thokri. ¡°I said stop,¡± the man said. Voekeer pushed him away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lay your hands on me. I¡¯m not some frail woman you can bully,¡± Voekeer said.

    Raising his fists, more men started to surround them.

    ¡°That is enough,¡± Barika said slamming the end of her staff into the ground. It began to glow, and then she began to glow. ¡°I am a priestess of the goddess. You will explain to me why these people are in cages, and you will do it now,¡± she said.

    There was a hum in the air when she spoke. The men lost all their bluster. ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am. We meant no disrespect. It¡¯s just that they stole the life of children and consorted with evil spirits,¡± he said.

    ¡°They were seen dancing naked in the moonlight...and...and they stole men¡¯s manhood while they slept,¡± another man added.

    ¡°Why does it always come back to that?¡± Anna thought.

    Barika sneered at all of them. ¡°What proof do you have she took the lives of children?¡± she replied, ignoring the other accusations.

    ¡°She gave them some evil brew, and they died,¡± the man replied. He started to become heated.

    ¡°I said enough. I will hear from them now,¡± Barika said, glaring at the man until he looked down.

    She walked over to the women. ¡°Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A fever broke out, worse than I¡¯ve seen. We tried black root and sharp leaf tea, but it didn¡¯t work. After that, I used knarlbark extract, but nothing worked,¡± she cried. ¡°We couldn¡¯t do anything. All the littles one that caught it died,¡± she continued.

    ¡°Is this true?¡± she asked the other women. They nodded in agreement. ¡°Lyreen, Elaine come here,¡± Barika said, waving them over. ¡°Elaine, have any of them used death magic recently?¡± Barika asked.

    Elaine took off her cloak, handing it to Voekeer, and lifted her hands. The tattoos started to glow with an evil light.

    ¡°So pretty,¡± Anna thought, looking at the sparks only she could see.

    ¡°Nothing. They have never used death magic,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°She lies,¡± a man yelled.

    Elaine turned to glare at the crowd. ¡°I consort with spirits, and I raise the dead, but I don¡¯t lie,¡± she said coldly. Her tattoos flared brightly and then went out.

    ¡°Lyreen, let¡¯s put this to rest. How much mana do they have?¡± Barika asked the woman.

    She took a few neutral beads out of her pouch and handed them to the women. They barely glowed. ¡°They couldn¡¯t make a fire with that much mana,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Tell me, have any of you sworn oaths to the goddess?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No ma¡¯am,¡± they said in unison.

    ¡°Well, why are they in here? They couldn¡¯t have cured that sickness. It would have taken the goddess¡¯s grace, and that¡¯s what those poor children died from. They didn¡¯t consort with any spirits, evil or otherwise. Say what you will about necromancers, but they know their craft, so why are they in here?¡± Barika said, waving her staff at the crowd.

    ¡°What about the other accusations?¡± the first man asked.

    ¡°Lad, women get paid to dance naked in most human cities. You should have just clapped if you saw them,¡± Thokri said. The crowd started to murmur.

    ¡°As for the last accusation, these women don¡¯t have the mana to light a candle, so the only way they could steal someone¡¯s manhood is with a knife. So, who here is missing theirs? Come forth and show me?¡± Barika asked the crowd.

    ¡°The lot of them lack stones. Let¡¯s just spring them and get out of here,¡± Thokri said. He broke the lock on the woman¡¯s cage with his knife. Voekeer and Lyreen were having trouble, lacking the strength of the dwarf. Anna walked over and snapped them off with her bare hands.

    This was too much for the crowd, and they quickly dispersed, leaving the first man alone.

    ¡°Lad, if you want to get laid, try talking to women. It works better than caging them up,¡± Thokri said to him.

    His face turned red, then he realized he was alone and quickly left.

    ¡°Baa, that¡¯s what I figured. The horny fucker wanted them,¡± Thokri said, then spit.

    They wrapped the women in their blankets and left town. The women were sisters. Their names were Jane, Anna, and Loran.

    ¡°It really is a common name,¡± Anna thought.

    Their mother had been the local wise woman and would sell potions that were used for convenience, but she would give them to the sick and injured for free. She had passed away from an unknown ailment last year, and the man had tried to bed all three of them over the course of the year, only to be turned down by each of them.

    ¡°Why did he try to hurt them when they wouldn¡¯t fuck him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like the dwarf again,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that, elf?¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Anyway, men like him don¡¯t like to be rejected. He felt slighted, and he lashed out,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Like the rat man,¡± Anna asked, remembering his reaction to being told no.

    ¡°Aye, lass, but no one bounced this one off a tree,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I think I would have like to see that,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°It would have been satisfying,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Are there spiteful women as well?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye lass. I¡¯ve seen women just as spiteful as those men. I knew a lass who found out the man she was after had picked another woman, and, well, he wasn¡¯t much of a man after she got done with him,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Thokri is right. I¡¯ve met some downright evil women. It¡¯s just, out here on the frontier, men seem to be more, uhm, rough,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Womenfolk are just worried they will be replaced with goats, so they keep quiet. That¡¯s all,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Just when I think you show some wisdom, nope, there it goes,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Lass, I have the wisdom not to take troll balls from someone,¡± Thokri said smirking.

    ¡°I hate you so much,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Troll balls?¡± Jane asked.

    ¡°Lass, let me tell you the tale of a warrior with the biggest tits I¡¯ve ever seen, who¡¯s feats of strength will be told in the halls of the dwarves for years to come,¡± Thokri said.

    Lyreen groaned as he told the sisters of the battle with the troll in a manner only a dwarf can. The others added the parts that he missed. Even Lyreen told her part of the tale. The sisters looked suspicious of the story until Anna backhanded a tree and knocked it over. Then they just stared in awe at her for the rest of the day.

    ¡°I have the biggest tits you''ve ever seen?" Anna asked, looking at Thokri.

    "Aye lass. I have seen a few women bigger, but never bare and pointing in my face," Thokri replied, holding his hands apart as if to show their size in an exaggerated fashion. He wasn''t that far off in truth.

    ¡°You got the pointy part right,¡± Elaine said, muttering to herself.

    ¡°Wait, they are really that big?¡± Jane asked, looking at Anna.

    The sisters had been quiet for most of the trip, only answering questions. They sat near the fire wearing some of Elaine¡¯s spare clothing. She was the only one close their size.

    ¡°Bigger. The dress squishes them a little I think,¡± Lyreen said with a sigh.

    ¡°I thought they were padded,¡± Jane said softly.

    Barika laughed. ¡°No, not even a little padding,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jane replied. The wide eye look was back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see them on the trip. We have a hard enough time keeping her dress on and whole,¡± Lyreen said with a laugh.

    Anna grabbed her dress and left the tent to put it on. She had given hers to the sisters. She had spent the night with Barika. Elaine hadn¡¯t wanted to share a tent, Thokri was really loud, and the elves were an obvious no.

    ¡°Barika doesn¡¯t mind if I sleep naked either,¡± Anna thought. She stretched, placing her arms above her head, one hand holding the other, and arched her back. She didn¡¯t need to, but had seen the other women doing so, and decided to copy them to look more normal. Putting her arms down, she walked towards the fire pulling on her dress.

    The sisters stared at her as she sat down.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked. They all blinked.

    ¡°They were telling the truth,¡± Jane said surprised.

    ¡°Why would they lie?¡± Anna replied. They paused for a moment.

    ¡°So, the troll happened too?¡± other Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes. Troll blood is hard to get out of your hair by the way,¡± Anna replied. They looked around again.

    ¡°So, how big is a troll¡¯s...you know,¡± Loran asked, cupping her hands as if holding something.

    ¡°About this big, but I did just pull it off, so it might have been bigger before,¡± Anna said, holding her own hands out demonstrating the size.

    ¡°Wow. What about the other thing?¡± Jane asked.

    ¡°This long, and this wide, but it was flopping around, so I can¡¯t be sure,¡± Anna said, using her hands to show the size again.

    ¡°Dam, I never want to hear a man brag again,¡± other Anna said. Her sisters nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 20

    They dropped the sisters off at the next town. The headman was happy to have them. Healers were in high demand, and he had seemed angry after hearing their story.

    ¡°This tastes like piss,¡± Thorki said after downing a mug of ale.

    ¡°You say that at every inn,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thorki said.

    ¡°Why not just drink out of your flask?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What, I can¡¯t just drink the good stuff all the time,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it...don¡¯t ask...it¡¯s going to be one of these things I wish I never asked about,¡± she thought.

    ¡°Why not?¡± she asked. ¡°Dam, it just slipped out,¡± she thought with a sigh.

    ¡°Lass, if I drink the good stuff all the time, it won¡¯t be the good stuff anymore. Just normal,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Phew, that wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± she thought and smiled. ¡°Ah, ok,¡± she replied.

    ¡°At least they have ale, even if it tastes bad,¡± Anna said with a sigh. Thokri patted her on the arm.

    ¡°Ahh lass, we¡¯ll find some for you at one of these towns,¡± he said.

    She hadn¡¯t had a cupcake in months, and the candy the rat man had ¡°donated¡± to her had run out. It had been months since she had one, and she was starting to wonder if she would ever taste one again.

    The others had left for the day, doing this or that, leaving Anna and Thokri to their own devices.

    ¡°Wanna see if they have meat sticks?¡± Anna asked Thokri. She had discovered these at the town with the rat man. They were not a substitute for cupcakes, but what was.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied, finishing another mug. ¡°Lass, you may want to wear some more clothes,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why?¡± she replied. ¡°Elaine and Lyreen are always asking me to put on more. This is the first time Thokri has,¡± she thought.

    ¡°Getting cold out. Humans wear cloaks and thick clothes in the fall and winter. Might want to get a cloak at least. I know you don¡¯t need one, but it might help you fit in with them. I¡¯ve seen you practicing,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°That makes sense. Thanks, Thokri,¡± she replied.

    She had been practicing. There were still a few things she did that made other people stare. She decided to hug him, but stopped. He didn¡¯t seem to like it when she hugged him. She just patted his shoulder instead.

    She found a seamstress who had to make a cloak for her odd figure. It was made from oilskin, which isn¡¯t really skin, just canvas that has been painted with a beeswax and oil mixture and allowed to dry. It was lined with a thick wool cloth that reminded her of a blanket. There was a small metal clasp at the neck.

    It felt odd wearing a cloak, but Thokri had been right, there were less stares, so it was worth it.

    They found a meat stick vendor. The man had a cart with a grill that he moved around town. Anna watched him chop the large pieces of meat on a wooden block before stabbing them with a sharped stick. When full, the stick was placed on the grill to cook over a smokey fire.

    She had a stick in each hand, randomly taking a bite from each of them in no particular order. They walked around town a few more times before returning to the inn.

    Their table from earlier was empty, so they sat back down in the same seat and ordered more ale. They drank the ale and talked about the many fights Thokri had been in over the years. Anna like to hear about them, imagining herself in them.

    ¡°I¡¯d asked you if you moved, but I see the cloak,¡± Elaine said.

    She and Barika had returned from a shopping run for supplies. Barika needed more ingredients for balms, and Elaine needed writing supplies. She had taken over keeping the party¡¯s journal. Her penmanship was far better than Voekeer and Lyreen¡¯s.

    ¡°How did you manage to get more clothes on this wild thing?¡± she asked Thokri.

    ¡°He told me I¡¯d fit in better if I wore a cloak in the cold,¡± Anna said with a pout. ¡°I¡¯m not that wild, am I?¡± she thought.

    ¡°Now, if we can just get you to put on...¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna said, cutting her off.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to. It will be shoes, underclothes, or a longer dress. It¡¯s always the same with you,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine just sighed. ¡°I had to try,¡± she replied.

    Lyreen and Voekeer joined them, having finished their day as well. ¡°I like your cloak. It¡¯s nice,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to ask for something. She didn¡¯t try to get me to put on more stuff,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°Barika, do you have any more of that potion? I¡¯m running low,¡± she asked sweetly.

    Barika sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll get some for you. Anna, do have any more fire moss? Or do you need some more?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Could you two just start going down on each other? It took me three hours to find that stuff last time,¡± Anna replied.

    Both lovers turned bright red. ¡°What...when did you...how did you...do you know what that is?¡± Lyreen said, stuttering some.

    ¡°Yes, I know what it is. Thokri told me,¡± Anna answered, pointing at the dwarf who had an evil smile on his face.

    ¡°I HATE THAT DWARF!!!¡± Lyreen yelled, standing up and stomping to her room. Voekeer ran after her.

    ¡°She¡¯s not going to speak to you for a week. You know that, right?¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Whose idea was it to leave her with the dwarf?¡± Elaine asked. Barika just shrugged.

    Elaine was wrong about Lyreen. She talked to her the next day, mostly because Anna was making her potions now. Anna had memorized how to craft both it and the healing balm early on, and now, with weeks of practice, she could create ones as high a quality as Barika herself.

    Barika had asked her to take over the potions because she could collect the elusive fire moss quickly, which it turned out was only used for the version of the potion that worked on elves. Humans needed various other herbs and mushrooms, and it still wasn¡¯t completely effective, leaving human women with a choice on whether to risk it or not. Dwarves didn¡¯t have one. At least not one that Barika knew of.

    Anna had asked Thokri who had just shrugged and told her that, ¡°Wee ones are always welcome in the clans.¡± She didn¡¯t get why they wouldn¡¯t be, but had decided not to ask.

    ¡°At least I¡¯m getting better at keeping my mouth shut,¡± she thought.

    ¡°Anna...um...I...¡± Lyreen said, interrupting Anna¡¯s musings. She seemed to be thinking of what to say next. ¡°I may have overreacted last night. It¡¯s just...I know it¡¯s not you. It¡¯s that damned dwarf telling you things,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°He talks to me, and so do Barika and Elaine. You and Voekeer don¡¯t other than what we are doing on the contract, which I¡¯m not on,¡± Anna replied. ¡°Other than when you tried to teach me magic, we haven¡¯t really talked. Voekeer never has. It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t want to know me,¡± Anna said sighing.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just, well, my grandmother told me not to get too attached to other races because they will be gone before you know it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, elves live for so long that even if we know a human their whole lives, it¡¯s like a single summer to us, gone before you know it. It¡¯s hard knowing that everyone you meet that isn¡¯t one of your kind will be gone before you know it,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna thought about it for a moment. It was like that for her as well, but still. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to know more about them, so you can remember good friends long after even their own family would forget them?¡± Anna asked.

    Lyreen looked thoughtful.

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember you,¡± Anna said. ¡°I¡¯m immortal. I¡¯ll have to say goodbye to all of them one day, but I¡¯d still like to know them,¡± she thought.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I may be immortal, and so far, nothing can even scratch me. I might be here to tell elves about you millennia from now,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna handed her the potion. ¡°Let me know when you need more. It may take some time to make. I wasn¡¯t joking about how hard fire moss is to find. I had to use the eye,¡± Anna said and walked away.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what it was,¡± Barika said.

    They were sitting around the campfire that night, having left town that morning.

    ¡°Yes. I thought Gram knew everything, but maybe she was wrong,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Not wrong. She was just thinking about it differently than Anna,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What did your grandmother tell you?¡± Lyreen asked Voekeer.

    ¡°Not to stick my dick in a human woman. She said I¡¯d just fall in love, and she would break my heart,¡± he answered.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Lyreen squeaked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was anything special,¡± Elaine said, looking at Barika who just shrugged.

    ¡°I suppose I should tell you how I ended up as an adventurer,¡± Lyreen said. ¡°I¡¯m from a small village just on the border. When I was old enough, they checked me for magic, and when they found out how strong I was, they knew I needed proper training. The nearest elven school was years away, and it would take decades to learn there. I think the elders wanted me to come back sooner, so they sent me to the human academy at Oldforge. After I finished school, I signed up to be an adventurer. I wanted to see the world some before settling down at the village,¡± Lyreen said.

    Then she looked at Voekeer. ¡°I ran away. In my village, people do what their parents do, and I didn¡¯t want to, so I went off to see the world,¡± he said. Lyreen squeezed his hand.

    ¡°What did they do?¡± she asked, not having heard the story herself.

    ¡°Woodcarving,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she replied, looking as if she had expected something else.

    ¡°So, we have an elf lass who wants adventure, two run aways, two drifters, and whatever she is,¡± Thokri said, pointing his thumb at Anna. ¡°It¡¯s like some storybook,¡± he finished.

    ¡°One of the raunchy ones with those two,¡± Elaine said, pointing to the elves. Everyone laughed.

    ¡°I wonder who the hero is?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That would be me,¡± Thokri said, tapping himself on the chest with his thumb causing more laughter.

    Anna was looking at the map as they walked. She had taken it from Voekeer, wanting to help guide them. An eye was floating thirty or so feet above them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to that,¡± Elaine said, pointing up at the eye.

    ¡°Says the woman with creepy death tattoos,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°They are not creepy. Ok, maybe they are, but only a little,¡± Elaine said. Both women burst out laughing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing with it. I can move it around instead of just over my hand, still not that far though,¡± Anna said. She had also been able to summon some of the tentacles who seemed just as happy to be here as her, but she decided not to show her friends yet.

    ¡°We could be there by nightfall if we push,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Might as well. We are behind some. I don¡¯t think we will make it to Oldforge by winter,¡± Voekeer said, walking close to Lyreen.

    The elves seemed to have opened up with the rest of the party, but they were still inseparable.

 Chapter 21

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

 Chapter 22

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

 Chapter 23

    ¡°We are with the adventurer¡¯s guild. Let us on the wall,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Where will the wounded be kept?¡± Barika asked. A man motioned her to follow, and they left.

    Anna started to pick up rocks.

    ¡°What are those for?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I can throw them harder than a bow can shoot,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, nice,¡± Elaine replied.

    They rushed up the wall. They could hear the sounds of fighting. Lyreen had begun peppering the goblins with bolts. A few arrows crashed against a barrier of magic she had put up. It sparkled in Anna¡¯s vision. Anna looked over the wall. The horde of the green monsters was vast.

    ¡°Well, this is bad,¡± she thought. She started to throw the rocks, each one carving a path through the horde.

    ¡°GET MORE ROCKS!¡± a man¡¯s voice called.

    The next thing she knew, a huge basket was placed next to her full of rocks. ¡°Oh fun,¡± she thought.

    A huge green flame shot out, consuming swaths of goblins who then rose again to attack their former companions, chewing them while spreading the flames.

    Anna heard a maniacal laughing. She turned to see Elaine, floating, her tattoos glowing brightly. She laughed at the sight of the carnage.

    ¡°Lyreen, I found the villain of the book!¡± Anna yelled.

    ¡°What are you...shit, you''re right!¡± Lyreen yelled back.

    ¡°How am I the bad guy? I¡¯m killing the goblins too!¡± Elaine yelled.

    ¡°Your creepy tattoos are glowing while you float, laughing at the sight of your undead army eating the living!¡± Anna yelled back.

    ¡°Well shit, I guess you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not stopping though!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°By all means, continue you maniac! I think even the goblins have had enough for the day!¡± Voekeer yelled.

    ¡°Thokri will be mad he missed this,¡± Anna thought. The dwarf had decided to help shore up the walls at the last minute. He didn¡¯t like bows all that much and couldn¡¯t toss stones like Anna.

    She spotted a goblin in the distance, riding a wolf of all things, and wearing some kind of stupid looking feather hat. She threw a stone at it. The stone removed the top half of his head. This caused the goblins to pause before redoubling their efforts.

    ¡°I think I pissed them off!¡± Anna yelled.

    ¡°No shit! You know what? I¡¯ve had enough. Lyreen, I¡¯m going to blow my mana on this spell. Make sure no one cops a feel!¡± Elaine yelled.

    ¡°I got you, but Anna¡¯s going to carry your heavy ass!¡± Lyreen yelled back.

    ¡°My ass is not heavy, you scrawny elf!¡± Elaine replied. Before anyone could say anything else, a huge wave rolled over the battle.

    All the zombies suddenly fell over and started to liquefy. The partially liquified goopy substance they created flowed towards a single seemly random spot where it started to form into something vaguely human.

    ¡°More like a troll,¡± Anna thought, watching in wonder. The thing it formed was horrifying. It looked as if it was half inside out with muscles, bones, and organs visible. They all had a half rotten appearance.

    ¡°I want one,¡± Anna thought as she watched with glee. It was tearing the goblins apart and eating them as it went.

    The sight of the thing broke the goblins, and they ran screaming into the local forest. The remaining wolf riders were chasing after trying to stop the rout.

    At first, the wall was silent at the sight, but seeing the goblins flee, it broke out into cheers.

    Anna turned to Elaine. She was laying on the ground. A group of men were looking at her. Anna gently pushed her way to the woman and picked her up in her arms, this time carrying her off the wall.

    ¡°She¡¯s actually light,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Says the woman who can toss trees, ¡°Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Fair point,¡± Anna replied.

    They returned to the inn, Lyreen telling her that Elaine just needed rest. Anna believed Lyreen but checked with the eye just to make sure. The woman was unharmed other than some scrapes and bruises.

    The only thing Anna could find wrong was her mana core. It was barely lit and almost as dim as Voekeer¡¯s. She laid the woman in her bed and left her to rest.

    Anna, Voekeer, and Lyreen sat at a table and got some food and drink. The portions were smaller. The innkeeper was expecting a prolonged siege.

    Barika and Thokri arrived together hours later. He was covered in soot from head to toe, and she just looked exhausted.

    ¡°Where is the lass at? I need to get her a drink or ten for summoning that stinky fucker out there,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Manas drained. She¡¯s out till morning at the earliest,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Is that all? Did anyone check to make sure there were not hidden injuries?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I did, with the eye,¡± Anna replied. This was enough for Barika. She and the dwarf sat at the table.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know necromancers were so powerful,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t. I¡¯ve never seen one that can do what she did. Not even a tenth,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I wonder who taught her?¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°She learned all her necromancy from a spell book,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°What kind of fucking book was that?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°The Grimoire of the Arch Lich Koloth. That¡¯s what she told me when I asked her for the title. I want to get her a replacement. The Earl took her copy,¡± Anna said cheerfully.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Barika exclaimed and started to shake.

    ¡°What did I say?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The Arch Lich Koloth was one of the mage kings in the war of the mages. He commanded legions of the undead and nearly wiped out all life in the region,¡± Barika said softly, still shaking.

    ¡°And now that jackass earl has the book,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Elaine memorized the whole thing. She just wanted the book because she paid so much for it.¡±

    ¡°She memorized it...by the goddess...that woman is the most dangerous person in the region,¡± Barika said.

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    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Anna replied. Barika looked at her.

    ¡°How did I end up surrounded by powerful people like this?¡± Barika asked. Anna put her hand on the woman¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re nice,¡± she said and smiled. Barika just stared for a moment.

    ¡°Goddess preserve me. I hope I can live up to your vision of me child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to let the tenacles play tomorrow,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s wise?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stand next to Elaine. They will just assume it¡¯s her,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That would work, lass. I may join you on the wall to see what the two of you can do together,¡± Thokri said, a murderous glint in his eyes.

    ¡°Goddess forgive us,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Lich anyway?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°An evil necromancer who can turn themselves into a horrible form of undead that can still use magic. We don¡¯t know how they are made. Just that you have to sacrifice tens of thousands to do it,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Why does everything involve that?¡± Anna sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know child,¡± Barika replied.

    The next morning, they ate a breakfast of bread and cheese. Wood was being preserved for dinner and to warm the place.

    Thokri and Barika left after they ate, having work to do. The rest just kind of sat at the table and looked at each other, conversation dying after a few words.

    Elaine shuffled to the table mid-morning looking like an undead herself. ¡°Coffee,¡± she muttered to the barmaid who had dashed over upon seeing her. The coffee and a full breakfast with bacon, eggs, and toast. The toast was even buttered.

    ¡°I think they like you,¡± Voekeer said. Elaine just grunted as she shoveled food into her mouth, downing cup after cup of coffee like a dwarf with mugs of ale.

    ¡°Gods, stop the dwarves from hammering in my head, and who let a troll piss in my mouth?¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Try this,¡± Anna said, handing her a tiny bottle.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Elaine asked, eyeing the bottle.

    ¡°Dwarven hangover cure,¡± Anna replied. Thokri had given her the recipe when she asked what a hangover was.

    Elaine downed the whole bottle. Her eyes went wide, she sneezed several times, and hiccupped a few more.

    ¡°The fuck was that?¡± Elaine replied, looking much better.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know. Oh, and Thokri said it¡¯ll put hair on your chest, so sorry if it does,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine looked down the front of her dress. ¡°All good,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Ready for more?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No. I think I need another day to let my mana come back,¡± Elaine answered.

    ¡°I have a plan. I¡¯ll let the tentacles play, and you just wave your arms around like you¡¯re controlling them,¡± Anna said, whispering in her ear.

    Elaine had her own evil grin. ¡°Oh, I like that,¡± she replied.

    They walked to the wall. The town had been transformed. Gone were the market stalls and children running in the streets, replaced by hard eyed men armed with new looking weapons, and women swarming with buckets, making sure they were full, ready for the fires the goblins would inevitably start.

    They arrived at the wall to find a huge pile of stones waiting for her, and a cheer when Elaine walked up.

    ¡°I guess I am the hero,¡± she said.

    ¡°Looks like,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it go to your head,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Someone is jealous,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°She gets that way,¡± Anna replied.

    Hours passed before the goblins showed up in earnest. Anna summoned all the tentacles she could. They lashed about, tearing any goblin that got near them to pieces, and moving from place to place so they couldn¡¯t be avoided completely.

    Lyreen stood nearby, protecting Elaine with a shield. The woman was the target of many arrows. There were even more goblins today, as if the day before had been but a precursor to the main event. They swarmed to the wall again and again, being driven back over and over.

    Arrows flew. Rock smashing spells sizzled in the air. All the while, the tentacles lashed hungrily, seeking their next prey.

    The Goblins paused. Men cheered, thinking it was the start of a rout. It wasn¡¯t. A huge number of unseen archers had snuck just within range, hiding amongst the rabble. A cloud of arrows fell on the wall.

    It smelled of blood and shit. Screams filled the air and the goblins began to scale the wall.

    Lyreen was screaming and crying. She ran past Anna to Voekeer, who had an arrow sticking out of his chest. She pulled something from her pouch and crushed it. A warm golded light surrounded her hand, and she pulled the arrow out, placing her hands on his chest. He began to scream as the light faded.

    ¡°I need to get him to Barika. Help me please!¡± Lyreen said crying.

    Anna lifted them both with a tentacle and placed them on the ground behind the wall. She then took Elaine and placed her next to them. Both women carried him off to the infirmary.

    Anna drew her club and began to smash goblins up and down the wall. She ran, obliterating every one that she came across. Her club cracked when she hit a shield, and then she started to tear them apart.

    She punched one in the stomach, pulling out roping intestines and wrapping them around another¡¯s neck before yanking and breaking it. She then kicked them into the oncoming horde. She backhanded another, removing the front of its skull, leaving a faceless corpse to cartwheel into the distance.

    She started to pick up random weapons, swords, clubs, axes, anything, and she swung them till they broke. Still, the goblins came. Men were shooting arrows up at the wall from below, killing any she missed.

    She fought and fought, never tiring. The tentacles were still lashing. Hours went by before they relented.

    She looked around and realized that she was the only living thing in sight. The goblins had started to run. She waited till they were in the forest before she put the tentacles away to sleep. They had their fun and would most likely be needed tomorrow.

    She smelled smoke and looked around, not seeing any fire. She looked down. Her dress was starting to smoke near her dreamer¡¯s core. She patted it out, but then realized just how much gore she was covered in, so she gave up.

    Men on the ground began to cheer, started up the wall, and began to push the goblins off the side. She just walked away, the crowd parting as she went.

    She went to the infirmary only to be told that her companions had left. The good news was that Voekeer had made it, but they didn¡¯t know more, and Barika had to be carried out. She had drained herself as well. She walked back to the inn alone, wondering how this happened.

    The inn was full but eerily quiet. Men cheered when she walked in, and she was led to a table where Thokri and Elaine sat. They were stuffing themselves as if they had never eaten. She was handed a towel and basin to wash herself the best she could, then she sat with her friends.

    ¡°You look like you swam in goblin entrails,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I did,¡± she replied and began to eat and drink herself. ¡°So, what did I miss?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We rushed over to the infirmary. Barika patched him up quick, but he took it to the lung and will be out a few days. He¡¯s lucky she had that miracle stone with her. He wouldn¡¯t have made it without it,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of one,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°They hold one high tier healing spell. She probably got it from the elders in her village. That boy better marry her now. I¡¯ll kill him myself if he doesn¡¯t,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°They are planning on it when they get older,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°The lad asked me for advice. I¡¯m the only other man here,¡± Thokri replied. It did make sense.

    ¡°How¡¯s Barika?¡± Anna asked, worried for the woman.

    ¡°Mana drain. The goddess will fix her up better than that cure you gave me though. Nothing to worry about there. You can say what you want about the gods, but they take care of their own,¡± Elaine answered.

    ¡°How are you holding up? I know you''re tough, but you¡¯re still mostly human. It¡¯s not easy killing so many,¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°They are just pests, and they hurt all of you now, so I¡¯ll kill them all,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I know, but how are you really?¡± Elaine asked again.

    ¡°I want to leave. I want to go back to teasing Lyreen and listening to Thokri¡¯s stories. And I broke my club, and I miss it. But I feel silly because so many people died, and I¡¯m just fine, but I don¡¯t feel fine,¡± Anna said, covering her face. ¡°I burned my dress too,¡± she finished before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

    ¡°Oh, lass. I¡¯ll make you a new club. and I¡¯ll tell you about the time we shaved an elder and left the razer with some orcs,¡± Thokri said. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the only one that survives this,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m back to full power. We will show them tomorrow,¡± Elaine said, a fierce look in her eyes. ¡°You won¡¯t be alone,¡± she continued.

    ¡°Aye lass. I¡¯ll be at the wall tomorrow in full dwarven plate. No goblin arrow made could pierce it,¡± Thokri said. Anna felt better.

    ¡°How did you burn your dress?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Dreamer¡¯s core gets hot when I use it,¡± Anna said, not caring who heard.

    ¡°Dreamer¡¯s core? Oh, the black core. So that¡¯s what you call it,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Lass, I¡¯ll get you a breastplate as soon as this is over. You won¡¯t burn through that, and you don¡¯t need padded armor, so it will just get hot,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Can I have some black ale?" Anna asked. She wanted to taste something familiar.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said, handing her the flask.

    She drank deeply, more than a person should, then handed it back. He drank some, offered it to Elaine who refused, then he put it away. She asked for a large basin to clean herself, and one was brought to her room.

    Thokri and Elaine helped her get the gore off. She put a dress on, not wanted to deal with the attention, and sat on the bed. Afterwards, some men collected the basin and hurried away, not wanting to bother the heroes of the town.

    ¡°Elaine, I can¡¯t kill the big force, but I can keep them off the walls if you deal with the crowds. I¡¯ll keep us safe,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I can do that. What about arrows? Do you have a shield?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Sort of. I can wrap you in tentacles and make them see through,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine hesitated. ¡°You¡¯re the tentacles, right?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes, they are like my heart or stomach. I can¡¯t directly control them, but they sort of listen. They would never hurt you,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine sighed. ¡°Okay, we will do that,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call out any leaders I see. Neither of you lasses have seen as many battles as me, so I¡¯ll help guide you. It¡¯s all I can do to help when mages fight,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get some sleep. The men are on the walls again, and with the beating those bastards got, they won¡¯t be back tonight,¡± he continued.

    Elaine and Thokri went to their respective rooms, and Anna laid in bed.

    ¡°Was this what you wanted?¡± she asked the dreamer, not getting a response. She soon fell asleep. The tentacles were happy to see her.

 Chapter 24

    The whole party was at the table. Voekeer had insisted on seeing them off.

    ¡°You held the wall by yourself for five hours. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of such a feat,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not human, or mortal for that matter. I don¡¯t think I count as far as feats go,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°True, but still, thank you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t thank me. They thank me. Just treat me like you always do,¡± Anna said, gesturing towards the townsfolk still at the inn.

    Voekeer looked shocked at first, but then understanding shown on his face. ¡°Well, I hear you broke your club. Make sure you get another one. You make more of a mess barehanded,¡± he said in a stern voice, but with a smile on his face.

    ¡°I will. Thokri is going to make me one.¡±

    ¡°Aye, I¡¯m going to make her a bar mace. It may hold up better,¡± he replied. Voekeer nodded at this.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to thank you, whether you like it or not. You helped save him,¡± Lyreen said. She hugged Voekeer gently.

    ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Anna replied and smiled at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to melt their fucking faces off today,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Well, make sure you keep that outside the wall. I¡¯ve got enough healing to do without diseases running rampant,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Elaine replied.

    They continued to talk, going over the plan for the day, before heading out.

    Anna and Thokri headed to the smithy.

    ¡°All the metal here is shit, not fit to make a piss pot,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°You¡¯d make me a metal piss pot?¡± Anna asked, knowing he was just complaining about the quality of the materials, but joking with the dwarf was fun.

    ¡°Aye, lass. I¡¯ll make you one from mithril, studded in gems. You¡¯ll be pissing like the stone one¡¯s wife,¡± he replied. They both started laughing.

    The bar mace looked exactly like the name implied: four flat bars of steel welded together with a wooden grip wrapped in leather. She swung it around, getting a feel for it.

    ¡°Oh, this is going to be fun,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye, let¡¯s see how far you can send their heads flying,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°They just splatter. I need to find something tougher to hit,¡± she replied. Thokri just shrugged in response.

    They met Elaine at the wall.

    ¡°Oh, nice. Where did you get that?¡± Anna asked.

    Elaine was wearing a thin black dress that clung tightly to her body. ¡°The seamstress made it for me. She thought I should look the part of a necromancer hero,¡± Elaine said as she spun around.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you went sleeveless,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I know, but it works. Anyway, I was there to get more dresses for you. She took the bloody one you had on the first day and was able to make three more using it as a pattern. I put them on your bed,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    They strode onto the wall, Elaine in the lead. Cheers erupted when she was spotted. She waved at the men, then looked over the bloody field to see the goblin army waiting just out of bow range.

    Anna took a stone from a large basket that had been placed on the wall for her and took aim at a goblin far in the rear. She threw the stone with such force that a loud cracking sound could be heard as it sailed away. A moment later, the goblin fell over without a head. This caused quite the commotion amongst their ranks.

    ¡°You riled them up good with that one, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Wanted to make sure they know they aren¡¯t safe anywhere. They are all going to die,¡± she said coldly.

    Thokri just patted her shoulder and turned to look at the goblins again. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a lot of killing,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    The fighting began soon after. The sight of the women seemed to incense the monsters.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they like us, Elaine,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Elaine replied.

    The fighting was fierce with the zombies pushing the goblins back and then being cut down. The goblins would then surge forward only for more zombies to rise. Anna threw rocks at any goblin that Thokri pointed out. She also killed any archer that she saw.

    Elaine did indeed start to melt faces off the goblins when the battle turned into a stalemate. Other than some amusing screaming, it didn¡¯t help much.

    ¡°They make a fun gargling sound when you do that,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re being weird,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Sorry, and thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    The battle raged on. She ran out of rocks in the late afternoon. The largest man she had ever seen carried a full basket to her and placed it down. He was as tall as Voekeer with arms bigger around than her waist.

    ¡°He¡¯s huge,¡± she thought.

    ¡°Here, you send them all to the black god for us,¡± he said in a deep voice.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied. The man smiled at Elaine who smiled back.

    The fighting lasted late into the night when they suddenly heard horns blowing and the goblins pulled back.

    ¡°Gonna be a long night. Got to watch the bastards. They didn¡¯t run this time,¡± Thokri said. Elaine looked like she was ready to pass out right there.

    ¡°Take her back to the inn. I¡¯ll keep watch,¡± Anna said. He looked at her for a moment before leading Elaine away.

    Anna stood at the edge of the wall watching. Her feet were slightly apart. Her hands clasped behind her back. She didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t blink. Her breath slow and steady. She had given up imitating people for the moment and simply stood there like a statue. She had withdrawn the tentacles and was looking with an eye as well as her own.

    The goblins had settled in for the night at the edge of the forest. She was tempted to kill a few with stones just to keep them on edge but didn¡¯t want to antagonize the beasts and cause a charge, so she just watched.

    A man was walking to her with a blanket in his hands.

    ¡°Miss, are you cold?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t get cold,¡± she replied.

    He shivered as he approached the wall, a slight breeze blowing over the edge.

    ¡°Put it on. You¡¯ll get sick,¡± she said. She still hadn¡¯t turned to look at him, just watching him with the eye. He looked around, then wrapped the blanket over his shoulders, walking to the edge to look over.

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    ¡°I doubt he can see anything,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°Are you scared?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Am I? No, not really. They can¡¯t hurt me. But I don¡¯t want my friends to die, and I don¡¯t want these people to either,¡± she thought.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. She was worried for everyone else.

    She turned to look at him. She was wrong. He wasn¡¯t a man yet, just a teenager, and he had tears running down his face.

    ¡°My father was on the wall. He didn¡¯t make it,¡± he said. She hugged him. He was taller than her and put his head on top of hers for a moment and then backed away.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she replied, not knowing what else to say.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± he said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen,¡± she said.

    He turned to look out towards the goblins. His face twisted in sudden rage. ¡°I hate them. They all deserve to die,¡± he said and turned to walked away.

    ¡°I¡¯m so confused,¡± she thought, not understanding the conversation at all. ¡°Why was he so sad, then so angry?¡± she thought looking back to the goblin camp.

    Thokri and Elaine met her on the wall the next day.

    ¡°Were you here all night?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You can head back for some rest. We can keep watch,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not tired,¡± Anna replied. She wasn¡¯t, and she wasn¡¯t really that hungry or thirsty either. Thokri offered her his flask. She drank out of it and passed it back. She couldn¡¯t get drunk and may not need to drink either, but the flavor was comforting in its familiarly.

    ¡°They hid in the forest all night,¡± Anna said. Thokri spit in response. The battle that day was much the same, fighting into the night before the horns blew and her friends went back to the inn. She remained on the wall, ever watching, like some oddly shaped gargoyle.

    The days dragged on. The goblins repulsed each day, but on the fifth day, something changed. Not amongst the monsters, but with the townspeople.

    A general malise had descended upon the place. It was hard to tell anything was amiss, but the cheers at Elaine¡¯s arrival had stopped. Soon after, the good-natured banter amongst the men had quieted down. Men had stopped visiting her to chat, merely asking the state of the enemy now. Everything was still getting done, but it was as if the people were just going through the motions of life without any feeling anymore.

    ¡°Just like me when I first formed,¡± she thought. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± she asked.

    Thokri looked around and came close to her. ¡°They are losing heart, lass. Just stuck here seeing who runs out of people first, us, or them,¡± he told her, gesturing towards the town and then the army.

    They fought on. The days turned into weeks, each much like the last. The goblins seemed endless, swarming out of the forest by the thousands every day.

    ¡°Where are they all coming from? I thought they were just pests!¡± Elaine yelled.

    ¡°Lass, this place is only settled near the roads. Who knows what¡¯s out there in the wilds?¡± Thokri yelled back.

    The goblins seemed different today. They fought more fiercely than in the previous weeks. It wasn¡¯t the cold. They didn¡¯t seem to mind, even though winter was in full swing and the first snows had fallen, covering the field. It was stained red immediately upon touching the ground. No, it was something else. She looked across the field, and the rear line seemed to sparkle.

    ¡°MAGES!¡± she cried, but it was too late. It looked as if a wall of fire was headed their way. She wrapped herself and her friends in tentacles and lifted them off the wall.

    The explosion was terrible. She saw the fire wrap around her and her friends, but the tentacles protected them, seemingly just as immune to this world as her.

    She placed Thokri and Elaine down behind her in the forming lines next to the broken wall. They would have to repel them there. Elaine scurried behind the line, and Thokri began to shout in common and dwarven to get the line formed up faster. The men seemed to understand him, regardless of the language he spoked.

    She emptied the basket of rocks as quickly as she could, trying to kill of the mages. She heard screaming and looked at what remained of the walls. Men were on fire, desperately trying to put themselves out. Most failed, simply falling over dead. She just stared for a moment and then set herself down near Thokri.

    ¡°All the zombies are gone, and so is the first line of goblins. I don¡¯t think any of the men on the wall survived,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied sadly.

    A thunderous cry carried over the remains of the wall. The goblins started to stream into the town, most being torn to shreds by tentacles, but their number were so many that hundreds still poured through.

    ¡°Hold fast lads! Let them come to us!¡± Thokri yelled.

    Anna wasn¡¯t in the line, so she dashed off to meet the oncoming hoard. She fought them with no regard for her own safety because she didn¡¯t have to regard it. She killed them by the dozens, sending limbs and heads flying with each swing of her mace.

    She lost track of time. She saw an armored figured. It was a goblin. It pointed at her and started to sparkle. Before she knew it, she was surrounded in flames. The beast was laughing. She flung her glowing mace at it. It batted it away with a huge two-handed sword.

    She ran at the monster with a scream, stopping it¡¯s blow dead, and then snapping the sword in half, tossing the pieces away. It backed away.

    ¡°YOU DIE!¡± she yelled, wrapping tentacles around its limbs. Then she tore the breastplate open with ease and started to rip the screaming creature apart.

    After reducing its chest to shreds, she yanked its head off, helmet and all, and held it aloft, hoping to terrify the other goblins into fleeing. Upon looking around, she noticed the only goblins around were lurching unnaturally, obviously undead. She turned to see the whole line of men staring at her wide-eyed.

    ¡°Um, I got it,¡± she said.

    The men erupted into cheers, rushing forward and lifted her off the ground, tossing her up in the air repeatedly.

    She began to giggle. It reminded her of the tentacles.

    ¡°Put her down, you louts!¡± Elaine yelled.

    The men set her down and backed away, looking sheepish. Elaine just looked at her.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked. Elaine looked down at her chest. Anna followed her gaze. ¡°Oh, it burned off my dress. Damn, my belt is gone too,¡± she thought. She just shrugged at Elaine who rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Can I get a bucket? I got goblin on me again,¡± Anna asked. Some of the men rushed off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get you some clothes,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°No need. I¡¯ve been on that wall for weeks. I don¡¯t care. Let¡¯s go back to the inn,¡± Anna replied. Elaine looked at the carnage around her and just shrugged.

    ¡°I sent the zombies after what was left. They will keep hunting the goblins till they rot away. We will stay here for a while longer to make sure they don¡¯t come back,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna washed up using the bucket, then dried herself with a cloth before handing it back to a confused man. Elaine kept looking at her chest.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t get cold?¡± Elaine said. Anna looked down.

    ¡°Oh, those. They just do that sometimes. Usually when I jump in a river or the wind blows,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Elaine said. They continued to the Inn.

    The people were all cheering, but they had a thin look to them.

    ¡°Must be running low on food. Wait, when did I eat last?¡± she thought, then shrugged.

    They had reached the Inn. Voekeer and Lyreen were at a table. When they spotted the women, they paused for a moment, and then looked like they decided on something. Elaine and she sat at the table.

    ¡°Has anyone seen Thokri?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He is searching the town with some men. He will be here later,¡± Elaine said. A small plate of food was brought out for each of them, and Anna wolfed it down. She felt bad about eating what little food these people had, but it had been weeks for her, and she was hungry.

    ¡°When did you eat last?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Breakfast the third day,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Elaine gasped. She then reached over and pinched the skin on Anna ribs. Anna looked at her.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t lost a pound,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°No. I can¡¯t change, remember?¡± Anna replied. Elaine blinked a few times.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said.

    Thokri came in next and sat down, still in his armor and covered in goblin blood. He took off his helmet and looked at Anna.

    ¡°Heard you killed the leader,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Burned your gear?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, lost the belt and everything in the pouches. Didn¡¯t have much though. I put my stuff in my pack like you said,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Good lass,¡± he said and patted her on the arm.

    Barika was the last to return, looking truly exhausted. She plopped down and asked for food. It was quickly brought to her.

    They told each other of the weeks they had spent apart. Lyreen had been rushing from wall to wall to kill any that thought sneaking around the sides was a good idea. Voekeer joined her after he recovered. Barika had been healing and purifying water the whole time. She even delivered a few babies. The three of them on the main wall told their story last.

    ¡°You got blown up?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes, those tentacles saved us though,¡± Elaine replied. She had gotten used to them over the last few weeks.

    ¡°That must have been a sight. Wish I could have seen it,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Which part, the men burning to death screaming or calling for their mothers, or the broken bodies strew around?¡± Anna replied.

    Voekeer paled. ¡°I, I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, lad. She was up on that wall for weeks, the whole time, with no break. She knew those men. Can¡¯t fault her for being bitter about their end,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. That¡¯s what I¡¯m feeling,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°Survivor¡¯s remorse. It happens to many soldiers. It might be different for you, but it¡¯s close. Just talk to us about it, ok?¡± Barika said.

    ¡°One thing has been bothering me,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that, child?¡±

    She took a deep breath and told them of the boy on the third night.

    ¡°Grief. He was sad at the loss of his father, and the goblins were responsible. He thought that if they were gone, the sadness would leave him as well,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Will it?¡± Anna asked. ¡°No, only time heals that,¡± Barika said.

    Elaine looked around the room and then smiled. She got up and walked over to a man. It was the huge one from the wall.

    She whispered something in his ear. He turned red and started to smile and nod. She took his hand and led him to her room.

    ¡°If that¡¯s not the definition of farm lad, I don¡¯t know what is,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Farm lad...he¡¯s the king of farm folk,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°He may survive the night then,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s doing,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°OH, GODS, HARDER!¡± Elaine cried out in pleasure from her room. Everyone started to clap.

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Anna thought. Her cries went on for more than an hour.

    ¡°I hope she has some potion,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make some up for her,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°No need,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Lyreen asked. Barika had a curious look as well.

    ¡°Death magic. Can¡¯t get with child unless she stops using it for months,¡± Anna answered.

    The women nodded in understanding. A few minutes later, the cries started up again.

    ¡°How in the name of the Tree?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Lass was pent up. Must have been a while,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what she likes, she may need to get her fill here,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Sounds like she is,¡± Thokri answered. They all just shrugged, chatting before going to bed for the night.

    The tentacles were so happy that it was over, and the eyes twinkled down at her.

 Chapter 25

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 Chapter 26

    They spent another week in the town, resting and getting supplies. It was full on winter, and the snow was deep. Storms came often as well, so the party outfitted themselves with thick winter clothing, except for one person.

    ¡°You¡¯re making me cold just looking at you,¡± Lyreen said, shivering slightly.

    Anna wore the same thin dress she always did, sans shoes and underclothes as usual. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly warm. You should worry about yourself. You look a little blue,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°There is no way you are warm,¡± Lyreen said. Walking over, she took off a glove and touched Anna¡¯s face.

    ¡°How...she¡¯s warm, like sitting next to a fire,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°She¡¯s just normal body temperature. She¡¯s right, you¡¯re freezing,¡± Barika said, looking at the elf.

    Lyreen hugged Anna closely and put her face against hers. ¡°So warm,¡± she said.

    ¡°Uh, this is kind of weird,¡± Anna said.

    Voekeer peeled her off. ¡°Lyreen, please, just use your mana to warm up. We won¡¯t walk as far. I promise,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Lyreen said, and she seemed to get some color back.

    The pace was slow anyway. The snow was hip deep in some places. Thokri was in the lead. Anna had been, but she wasn¡¯t slowed in the slightest by the conditions and strolled along like it was a warm summer day, quickly out pacing her companions.

    The night came quickly, and they setup camp in a relatively snow free area. They had a large tent for all of them to sleep in, having traded the smaller ones for it. The large tent was easier to warm and was made from thick weatherproof materials.

    Inside was an iron brazier. They used wood that Anna had cut down to size. She had become good with felling trees and cutting firewood in the last few months.

    There was a flap to let the smoke out of the top and several small holes to let fresh air in. Those were placed away from the sleeping area.

    ¡°Can I borrow your wolf pelt?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want it to smell like sex,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t doing that in the tent. I told you that,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Still no. You got Voekeer to snuggle close to,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Lyreen said, huffing.

    ¡°Anna, come sleep with me,¡± Elaine called.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re warm, and you don¡¯t want sex, so you won¡¯t get grabby,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Maybe the tentacles will,¡± Lyreen said, sounding snippy.

    ¡°Leave them out of this,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Lyreen, you''re being kind of bitchy. You ok?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Sorry, I just ran low on mana keeping warm,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Okay, I understand that,¡± Elaine replied. ¡°How about you Barika?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Barika answered. ¡°I don¡¯t care for this weather myself,¡± she continued. The two women moved next to each other.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask her first?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Um, you¡¯re warmer?¡± Elaine said haltingly before looking at Barika who just smirked.

    ¡°Well lass, you can come in here with me,¡± Thokri said, lifting his blanket and patting the ground.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Elaine said, causing everyone to laugh.

    Anna got up several times that night to tend the fire. She could make herself wake up at any time and fall back asleep without any issue.

    The others woke at dawn. No one wanted to leave the tent until later in the morning. The others were sitting now, but huddled in blankets. The elves were sharing a large one. Barika and Elaine had separated. Elaine was bundled up. Barika simply had her blanket hung over her shoulders like a cloak. Thokri didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by the temperature in the tent and was intently sharpening one of his many knives.

    ¡°Is it warm enough in here, or do I need to add more wood?¡± Anna asked. While she could tell the difference in temperature, nothing was uncomfortable for her. She had gotten better by listening to the others when they would complain of being too hot or cold, but everyone had been sleeping so she could only guess.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fine temperature for sleeping, but we need it a bit warmer while we are awake,¡± Barika said. Anna added some more wood and stoked the fire. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Everyone else good?¡± Anna asked. They all nodded, having taken off their blankets. Thokri just kept sharpening, not paying attention to anything else.

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    After procrastinating for an hour, they packed up and left, braving the cold once more.

    The snow was up to her waist. She glanced back at the rest of the party. They were walking the path she had made. They asked her to lead again because of the ease she could cut a path. They also asked her to look back to make sure they didn¡¯t fall too far behind.

    She looked up. Snow had begun to fall. The snow fell harder, and the wind started to pick up. It was up to her chest now. She could barely see, having to use an eye to stay on the road.

    ¡°We won¡¯t last much longer!¡± Voekeer shouted, pointing off the road.

    ¡°There is a cave system that way!¡± he yelled, his map fluttering in his hand.

    The snow was deeper when they left the road, over her head in some spots, but with the eye, she was able to lead them to the cave entrance.

    ¡°We will have to leave the packs out here,¡± Voekeer said.

    The cave entrance looked more like a long crack than an opening. It was just barely wide enough for them to squeeze through. Turned to the side, Thokri¡¯s armor was scraping in spots. Anna was scraping as well.

    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t tear my dress,¡± she thought.

    After a few feet of squeezing, the path opened into a cavern. She turned to her friends and noticed they were all shivering. Their clothes had been soaked through from the trek through the deep snow.

    ¡°We need to move away from the entrance,¡± Barika said, shivering from a blast of wind.

    They took the only path large enough for them to fit, walking deeper into the earth.

    Something flashed towards her. She grabbed the spear thrust, turning it aside, and backhanding the small creature that held it. Its head hit the wall with a crunching sound, and it fell to the ground. Still, she looked down at it. It was small and lizard-like, although it stood on two legs.

    ¡°Kobolds,¡± Thokri said, and then spat. He looked at Voekeer. ¡°Watch your crotch, lad. That¡¯s where they aim first,¡± he said, tapping his armored codpiece.

    Voekeer shifted, moving his hand as if the cover himself, but then shook it and pointed farther into the tunnel. ¡°Let¡¯s move on,¡± he said.

    Anna drew her mace and walked on.

    The kobolds were easy to spot now that she knew to look for them. She dispatched them with ease as she walked.

    She noticed something on the wall. It seemed to sparkle. ¡°Magic?¡± she thought, and walked over to inspect it.

    Something jabbed her butt. She swung around and hit the kobold in the head, sending the head flying into the wall. The body twitched and fell.

    ¡°It stabbed me in the ass,¡± Anna said as the party looked at the now headless kobold.

    ¡°Cheek or hole?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Cheek,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No harm then. What did you find there?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The wall looks like it has magic in it,¡± she said, pointing at the sparkling spot.

    Thokri walked over and licked the spot.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Dwarves taste minerals. They can see in the dark, but colors are washed out. It helps them find the good veins,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°He sees just like I do then,¡± Anna thought.

    Thokri turned to them, a grin on his face. ¡°Mithril,¡± he said. Everyone nodded. ¡°Lad, make sure you put this in the report to the crown. A mithril mine would be a boon to this region,¡± he said.

    Voekeer nodded.

    ¡°What about the kobolds?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We¡¯d have them cleared out in a week,¡± Thokri replied.

    They continued deeper into the caves. They had escaped the wrath of the storm a while ago but pressed on, curious as to what other secrets this place held.

    The tunnel widened, spilling out into a large cavern. The walls glowed with a blue-green color.

    ¡°It¡¯s not magic. What is it?¡± she thought, and walked to a large growth of the glowing stuff.

    Something shot out from below. It sailed under her dress towards her crotch, sliding past the lips, before slamming against a small fleshy mound nestled between them. She felt a crack, and when the kobold pulled the spear back, the tip was missing.

    It looked dumbly at it before she brought the mace down on its head. It was a mighty blow. The creature was pulped by its fury. A shockwave from it created a breeze throughout the cavern.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Voekeer asked. The party was looking at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°It stabbed me in the crotch,¡± Anna replied, turning to face them. She lifted the front of her dress and fished out the offending piece of stone, letting it drop to the ground. It made a clattering sound.

    The women shuddered when they realized what had happened.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m done playing with them,¡± Anna said. A multitude of eyes appeared and whooshed off in all directions. In an instant, the entire cavern was filled with tentacles lashing about angerly.

    Soon screams and tearing sounds could be heard. The party was standing completely still, gaping at her. The screaming didn''t last long and when it stopped the tentacles just disappeared as if they hadn¡¯t been there in the first place.

    ¡°I saved the dwarves a week,¡± Anna said. She turned and stormed off farther into the cavern. The party scurried after her.

    They walked in silence for a few minutes. Anna had calmed down.

    ¡°So, what happened?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Well, I walked into that cavern, and I saw a something glowing on the walls. I went over to look at a big patch, and it stabbed me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Bioluminescence,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Oh, some fungus glows in the dark,¡± Elaine replied.

    They walked a little farther. ¡°Were exactly did it hit you?¡± Elaine asked.

    Anna thought about it for a moment before answering. ¡°You know that little nub between the lips?¡± Anna asked. The woman nodded. ¡°It broke the spear tip off on that,¡± Anna continued.

    ¡°Oh gods, ouch! I know you can¡¯t get hurt, but I think I just felt that,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Is it that sensitive?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± all three women replied. Anna just shrugged.

    They explored deeper.

    Anna had used the eyes and tentacles in an autonomous manner, learning how to do that during the month-long siege. It used less of the dream¡¯s power, and she didn¡¯t get dizzy if she just let them do what they thought was best. While this worked for wiping out the kobolds, it didn¡¯t give her a map of the area, so they explored the old-fashioned way.

    Thokri was walking next to her now. With the kobolds gone, there was little threat of ambush.

    ¡°Now, lass, you see that water on the wall there? That means this cave was carved out by water over the years,¡± he said. He had been teaching her of the underground, having spent most of his life there before he began adventuring.

    ¡°Are there other ways caves form?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye. These ones are from rainwater seeping down from above. Ones near the shore can be from the waves crashing over the years. Some are empty lava tubes,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s lava?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Molten rock from deep in the ground. Don¡¯t know why, but it spews out every now and then from volcanos,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Oh, like when I broke that crystal,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye, lass. Just like that, but whole lots more,¡± he replied. He stroked his beard some. ¡°There is the deep burrower. They are like giant worms that eat stone. Never see them this high up. Those caves are smooth and straight,¡± he continued.

    ¡°How deep have you been?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Deep, lass. ¡®Bout as deep as you can go before you hit the deep ground. Don¡¯t want to go there,¡± he answered.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deep ground?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a network of caverns and passages that lead on for miles and miles. Might even be all over the world. Promise me that if you ever want to explore that place, you¡¯ll go alone,¡± Thokri said, suddenly serious.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be the only one to come back. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone else escaping that place,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What could be down there?¡± she thought.

 Chapter 27

    They continued to explore. The caverns were well cavernous.

    ¡°We should head back and check to see if the storm broke,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Anna replied, and an eye shot off at high speed, blurring through the tunnels. It reached the entrance in seconds.

    Anna shook her head. ¡°Woooh, not going to look through it while it¡¯s doing that again,¡± she thought, feeling dizzy.

    The eye slipped through the narrow passage and up out of the snow. The entire entrance was buried beneath snow. It looked like more than ten feet had fallen in the hours they had been in the cave, and the snow was still falling.

    ¡°The entrance is buried, and it¡¯s still snowing,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What are we going to do? All of our food is in the packs,¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Lass, there is plenty of food down here. We may be down here for weeks,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°We need to setup a camp then. Anna, where was the kobolds lair? We may need to stay there,¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Uh, you don¡¯t want to go there. It¡¯s kind of a mess,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Right,¡± he said. ¡°Well, Thokri, what do you suggest? I¡¯ve never spent much time underground, so I¡¯m at a loss here,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Well, lad, let¡¯s find the biggest pool of water we can find. No washing in it. Water down here doesn¡¯t flow often, so we will just use it to drink and cook with,¡± Thokri began.

    ¡°Will it need to be purified?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s clean from filtering through the stone. Dwarves drink it. You might need to boil it for other folks though,¡± Thokri said. Barika nodded.

    ¡°What about food?¡± Elaine asked, sounding curious instead of worried.

    ¡°Mushrooms mostly, but bugs and spiders if we can find them,¡± Thokri replied. Elaine looked disgusted at the mention of bugs and spiders, but she didn¡¯t say anything.

    Anna looked at the others. They were starting to shiver again, except for Thokri. She was beginning to think he may be immune to the cold. They didn¡¯t have any fuel for a fire, and Thorki had said it was dangerous to build them deep in a cave anyway. Something about running out of air.

    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± she thought, thinking back on the past few months. She went over everything that could help. ¡°That¡¯s it. The dreamer,¡± she said excitedly.

    ¡°What about it, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Not the dreamer itself. The core. It gets hot,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Lyreen asked. ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll show you,¡± Anna replied.

    She focused on pulling every drop of mana from her channels, an easy task after all her practice, then slowly, she filled them all with the power from the dreamer¡¯s core. Soon her dress started to steam. The others looked on with understanding dawning on their faces. Her dress was dry in no time, and she stripped it off.

    ¡°Give me your clothes. I¡¯ll put them on and dry them,¡± she said.

    One by one they stripped, and she dried the clothing while wearing it. The adventurers wear relatively loose-fitting clothing, so she could fit all of it. She just held the undergarments to her chest, not wanting to put them on.

    With dry clothes on, everyone was warm again and set about to collect food.

    Thokri had found some hollow mushrooms that could be used to store water and even began to carve a large pot out of a soft stone with a set of tools he had in his pouch.

    ¡°How does he fit all of that in that?¡± Anna thought.

    They couldn¡¯t set up a camp per say. All of their equipment was in their packs and buried under feet of snow at the moment, but they did find a nice flat spot near enough to a supply of water. It was surrounded by a great deal of the glowing mushrooms, so they decided to use it as base camp.

    They split into three groups to gather supplies based on their ability to see in the dark. The humans, having almost no night vision, stayed at the relatively bright base camp. The elves, needing little light, were sent to gather mushrooms of all variety to eat and craft into tools.

    Lastly was Anna and Thokri, who can see in complete darkness. They went to hunt the denizens of the caverns. Those that would flee when any light shone upon them.

    ¡°Forward, twenty feet, two spiders,¡± Thokri signed. He had taught her dwarf sign. They used it while hunting underground. Most things down here could hear far better than they could see, so even a whisper would be heard. She had learned enough in a few hours to be fluent in its use.

    ¡°Those are the biggest fucking spiders I have ever seen,¡± Anna thought.

    Said spiders were the size of cattle. Thokri had told her to crush the spot between their eyes. That was the fastest. This was the first time they had been this close, stalking the beasts for several hours before attempting the kill.

    Thokri lifted his spear, aiming at the aforementioned spot. He would throw first. She would hit the second with a rock at the same moment the spear struck. He reared back and threw the spear with all his might. Anna tossed the rock just before the spear struck. They hit at the same time.

    The spear pierced the thin carapace. The spider fell to the ground twitching. The rock punched a fist sized hole in its spider, causing the beast to slide back a few feet before coming to a rest. It was just dead, not twitching at all.

    ¡°We are going to go on a professional hunt after this contract, just the two of us,¡± Thokri said. He had made some rope from fibrous fungus and was making a harness to drag the spider carcasses back.

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    ¡°Sounds fun. Any reason why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Lass, you could just chuck rocks at the game. We wouldn¡¯t need to bring spears or bows. Make a fortune selling the hides that didn¡¯t have holes in them,¡± Thokri said while they headed back to the campsite.

    ¡°Makes sense. You¡¯d have to skin them once for me to watch,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied.

    They broke the spiders down in a smaller cavern near the camp, not wanting to risk contaminating the water supply.

    Once they finished, they brought the useful parts back to the camp where Lyreen had started to boil a large amount of water in the pot Thokri had crafted. The others had already sorted and laid out the mushrooms and other fungus for Thokri to inspect.

    Anna started to toss spider legs in the pot. They needed to cook all the meat before it spoiled. The pot sat on several large stones with a hand full of rough shaped crystals. They were putting out a large amount of heat. Anna could see sparkles all around them.

    ¡°Fire stones,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they just use those to keep warm,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°They use a large amount of mana, and they are either on or off. So, boil a giant pot of water or stone cold,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t ask,¡± Anna thought.

    The pot simmered away. Lyreen had removed some of the fire stones to slow the boil. They added some of the mushrooms as well to make a kind of spider stew. Voekeer had fashioned some of the hallow mushrooms into bowls.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like wood carving?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it. I just didn¡¯t want to do it for a living,¡± he answered.

    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Elaine said while eating her third bowl of stew.

    ¡°Try some of this, lass,¡± Thokri said, handing her a pouch. It contained a fine powder.

    ¡°Salt?¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I thought all the salt was in the packs?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye, but where do you think salt comes from?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The sea,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Aye, it does, but it can be found in the ground as well,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°How does it get underground?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No idea. Same way as metals I guess,¡± Thokri said.

    Anna was eating one of the legs. ¡°It¡¯s like some cross between chicken and fish, sort of bland on its own,¡± Anna thought, eating a large hunk. ¡°Butter would be nice,¡± she said.

    ¡°That would be good,¡± Barika said.

    They had more than enough food and fresh water. The cave was on the cool side of comfortable, but the others had warm clothes, so they just needed to wait out the storm.

    They salted most of the spider meat, only cooking the legs that day. They kept the pot simmering, adding fresh water and ingredients to start a sort of forever stew, although this one wouldn¡¯t be on for more than a week or two.

    Thokri and Anna continued to explore the caves. They were more extensive than they had first thought.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting deeper,¡± Thokri said, looking at the walls of the passage. ¡°Things get more aggressive the deeper you go,¡± he continued.

    Anna nodded. ¡°Thokri, can you read and write?¡± Anna asked. She had been thinking about the dwarven sign language and figured that he should know how to read as well.

    ¡°Aye, lass, in dwarven and a few human tongues as well,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Could you teach me dwarven?¡± Anna asked.

    He walked over and hugged her, lifting her off the ground. ¡°I¡¯d thought you¡¯d never ask,¡± he said grinning from ear to ear.

    Deeper and deeper they went. There were less and less of the glowing mushrooms. There were more fungi and mushrooms of different types however, and much more wildlife.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have eyes,¡± she thought, inspecting a small rodent that was attempting to hide under a large mushroom. She was tempted to use the eye on it, but things could see heat down here, and she didn¡¯t want to draw any more attention than she had too.

    She began to walk out of the current cavern when she caught a faint, yet familiar, scent. ¡°Blood,¡± she signed to Thokri. He nodded, and she pointed in its direction.

    It was close. She sniffed the air again. It was stronger here. She began to hear raspy breathing. She found the creature.

    It looked as if it had attempted to hide under some of the mushrooms but passed out from blood loss before it could finish. It was roughly human shaped but had the features of a bat, including wings in place of arms, clawed feet, and huge ears. She used the eye to check the extent of its injuries. Barika had given her a rough idea of anatomy, so she knew what to look for.

    The creature was close to human except for a few things. Its bones were much lighter, its lungs were larger, and its guts were just different. She wasn¡¯t sure why.

    ¡°He¡¯s got a bunch of broken bones, and that gash on its side. I think he¡¯s bleeding inside as well. We need to get him to Barika,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°He?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s swinging,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri nodded and began to bandage the man. They collected some stiff mushroom stalks to make a makeshift litter. Slinging him over her shoulder seemed like a terrible idea with his internal injuries.

    The trip back was slow going. The man was light, but it was unwieldy carrying him through the tight passages. It took hours. They began running as soon as the path was clear.

    ¡°He won¡¯t make it much longer. He¡¯s bleeding inside,¡± Anna said as they set the litter down in camp.

    Barika rushed over and began to examine the man. ¡°Anna, do you have any star flower? We need black bark as well,¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°A hand full of each. The flowers are dried,¡± Anna replied as she pulled them from one of her pouches. They had been in her pack during the siege, so they survived the fireball that had consumed her old belt and pouches.

    ¡°Tea or poultice?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Tea. The goddess¡¯s grace will take care of the wounds. A tea will take care of any infection. I don¡¯t have the strength to do both,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna began to make the tea. She placed portions of each of the herbs into thin cloth pouches and filled a small stone bowl with water. She heated the water with her hand, using a small amount of the dreamer¡¯s power.

    Barika had finished healing the man. He was half awake, looking around. Barika held him up and gave him the tea. He drank slowly. Once finished, he began to squeak and chirp, looking at each of them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Anna replied. He looked at her for a moment, and then passed out.

    ¡°Never seen his kind before,¡± Thokri said, looking at the man closely. The others hadn¡¯t either.

    ¡°He was grazed with a spear or something like it,¡± Barika said. She was exhausted from healing the man and was currently nibbling at a bowl of stew. ¡°Clean cut. Beasts tear flesh,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m a damned fool,¡± Thorki swore.

    ¡°What?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°We left a trail a blind human could follow back there. If the lad is being hunted, I led them right to us,¡± Thokri replied.

    Hours passed, and the man remained unconscious. The party remained vigilant, but no threats materialized. The creature woke up and began squeaking and chirping.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand you,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Lass, can you hear him?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s speaking, but I¡¯ve never heard anything like it,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Lass, I can¡¯t hear a thing. Looks like the humans can¡¯t either. What about you, elves?¡± Thokri asked.

    Voekeer shook his head no.

    ¡°I can hear some soft chirps, but that¡¯s it,¡± Lyreen said.

    Barika offered him some food. He couldn¡¯t grab the spoon, so she fed him. He ate greedily.

    ¡°Lad¡¯s hungry,¡± Thorki said.

    ¡°He lost a lot of blood. It will take time for him to recover,¡± Barika said.

    He finished several bowls and then went back to sleep. The party went back to doing random camp chores. Thokri began to teach Anna dwarvish. A day went by with no visitors. The party relaxed. The bat man seemed to be taking it all in stride, eating a huge amount of food. They had plenty, so they didn¡¯t mind.

    Thokri knew how fast Anna could memorize things and taught her at an incredible rate. She could speak a few dwarven phrases and was beginning to learn the written language.

    ¡°And it hung below his knee,¡± she said aloud, reading what he had written. He had a mushroom stock that left a smudgy mark when rubbed on stone and was using it to write.

    ¡°What in the world are you teaching her?¡± Elaine asked shocked.

    ¡°She¡¯s learn¡¯n dwarven, lass. Just a bit of poetry for her,¡± Thokri replied grinning.

    ¡°Dwarven poetry,¡± Elaine replied with a shudder.

    ¡°Aye, lass. Just a bit of learn¡¯n,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen looked at Elaine. ¡°We¡¯ve lost her. She¡¯s gone full dwarf on us,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I fear so,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Na, no hair on her ass. Can¡¯t be a dwarf,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°But she is a woman,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Wait. You mean dwarven women have hair there as well?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said with a smile.

    ¡°OH GODS! WHY DID I ASK?¡± Elaine said with a sob.

    Thokri and Anna chuckled, and Anna went back to reading, this time out loud.

 Chapter 28

    The party suffered through another day of very graphic dwarven poetry when the bat man began to shift is head around like a bird, and then started rapidly squeaking. He then hid behind the pot.

    Anna looked around and spotted several shadows moving silently in their direction. She signed Thokri to let him know. He nodded, and they slowly grabbed weapons. The others followed suit.

    They all just got up, and Lyreen flashed a bright light in the direction of the shadows. Three figures faced them.

    They were the strangest beings Anna had seen, not counting the dreamer itself. They had humanoid torsos, but it was connected to a spider like lower half. That lower half had four spider like legs. The torso had four spider like arms, ending in two fingers and a thumb. Their face was vaguely human with eight spider eyes and a two-part lower jaw.

    One of the spider people spoke a strange language, and they set down their spears. When faced with the groups drawn weapons, they began to wave and point at the bat man who kept hiding behind the pot.

    ¡°Can you understand us?¡± Barika asked. They just stared. Barika tried a few other languages.

    Voekeer spoke what Anna assumed was elvish. They didn¡¯t understand any of it.

    Finally, Thokri started to swear in dwarvish, and they perked up. One of them spoke a broken dwarvish. Anna didn¡¯t understand it, but Thorki did.

    ¡°Ancient dwarven,¡± Thokri said aloud. He spoke to them some. ¡°They want us to come with them. We can bring him as well. They didn¡¯t believe me when I told them he wasn¡¯t an animal, and they want to take us to their elders,¡± Thokri said.

    Not really having a choice, they packed up and followed the spider people. The bat man was hiding behind Barika as they walked.

    ¡°Guess I need to learn ancient dwarvish as well,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye lass, but the elders will have to teach you. No one but dwarves are supposed to know it,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just the way it is,¡± he replied.

    They traveled to the spider people settlement. It was days away. From what Thokri had been told, they had been checking the outer webs, that¡¯s what they used to catch the large number of insects needed to feed their people, when they had caught the bat man stealing from them. They had problems with his people stealing and thought they were just animals, but after seeing the way he acted around them and the party even, the spider people were starting to realize they had misjudged them.

    The trip took longer than they had thought. The party couldn¡¯t move as swiftly as the spider people, and the bat man wasn¡¯t able to move very fast on foot. Voekeer had lent him his cloak when they got closer to the settlement in the hopes of stopping any misunderstandings.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    They stood at the entrance to the main cavern. The spider people settled. It was unlike anything any of them had ever seen. There were stone structures that resembled the skeletons of buildings. They were covered in webs. Everything was crisscrossed. The stonework formed dense cocoon-like structures and were spread out to create a sort of roadway in the air that spider folk were scurrying along, destinations unknown. Glowing orbs were hung from the ceiling after some.

    According to Thokri, who had asked, they were filled with the glowing fungus and changed out regularly. The light kept the worst of the predators away, not being needed for sight.

    They took a winding path through the thick webbing. The party couldn¡¯t traverse the paths in the air lacking the spider¡¯s legs. The bat man seemed to be getting more nervous the deeper they went.

    Barika put a calming hand on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± she murmured to him.

    He made a chirping noise and grinned, showing needle like teeth.

    They waited at the bottom of a large structure for the elders to meet them. Only one of the spider people waited with them.

    ¡°I have no idea how I¡¯m going to write this for the report,¡± Voekeer sighed.

    Thokri grinned at him. ¡°Why do you think I let you run things?¡± he said.

    ¡°I thought you just respected me,¡± Voekeer said. This caused the other party members to burst into laughter.

    ¡°Did you know too?¡± Voekeer asked Lyreen.

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    ¡°Yes, but you seemed to enjoy it so much, I didn¡¯t want to tell you,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Well, I thought you did a good job,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Thank you. Wait, you¡¯re only a few months old. That doesn¡¯t count,¡± Voekeer said. Everyone laughed again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ve seen how you look at me. It would be creepy if I was that young,¡± Anna replied with a wink.

    Lyreen started to glare at Voekeer. ¡°You were looking at her again? You told me you stopped,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Aye, I think the lad may have snuck a peek before he went to bed a few nights,¡± Thokri said, wiggling he eyebrows at her.

    Lyreen looked like she was going to explode.

    ¡°But, I, no, I didn¡¯t, I mean she...¡± Voekeer stammered.

    ¡°Oh, come now, Lyreen. I saw the way you looked when I examined her with the sight crystal. You can¡¯t be that hard on him,¡± Barika said with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t, I mean, I did, but, it¡¯s not like that,¡± Lyreen said, stammering herself now.

    ¡°What happened with the sight crystal?¡± Elaine asked. Barika waved her over and whispered in her ear. ¡°Oh, Lyreen, I didn¡¯t know you felt that way. I¡¯m going to have to watch you now,¡± Elaine said smirking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, I didn¡¯t. You know what? Never mind,¡± Lyreen said, and just hugged Voekeer, burying her face in his chest.

    ¡°What happened with the sight crystal?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Lyreen can tell you all about it as closely as she looked,¡± Barika said.

    Lyreen pulled her head away and glared at everyone, then looked at Voekeer. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, tell you tonight,¡± she said.

    ¡°What are you all talking about?¡± Anna asked. This caused more laughter.

    The spider person looked on in confusion, asking Thokri a question. He seemed to be explaining something in ancient dwarven. The spider person made an odd sound that Anna thought was a laugh and seemed to smile at Lyreen who just huffed and looked away.

    The elders made it down soon after, and Thokri began to explain everything to them. They spoke ancient dwarven more fluently than the three that had found them. They all nodded. That seemed to be a universal gesture, and they began to talk in their own language. They asked Thokri a few more questions, and then went back to talking.

    ¡°Thokri, I think I can learn their language if you act as an interpreter at first,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Good idea. I¡¯ll ask them,¡± Thokri replied.

    They were still talking when he interrupted. He spoke to them and waved her over. They said a few words to him, and he told her their meaning. She spoke the words back perfectly. They seemed shocked at first, but quickly got over it and started speaking phrases as fast as Thokri could relay them.

    Within half an hour, she didn¡¯t need Thokri anymore. The others were led away, and she remained with the elders, climbing up to their meeting room with ease.

    She spoke with them for hours before leaving. The elders were tiring.

    ¡°They are old. It was hard to tell at first, but I can see it now,¡± she thought.

    Her escorts led her to the part of the city, that was the only thing you could call this sprawling settlement, that had housing for other races. The spider people traded extensively with other denizens of the underground.

    ¡°Well, this is officially the weirdest place I¡¯ve ever been,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I know what you mean. I wanted to see the world, but this isn¡¯t what I pictured,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Looks fine to me,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Really, I know you¡¯re from underground, but the spiders and all,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Aye, they are a bit odd,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°They are just people, like all of you and the bat man,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thorki said.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Lyreen asked. She looked worried.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m a person or not,¡± Anna replied. They all looked at her.

    ¡°Oh, child, you¡¯re a person. Why would you say that?¡± Barika asked.

    She couldn¡¯t explain how she felt, so she started to sing. It was the same hauntingly beautiful alien song as before, but it felt different this time.

    As she sang, she poured all of the strange emotions she had been feeling into the song. She didn¡¯t really belong in this world, but she wouldn¡¯t even exist if it wasn¡¯t for this place. She didn¡¯t know what to feel, so she kept singing, and after a while, she felt better.

    ¡°This song doesn¡¯t belong here either, but maybe this world is just a little bit better with it in it, just like me,¡± she thought, and slowly brought the song to an end. She felt a gentle touch on the edge of her mind. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t leave me,¡± she thought and smiled.

    She looked around, and all her companions were openly weeping. So was the bat man and some of the spider people that had drifted over to listen in.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just couldn¡¯t think of anything to say,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen seemed to fling herself at Anna and hugged her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t know you felt that way. I didn¡¯t know you felt so alone,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one like me. There will never be another like me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You are a person, Anna. Don¡¯t forget that,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I know. I felt the dreamer again. I think he was trying to tell me that as well,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I felt what you do. I don¡¯t understand how, but I did,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°The dreamer can make dreams real. He did make me, after all. I think that I can as well some in small way, and that song is my song. It¡¯s about what makes me, me, so if you can feel, if you can dream, you can understand what I¡¯m feeling, what I¡¯m dreaming. I think he was showing me that I¡¯m the same as all of you because we can feel the same things,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It sounds like he cares,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I think he does, at least in the way he can,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Better than my father,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Yes. Same here. I don¡¯t think mine ever tried to understand me,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Neither of my parents did,¡± Barika replied, and then began to laugh. ¡°So, an eldritch being from outside of space and time is a better parent than ours?¡± she said, still laughing.

    Now Voekeer and Elaine joined in.

    ¡°That¡¯s just sad,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°What a group we make,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Be glad you don¡¯t,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Why did you call the dreamer he?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°It felt weird calling my only parent it, so I just said he,¡± Anna replied. He just shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could call anything with that many tentacles mom,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I bet I could get you to call me daddy,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Lyreen squeaked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you call Voekeer that, and mine are bigger than his,¡± Anna said as a tentacle materialized and tapped Lyreen on the shoulder.

    She jumped onto Voekeer with a shriek. ¡°DON¡¯T DO THAT!¡± she yelled.

    Voekeer eyed the tentacle. ¡°She¡¯s right. I can¡¯t compare,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye, lad. That¡¯s the truth,¡± Thokri said.

    Lyreen just squealed some in response.

    ¡°Way too much time with that dwarf,¡± Elaine said snickering, and Barika nodded.

 Chapter 29

    They had a large open space to share. The two humans were near the brightest light at the moment.

    ¡°It must be hard for them,¡± Anna thought. She walked over with a smile on her face. She felt better after the song. It felt good to sing.

    ¡°You look better, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I do feel better. Thank you,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we can feel how you do. I¡¯ve heard of empathy, but wow,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that song three times now. How did you know it was your song this time?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I remembered that the dreamer doesn¡¯t feel anything, so he couldn¡¯t have felt lonely. So, I must have been. I just didn¡¯t know it yet,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°He must feel something. He did try to comfort you,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t understand him at all, and I don¡¯t think I can. He¡¯s just too different from us. Even me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It reminds me of when the goddess speaks. She is kind, but just different,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably a better comparison than us to the dreamer,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to do much more than pat me on the head from now on, so I guess I shouldn¡¯t worry about it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± Elaine said. They enjoyed a few moments of comfortable silence.

    ¡°So, why does Lyreen keep poking at me? She just gets mad when I joke back. It¡¯s not like with Thokri,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I was wondering that myself,¡± Elaine said.

    Barika sighed. ¡°I know that answer. I¡¯ve seen it before,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes, and when I explain, I¡¯ll bet you will have as well,¡± Barika replied. Elaine nodded.

    ¡°Lyreen has always been the best at everything she does. Everything always came easy for her. She was smarter than the other children, prettier than the other girls, and the elders must have praised her for everything she did. They even sent her to a human school instead of an elf one so she would return sooner. She is the pride of their village. Well, she is smart and pretty, but when you showed up, you were just better, Anna. You have more magic, you learn faster, you can¡¯t be harmed, and you don¡¯t seem to have any flaws. She just doesn¡¯t know what to do because she isn¡¯t the best anymore, so she pokes at you, hoping to find a spot where she is better. I doubt she even knows she¡¯s doing it,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°By the gods, your right. I have seen her type,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna frowned, not sure what she could do.

    ¡°Oh child, don¡¯t make that face. This is something Lyreen needs to work through. Just keep being yourself,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I will, but maybe I should go easier on her. I think I may have scared a century or two off her with that tentacle,¡± Anna said with a smile.

    ¡°Oh no, child. She needs more of that. If you lighten up on her, she won¡¯t learn anything,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°And that was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. It was all I could do to keep from laughing,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You may have laughed, just a little,¡± Anna said, holding her finger near her thumb.

    ¡°Okay, maybe a little,¡± Elaine replied, copying the gesture.

    ¡°Anna, you wouldn¡¯t really, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t what?¡± Anna asked in return.

    ¡°You know, with the tentacle,¡± Elaine said, moving her finger up and down.

    ¡°EWWW, no,¡± Anna said.

    Elaine sighed. ¡°Oh, good. I was worried there for a minute,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Unless you want to try,¡± Anna said. She looked at the woman and batted her eyes. Elaine stared at her dumbly. Anna couldn¡¯t hold it in and started to giggle.

    ¡°Oh gods, I yield. I yield. No more please,¡± Elaine said, throwing her hands up in surrender.

    They chatted for a while longer. The bat man had wandered over to investigate. He chirped at each of them.

    Anna looked at him for a moment. She pointed at herself. ¡°Anna, Elaine, Barika,¡± she said, pointing at each of them as she spoke. She then pointed at the bat man.

    He moved like he was listening to her and then pointed at himself with a squeaky chirp. He pointed at them one by one, and Anna said their names aloud again. He pointed at himself and made the same sound as before and then grinned his toothy smile.

    ¡°Well, I know his name now, but I can¡¯t say it,¡± Anna said. She rubbed her chin as she thought.

    ¡°Anna, what are you doing?¡± Barika asked.

    Anna stopped and looked at her hand. ¡°Thokri strokes his beard when he thinks. I guess I just started to copy him,¡± Anna replied, still looking at her hand.

    ¡°So, you did that without thinking?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied, still looking.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°It is?¡± Anna asked, finally putting her hand down.

    ¡°Yes, child. It will help you live with others,¡± Barika replied looking at her. ¡°Right now, you act more like a dwarf man than a human woman. That will cause you some problems. You¡¯re going to have to spend way more time with us,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°But what about the spider people and him?¡± Anna replied, nodding to the bat man.

    ¡°You can still help them, but you need to learn how to be a woman. It will help you. Trust me,¡± Barika said.

    Anna sighed and nodded. She looked at her feet.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be that bad,¡± Elaine said.

    She spent the rest of the evening with the women, just listening to their stories.

    Thokri had returned from his chat with the spider people. They had a lot of questions after her song. She felt kind of bad he had to explain it, but she still sounded like a child to them.

    Lyreen and Voekeer had returned as well. Lyreen had left in a huff after the exchange and was ignoring Anna at the moment. Anna knew that she would calm down eventually. She had started it.

    They moved to the other side of the room, away from the bright light. Anna just laid on the bare floor not needing any padding or covers. She stared up.

    ¡°I wish I had my pelt,¡± she said.

    ¡°I think I¡¯d join you if you had that thing,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Any time, Lyreen,¡± Anna replied.

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    ¡°She got over it quicker this time. Barika is right. She is getting better,¡± Anna thought.

    They woke early the next day. At least she thought it was day. It was hard to tell underground.

    Thokri had left to speak with the elders. He was going to ask if the spider folk could retrieve their packs, not wanting to leave them buried for months.

    Anna spent time with Elaine and Barika. They taught her their respective crafts. Elaine had made a mistake when trying to teach Anna how to read and write. She treated her like a young human woman instead of the eldritch creature she was.

    They took turns pouring knowledge into her as fast as they could. She absorbed all of it, learning vast amounts in a single day. Weeks passed. They were brought their packs. Thankfully the waterproofing had held, and the contents were only a little musty.

    She worked with the bat man, slowly learning his language and working on a sign language for him so he could speak with them and the spider folk. The spider folk had sent someone to teach her their language, both spoken and written. She learned both quickly.

    She had been given paper and writing implements to record the sign language she was developing with the bat man.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to explode,¡± Anna said, putting her head on the desk that had been brought to them. Her face was in a pile of paperwork, hair spilling over the whole mess.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to get ink in your hair,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just get Lyreen to set me on fire. She¡¯d like it, and I¡¯d be clean,¡± Anna replied.

    She sat back up and put her hands on her face, rubbing it.

    ¡°Well, at least that worked,¡± Barika said.

    Anna had spent the last few weeks doing nothing but studying and working. They had run out of things to teach her a week ago, and she was documenting the sign languages she had come up with for George and his people. She named the bat man George because she couldn¡¯t say his name, and he didn¡¯t mind. The sign language they had worked out was good enough to ask at this point.

    ¡°I¡¯m done. This is all I¡¯m going to do. They can finish it themselves,¡± she said.

    She had grown tired of this. It had been fun at first, and then tedious. Now, it was just annoying. The only reason she had gotten this far with it is because she didn¡¯t want to let down her friends.

    ¡°Is that okay?¡± she asked Elaine and Barika.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done more for them than they did for themselves. Even if they expect more, it wouldn¡¯t be fair of them,¡± Barika answered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like they are paying you,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°They do feed us,¡± Anna said.

    Elaine made rude noise. ¡°That isn¡¯t worth the work you¡¯re doing,¡± Elaine said. ¡°Anna, you MADE a language that two very different peoples can understand. Do you have any idea how amazing that is?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, I still don¡¯t know that much about this world,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I think you are the only one who could have done it,¡± Elaine said.

    She heard a huff, and Lyreen stormed out again.

    ¡°Gods, she needs to lighten up,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. She¡¯s going to lose what she has if she keeps chasing after others,¡± Barika said.

    Lyreen hadn¡¯t gotten better. She had been fighting with Voekeer incessantly the last few weeks. Anna got up and went after her.

    Elaine moved to follow, but Barika stopped her.

    Anna easily caught up to the woman. She walked next to the elf woman.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°A cupcake, a hot bath with soap, and a soft bed,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°What?¡± Lyreen said, stopping to face her.

    ¡°I told you what I want, but what do you want?¡± Anna asked, looking up at the woman.

    ¡°I want you to leave me alone,¡± Lyreen said, turning away.

    Anna grabbed her arm and spun her back around. Lyreen tried to pull away, but she might as well have been trying to drag a mountain.

    ¡°Let me go,¡± she said.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t, and you can¡¯t make me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I hate you,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You hate that I broke your view of yourself and the world around you. You hate that you aren¡¯t the best at everything when I¡¯m around. But you weren¡¯t even in the party. You just didn¡¯t see it,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen had stopped trying to get away and just stared. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Thokri is a better adventurer. He has a solution to just about every problem we have. Voekeer is far better with the sword and talking to people. Barika can heal and knows herbs from around the continent, and Elaine is better at magic than you. She also has a better education even though she had stop,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s not better than me,¡± Lyreen said defensively.

    Anna let her go. She wasn¡¯t going anywhere. ¡°She melted an army of goblins, and then used the burning corpses to eat the rest of them for a month straight every day. If she hadn¡¯t been holding back, she could have done it alone,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen looked shocked. ¡°She held back?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes. She has trouble with the dearly departed, but she can drag evil wraths from the underworld back at will. What do you think would have happened if she unleashed a hundred or so of them?¡± Anna asked.

    Lyreen was wide eyed. ¡°I had no idea,¡± she said, having lost her bluster.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t, because you never asked. You still don¡¯t talk to us even after you said you would,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen stared off into space thinking. ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. If life was fair, Barika would be at home with her people, and they would have just accepted her. Voekeer would be in his village living as a hunter like he wanted. Elaine would have finished school and started her own family,¡± Anna replied, pausing for a moment.

    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t be here,¡± she finished.

    ¡°Why?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°The day I was formed, thirty girls and young women had their throats cut after being taken from their happy lives. All so a group of wicked men could gain more power. They found the dreamer instead. They suffered for their mistake, but the dreamer wanted dreams from this world, so he made me and turned me loose with no plan or guide, and no idea what would happen,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us all of that,¡± Lyreen replied softly.

    ¡°What difference would it have made? I was worried all of you would hate me because of it. I guess I was right about at least one of you,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°But you said it anyway,¡± Anna said with a sigh.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I know, and I hope we can be friends, but I¡¯m not the one you need to worry about right now. Go find Voekeer and apologize. He loves you, and you¡¯ve been taking out your frustration on him,¡± Anna replied. She walked away, leaving Lyreen in tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m so fucking done with people,¡± she thought to herself. Between the drama with Lyreen and the constant work, she was just done and wanted to be alone. ¡°Well, maybe not alone. I wonder if Thokri wants to come with me to kill something,¡± she thought smiling and began to look for the dwarf.

    She found him talking to an elder spider, looking as frazzled as she felt.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go kill something,¡± Anna said, holding her arm out for him to take.

    ¡°Lass, that¡¯s the best idea I¡¯ve heard for weeks,¡± he replied, wiping a mock tear from his eye.

    They got spears from the spider people, and she got an amazing silk pouch for stones she would collect on the way to the hunting grounds.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s got you set on killing today?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of people for a while,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said.

    They walked on in silence for a few hours. She told Thokri of the last few weeks. He had been busy himself, collapsing into his bedroll as soon as he returned and hadn¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°That lass has her head up her arse,¡± he said when she told him of Lyreen.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied. ¡°How are you for supplies?¡± Anna asked. She had rushed him out. He checked his pouches.

    ¡°¡¯Bout three days more if we eat our prey out here,¡± he replied.

    ¡°How¡¯s week out here sound?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Sounds like dream,¡± he replied.

    She told some spider folk on the way back. She didn¡¯t want the party to worry about them.

    Two days from the settlement, they found the first sign of prey.

    ¡°Scorpion, twenty feet long, that way,¡± Anna signed. Thokri nodded, and they were off.

    The scorpion was about thirty feet away. She threw a rock, and it exploded on the things armor leaving a crack but not much else.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to beat it to death,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye, have fun,¡± Thorki said.

    She ran to the beast and began to pummel it. Its armor was hard, but it broke eventually. After a few more punches, it quit moving.

    She turned to look at Thokri. He was in battle with another scorpion. He had been injured and was slowing down.

    ¡°NO!¡± she cried when he was struck with the stinger in the thigh. Tentacles enveloped the beast and shredded it.

    She ran to Thokri and was next to him in an instant. ¡°How long?¡± she asked. The venom would kill a human or elf in a few minutes, but dwarves were made of sterner stuff.

    ¡°A few hours at most, not enough time,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you. I¡¯ve never run as fast as I can go, so I don¡¯t know if we can make it, but I¡¯ll try,¡± she said.

    He nodded. They wrapped his leg tightly. She picked him up, and they were off.

    The cave walls blurred as she ran. Thokri had passed out half an hour into the trip. She had to slow to make sure his head didn¡¯t bounce too much.

    They reached the city an hour after he was stabbed, and she blurred through, dodging spider folk on the way in. She ran into the building they were staying in and right up to Barika. The woman¡¯s clothing was ruffled with the wind created when she stopped.

    ¡°He was stung by a giant scorpion an hour ago,¡± Anna said. She placed Thokri down in front of her, and Barika began to work immediately.

    ¡°You there, get some anti-venom now,¡± Anna said to some spider folk that had been visiting. They ran off in search of the stuff. They returned moments later. Scorpions were everywhere, and Barika administered it to the dwarf and continued.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°No thanks to me. I shouldn¡¯t have taken him with me,¡± she thought, angry at herself and everything right now.

    ¡°Anna I...¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP! I DON¡¯T WANT TO HEAR ONE FUCKING WORD FROM YOU RIGHT NOW!¡± Anna screamed at the woman who fell on her butt from the force of it.

    Anna stalked away and just screamed. It sounded like a banshee¡¯s wail. The city shook with it. She fell to her knees and just started punching the floor. It cracked under the onslaught.

    ¡°I almost lost my best friend,¡± she thought. She hugged herself and began to rock back and forth. She felt arms around her.

    ¡°It will be okay. He¡¯s fine, he¡¯s fine,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Why do I feel this way? Why so much? What¡¯s happening?¡± Anna thought. She took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± she said. Elaine squeezed her once more and let go.

    Anna stood up, turned, and walked back to Thokri.

    ¡°Lass, I haven¡¯t gone back to the mountain yet,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We should have planned more,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Aye, I know the blame for that lies with me. I¡¯ve been at this for three hundred years, and I ran off like some beardless lad,¡± he said. She smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m gonna sleep now. That took all I had,¡± he finished and closed his eyes.

    ¡°He just needs rest now, child,¡± Barika said.

    Anna stood up and walked out. ¡°I need to clear my head. Don¡¯t follow me,¡± she said before breaking into a run, not wanting to hear a response.

 Chapter 30

    She made it back to the scorpions in half an hour. Not needing to worry about Thokri, she could go all out. She filled up her pouch with rocks and grabbed the spears. She also yanked the stinger off the big one to give to the spider people. They would need more anti-venom and had trouble with the beasts.

    ¡°If I go back,¡± she thought. She wasn¡¯t sure she even wanted too. She cared for Thokri and Barika. Elaine too even Voekeer was alright, but she didn¡¯t care if she saw Lyreen again. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know why she should keep going with any of them.

    ¡°I may go back to say goodbye to Thokri. Before I decide, I¡¯ll spend some time out here,¡± she thought. She tossed the stinger back. It would rot before she came back this way.

    She picked the path that led deeper underground and started to run. She could run hundreds of miles in a day. Deeper and deeper she went. Thokri had been right. Things down here were downright nasty.

    ¡°They all crunched and squished the same though,¡± Anna thought, chuckling at the memory.

    After four days of running, she found an enormous opening leading straight down. Sending an eye down, she guessed it was around a mile deep. She could climb back up if she wanted.

    ¡°Should I go back?¡± she thought, looking at the hole. ¡°Nope,¡± she said and jumped.

    It didn¡¯t take very long to hit the bottom. She used her legs to absorb the impact, ending up with one hand on the ground as well. She stood up and looked around.

    ¡°This place is huge,¡± she thought. It looked different than the caves above. The walls were nearly smooth, rippling slightly. So did the floor and the ceiling. She walked around at a normal human pace, memorizing the environment. She decided that if she didn¡¯t stay down here, she would draw all of this for Beth.

    She explored the area for a few minutes before feeling a hot wind. She noticed some sparkles coming from a passage.

    She looked down the passage to find a room with numerous crystals that were glowing brightly. They were of all different colors. They had waves of energy coming off of them. She inspected them for a while, and then, out of curiosity, she snapped one off.

    It hissed in her hand. Both broken sides were crackling but stabilized in a few seconds. She couldn¡¯t put her fingers all the way around the piece, which was about as long as her forearm. She emptied the silk bag and stuffed the piece in it. She then broke off one of each color, stuffing them in the bag as well, before leaving the room.

    As she left the room, she found vents in the floor spewing waves of sparkles. She looked at them for a moment. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t fit,¡± she thought after pondering a jump.

    She heard an odd scraping sound, and the room vibrated just a little. She turned to look.

    ¡°The fuck is that,¡± she thought.

    It was a mass of stone plates and spikes. What might be eyes covered it. One of the spikes opened and a glob of something shot towards her. She dodged it. The ground sizzled behind her. She glanced back to see the ground melting away, rock vaporizing like steam from a pot.

    ¡°Fuck that,¡± She thought.

    While the ground was mostly clean, there were a few loose stones, and she winged one at the monster. It shattered without effect, not even a scrape on the rock plate. It was shooting more globs at her. They were easy to dodge, but she didn¡¯t want to lose the glowing stones and wasn¡¯t done looking around yet.

    She tried more stones aimed at its eyes this time, but it just closed them before the rocks hit. She tried the tentacles, but they couldn¡¯t get through the armor. She looked at it with an eye. Even that couldn¡¯t see past the plates.

    ¡°I might be able to if I used more power, but then I¡¯d pass out, and it would eat me,¡± she thought and shuddered internally. She didn¡¯t want to be eaten and shit back out, naked, and covered in whatever that thing eats. She looked at it for a few moments before finding a small opening underneath. She grinned evilly at it.

    ¡°Right in the hole,¡± she thought, sending a tentacle up there. The beast wiggled some. It did notice, but it wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°Fuck it,¡± she thought and spikes shot out of the tentacle inside the beast. Thokri had noticed that she could expand them. What he and none of the rest of the party knew was that she could change them to almost any shape.

    The beast started shooting globs out from every spike while making a sound like steam coming out of a kettle and some gurgling. It lashed about, and then tried to run away. She removed the tentacle and let it go, leaving a trail of goo behind it. The goo sparkled.

    She looked at the goo closer. ¡°Everything down here is full of mana,¡± she thought.

    She continued to explore, hiding from more of the rock monsters or darting away if spotted.

    After a few more hours of looking, she came across a room filled with cubes. They were everywhere. ¡°They don¡¯t look natural,¡± she thought, but she couldn¡¯t see any signs of people.

    The cubes were made from layers of different minerals. Each layer was as thin as a hair. She used the eye to see into it, not wanting to damage the things, whatever they were.

    She looked around, and not knowing what to do, she just licked one.

    ¡°Tastes like a rock,¡± she thought. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a dwarf after all,¡± she said with a chuckle. Then she flew through the air, slamming into some of the cubes.

    Ducking out of the way of another projectile, she looked at her attacker. ¡°Huh,¡± she thought, seeing the thing. It was numerous spheres that flowed into and out of each other with a multitude of limbs that would spring out randomly from the mass. It was lobbing some of the spheres at her with shocking precision.

    Stones did nothing to it, and neither did the tentacles. She didn¡¯t want to get close enough to use her fists.

    ¡°I should leave now,¡± she thought, and then more of them started to pour out. She ran out as fast as she could, dodging the things. She ran towards the way up. The things kept pace. She barely dodged as she ran, getting smacked a few times sending her flying, but she was able to get back up and keep running.

    ¡°There must be a few dozen of them,¡± she thought, using the eye to see behind her. She flung herself up the hole, using a tentacle each time she slowed to summon another to send her higher. The things kept shooting at her but didn¡¯t follow.

    She reached the top and paused. She walked back to the edge, lifted her dress with her right hand, spread her feet apart, and pissed down the hole. She made a rude gesture with her left hand and swore the foulest things she could think of in dwarven before turning and heading back to the city.

    She took her time heading back, taking about a week for the journey. All told, the whole excursion had taken two weeks.

    ¡°I hope they didn¡¯t leave,¡± she thought, walking through the city.

    She hadn¡¯t bothered asking the spider folk. She didn¡¯t want them to ask her for anything else, realizing that Elaine had been right. She walked to the building where they had been staying, hoping she would find them.

    ¡°I could track them down if I need to,¡± she thought as she walked in the door.

    They were all there. George was missing, and there were no spider people, but her friends were here. Elaine, Barika, and Thokri were eating stew near the light. Voekeer and Lyreen were sitting off to one side. He was frowning, and she looked like she had been crying for some time.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t noticed me yet,¡± she thought. ¡°You will not believe what I saw,¡± she said.

    ¡°You came back!¡± Lyreen cried, running towards her. She was pulled into a hug and mashed against the woman¡¯s chest while Lyreen sobbed on her head.

    ¡°Yes, I came back, but I thought you hated me,¡± Anna said to the woman. She stopped hugging Anna and stepped back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I never did. Please forgive me. I didn¡¯t mean to say that. Don¡¯t leave us again,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I had thought about staying down there,¡± Anna said. Lyreen looked like she was ready to burst into tears again. ¡°I came back because I realized I wasn¡¯t just angry with you. I blamed myself for Thokri nearly dying, and I couldn¡¯t handle anymore. I think it all just kind of blew up. You, the spider people, George, everything,¡± Anna continued. She smiled at Lyreen who smiled back.

    ¡°We did put you under a lot of stress. I guess you¡¯re not completely indestructible after all,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I guess not,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you came back, lass,¡± Thokri said, walking over. He eyed her. ¡°Where in the name of the stone one have you been?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I went deep, really deep,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How far down did you go?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I went to the deep ground and came back,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°Tell me?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deep ground?¡± Voekeer asked just after.

    ¡°Lad, it¡¯s so deep that not even dwarves can go there. No one has survived. Until now,¡± Thokri responded.

    ¡°By the tree,¡± Voekeer said.

    She walked over to her pack, took out her trusty drawing supplies, and went to the still present table.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to draw what I saw and explain. Wait till I¡¯m done to ask. I¡¯m going to be concentrating on this, and I don¡¯t want to miss something,¡± Anna said. They all nodded and crowded around the table.

    She began to draw and describe what she saw, starting with the decent into the deep ground, the crystal cave, the stony monster, the vents, the cubes, the things down there, and finally the escape. It took her an hour to draw. They all were inspecting the drawings.

    ¡°Oh, and I have these,¡± she said, remembering the crystals. She pulled one from the pouch. It was glowing brightly here. ¡°Must have been really bright in that cave,¡± she thought.

    Thokri¡¯s eyes went wide, and he reached for it. ¡°Can I?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I was hoping you would,¡± Anna replied, handing it to him.

    He put his tongue on the crystal, and his eyes went wide. Slowly pulling it away, he just looked off into space.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never tasted its like. It¡¯s not even close to anything,¡± Thokri said, handing her back the crystal.

    ¡°So, what do you all think?¡± Anna asked the group.

    ¡°It sounds like something out of a story book,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°One where the heroes don¡¯t make it,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye. As much as I¡¯d like to see it, I don¡¯t think even the lass could keep us safe,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°It would take a year for all of you to get to the entrance, and I don¡¯t think any of you would make it there,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That far?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I can run about two days of normal travel in half an hour, and it took me five days to get there. I didn¡¯t rest either,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Can you tell me more about the stone monster? The one with the magic blood?¡± Barika asked.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you much more other than I fought it as hard as I could, and only the tentacle worked,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How did the tentacle stop it? I can see how it would hurt one of us, but that thing sounds tough,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna summoned a tentacle and then had the spikes pop out. ¡°Think that up the ass would work?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Elaine replied, moving her hand towards her butt.

    ¡°By the goddess child, that is just mean,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°It tried to melt me then eat me. I don¡¯t feel that bad for it,¡± Anna said shrugging. ¡°As hard as that fight was, I did win in the end. Those things in the cube room, I couldn¡¯t do anything against them. All I could do is run,¡± Anna said. She grinned. ¡°I did get them back, just a little,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°How?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I pissed on them and told them how I felt about them,¡± Anna replied. Then she said the foul dwarven words.

    Thokri nearly passed out laughing. ¡°Lass, that is the perfect ending to that tale. I¡¯m gonna have a song written about this,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°You peed on them? You peed on things from the nightmares of the dwarves?¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri patted Anna on the back. ¡°That¡¯s my lass. I¡¯m gonna ask to have you adopted into the clan when we get back to Oldforge,¡± Thorki said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t taste minerals, and I don¡¯t have a hairy butt. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d make a good dwarf,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lass, you¡¯re a dwarf in all the ways that matter,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Can I see one of the stones?¡± Lyreen asked.

    Anna handed her one of them. She took it with both hands and closed her eyes. Her hands sparkled for a moment before a large wave of mana pulsed from the stone. Lyreen¡¯s eyes popped open.

    ¡°It¡¯s pure mana. Pure condensed mana. I didn¡¯t even know that could happen,¡± Lyreen said, still holding the stone.

    ¡°I read about that once, but honestly, everyone at the academy thought it was a legend,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°The things we could craft with that,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I was planning on giving them to you anyway when we get to Oldforge,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lass, I couldn¡¯t,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°What am I going to do with them?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You could sell them for a fortune,¡± Voekeer added.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need money. I already have more than I need,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You could live in comfort for the rest of your...¡± Voekeer said, stopping when he realized who he was talking to.

    Anna just shrugged. She put the crystal back in her pouch. She heard spider people running away.

    ¡°Seems like they noticed the crystals,¡± Anna said. ¡°You all need to run. I¡¯ll buy you time,¡± Anna continued.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Voekeer asked. They all rushed to get their packs.

    ¡°Grab mine as well. I¡¯m going to lead them on a chase,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Friends?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I met all kinds of fun things down here. I just think I should introduce them,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, you should,¡± Voekeer answered.

    The party set out with a map Anna had made for them. She marked a spot for them to meet in several days. Anna sat at the desk holding a crystal. She sent an eye after the party to make sure they made it out of the city.

    ¡°Now, I wait,¡± she thought. She didn¡¯t have to wait long. There was a group of armed spider folk outside the building. She was watching them with an eye. One of them walked in.

    ¡°Give us the crystals,¡± he demanded.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Now!¡± he demanded.

    ¡°No,¡± she said. Eyes began to open and tentacles appeared.

    ¡°They are ours. You stole them from the depths. We rule the depths,¡± he said, sounding more unsure of himself.

    She smiled at him, put the crystal in her bag, and then dashed past the man, dodging all of ones waiting outside, and running out of the city just fast enough to be seen and followed. She led her pursuers on a grand chase and introduced them to the true rulers of this realm.

    They broke off the chase after half of their numbers were lost. They slank back to the safety of their city in defeat. She met up with the party. The whole adventure only lasted a few days.

    ¡°Were you followed?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°No. They didn¡¯t have it in them after the scorpion pit,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°Scorpion pit. You are mean,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°They tried to steal from me. They had it coming,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°We have two choices. We can go back to the surface, head back to the crossroads, and wait for spring, or we can head to George¡¯s people and spend the rest of the winter there,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Are you staying with us?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Until Oldforge. Then we¡¯ll see,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Lyreen said and walked away.

    ¡°I need to talk to her,¡± Anna thought.

    They decided to spend another day at the camp and discuss what path they would take. The others debated each option. Anna refrained. She really didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°So, the crossroads would be safer, but we would lose time backtracking and would have to brave the weather, or we can go to the bat¡¯s village. We could safely wait till spring, but after what happened with the spiders, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth the risk,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°We will take a vote then,¡± Barika suggested.

    Only Elaine voted to go back to the crossroads. No one else wanted to brave the snow.

    ¡°She just wants to see that giant of a man again,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°Wanna talk?¡± Anna asked as she sat down next to Lyreen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Just tell me how you feel,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything right lately. Everything I say just blows up in my face,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Not used to making mistakes?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, I mean, I made some, but no one seemed to care back home,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes. I mean, look at me. I have rainbow hair. If someone like the dreamer can mess up, what chance do the rest of us have?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the rest of us. I don¡¯t know why it took me this long to figure that out. After you left, I thought I would be happy you weren¡¯t around, but I was still mad. I¡¯m not mad anymore. I just don¡¯t know how I feel,¡± Lyreen said. Anna thought about it for a moment.

    ¡°Why do you do that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Do what?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You just kind of stare, like you aren¡¯t here for a few seconds,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Oh, that. I can remember conversations like I¡¯m there. Everything. The sights, the sounds, the smells. I was just thinking of something Barika told me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You can do that?¡± Lyreen asked surprised.

    ¡°Yes, and I know that others can¡¯t. I mentioned it to Thokri once,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Lyreen said and sighed again. ¡°Something else I didn¡¯t know about you,¡± Lyreen continued.

    Anna just shrugged. ¡°How many people have you told about how you remember things?¡± Anna asked.

    Lyreen thought about it for a moment. ¡°No one that I can remember,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°See, I have to ask because I don¡¯t know what else is different about me. You don¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I want to be friends, but I just don¡¯t know how with someone like you,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re just so perfect,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re comparing yourself to me, but you shouldn¡¯t be. You¡¯re you, and I¡¯m me,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen smiled sadly. ¡°None of this turned out right. It wasn¡¯t anything like the elders told me,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°They never let you fail. They wanted to keep the harshness of the world from you,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen paused. ¡°I, I think you¡¯re right,¡± she said.

    ¡°They also never told you about someone like me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t think they thought any one like you would cross my path,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t me, it would have been someone else. This world is filled with strange and beautiful things,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That describes you perfectly,¡± Lyreen replied with a smile.

    Anna stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go see what Thokri managed to catch for us. I hope it¡¯s more spider,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I take it back. You¡¯re more strange than beautiful,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied, and they headed off to get some food.

    It was a transparent blob. She poked at it with her knife. The skin was tough. When pierced, the insides oozed out.

    ¡°Is this really food?¡± she thought. The others seemed to share her opinion, except for Thokri, who was happily munching away. She took a bite. It was chewy, and the insides oozed inside her mouth.

    ¡°Well, that face is all I needed to see,¡± Elaine said, sliding the thing back into the basket Thokri had steamed them in. The others followed.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t that bad,¡± Thokri said still chewing.

    She spat out the thing and swished her mouth out with some water from a skin, spitting it out as well. ¡°Yuck,¡± she said.

    ¡°If that bothers you lass, never please a man with your mouth,¡± Thorki said in dwarvish.

    ¡°If it tastes like that, he can suck his own cock,¡± Anna replied, speaking dwarvish as well.

    Thokri began to laugh and slapped his knee. Anna started to laugh as well, handing the dwarf her plate.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Learn dwarvish,¡± Anna and Thokri replied in unison.

    Voekeer just shook his head. Thokri passed her his flask. She took a drink and handed it back.

    ¡°Well, that explains it,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Dwarves brew this stuff to get the taste out of their mouths,¡± she replied. They looked at each other for a moment before busting into laughter yet again.

    ¡°What taste?¡± Lyreen asked. Elaine put her hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder and used her other hand to shush Anna and Thokri.

    ¡°Lyreen, you need to ask yourself if you really want to know what would make them laugh like that,¡± Elaine said.

    Lyreen looked at Elaine, then back at Anna. ¡°You know what? Never mind,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°She is learning,¡± Barika said.

    The trip to the bat people¡¯s village was slow and uneventful, mostly because she had gotten used to moving at inhuman speed.

    ¡°I need to get used to this again,¡± she thought, trudging along.

    They passed a stream running across their path. It flowed into a new tiny passage.

    ¡°That reminds me of a stream near my village. The elders would take me there and let me swim in the pool it fed,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna had taken the time to get closer with the elves, realizing that even though they looked almost human, they were as different from them as dwarves were. While Dwarves were a boisterous, unruly bunch, elves seemed to be the opposite. They were on average a quiet, reserved people, slow to anger, spending large amounts of time in deep contemplation.

    Her two companions were still young, still children, as far as other elves were concerned, and they were right. While elves mature to adulthood physically at the same rate as humans, it took them centuries to mentally become adults.

    ¡°I feel kind of bad about teasing her back now. It would be like teasing Beth,¡± Anna thought. She smiled, thinking of the girl.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Beth,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°The girl from the Inn back in Fishport?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she was my first friend,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Tell me about her,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°She¡¯s happy and always smiling. She hugs everyone she meets,¡± Anna said. Both elves looked at her.

    ¡°That sounds like you,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I do copy people I spend time with. She was my first friend. I¡¯ll always be a little like her,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°To think the first friend of a true immortal is a little girl from a port town on the frontier,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°True immortal?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Before you showed up, only the gods and maybe a few dragons could actually live forever. Everyone else could still be killed by violence,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°So, who¡¯s the oldest of the normal races that you know of?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I think a few high elves are nearing ten thousand years,¡± Voekeer answered.

    ¡°I want to meet one,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They are, uh, hard to deal with,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The high elves are a reserved people and are held in high esteem by other elves,¡± Voekeer answered.

    ¡°He means they are stuck up pricks,¡± Thokri said.

    Voekeer shook his head. ¡°I suppose they would seem that way to a dwarf,¡± he replied.

    ¡°If they are high elves, what kind of elves are you two? You look the same,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We are both common elves. At least, that¡¯s what the high elves call us. There are many kinds of elves,¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna looked at him, expecting more.

    ¡°There are mountain elves, forest elves, sea elves, river elves, and beast elves. I haven¡¯t seen a beast elf, but gramma told me about them,¡± he continued.

    ¡°You met sea elves?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes. One came to see my father. He¡¯s one of the best carvers, and they had a rare wood they wanted carved into a statue for a temple,¡± Voekeer said, looking sad.

    ¡°We will go visit him after this contract is done,¡± Lyreen said, squeezing his hand.

    ¡°Not right afterwards,¡± he replied.

    The village was in sight. It was not what she expected. The nests were hanging from the walls and ceiling. They were an odd mixture of mushroom stalks and insect chitin woven together crudely. The cave floor was clean, unlike a cave inhabited by normal bats. There were a few structures on the ground.

    As they approached, they were met by several of the bat people. George was among them.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, my friend. Did your trip to the deep lighten your heart?¡± George asked.

    ¡°It did. I learned many things and found treasure. The spider people tried to steal it, so we had to run. We were not followed,¡± Anna replied.

    He let out a chirp. That was his way of laughing. ¡°How many died trying that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Many. I think I will be a demon to them for a long time,¡± she replied.

    He waved at a bat woman. ¡°This is my mate. We have a large nest together,¡± he said.

    ¡°Meaning lots of children,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°I am forever grateful. You saved him. I could not have gone on without him,¡± she said.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave someone who needed help,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°If only more could think as you do,¡± she replied. Anna smiled at her, and she smiled in return.

    ¡°Come, we have made huts for ground dwellers. We hoped you would come before returning to the bright,¡± George said, gesturing for them to follow. ¡°We have huts for all to have their own, and one for the mates to share. Is she with child?¡± George asked.

    ¡°Lyreen, are you with child?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°What? No,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Odd, but they will if they keep trying,¡± he replied.

    ¡°He said you need to keep trying,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen paused, then grinned. ¡°We practice every chance we get,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°They do every night,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Good, good. It will be soon then,¡± George replied.

    The huts were constructed the same as the bat people¡¯s nests. The main difference being a leathery flap over the entrance. She inspected it.

    ¡°What is this?¡± she asked George.

    ¡°Skin of a giant mushroom,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a big mushroom,¡± Anna thought before she went inside. The inside was bare with plenty of room for a bedroll and equipment. It was somehow warmer as well.

    She unpacked her things, hanging up her clothes to air out. They had been stuffed in the pack for weeks. She checked the contents and found them to be in mostly good shape. Some of the herbs were moldy and a few knives had rust. She disposed of the herbs and began to clean and sharpen the knives.

    ¡°Anna, we are planning a feast for tonight. The bat people brought us a bunch of food. We could use some help preparing it,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna put down the knives and hopped up. ¡°What needs to be done?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Clean and chop the mushrooms,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I did that all the time back at Fishport,¡± Anna said, leaving the hut.

    They had a mushroom skin tarp on the ground covered in every manner of mushroom, fungi, and lichen piled high. Thokri was filling pots of boiling water with unidentifiable pieces of meat. Anna walked over.

    ¡°Any spider?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said.

    She walked over to the pile of mushrooms.

    ¡°Hey, lass,¡± Thokri said. He held one of the goopy things from before and was wiggling his eyebrows at her. She smiled at him and picked up a very large, very phallic looking mushroom, and began to suggestively lick the tip.

    After a moment, she slid the mushroom into her mouth deeper and deeper until it was nearly gone, and then she slowly pulled it out. All the while she looked Thokri right in the eyes.

    He looked at her wide-eyed and then began to clap. Voekeer tripped over a rock watching her display and ended up face first in some bug parts. Lyreen rushed over to help him up. Elaine started to clap as well. Barika just shook her head.

    It was the most food they had since the crossroad. Everyone ate their fill and more.

    ¡°These folk know how to treat guests,¡± Thokri said. The others sort of nodded, too full to answer, except for Anna of course.

    ¡°I wonder why the spider people were so stingy with food. They had more than these people,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Thought everything belonged to them. Folks like that don¡¯t like to share. I mean, look how they treated these people. They didn¡¯t even try to see if they were smart or not. Just kill them when ever,¡± Thorki said.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand people,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lass, I¡¯m three hundred and fifty years old, and I don¡¯t understand people, except for dwarves that is,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That old and he doesn¡¯t understand either. I don¡¯t feel so bad now,¡± Anna thought.

 Chapter 31

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

 Chapter 32

    The last weeks of winter flew by. The party did as they planned and provided a huge store of food for the bat people. The bat people had decided to move closer to the cavern entrance. They didn¡¯t want to keep competing with the spider people and were willing to trade with the humans. The bat people had access to and knowledge of the unique resource in the caverns, and the humans could produce far more food. Both races would benefit greatly.

    Thokri told the bat people that the dwarves would like to mine the mithril and would build them a town in exchange for access to the veins. The bat people were ecstatic at the idea of dwarven buildings and immediately agreed, giving Thokri¡¯s clan sole mining rights.

    The move went quickly. The bat people just left most of their things behind. It was less work to make new ones than fly carrying packs.

    The party made sleds out of scorpion armor and mushroom stalks. They needed them to move all the food they had preserved.

    They moved into the former lair of the kobolds. The former occupants were nothing more than scattered bones, food for the denizens of the caves. The bat people began to organize the supplies left behind by the kobolds. When the party started to help, they were shooed way, being told they had done enough and should set out for home soon.

    They left the bat people and walked back to the cavern entrance. George joined them to see them off.

    ¡°My clan will be back in about half the time it takes a woman to carry a baby,¡± Thokri said. The bat people didn¡¯t count time by days and weeks, so that was the simplest way to explain how long to George.

    ¡°We will welcome them. Thank you all for all you have done for us,¡± George said.

    Anna acted as the interpreter still. While they had developed a sign language, it was still too crude for complex conversations like this.

    George handed her a pouch. She took it and looked inside. It was filled with the sweet mushrooms.

    ¡°Come back anytime you want more,¡± he said.

    ¡°I will,¡± she replied.

    The party walked out of the cavern. The entrance had been widened, most likely by the spider people, so they didn¡¯t need to squeeze or take off their packs.

    They stepped out into the open. It was early evening. The land was bathed in an orange glow that seemed to set the snow ablaze.

    She drank in the colors for a moment and then looked down at her hands. They were caked in dirt and maybe some bug innards. Looking over the rest of her, she was truly filthy. Her normally bright and happily colored hair was stiff and dark with dirt and other things.

    ¡°Yuck,¡± she said, rubbing it between her fingers.

    ¡°Lass, you look like a rock troll took a shit on you, and then you rolled in it,¡± Thorki said.

    ¡°That was very descriptive,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Lass, I¡¯m gonna pay for a bath for you at the first ass crack town we find, but you might want to clean up a bit first. We don¡¯t want them to think a turd just walked in the door,¡± Thokri said.

    She looked around some, not seeing a stream.

    ¡°Use the snow,¡± Thokri said, shaking his head.

    She took a handful of the crusty snow. It was only knee deep at this point, and she began scrubbing her arms, legs, and face.

    ¡°Can I borrow your brush and comb?¡± she asked Thokri.

    ¡°No. I¡¯d have to burn them after you were done,¡± he replied.

    ¡°It was worth a try,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lad, come back to us and tell me where the nearest settlement is?¡± Thokri asked.

    Voekeer and Lyreen and been holding hands and watching the sunset.

    ¡°Yes, hold on,¡± Voekeer replied, seeming to come back to reality.

    He took out the worn rag that was the map. After a year in his pouch, he examined it and then started to grin. ¡°There happens to be a carriage stop. Possibly the first one heading back. It¡¯s two days from here,¡± Voekeer said.

    The others started to smile and nod. Anna just looked at all of them, raising a brow.

    ¡°Sorry, I forgot you haven¡¯t seen one. Nobles and wealthy merchants use carriages to travel. Carriages are like carts, but with an enclosed room on the top. Anyway, a carriage stop is exactly what it sounds like. Carriages stop there to rest the animals and repair any damage they received on the road, and because they cater to wealthier clients, they are much nicer than an inn. Normally the likes of us wouldn¡¯t be allowed in such a place, but we happen to have a noble who is carrying a license signed by the queen herself with us,¡± Voekeer said, pointing at Elaine who curtsied.

    ¡°Onward, to the bath,¡± Elaine said, pointing to the road.

    The road was surprisingly clear of snow. Anna assumed it was because of the traffic, and the fact it was made from stone.

    The trip took the expected time, and they approached the carriage stop early in the morning on the third day out from the cave.

    The stop was huge, two or even three times the size of any other inn she had seen. The path leading to it was fine stone instead of the usual dirt or cobbles.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need you all to stay here. I¡¯ll get us in, and then snap my fingers for you to join me. Normally a servant would speak first, but the sight of Anna would most likely have them bar the doors,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Am I that bad?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Lass, your smell alone might kill weaker men,¡± Thokri said.

    She sniffed herself. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Then again, I can¡¯t really tell what smells good or bad to normal people,¡± she thought and shrugged.

    Elaine walked to the doorman, strutting like a queen, even in her dirty peasant dress.

    ¡°She really is a noble,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I have a hard time seeing her as anything but the woman who raised an army of the dead,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Who says she can¡¯t be both?¡± Anna asked.

    Lyreen thought about it. ¡°You¡¯re right. She can be both,¡± she said.

    Elaine handed the doorman the letter and somehow managed to look down her nose at him even though he was nearly a foot taller. Anna could see the exchange clearly. The man seemed to sneer at her, then he took the letter, his eyes widening as he read it.

    When he finished, he bowed to her and opened the door. She snapped her fingers and waved them over. They passed the doorman who sniffed in displeasure as Anna walked by. The look his face told her that he regretted that decision immediately.

    ¡°That¡¯ll teach you,¡± she thought.

    The inside was different from any other building she had seen. The floors were dark, polished wood. The walls were covered in a green velvet, tooled to look like vines. Carved beams lined the ceiling with lamps hanging down. They were quite bright and sparkled some.

    ¡°Magic?¡± Anna thought.

    Booths lined the walls, taking the place of the usual tables and chairs. Well-dressed young men walked around stiffly and took orders, bringing out food as well. There was not a barmaid in sight. She looked around some more.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± she thought.

    They were led to the baths immediately, a sperate one for men and women. Voekeer looked crestfallen upon hearing this.

    ¡°Just burn it,¡± Anna said, handing her dress to the young woman in the dressing room. She looked at the stinking rags and pointed at a corner to toss it in. She threw it in said corner and fished out her yellow dress. It seemed like the perfect time to wear it.

    She opened the oil skin and pulled out the dress, shaking it lightly. It smelled of mildew, so she handed it to the woman.

    ¡°How about this one?¡± Anna asked.

    The woman took the dress and sniffed. ¡°It can be saved,¡± she replied, putting it on the table behind her.

    The others had undressed as well and placed their far less filthy clothing on the table.

    ¡°How in the name of the gods did you get that dirty?¡± Elaine asked.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Must have been on the trip to the deep ground,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Right, I forgot you did that. You were only gone two weeks,¡± Elaine said.

    They entered the bath area. It was divided into two sections. The first being an open area to wash off. The second was a large steaming pool. The whole room had a floral scent. They moved to wash off.

    She was stopped by a young woman who just shook her head and grabbed a stool for her to sit on, and for the second time in her life, she was being scrubbed by someone else. Her companions snickered at her as they washed themselves, coming over to aid the poor maid as they finished.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do that. Give me the brush. You don¡¯t want to see what we wash out,¡± Elaine said to the woman.

    After the scrubbing, they walked to the bath. Several maids were using brooms to push the gunk that washed off her into the drain. Anna was the first in the bath. The steaming bath felt about the same as any other warm water to her, but the others had to slowly get in.

    ¡°This feels sooo good,¡± Lyreen said. Elaine just groaned in agreement.

    ¡°Remember, not too long. Make sure you sit on that bench if you get too hot,¡± Barika said. Anna just looked at her. ¡°Not you, my pretty little monster. You can stay all day if you¡¯d like,¡± Barika said.

    Anna watched the others.

    ¡°You¡¯re staring again,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Sorry, just looking,¡± Anna said with a smile.

    ¡°I know, but you don¡¯t blink. It¡¯s kind of creepy,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s still sort of strange to be honest,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Just the way I am,¡± Anna said with a shrug.

    ¡°Just letting you know,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I think this is the best I¡¯m going to get at being human,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We just notice because we know you and are watching. I think you will be fine,¡± Barika said. The others nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad your hair is clean. I missed it down in the cave,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I thought it was weird,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No, I like it. It¡¯s so pretty, when it isn¡¯t full of blood or dead stuff,¡± Lyreen said with a laugh.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t notice being dirty. I should take baths more often,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Please do. You almost killed the doorman on the way in,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°He sniffed me. It¡¯s his own fault,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°He did take his life into his own hands, err nose, doing that,¡± Barika said.

    The others cycled between the bench and the water. Anna remained there the whole time. A maid let them know that the clothes were clean and dry. It had been about an hour since they entered the bath.

    They dried off with towels, wrapping themselves in them. Lyreen and Elaine wrapped a second towel around their heads afterwards to help dry their hair. Anna hadn¡¯t bothered to wrap the towel around herself to begin with and dried her hair by holding it close to her and heating up. That dried it quickly.

    ¡°That would be handy,¡± Lyreen said, looking at her.

    ¡°You could always shave like Barika,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen looked stricken. ¡°No,¡± she said.

    ¡°It does help with washing,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I had to shave everything to get the tattoos. It¡¯s so itchy growing back,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It can be...wait everything?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yep, now that was itchy,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Humans have body hair, even the women. It¡¯s just lighter and thinner,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I guess itchy legs would be annoying,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re certainly not Anna. I bet you didn¡¯t even peek,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°At what?¡± Lyreen said. Elaine whispered in her ear. ¡°Wait, you have hair there too? And you shaved?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes, and yes,¡± Elaine replied.

    Lyreen moved to cover herself. ¡°That sounds terrible. Wait, does that mean it¡¯s tattooed as well?¡± Lyreen asked, looking even more shocked than before.

    ¡°Yes, the clit is very sensitive,¡± Elaine said with a wicked smile.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what the nub is called,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°By the goddess, you are dedicated to your craft,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Ouch. Just, ouch,¡± Lyreen said, still covering herself.

    Elaine started to laugh just as evilly as her smile. ¡°Gods you two are easy. It¡¯s just the lips. No one is going near that with a sharp object,¡± Elaine said. Lyreen and Barika relaxed. Anna laughed.

    ¡°What?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I was thinking about the kobolds,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yeah, no, I¡¯m just glad it was you and not me,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You should have seen the look on its face when the spear tip was missing,¡± Anna said with a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re so weird sometimes,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m normal for me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Lyreen said.

    Their clothes were waiting as promised. Her dress was clean, pressed, and smelled of flowers. She looked around for her pack and noticed it was missing.

    ¡°They moved them to our rooms,¡± Elaine said, seeing her distress.

    ¡°Oh, I was just worried about the crystals. I could find them quickly, but I don¡¯t think you want me tearing this place apart,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯d tell you to have fun if someone stole those, but I¡¯m not worried about thieves in a place like this. Our packs are safely in our rooms, and no one so much as loosened a strap,¡± Elaine said.

    They got dressed and headed to the dining area.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat one of everything,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It must be a sign. That¡¯s what I was thinking as well,¡± Barika said. All four of them laughed.

    The men were sitting in a corner booth. It had a round table surrounded by a curving padded seat with a large back. They slid into the seat, Lyreen scooting dangerously close to Voekeer, who had been drinking and had a goofy smile on his face.

    ¡°Any good?¡± Anna asked, pointing at Thokri¡¯s mug.

    ¡°Piss,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Horse or dog?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Horse,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Fine then,¡± Anna said. He shrugged.

    Lyreen had taken Voekeer¡¯s mug and was drinking already.

    ¡°For the best lad. Too much more and you wouldn¡¯t have been able to get it up,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°That can happen?¡± Lyreen asked.

    Anna wanted to know as well but had learned not to ask questions she may regret learning the answers to.

    ¡°Aye lass, especially an elf. You lot can¡¯t hold your ale,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Elves are about the same as humans. It really depends on how much he had to drink,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I¡¯m twenty. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°That is true,¡± Elaine said. The waiter came to the table. ¡°Anna, let me order for you? I think I know something you will love,¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna said. ¡°Works for me. I don¡¯t know what that guy was talking about,¡± Anna thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the honey roast duck. She will have the same. Also, bring two bottles of sweet red wine,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Of course, madam.¡± The others ordered as well. The only thing she recognized was the roast pork Thokri ordered.

    The food was brought out it. ¡°It¡¯s some kind of bird,¡± Anna thought, looking at it.

    ¡°Like this,¡± Elaine said, showing Anna the proper way to cut and eat the bird.

    ¡°Yum,¡± Anna thought, taking a bite. It was moist meat, firmer than chicken, and with just a bit more fat. The glaze was sweet with a hint of spice from the pepper. She took a sip of the wine. It was sweet but unlike anything she had ever drank, so there was nothing to compare it to, but she did like it.

    ¡°Good choice,¡± Anna said, finishing the bird and one of the bottles of wine.

    ¡°I knew you would like it. You always go for the sweet stuff,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You know me so well,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re not that hard to figure out. You eat sweet food, drink enough to kill a dwarf, kill something, get covered in blood, then strip naked and stare at everyone while you wash,¡± Elaine said. The others nodded.

    Once she heard how much the food cost, she didn¡¯t want to eat any more. They were dipping into the emergency fund to pay for the rooms as it is. They all sat at the booth together, waiting for everyone to finish.

    ¡°Can you buy houses in Oldforge?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes. What would you be looking for? I thought you would just be a wanderer,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I want my own bath,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯d buy a whole house for your own bath?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes, what else am I going to spend all the reward money on?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Talk about freedom,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d just buy a bakery and eat cupcakes all day,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Wait, I can do that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, the merchants guild would never let you do that,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Merchants guild, eh?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Child, whatever you are thinking, please don¡¯t,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll just get the house,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s for the best,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°You know what, Anna? You have purple eyes. No one has purple eyes, so why do you? It doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Lyreen said, slurring.

    ¡°She only had two mugs of this piss water. How is she sloshed?¡± Anna thought. She had switched to the ale when she found out how much the wine cost. While she couldn¡¯t get drunk, she could taste the alcohol, and this drink barely had any.

    ¡°Okay sweetness, you¡¯ve had enough. Let¡¯s get you to bed,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Oh, you called me sweet. Take me to bed, daddy,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Voekeer swept her up and carried her off. The party burst into laughter as soon as the couple was out of earshot, which is pretty far considering they were dealing with elves.

    ¡°Take me to bed, daddy,¡± Elaine said in a high-pitched voice, sounding eerily close to Lyreen.

    ¡°She must save a lot on ale,¡± Barika said.

    Anna grinned wickedly in the direction the elves had gone.

    ¡°Child, what are you going to do?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to summon a bunch of eyes and have them stare at them,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri spit out his drink. ¡°Do it lass. I bet we hear the scream from here,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t! Gods, I don¡¯t want you to scare them off sex. The last thing we need it two grumpy horny elves the rest of the trip,¡± Elaine said.

    Thokri¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°On second thought, leave them alone,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Alright, but I still think it would have been fun,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Fun or not, it¡¯s not worth the cost,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°You¡¯d know better than me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, lass, what kind of house are you looking for?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°I want a garden, and it needs to have glass windows. I also want a bath like the one here. It¡¯s nicer than the one at ender¡¯s house,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°There should be a few like that for sale in the merchant¡¯s district. You wouldn¡¯t be able to buy a house in the noble¡¯s district,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are noble¡¯s only places,¡± Anna thought. ¡°What makes a person a noble?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Who their parents are. Sometimes a person can gain a title in battle,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d rather just have a house where people don''t look down their nose all the time,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re right about that,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You may be able to buy a home in the temple district,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I thought only servants of the gods could own property there. At least, that¡¯s how it was in the capital,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same in Oldforge, but think who her father is. If the dreamer doesn¡¯t rank amongst the gods, then what being does?¡± Barika said.

    Elaine leaned back. ¡°You¡¯re right about him, but can she just show up and claim that?¡± Elaine said.

    Barika rubbed her head. ¡°I think you may be right. I¡¯ve just grown so used to the idea. Anna, do you think the dreamer would talk to one of the divine beings?¡± Barika asked.

    Anna just shrugged. ¡°Who knows? I doubt he¡¯ll ever wake up again,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°As long as the house has what I want, I don¡¯t care where it is,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°The guild hall and the dwarven hall are both in the merchants district,¡± Thokri said. ¡°Be cheaper than the other districts as well,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Anna said.

    They finished dinner and headed to their respective rooms.

    ¡°I guess I had nothing to worry about,¡± Anna thought. She inspected the lock. It sparkled with magic. She put the key in the lock and turned. The sparkling moved around, and she heard a click a moment later. ¡°The lock moved with magic,¡± she thought.

    The room was well furnished with thick carpets on the same dark wood floor as downstairs. Her pack was sitting at the foot of the bed. The bed had four posts with thin cloth draped like a curtain around the sides. It was currently tied up. There was a dresser and writing table. There was also a trunk at the foot of the bed near the pack.

    ¡°Oh, a mirror,¡± she thought. It was full length, a bit lower quality than the one at Ender¡¯s manor. She took off her dress and laid it on the dresser, getting ready for bed. She looked at the mirror.

    ¡°The last time I was this clean, there was a mirror too,¡± she thought. ¡°I want a mirror in my house,¡± she decided.

    They spent the next two days at the stop. Anna used the bath every day. She even managed to get the mildew smell out of her bag. The men who repaired the coaches knew how to get the smell out of leather.

    ¡°Barika was right about just asking nicely,¡± she thought.

 Chapter 33

    They reached the next ruins site. It was only a week away from the stop. They were getting closer to Oldforge, and there was far more foot traffic.

    As they walked the path to the ruins, Anna noticed a dozen men hanging from trees. They looked and smelled like they had been there for a week, maybe two.

    ¡°They are dressed like those cultists,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. They are. It¡¯s a good place for them, but I wonder who put them there?¡± Voekeer asked.

    It didn¡¯t take long to find out. Once they reached the ruins, they found it swarming with soldiers.

    ¡°Halt. What business do you have here?¡± a solider asked.

    ¡°We have a contract from the crown to explore the ruins in the frontier,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll take you to the captain,¡± the solider said, leading them to the command tent.

    They entered the tent, and Voekeer showed the captain the party¡¯s contract.

    ¡°I was told to expect you. That was months ago. What kept you?¡± the captain asked.

    ¡°We got caught in the blizzard and had to take shelter in a nearby cave. Quite a few things happened while we were down there. I have a report if you would like to read it,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look,¡± the captain said. Voekeer handed him a copy he had made for just such an occasion.

    ¡°You mentioned that you were expecting us,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Yes, the knight-commander used a sending to inform Oldforge of the events at the crossroads, and he told the guild of your discoveries at the other ruins site. The duke deployed troops to secure them,¡± the captain said.

    The man searched through some paperwork on his desk, pulling a letter from a pile and handing it to Voekeer. ¡°Here you are. Your contract is finished, and you are to report back. This letter is from the guild master. I¡¯m not sure of the contents, but you are to read it as soon as you can,¡± the captain said. He then waved them out.

    They camped with the soldiers that night.

    ¡°So, it seems that the guild is interested in you two and wants us to return with haste. The duke accepted the reports we gave to the knight-commander, and the contract is finished, so we are done then,¡± Voekeer said. He had nodded at Anna and Elaine.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, we finished the contract, and we will get paid when we get to the guild hall. That¡¯s what being an adventurer is all about,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°How much were you getting paid anyway?¡± Anna asked.

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    ¡°A quarter round,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Is that a lot for a contract?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, it''s quite good. The business with lord Ender and the duke was out of the ordinary. Most adventurers don¡¯t earn that much in fifty years,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°The lad is speaking the truth. I made more this year than in the last thirty,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°So, we were lucky?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, not that we didn¡¯t have to work for it,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s the truth,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°How long will it take to get back?¡± Barika asked.

    Voekeer looked at the map again. ¡°A week, maybe a week and a half,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They slept for the night and left early the next morning, wanting to get back to Oldforge as quickly as possible.

    A week passed on the road. The snow had melted. The weather had warmed.

    ¡°We should be back by tomorrow,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°After we check in with the guild hall, what¡¯s everyone¡¯s plan?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head to the temple. I need to report in,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Need to let the clan know about the caves. We will have to get an expedition together,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to enroll at the royal academy. I¡¯d like to finish my degree,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°We are going to visit my village, then head to his,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°That wise lad?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°With the duke¡¯s commendation and the amount of money I¡¯ve made in the last year, not even my father would question my vocation,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I hope it works out for you,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna heard someone crying and trotted over to see. There was a pole with several cages hanging from it. Two of them had stinking corpses in them, but one of them held a skinny crying man. He looked familiar.

    ¡°Soulstram?¡± Anna asked. The man looked up.

    ¡°You, you¡¯re that barmaid from Fishport,¡± Soulstram said.

    Anna snapped the lock and pulled the man out. He was naked and filthy. The others had caught up.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Soulstram,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ah, the one you told us about when we met at the inn?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes, this is the man, though I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s still alive after trying to charm two women in one town,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Wait. I never did. I mean, I did, but I was just trying to get you to tell me where the innkeeper kept his valuables,¡± Soulstram said.

    ¡°So, you just wanted to steal from us? Then what about the seamstress? Those women aren¡¯t known for having a lot of coin,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I, uh, needed some new clothes,¡± Soulstram replied with a stutter.

    ¡°How noble of you,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°How did you end up in the cage?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I tried to rob a carriage. It turned out to be a noble and not a merchant. He stuck me in there along with my companions,¡± Soulstram said, pointing at the corpses.

    ¡°How did you manage to survive? Are half elves tougher than humans and elves?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a half elf,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Looks like a forest elf. I¡¯m surprised to see one this far from the great forest,¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna looked at him again. He seemed smaller than before. She felt bad for the man.

    ¡°He did show me magic first, even if he was trying to steal,¡± Anna thought. She handed him her blanket. She didn¡¯t need it. He put it over his shoulders. She tossed him a silver coin.

    ¡°Get out of my sight. That¡¯s for the charm spell. It was pretty,¡± Anna said and pointed her thumb back the way they came.

    ¡°Uh, umm, alright,¡± he said and started to run. After he made it some distance, they started back on the route.

    ¡°What did you do that for?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°The charm spell was pretty to look at, and I had fun dancing. It was worth a sliver,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°The lad will be back in a cage in a week,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I gave him another chance. He¡¯s free now, and it¡¯s up to him to choose what to do with it,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri patted her shoulder. ¡°Aye, that you did,¡± Thokri said.

    They arrived at the city the next morning.

    ¡°I was born around this time last year,¡± Anna said as they walked to the gate.

    ¡°It¡¯s your birthday?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to buy you a cupcake,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna hugged her. ¡°That sounds great,¡± Anna replied.

 Chapter 34

    The road leading to the city grew wide as they approached the gate. I wonder why?

    She looked up at the walls. They were at least twice as high as the walls of Endertown and made from far larger blocks of stone. At least a few of them had been replaced over the years, and she wondered how in the world normal people could have moved them, let alone hoisted them into the air.

    Carts filled with people passed them heading to the frontier. Anna looked at the smiling faces of men, women and children as she walked by.

    I hope they¡¯ll find whatever they¡¯re looking for.

    The gate was absolutely massive, unlike the one at Endertown which had been a portcullis. This one was a huge set of iron doors. It was so big she was certain that a ship could have sailed through it, if it had been on a river that is.

    There wasn¡¯t a line to enter the city from this gate, and they walked right up to the guards. The men were wearing plate armor with their visors up. Large polearms were leaning on their shoulders. They had bored looks on their faces and barely looked at the party after Voekeer flashed his guild badge to them. The guards just waved them in, ignoring the party as soon as they passed.

    Once inside the gate, she was hit with the smell of horse manure and other awful things. The party walked to the side of the road. The center was filled with carts and wagons, and the edges were where pedestrians were supposed to walk, not that it stopped people from walking with the carts that is.

    So many people!

    The streets were utterly full as they headed to the guild hall. It wasn¡¯t just humans like the settlements on the frontier either. There were elves, dwarves, and beast folk of all kinds.

    The people in the street didn¡¯t seem to be paying any attention to the party, with the exception of a few glances her way. Anna had so many questions but decided to wait until they reached the guild hall to ask them.

    ¡°What district is this?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a district. This part of this city is just homes and a few shops where people get bread and other things they need on a day to day basis,¡± Voekeer replied.

    She nodded. She hadn¡¯t asked much about the city since that night at the carriage stop and was regretting it now. Somehow there were more people the closer they got to the guild hall.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the Merchant¡¯s district now,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna replied. She looked around and noticed that there were more shops than homes.

    All along the streets there were small stalls. Some were just blankets with goods set on them. Most of the people at these stalls didn¡¯t look like merchants. They were just normal people selling this and that.

    Oh, I need to come back and pick! She smiled at an old woman who was stilling jars of jam decided that she really needed to come back and see her.

    They made their way to the guild hall, pushing past the crowds of people trying to get a deal from the merchants, and failing miserably at it.

    Wow!

    The guild hall came into view, and it looked like the result of an inn and a fortress mating. It was three stories tall and made from solid stone blocks with huge bonze doors.

    They walked up to the doors, and Voekeer pushed them open seemingly without effort.

    Nice balance.

    She was hit with the smell of sweat, stale ale and piss when they walked through the doors.

    ¡°Holy shit. Is that you kid?¡± a deep voice asked.

    Anna looked towards the source of the voice and found a huge bull man leaning back in a chair. There were a few other beast people at the table with him. A lean cat woman was eating what looked like chunks of raw meat with an iron dagger. A wolf man sat next to her. He was drinking from a mug and had a large chunk of cooked meat with potatoes next to him.

    That¡¯s a heavy breakfast.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me kid, Rufus. I¡¯m twenty!¡± Voekeer replied.

    The bull man and his companions burst into laughter.

    ¡°Sure thing kid. Anyway, didn¡¯t you only have three people with you when you left?¡± Rufus asked.

    ¡°Yes. We met them on the frontier. They want to join up,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Leave it to an elf man to get himself surrounded by women,¡± the cat woman said.

    Voekeer turned red. Elaine looked at him and then back at the cat woman.

    ¡°Yeah, no,¡± Elaine replied.

    This caused the trio to laugh even harder, and poor Voekeer looked like a freshly ripened tomato.

    ¡°What about you, sweety? You want that elf cock like all of the other human girls do?¡± the cat woman asked.

    Anna just shrugged. ¡°No. If I had to pick, I¡¯d take Thokri. His is way bigger,¡± Anna replied.

    The other adventurers fell about the place. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Voekeer¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t look all that happy.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go turn in our contract,¡± he said, his eye twitching. He spun around and stormed over to the counter. The rest of them followed.

    Thokri put his arm around her shoulder. ¡°Glad you liked it, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°I was just telling the truth,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Some things are better left unsaid child,¡± Barika said.

    The rest of her friends looked like they were trying to contain their mirth at all costs.

    Oops, he¡¯s going to be mad at me now. It happened all of the time, so she just had to apologize later.

    Voekeer knocked on the counter. A few moments later, an enormous man walked out.

    What is he?

    His skin was a grayish green color, and he towered over the party, looking as if he had eaten a whole herd of cattle.

    She¡¯d never seen someone so fat before, but it looked like he was supposed to be that way by the tree trunks he had for legs and his barrel sized arms.

    ¡°¡¯Bout time you lot got back,¡± he said.

    ¡°Easy, lad. We ran into some rough weather and had to wait it out in a cave,¡± Thokri replied.

    The huge man just grunted. ¡°Boss wants those two signed up now. Got their paperwork all ready, and their fees are waived,¡± the huge man said.

    He turned around and pulled two papers and badges from a shelf behind him. After placing them on the counter with hands far too big for the task, he set a sparkling quill and ink well next to them.

    Anna walked over and looked at the papers. It was just a contract saying she¡¯d be a member of the guild, follow the rules, and the guild would look out for her. She took the quill, dipped it in the inkwell, and signed at the bottom of the paper that had her name on it. After that, she picked up the badge with her name on it and put it in her pouch.

    The huge man nodded. Elaine was reading hers carefully. Anna had as well, but all she needed was a glance, so it looked like she hadn¡¯t been so cautious. Elaine grinned, and then signed the paper herself. She picked up her guild badge and stuffed it in her bag.

    ¡°Welcome to the guild. If any of these jokers give you troubles, let me know. I¡¯ll eat them for you,¡± the huge man said.

    ¡°Easy Bruno. You¡¯ll scare the girls,¡± Rufus said.

    ¡°Keep it up, and I¡¯ll be having a steak,¡± the huge man replied.

    ¡°You can have a tube steak right now,¡± Rufus said.

    Bruno grinned and waved the bull man over.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have that club of yours for long if you stick it in his mouth, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    Rufus shrugged.

    ¡°Uh, what are you?¡± Anna asked, looking at Bruno.

    The huge man looked down at her and smirked. ¡°I¡¯m an ogre,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said. What the fuck is an ogre? She decided not to ask. She¡¯d find out later.

    ¡°Could you let the guild master know we¡¯re here? She wanted to see us,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t. She left town a few days ago with the archmage and the iron fangs. Something about a prophecy or something,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°You happen to hear anything about this prophecy?¡± Barika asked.

    Bruno shrugged. ¡°Same old human stuff. You know, end of the world and such,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask when I visit the temple,¡± Barika said. Bruno shrugged again.

    Thokri took off his pack and fished out the strong box. He put it on the counter and opened it.

    After he passed out the full rounds, he pushed it to Bruno who just closed it.

    ¡°Boss said she doesn¡¯t care what you spent as long as them two joined,¡± he said.

    ¡°Should have got another bottle of wine,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I know, right,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Bruno stamped the contract and put it on the shelf behind him. He took a fat sack of coins and set it on the counter. ¡°Here¡¯s your pay. Don¡¯t spend it all on whores, alright,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why would I have to pay for sex?¡± Anna asked.

    Bruno looked at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. ¡°Guess you are what humans like, skinny,¡± Bruno replied.

    Anna looked up at the ogre for a moment then shrugged. Can¡¯t be pretty to everyone I guess.

    ¡°Got any open rooms? We need a few until we can find a place out in town,¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Sure thing. You need five or six?¡± Bruno asked, looking at Voekeer and then Lyreen.

    ¡°Five,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°WOOOOOO, LITTLE VOEKY¡¯S GROWING UP!¡± Rufus shouted. The laughs of the other adventurers could be heard filling the room.

    Lyreen spun around. ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡± she screamed.

    ¡°Oh, feisty!¡± Rufus replied.

    Lyreen flushed red and shook with anger. She flipped Rufus a rude gesture and turned away from him.

    ¡°Oh, come on. Don¡¯t be that way,¡± Rufus said.

    Elaine¡¯s tattoos glowed with power. She turned to face the bull man. She smiled a wicked smile at him. ¡°Tell me, are you fond of your eyes? Or can I have them?¡± she asked, slowly walking over.

    The room went quiet. Even Bruno looked nervous.

    When she got to the table, the three adventurers sitting there looked up at her. The raw meat on the cat woman¡¯s plate started to twitch. The cat woman screamed and fell out of her chair. Elaine picked up one of the twitching chunks of meat and ate it.

    Rufus¡¯s mouth hung open. Elaine winked at him and then walked back to the party.

    Rufus and his companions ran out of the guild hall at full speed as soon as Elaine was on the other side of the room.

    Her tattoos went dark, and she held her stomach. ¡°Please tell me you have something for food poisoning?¡± Elaine asked.

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    ¡°Sure do,¡± Anna replied. She fished some herbs she¡¯d picked the day before out of her pouch and handed them to Elaine. ¡°Make them into a tea,¡± Anna said.

    Elaine nodded. They walked over to a table and sat down. A beast woman walked out to take their orders.

    Elaine got some hot water to make tea, and the rest of them ordered ale, except for Lyreen. She ordered some fruit juice.

    ¡°Child, I understand what you were trying to do, but please, for the love of the goddess, don¡¯t eat undead flesh again. Even if you are the one that animated it,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah, I really didn¡¯t think that through,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Should have fed it to her,¡± Thokri said, pointing his thumb at Anna.

    ¡°Ewww, no,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯d get sick or anything,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not putting wiggling meat in my mouth,¡± Anna replied.

    Her friends smirked and then burst into laughter.

    What¡¯s with them? It took her a moment to realize what she¡¯d said. ¡°Fuck,¡± she said and put her head in her hands.

    Thokri patted her on the back. ¡°Happens to the best of us,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna whined. This caused more laughter.

    ¡°We¡¯ll put our things away. Then we can head out,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Is there a necromancer¡¯s guild in this city?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No child,¡± Barika replied.

    Elaine sighed in relief. ¡°Good. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to dealing with them after getting my license from the crown,¡± she said.

    ¡°Not many guilds out here on the border,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No real need. Most people out here are just laymen in whatever trade they have,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna nodded they had explained trades and guilds to her before. She didn¡¯t really have any interest in them, other than the adventurer¡¯s guild that is.

    They drank their drinks. Elaine looked much better after the tea.

    They got keys from Bruno. The rooms only cost a few coppers a week.

    Must be a guild thing. After Anna dropped her things off in her surprisingly nice room, she locked the door and went back to the main room to wait for her friends. The elves were the last ones to return, and they were giggling as they walked back.

    ¡°Can you two wait for five minutes?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°What?¡± Lyreen asked.

    Elaine rolled her eyes and just walked to the door. The rest of them followed her outside. They stopped a few feet in front of the guild hall.

    ¡°So, where to first?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I promised someone a cupcake, so let¡¯s get that first,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°YES!¡± Anna said. The others chuckled.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t want her eating anyone on the way,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who likes to stick wiggling meat in my mouth,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine shrugged. ¡°No one has ever complained about it before,¡± she said.

    Anna just rolled her eyes causing Elaine to laugh again.

    As they walked through the city, she frowned.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Why are there so many different kinds of people here, but only humans on the frontier?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the law. Humans don¡¯t want other races to take over, so they don¡¯t let them settle new lands,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Really? What about the mithril mine we told the bat people about?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s different. Humans don¡¯t see us living in a mine as taking anything from them,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°What difference does it make what race you are?¡± Anna asked.

    Thokri spat. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t, but it does,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Is this a human thing again?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, child, it isn¡¯t. Elves don¡¯t let humans onto their lands without permission,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Is that true?¡± Anna asked the others. They just nodded. ¡°What about me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re close enough to human to pass for one of them, so you shouldn¡¯t have any problems in human lands,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d say the elves would as well, but I just don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d hate to be anyone that told her no,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. At least not unless they deserved it,¡± Anna replied. Her friends grew quiet for a moment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, lass. You¡¯ll always have a place with us dwarves,¡± Thokri said, causing Anna to smile.

    ¡°Well, anyway, we are adventurers, so it¡¯s not like we have to be worried about getting turned away from anywhere,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    They found a stall filled with baked goods, and each of them got a cupcake. Anna ate hers in a few bites. It was good. It was a cupcake after all, but it wasn¡¯t as good as Mabel¡¯s.

    She missed Fishport sometimes, and the sweets that could be had there were one of the many reasons.

    With the most important task completed, they made their way to the center of the market district. According to the others, that¡¯s where most of the merchants set up stalls in the city. It was also where most of the shops were as well.

    There are so many on the streets leading there.

    It was hard to believe that people needed so much stuff, but they must because the merchants wouldn¡¯t be here if people didn¡¯t buy from them.

    The stalls were usually set up in front of the merchants¡¯ home or workshop. From her experience, most craftspeople sold their own goods. She¡¯d heard about merchants who simply bought things from one place and moved them to other places to sell for a higher price, but she hasn¡¯t met one.

    At least I don¡¯t think I have.

    She was broken out of her musing when they stepped into the market district¡¯s center.

    She¡¯d expected a large number of merchants and a big crowd, but nothing like this. The streets teemed with people, and she was surprised that you could even walk down the street with the number of merchants¡¯ stalls and blankets that were around.

    The merchants were yelling at the passersby, trying to get them to come and look at their goods, and the crowds all seemed to be talking at the same time, either with the merchants or each other, causing a cacophony of sound. It was a little disorienting for someone used to the wild places in the world, and it took her a few moments to get her bearings once more.

    They made their way through the crowd of people deeper into the market. The stalls got bigger and more elaborate the closer they got to the center of the market.

    She noticed a few large tents with a line of people outside and moved to investigate.

    Thokri pulled her back. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go there, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Slave traders,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Really? Why are they in a tent?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not much of a market this close to the frontier. They don¡¯t allow slaves out there either, so they just cater to the nobles and wealthy merchants in the city,¡± Voekeer said.

    She looked back to the tent and at the line. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of nobles,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Those aren¡¯t the nobles. They are just servants that they send to buy on their behalf,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    They walked away from the tent. She took a glance back and wondered if she could help the people inside.

    I¡¯d have to kill a lot of people to do that.

    She sighed. She wasn¡¯t sure if that was the right thing to do or not. She let it go for now and looked around the market as they walked. There were so many interesting things to look at.

    Oh! I want one! She darted off to a stall that was filled with little mirrors that had handles attached to them.

    Her friends followed after. There wasn¡¯t much of a crowd around the stall, and she was able to squeeze to the front without much of a problem.

    The merchant smiled at her as soon as he noticed her looking. ¡°Such a pretty lady deserves my finest mirror,¡± he said. He took a silver mirror from behind the stall and handed it to her.

    She held it up to her face and looked at the reflection. It¡¯s clearer than even the mirror at Ender¡¯s house!

    Elaine walked up next to her. The necromancer¡¯s presence dispersed the crowd. The merchant got a sour look on his face but didn¡¯t say anything when he realized that she was with Anna.

    ¡°Can I take a look?¡± Elaine asked. Anna handed her the mirror. Elaine examined it closely. After a moment, she nodded with approval. ¡°Not a bad mirror. Tell me, how much do you want for it?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Two gold,¡± he replied.

    ¡°How about one gold and twenty silver?¡± Elaine asked.

    The merchant shook his head no. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly let it go for less than one gold and forty silver,¡± he replied.

    ¡°One gold and twenty five silver,¡± Elaine said.

    He rubbed his chin. ¡°One gold thirty silver,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Done,¡± Elaine said. She handed him the coins and then gave Anna the mirror.

    ¡°Happy birthday,¡± Elaine said. Anna hugged her.

    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± she replied. She tucked the mirror into her belt, and they kept walking. She looked around as they went.

    Voekeer stopped at a stall selling swords. He started to eye a long sword. ¡°What do you think of this one?¡± he asked Thokri, holding the weapon out for the dwarf.

    Thokri took the sword and examined it closely. He tapped the blade a few times and checked for sharpness finally licking it to see what it was made from.

    ¡°Not bad. Would make a good backup,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking,¡± Voekeer replied.

    The two men started to talk about swords. Anna walked over to the stall. She needed a few utility knives, and the merchant happened to be selling them along with weapons. She picked through them, testing each one, and selecting a few that she deemed of high enough quality for the price, not that they were expensive by any means. She paid for them and stuffed them into the large pouch at the rear of her belt.

    Voekeer ended up buying the sword, and they set back off into the market.

    The next stall they stopped at was a place that sold creepy spell components.

    Bet Elaine needs this stuff.

    Much to Anna¡¯s surprise, it was Lyreen who started to pick through the dried lizards and jars filled with eyes. Elaine smirked at her.

    ¡°I only use human parts,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen picked around for a while before buying a pouch of dried lizards, the jar of eyes, and some crystal dust.

    They walked off from the stall with Anna wondering what in the world the elf mage was going to do with the strange things.

    Thokri stopped at a place selling pipes and dried herbs for smoking. He bought a long-stemmed pipe and a few pouches of pungent smelling herbs. Voekeer eyed the stuff but a look from Lyreen caused him to step back.

    Thokri filled his new pipe and then struck a match and started to puff on it. The smoke that came out of it was sweet smelling but caused Lyreen to cough when it drifted to her.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that in public,¡± Lyreen said, waving her hand in front of her face. Thokri grinned and then let out a huge puff of smoke. Lyreen glared at him for a moment and then took a step away.

    Thokri and Anna ended up walking behind the rest of the party while he smoked. It didn¡¯t bother her, and she liked to talk to the dwarf anyway, so it worked out.

    ¡°So, what is that stuff anyway?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Sparkle weed,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that stuff supposed to make you drunk?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not drunk, lass. It makes you high,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work on dwarves, does it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not very well. It¡¯s like drinking ale for us,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°So why buy it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I like the taste,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna nodded. There wasn¡¯t anything else to say. If he liked it, he liked it. She tried a puff and decided that she did not, in fact, like it and handed it back to a laughing dwarf.

    Must have made a face again.

    A few minutes later she found a teenage girl selling rings. Now, normally, she didn¡¯t care for jewelry, but these were sparkling with magic, so she went to check them out.

    ¡°Oh, spell rings,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What do they do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°If you push mana into them, they will cast whatever spell they are enchanted with. Mages look down on them. They see them as a shortcut,¡± Lyreen replied.

    The poor girl looked stricken at Lyreen¡¯s words.

    Anna crouched down to get a closer look at the rings on the blanket.

    ¡°What spells do you have?¡± she asked.

    The girl brightened up. ¡°Oh, all kinds. What are you looking for?¡± she asked.

    Anna thought back, and the only time she¡¯d wished she could use magic was when Thokri had been poisoned in the cave.

    ¡°Got anything that can cure poison?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°This one can,¡± the girl said, pointing at one of the rings.

    Anna picked it up. ¡°What about light spells, or one to start a campfire?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That one for light, and that one for fire,¡± the girl replied. There were more than a dozen different kinds of rings.

    ¡°How much are these?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Ten coppers each,¡± the girl replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take one of each spell. Uh, do you have any smaller ones?¡± Anna asked.

    The girl looked at Anna¡¯s hands. ¡°I do,¡± she replied. She opened a small leather case that had dozens of rings in it and started to pull out the smallest ones.

    Anna ended up buying twelve of them from the girl.

    ¡°If you ever want anything special, come and find me. I make custom rings too,¡± the girl said.

    ¡°Okay. What¡¯s your name?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Emily, what¡¯s yours?¡± the girl replied.

    ¡°Anna,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Emily replied.

    ¡°It was nice to meet you too,¡± Anna said.

    They walked away. ¡°Uh, how do I use these things anyway?¡± Anna asked. Lyreen just shook her head.

    ¡°Probably should have asked that before you bought them,¡± she replied. Anna shrugged.

    ¡°Just push mana into them like a focus crystal. Most of the time, they cast the spell from your palm, so don¡¯t point your hand at your face or anything. Not that it would matter to you,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You lot want to come with me to the dwarven hall?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied quickly.

    The others hesitated for a moment but agreed.

    What¡¯s with them?

    They left the center of the market heading in a new direction.

    This part of the district was filled with craftsmen¡¯s shops and taverns.

    That seems right for dwarves.

    The dwarven hall was just a huge tavern with drunken dwarves punching each other in front of the door. Thokri shoved them out of the way and walked into the building. The rest of them followed behind him quickly.

    The inside of the tavern/dwarven hall was surprisingly well lit. When she looked around, she noticed that there were humans, elves, and beastmen sitting at the tables and figured that the dwarves must have kept the place brightly lit for them.

    They found a small table near the fireplace and sat down. A dwarven woman carrying a tray with mugs on it came over to see them.

    She was a few inches shorter than Anna but thickly built with both muscles and the curves you¡¯d expect a woman to have. The hair that Thokri had said dwarf women were covered in was nothing more than colorless fuzz. This woman had black curly hair and dark eyes. She was wearing pants and a shirt like Thokri had on.

    Strange thing for a barmaid to be wearing.

    The barmaid put the ales in front of them. ¡°You lot want some food?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said. Before the rest of them could answer the barmaid was off.

    ¡°Uh, what are we going to be eating?¡± Lyreen asked.

    Thokri shrugged and took a sip of the ale. A smile came to his face as soon as he tasted it. ¡°Ah, the good stuff,¡± he said.

    Anna took a sip of the amber-colored liquid. It was good ale. Some of the best she¡¯d ever had. It was terribly strong as well. She didn¡¯t think it was a good idea for the elves to drink it, but they were grown people, so it was their choice.

    Barika was the next to take a drink. She smiled and nodded. ¡°The dwarves always have the best ale,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    Elaine took a drink next. She just nodded. Next were the elves. They seemed to enjoy it as well.

    The woman returned with bowls full of fried mushrooms. After she set the bowls down in front of each of them, she walked away.

    Anna picked up one of the mushrooms and popped it into her mouth. She¡¯d only had mushrooms in soups before, and the texture of the fried ones was interesting. The flavor was amazing. It had been fried in pork fat.

    Maybe bacon grease? Oh, I hope they have bacon. I love bacon!

    If that wasn¡¯t enough, there were maybe a dozen different spices and a generous amount of salt added to it as well.

    ¡°Mmmmm,¡± she said.

    Lyreen ate one. She had a different reaction though. Her face turned bright red the moment she chewed and spat it out. She snatched up the ale and downed it. Once she put the mug down, she started to fan her mouth with her hand. ¡°Spicy,¡± she said nearly coughing.

    Thokri ate one and shrugged.

    ¡°What¡¯s spicy mean?¡± Anna asked. The others looked at her for a moment.

    ¡°Some foods make your mouth feel like it¡¯s burning, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said, not sure what burning felt like.

    Elaine tried one next. She turned a little red, but nowhere near as bad as Lyreen. Elaine ate another one. ¡°They are hot, but still good,¡± she said.

    Barika ate one. It didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on her.

    ¡°You should have eaten the food in my home village if you think this is hot,¡± she said.

    ¡°Where are you from lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°West of the empire in the kingdom of Alakkad,¡± she replied.

    Thokri nodded. ¡°Been there once years ago,¡± he said.

    Barika looked surprised. ¡°What were you doing out there?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Dwarves trade with everyone, lass. We ran a caravan out there for Ivory,¡± he replied.

    Barika nodded. ¡°I can see that,¡± she said.

    ¡°There are walruses in your homeland?¡± Anna asked. As far as she¡¯d heard, ivory came from walruses. At least, that¡¯s what all the sailors told her.

    ¡°No lass, there are some big animals call elephants that have it as well,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Have you ever seen one?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye. They¡¯re big and grey with a long nose and big tusks like an orc,¡± he replied.

    Anna nodded. She wanted to see one now.

    The barmaid came back with some roast meat and bread. She left it on the table. Thokri tossed her a few coins. She winked at him and walked away. He was grinning.

    ¡°Good to be around dwarves again,¡± he said.

    ¡°Especially the women dwarves,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said.

    The meat wasn¡¯t spiced the same as the mushrooms, and Lyreen was able to eat it. Voekeer ate the mushrooms, though he didn¡¯t look like he liked them that much.

    Must be a man thing again.

    Once they were all finished, an older dwarf came over and sat with them.

    ¡°Good to see you back,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good to be back,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Anything the clan should know about?¡± the dwarf asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said. He downed his ale and stood up. ¡°Gather round lads. I¡¯ve got a tale to tell,¡± he said. The dwarves got up and started to crowd around. ¡°Alright lads. Let me tell you how I met the fairest monster in the world,¡± he said, putting his hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder.

 Chapter 35

    The tale took hours to tell, and by the time Thokri was finished, the dwarves had dragged a barrel of ale and an entire roast pig out to eat and drink.

    Dwarves do love a good story.

    Thokri had drank half a dozen mugs of ale and was getting a bit red in the face himself.

    ¡°Well lads, that¡¯s all there is to tell so far,¡± he finished.

    The dwarves all started to laugh and cheer.

    ¡°Lass, you should have brought the trolls parts back with ya. We could have mounted it on the wall,¡± a dwarf said, pointing his thumb at a wall filled with animal heads and skulls.

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that for next time,¡± Anna replied.

    They roared with laughter. A dwarf put his arm around Lyreen¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°So, I hear you like holding big hairy balls?¡± he asked.

    Lyreen turned bright red. ¡°I hate you so much,¡± she said, looking at Thokri, who was laughing hysterically as usual.

    ¡°Would you be willing to part with those crystals?¡± the older dwarf asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I only took them to show my friends,¡± Anna replied.

    The old dwarf rubbed his beard for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll craft you something myself, and I¡¯ll give you one of the houses in the city for the lot of them,¡± he said.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Anna replied without hesitation.

    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll send some lads with you to get them when you head out for the night,¡± he said.

    ¡°Did you just buy a house?¡± Lyreen asked. She was looking better now after a few mugs of water and a few hours to sober up.

    ¡°Lad, you have time to tell me about that vein?¡± the old dwarf asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied. The two of them walked into another room.

    The rest of the party spent the next hour with the dwarves, drinking, eating, and telling them about their last adventure. The dwarves were excited to hear about the frontier and kept bringing more food and drink out. They seemed to take great delight in Anna¡¯s ability to eat or drink anything regardless of how spicy or strong it was.

    Poor Lyreen was drunk again, and by the time Thokri came back, she couldn¡¯t stand up.

    Voekeer carried her out of the dwarven tavern. She¡¯d never call it a hall. They were accompanied to the guild hall by a large contingent of armed and armored dwarves.

    It was late in the evening, but the streets were still full of people.  The crowd avoided the dwarves, however, so their trip back was uneventful.

    When they walked back into the guild hall, she found it to be full of loud drunken adventurers who all stopped talking and stared at the dwarves that just walked in.

    Anna zipped upstairs to get the crystals before anyone could ask what was going on. She got the crystals out of her pack and brought them downstairs. She handed the bag to the lead dwarf who grinned at her through his helmet, and they left without saying a word.

    The other adventurers just gawked at them for a moment. Anna just smiled at them. They lost interest in the strange happenings and went back to drinking and arguing. She spotted Rufus and his crew. They were still watching her and her friends.

    They decided to head to their rooms early that night. The others were still feeling the effects of heavy food and strong drink.

    She sat in her room by herself and had her new rings sitting in front of her. She picked up the ring that held a light spell and put it on. Holding her hand away from her, she pushed mana into it. Suddenly a light brighter than the sun filled the room, washing out even her vision for a moment. She cut off the mana, and the light flicked out.

    Looks like I need practice. She tried again, this time with far less mana. It was still overly bright, but not enough to hurt anyone. She spent the rest of the night messing with the ring until she figured out how much mana to use.

    I could keep a light going for a thousand years with how much mana I have.

    She looked at her hands again and wished that she could cast spells like a normal person. She put the rings back and went to the main room to meet her friends for the day.

    ¡°Oh, there you are. Did you have fun with your rings?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m surprised by how little mana they use,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You just have too much, that¡¯s all,¡± Lyreen said. Anna shrugged and sat with her friends.

    There was bread and cheese out for breakfast, so she dug in.

    ¡°What are we doing today?¡± Anna asked. ¡°Lads will be by to show you your house,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°That was fast,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, the old goat wants to get on her good side,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s not stupid. Anna, you¡¯re dangerous whether you know it or not,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, child. That¡¯s why we are trying to keep a lot of people from knowing what you really are,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°But if I¡¯m dangerous, why would anyone bother me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because people would try to take advantage of you,¡± Lyreen replied. Anna thought about it for a moment.

    I guess I¡¯m not that good with people yet. ¡°I understand,¡± she said.

    Lyreen put her hand on Anna¡¯s. ¡°It won¡¯t be this way forever. You¡¯ll learn how to deal with all kinds of people eventually,¡± Lyreen added.

    Anna smiled at her. She was good at teasing people, but she really didn¡¯t know that much else.

    Maybe I did spend to much time with Thokri. Although she didn¡¯t regret it even if she did.

    The dwarves showed up mid-morning, and they followed them deep into the market district.

    They stopped at a small two-story house on a quiet street. There were no stalls here. It looked as if merchants didn¡¯t want to disturb the people living here.

    ¡°Here you are, lass,¡± one of the dwarves said, handing her the keys to the house. She opened the front door and walked in followed by her friends.

    The first floor was an open space with a huge fireplace that could be used to either cook or heat the place during the winter. It was already furnished with rough but sturdy furniture. She walked past a large table that took up the center of the room. There were ten chairs neatly pushed under it. She walked to the stairs and climbed them.

    The upstairs was a single open space with a bed, a cabinet, a chest, and a large mirror. She walked over and smiled at her reflection.

    I need a new dress. She looked herself over and was surprised by all the small tears and stains covering it.

    Her friends followed her up the stairs and looked around.

    ¡°Guess you won¡¯t be having any roommates,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Not unless you want to share a bed with me,¡± Anna replied. Elaine shook her head no vigorously.

    ¡°Nope, not going to happen. I¡¯ve seen you naked enough!¡± she said. Anna laughed.

    ¡°Oh, alright,¡± she replied.

    They went back downstairs.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t have a bath, but it has everything else,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a public bath down street, lass,¡± one of the dwarves said.

    ¡°Why did the dwarves own this place anyway?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°We buy and sell property in the city all the time, lad,¡± the dwarf replied.

    They said goodbye to the dwarves, and Anna locked the house back up.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to need food and stuff,¡± she said.

    ¡°Sounds like we need to head to the market again,¡± Lyreen replied with a smile.

    They made their way back to the market center and found the part that was filled with food stalls. There was more food here than she¡¯d ever seen in her life.

    They browsed the stalls for a few minutes before they started to buy the things she¡¯d need. Soon they were all carrying large amounts of food. They went back to her house to drop it all off.

    She found the pantry and started to fill it, Barika had joined her.

    ¡°This is an awfully big place for one person. I wonder why there¡¯s only one bed?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Maybe all of the children left after they grew up,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s rare but possible,¡± Barika said.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°I might rearrange things and put some beds and dividers up so everyone can stay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That would be kind of you, but it¡¯s your house. Just remember that,¡± Barika said.

    Anna kept putting things away for a moment then paused. ¡°Did I make the right decision?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, child. It¡¯s a fine house, and that dwarf will make you something extraordinary,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I wanted a garden,¡± Anna said.

    Barika laughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put boxes on the windowsill? I¡¯ve seen plenty of homes with little flower gardens in them.¡±

    ¡°Where could I get those?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Just ask your new dwarf friends. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d come build some for you,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°They really liked our story, didn¡¯t they?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Dwarves do have a love of adventure,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be popular with them from now on,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure to heal the rest of the party nightly if we keep spending time with them. Our livers won¡¯t last long if we keep drinking with dwarves,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Lyreen can handle it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Elaine. Elves heal much faster, and they rarely suffer from illnesses like humans do,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I have the goddess¡¯s blessing. I won¡¯t be harmed by dwarven excesses,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I could drink them all under a table and only have to pee a lot afterwards,¡± Anna said. Barika laughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s true child,¡± Barika replied.

    They finished packing the pantry and went back to the main room. Elaine had a fire going and had filled one of the large pots with water. Lyreen and Voekeer were chopping up vegetables, and Thokri had an enormous hunk of beef he was cutting into bite sized pieces. Her friends had told her they would make dinner that night, and it looked like they were making enough for twenty people. She sat at the table.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get the water?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a hand pump out back. There¡¯s also a wash basin for cloths and dishes,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You all want to go to the baths after we eat?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied while he deftly cut the meat.

    The ingredients went into the pot and everyone, except for her, took turns stirring it. The soup was simple and only took a few hours simmering to finish cooking. It was amazing, and they all ate their fill. Elaine put the fire out and Lyreen cast a spell on the soup.

    ¡°Food preservation. It will keep for weeks now,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to last that long,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It will if we keep adding things to it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s how we used to do it back home,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Same with us,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Does it taste good doing it that way?¡± Anna asked. Both elves nodded vigorously. ¡°Then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do,¡± Anna said.

    The others didn¡¯t seem to mind. They were adventurers after all and willing to eat most things.

    Once they finished eating, they cleaned up and set out for the baths. The one the dwarves had been talking about was a few minutes away. The bath wasn¡¯t that much different from a tavern or inn from the outside. The inside was unlike anything she¡¯d seen before.

    There was a counter with a man sitting behind it. He glanced at them. ¡°You can bath in the separate men¡¯s or women¡¯s bath, or there¡¯s a general bath if you don¡¯t want to split up,¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll split up,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Ten coppers a piece. Doesn¡¯t look like you have any, but slaves are two coppers, and they have to stay with you,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°We don¡¯t keep slaves,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I know that. I was talking to them,¡± the man replied pointing at Elaine, Barika and Anna.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any either,¡± Elaine said. The man nodded and they paid him.

    They split up and went into the separate baths. It was the same as the carriage stop, and they all opted to have their clothes washed while they bathed.

    After washing off, they soaked in the steaming water. This time they weren¡¯t alone, and Anna looked at the other women in the bath. The women looked like the ones on the frontier, which was no surprise to her. There were girls in their early teens to old women that could be over a hundred.

    ¡°Where are the other races?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Most races keep to themselves,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna nodded. She was disappointed. She¡¯d wanted to see what women from other races looked like naked.

    I¡¯ll just have to find where they bath at. She¡¯d also have to find a way to bath with men. Though that didn¡¯t seem like it would be too difficult. Men seemed to want to look at her naked.

    They finished bathing and left the baths, heading back to the guild hall. Once there, she went to her room and got her pack. She gave Bruno back the key.

    ¡°Find a place, or did you just hook up with someone?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I bought a house,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Good for you. Tell me the address, and I¡¯ll make sure to add it to the list,¡± he said. She told him the address and went back to her friends.

    ¡°When do you think the guild master will be back?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Who knows. If she left with the fangs, she might be going on a contract after her meeting,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get our rewards, child. No need to worry,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried,¡± Elaine replied.

    They left the guild hall again. They had only come back to get Anna¡¯s things. Their next destination was the temple district. After a stop at her house again, to drop off her pack, they set off.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you won¡¯t be able to enter the temple,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait with you,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So will I, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to the temple of our goddess,¡± Lyreen said.

    Barika looked disappointed that none of her friends would be joining her but didn¡¯t say anything.

    As they entered the temple district, Anna felt as if she had stepped into another city entirely. Instead of crowded streets and people trying to sell her things, she found a solemn place with silent priests and priestesses walking around. The normal citizens that were here were subdued as well.

    When they got to the temples, Anna noticed that there was a fog of power, like the blessing Barika used to heal others, rolling out from each one.

    I wonder if they know? She¡¯d have to ask her friends if they felt anything different while they were here.

    The temples themselves were oddly different from each other. Some were huge white stone buildings that had roofs held up by huge pillars. Others were elaborate stone buildings that had colored glass windows covering them, and finally, there were open field-like places that seemed to be nothing more than a grove of trees. Her elven friends entered one of the groves with smiles on their faces.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of elves,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Most elves are quite devout people,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard them talk about their goddess,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Elves are private people. You know that,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Anna said. Elaine ruffled her hair.

    ¡°Not all of us can be shameless monsters,¡± Elaine said, putting her arm around Anna.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you monster,¡± Anna said and started to tickle Elaine.

    Poor Elaine was severely ticklish and was squirming to get away. She was laughing so hard she nearly fell over, begging Anna to stop. A large man in gleaming plate walked over with a kind smile on his face.

    ¡°While we all appreciate such joy and comradery, I¡¯ll have to ask you to release her. You''re causing a scene,¡± he said.

    Anna let Elaine go. The woman doubled over and took a few ragged breaths before standing up and slapping her on the back of the head.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, quit. We all know you''re fine,¡± Elaine replied.

    The man took a step towards Anna and looked down into her eyes for a moment. ¡°Tell me, do you know who your parents are?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s a little rude to ask someone you just met, isn¡¯t it?¡± Anna replied.

    The man nodded. ¡°I apologize for any offence I may have caused,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not offended, but why did you ask?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Allow me to explain myself. I¡¯m a paladin with the Order of the Armored Fist, and we are searching for the chosen one. While it''s supposed to be a young man, you have a strange presence, and the prophecies aren¡¯t always perfectly accurate,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°I can assure you that she¡¯s not the chosen one, brother,¡± Barika said.

    The man turned to Barika and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you know sister?¡± he asked.

    Barika looked around for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s the creation of a powerful being from another realm, but it¡¯s no god,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Why does he need to know that?¡± Anna asked. They turned to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, child, but it¡¯s important that the order doesn¡¯t think you¡¯re the chosen one and, we¡¯re hiding you,¡± Barika said.

    The man looked between the two of them. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Nothing bad. I just need to know what you are so I can send a report to the order. That way other paladins will leave you alone,¡± he replied.

    Anna sighed. I hope they don¡¯t treat me like those farmers did.

    Elaine told some of the elves where they¡¯d be in case Lyreen and Voekeer came looking for them.

    After that, they followed the paladin to the temple of light. He was a paladin for the god of light. Elaine hesitated when they reached the steps.

    ¡°You may enter so long as you¡¯ve never taken the life of an innocent. The lord of light does not care what your profession may be. Only actions have meaning to him,¡± the paladin said.

    Elaine strode right into the temple after he said that. ¡°I¡¯d never hurt an innocent,¡± she replied.

    The paladin smiled at her. They walked past a massive altar that was filled with offerings.

    A huge stone statue of the god stood on a pedestal behind the altar.

    ¡°He¡¯s a big one,¡± Anna said. Thokri chuckled, and Barika just shook her head.

    The paladin led them to a small room with a simple table in it. They sat at the table, and he poured them all a cup of water from a clay pitcher that sat on the table. The cups were clay as well.

    Kind of plain. She had expected the temple to have fancy golden cups like the lord¡¯s house.

    ¡°Now, tell me about yourself,¡± the paladin said.

    She took a drink of the cool clean water. ¡°Well, I was created a year ago near a town named Fishport,¡± she said starting her story.

    ¡°By the throne of light!¡± he said after she finished. He¡¯d been skeptical until she summoned an eye and a few tentacles.

    I think eating his dagger was what convinced him. ¡°So, uh, are you convinced I¡¯m not the chosen one?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly be. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure what to make of you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s just another adventurer. That¡¯s all anyone needs to know, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°But if she fought the dark one, she¡¯d win without issue,¡± the paladin replied.

    ¡°Maybe so, but she¡¯s na?ve. What if he tricked her into joining him?¡± Barika asked.

    The paladin blanched. ¡°Gods, we¡¯d all die,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you need to leave out her powers from your report, brother. Give her a few decades to learn before you ask her to battle true monsters,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I will do as you ask,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Good lad,¡± Thokri said. They stood up to leave.

    ¡°Before you go, I have a favor to ask of you all,¡± the paladin said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°If you run into the chosen one, send him our way,¡± he said.

    ¡°Of course, brother,¡± Barika replied.

    He led them out of the temple, and they headed to the temple of the goddess.

    ¡°I really hope we don¡¯t have to tell anyone else my story,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t child,¡± Barika replied.

    The temple to the goddess was one of the huge stone ones with pillars. Barika went in and they found a nice bench under a huge tree.

    ¡°Is there a temple to the stone one here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No lass, he doesn¡¯t need temples,¡± Thokri replied. Anna looked at the temple Barika had gone into.

    ¡°Do you worship any gods?¡± Anna asked, looking at Elaine.

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± she replied.

    ¡°What do you think of the gods?¡± Elaine asked. Anna just shrugged.

    ¡°They really don¡¯t matter to me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s how I feel about them,¡± Elaine said.

    Lyreen and Voekeer found them. ¡°Heard you talked to the human paladins,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Yeah. They wanted to make sure I wasn¡¯t the chosen one,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, great, that means they are looking for one,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°He mentioned something about a dark one,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s going to be a lot of work soon if one of those showed up,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Gramma told me that every time the humans fight whatever they call the dark one, wars start all over the place,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t ask you to kill it,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°He did, but Barika thinks it would trick me into helping it,¡± Anna replied. The elves shuddered at the thought.

    ¡°Maybe we should go visit the dwarves in their mountain until this is over,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d hear you say that, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t, but the elders told me the dwarven mountains have never fallen,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°They have lass, just not to anything from the surface,¡± Thokri replied. Everyone looked at the dwarf, but he didn¡¯t elaborate.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be fine. We are in the ass end of nowhere right now,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I thought Fishport was the ass end of nowhere?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Fishport is in bumfuck nowhere,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Thanks for clearing that up,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Anytime lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    Barika came back some time later. ¡°Well, the prophecy was just about the chosen one, so that explains why the guild master left,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°That paladin was kind of cute,¡± Elaine said as they walked out of the temple district.

    ¡°He was quite fetching, wasn¡¯t he,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Think I have a shot?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Not a chance. He prefers men,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°All the members of that order do. It¡¯s one of the requirements,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Dam,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Why would they care?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The god of light prefers men as well,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Wait, gods have sex?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°As far as I know, yes,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I want to have sex with a god now,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°But I thought you weren¡¯t interested in sex,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They why would you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Because I could tell everyone I fucked a god,¡± Anna replied. Thokri burst into laughter.

    ¡°Aye, that would make a fine tale,¡± he said.

    ¡°See, he gets it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Way too much time with the dwarf!¡± her other friends chimed at once.

    Anna just giggled.

 Chapter 36

    Anna wanted to explore the temple district, and the others didn¡¯t mind, so they started to walk around.

    The streets are more worn here than even in the market. She looked down at the smooth stone. It was nearly polished, and she assumed it would be slippery when it rained. Another thing she noticed was that there were no horses or other beasts of burden anywhere to be seen.

    ¡°Where are the horses?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They don¡¯t want shit all over their holy places, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± Anna said.

    She spotted a huge white stone temple with dozens of spires that reached into the sky. It was covered in colored glass windows.

    ¡°I want to go in there,¡± Anna said pointing at it.

    ¡°That¡¯s the temple of the god of rulers,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°It looks pretty. I want to see inside,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t let you in. Only nobles and other rulers can enter there,¡± Voekeer replied. Anna started towards the temple. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I said they won¡¯t let you in!¡± Voekeer said, rushing to her.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them keep me out,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Voekeer said. Anna ignored him and the others and walked right up to the temple¡¯s entrances.

    Two guards in golden armor stood in front of thick wooden doors. They crossed their polearms in front of her as she walked up.

    ¡°Away with you, peasant. Your kind is not welcome here,¡± one of the guards said.

    She grabbed the shafts of both weapons near the head and squeezed, crushing the thick wood. She twisted her wrists, snapping the heads off and tossed them behind her.

    ¡°Out of my way mortals,¡± she said. Hehehe. I always wanted to say that.

    The guards stared at the broken weapons in utter shock.

    She walked up to the door and pushed it open. There was some kind of transparent barrier behind them. She reached out and touched it with her right hand. As soon as her fingers touched the barrier, it popped and dissipated.

    She walked into the temple. Same thing happened with Elaine¡¯s spell. Guess my powers work on god stuff too.

    She strode into the temple. It was a huge space filled with long benches where a few well-dressed people sat. They were gawking at her as she walked down the thick carpet to the altar. Fine tapestries hung from the walls.

    She looked up. The ceiling was vaulted and covered in paintings. They were of strange, winged beings all flying around a well-muscled man sitting on a cloud.

    I wonder what a cloud feels like?

    There was a statue behind the altar of the muscled man. It was bathed in light from the colored windows.

    ¡°So pretty,¡± she said.

    The priests scurried away from the altar as she approached. She took a large gold coin from her belt pouch and set it on the altar.

    ¡°I hope this will make up for me barging in,¡± she said.

    ¡°YOU ARE FORGIVEN!¡± a voice boomed from the statue.

    She looked up at its face and swore it winked at her.

    ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s a nice place by the way,¡± she said. She heard a soft laugh. She smiled and then turned around to leave.

    The priests were all bowing on the floor, and the people on the benches looked at her in awe. She walked out to find her friends staring at her stupidly.

    ¡°You just spoke to a god!¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika took her by the hands. ¡°Child, do you know how rare that is?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No. Didn¡¯t even know one,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Normally, only the most devout followers or ones they choose to go on a grand quest hear from them,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Then why did he talk to me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°¡¯Cause your father is an unfathomable being from an unimaginable realm,¡± Elaine replied.

    Barika shot her a look. ¡°I doubt her father had anything to do with this,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Maybe not, but she did pop that divine barrier like a soap bubble,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna shrugged. Barika let go of her hands, and they started to walk off.

    ¡°We should leave,¡± Voekeer said, pointing his thumb back at the temple. It was swarming with priests now.

    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think the lass needs to be answering questions,¡± Thokri said.

    They left quickly, avoiding large groups of clergy on their way out of the temple district.

    ¡°You know they will come looking for you, right?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Maybe, but not today,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°The guild master¡¯s going to eat us if she finds out you broke into a temple,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll toss her over the wall if she tries to hurt any of you,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri chuckled. ¡°The lads would pay to see that,¡± he said.

    Voekeer looked terrified. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should do that,¡± he said.

    ¡°How about we go to the dwarves and see if they will build those garden boxes for you?¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Can we not spend the day with dwarves again? I still feel kind of bad from yesterday,¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Want to go to the dressmaker? I¡¯m out of dresses, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m allowed to walk around naked,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, no, you aren¡¯t,¡± Voekeer said quickly.

    Now that she¡¯d gotten used to the crowds of people, she started to look at the buildings more closely. Most were half-timber half plaster construction like the ones in the crossroads town with a few thickly built stone ones she assumed were from when the city was dwarven.

    It wasn¡¯t just the odd stone house that gave away Oldforge¡¯s dwarven past. The streets were perfectly straight. Even if they had been repaired by humans for centuries, a few of the large flat blocks the dwarves had used to construct them originally remained.

    The most surprising thing about the city was the aqueduct system. She¡¯d asked Thokri how her hand pump worked, and he explained how basins were located underneath the city and were fed by water carried from the river to the city in underground tunnels.

    Waste was carried out of the city in large pipes as well, traveling for miles to another river. The only fault with the system was horse manure. The dwarves didn¡¯t use animals, relying on dwarf power to move everything, so they never built a system to remove it from the city. This meant that humans were responsible for removing it, and they didn¡¯t seem as clever as the dwarves.

    The other races didn¡¯t come up with ideas to improve the city because they were treated as little more than guests, even if they had lived here their whole lives.

    They didn¡¯t pass through the market center this time, not wanting to get caught in the crowds. Even if going around was a longer walk, it still ended up taking less time.

    Once they reached the dwarven tavern, they found a table and sat down. The same black-haired barmaid came over to greet them.

    ¡°Ale and food again?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Uh, could you get me something else? I don¡¯t think I can take dwarven ale, and I¡¯m not up for spicy again,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Want me to pop a tit out? If you suck it hard enough you might get something,¡± the barmaid replied, winking at Lyreen. The elf turned bright red.

    ¡°No, thanks,¡± she said.

    The barmaid burst into laughter. ¡°Like I¡¯d fuck an elf,¡± she said and then walked away.

    Lyreen looked back at her friends with a strange look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be offended or happy,¡± she said.

    ¡°She¡¯s too much woman for you, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to find out if that¡¯s true or not,¡± Lyreen said.

    Barika laughed. ¡°Where¡¯s your sense of adventure?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I lost that sometime last year,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Barika sighed. ¡°It was hard, wasn¡¯t it,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Well, we all made it, and we have more coin than we did before, so I¡¯d call that a win,¡± Voekeer said. Lyreen smiled and then kissed him. ¡°Not in front of the dwarves,¡± Voekeer said as the room filled with hoots and crude jokes.

    ¡°Oh, shut up! You¡¯re just jealous you have to jerk off!¡± Voekeer shouted. The dwarves roared with laughter.

    ¡°The lad grew a pair, didn¡¯t he?¡± one called.

    ¡°You¡¯re in for it now,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It was worth it,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    The barmaid came back with their food. She set bowls of thick stew in front of each of them with a loaf of bread along with dark ale. Each member of the party tossed coins on the tray.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the barmaid said.

    ¡°Hey, do you know anyone that would build some garden boxes for me?¡± Anna asked.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The barmaid thought about it for a moment. ¡°Aye, I¡¯ll go fetch him,¡± she said and then walked off.

    She returned with a young blond dwarf. He sat at the table and was oddly nervous.

    ¡°So, what do you need built, lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I want some boxes in the windows of my house so I can grow flowers,¡± Anna replied.

    The dwarf rubbed his beard. ¡°How many windows?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Three: two upstairs and a big one downstairs,¡± Anna replied.

    He nodded. ¡°Five copper for the materials and twenty for me. Sound good?¡± he asked.

    Anna looked at Thokri who nodded.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied.

    He held out his hand and she shook it. ¡°Be there in the morning, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you then,¡± Anna replied.

    She gave the dwarf her address and then he left.

    They ate their food and drank the ale, except for Lyreen. She didn¡¯t want to get drunk this early in the day. They left the dwarven tavern with full bellies and smiles on their faces.

    I like dwarves.

    ¡°So, what kind of flowers are you going to grow?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they are called, but there was this flower on the fronter that had stripes on its petals. They were so pretty,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember any flowers with stripes them,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you can¡¯t see the stripes,¡± Anna replied. Lyreen looked thoroughly confused now. ¡°I can see things you can¡¯t just like my hearing,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen shook her head. ¡°Of course you can,¡± she replied.

    They went to the center market again to look for a dressmaker. There was a small shop that had a pair of scissors and a bolt of cloth on the sign above the door. They walked into the building and a little bell chimed.

    An elf woman walked out from the back. She just shook her head when she saw them.

    ¡°Let me guess, you just got back from a long job and need new clothing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied. The woman looked her over.

    ¡°Oh, you poor thing. What did they do to you out there?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything to her. She keeps fighting monsters,¡± Lyreen replied. The seamstress gave Lyreen a flat look. ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Lyreen said. The seamstress just shook her head.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get you measured,¡± she said to Anna, waving for her to follow.

    They went to a small room in the back.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll need you to take off that dress now,¡± the seamstress said. Anna took off her belt then pulled her dress over her head. ¡°Wow,¡± the seamstress said looking at Anna¡¯s nude body.

    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Uh, what happened to your underclothes?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like them,¡± Anna replied.

    The seamstress just looked at her chest for a moment before sighing. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t blame you,¡± she said.

    She started to take Anna¡¯s measurements. She was far more thorough than Beth had been and wrote down what she measured.

    ¡°Do you want more like this one?¡± she asked, holding up Anna¡¯s dress.

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Anna replied.

    The seamstress took some measurements of the dress and wrote them down as well. She handed Anna back her clothes, and Anna got dressed. She left the back room and met her friends out front.

    ¡°You lot look as sorry as she does. Are you here for clothes as well? I¡¯m a tailor as well,¡± the seamstress said.

    ¡°Yeah, we probably should,¡± Voekeer said.

    The seamstress walked over and took him by the arm. She smiled at him. ¡°Right this way, handsome,¡± the seamstress said, leading him away.

    Lyreen looked like she was going to burst, and Thokri laughing wasn¡¯t helping the matter any.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, child,¡± Barika said, patting Lyreen on the arm.

    Voekeer was bright red when he returned with the seamstress who held his arm still.

    ¡°Your turn, sweety,¡± she said to Lyreen who went from annoyed to nervous.

    Lyreen was pulled away, and as soon as she was out of sight, Thokri slapped Voekeer on the back.

    ¡°Did you have fun, lad?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Thokri chuckled, and the rest of the party was smirking at the elf.

    ¡°She seemed nice to me,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen came out red faced as well, and she pointed at Thokri. ¡°You next,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied. He wiggled his eyebrows at them as he walked into the back.

    Anna walked over to the cloth and started to look through the bolts that were in a large rack next to the counter.

    ¡°Oh, this is nice,¡± she said. Elaine walked over and felt the cloth.

    ¡°That is nice,¡± Elaine replied.

    Thokri walked back out from the back with a grin on his face. The seamstress seemed bemused for some reason.

    Barika was the next one to go back. She was out the fastest, and it was Elaine¡¯s turn.

    ¡°BY THE TREE!¡± the seamstress shouted.

    ¡°Must have realized where the tattoos go,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    When Elaine walked back out, she was smirking, and the seamstress looked thoughtful.

    They all ordered the clothing they wanted after that. Anna just got ten more dresses in various colors. Once finished, they all paid and got something called a receipt.

    ¡°I should have all of your things ready in a week or so,¡± the seamstress said.

    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me ma¡¯am. It makes me feel old,¡± the seamstress said.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, er, I mean miss,¡± Voekeer replied. The seamstress giggled.

    ¡°You¡¯re just so cute. How old are you anyway?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Twenty, miss,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What!?¡± she asked, the smile leaving her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m twenty,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Fucking hell! How old are you?¡± she asked Lyreen.

    ¡°Twenty-four,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What are you two doing out of your village? You didn¡¯t run away, did you!?¡± the seamstress asked.

    ¡°Oh no, ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t run away. I came here to learn magic,¡± Lyreen replied quickly.

    ¡°Who from?¡± The seamstress asked.

    ¡°The Oldforge magic academy,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I know that place. I take it you graduated already?¡± the seamstress asked.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Lyreen replied.

    The seamstress took a step towards Lyreen and Voekeer. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you go home when you were finished?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I, uh, joined the adventurer¡¯s guild,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Is that right? Well, did you tell your parents or the elders?¡± the seamstress asked.

    Lyreen started to look around nervously. The seamstress took another step towards the elves.

    ¡°And you haven¡¯t said a single word. I bet you are a runaway,¡± the seamstress said.

    ¡°This how you treat all of your customers?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Only when they are young and putting themselves in danger. I saw that scar on your chest that could have killed you, and you¡¯re barely more than a child!¡± the seamstress replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child, though, and it¡¯s my choice, not yours!¡± Voekeer said.

    The seamstress looked like she was on the verge of tears. She took a step back and looked away.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that, well,¡± she said. She took a breath and then looked Voekeer in the eyes. ¡°Be careful. You know our kind doesn¡¯t do well when we lose young people,¡± she added.

    Voekeer nodded. ¡°I know,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I know I can¡¯t stop you, but could you at least tell your families where you are? Even if you don¡¯t think they care, they do. Trust me,¡± she said. She went back to her sewing table and sat down dejectedly.

    Realizing that the seamstress wasn¡¯t in the best of moods, they left the tailor shop.

    The walk back to her house was quiet, at least as far as her friends went. The crowds of people were as loud as ever.

    Once they got back to her house, she started the fire to get dinner ready. They added more water and ingredients to the pot and brought it to a simmer. They sat at her table and waited for the food to finish cooking.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to write my gramma and let her know I¡¯m fine,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°She¡¯ll like that child,¡± Barika replied.

    Voekeer sighed. ¡°I should write to my mother. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s been worried,¡± he said. Lyreen smiled at him.

    ¡°Are you going to write to your wives?¡± Lyreen asked Thokri.

    ¡°Already did, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I need to send Beth some drawings. It¡¯s been too long,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We can go get the things you need to draw with tomorrow,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m out of everything,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I figured that,¡± Elaine replied.

    The food was ready, and they ate together and then chatted for a few hours until the others went back to their rooms at the guild hall for the night.

    Being alone in this house felt strange. It wasn¡¯t like when she ran off into the deep. She¡¯d felt like a wild beast then. Now, she just felt lonely. She sighed.

    ¡°I really should get more beds here,¡± she said to no one.

    She got up from the table and went to her huge empty feeling room and got undressed for bed. She looked at herself in the mirror and the same face looked back. Not a single thing had changed in the slightest.

    What am I really?

    She knew what had made her. At least she knew its name. The dreamer defied even her imagination, and what it had created was no woman. At least not one that the world had ever seen before.

    She laid in the bed and looked up at the ceiling for a few minutes before going to sleep.

    There was a pounding sound. She jumped out of bed and rushed down the stairs. What happened?!

    Whoever was beating on the door was doing so with such force that it shook the wall. Anna rushed over and pulled the door open. Before her stood three figures wearing armor.

    ¡°You?¡± Anna asked. One of them was the paladin she¡¯d met earlier that day.

    They all stared at her for a moment before she realized she hadn¡¯t put any clothes on.

    ¡°Well?¡± Anna asked the dumbfounded visitors.

    ¡°I apologize for the late hour, but these two insisted on talking to you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Come in then,¡± Anna said.

    The three of them walked into her house, and she closed the door behind them. She walked over and sat at the table. The other two were wearing plate armor as well.

    One looked like the villain from an old story. He was pale with long dark hair and pale skin. His face was lean with a beak-like nose and thin lips. He was wearing glossy black armor that had skulls etched into it.

    The other visitor was a woman. She had brown curly hair and dark eyes. Her skin was deeply tanned, and she had a stern look on her face. Her armor was steel with a subtle golden hue. Anna was surprised to see the figure of the goddess that Barika worshiped etched into the woman¡¯s breastplate.

    The three of them loomed over her.

    ¡°Uh, you can sit if you¡¯d like,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Get dressed first,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said. She got up and went back to her room.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be rude,¡± the paladin said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you two ogle her while we are here,¡± the woman said.

    They were whispering but Anna could still hear every word.

    ¡°I don¡¯t ogle,¡± the paladin said.

    ¡°Maybe not, but he was,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Matilda,¡± the man in black said.

    ¡°Oh, please. Your eyes were glued to her rear the moment she turned around,¡± Matilda replied.

    ¡°Perhaps they were,¡± the man in black said.

    ¡°You know she¡¯s probably listening to us right now,¡± the paladin said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way she could hear us. Not even an elf can hear that well,¡± Matilda replied.

    ¡°I CAN HEAR BETTER THAN AN ELF!¡± Anna shouted.

    She heard the paladin laughing, but the others didn¡¯t say a word. She chuckled and pulled on her dress. She went back down the stairs.

    ¡°Sorry miss, I didn¡¯t mean to be rude,¡± the man in black said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Honestly, most people talk about my boobs, not my butt,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a finer pair,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied. She sat back at her table and the three armored guests sat with her.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this about?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You dispelled a divine barrier, and then the god of lords spoke with you in front of dozens of people,¡± Matilda said.

    ¡°So?¡± Anna replied.

    The grim looking man chuckled. ¡°I like her,¡± he said.

    Matilda sighed. ¡°We are here to make sure that you aren¡¯t the chosen one,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. My father didn¡¯t create me for any reason other than he wanted me,¡± Anna replied.

    Matilda smiled. ¡°That¡¯s the best reason to have a child, but we still have to test you to make sure,¡± she said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna replied.

    Matilda took a large crystal out of a pouch that hung on her belt. She put it on the table.

    ¡°Just place your hands on either side of this,¡± she said.

    Anna did as she was asked and nothing happened. Matilda looked at the crystal stupidly.

    ¡°That, that¡¯s not possible. That reads your very soul! Every living thing has a soul. It should have worked!¡± she said.

    ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That would explain why that undead creature fled from you,¡± the man in black said.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°A living body creates life energy. This is what tethers a soul to the body. Once a person dies, they stop producing life energy, and the soul escapes. Here¡¯s the thing though. If a soul is removed from the body, be it by spells or other actions, the person dies instantly. And if the life energy is pulled away, the soul escapes killing the person, whether or not they have any injuries,¡± the man in black said.

    ¡°So, why did the zombie run away?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Easy. They attack anything with life energy in it. They have a mindless hunger that drives them. Whatever animates you must be so alien from life energy that it repels them,¡± the man in black replied.

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll have to tell Elaine that. She was wondering,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°She¡¯s the necromancer, correct?¡± the man in black asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Tell me, what exactly happened when you stepped on her circle?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It just fizzed out,¡± Anna replied.

    He nodded. ¡°And the barrier at the temple did that fizzle out as well?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, it popped,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What are you thinking, brother?¡± the paladin asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not say anything. There are too many things we don¡¯t know, but I can say for certain that she¡¯s not the chosen one. He or she has to have a pure soul, and well, we can¡¯t be sure she even has one,¡± the man in black replied.

    Matilda tapped the table a few times. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re the chosen one or not. Will you join us in our quest?¡± she asked.

    Anna looked down at her hands. ¡°I really want to, but I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not ready yet. My friends are right. I don¡¯t know enough about the world,¡± Anna replied. She felt terrible, but she didn¡¯t want to make things worse.

    Matilda looked as if she was going to say something, but the paladin held up his hand. ¡°Sister, only the chosen one has to walk this path. She¡¯s free to do as she sees best,¡± he said.

    She sighed. ¡°You are correct, brother,¡± she said.

    ¡°Tell me, Anna, how can we make it up to you for barging into your home at this hour?¡± the paladin asked.

    Anna looked at the three of them. ¡°Take a bath with me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Matilda asked.

    The man in black started to laugh, and the paladin just shook his head.

    ¡°You all got to see me naked, so I want to see you naked,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the paladin said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Leon?¡± Matilda asked.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? It¡¯s a simple harmless request, and I think it proves my point about how different she really is,¡± Leon replied.

    ¡°This night just keeps getting better,¡± the man in black said.

    ¡°Shut up, Godfrey,¡± Matilda said.

    ¡°Think of it this way, the men won¡¯t be ogling you with her around,¡± Godfrey replied. If looks could kill, the man would have been vaporized by the glare Matilda shot his way.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Matilda said after a moment.

    ¡°Yea,¡± Anna said. She got up. ¡°Let me go get my yellow dress,¡± she added and rushed up the stairs.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get you both back for this,¡± Matilda said.

    ¡°She can hear you,¡± Godfrey replied.

    ¡°DAMMIT!¡± Matilda said. Godfrey laughed.

    Anna snatched her dress from the dresser she had placed it in. It was still in the oilskin to protect it, so she wasn¡¯t worried about it getting dirty on the way to the baths.

    ¡°We¡¯ll head back to the order. The baths are much nicer there,¡± Leon said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    They left her house and started towards the temple district.

    I didn¡¯t know temples had baths.

    Today had been full of surprises for her. She couldn¡¯t wait to see what was next.

 Chapter 37

    The streets of Oldforge were still filled with people even this late at night. The humans and elves had gone to sleep it seemed leaving only dwarves and beast men. The denizens that chose to remain out that late didn¡¯t want anything to do with the paladins she was with. She figured that they all must be paladins, just for different gods.

    Anna couldn¡¯t understand why people were so nervous around these three. They were nice after all.

    With the path clear, they made it to the temple quickly. The god of lights temple had worshippers and clergy even at this hour.

    They walked out of the main room into a long hallway that led to the Order of the Armored Fist¡¯s chambers. Once they reached the order¡¯s area, several young men in robes approached them.

    ¡°How may we help you, my lord?¡± one of the young men asked.

    ¡°Prepare the bath for me and my companions,¡± Leon replied.

    ¡°At once, sir,¡± the young man said.

    They followed the young man down another hall.

    This place is really plain.

    Everything was bare stone with simple braziers lighting the halls. She was beginning to think the gods didn¡¯t like paladins very much.

    They entered a room that was across from the baths. It had benches in it and a few tables with pitchers of water on them.

    She poured herself a cup of it and took a drink.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold!¡± she said.

    ¡°Indeed. While we don¡¯t have many luxuries here, we do have a few,¡± Leon replied.

    She looked at the cup. Cold water is a luxury?

    A young man walked into the room. ¡°We are ready for you, my lord,¡± he said.

    They followed him across the hall into the baths. The bath was in the ground and large, four or five times the size of the one at the carriage stop. It was plain like the rest of the order¡¯s area but well made.

    Steam rose from the crystal-clear water. They would be the only ones in the bath, although that didn¡¯t surprise her. It was the middle of the night.

    A few young men were waiting in the bath. The paladins walked over to them, and they started to take off their armor.

    Anna put her yellow dress on a shelf next to where the young men were putting the armor. She undressed and tossed her dress on the shelf as well.

    ¡°You could have waited for the squires to leave, you know,¡± Matilda said.

    Anna just shrugged. The gesture caused her breasts to bounce, as did most things.

    Matilda bonked one of the young men who became distracted.

    ¡°I thought the members of your order preferred men?¡± Anna asked.

    Leon looked over at the sheepish young man. ¡°Not necessarily, but we aren¡¯t allowed to have relations with women,¡± he replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for my order. We can¡¯t have relations with men,¡± Matilda said.

    ¡°What about your order?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We can have relations with whomever we like. The only way to join our order is to be touched by death,¡± Godfrey replied.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°In my case, the weeping death swept through my village when I was a boy. By the black god¡¯s mercy, I was the only survivor. He guided me to one of his temples when my fever broke,¡± Godfrey replied.

    ¡°Barika told me about the weeping death. She said there was no way to save its victims,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± Godfrey replied.

    ¡°Did you have to join after the black god saved you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Godfrey replied.

    The young men finished removing the paladins¡¯ armor and left the room, leaving the four of them alone in the bath. Her companions undressed. Anna took a good long look at each of them.

    Leon was a big man, even out of his armor, with a build like the dockworkers, though a bit leaner. He also had hair covering most of his body, less than dwarves did of course. She looked between his legs, because that¡¯s what she asked to bathe with them for. His manhood was about the same as Thokri and Voekeer¡¯s had been, being somewhere in between their sizes.

    I wonder what it looks like hard? She doubted he¡¯d demonstrate and really didn¡¯t want to ask anyway.

    Godfrey was leaner than Leon but still muscular. His shoulders were broad, and his arms were thick, but he was narrow at the waist. His legs were well muscled, having the appearance of a person that carried heavy weights long distances. His manhood was, well, it was big. His penis was longer than Thokri¡¯s, though his balls were about the same size. She watched it for a moment before looking over at Matilda.

    She¡¯d seen dozens of naked women at the bath, but being ever curious, she looked the woman over. Matilda was a thin woman covered in taut muscles. She was also completely flat. She didn¡¯t even have bumps like Lyreen, only two tiny nipples. Anna glanced between Matilda¡¯s legs. She had a thin patch of hair like most human women, only hers didn¡¯t completely obscure what was underneath.

    Same as the rest of us.

    After getting an eyeful, Anna headed to the wash area and dumped a bucket of clean water over her head. There was soap and a cloth to wash with, so she started to soap up. The others joined her.

    ¡°So, are you satisfied?¡± Matilda asked.

    ¡°Almost. I still need to see your butts,¡± Anna replied.

    Matilda turned red. ¡°You¡¯re as bad as a man!¡± she said.

    ¡°How? I¡¯m just curious is all. It¡¯s not like I want to do anything with anyone,¡± Anna replied. She dumped the bucket over her head a few times to rinse off then got into the bath.

    The water was hot. How much so, she couldn¡¯t tell. She moved to the far side so she could watch the door and the others as they finished washing.

    I wonder what it¡¯s like to not have boobs.

    She watched Matilda for a moment before turning her eyes to Godfrey. The man had finished before the others. She watched as he walked over and slid into the bath next to her.

    ¡°Tell me, would you join us if you¡¯re friends had said it was alright?¡± Godfrey asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied without hesitation.

    ¡°Tell me, what are they so worried about? From what I¡¯ve been told, you¡¯re completely impervious to harm,¡± Matilda asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Anna replied.

    She and Leon got into the bath and sat close to her like Godfrey had done.

    ¡°Anna, I would never ask you to go against what your friends want you to do, but would you aid us if we find ourselves in a dire situation?¡± Leon asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Leon said.

    They sat in silence for a few minutes before Matilda stood up and got out of the bath.

    She¡¯s got a round butt.

    The paladin turned around. ¡°We have much to do today. We should try and get some rest, brothers,¡± Matilda said.

    The other two stood up and left the bath as well. Leon has a normal enough rear, and Godfrey¡¯s looked as if it was made entirely of muscle. Anna got out as well not wanting to be in the baths alone.

    She started to steam as she pushed dreamer power into her mana channels. The three paladins watched in amazement. She was dried by the time they reached the shelves with their clothing.

    Anna put on her yellow dress and adjusted the bows on the side. She looked up to see Godfrey grinning at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s my favorite dress,¡± Anna said, spinning around to show the whole thing off.

    ¡°I can see why,¡± Godfrey replied.

    The paladins put on their clothing. They left the baths and a few young men rushed in after them. Moments later they carried the armor out.

    They walked to the temple entrance.

    ¡°Sorry for the inconvenience, but we needed to make sure,¡± Matilda said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied. She said goodbye to her new friends and started to walk back to her house. She was carrying her dress under her arm and wanted to drop it off before she went back out. She only had the two dresses left.

    I hope that seamstress gets done when she said she would.

    It was still dark out, and without the paladins, the crowds of people were more interested in her. She wasn¡¯t really worried about them though. She could always toss someone if they really bothered her.

    The crowd was thick, so she decided to dart down a side street. She ended up going down a few more and found herself in a mostly empty part of the city. The few people that were out didn¡¯t look like people, so she avoided looking at them. She didn¡¯t want them to think she wanted to talk to them after all.

    After a few blocks, something unexpected happened. A man grabbed her and slammed her against a wall. He held a knife to her throat and glared at her with an expression she¡¯d never seen before on his face.

    ¡°Scream and I¡¯ll kill you bitch!¡± the man said.

    Now, several things went through her mind at once. First, she really didn¡¯t like being called a bitch. Second, he touched her without asking which she hated even more, and lastly, he pushed her against a probably filthy wall in her favorite dress.

    Oh no he didn¡¯t!

    She slapped the knife out of the man¡¯s hand, breaking his wrist in the process. Then, before he realized something was wrong, she punched him in the guts. He doubled over, retching from the blow.

    She snatched him by the hair and dragged him into a nearby alley where she let go. He tried to punch her, but she batted his hand away.

    ¡°You¡¯re a fucking idiot, aren¡¯t you?¡± Anna asked. She slammed him against the wall and then punched a chunk out of the plaster near his head. He stopped squirming. The air suddenly filled with the smell of piss.

    ¡°Looks like you figured it out,¡± Anna said. He just nodded. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯m only going to ask you one thing. What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The boss told us to go out and get him some pretty girls,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Where is this boss of yours?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s at the hideout,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Tell me how to get there,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t do that. The boss would be mad,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Is that right? Well, let me ask you something,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Would he eat you?¡± Anna asked.

    Suddenly eyes opened near her head and a tentacle slithered up the man¡¯s leg. Instead of answering her, he screamed and shat himself.

    Man, that stinks.

    He did end up telling her exactly where the hide out was, along with his birthday, his favorite food, and the name of the dog he had kept as a pet growing up.

    She didn¡¯t kill him. No need to. Instead, she stripped him naked and tossed him into the street. She used her tentacles of course.

    No way I¡¯m touching that.

    She looked at her old dress. She¡¯d dropped it to slap the man and discovered it had fallen into a pile of shit.

    I really don¡¯t need it that much.

    She picked her key up and tucked it next to her breasts. They could hold anything in place. After that, she made her way to the address the man had given her.

    A large, tattooed man leaned against the wall next to the door. He was smoking herbs rolled in paper. By the smell, it was sparkle weed. He leered at her when she walked up. She smiled sweetly at him, and he blew a cloud of smoke in her face.

    Before he could say whatever dirty stupid thing he had on his mind, she kicked him in the knee. It snapped backwards, leaving his leg bent the wrong way. He howled in pain. She grabbed his head and slammed it into the door hard enough to knock him out. She dumped his unconscious body on the ground, and then, with far more force than needed, she kicked the door open.

    The thick wooden door didn¡¯t stand a chance and splintered inward. She strode through the ruins of the door into a filthy room that stank of piss, shit, and vomit. There was a cloud of smoke lingering in the air. Men were sitting around tables playing card and dice games. They all stared at her in shock and disbelief.

    ¡°Where are the girls?¡± Anna asked. She slammed her fist into the wall beside her, knocking a chunk out of it.

    That¡¯ll keep the stupid down.

    ¡°You fucked up, you stupid cunt! You fucked with the wrong crew!¡± a thin man said. He was tall with dark hair and green eyes. She started to walk towards him.

    A man rushed her and ended up flying across the room after she punched him in the chest. He hit the wall with a sickening crunch and fell limply to the floor. This shocking display caused the other men in the room to pause. She walked right up to the tall thin man and looked up at him.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°The fu¡­,¡± he said.

    She shoved her fingers into his mouth and yanked him down to her level and then pried it open. With her other hand, she reached in and grabbed his tongue.

    ¡°If you say one more bad thing to me, I¡¯ll rip it out!¡± Anna said. She let go of his tongue and shoved him onto his ass. She slammed her fist into the table he¡¯d been sitting at, and it exploded into splinters.

    ¡°What were you going to do with the women in the back room?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They, they, they¡¯re in the back room!¡± he said.

    ¡°I know. I can hear them,¡± she replied. She leaned forward and looked him in the eyes. ¡°What were you going to do with them?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We were going to sell them to the slaver. He told us if we brought him pretty girls, he¡¯d give us a gold for each one. That¡¯s it!¡± the man replied.

    Anna punched him in the face. She felt his skull crunch from the force of it. His head slammed back into the ground, and he was still. He was breathing, so she hadn¡¯t killed him, not that she cared. She was shaking with anger at the moment.

    She decided to take her rage out on the men in the room. They were the ones responsible for it after all. She slammed her fist into the jaw of the nearest man, sending him spinning away, teeth flying through the air.

    The stunned men started to move, but it was too late. She started punching, kicking, and throwing anyone she could reach. She even used one man to beat several others with before whacking the screaming man into the wall until he stopped. A few of them rushed outside. One huge bald man rushed her with a thick iron club.

    Ooooh, I need a new club.

    She snatched it out of his hand and bashed his head in with it. Now that she was armed, she started breaking limbs, to test her new club of course.

    Unfortunately, she ran out of test subjects. She looked around and found the room filled with groaning men.

    I feel better now.

    She saw movement in the corner of the room and walked over to investigate. A small form darted away. She grabbed him by the arm and slammed him against the wall.

    ¡°Now, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me!¡± he replied in a high-pitched voice.

    Anna reached out and grabbed his crotch. There was nothing there.

    Thokri did say it was the only way to be sure sometimes.

    The woman squealed.

    ¡°Why would a woman help sell other women into slavery?¡± Anna asked, holding the iron club in a menacing way.

    ¡°THEY MADE ME!¡± the woman wailed.

    Sure they did.

    ¡°Well, now you get to help me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I do?¡± the woman asked. She had the look of a terrified rabbit. Anna didn¡¯t feel bad for her in the slightest. Anna dragged her into the back next to the door she heard the sobs coming from.

    ¡°Arnold has the key, or I can pick the lock,¡± the women said.

    Anna slammed the club into the door lock, and the door swung open. The woman swallowed hard.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need keys,¡± Anna said. She pulled the woman into the room. Dozens of young women were tied up and huddled together in the corner.

    Maybe I should go and club the lot of them. She was tempted, but she knew she¡¯d end up sorry for doing it.

    She just dragged the woman into the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± the woman replied.

    Anna untied the women in the room. They were all crying and hugging each other and her as she did so. Once finished, she led them out of the back room. A red-haired woman kicked a few of the men as they left the building.

    ¡°We need to call the guards,¡± the red-haired woman said when they were all outside.

    ¡°GUARDS!¡± Anna yelled. Dogs barked in response, and she could see that a few people scurred around in their homes.

    ¡°By the gods, what are you?¡± the red-haired woman asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m an adventurer,¡± Anna replied. The woman looked at her for a moment and then shrugged.

    A dozen guards rushed down the street. The women couldn¡¯t contain themselves and ran to greet them except for the red-haired woman. She stayed with Anna and the criminal.

    The guards looked confused but reacted quickly, each trying to calm the hysterical women down. A few of the women pointed at Anna and one of the guards came over.

    ¡°They are saying you rescued them. Is that true?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What happened?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°A man tried to kidnap me, but I beat him up, and he told me where his hideout was. So, I came to see what was going on. I beat up the men in there after they said they were going to sell the women to the slavers. Then I untied the women and called for you all,¡± Anna replied.

    The guard looked at her suspiciously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but she¡¯s telling the truth. All of the black snakes were beaten on the floor when we came out,¡± the red-haired woman said.

    ¡°WILLIAM, PETER, GO CHECK IT OUT!¡± the guard shouted. Two of the guards drew clubs and rushed into the building. ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± the guard asked, looking at the criminal woman.

    ¡°She¡¯s with me now,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± the guard said. The woman just nodded. The two guards walked back out of the building. ¡°So?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°Looks like an orc on dust went wild in there,¡± one of the guards replied.

    The lead guard looked at her again. ¡°Would you mind coming back to the guard house with us? The captain is going to have some questions,¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Miss, you can wait over there with the others?¡± the lead guard said to the red-haired woman.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with her,¡± the woman replied.

    The lead guard looked at the woman for a moment and then sighed. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± the guard said.

    It was a flurry of activity after that. About half of the guards went into the building and started to drag the gang members out and dump them in the street. More guards showed up as well. The women were wrapped in blankets. They even offered her one. She didn¡¯t need it, so she turned it down.

    The red-haired woman took one but remained next to her for some reason.

    A cart showed up and the women were loaded into it. According to the guards, they would be taken to the station to tell their stories, and then their families would be contacted to come and pick them up.

    The men were shackled and were sitting on the street. Another cart would come and get them, though they would be going to the dungeon.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go with the others?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t have a family,¡± the red-haired woman said.

    The sun was starting to come up, and Anna noticed that the woman was thin and dirty with ragged clothing on. The woman from the gang was ignoring the other gang members as if everyone didn¡¯t know she was one of them.

    ¡°Would you three ride to the guard house with the women? We are almost finished here. No reason for you to walk back,¡± the lead guard asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied. She got onto the cart and helped the other two up. The women glared at the gang woman sitting next to her but didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°Did she hurt any of you?¡± Anna asked. The women all shook their heads no.

    ¡°She fed us,¡± one of the women said.

    ¡°Why did you help them?¡± one of the women asked.

    ¡°My father was a black snake. I¡¯ve always been a black snake. They let me stay even after he died,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Lucy,¡± the gang woman replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gwen,¡± the red-haired woman said. Anna smiled at the woman who smiled back.

    The rest of the ride to the guard house was in awkward silence. She wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to the women and didn¡¯t want to find out. She hopped out of the wagon when they stopped in front of the guard house and helped the rest of the women out.

    Once finished, they went inside the squat stone building. The inside was rather severe looking, and of course, filled with guards.

    She was led to a room near the back of the building. The lead guard pounded on the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± a man said. He pushed the door open, and they walked into a plain room with a desk next to a window.

    A well-dressed man sat behind the desk writing something on a large piece of paper. ¡°Have a seat miss,¡± the captain said.

    ¡°Come with me you two. You can meet back up with her after she talks to the captain,¡± the lead guard said. He took Gwen and Lucy away, closing the door behind him.

    Anna sat on a large chair in front of the desk. The man looked up at her.

    ¡°Would you care to explain how you managed to defeat one of the most infamous gangs in the city and break up a kidnapping ring all alone?¡± the captain asked.

    ¡°I just kept punching them until they stopped moving,¡± Anna replied.

    The guard captain gave her a flat look. ¡°Please try to be more specific,¡± he said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna replied. ¡°I was on my way home from the temple district,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What time was it and who were you meeting?¡± the captain asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what time it was, but it was dark, and I was with three paladins at the temple of light,¡± Anna replied.

    The captain sat up. ¡°What were you with them for?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We were taking a bath,¡± Anna replied. The captain looked confused by this. ¡°They thought I might be the chosen one, I¡¯m not by the way, and because they barged in my house in the middle of the night to ask, they let me take a bath with them,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°I see. Tell me, what were their names?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Godfrey, Leon, and Matilda,¡± Anna replied.

    The captain¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Gods, you¡¯re telling the truth!¡± he said.

    ¡°Why would I lie?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, forgive me. I didn¡¯t intend to say that out loud,¡± he said.

    I do that all the time.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Please, continue your story,¡± the captain said.

    She did and told him of her night. It wasn¡¯t a very long story.

    Those men were nothing compared to the things I¡¯ve fought before.

    The captain wrote everything she told him down, and when she finished, he signed the bottom of the paper.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to corroborate your story with the temple, just a formality of course. Once that¡¯s done, you¡¯ll be free to go,¡± the captain said.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Several of the men died,¡± the captain replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said. She frowned. She hadn¡¯t intended to kill anyone.

    Is that what my friends are worried about?

    The captain stood up. ¡°Come with me. There¡¯s a nice room you can wait in,¡± he said.

    She followed him out of the office and down the hall. He opened the door to a small room with a window and a desk. There was a bookshelf as well.

    ¡°Feel free to read if you¡¯d like. I¡¯ll return when we receive word from the temple,¡± the captain said.

    Anna just nodded and went to sit in the chair. She didn¡¯t feel like reading.

    They were bad people, just like those bandits, right?

    She sighed. This had been different. Those men had attacked her and her friends. She had gone looking for these men and ended up killing a few of them taking out her frustration. She replayed the fight over and over in her head trying to figure out who had died before there was a knock on the door. She looked up and the door opened the captain stuck his head into the room.

    ¡°You¡¯re free to go,¡± he said.

    She left the room. The captain walked with her to the front of the building.

    ¡°Your companions are waiting for you,¡± he said.

    She nodded. Lucy and Gwen were sitting in chairs. Lucy was looking at her feet, and Gwen was chatting with a guard who was politely talking to her. They both got up when they noticed Anna walk in. She left the guard house with the other two women in tow.

    ¡°So, where are we going?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°Back to my house,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You have a house?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, are you going to bring him along?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°Yes, and Lucy is a woman,¡± Anna replied. Poor Lucy was red-faced at the moment.

    ¡°How can you be sure? He looks like a boy to me,¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a boy!¡± Lucy replied.

    ¡°I checked,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What do you mean, you checked?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°I felt between her legs. There¡¯s nothing there,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It could have been tiny. If it gets cold and it''s small it shrivels up to a nub,¡± Gwen said.

    Anna looked over at Lucy. She¡¯s not pretty, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not a man.

    Lucy had a face that could belong to either sex and her thin body didn¡¯t give any clues either as to her gender. Her clothing was loose fitting as well. All and all, it was impossible to tell one way or the other.

    ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Anna asked.

    Gwen looked at Lucy and then at Anna. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± she said.

    Lucy glared at Gwen. ¡°I¡¯M NOT A BOY, DAMMIT!¡± Lucy said.

    ¡°It really doesn¡¯t matter, and we¡¯re all going to find out soon,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lucy asked.

    ¡°I need a bath, and so do both of you, so I¡¯m getting some coin, and we are going to get one,¡± Anna replied. She¡¯d already had a bath that day, but now she was splattered in dried blood, so she needed another one.

    I hope they can get this dress clean. It¡¯s my only one now.

    Her poor yellow dress was splattered with blood as well. She¡¯d just have to stay home for a week if it couldn¡¯t be cleaned.

    People are weird about blood.

    Her house wasn¡¯t terribly far from the guard house, and they made it there just after dawn. Anna unlocked the door and went inside followed by her two new friends.

    ¡°Do you want to eat first?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Could we?¡± Gwen asked.

    Anna didn¡¯t feel like stirring the soup, so she just went to the pantry and got some eggs and bacon. She took the long-handled skillet from the rack and got a fire going. Once it was good and hot, she put the bacon on the skillet and started to cook it. The two women were hovering over her while she cooked.

    ¡°Go get a big plate,¡± Anna said, pointing to where the plates were. Gwen zipped over and got one. Anna flipped the bacon by hand a few times, one of the benefits of being what she was is that she didn¡¯t need to use cooking utensils. Once finished, she piled the crispy bacon on the plate.

    ¡°Go put it on the table and get another plate. Don¡¯t eat any,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Gwen replied and rushed off.

    Anna cracked the eggs into the skillet and took a long-handled spatula hanging from the mantle.

    Can¡¯t flip these bare handed.

    She loaded up the plate Gwen was holding. They sat at the table when she was finished. Lucy got a few of the small plates, and they divided up the food.

    Gwen dug in like a starved wolf causing both Anna and Lucy to stare.

    Gwen looked up with a mouth full of eggs. ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°And you think I¡¯m a man?¡± Lucy said.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Gwen replied between bites.

    There was a knock on the door. Anna got up and went to answer it. She opened the door to see a few dwarves standing out front, including the blonde one she¡¯d hired to build her garden boxes.

    ¡°Morn¡¯n, lass. Just letting you know we¡¯re here ¡®cause we are going to be making some noise,¡± the dwarf said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anna replied.

    The dwarf nodded, and then they started to measure her window, and she closed the door again.

    Anna went back to the table where she finished eating. She got her belt and put it on hoping it wouldn¡¯t tear the yellow dress. She went downstairs and remembered she¡¯d left her new iron club with the guards.

    Oh well.

    They washed the dishes and then set out to the baths.

    ¡°Could you tell my friends I¡¯m at the baths if they come over?¡± she asked the dwarves as she left.

    The blonde dwarf just grunted in response. That was good enough for her, and they started to walk.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the baths before,¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°I can tell,¡± Lucy replied. Gwen stuck her tongue out.

    The woman was filthy. Anna didn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t go get a bath. They were cheap enough.

    Anna paid for her companions at the baths and went to the women¡¯s section. Lucy stripped without hesitation, revealing a thin body with small breasts and a slit between her legs proving she was a she just like she had said earlier.

    Gwen looked her over and then shrugged. ¡°You have a boy¡¯s face. You can¡¯t blame me,¡± she said.

    Lucy just made a rude gesture and put her clothes in the basket to be washed. Anna undressed as well, causing her companions to stare.

    ¡°Gods above and below!¡± Gwen said. She walked over and squeezed Anna¡¯s breasts.

    ¡°Quit that!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Sorry, I just had to make sure they were real,¡± Gwen replied.

    ¡°Of course they¡¯re real!¡± Anna said. Lucy was still just staring. ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    Lucy shook her head. ¡°Nothing, sorry,¡± she replied.

    Gwen took off her ragged dress next.

    What happened to her?

    Gwen was far beyond skinny. Her ribs were showing, as were the edges of her hip bones. Her limbs were thin with joints looking like knobs. She turned away slightly. She had a pretty face, but now that Anna really looked, she noticed that the woman¡¯s cheeks were sunk in, and she looked sort of ill.

    Anna walked over to the attendant that sat in a chair next to the towels. She handed the woman her dress and a silver coin.

    The woman looked shocked. ¡°It¡¯s my favorite dress, and I got some blood on it. Please try to get the stain out?¡± Anna asked. The woman nodded. ¡°Oh, and could you get the red head a new dress? Hers is too far gone,¡± Anna said.

    The attendant looked at Gwen and frowned for a moment. ¡°I can miss,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anna said.

    Gwen had dropped her arms, and Anna looked at her chest. Her breasts looked deflated and just hung down like an old woman¡¯s.

    She looks like the people at the crossroads.

    They washed each other off, not that Anna needed help. She was just being nice. Gwen was the worst of them, and both Anna and Lucy scrubbed her to get the caked-on grime off. Once they finished, they got into the bath and sat next to each other.

    There were a few others in the bath, but being so early, it was mostly empty.

    ¡°So, what do you want with me?¡± Lucy asked.

    ¡°We need someone that can pick locks and spot traps in my party,¡± Anna replied. Lucy nodded.

    ¡°So just business then?¡± Lucy asked.

    ¡°Yep, nothing weird,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go now, so I guess I¡¯ll say yes,¡± Lucy said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, but we have to talk to the others before you are in for real,¡± Anna replied. Lucy nodded.

    ¡°Makes sense. I take it you¡¯re not the leader then?¡± Lucy asked.

    ¡°No, Voekeer is,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°An elf?¡± Lucy asked.

    ¡°Yes, is that a problem?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just I¡¯ve never really known any elves. They don¡¯t come to the slums that often,¡± Lucy replied.

    ¡°No one goes to the slums unless they have to,¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°Why were you in the slums?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go,¡± Gwen replied.

    Anna looked at Gwen for a moment. The woman looked haunted for just an instant.

    What does she want with me?

 Chapter 38

    ¡°Just can¡¯t stay out of the baths, can you?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I got dirty again,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How¡¯d you manage that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°She saved me and a bunch of other women from getting sold into slavery by a gang,¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Oh yes. She beat them all to a pulp and just bashed the door to the room we were being held in,¡± Gwen replied.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little hero?¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like a hero,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What happened, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Some of the men died,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You should have killed them all! They deserved it!¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Quiet you! You don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking to!¡± Elaine hissed. Her glare caused Gwen to shrink back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this when we get in the bath,¡± Barika said.

    Her friends undressed and rinsed off quickly before joining them in the bath. Gwen looked nervously at the newcomers.

    ¡°Now child, tell us what happened,¡± Barika said.

    Anna sighed and then told her friends about her night. Lucy and Gwen looked shocked to find out she¡¯d been with paladins in the temple of light before she came to the hideout, and her friends looked worried when she talked about beating the men.

    ¡°You did a good thing saving those women, child, and those men wouldn¡¯t have let them go without a fight. Just try and hold back more if it happens again,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°She was holding back?¡± Lucy asked with a horrified look on her face.

    ¡°Yes. You have no idea how lucky you all were,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Why did you ask me to join you?¡± Lucy asked.

    ¡°You asked her to join us?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Thokri said we could use a scout, and she can pick locks,¡± Anna replied. Her friends looked at the nervous woman.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that with the men,¡± Barika said. Elaine and Lyreen nodded.

    Barika looked at Gwen and frowned. ¡°When¡¯s the last time you ate, child?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Uh, breakfast with Anna just before we came here,¡± Gwen replied.

    ¡°And before that?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yesterday when I was kidnapped,¡± Gwen replied.

    ¡°Tell me child, where do you live?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Uh, on the streets,¡± Gwen replied.

    Barika grabbed Gwen by the face and looked at her closely. ¡°When were you going to tell us you have the wasting pox?¡± Barika asked. Lyreen, Elaine and Lucy scooted away.

    ¡°I, I, I, I¡¯m sorry. I just didn¡¯t want you all to hate me!¡± Gwen replied.

    Barika sighed. ¡°She¡¯s not contagious anymore,¡± Barika said. The others relaxed some. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have much longer,¡± Barika said softly.

    ¡°I know,¡± Gwen replied.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Wasting pox kills all of its victims unless it¡¯s treated early on,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°There must be something we can do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°A high priest could heal her or a flesh crafter,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Flesh crafter?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Mages that can control living flesh. She¡¯d need an archmage though, and I doubt there are any around here,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What about a high priest? Is there one in the city?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, child,¡± Barika replied sadly.

    Anna rubbed her chin for a moment. ¡°What about paladins?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, child. A paladin¡¯s blessing is martial. They usually can¡¯t heal all that well,¡± Barika replied. Anna frowned.

    There has to be something we can do!

    My people can help,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°They can?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°We have a cure for the wasting pox. I¡¯m not sure if it would work on humans, but our healers are much better than yours are,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Gwen burst into tears. ¡°You mean the elves could have saved my family?¡± she sobbed.

    ¡°Only if an elf asked them to,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Gwen looked distraught. ¡°The lord didn¡¯t let other races live in our village,¡± she said.

    ¡°My people wouldn¡¯t have even if he did,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna stood up. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen got up as well. ¡°I want Voekeer to come with us. I don¡¯t want to deal with other elves without him,¡± Lyreen replied.

    They got dressed and left. Gwen¡¯s new dress fit her fairly well, all be it loosely, and Anna¡¯s yellow dress was spotless much to her delight.

    Thokri and Voekeer were drinking with the dwarves inside Anna¡¯s house when she got back. The garden boxes were finished, and the dwarves had brought a barrel of ale to share.

    ¡°What¡¯d ya think, lass?¡± the blond dwarf asked.

    ¡°I think the boxes are nicer than the house is,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye. Used Ironwood. Had some left over from another deal,¡± the blond dwarf said.

    ¡°Oh, nice,¡± Anna replied. Ironwood didn¡¯t rot, so that meant she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the boxes.

    ¡°Got this for ya, lass,¡± another dwarf said. He held out a small clay pot with a brightly colored mushroom in it.

    ¡°Pretty,¡± Anna replied. The dwarf grinned.

    ¡°Keep ¡®em around the house myself. Wife loves them,¡± he said.

    ¡°I can see why,¡± Anna replied. She set it down on the table. Being a mushroom, it probably didn¡¯t like light, so she¡¯d have to place it somewhere away from the windows.

    ¡°We can fix this place up nice if you¡¯d like, lass,¡± the blond dwarf said.

    Anna looked around. While the house was nice, it wasn¡¯t exactly what she had wanted. ¡°Oh, that would be wonderful. But you¡¯ll have to wait until I¡¯m out of town first,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Might want to work out a deal now, lass. We won¡¯t be here longer than a few weeks,¡± Thokri said.

    Anna reached into her belt pouch and pulled out a handful of gold coins. She handed them to the blonde dwarf. ¡°I want a bath like in the ground like the bath houses. I want stone floors, and I want my friends to stay with me,¡± Anna said.

    The blond dwarf looked at the gold in his hand, and a huge smile grew on his face. ¡°Aye,¡± he said.

    The other dwarves all looked at the pile of gold with greed in their eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll work it out with you, lad,¡± Thokri said, clapping the blonde dwarf on the shoulder. The blonde dwarf looked over at Thokri and nodded.

    ¡°We should get going. It wouldn¡¯t look good if we are drunk when we see the healer,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Why do we need a healer?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know on the way,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Lock up when you lads are finished,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± the blonde dwarf replied.

    She left her house with her friends, not worried about the dwarves.

    Worst thing that could happen with them is finding them passed out on the floor when I get back.

    So, what¡¯s this about, and who are they?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Anna found us a scout, and the red head needs our help,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Voekeer nodded and then moved next to Lucy. Thokri walked up next to her as well.

    That poor woman. She knew that the former gang member was about to get grilled.

    They left the market district and headed to the area of the city where most of the elves chose to live. It was near noon when they arrived on the street where the elven healers would most likely be.

    ¡°Did you live here when you went to school?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like being around other elves. They treat me weird when they find out about my parents,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I just stayed at the guild hall,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They found a healer¡¯s shop fairly quickly and entered the well-kept building. The insides smelled of herbs, and a kind looking elf man greeted them with a smile from behind a counter. He said something in elvish that made Lyreen turn bright red.

    ¡°Uh, I have plenty of that,¡± Lyreen replied in common. The man laughed.

    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s just what most young couples come to me for,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Can you treat advanced wasting pox in humans?¡± Lyreen asked.

    The elf looked at the party, and his eyes locked on Gwen. He looked her over a few times.

    ¡°Who is she to you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Someone who needs your help,¡± Anna replied. She walked over to the counter.

    The elf looked her in the eyes for a moment. ¡°I have no reason to save a human,¡± he said.

    ¡°What if I give you something special?¡± Anna asked.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see what you could possibly offer me,¡± he said.

    Anna smiled and started to sing. Her hauntingly beautiful song filled the room. It was one of wonder and joy with tinges of regret. It went on for some time, and when she finished, everyone in the room had wet eyes. A few new faces were there looking at her in awe.

    She looked at the elf behind the counter and smiled. ¡°So, will you help her?¡± Anna asked.

    He just nodded and started to collect herbs from the shelves next to him. An elf woman walked up to her.

    ¡°What was that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A gift from my father,¡± Anna replied.

    The elf woman hesitated for a moment. ¡°Would you sing for my mother? She don¡¯t have much time left, and I think that song would help her more than a potion,¡± the elf woman asked.

    ¡°She will,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna looked at her friend. The woman had a pleading look in her eyes. Voekeer was looking at her the same way. Anna smiled and nodded.

    The woman took her by the hands. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± she said.

    Barika walked up to the counter and watched the elf healer as he worked.

    ¡°Would you teach me the recipe?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll write it down for you when I finish,¡± the elf replied.

    It didn¡¯t take him long to craft the cure, and soon he held a large flask filled with greenish brown sludge. He walked out from behind the counter and handed it to Gwen.

    ¡°It tastes like a dwarf smells, but you will need to drink it all,¡± the elf healer said.

    Gwen took the flask and downed it like one would a mug of cheap ale. She gagged a few times once she finished but kept it down.

    The healer looked her over. ¡°How old are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nineteen,¡± Gwen replied.

    The healer nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll need to eat rich foods for the next year to build up your strength, but you¡¯re still young enough to bounce back completely,¡± he said.

    ¡°This was it? This could have saved my family?¡± Gwen asked.

    The elf healer didn¡¯t say a word. He just went back behind the counter and wrote down the recipe for the cure. He handed it to Barika.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. He just nodded.

    They left the healer¡¯s shop. The man was busy, and they didn¡¯t want to take up anymore of his time. Barika handed the recipe to Anna.

    ¡°Please memorize this for me,¡± she said.

    Anna looked at it and then handed it back. ¡°Done,¡± Anna said.

    The elf woman looked at Anna for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re not human, are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna replied.

    The elf woman wasn¡¯t young. She looked like a human woman in her fifties which meant she was over fifteen hundred years old.

    She¡¯s probably seen a lot of humans in her life.

    They entered the elf¡¯s home. It wasn¡¯t that far from the healer¡¯s shop, so it wasn¡¯t much of a walk. It was a nice place. At least, she thought it was. She hadn¡¯t been inside a lot of homes. It reminded her of her own home with a large main room that contained a fireplace and such.

    ¡°Would you all mind waiting here? Mother is frail, and I don¡¯t want to fill her room with strange people,¡± the elf woman said.

    ¡°We understand,¡± Barika replied.

    The woman looked at Lyreen and Voekeer. ¡°Would you two mind joining us? She¡¯d love to see young people, and all of my children moved back to the village,¡± the elf woman said.

    ¡°Of course, we will,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They walked up the stairs and down a small hallway. There were two rooms in this house. They went into the one on the right.

    The oldest elf that Anna had ever seen was in a large bed in the corner of the room. She turned her head to see who had entered her room.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought some guests, mother,¡± the elf woman said.

    ¡°Oh? Well, come closer and let me see you,¡± the old woman replied.

    Lyreen walked over first. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m Lyreen,¡± she said.

    The old woman smiled. ¡°Come closer dear. Let me look at you,¡± the old woman said. Lyreen leaned in close. ¡°You¡¯re just the cutest thing, aren¡¯t you dear. Tell me, how old are you?¡± the old woman asked.

    ¡°Twenty-four,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s wonderful!¡± the old woman said. She started to cough. It was a terrible hacking cough. Lyreen looked worried.

    The old woman smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, child. I¡¯m dying, and we both know it,¡± she said. Lyreen frowned. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It happens to us all,¡± the old woman added.

    Not all of us.

    Voekeer walked over and put his hand on Lyreen¡¯s arm.

    ¡°And who might you be?¡± the old woman asked.

    ¡°Voekeer, ma¡¯am,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a handsome one. So, are you sweet on this girl here?¡± the old woman asked.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Voekeer replied. He grinned at her.

    ¡°How wonderful. Make sure you treat each other right,¡± the old woman said.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Voekeer and Lyreen chimed.

    Anna smiled. She liked the old woman. She was nice. She walked over to the bed.

    The old woman looked over at her and gasped. Her eyes went wide, and she said something in elvish.

    Lyreen and Voekeer looked shocked, and the elven woman rushed over.

    ¡°No, mother. She¡¯s just a girl I met at the healer¡¯s shop. She¡¯s here to sing you a song. That¡¯s all,¡± the elf woman said as she rushed over to calm the old woman.

    Anna walked over to the bed. ¡°What did she call me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the name of the beings that bring souls to the tree for judgment,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Like a reaper?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, but far better looking,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Anna looked at the old woman and held out her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Anna,¡± she said.

    The old woman looked at her hand and then smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Reena. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± she said and took Anna¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re so warm,¡± the old woman added.

    ¡°Would you like to hear my song?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Of course, but will you tell me how old you are first?¡± the old woman asked.

    ¡°One,¡± Anna replied.

    The old woman looked shocked as did her daughter.

    ¡°I was created by an eternal being, and I¡¯m eternal. I¡¯ll never change in anyway,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± the daughter said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what it¡¯s like to be so young and to have forever in front of me,¡± the old woman said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem real sometimes,¡± Anna replied truthfully.

    The old woman cackled. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just met someone like you right before I die. Oh, what fun we could have had,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s been terrifying,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°How¡¯s that, dear?¡± the old woman asked.

    ¡°She has tentacles and acts like a dwarf,¡± Lyreen said.

    The old woman cackled again and then started to cough into her hand. ¡°Now, I¡¯m jealous,¡± she said when she recovered.

    Anna grinned and said something rude to Lyreen in dwarven.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s that flexible,¡± the old woman replied in dwarven.

    ¡°Oh, she is, and she likes to call him daddy,¡± Anna said in dwarven. The old woman let out a belly laugh and then nearly hacked up a lung.

    The daughter rolled her eyes. ¡°Mother always liked to pal around with dwarves when she was younger,¡± she said.

    ¡°You should try it yourself,¡± the old woman replied.

    ¡°MOTHER!¡± the daughter said.

    The old woman cackled again and then patted Anna¡¯s hand. ¡°Better sing your song. It¡¯s not going to be long now,¡± the old woman said. She had a pained look on her face.

    Anna nodded and started to sing. It was a happy song filled with joy. She thought of her friends and their travels together. Of the dwarves and their antics in the tavern. Of all the pranks she¡¯d pulled and the fun mistakes she¡¯d made over the last year. She heard the daughter crying and stopped singing.

    The old woman was limp and pale. The daughter had her head on the woman¡¯s chest and was crying into it while holding the old woman¡¯s hand. Lyreen was sobbing into Voekeer¡¯s chest while he looked on with wet eyes. Anna wasn¡¯t sure what she should do, so she just stood there quietly.

    Voekeer started to sing in elven. It was a sad song. Lyreen joined in, and soon the daughter started to sing as well. They finished a few minutes later.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get someone,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman replied. She stood back up and covered the old woman with a blanket. She hugged Lyreen afterward and started to cry again.

    After a moment they left the room and went downstairs.

    The rest of the party looked at them sadly. They knew what had just happened. The daughter sat down at her table.

    ¡°Thank you. That was exactly what she needed,¡± she said, looking at Anna.

    Anna really didn¡¯t understand, so she just nodded. I shouldn¡¯t smile.

    Elves swarmed into the house. Most of them went to the elf woman to comfort her. A few went up the stairs. They came down with the old woman wrapped in a sheet a few minutes later.

    Everyone left the house. They followed the elves who carried the old woman. Everyone was singing that song, and elves started to pour out of their houses to join the procession.

    Hundreds of elves ended up walking with them all the way to the temple district. They went to the grove that was the temple to the elven goddess.

    Anna and the other non-elves stopped at the entrance but ended up being dragged into the grove by some of the elves that had been in the house.

    They walked down a path. The trees were thicker than a forest on either side. There was an opening, and when they walked into it, she could see a massive tree in the center with a wooden altar at its base.

    The men placed the old woman on the alter and filed away. An elf woman in a green dress walked out from behind the tree and up to the alter. She faced the crowd and held her hands up.

    She started to chant in elven. The crowd copied her when she paused. The chants got louder and louder until a cracking sound split the air. A branch the size of a normal tree fell from the massive tree.

    Men in robes walked out from behind the tree. They carried axes and began to chop the branch up. Once they finished, they piled it up. Then they disappeared back behind the tree.

    The priestess picked up the old woman and set her on the pile of wood. She took a step back and held out her hand. A golden beam shot out, and suddenly the pile of wood erupted into brilliant golden flames.

    The crowd stilled and watched the fire burn in silence. It took hours for it to burn out, and just after sunset, the last wisps of smoke puffed out of the pyre.

    The priestess turned to the crowd, raised her hands, and said a single word. The old woman¡¯s daughter walked out of the crowd and up to the priestess. The priestess hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Then she turned and went to the pyre. She put her fingers in the ash and then drew symbols on the daughter¡¯s face. The daughter nodded and then walked to the side.

    Another elf walked to the priestess. She hugged him as well and then painted the symbols on his face.

    Elf after elf walked up. The crowd next to the priestess was bigger than the crowd facing the tree now. Voekeer walked up, and then Lyreen took Anna¡¯s hand and pulled her along.

    Once the priestess was finished with Lyreen, Anna walked up nervously. The priestess hugged her and kissed her cheek.

    ¡°This is our way, child. Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± she whispered in Anna¡¯s ear.

    The woman painted the symbols on Anna¡¯s face, and she walked over to stand next to Lyreen. Her other friends were next. The priestess hesitated when she got to Elaine but ended up hugging and kissing her anyway.

    Elaine looked kind of funny with ashes painted over her tattoos, but Anna didn¡¯t grin at her. It seemed rude to do that.

    Soon, the last elf joined them, and then the priestess knelt next to the pyre and drew the symbols on her own face. She stood up and faced the crowd. She said a single word, and the crowd repeated it. Then they broke.

    A few of them walked over to the pyre and tapped their chests before leaving the grove. Most crowded around the woman¡¯s daughter. The priestess walked over to the party.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware other races would be here. Otherwise, I would have talked to you beforehand,¡± the priestess said.

    ¡°We happened to be at the healer when her daughter was there. She asked us over to see her mother. My friend here knows a wonderful song, and she thought it would comfort her mother at the end,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I hope it helped. Reena suffered so at the end,¡± the priestess replied.

    ¡°She was smiling at the end,¡± Anna said. The priestess put her hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Thank you for that. Reena was one of the best of us. She should have been in the capital surrounded by family at the end, but she wanted to be with her oldest daughter,¡± the priestess said.

    ¡°Who was she? I¡¯ve never seen a funeral like that before, even for the elders in my village,¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°She was one of the ten,¡± the priestess replied. Voekeer and Lyreen¡¯s mouths fell.

    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The ten are the great leaders of our people. They are selected from the elders and are the greatest at whatever their craft might be. Reena was the greatest negotiator of her time,¡± the priestess replied.

    The priestess looked around. ¡°I have to go now. Come back and see me sometime. I¡¯d love to hear that song of yours,¡± she added. She walked off and started to talk to other people in the crowd.

    A few other elves came over to talk with them.

    Suddenly, the crowd cleared, and a pale white-haired elf walked over. He was taller than Voekeer, and everyone seemed nervous around him. He ignored the others and stared at her as he walked. He towered over her and looked down into her eyes. He had solid green eyes with no whites or pupils.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Anna,¡± Anna said, holding out her hand.

    He grasped her hand with his own. His fingers were oddly long, far longer than his palms were.

    ¡°I¡¯m Mareep. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he replied.

    Lyreen and Voekeer just stared in shock at him.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you two?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That would be me. I happen to be of the high elf race. Common elves like them are often in awe of us,¡± Mareep replied.

    They are stuck up, aren¡¯t they?

    ¡°Ooooh, so you¡¯re an immortal like me?¡± Anna asked.

    Mareep cocked his head to the side. His eyes sparkled with magic. ¡°Not quite. You have the look of an outsider. I¡¯m sure there are a few differences,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Give me your hands, Anna,¡± Mareep said. Anna held out her hands, and he took them in his own.

    She felt a pulse of something go through her.

    ¡°Your mana core is the size of a dragon¡¯s, but I¡¯m afraid you have no inward facing mana channels,¡± Mareep said.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You will never be able to cast spells, at least not any crafted by elves or humans,¡± Mareep replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You need to be able to draw some of the mana you push into a spell back into yourself,¡± Elaine replied, stepping next to Anna.

    ¡°The human is right,¡± Mareep said.

    ¡°Oh well. I can use spell rings, so it¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied. Mareep smiled.

    ¡°There¡¯s always a way,¡± he said. He looked around at the crowd some more. ¡°We should meet elsewhere and speak more. This is not the place for the exchange of knowledge,¡± Mareep said.

    ¡°The lad¡¯s right. Elves are kind of stiff during funerals,¡± Thokri replied.

    Mareep smiled. It was a strange smile. His mouth was far larger than it should be. ¡°We shall meet at the dwarven hall. I should like to drink the black ale again. It has been centuries,¡± Mareep said.

    ¡°Aye, good idea,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Now I must comfort the mourners. We will speak again in a week,¡± Mareep said. He walked away without saying goodbye.

    ¡°He was kind of weird,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I think we should go now,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°That would be wise, child. We don¡¯t know enough of elven customs to stay,¡± Barika replied.

    They walked to the pyre and tapped their chests like the other elves had and then left the grove.

    Lucy stopped and just screamed into the night once they were outside.

    ¡°And she broke,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye. I¡¯m surprised it took this long,¡± Thokri replied.

    Barika walked over and hugged the woman. ¡°Just let it out, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What is going on? Nothing that¡¯s happened today makes any sense! How did I end up at an elven leader¡¯s funeral talking to a high elf?! I¡¯m just a dirty street girl! I don¡¯t get it!¡± Lucy wailed.

    ¡°You met Anna,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°WHO THE FUCK IS SHE?!¡± Lucy screamed.

    ¡°A baby tentacle monster whose father rules over a dimension of dreams,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What?¡± Lucy asked. She was shaking now.

    Anna opened an eye. Lucy took one look at it and passed out.

    ¡°Was the eye too much?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    Voekeer smacked him on the back of the head, and Thokri just chuckled. Barika passed Lucy to Anna who tossed her over her shoulder.

    ¡°When she wakes up, we¡¯ll know if she¡¯ll stay or not,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°How do you feel about this?¡± Elaine asked Gwen. The woman shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fuck her tentacles if she wants me to,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Ewww, no!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Just offering,¡± Gwen said. Her friends chuckled.

    They walked back to Anna¡¯s house to find a dwarven party raging. Dozens of dwarves were drinking from casks that were lined up in front of her house.

    ¡°AH, THERE YOU ARE, LASS!¡± the blonde dwarf said. He walked over and handed her a full mug of ale. He then turned his head and threw up in the street. After that, he walked over, got more ale, and started to drink again.

    Anna took a drink of the ale and walked into her house. Dwarves filled the main room and food lined her table.

    ¡°Fuck it,¡± Voekeer said. He walked over and started to pick food off the table.

    Anna set Lucy in the corner and looked around.

    What a weird day!

    She started to eat the food herself figuring that going with it was the best thing she could do.

 Chapter 39

    She woke up the next morning with a naked dwarven woman in her bed with her. She scooted off the bed and put her dress back on.

    She went downstairs to find her house filled with passed out dwarves. They were everywhere. A few dwarves were awake, and they were cooking breakfast, lots of breakfast. There was a pile of bacon already on the table and what looked like a pile of eggs being prepared.

    The table was clean and clear of dwarves. She sat down and started to munch some of the bacon, not caring if she was supposed to wait or not.

    It¡¯s my house after all.

    None of the dwarves said a word. She spotted all of her friends, including Gwen and Lucy, passed out here and there amongst the piles of dwarves.

    A plate of scrambled eggs was set next to her along with a small plate and a fork for her to eat with. She piled the eggs on her plate and took a handful of bacon.

    The dwarves sliced and toasted several loaves of bread and placed them on the table with a crock of butter that wasn¡¯t hers. Not really caring of the origin of any of the food, she buttered her bread and started to eat.

    Either the sound of her crunching away or the smell of the food started to rouse the dwarves. Soon there was a line next to her table, and the dwarves each got a plate and then went off to eat, sitting in random places around her house. Thokri joined her at the table.

    ¡°Now, that was a party, lass,¡± he said while filling his plate.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied. Out of her friends, Barika was the next up. She sat next to Anna and Thokri at the table and rubbed her temples.

    ¡°Oh goddess, I haven¡¯t felt like this in years,¡± she said.

    A dwarf set a vial in front of her and patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Drink this, lass. It helps,¡± he said. Barika downed the vial and sneezed a few times.

    ¡°That stuff is potent,¡± she said.

    ¡°I really need to make some more,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you if you teach me the recipe,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t ask earlier,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I had no idea it was this effective,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°You should have just asked Elaine. She drank all of my other ones,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She does enjoy her drink, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    The rest of her friends joined her one by one, including Gwen. Lucy, on the other hand, vanished as soon as she woke up.

    ¡°Guess we have our answer,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°It must have been the eye,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay with you all either, but I won¡¯t disappear. The dwarves offered me a job at the hall,¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You need to take care of yourself, child. Even though you¡¯ve been cured, your body is in terrible shape,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Gwen replied.

    Everyone stuffed themselves, and then the dwarves cleaned up the house.

    By the time the last dwarf walked out, it was spotless. The party sat at the table, unable to move from their over-full bellies.

    ¡°I really like dwarves,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to grow quite fond of them myself, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°So, what are we going to do today?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make potions,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going back to the market then?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    Once everyone could move again, they left her house and headed to the market. This time they went to a shady part known for alchemists. The profession didn¡¯t have the best reputation with honest practitioners, who usually called themselves apothecaries.

    Despite the poor reputation of said alchemists, the street was packed with people. They passed a wagon that was covered in bottles. A crowd was gathered around, and a greasy man was shouting all manner of strange claims about his potion.

    So, it can cure baldness, dry skin, impotence, whatever that is, insomnia, and fatigue. How is that even possible?

    She was beginning to understand why these people weren¡¯t trusted.

    They checked the shops and stalls until they found a man selling supplies and ingredients. He didn¡¯t seem all that trustworthy to Anna, but with the others there, she wasn¡¯t worried about getting ripped off.

    Elaine walked over to him, making sure that he could see her tattoos. Barika was next to her, and Thokri was standing behind them.

    ¡°How can I help you today?¡± the merchant asked nervously.

    ¡°We need these ingredients and a portable alchemist¡¯s kit,¡± Elaine said. She handed the list Anna had made to the man. He looked it over and nodded.

    ¡°I can do that. Twenty silver,¡± he said.

    ¡°Ten,¡± Elaine said. She was smiling a horrible smile and looking the man over like he was some piece of meat.

    He swallowed hard. ¡°Uh, I can¡¯t go that low. Is fifteen silver alright?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Twelve,¡± Elaine said.

    He just nodded slowly and started to pack up the ingredients. He kept looking at the party nervously as he worked.

    Anna felt sort of bad for him, but this is what her friends said was the best way to get the things she needed, so she didn¡¯t argue.

    Once the poor man was finished, Elaine paid him, and they took the bundle of herbs and the large case filled with everything she¡¯d need to make potions on the road.

    They went back to her house, and she set up the kit with Barika¡¯s help.

    Once that was finished, she started to measure out the herbs and mushrooms needed to make dwarven hangover cure. It was a complicated potion with a dozen different mushrooms and a few herbs that could only be found in caves. It made sense really. Dwarves didn¡¯t live above ground normally, so their remedies relied on subterranean ingredients.

    Each ingredient had to be ground to different consistencies and added at just the right moment and at just the right temperature. Thokri hadn¡¯t known all of the details, so she had sampled a vial he had on him, and thanks to her uncanny sense of taste, she was able to determine what was in it.

    How to make it on the other hand had taken a lot of trial and error on her part. She had to drink the disgusting potion herself, not wanting to poison her friends if she got it wrong. It took her days to get it right, but when she did, she was able to make every batch after the exact same way, so it was worth it.

    Poor Barika was overwhelmed watching Anna work. ¡°Child, how did you do this over a campfire in the middle of the night?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I can see in the dark, and once I learn to do something, I can¡¯t get it wrong,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m more impressed that Thokri knew how to make this stuff,¡± Lyreen said. She was engrossed in the process.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, lass. I just told her what I knew of it and gave her a drink of one. She started to taste every mushroom and herb we came across until she figured out what was in it, and then got to brewing away until she made one better than the ones I had,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Wait, you can tell what¡¯s in a potion by drinking it?¡± Lyreen asked in amazement.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied. Lyreen got up and pulled Voekeer to his feet.

    ¡°We need to go get a bunch of potions for her to try,¡± she said. Voekeer¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to save a fortune!¡± he replied.

    Elaine and Barika stood up as well. ¡°We¡¯re coming too,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, child, but this is far beyond anything I can do,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Anna replied.

    The others rushed out of her house, chatting about what potions they wanted her to drink. Thokri remained behind. He was drinking some of the ale that the other dwarves had left behind.

    ¡°Baa, when you drank that barrel of ale while doing a handstand, that was more impressive than the potion,¡± he said.

    ¡°That was fun. But if I catch whoever was flipping coins into my slit while I was doing it, I¡¯m going to shave them!¡± Anna said.

    Thokri burst into laughter. ¡°Missed that one, lass,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Whoever it was didn¡¯t. I had two sticking out when I finished.¡±

    The others had thirty potions when they came back. She had finished up the batch of hangover cure, so she started to sample the array of bottles they had put in front of her.

    Elaine had a quill and paper and was writing down the ingredients she knew of that were in each of them.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need to get samples of every possible herb, mushroom, and mineral that can go in a potion,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°You¡¯d better bring me some good drink to get the taste out of my mouth,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a few bottles of elven wine,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Fancy,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna replied, and her friends were off again.

    Anna stopped brewing potions and started to drink with Thokri. The potions in her belly weren¡¯t getting along with each other, and she kept burping every few minutes.

    ¡°Might not be a good idea to keep eat¡¯n strange things, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about,¡± he said.

    Anna just shrugged. She knew it would be okay. This time when her friends returned, they had bags filled with ingredients. There were a few flasks of liquids as well as a few slimy substances.

    ¡°I swear, if that¡¯s what it looks like, I¡¯ll roast you over a fire and eat you,¡± Anna said as Elaine handed her a vial of sticky fluid.

    ¡°How in the abyss would you know what that looks like? You¡¯ve never even seen one hard before,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it,¡± Anna said.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It¡¯s not, so shut up and drink it,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna snatched the vial from her and downed it. ¡°Blech,¡± she said. Elaine smirked at the face she had made.

    This went on for hours. She tasted the awful things, and they would tell her what it was and what its alleged properties were.

    Once she finished, she sampled hundreds of different things and had the worst taste in her mouth of her entire life. Voekeer pulled the cork from a large dark glass bottle he had been carrying. A sweet smell filled the room.

    He filled a mug and pushed it to her. She took a drink and a wonderful fruity taste washed away the terrible one that had been there. She drank the mug, and he filled it again. About halfway through the second one, her stomach rumbled loudly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna leaned over to one side and unleashed the most powerful flatulence that any present had ever heard.

    Before anyone could comment on it, a smell that could move mountains assailed their nostrils. Lyreen started to gag.

    ¡°Someone open a window!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Fuck a window! Open the door!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Someone light a fire,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it! The whole place might go up in flames!¡± Thokri said.

    Anna chuckled at their misfortune. She wasn¡¯t affected by it. She didn¡¯t need to breathe after all.

    They opened the windows and left the house. The stench was just too great to stay.

    ¡°We¡¯d better spend some time at the hall,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Works for me,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna had to walk behind the others on the way there. She wasn¡¯t finished gassing. As it turned out, the street was surprisingly empty as they walked.

    Once they reached the dwarven hall, she rushed to the privy. After spending an inordinately long time in there, she walked out to find her friends.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go in there,¡± Anna said with a smile.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to burn the place down now, lass,¡± Thokri replied grinning.

    ¡°I think we all learned a valuable lesson today,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Just because you can doesn¡¯t mean you should,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Seriously, how in the world did that smell come out of you?¡± Elaine asked. Anna just shrugged.

    They spent a few hours eating and drinking with the dwarves before heading out for the night. Anna went home and the others went back to the guild hall.

    The smell was gone when she got home, and she just went to bed for the night.

    She fell into a routine the next few days, and before she knew it, several weeks had passed. The high elf had never shown up at the dwarven hall. Thokri was certain he¡¯d just forgotten about them.

    The seamstress was friendly when they picked up their clothing. Anna was happy to have more dresses. She was worried that she¡¯d ruin the yellow dress wearing it around every day, not that she really went anywhere.

    She spent most of her time recreating the potions she had drank. It was slow-going. She had no idea where to start with any of them, but trial and error had prevailed, and she was halfway through them.

    She¡¯d also practiced with the magic rings and was able to use them without concentrating now.

    It had been a good few weeks for her, and the only thing that weighed on her mind was the guild master. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be gone this long, and her friends didn¡¯t want to take any jobs until they got their reward from the crossroads. She understood, but it was starting to annoy her.

    She sat at her table munching bacon.

    Better get over to the guild and see. She finished the bacon and cleaned up.

    ¡°I need to find Emily and thank her again,¡± Anna said, looking at the cleaning ring she¡¯d used to clean the dishes with. She had no idea that magic could be so useful.

    Before the rings, she¡¯d only seen a few spells that weren¡¯t combat related. She really wondered what mages had against these wonderful little things. She put the ring back into her belt pouch.

    She left her house, making sure to lock the door and walked outside. She was surrounded by a pleasant floral scent as she walked away.

    I¡¯m so glad I bought those boxes.

    ¡°Play with me!¡± a small boy said as he rushed over holding up a ball.

    ¡°I can¡¯t today. I have to go to the guild,¡± Anna replied.

    He sadly lowered the ball and slunk away dejectedly. Anna smirked at the display. She knew if she said yes, he¡¯d be instantly cheerful again. For some reason, all of the children in the neighborhood loved her. They would follow her around whenever she came home or left, and she always had a crowd of them nearby when she tended her gardens.

    It¡¯s got to be my hair.

    Their mothers on the other hand weren¡¯t all that fond of her. They claimed that it was because of all the dwarves and adventurers that started to hang around now that she moved in, but Anna had heard them all talking, and they were worried that she was going to take their husbands or something. Gwen had suggested she start kissing dwarves in front of her house.

    The dwarves really wanted to for some reason.

    She didn¡¯t want to kiss anyone, so she just ignored that suggestion.

    She just shook her head. People still confused her on a regular basis.

    She heard an enraged roar as she walked up to the guild hall. She rushed into the building. The place was a mess with tables turned over and broken chairs everywhere. Bruno was grappling an enormous green woman.

    Bruno glanced Anna¡¯s way. That was a mistake on his part. The green woman twisted away from him and then started to pummel the huge man, knocking him around with ease.

    Anna rushed forward at inhuman speed. She slammed her fist into the woman¡¯s guts doubling her over. Anna punched the woman in the side of her face knocking her unconscious and breaking her jaw. The woman fell to the floor with a loud thump.

    ¡°Thanks skinny,¡± Bruno said.

    ¡°No problem, fatso,¡± Anna replied. He chuckled then looked at the green woman and shook his head.

    ¡°Who is she?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Gorka, the Guild Master of the Oldforge adventurer¡¯s guild,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°You mean I just punched out the Guild Master?¡± Anna asked.

    Bruno grinned. ¡°Sure did,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She won¡¯t remember a thing, and I usually have to do it myself,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Orc rage. It¡¯s like berserking but worse. Orcs can¡¯t help it. If they get too angry, they just have to fight anything nearby,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°What made her so angry?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That idiot was harassing some new people and then mouthed off when I told him to knock it off,¡± Bruno replied.

    She looked to where Bruno was pointing and spotted Rupert who looked as if he¡¯d been slammed through a table and then beaten with a dozen or so chairs until they shattered.

    ¡°Is he dead?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Doubt it, bull men are tough,¡± Bruno replied. He walked over to Rupert and lifted him up by the leg. He dragged the beastkin to the door and tossed him outside.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want her to go off again when she sees the fucker,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°Where are the other two that are always with him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Pissed themselves and ran off as soon as she looked at them,¡± Bruno replied. Anna looked around and realized that everyone else was gone too.

    ¡°Did everyone run away?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yep, I told them too. I was the only one here who could take her in a fight, except for you evidently,¡± Bruno replied.

    Anna just shrugged.

    Bruno whistled and people started to pour out of the back room. Her friends included. They walked over and stood next to her, staring at the unconscious Guild Master.

    ¡°Did you?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yep. How could you tell?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Size of the bruise,¡± he said, pointing at the dark green splotch growing on the Guild Master¡¯s face.

    Everyone started to clean up the guild hall. The Guild Master was dragged out of the middle of the room and propped up against the counter at the rear of the room. It didn¡¯t take them long to clear the wreckage and set up new furniture.

    A few barmaids brought out drinks for everyone that helped. Bruno got a bucket filled with what Anna hoped was water and tossed it on the Guild Master. The woman sputtered and opened her eyes.

    ¡°Fuck man. I think you broke my jaw this time,¡± she said, holding a hand to the huge bruise on her face.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t me. It was skinny there,¡± Bruno replied. The Guild Master looked at Anna and smiled a toothy grin.

    Wow! Those are some big teeth!

    The guild master had two huge tusks jutting from her lower jaw. She walked over to Anna still grinning. Suddenly her hand shot out and grabbed Voekeer by the head. She squeezed.

    ¡°Why in the fuck did you lie on your reports boy?¡± the Guild Master asked.

    All Voekeer seemed to be able to do was make pained sounds for a moment before she loosened her grip.

    ¡°I never lied, ma¡¯am. I swear!¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Is that so? Then are telling me that the master of the order of the armored fist handed me an account signed by three paladins that¡¯s bullshit?¡± the Guild Master asked. She squeezed harder for a moment, then let him go. ¡°You knew exactly what she was, and you fucking lied about it! Don¡¯t do it again, or I¡¯ll eat you!¡± the Guild Master growled.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Voekeer replied rubbing his head.

    The guild master looked down at her and smiled again. ¡°Welcome to the guild kid,¡± she said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°And I¡¯m glad you joined up, too. I¡¯ll take all the magic specialists I can get,¡± the Guild Master said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen as much coin as I made in the last few months. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d say no,¡± Elaine replied. The Guild Master laughed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t expect that much again unless you start taking monster slaying quests like the Iron Fangs,¡± the guild master said. She looked around at the rest of the room. ¡°Alright! Listen up! I have a fuck ton of contracts from the temples. With the orders searching for the chosen one, they dumped all of their normal work on us. I expect all of you to take at least two contacts each. Make that five for parties, and if I catch you slacking, I¡¯ll feed you to Bruno!¡± the Guild Master said. The ogre grinned at everyone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have them on the board in the morning,¡± Bruno said.

    The guild master rubbed her jaw. She turned to Barika and smiled. Barika sighed and shook her head. She walked over to the guild master and touched her face. The soft golden glow covered her jaw.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the Guild Master said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Don¡¯t try to block any more of Anna¡¯s punches with your face,¡± Barika said.

    The Guild Master rubbed her jaw at the thought. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to,¡± she replied. She looked at Bruno. ¡°Get them their reward from the duke. They¡¯ve been lounging around town long enough,¡± she said.

    ¡°Sure thing, boss,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°Oh, and they can take the skull requests. But only if she goes with them,¡± the Guild Master said, nodding towards Anna.

    ¡°You sure, boss?¡± Bruno asked. He looked surprised.

    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± the Guild Master replied. She took a letter from her belt pouch and handed it to the ogre. He looked it over, his eyes growing wide as he read it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be shitting me!¡± Bruno said.

    ¡°Keep that between us,¡± the Guild Master replied, taking the letter back and putting it in her pouch once more.

    ¡°One more thing,¡± the Guild Master said. Everyone looked at her again. ¡°The duke¡¯s son is getting married, and the nobles are having a huge ball here for the occasion. The city¡¯s going to be crawling with them for weeks. Even the queen is going to attend. So, you filthy barbarians better not cause any trouble,¡± the guild master said. Bruno put his arm on her shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to keep some coin to pay off angry fathers,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Please tell me that damned Northman is out,¡± she said.

    ¡°He took the quest to clear monsters at lonesome keep,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°Thank the ancestors,¡± the Guild Master replied.

    The Guild Master and Bruno went behind the counter and started going through the paperwork.

    The group sat at a table and started to drink their drinks. Voekeer dropped his, but Lyreen gave him hers.

    ¡°I say we get our contracts and get out of here as soon as we can. I¡¯d rather not deal with a city full of nobles trying to show off to the queen,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Rupert slunk in a few minutes later. He was being helped by his two companions. They all looked around nervously before finding a table in an out of the way corner to sit.

    ¡°Lad needs to learn to shut his fucking mouth,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why did he become an adventurer if he just sits around the guild hall annoying people all day?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Guilds offer a lot of protection, and this one doesn¡¯t require a trade or apprenticeship first,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, and a big lad like that can take a few guard jobs a month to get by,¡± Thokri said.

    So, he¡¯s just boring.

    ¡°What¡¯s a skull contract?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°One where more than ten people have died,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°So, does that mean ten adventurers or anyone?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Anyone usually. The request comes in a skull,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I take it they pay more?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye, much more,¡± Thokri replied. Elaine got a greedy look on her face.

    She really likes coin.

    ¡°We¡¯d better get to the market and stock up on supplies before the merchants raise the prices,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get some food first,¡± Elaine replied. Anna waved over the barmaid.

    ¡°I want food,¡± she said. The others laughed.

    ¡°I bet you ate a whole plate of bacon before you came here,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Anna replied. Barika sighed.

    ¡°Out of all of her abilities, that¡¯s the one I want the most,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°To eat whatever and never get fat,¡± Barika replied. Lyreen and Elaine looked at Anna and sighed.

    ¡°Elves can get fat?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes. It just takes a lot of food,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯d get an ass if you ate as many cupcakes as she does,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Not everyone wants a giant ass like yours,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°MY ASS IS NOT GIANT!¡± Elaine yelled.

    ¡°Not this again,¡± Voekeer said. Both women turned to glare at him.

    ¡°You did it now, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m just saying that you both have nice rears,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°So, you were checking out her ass?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°What? No, I just saw it while we were bathing, that¡¯s all,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re not so bad yourself,¡± Elaine said and winked at him. Lyreen looked shocked and Voekeer just swallowed hard.

    ¡°Barika has the best butt out of all of us,¡± Anna said. Everyone looked at her.

    ¡°Thank you, child,¡± Barika said smirking.

    ¡°Can we please stop talking about this?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t say you have the best one,¡± Lyreen replied, ignoring Voekeer¡¯s pleas.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, so why would I say I did?¡± Anna asked. Lyreen just looked at her.

    ¡°Not everyone is as conceited as you are,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not conceited!¡± Lyreen replied. The others gave her a flat look. Other than Voekeer, who seemed to be studying the ceiling. Anna looked up as well to see what was up there.

    Oh, that¡¯s a big spider. She watched as it wrapped some unfortunate insect up to save for later.

    When she looked back down, everyone was looking at her.

    ¡°There was a spider,¡± she said, pointing up. Everyone started to laugh.

    ¡°Oh, child. Never change,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°But, I can¡¯t,¡± Anna said. This caused everyone to laugh even harder.

    Suddenly Elaine stopped laughing and went pale. She was staring at the entrance. Anna turned to look. A well-dressed man was looking right at Elaine.

    He looks familiar, but I¡¯ve never seen him before.

    She studied him for a moment. His hair was brown and curly. It was cut fairly short, reminding her of the knights she¡¯d seen. That wasn¡¯t the only thing that reminded her of knights or other soldiers she¡¯d met. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

    Her other friends were just as confused as she was. They kept looking at the man. He got to their table and looked down at Elaine with dark brown eyes.

    ¡°Richard?¡± Elaine asked. The man smiled.

    ¡°Is that any way to greet your eldest brother, little sister?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 40

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Elaine asked as she stood up. She glared at the man.

    ¡°I wanted to see my baby sister, that¡¯s all. It has been five years since you ran off without so much as a word,¡± Richard replied. Elaine¡¯s face flashed with anger.

    ¡°I ran away because of you!¡± she said.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my choice!¡± Richard replied.

    ¡°So, where¡¯s this wife of yours?¡± Elaine asked. Richard sighed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get married,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What do you mean you didn¡¯t get married?!¡± Elaine demanded.

    ¡°When her family found out how much debt we were in, they called it off,¡± Richard said. Elaine just looked at him as tears started to stream down her face.

    ¡°You mean everything I went though was for nothing!¡± Elaine said.

    Richard swept around the table and pulled her into a hug. He made shushing sounds, and he hugged her.

    ¡°We never stopped looking for you,¡± he said.

    Bruno walked over to the table and dropped a huge bag of coins right in the middle.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the pay for the crossroads,¡± he said. He paused and looked at Elaine and her brother expectantly.

    ¡°Thanks, lad,¡± Thokri said. Bruno shrugged and walked away.

    Must want to know what¡¯s going on.

    Anna wasn¡¯t sure what was going on or why Elaine was crying. She was going to toss the man over the wall until he hugged Elaine and comforted her.

    I¡¯ll ask Barika about it later.

    She didn¡¯t want to get yelled at for being weird again. She reached over, opened the bag of coins, and fished out five full rounds. Richard nearly fell over when he saw them.

    Elaine smiled at him. ¡°Five of those are mine for fighting a goblin army at the crossroads,¡± she said.

    ¡°That was you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It was all of us,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It was mostly her, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye, them zombies she raised made quick work of the goblins,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell mother she was wrong,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°She was certain you¡¯d come back with a baby in your arms and a sad story about a man who swept you off your feet only to disappear one night,¡± Richard replied. Elaine laughed.

    ¡°Oh gods, she knows me so well. There was a man, and I was smitten, but I¡¯m a necromancer, so no babies for me. He just robbed me blind and ran off one night just like mother said,¡± Elaine said.

    They both sat down.

    ¡°So, tell me what happened to you the last five years?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need a few drinks for that,¡± Elaine replied. She waved the barmaid over and got a few ales for everyone.

    Elaine told her bother about the wild adventure she¡¯d been on since running away. The only part he seemed upset about was the incident with Lord Ender. He took a drink of his third ale and looked off into the distance for a moment.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll leave out the part about you almost getting executed when we tell mother,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s for the best,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re not coming home, are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Elaine replied. Richard sighed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so after hearing what happened,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°After everything I¡¯ve done, I¡¯d just bring shame to our family,¡± Elaine replied. Richard looked at her.

    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± he said. Elaine smiled.

    ¡°Trust me. I¡¯m not a lady anymore,¡± she replied. Richard laughed.

    ¡°You were never much of one to begin with,¡± Richard said. Elaine laughed.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± she replied.

    ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how happy mother and father were when you went off to the academy. Mother was worried about finding a husband for you,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t think I was that bad,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Not that bad you say? What about that boy you lit on fire when you were thirteen?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°He had it coming,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Did he now?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°Yes, he did. The little shit told me I¡¯d be pretty if I put a bag on my head,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d have lit him on fire, too,¡± Lyreen said. Richard shook his head.

    ¡°That damned fool went off to join the army. He¡¯s a lieutenant now,¡± he said. Elaine sighed.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s different now, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not everything,¡± Richard replied.

    ¡°So, how did you find me? I mean, you didn¡¯t know about the crossroads,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Your name popped up on the licensed necromancer rolls a few months ago. The closest city was Oldforge, so I paid the guilds to keep an eye out for your name. As soon as you joined up, I knew. I used the excuse of going to the duke¡¯s ball to come here,¡± Richard replied.

    ¡°Why would you need an excuse to see your sister?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The cost. As much as we all wanted to see you again, we can¡¯t afford to travel all the way across the kingdom. But the chance to win favor with the queen is worth it,¡± Richard said.

    That still doesn''t make any sense.

    Elaine smiled at her. ¡°Our family borrowed a lot of money from powerful people. If it looks like we are wasting it, they could take everything from us,¡± she said.

    She said us.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We were going to send a letter and hope it reached you in time, but then this came up,¡± Richard replied.

    ¡°Well, it has been good to see you, but I¡¯m afraid we are about to go back out soon,¡± Elaine said. Richard nodded.

    ¡°I understand. Before you go, would you like to join me at the ball? It would be nice to have a friendly face there. I¡¯m sure we could get your companions in as well,¡± Richard said.

    Elaine looked at the rest of the party.

    ¡°No thanks,¡± Voekeer said. Lyreen shook her head no as well.

    ¡°Not one for human parties, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Anna said. Elaine grinned at her.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll need some dresses,¡± she said.

    ¡°Uh, can we not go back to that elf woman?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, gods no. I¡¯d never go there again,¡± Elaine replied.

    The elf woman had hounded all of them when they returned to her shop asking if Lyreen and Voekeer had written home.

    ¡°There¡¯s a merchant in the noble¡¯s district that is handling anything needed for the ball. I¡¯ll take you there if you¡¯d like?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°Yes, that would be perfect,¡± Elaine replied. Richard stood up.

    ¡°We¡¯d better get going. I¡¯m sure the dress maker is quite busy, and we only have a week before the ball,¡± Richard said. Elaine stood up, and so did Anna. ¡°It may be best for you to stay with me in the noble¡¯s district until the ball. Is that alright?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Elaine replied. Anna just smiled.

    ¡°Get us a contract to kill something huge,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find the biggest meanest monster on the board for you child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    A small carriage waited for them outside of the guild hall. It was white with silver trim and large glass windows all the way around. There were curtains blocking the view of the inside. Two black horses were harnessed to the front, and an old man in nice clothing sat on the driver seat. He smiled when he saw Elaine.

    ¡°Miss Elaine, it¡¯s good to see you again,¡± the man said.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Edgar,¡± Elaine replied. Richard opened the carriage door and helped them both in before taking a seat across from them.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Bad, father borrowed money to invest in some business ventures. None of them worked out. We¡¯ve been selling everything we can just to pay them back,¡± Richard replied.

    ¡°Gods, why did mom let him do that?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°You know how he is,¡± Richard replied.

    ¡°How much do you owe?¡± Anna asked. Richard gave her a look.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. She did save my life. I trust her completely,¡± Elaine said.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Fifty full rounds,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?¡± Elaine replied. Richard winced.

    ¡°Please, calm down?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK DID HE DO? BUY A WHORE HOUSE FILLED WITH MOON ELF SLAVE GIRLS?!¡± Elaine replied. Richard made a face.

    ¡°Please sister, try not to shout, and no. If he bought a high-end whore house, we wouldn¡¯t be broke,¡± he said. Elaine took a breath and chuckled.

    ¡°I suppose mother would have killed him if he did that,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Only if he sampled the goods,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°I think Victoria would kill him before mom got to him if he did that,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Most likely,¡± Richard said.

    I wanna see a naked moon elf, and who is Victoria, and why would she kill Elaine¡¯s dad for sampling elf girls, and what does that mean anyway? Are they talking about sex? That must be it. That¡¯s the only reason why she¡¯d kill him. Unless he eats them. Do humans eat moon elves?

    Anna was as confused as ever at the moment but decided not to say anything not wanting to interrupt her friend¡¯s reunion with her brother.

    Anna opened the curtain some to look outside. She wanted to let the siblings talk about their family¡¯s woes and all the things that had happened while Elaine was gone. Anna watched as they made their way out of the merchant¡¯s district. The nobles¡¯ district was inside another wall. They stopped at the inner gate, and after a moment, were let inside.

    Anna was glued to the window as they rode down the street. She¡¯d never seen anything like this before. The streets were completely clean and smooth. They were made from smooth stones that were tightly fitted together. Not only that, but there were raised paths on either side of the street where people were walking.

    Oh, that¡¯s so they don¡¯t step in horseshit.

    There weren¡¯t many people walking on the paths. The ones that were, were dressed well, but more like Edgar than Richard. She assumed they were just servants.

    The carriage stopped in front of a large building that Anna had thought was a house. A man opened the carriage door and help her and Elaine out.

    It doesn¡¯t smell like shit here.

    Anna¡¯s poor nose had been assailed ever since she stepped foot in this city. She took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. Elaine looked like she wanted to ask a question but didn¡¯t because they were surrounded by men who Anna assumed were servants, or whatever you called people who worked at a fancy dressmaker¡¯s shop.

    They were led into the shop by the men, and she heard the carriage pull away.

    Wonder where he¡¯s going?

    It didn¡¯t really matter. She hadn¡¯t brought anything but her belt which was around her waist, so she could always just walk home.

    They entered the building through a large set of doors. These were opened by the men that led them there. When they walked inside, she noticed women in groups chatting with each other. There was one group of men as well. They were ignoring the women around them and were off to one side.

    A woman dressed differently than the other women walked over and then dipped down. When she stood back up, she looked at Richard.

    ¡°How my I help you, my lord?¡± she asked.

    ¡°My sister and her friend need dresses suitable for the ball,¡± Richard replied.

    The woman looked them over and then looked like she¡¯d smelled something bad. ¡°I¡¯ll see what we can do,¡± she said.

    Anna sniffed herself to make sure she didn¡¯t stink.

    I still smell like flowers and bacon. Maybe she doesn¡¯t like bacon?

    The woman looked at her oddly for a moment. Anna just smiled at her which seemed to confuse the woman.

    ¡°Please wait over there, my lord,¡± the woman said, pointing at the gaggle of men. Richard nodded then walked over. The men greeted him, and they all started talking like old friends.

    More man stuff.

    They followed the woman into another room where they took seats. A fat woman walked in. She was dressed in the prettiest dress Anna had ever seen. It was poofy and made of shiny cloth, not magic, just shiny. There were also little gems stitched to it here and there. Elaine stood up and did the dip thing like the servant had.

    ¡°My lady,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna didn¡¯t bother getting up. Her friends had explained classes and nobles and all of that, but she didn¡¯t really care. The woman looked Elaine over.

    ¡°Will you be covering your tattoos?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Any color preferences?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Black,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Are you trying to look like a villain?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Shut up, you,¡± Elaine replied. The fat woman chuckled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear, she¡¯ll look mysterious, not villainous, when I¡¯m through with her,¡± the woman said.

    She walked over to Anna. ¡°Let me get a look at you,¡± she said. Anna stood up, and the woman looked her over. She pinched Anna on the side of her ribs. ¡°No corset, and you¡¯re quite thin,¡± she said. Anna didn¡¯t think she was really talking to her.

    The woman looked right at her. ¡°Strip,¡± she said. Anna started to take off her belt.

    ¡°Wait, why does she need to take off her clothes?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Because I need to see how she¡¯s built so I can get a good picture of how the dress will fit her,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask Elaine to get naked?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No need. There¡¯s a hundred young ladies just like her attending the ball,¡± the woman replied. A look of shock and disappointment grew on Elaine¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear, you have other qualities that men will find intriguing,¡± the woman added.

    Anna pulled her dress off and tossed it on the chair she¡¯d been sitting on. The woman looked her over again, pinching her in a few places.

    ¡°Put your arms up,¡± the woman said. Anna did so and the woman nodded. ¡°Put them down and then lean forward,¡± the woman said. She nodded again. ¡°Get dressed,¡± she said. Anna put her clothes back on.

    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but how much do you plan on spending?¡± The woman asked.

    I guess we look poor.

    Anna reached in her belt pouch and pulled out a hand full of gold coins. She¡¯d traded her full round to the dwarves for its worth in smaller gold and silver coins. The dwarven elder had suggested it one night when they were all drinking at the dwarven tavern.

    The woman¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°I¡¯ll have the finest gown made, along with a few dresses to wear while you¡¯re out,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the one I¡¯m wearing?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a dress you wear around nobles,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What colors would you prefer?¡± the woman asked. Anna just shrugged. The woman smiled.

    ¡°Would it be acceptable for me to choose?¡± the woman asked. Anna nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have a dress delivered for you to wear this evening. The rest will be finished before the ball,¡± the woman said. Anna handed the woman the coins.

    ¡°Is that enough for Elaine?¡± she asked.

    ¡°More than enough,¡± the woman replied. She rang a bell, and the servant woman came back. The woman whispered something into the servant¡¯s ear.

    The servant nodded then led them out of the room. They went to another room and had their measurements taken before being led back out to the front. Instead of stopping and chatting with the women, they went to Richard who was in a deep conversation with an older man with a huge mustache.

    ¡°It looks like your ladies have returned, my boy. It was good talking with you. We must do it again some time,¡± the mustache man said.

    ¡°Oh, course my lord,¡± Richard replied. He bowed slightly and then turned to leave.

    Edgar was back with the carriage, seeming to know when they were finished. They got in the carriage and went off to the inn Richard was staying in.

    ¡°You look happy,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°He¡¯s on the war council. Timothy is a lieutenant, and I was hoping to get him a better position in the army,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°Really, little Timmy¡¯s a soldier now?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes, and he¡¯s enormous, though we all still call him little Timmy,¡± Richard replied.

    He''s only a year younger than her. Must have hit a growth spurt after she left.

    Anna watched the streets as they rode to the inn. It was hard to believe this was the same city she¡¯d been living in for the last few weeks.

    ¡°Anna, can I borrow some gold from you? I¡¯ll pay you back when we get back to the guild,¡± Elaine asked. Anna handed Elaine a handful of gold coins.

    ¡°You really do trust her, don¡¯t you?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°Of course I do. I love her,¡± Anna replied. Richard just looked at her strangely.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t mean it like that. Anna doesn¡¯t have a family. She only had us,¡± Elaine said. Richard looked at her sadly for a moment but didn¡¯t say anything.

    They arrived at the inn. It was unlike any inn she¡¯d ever been to before. There were no tables in the main room, nor a bar. Instead, there was a counter and Richard, who had taken some of the gold coins, got them rooms.

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait in our rooms until our dresses arrive. Then we¡¯ll get some dinner. Nobles like to dress up for meals, so we can¡¯t go dressed like this,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna nodded. Elaine was the expert here, so she wasn¡¯t going to argue.

    I miss the dwarves already.

    Their rooms were in different parts of the inn. The whole district was full because of the ball, and they were lucky there were any openings.

    We should have just stayed at my house.

    Her room was about the size of any other inn she¡¯d been to, but it was furnished better than any of them, with the exception of the carriage stop. She flopped on the bed and buried her face in the big fluffy pillow.

    I guess it¡¯s not all bad.

    There was a knock on her door.

    ¡°You have a package, miss,¡± a voice said.

    Anna opened the door and took the soft bundle. She opened the package and unfolded the dress. It was green and made from a velvety material that was shockingly thin in a few spots.

    The waist was thicker, and there was a cord that could be tied in the back. She wasn¡¯t sure why that was there. She undressed and put the new dress on. It was soft and fit her perfectly. She used her tentacles to tie the cord in the back into a nice little bow. She looked herself over in the mirror. The dress was beautiful. She left her room, went to Elaine¡¯s, and knocked on the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Anna said.

    Elaine opened the door. She was wearing her underclothes. Her dress was black, of course, and it was laid out on the bed.

    ¡°Need help?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Elaine replied. Anna chuckled and then helped Elaine into her dress. She tied the back tie and then looked at her friend in the mirror. ¡°I guess we should get Richard now,¡± Elaine said.

    After getting Richard, they left the inn and were back in the carriage for the third time that day.

    No wonder so many nobles are fat.

    They arrived at a small caf¨¦. At least, that¡¯s what Elaine had called it. It smelled wonderful, but the tables were filled with stuffy looking people. They were led to their own while getting strange looks from the other occupants.

    Man, they¡¯re giving Richard the hairy eyeball, aren¡¯t they?

    A waiter brought out menus and laid them down.

    ¡°We¡¯d like some sweet red wine,¡± Richard said. Elaine had told him of Anna¡¯s preference on the ride to the caf¨¦.

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± the waiter said. He left.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather have a mug of ale and a huge plate of roast meat,¡± Anna said after looking over the menu. She heard a man chuckle behind her. She turned to find a large man wearing nice clothing.

    He¡¯s a knight if I¡¯ve ever seen one.

    He winked at her, and she smiled. She turned back around and frowned at the menu.

    ¡°Want me to order for you again?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes please!¡± Anna replied and put the menu down. Elaine laughed.

    ¡°I think rare steaks would be perfect,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked. ¡°A big cut of meat with the outside seared and the inside still pink,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°But you got sick the last time you ate raw meat!¡± Anna said. Elaine shuttered.

    ¡°That was different. It¡¯s fine like this,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Why did you eat raw meat?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Elaine replied.

    The waiter returned with the wine and poured three glasses. They all ordered steaks, and the waiter told them they would get bread and butter to eat along with the meal.

    I like bread.

    To be honest, she liked most things.

    The bread in question was fluffy and perfect. The butter was creamy and had salt in it. She ate a whole loaf by herself. She also drank the first bottle of wine right out of the bottle much to Richard¡¯s dismay.

    The knight behind her chuckled as she downed it. ¡°Don¡¯t mean to pry, but you really should slow down, miss,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can out drink a dwarf,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She really can,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you try some brandy?¡± the knight asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Expensive,¡± Richard replied.

    ¡°I got plenty of gold from the duke. I can afford it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Why did the duke give you gold?¡± the knight asked.

    ¡°We fought off an army of goblins and saved the crossroads town on the frontier,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I heard about that. Fine work. The crown appreciates it,¡± the knight said. Anna grinned at him and then turned back around.

    She got a small glass of brandy, it was a whole silver by itself, and she drank it slowly, enjoying the new taste.

    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I like it,¡± Anna replied. She didn¡¯t get another glass, not wanting to spend that much on a single drink.

    It¡¯s going to cost a lot this week.

    She had lots of coin but didn¡¯t really want to spend it all on food.

    The steaks were brought to the table on perfect glass plates. There were roast vegetables next to the steak on the plate along with some kind of mashed root.

    Oh, I love mashed root!

    The steak was really good. It was cooked just enough so that it was juicy without being too chewy. It was seasoned with salt and the black pepper that grew on the islands. There were other kinds of peppers, like the kind the dwarves used, but humans in this part of the world didn¡¯t normally use them in their cooking.

    Barika told me about the peppers in the empire. I hope we get to go there soon.

    The mashed root was mixed with garlic, which was amazing, and the vegetables had been roasted with fat.

    The whole meal was wonderful but cost way too much for what it was. She did get a cupcake for dessert though.

    Soooooo good.

    She looked at the crumbs on her plate and was tempted to lick it.

    Elaine would be mad if I did that.

    They left the caf¨¦ and got back into the carriage which was, of course, right where they needed it. Anna watched out the window as the sun set.

    ¡°There¡¯s a tournament leading up to the ball. I intend to join it. Would you two care to watch?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s a tournament?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Where men get together and hit each other with swords and lances to see who¡¯s best,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You can¡¯t participate,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Why not?!¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Only men from noble families can participate,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We all know you¡¯d win, so what¡¯s the point?¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Is she that good with the sword?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s terrible, but she can move faster than you can see and can¡¯t be hurt,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not that bad!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You swing them around like some savage with a club,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Anna asked. Richard just looked horrified.

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll just attend on my own,¡± he said. Anna shrugged and looked back out the window.

    Why do men get to do all of the fun stuff!

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll introduce you to some of the ladies staying at the inn. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a wonderful time this week,¡± Richard added.

    ¡°Oh fun,¡± Elaine said. She didn¡¯t sound like she thought it was going to be fun.

    I should have stayed with the others.

 Chapter 41

    Anna¡¯s eye twitched as she rode in the carriage to pick up her ball gown.

    Seven days, seven fucking days! Those weren¡¯t women. They were monsters!

    The nobles that Richard had introduced them to were quite possibly the most horrible people that Anna had ever met in her life. They were so nice to your face, but they were just mean behind everyone¡¯s back, even each other. The things they said about her and Elaine made Anna want to throw them over the wall. Elaine told her not too, and they¡¯d been left with them while Richard went to play with the other men.

    He¡¯d done well in the tournament and was gloating when he returned. At least until Anna took him out back and beat him like a cur to vent some of her frustration.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been that bad,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Anna replied. Richard snapped his mouth shut.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so mean, Anna. You could have gone home and waited there,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you alone with those things,¡± Anna replied. Elaine laughed.

    ¡°I grew up with women like that. It¡¯s fine,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna just shook her head. She really didn¡¯t like nobles at the moment. She took a breath. It was almost over. She just had to go to the ball and not make an ass of herself, then they could go back to killing things for coin.

    The carriage stopped, and they were let out. As usual, someone helped her out as if she would trip.

    I¡¯ve never even stumbled!

    After they entered, Richard scurried off to join the other men, most likely thankful to be away from the pretty monster that had been his companion for most of the day.

    They were there to do more than just pick up their dresses. They would be fitted and any last-minute alterations would be made. Because they didn¡¯t have any maids, the staff would help them get ready, and then they¡¯d be back in the carriage to go to the duke¡¯s manor for the ball.

    A few ladies walked over to chat while they waited. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to more people, but Elaine had told her she had to. The women started to talk with Elaine. Anna just kind of smiled at them and kept her mouth shut.

    After a few minutes, they were led into the back. The fat woman came into the room Anna was led into with a few servants. She opened a standing chest that had a purple dress in it. Anna looked at it and smiled.

    ¡°Pretty,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± the woman replied.

    The servants undid her green dress and helped her pull it off. The rest of her things were in the carriage. She¡¯d get them back after the ball.

    The dress was open in the back, and she stepped into it. They pulled it up and clasped the back together tightly. She watched as it went on in the mirror, surprised to see the hint of her areolas poking above the extremely low-cut neck like.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pop out,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Only if you go for a run,¡± the woman replied. They slid gloves on her hands and brought out a pair of shoes with long thin heels.

    Oh, you owe me for this one Elaine!

    Anna let them put the shoes on her, noticing she was a few inches taller afterwards.

    ¡°Have you worn shoes with tall heels before dear?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never worn shoes before,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Walk around a bit to get used to them,¡± the woman said. The servants held onto her arms as if she needed to be steadied. She took a few steps.

    Same as always, I guess.

    She always had a strange grace to her. Even with the shoes, it was no different. The woman clapped.

    ¡°You¡¯re a natural,¡± she said.

    I¡¯m not all that natural.

    Next, the servants braided her hair and put pins and clasps in it. She smiled at her reflection. They had done her hair in such a way that the layers of rainbow blended together. One of them put a necklace on her. It was silver with different colored gems in it. The woman looked her over when finished.

    ¡°I fear I may have gone too far,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to outshine the bride to be!¡± the woman replied. Anna giggled and then stopped quickly.

    ¡°That was almost bad,¡± Anna said. The woman laughed hard at that.

    ¡°Oh dear, you¡¯ll get used to it,¡± she said.

    She went back to the main room and found Elaine there with a few women chatting.

    Elaine stopped and stared for a moment. She was wearing a black dress with silver trim. It was cut low, but nowhere near what Anna¡¯s was. She wasn¡¯t wearing gloves, and her hair was done in a far less extravagant manor than Anna¡¯s.

    She looks like an evil queen!

    Anna had read a few story books since she got to Oldforge, and Elaine could play the part well.

    ¡°Well, now I just feel dull,¡± Elaine said with a smile. Anna grinned at her.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me laugh,¡± she said. Elaine, along with a few of the other women, laughed.

    ¡°I know how you feel,¡± one of the women said. She wasn¡¯t as endowed as Anna, but she was close, and the fat woman had done the same thing with her dress.

    ¡°I think the dress maker likes boobs more than men do,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I doubt that,¡± another woman said, glancing at the gaggle of men.

    Their eyes were glued to the women at the moment.

    ¡°We¡¯d better get going. I don¡¯t think that dress will last the night,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Anna replied.

    They walked over to Richard who was trying not to stare at Anna¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Richard replied.

    They left the men and got into the carriage. It was a slow ride to the duke¡¯s manor. They had to wait in line for their turn to stop in front of the place and get let out.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we just walk?¡± Anna whined.

    ¡°Because that¡¯s not how it¡¯s done,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna grumped, looking out the window of the carriage at all the people walking around.

    They finally arrived just before sunset. Elaine¡¯s family wasn¡¯t very important, so they weren¡¯t announced. The manor was more of a palace, and the ballroom had its own entrance. Anna was stunned for a moment by the size of the place.

    There were hundreds of people here, and it didn¡¯t seem crowded at all. Anna spotted a huge table filled with food and started off in that direction only to be caught by Elaine mid step.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± she said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna replied. They wandered around chatting with all manner of people until Richard found some stuffy old men to talk to. Elaine whisked Anna away, and they started to work the crowd themselves.

    Anna broke away when she spotted someone who she wanted to talk to. Elaine looked over and decided to stay with the women she had struck up a conversation with.

    ¡°Some party, eh?¡± Anna asked in dwarven.

    The old dwarf who sold her the house turned to look at her grinning. He glanced at her chest.

    ¡°By the stone one, is that thing lined with mithril?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That would explain why it hasn¡¯t burst yet,¡± Anna replied. The old dwarf laughed.

    ¡°Oh lass, how¡¯d you get roped into this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You know my friend with the creepy tattoos?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± the dwarf replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s a noblewoman, and her brother invited us,¡± Anna said. He nodded.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The lads slipped something in my drink, and I woke up in an inn with a letter saying they¡¯d volunteered me,¡± he replied. Anna laughed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that lass,¡± the dwarf said.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna stuff my face. Wanna join me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± the dwarf replied.

    They made their way to the table filled with food and proceeded to stuff their faces. It was challenging for her. She was wearing long gloves after all, but she figured it out.

    ¡°Lass, they have booze!¡± the dwarf said. Anna grinned.

    They proceeded to sample every kind of wine and liquor available. The nobles around them looked in shock as the eldritch woman and the dwarf drank enough to kill half a dozen men.

    The crowd stilled and conversation stopped. Anna looked around and noticed the dance floor had emptied.

    Music started to play, and a young man led a young woman out onto the floor. The young man was tall and fit. He reminded her of Richard. The woman, on the other hand, looked thin and frail. She was smiling brightly though.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    They began to dance. It was one of the many dances that Elaine had taught her in the last week.

    They¡¯re not bad.

    The couple spun around the floor while the music played. They appeared to be having the time of their lives, both smiling.

    They look really happy together.

    She¡¯d been told that most nobles didn¡¯t get to pick who they married, and the idea of being forced into marriage bothered her, but that didn¡¯t seem like a problem here.

    The music changed after a few minutes, and other couples started to join them on the dance floor. Anna spotted Richard with a smiling young woman.

    Good for him.

    ¡°Wanna dance?¡± Anna asked. The dwarf made a rude noise in response. Anna just shook her head.

    Elaine had told her that a man had to ask you to dance and you couldn¡¯t ask him. It annoyed her, but she didn¡¯t want to cause problems for her friend, so she just waited patiently hoping someone would ask.

    She watched the dance while she waited. Elaine was on the floor as well with a dark-haired man spinning her around. Anna frowned.

    Seriously? She got asked before me?

    The song changed a few more times, and she was starting to worry that no one would ask. She turned around and started to eat more. Someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned to look.

    A young man was smiling at her. He looked nervous. She swallowed the mouth full of food and smiled back at him.

    ¡°May I have this dance?¡± he asked. Anna nodded and smiled brightly.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to dance with you!¡± she replied.

    The man took her by the hand and led her to the floor. The dwarf said something crude as she walked away. She flipped him an equally crude dwarven gesture. He chuckled, and so did a few of the nobles.

    Guess a few of them do know dwarven.

    They started to dance on the floor, spinning around the ballroom. Anna was smiling the whole time, and so was the young man.

    ¡°I must say, you may be the best dancer I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of having as a partner,¡± the man said.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever danced in my life. First ball too,¡± Anna replied.

    The young man laughed. ¡°Surely you jest?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nope, I was worried everyone realized I¡¯d never danced before and didn¡¯t want to dance with me,¡± Anna replied.

    He looked her in the eye. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s your first time, let¡¯s make it special,¡± he said.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what all men say?¡± Anna replied.

    The man laughed hard but didn¡¯t miss a step. They danced for a long while before stopping. He was starting to sweat some.

    ¡°I need some fresh air. Would you care to accompany me to the garden?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± Anna replied.

    They walked arm and arm away from the dance floor. The crowd parted for some reason. Anna looked around and spotted a wide eye Elaine looking at her. Anna winked at her friend before leaving the ballroom.

    The night air was cool and smelled of flowers from the gardens. He led her away from the ballroom to a terrace covered in flowers. The air was sweet with a gentle breeze.

    She turned to face him. He was smiling at her. He put his hand on her face and leaned in.

    What¡¯s he doing? Why is he touching me?

    Before she could ask, he pressed his lips against hers.

    Wait, he¡¯s kissing me! Why is he kissing me? This is my first kiss. What am I supposed to do? Lyreen said to relax, Elaine said to kiss back, and Thokri said to grab their butt! Wait, that was only if it was a woman. Barika hit him afterwards. Oh, what should I do?

    Anna was so shocked, she just froze up.

    Suddenly someone pulled her hair, and there was something poking the side of her throat.

    ¡°One peep and I cut her pretty throat my lord,¡± a man hissed.

    The young man had a look of shock and rage on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t harm her, you fiend!¡± he replied.

    What the fuck is going on now?!

    The thing pressed harder, and the young man put his hands up. A man in dark clothing walked to the young man with a sword in his hand.

    ¡°Good, now if you listen, she¡¯ll be just fine,¡± the other man said.

    ¡°YOU GOAT FUCKING GOBLINS! THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS!¡± Anna screamed.

    She grabbed the man¡¯s arm that was holding the dagger to her throat and threw him over her shoulder, smashing him against the ground in front of her. She stared into the eyes of the man with the sword as she brought her foot up and slammed the heel of her shoe through the man on the grounds eye.

    It went right though the squishy organ and through the thin bone into his brain. He twitched a few times before shitting himself. Anna darted forward and struck the man with the sword in the face. His head exploded into a shower of gore. A woman screamed, and a man shouted nearby.

    ¡°My brother!¡± the young man shouted. Anna picked up the sword.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go save him!¡± she said as she rushed off in the direction of the scream.

    The young man ran with her. She was moving so fast that he was barely able to keep up and was breathing hard. She found the young couple on the ground and bleeding, surrounded by four men. There was a fifth casting some spell. She ignored him and darted forward at inhuman speed. She decapitated the nearest man with one swipe of her sword, spraying the others and the young couple in blood.

    She cut the arms off the second man. He fell screaming. The third man managed to block her strike, but the swords exploded into shrapnel. She threw the broken hilt at him, smashing his face and probably snapping his neck.

    The young man tackled the fourth man and started beating his face. Anna turned to the magic caster. He looked over in shock but recovered. Without saying a word, he pointed a finger at her.

    Shit!

    She didn¡¯t have time to move and was struck by a bolt of lightning as big around as her arm. It threw her back and onto her ass. She hopped back up and rushed forward. The mage was so shocked he didn¡¯t move to avoid her hit. Her fist went through his chest. She yanked it back out and looked down.

    Oh no, it¡¯s ruined!

    Her dress was smoldering and covered in blood. The thin cloth had given up, and she was basically naked to boot.

    She leaned down and tore the man¡¯s cloak off and wrapped it around herself before heading back to the three nobles. The young man had beat the fourth man¡¯s head in and was staring at her with wide eyes. The other young man was talking to the young woman. She wasn¡¯t responding. Anna walked over.

    ¡°She¡¯s in shock,¡± she said.

    ¡°Will she be alright?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, we just need to get her inside and warmed up,¡± Anna replied.

    The man took his coat off and wrapped it around the woman. Suddenly a group of knights rushed over.

    ¡°My lord, are you harmed?¡± the lead knight asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important. We need to get Irene inside!¡± the man replied. The man who had led her into the garden stood up and walked over to her.

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± he said.

    ¡°Helping people is the right thing to do,¡± Anna replied.

    She stood up. Everyone was looking at her weird.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You have no idea who we are, do you?¡± the man with the woman asked.

    ¡°No, and it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll help anyone that needs it. Doesn¡¯t matter if they are a king or a slave,¡± Anna replied.

    She heard a woman laugh. She looked over to see a red-haired woman in a gold and green dress walking over. She was surrounded by knights in gleaming armor.

    ¡°So, people like you do exist,¡± she said.

    The knights all bowed, and so did the young men with her. The poor woman was still just kind of staring off into space.

    ¡°Your majesty, It¡¯s not safe here!¡± the young man said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Vincent. Ronald, get Irene into the manor. This is no place for a princess,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡± Ronald replied. He led Irene off. They were surrounded by knights.

    She must be important.

    ¡°Come, tell me what happened while we walk,¡± the woman said. They started to walk with her back to the manor.

    ¡°We came to the garden to cool off when we were attacked by two men. She dispatched both of them in an instant. After that, we heard Irene scream and Ronald shout. I told her that it was my brother, and she picked up a sword and said let¡¯s go save him. She ran to them and took out three of their assailants in the blink of an eye. Then the mage hit her with a bolt of lightning right in the chest. She shrugged it off and killed him as well,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna said.

    She opened the cloak. The woman looked at her chest. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the melted necklace. Vincent was staring as well. The woman shot him a look.

    ¡°Avert your eyes, man. She was showing me the proof of your claims, not giving you an eyeful!¡± she said. He looked the other way quickly.

    ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± he said. The woman sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m only ten years older than you. I wish you wouldn¡¯t call me, ma¡¯am,¡± she said. He grinned some.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Vincent replied. The woman shook her head.

    ¡°Please cover yourself,¡± she said. Anna closed her cloak again, and they walked into the ballroom. It was empty now.

    Where is Elaine?

    She looked around more and realized she¡¯d been left by her friend.

    An older man rushed over. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I wanted to see what all of the commotion was,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Are you mad? You can¡¯t just go running off any time now!¡± he said.

    ¡°I most certainly can. I am the queen,¡± the woman said.

    Oh fuck!

    Anna realized who she had helped and desperately wanted to run away.

    ¡°It was all over when I got there, uncle. You had a genuine hero in attendance by the way,¡± the queen said.

    He¡¯s her uncle. Oh no, he¡¯s the duke!

    The duke looked her over, and his eyes narrowed.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± he said.

    ¡°Do you know this girl?¡± the queen asked.

    ¡°Are you Anna by any chance?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied. He smiled.

    ¡°She¡¯s one of the adventurers that defended the crossroads town out on the frontier last fall,¡± the duke said. The queen smiled at her.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that a coincidence,¡± she said.

    ¡°Tell me, where are the rest of your party? Were they here as well?¡± the duke asked.

    ¡°No, it was just me and Elaine. Her brother Richard showed up at the guild hall and asked her to come with him to the ball. The others didn¡¯t want to, but I hadn¡¯t been to one, so I came with,¡± Anna replied. He nodded at her.

    ¡°Shame I missed her then,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, we need to get you cleaned up and in a new dress now, don¡¯t we,¡± the queen said looking at her.

    I don¡¯t like the way she¡¯s looking at me.

    Vincent was dismissed and scurried away without a word. She was led to a room that had a nice bath like the one at lord Ender¡¯s house. A few maids helped her undress and undid her hair. Luckily nothing melted to that. Otherwise, she¡¯d have to stick her head in a forge or something.

    After she washed, she found her green dress laid out.

    ¡°Is Elaine here?¡± she asked. The maids just shushed her. She frowned.

    Why won¡¯t they let me see her?

    She was brought to a room with a big table. The queen, the duke, the knight-commander and a few other men sat there. Everyone had a stern look on their faces.

    What now?

    She sat down and looked around. The queen leaned forward in her chair.

    ¡°Who and what are you really, Anna?¡± she asked.

    They already know, and they are just seeing if I¡¯m going to lie to them.

    They were all looking at her expectantly. She filled the room with eyes and tentacles. Everyone froze and looked around in shock.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± Anna asked. The queen nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± she said.

    Anna told them of her creation and of her father and what she¡¯d learned about herself on her journey to Oldforge. She didn¡¯t tell them everything that had happened to her, figuring they already knew from the report they¡¯d sent the guild.

    I don¡¯t think they know what the temple knows.

    The queen rubbed her temples. ¡°You¡¯re telling me she just walked into the city, and no one noticed?!¡± she said.

    ¡°How could we have known!¡± one of the men replied.

    ¡°Are you the commander of the city guard or not!¡± the queen screamed at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. We both know there¡¯s no way anyone could have guessed someone like her even existed,¡± the duke said. The queen took a breath.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know that?¡± she snapped. She put her head in her hands.

    ¡°The monsters are in an uproar on the northern border. I have paladins crawling up my ass looking for the chosen one, and now her!¡± the queen said. Anna got up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be a problem,¡± she said. She turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait, no, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. It¡¯s just, well, what am I supposed to do with you?¡± the queen asked.

    ¡°Put in a request with the guild if you need me for something. I know I¡¯m different, but I just want to be an adventurer,¡± Anna replied.

    The queen sighed. ¡°I want to believe you, but I don¡¯t know what will happen if I leave you alone,¡± she said.

    ¡°I bought a house in the merchants¡¯ district. I have a flower garden I take care of there. During the day, I make potions and give them to people that need them. At night, I go drinking with dwarves. Sometimes I¡¯ll play with the children on the street where I live. They are fun, but their moms don¡¯t like me. They think I¡¯ll steal their men. I don¡¯t want their men though. I don¡¯t want anyone like that. Well, Vincent did kiss me tonight. That was the first time anyone kissed me. It was kind of nice,¡± Anna replied. She smiled softly.

    The duke chuckled, and the queen shot him a look. ¡°You know what? I believe you,¡± the queen said.

    ¡°Well, she still needs a reward for saving both of my sons and my soon to be daughter in law,¡± the duke said. Everyone looked at her again. ¡°Anything you would like?¡± the duke asked.

    Anna thought about it for a moment but drew a blank.

    Oh, I know!

    ¡°Uh, Elaine¡¯s family is in debt, so I¡¯d like fifty rounds to give them,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re supposed to ask for something you want, right?¡± the queen asked.

    ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t really want anything,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t let this get out, your highness. Perhaps it would be for the best just to send her off with a chest full of treasure,¡± the knight-commander said.

    ¡°How did they manage to get into the garden?¡± the duke asked.

    ¡°That mage of theirs was covered in enchanted items. I¡¯m certain they just climbed the walls under a cloak of invisibility,¡± the city guard commander said.

    ¡°That must have been one abyss of a cloak,¡± The duke replied dryly.

    ¡°I¡¯m amazed someone that powerful was willing to risk his life in a half-baked kidnapping attempt,¡± the knight-commander said.

    ¡°They would have gotten them if I hadn¡¯t been there,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Point taken,¡± the Knight-commander replied.

    ¡°Regardless, we need to up the security before the wedding,¡± the duke said.

    ¡°Perhaps we should discuss this later,¡± the queen said.

    They all stood up.

    ¡°Anna, please enjoy my hospitality for the night,¡± the duke said.

    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Anna replied.

    They all left the room together. She was led away by a maid and two of the knights in gleaming armor. They brought her to a huge room with opulent furniture. She went over and sat on the bed. A maid was looking at her expectantly.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Would you like some tea, or perhaps something sweet?¡± the maid asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should ask for anything else. ¡°Can I have a cupcake?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Of course, miss,¡± the maid said. She left the room leaving Anna by herself.

    Maybe I should just go?

    She looked at the window. No one would ever be able to catch her.

    They would be mad at my friends if I did that. I have to stay.

    She kicked her feet some. The bed was so tall they didn¡¯t reach the floor. She flopped back and spread her arms out. The bed was soft, so she sank in some.

    I hope the cupcake is good.

 Chapter 42

    ¡°Thanks for giving me a ride,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It was the least I could do,¡± Vincent replied.

    He¡¯d offered to return her to the guild in his personal carriage that morning at breakfast. She¡¯d agreed of course, and they were currently heading to the inn that she had stayed at with Elaine and Richard. She wanted to let her friend know she was alright.

    ¡°Is it true you ate an entire tray of cupcakes last night?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°I ate two trays,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh gods, that¡¯s perfect. I thought mother was going to choke when she watched you eat all that bacon at breakfast. I¡¯m still trying to figure out where you put it,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure myself,¡± Anna replied.

    I must have over done it again. Her friends normally were there to tell her to slow down.

    ¡°I¡¯m rather looking forward to visiting the adventurer¡¯s guild. I¡¯ve never been,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°It¡¯s filled with sweaty men that are usually half drunk, and it smells like pee,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s like any garrison in the kingdom them,¡± Vincent said. Anna just shrugged. She¡¯d never been to a garrison before. ¡°Father told me to be careful around you. He said you¡¯re not human,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. The maids told me to be careful around you. I heard all kinds of things last night,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Lies, all of it,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I really wanted to try some of them,¡± Anna replied. She was rubbing her thigh in a circle with her finger and smiling softly while looking down.

    ¡°Really?¡± Vincent asked in a squeak. Anna burst into laughter.

    ¡°Got you,¡± she said. Vincent turned red. ¡°You should see your face right now!¡± Anna added.

    ¡°You truly are a monster,¡± Vincent replied. Anna laughed even louder.

    ¡°It¡¯s for the best anyway. I¡¯d probably kill you by accident,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Every muscle in my body is harder than steel when I flex it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how... Oh, oh gods, that¡¯s terrible!¡± Vincent said in horror. Anna laughed again.

    ¡°See, you figured it out,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Mother did tell me to be careful who I take to bed,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want you to put a baby in some serving girl or piss off some lord when he finds out what you did to his daughter,¡± Anna replied.

    Vincent smiled a crooked smile. ¡°Well, I think she wouldn¡¯t want me to get snapped in half like a twig either,¡± he said.

    ¡°Most likely,¡± Anna replied.

    When they arrived at the Inn, a servant let them out of the carriage. Vincent followed her into the inn for some reason. The staff looked like someone had lit the building on fire the moment they saw Vincent. Anna walked up to the counter.

    ¡°How can I help you miss?¡± the attendant asked.

    ¡°Are Elaine and Richard still here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, miss! I¡¯ll send someone to fetch them immediately!¡± the attendant replied. A man rushed away before Anna could say a word. Vincent stood there looking smug.

    I think that¡¯s just his face.

    Elaine rushed to her moments later and picked her up in a hug. Anna squealed in surprise.

    ¡°I was only gone one night!¡± she said.

    ¡°They came and took your dress, and they didn¡¯t tell us why or where you were. They just sent us here and said to wait!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I apologize for that. There was an incident last night that we had to take care of,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Why¡¯s he here?¡± Elaine asked.

    Looks like she¡¯s done playing the part of noblewoman.

    ¡°He offered to give us a ride back to the guild,¡± Anna replied.

    Richard walked up next. Vincent took a letter from his pocket and handed it to the man.

    ¡°Read it in private,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Richard replied, nodding his head.

    ¡°Well. Let''s be off,¡± Vincent said. He was in a hurry to see the guild.

    Elaine turned to her brother. She hugged him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll write all of you when I can,¡± she said.

    ¡°Please come and visit when you can,¡± Richard replied.

    They left after that. The staff at the inn brought all their belongings to Vincent¡¯s huge carriage. They got into the carriage, and it glided away from the inn.

    ¡°What in the world happened to you last night?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Anna replied. Elaine looked confused.

    ¡°She saved me and my elder brother, along with the princess Irene, from being kidnapped,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°I thought I wasn¡¯t supposed to talk about it!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t, but I can,¡± Vincent replied.

    ¡°What is with you? Can¡¯t I take you anywhere without you doing something heroic?¡± Elaine snapped.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault this time. He kissed me, and they interrupted it!¡± Anna replied. Elaine gave Vincent a flat look.

    ¡°You kissed her?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Do you blame me?¡± he replied. Elaine looked back at Anna.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later,¡± she said.

    ¡°Anyway, I killed them, and then I killed the ones that were trying to kidnap his brother,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Of course, you did. What happened to your ballgown? I know you have a cleansing spell,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°One of them was a mage, and he hit me with lightning,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I almost did,¡± Vincent replied.

    ¡°So, what are you, the hero of the realm now?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, father wants to keep this quiet,¡± Vincent replied.

    ¡°So, what did you get then?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you when we get to the guild,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She tried to get fifty full rounds to pay your family¡¯s debt off,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°WHAT!¡± Elaine shouted.

    ¡°I wanted to help,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. Listen, my father and brother need to figure it out. Did you notice I didn¡¯t offer anything?¡± Elaine asked. Anna looked at her blankly. Elaine sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re better off with dwarves than human nobility,¡± Elaine said.

    Vincent got a look on his face. ¡°Gods, she is dwarf like, isn¡¯t she?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it,¡± Elaine replied.

    They arrived at the guild hall soon after, and a servant helped them out of the carriage. Four men lifted a trunk from the back of the carriage and followed them into the guild hall.

    The inside of the hall was the same raucous atmosphere until Vincent walked in. Then everyone stopped at stared. Anna ignored them and walked over to the table where her friends were sitting.

    The other members of her party were staring wide-eyed at them. The men set the trunk down near the table.

    Anna turned to thank Vincent. He pulled her into a hug with one arm and then kissed her on the lips.

    She closed her eyes. I¡¯m going to enjoy it this time!

    She hugged him back and heard a few cat calls from the other adventurers in the room. He stopped kissing her but was still close.

    ¡°I thought your father told you to be careful around me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t always listen to my father,¡± Vincent replied. He let her go and took a step back where he bowed.

    ¡°Until we meet again, my lady,¡± he said before turning around and leaving the guild hall.

    Anna was grinning like a fool the whole time. As soon as the door closed, Lyreen rushed over.

    ¡°WHO WAS THAT?!¡± she asked.

    ¡°That was Vincent, the duke¡¯s second son, and the first man to kiss me!¡± Anna squealed.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Lyreen pulled her into a hug and started to giggle like an excited child. ¡°You have to tell me everything!¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Anna replied. Lyreen laughed.

    ¡°Oh no, it isn¡¯t, at least not to me!¡± she said.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you, but not here. Wait till we¡¯re out of the city,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Alright, but I¡¯ll hold you to it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What¡¯s in the trunk?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°A gift from the duke,¡± Anna replied.

    She walked over to the trunk and opened it. It was filled to the brim with gold coins, not full rounds, but the smaller ones. It glittered in the light. Thokri whistled.

    ¡°That¡¯s some gift,¡± he said.

    ¡°I think the queen added more,¡± Anna said. Looking at the contents, it seemed like more now. Voekeer just looked at it as if he didn¡¯t believe his own eyes.

    ¡°Goddess child, you don¡¯t do anything halfway, do you?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen stared at the trunk as well. ¡°What the fuck did you do?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the secret,¡± Anna replied.

    Other adventurers started to crowd around looking at the trunk. It was more wealth than anyone in the room had ever seen. Anna was probably the wealthiest non-noble in the city at the moment.

    Bruno shoved his way through the crowd and looked at the glittering treasure. He closed the trunk and picked it up.

    ¡°This is going in the vault,¡± he said.

    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Anna said as he carried it off.

    ¡°Best place for it, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    The crowd dispersed and she sat at the table with her friends.

    ¡°Is there even a point to working anymore?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye, lad. That¡¯s her coin, not yours,¡± Thokri replied. Voekeer sighed.

    ¡°I know that, but still,¡± he said.

    ¡°I still want to go on adventures,¡± Anna replied. Voekeer nodded.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a quest to slay a monster that¡¯s eating whole herds of cattle in a river by Eagle¡¯s Bay. We were waiting for you two before we took it,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go to another city, do we?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, child. It¡¯s near a fishing village,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°A lot of things have happened in the last few weeks. I¡¯m kind of overwhelmed,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave tomorrow,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°What was in the letter Vincent gave my brother?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No idea. He wouldn¡¯t tell me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need a wagon,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Need special weapons to kill a sea monster,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°But it¡¯s in a river,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye, still a big bastard though,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Is that something we can just buy?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No, lass. We¡¯ll need to get them made,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°So, we aren¡¯t leaving tomorrow then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, lass. You¡¯ll have to wait a few more days,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna sighed. She understood, but she was looking forward to leaving.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be up to our eyes in dwarves the rest of the time we¡¯re here,¡± Lyreen said dryly.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    I missed them.

    They chatted for a few minutes before heading out. They went to the market center again, this time to the section where weapons were sold. Anna looked at all the gleaming swords and spears as they walked by shop after shop.

    He¡¯s so picky!

    Thokri had found one reason or another as to why they couldn¡¯t go to any of the shops so far.

    He does know I don¡¯t need weapons, right?

    There was no way he had forgotten, so the only thing it could be was they were supposed to pretend they needed them.

    Yeah, that¡¯s got to be it.

    ¡°This one,¡± Thokri said as he pushed the door open to a plain looking shop. The inside was filled with rack upon rack of weapons.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself,¡± Voekeer said.

    Thokri walked over to the counter where a dwarf sat looking at them suspiciously.

    Oh, that¡¯s what he was looking for.

    Thokri was a good man and didn¡¯t judge people based on anything but their actions, for the most part, but when it came to metal and stonework, if it wasn¡¯t made by dwarves, it was inferior.

    I mean, the dwarven stuff is nice, but everything else isn¡¯t junk.

    She shook her head. If that was the only predisposition he had, she supposed it wasn¡¯t too harmful.

    Thokri and the dwarf started talking, so she decided to pick through the racks. While she didn¡¯t need weapons, she still had a thing for clubs, so she gravitated towards them.

    Wait, I can buy anything I want now!

    She started to scoop up anything that looked like it might be fun to bash against something¡¯s face.

    The dwarf swore when she dropped the armload of clubs and maces on the counter.

    ¡°Are you going to war, lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Anna replied.

    The dwarf just shook his head. Thokri finished, and she paid for her pile of weapons and the special ones they needed to slay large monsters.

    After that, they went to the wagon shop. There were only a few that sold wagons, and none were owned by dwarves, so they just picked the one with the best sign.

    The shop was huge with whole wagons right there in the main room to look at. Anna wandered over to a massive one. It was fully enclosed with iron plates covering the top half.

    ¡°I think that would be a little much,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    They looked around until they found a nice, covered wagon.

    It¡¯s like the ones that would take goods to and from Fishport.

    Thokri started to negotiate a price with the merchant. Anna looked the wagon over out of curiosity. It was mostly made from oak and maybe some maple.

    I¡¯m good with wood.

    She¡¯d learned a lot about it when she had helped them rebuild the wall at the crossroads and could identify different kinds easily.

    The canvas that covered the wagon was water-proofed, though not to the extent of true oil cloth. By the smell, it was just lightly oiled. She assumed it was just a cost saving measure. Oil cloth was quite expensive.

    It is really tight though. Maybe it doesn¡¯t need to be oil cloth.

    The inside was just flat wood with no benches. She assumed they would just sit on whatever they packed.

    Not the spears though. That might get pokey for the others.

    There was a bench at the front of the wagon that looked like it could fit three people, two if Thokri was one of them. She climbed up and sat down. A long pole stuck out from the wagon with iron rings on it.

    That¡¯s where the horses go.

    By the look of the pole, this wagon would be pulled by four horses.

    The harnesses weren¡¯t there. She assumed they kept them somewhere in the back, not wanting people to mess with the complex apparatus more than necessary. She looked around the shop from her new vantage point.

    Wonder where the nobles get their carriages?

    This shop didn¡¯t have a single one even though they could clearly make them here.

    Oh, wait. I bet a guild makes them and doesn¡¯t let anyone else.

    She hopped off the wagon when Thokri shook hands with the merchant. They¡¯d pick up the cart after they bought a team of horses, which the merchant didn¡¯t sell.

    They made their way to the horse merchant. They found him near the center of the market near the slavers. Anna didn¡¯t like the implications of that but didn¡¯t say a word.

    She had a hard time paying attention to the horses as they stood there.

    I can hear them crying.

    She winced a few times when she heard a lash hitting flesh.

    They aren¡¯t animals!

    She turned to walk out of the horse merchant¡¯s shop.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where are you going?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I can hear them,¡± Anna replied, pointing out the door.

    ¡°Who?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°The slaves,¡± Lyreen replied. She had a sour look on her face, and so did Voekeer.

    ¡°You can too, can¡¯t you?¡± Anna asked. Both elves nodded. ¡°We have to help!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. It¡¯s the way humans are!¡± Voekeer replied. He spat on the ground and took Lyreen by the hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hold on, lad. We¡¯re almost finished here,¡± Thokri replied. Voekeer spat but didn¡¯t leave.

    Anna sighed. She was starting to regret going along with the wagon and special weapon idea.

    I¡¯ll just kill it with my tentacles.

    They got their horses and walked back to the wagon shop in silence. Thokri hitched the horses to the wagon, and they headed for a stable to keep the horses and the wagon at until they needed it.

    Once they finished with that, they went to the dwarven tavern. They spent the rest of that night drinking, eating, and singing with the dwarves.

    Voekeer¡¯s a good singer.

    Lyreen, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t. The dwarves kept giving her something to eat or drink every time she opened her mouth, and soon she was piss drunk.

    ¡°I¡¯m hot!¡± Lyreen said.

    Everyone looked at her. Suddenly she pulled off her shirt and tossed it across the room. Anna blinked in shock.

    Oh, fuck! She doesn¡¯t wear a wrap!

    Lyreen didn¡¯t really need to, but because of this, she was now showing what little she had to everyone in the room. The dwarves cheered.

    Poor Voekeer was drunk himself, and the sight of Lyreen stripping seemed to have stunned him. Elaine and Barika just started to laugh, and Thokri, well, he was grinning like a cat who had caught an exceptionally fat rat.

    Lyreen¡¯s boots flew next, followed by her pants and then underclothes. Anna watched in shock as an extremely drunk Lyreen started to dance around stark naked. Anna looked around at her friends to see what they were going to do.

    And they¡¯re all just drunk and laughing. She sighed, unsure if she should do anything or not.

    Lyreen started to dance with a few dwarves. Anna just shook her head.

    Voekeer got up and walked over to her. He snatched her and threw her over his shoulder. The dwarves booed him. Lyreen started to laugh hysterically.

    Anna got up and walked over. She took her cure poison ring from her belt pouch and put it on. She held it over Lyreen¡¯s head and pushed mana into it. A soft green glow enveloped both elves, and moments later, Lyreen¡¯s eyes seemed to focus again, and she turned bright red. She screamed, and Voekeer put her down. She crouched down and scrunched up trying to cover herself.

    ¡°GET MY CLOTHES!¡± she screeched.

    A few dwarves gathered them up and tossed them to her. She hastily pulled them on and then rushed out of the tavern dragging Voekeer along with her.

    ¡°Cure poison ring works,¡± Anna said. The dwarves all started to laugh.

    ¡°That will come in handy, child,¡± Barika said as she sat back down. Elaine had an evil smile on her face.

    ¡°Whatever it is your planning, wait a few days. It will be better that way,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Oh, I will,¡± Elaine replied.

    The next few days were quiet. She didn¡¯t leave her house much, having been overwhelmed by everything that had happened at the ball. She packed her alchemy supplies up wanting to bring them with her on this contract.

    She met her friends at the guild hall the morning they were supposed to leave. Lyreen still wasn¡¯t talking to anyone. She would just turn red and look away.

    Elaine¡¯s probably tormenting her.

    It was strange. After all of the excitement the last month, Anna felt anxious and really wanted to leave for some reason. She climbed next to Thokri who was driving the wagon.

    ¡°Ready to get going lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    The road into the kingdom proper was in far better shape than the one leading to the frontier. It was also far more crowded.

    ¡°I¡¯LL FUCK¡¯N WHIP YOU IF YOU DON¡¯T GET OUT OF THE FUCK¡¯N WAY!¡± Thokri shouted to a group of men who had been walking in the middle of the road.

    They jumped off to the side when they turned to see the mad dwarf waving a driving whip at them. A few rude gestures later and they were past the sluggards. She began to watch Thokri carefully wanting to know how to drive the wagon.

    After a few hours, Thokri simply handed her the reins without saying a word. She drove the wagon for the rest of the day and pulled into an inn just after nightfall. There were other wagons parked next to the inn, so she just pulled theirs next to the rest of them.

    A young man walked over. Thokri hopped off the wagon and went to talk to him. Anna got off the wagon as well and stretched her back like the others did. She was rather good at pretending to be human by this point, at least she thought she was, and most people just looked her way because they found her attractive.

    She helped Thokri unhook the horses and lead them to the stable where they would be spending the night. After that, they went into the inn.

    ¡°Leave it lass. Only a damned fool would try to rob monster hunters,¡± Thokri said when she went to open the wagon.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. Just make sure you have your coin on you, and you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna nodded. She had left most of her valuables in her home.

    The dwarves said they would look after my place while I was gone. They were also going to redo the interior, so they needed a key anyway.

    Voekeer pushed open the door to the inn, and she followed him inside. She smiled at the sight. It was just like the inns all along the road on the frontier and even reminded her a little of her first home back in Fishport.

    They found a seat in the crowded main room and waited for a barmaid.

    It¡¯s a sausage fest in here.

    There were no women amongst the other patrons. The room was filled with burly waggoneers, and they all seemed very interested in the party. Thokri¡¯s scowl was a force of nature, and a single look from him caused the men in the room to avert their gaze, all be it for only a moment.

    Oh, I hope they start something. I wanna toss someone!

    A chubby barmaid came over and took their orders. Much to Anna¡¯s disappointment, the men in the room lost interest in them after a few minutes. The barmaid brought out their food and drinks a few minutes later. Anna took a sip of the ale.

    ¡°Dog,¡± she said. Thokri took a sip.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied.

    She looked in the bowl. It was a thick stew full of roughly cut vegetables and large chunks of meat. She took a bite of the stew with the rather rough wooden spoon provided. It was thick and flavorful.

    My mouth is too small for some of the chunks!

    She had to break the meat apart with her spoon before eating it. She looked around and noticed that she was the only one having that problem.

    I¡¯m just tiny.

    She looked at her little hand gripping the spoon and smirked. She was no more than five feet tall and one hundred pounds making her by far the smallest member of the party. She finished the bowl of stew and asked for a second one. Luckily no one treated her like a child because of her charms as lady Ender had put it.

    After she finished the second one, they sat at the table and drank a few mugs of ale together before heading up to their respective rooms for the night.

    The room wasn¡¯t anything special, and she didn¡¯t have her pack, so she just undressed and laid on the bed. She hadn¡¯t bothered to light a candle not needing to see any colors. The moon was half full and provided enough light to bathe the room in a silvery glow. She looked at it for a few minutes before closing her eyes and falling fast asleep.

 Chapter 43

    They were back on the road first thing the next morning. She smiled as she watched the sun slowly rise higher in the sky. Thokri was sitting next to her on the driver bench. He was smoking his pipe and pointing out things that he thought might be of interest to her.

    That stuff smells wonderful, but it just tastes like hot air.

    He took a puff of his pipe letting the smoke out slowly. It billowed around them. The others had closed the front flap to keep the smoke out. It made Lyreen cough, and Elaine started to get giggly.

    Thokri pointed at the fields on either side of the road with the stem of his pipe.

    ¡°Ya see how there are strips of trees or shrubs breaking them up?¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s how the farmers know whose field it is,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why does it matter? Doesn¡¯t the queen own all the land anyway?¡± she asked.

    Thokri waived his hand. ¡°It¡¯s all about who gets to work that land. See, the way this kingdom does things is nobles get the rights to govern lands. Then they give the rights to farm parts of the lands they govern to the common folk. The commoners have to pay the nobles a tax, but they can keep the rest. So, the rights to who gets to farm what land is important, and folks will try to squeeze in on other folk¡¯s farms to make a little extra,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, I get it. If they can farm extra land, they won¡¯t have to pay taxes on whatever they grow there,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Other than Lord Ender, I didn¡¯t meet any nobles on the frontier. How do they do it out there?¡± Anna asked.

    Thokri took a puff. ¡°You just have to show up and start working the land out there. Once the queen starts handing out fiefs, it¡¯ll change,¡± Thokri said.

    Anna moved the wagon over to the side to let another wagon pass by. The driver nodded at her as he went.

    Food for Oldforge.

    The wagon was filled to the brim with fresh vegetables.

    ¡°Won¡¯t be seeing many of those in a few days,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Fresh food only keeps for so long in the back of a wagon, and these folks can¡¯t afford to hire a mage to cast a spell on it. Farther out we go, the less farms you find,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What about grain? That stuff lasts for a long time,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, and that¡¯s what you¡¯ll see past the fruit and vegetable farms, but even those will peter out after a while,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Think about it, lass. Farmers need to worry about more than just food spoiling. They have to worry about bandits and monsters as well. If they are too far away from the lord and his troops, most of their crops get stolen, or some beastie will eat them,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna nodded. After their journey on the fronteer, she could see that.

    ¡°Why not just build forts?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They do closer to the capital, but out here isn¡¯t much better than the frontier,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, if they can¡¯t protect the land they have, why are they expanding?¡± Anna asked.

    Thokri shrugged. ¡°Just how humans are, lass,¡± he replied.

    Thokri put out his pipe a few hours later, and they opened the canvas back. The others had been munching on the rations she¡¯d bought. Unlike their time on the frontier, they¡¯d be eating well this time regardless of whether they stopped or not.

    She reached back and wiggled her fingers. A piece of jerky was handed to her. Unlike the dried salted meat that was available on the frontier, this was flavorful and tender. She stuck the whole thing in her mouth and started to chew.

    The inn they stopped at that night was so similar to the one from the day before, she could have sworn they had somehow doubled back.

    That barmaid has bigger boobs though.

    The food was the same, and so were the rooms.

    She laid in the bed the second night and looked out the window at the moon. It was still mostly full and bathed the world in a silvery light.

    I wonder what it¡¯s like up there? She fell asleep soon after.

    The next few days were more of the same, but when the farms started to thin out and forests grew more and more common, Thokri started to carry a crossbow with him.

    ¡°You know I can just kill anyone with my tentacles, right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, but where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna summoned an eye and sent it above the wagon to look around for any trouble they may not be able to see with normal vision.

    ¡°There¡¯s lots of rabbits,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Leave them be, child. We have plenty of food,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna said.

    They found a small inn that evening and decided to stay there. She helped Thokri and the stable boy unhook the horses, and he led them to a sad looking barn.

    The main room of the inn was mostly empty other than the innkeeper, a bored looking barmaid, and a nervous looking man.

    After getting rooms for the night, they sat at one of the tables and ordered ales. The barmaid was overly cheerful.

    She¡¯s dying of boredom, or she wants to flirt with Voekeer.

    It turned out to be the latter. The woman was chattering away at them. Barika was more than willing to talk to the woman and was even smiling as she did so. The barmaid walked away to get their drinks and quietly returned to the table.

    The nervous man kept looking their way. She started to stare at him to see what would happen when he caught her. Sure enough, he glanced their way again and locked eyes with her. They stared at each other for a moment before he looked away. She kept looking, but he didn¡¯t look back this time.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°He keeps looking at us, so I¡¯m looking at him,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t torment the man, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I¡¯m just looking at him,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yeah, without blinking or breathing,¡± Elaine said.

    Oops, forgot again. She looked away from the man and back at her friends.

    ¡°I was just having fun,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Staring at people is a good way to start a fight,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Not when you¡¯re pretty,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Fair point,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Are there anymore inns on the map?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, and this one wasn¡¯t, so who knows if we¡¯ll find another for the rest of the journey,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Back to camping then,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It¡¯s part of the life, lass,¡± Thokri replied. Elaine sighed but didn¡¯t reply.

    The barmaid came back with their drinks and a bowl of the same kind of stew that seemed to be served everywhere. She only ate one bowl of the stuff and drank a single mug of ale. She ended up going to her room with the others after they finished. They had been munching on jerky and smoked sausage most of the day, and no one was all that hungry.

    She undressed and got ready for bed like usual. She could hear Lyreen and Voekeer going at it like always, but she also heard another couple.

    Two women? She was confused for a moment before realizing what was going on. Good for you.

    She laid in her bed and hoped Barika had a good time tonight.

    They got on the road after breakfast. Thokri puffed his pipe as they rode along.

    ¡°That might be the last inn we find until after we get out of the forest,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t anyone build an inn in the forest?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°All manner of beasties live there, lass. Most like to eat folks,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What would you have done without me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not taken this contract in the first place,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a route around, but it would take the better part of a month. That¡¯s what we did when we went to Eagle¡¯s bay,¡± Thokri said.

    Anna nodded. She made sure to keep an eye out, literally, for bandits or monsters.

    As the day went on, the trees got thicker, and by noon, they were in a dense forest. The road here wasn¡¯t as well maintained as it was outside of the forest, so she had to slow down some.

    I don¡¯t think the others want to get bounced around in a wagon full of sharp things.

    Their new pace seemed to be attracting predators.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s a ten-foot tall furry thing with long arms, short legs, and a long snout full of sharp teeth called?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Lass, that describes about ten different monsters I can think of. You got to be more specific,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°It has three fingers on its hands with long assed claws. Same for its feet. Oh, and I think it¡¯s invisible,¡± Anna said.

    Thokri snatched up the crossbow sitting next to him and started to look around nervously.

    ¡°Where is it, lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Just off the road on the right,¡± Anna replied. He jerked his head to the side and looked into the forest.

    ¡°Want me to kill it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    She summoned a tentacle and grabbed the thing by the throat. With one powerful flex, she snapped its neck. She pulled the reins to stop the wagon.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°What are you doing lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Its fur looks soft,¡± Anna replied.

    She tied the reins to the wagon and hopped off. Thokri did the same, still holding the crossbow.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anymore,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Just being careful, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna tossed the carcass to the road just behind the wagon. Its head was bent to an unnatural angle. The others got out of the wagon, and they all looked at the creature for a moment.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Krako stalker, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Wait, those are real?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Aye, not the first one I¡¯ve seen,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna pulled out her belt knife and rolled the monster onto its back. Thokri stepped next to her.

    ¡°Let me give you a hand, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle gutting it,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°Really?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of time dissecting things and harvesting organs. I¡¯m sure this is filled with valuable parts,¡± Elaine replied. Voekeer rubbed his chin.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. But we¡¯re going to need proof they are from what we say they are from. These things are basically myths,¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll bring its head with us, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I guess we can just salt and dry the hide then,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    With both Anna and Thokri working together, they were able to drain the blood from the beast, behead, and skin it quickly.

    Elaine brought a large leather bundle out and laid it on the ground. She undid three buckles and rolled it open. Inside was filled with every imaginable kind of scalpel, saw, pliers, and other wicked looking implements. The others were staring at Elaine as she ran her fingers over the tools smiling. She looked up.

    ¡°I like dissecting things,¡± she said still smiling.

    ¡°That¡¯s not creepy at all,¡± Lyreen said sarcastically.

    Elaine ignored her and took a long sharp looking scalpel from the wrap.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard magical beasts have organs they push mana into that work like spells,¡± she said.

    She used the scalpel to make a cut from the top of its torso, just below where its neck would have been, all the way to its crotch. She made a few more cuts and then pealed the flesh away revealing its insides. Anna watched intently. She¡¯d seen the insides of creatures before, but never one that could use magic naturally.

    The others crowded around to watch Elaine work. The necromancer hummed a cheerful tune as she worked, cracking bones to get them out of the way before she started to remove organs.

    Adventurers weren¡¯t a squeamish group, and the party was no exception. Most of them were familiar with the insides of animals, monsters, and people. But Elaine seemed to be taking great delight in explaining what the parts she was removing were for.

    ¡°Why do you know this?¡± Lyreen asked as Elaine was describing the functions of the spleen.

    ¡°Uh, well the lich¡¯s spell book had detailed descriptions of anatomy,¡± Elaine replied hesitantly.

    ¡°Why in the world would an undead sorcerer need to know such things, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°He was obsessed with creating something he called the living undead. Basically, he wanted to create intelligent undead that could eat, sleep, and even have children like living people can,¡± Elaine replied.

    Barika and the others looked horrified.

    ¡°That¡¯s blasphemy!¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I know that, and as far as I can tell by his notes on it, he never succeeded. I was more interested in the flesh golems he described,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Basically, you can take parts from various people and monsters and stitch them together to make something new,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That sounds like a chimera,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah, close, but flesh golems are undead,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Why would anyone want to do that?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Take this monster for example. If I were to find an organ that allowed it to become invisible, I could put it into a cat corpse and make a small invisible spy,¡± Elaine replied. The others looked at her in horror. ¡°What?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt any cats,¡± Anna replied. The others turned to her now.

    ¡°That¡¯s what your worried about?!¡± Lyreen asked. Anna crossed her arms.

    ¡°I like cats!¡± she replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt any cats,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Good,¡± Anna replied.

    Everyone went back to watching Elaine work. She extracted a few oddly shaped squishy looking organs.

    ¡°There, I¡¯m done,¡± she said.

    Anna picked the carcass up and tossed it into the forest. Her friends watched it sail away into the distance.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t want to eat it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It smelled weird,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen just shook her head and got back into the wagon. The others joined her. Elaine was the last one in because she had to clean her tools and herself off. The organs she had decided to keep went into little clay jars and were wrapped in cloth. Anna climbed back onto the driver¡¯s bench and got the horses moving again.

    When they stopped for the night, she hung the skin from a tree to dry. It was warm with a slight breeze blowing.

    Should be fine by morning. Glad I salted it first though.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch tonight,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I can see those things. You all can¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really need to sleep anyway,¡± Anna replied.

    Why are they looking at me like that?

    After camp was setup, Thokri cooked food for everyone.

    He¡¯s a pretty good cook, as long as we have the right ingredients that is.

    After they ate, the others went to sleep. She put the fire out, not needing the warmth or the light it produced.

    The forest was clear as day to her, just in a greyscale like the night always was.

    I wonder what darkness looks like?

    She looked up at the sky, seeing glimpses of the stars through the thick tree cover.

    The others don¡¯t even see those the same as me.

    She had found out that other people just see a broad strip of color with the remaining parts of the sky filled with simple dots. To her, it was a riot of color with bright twinkling dots filling it.

    I wonder?

    She summoned an eye and sent it just above the tree line to look at the stars. She¡¯d never done this before and was utterly shocked by what she saw.

    Why are there glowing clouds?

    She looked around with the eye. She couldn¡¯t even describe what was up there, and no one had ever told her that things like that even existed.

    She spent the rest of the night looking at all the wonderful new things she¡¯d discovered, and when the sun began to rise, she sent her eye away and started a fire for breakfast.

    I can¡¯t wait to tell everyone!

    The smell of cooking food roused the others, and soon her sleepy-eyed friends were sitting around the fire she built. Breakfast was just bacon with some potatoes and vegetables fried up in its grease.

    ¡°Did you know there are glowing clouds in the sky at night?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°There are?¡± Lyreen asked. Anna nodded excitedly the others just stared at her for a moment.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I looked at the sky with one of my eyes,¡± Anna replied.

    Her friends all perked up and seemed to be listening closer now.

    ¡°You have to tell us everything,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna described the strange and wonderful things she¡¯d seen the night before to her friends. It was mid-morning by the time she finished, and they all just looked up in wonder.

    ¡°I never even thought about what¡¯s in the sky before,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Nor have I, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I read about mages that peered into the beyond before, but none of them ever did what you did,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a spell that can do what her eye can,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You should paint what you saw, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea!¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°You think so?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Lyreen replied.

    They packed up the camp and got back on the road. It got so rough that by that afternoon they had slowed to a walking pace, if that. She was tempted to just pick the wagon up and run with it but didn¡¯t know what to do with the horses, so she didn¡¯t.

    They made camp again that night, and she volunteered to keep watch. The night was oddly quiet.

    Where are all the critters?

    She sent a few eyes out to investigate, but they didn¡¯t find anything unusual other than the complete lack of wildlife that is. She put it out of her mind and waited for dawn to come.

    She cooked breakfast again, making the same thing as the day before. She kept her eyes out while she cooked and while her friends got up and joined her at the fire.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, lass?¡± Thokri asked seriously.

    ¡°There are no animals,¡± Anna replied. The others stopped eating and looked around.

    ¡°We should get moving,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    They all ate quickly and packed up. Anna dropped any attempt to hide what she was and summoned a dozen eyes to buzz around the wagon looking for threats.

    ¡°See anything, lass?¡± Thokri asked for the fifth time that morning.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna replied.

    She didn¡¯t blame him. There was something very wrong going in this forest, and even she was starting to feel on edge.

    They rode along for a few hours. In the dead silence, the wind shifted some. The stench of rotten meat filled her nose. She made a face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Something¡¯s dead,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Where?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Dunno. I just smelled it, but I haven¡¯t seen anything yet,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said. He picked up the crossbow again.

    There was something on the road a few miles away. She sent the eyes closer to investigate.

    ¡°Uh, I found the smell,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What is it, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Something wiped out a caravan,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Are there any survivors?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Is it blocking the road, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Yes, it looked like something threw the wagons around, and all of the people are in pieces all over the road,¡± Anna replied. Her friends were quiet for a moment.

    ¡°How long?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. A few days I think,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How long do you think it will take to clear the road?¡± Voekeer asked.

    Anna shrugged. ¡°A few minutes. I¡¯ll just shove everything out of the way with my tentacles,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We need to bury the victims, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye, and those wagons might have valuables we can sell,¡± Thokri replied. Barika shot him a poisonous glance. ¡°Easy, lass. Just don¡¯t see any sense in leaving it out here to rot. That¡¯s all,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Dwarves,¡± Barika said, shaking her head.

    They pulled into sight of the caravan.

    ¡°What in the name of the gods could have done that?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, lass, and I don¡¯t want to either,¡± Thokri replied and then spat.

    She pulled up right behind one of the overturned wagons. They all got out of the wagon, and Thokri unhooked the horses and led them off the road, hobbling them next to some shrubs. They started to chomp them immediately.

    ¡°At least someone still has an appetite,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I could eat,¡± Anna replied. Her friends just looked at her again. ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I know there isn¡¯t much hope, but could you look for survivors, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I can. It may take a while. I don¡¯t want to summon too many eyes. I really don¡¯t want to be naked right now,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen looked like she was going to say something rude but looked at the torn rotted corpses and decided not to.

    Anna sent out a swarm of eyes to look at everybody and every wagon. They were looking for any sign of life from a slow heartbeat to a shallow breath. She walked slowly amongst the corpses as the eyes buzzed around.

    It feels like a graveyard.

    She looked around again and realized that it kind of was. A few things started to make her nervous, not for herself, but the others.

    First, nothing had been taken. She spotted glittering coins, jewels, bolts of cloth, and other things that were both valuable and easily carried just lying around. Second and even more disturbing, there were no flies.

    There¡¯s tons of rotting meat and no bugs. Not a single one anywhere.

    Finally, some of the corpses were withered as if they had been dried in the sun like jerky.

    She kept walking, trying not to step in any of the pools of dried blood or on any corpse parts. It was worse the farther she walked. The caravan stretched on for nearly a mile.

    After walking for a long while, an eye shot her an image of a woman somewhere up ahead. She looked terrible and was in some dark place. Anna ran at full speed to where the eye was. She found an enormous wagon that looked as if it had been struck by something as big as a tree and rolled a few times before coming to a stop just off the road.

    Anna rushed over. The back of the wagon looked like a fortress. She pushed her fingers into the tough wood and then ripped the door right off its hinges and tossed it aside.

    A smell that was somehow worse than the outside wafted out, causing Anna to shake her head. She just stopped breathing and climbed inside.

    What am I looking at?

    There were more bodies in here, but they were all naked and chained to the floor. Some of them looked fresher than the others. She thought about it for a moment then realized what had happened.

    Oh no. They were trapped in here and died of thirst!

    Anna walked over the corpses. She found the young woman lying there barely breathing. After snapping the chains from her arms and legs, she gently lifted her.

    Barika will know what to do.

    She bolted out of the wagon and ran as fast as she could go without jostling the poor woman too much.

    She ran right up to her friends who were still at the wagon waiting for her to return. Barika put her hand on the woman as soon as she saw her.

    ¡°I found her in a big wagon that looked like it was armored. It was filled with naked people chained to the floor. I think they died of thirst because they couldn¡¯t get out. She was the only one still alive,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Get water and a clean cloth,¡± Barika said.

    Voekeer went to the wagon and got a water skin. Thokri took the cloth and Voekeer poured some water on it. He then wiped the woman¡¯s lips with the damp cloth. She stirred some and opened her mouth. Anna looked inside.

    ¡°Where¡¯s her tongue?¡± Anna asked.

    Thokri stopped and looked in the woman¡¯s mouth. He uttered a truly foul dwarven curse. Barika looked in as well.

    ¡°Bastards!¡± she said.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she have a tongue?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°She was a slave, child. Some masters do that so they can¡¯t tell secrets,¡± Barika replied after a moment.

    Thokri started to drip water into the woman¡¯s mouth. She squirmed some but seemed to be able to swallow even without a tongue.

    ¡°Lift her head more, child,¡± Barika said. Anna shifted so that the woman was nearly sitting up. Barika placed her hands on the woman¡¯s head and waist. Her hands glowed with the goddesses¡¯ divine power.

    Thokri started to pour water into the woman¡¯s mouth. She gulped it down quickly, finishing an entire waterskin in a few moments. Voekeer handed Thokri another, and the woman drank a few long gulps out of it before stopping.

    She looked around at the party and then at Anna. She looked utterly confused for a moment. Then, when she looked at Barika, she started to cry and hugged the priestess.

    Anna set her down. Barika¡¯s magic could heal most things almost instantly. That¡¯s why she was able to drink so much so fast and have the water get to where it needed. Barika hugged the poor woman tightly and then peeled her off.

    ¡°We need to get you cleaned up and dressed, child.¡± The woman nodded, and Barika led her to the back of the wagon.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to finish looking for survivors,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied, patting her on the shoulder.

    She looked out ahead of the caravan. She¡¯d just finished searching the wreckage. There were no more survivors. She turned around and ran back to the others, unsure if she should start with the dead or looting the wagons.

    The woman was sitting with the others near the wagon eating some of the tasty jerky.

    At least I¡¯m not the only one that can eat.

    Her friends looked sad as she walked up.

    I wish there were more people too.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Bodies first. Then we can search for treasure,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle the bodies,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to just push it all off the road?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, child,¡± Barika replied.

    Elaine stood up and walked over to the edge of the caravan. She held her hands up, and her tattoos started to glow.

    The dead started to rise and shuffle around. They were collecting the parts that couldn¡¯t move on their own. Elaine started to walk into the carnage. The dead were walking ahead of her like some twisted parade.

    ¡°Come on. I don¡¯t want to do this alone,¡± Elaine said. Anna grinned and walked next to her friend.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the others are coming,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Elaine replied.

 Chapter 44

    It took two days to clear the road. Elaine ended up just marching the bodies ahead of the caravan and burning them with green fire.

    I never want to smell anything like that again.

    Most of the goods the caravan had been carrying were ruined, but they still ended up with several large chests full of gold, silver, and jewels.

    Then there was the poor ex slave woman. Anna had decided that she was free, and the others had agreed without hesitation. The woman couldn¡¯t tell them her name but didn¡¯t mind not having one. She also seemed friendly enough.

    She was currently sitting in between Thokri and Anna on the driver¡¯s bench. She was wearing one of Elaine¡¯s dresses, though it was extremely tight around the bust and loose around the waist.

    I know how she feels.

    The woman also had a lot more rear than Elaine, but the dress wasn¡¯t cut to flatter that particular part of a woman¡¯s anatomy, so it worked out.

    She was a pretty woman, a shade or two darker than Anna, with eyes so dark they were nearly black and thick black curly hair, though it had been cut short after it had been soaking in foul liquids from the rotted bodies next to the woman. There was no getting it clean. The woman didn¡¯t seem to mind the haircut.

    Barika is really good at cutting hair.

    The healer had also washed the woman and helped dress her. Anna hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at her. She¡¯d been more concerned with saving her than ogling her at the time.

    I¡¯ll just take a bath with her later.

    ¡°How¡¯d they cut your tongue out anyway?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Anna, that¡¯s rude!¡± Lyreen said.

    The woman shrugged. She made like someone was pulling out her tongue. Then she squeezed the other hand like she was using a pair of shears. She motioned as if her tongue came loose then tossed it aside.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Lyreen said. The woman nodded.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re free now, and you can join us if you want to,¡± Anna said. The woman hugged her. Anna liked hugs, so it worked for her, and according to Thokri, no one would stop two busty lasses from hugging anytime they pleased.

    ¡°Wait, she¡¯s in the party now?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get her signed up when we get back to Oldforge,¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna kept the eyes out and used them to look around as they went. As the day wore on, signs of life returned to the forest. First, she spotted a few birds eyeing them from trees. Then a rabbit ran across the road. By that evening, it sounded like a normal forest.

    They made camp that night, and after setting up the tents and getting the cooking started, they all sat there looking at each other.

    ¡°So, I take it we need to report the caravan?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Is anyone going to want their treasure back?¡± Anna asked. The woman scooted closer to her. ¡°They can¡¯t have you. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll want it, but the guild will keep them from taking it,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°What about her?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°The guild will stop her from being taken as soon as she signs up. Until then, she belongs to us because she would be considered to be part of the treasure,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I already said she¡¯s free, so she¡¯s free,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We know that child, but we have to worry about the authorities. If she is branded a runaway slave, she¡¯ll be captured and sold back into slavery or hung,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Might makes right,¡± Anna replied. Barika looked confused.

    ¡°In the god of lord¡¯s temple, that was written in the stained glass. I think it means that if you¡¯re strong, you make the rules, and I said she was free,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s true lass, but cracking skulls until folks do what you say isn¡¯t the way to live,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. People will start spitting in your cupcakes if you do,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Anna asked with a look of horror on her face.

    ¡°Because if you make people do things they don¡¯t want to, they won¡¯t like you, and if you¡¯re too strong to fight, they will get back at you in other ways,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Lad¡¯s right, but you don¡¯t need to worry about it. You don¡¯t got the heart to force folks into doing things they don¡¯t want to,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re like the sweetest person I know. A little rude sometimes and weird, but still sweet,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Thanks, I think,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Thokri¡¯s right. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. The guild looks out for its members anyway, and one of the major rules is that no adventurer can be sold into slavery for any reason. They are so strict with that rule that even escaped slaves that join will be protected from their former masters,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°What if they kidnap them?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°The guild does more than slay monsters and guard caravans, lass,¡± Thokri replied. He then ran the tip of his thumb across his throat.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t more slaves just join the guild then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s expensive. I know they waived your fees, but it cost me fifteen silver to join which is a lot more than a runaway can afford,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Fifteen silver isn¡¯t all that much. I used to make that in a week as a barmaid,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I believe it,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye, she did work in a port town,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna looked over at their new companion. She was listening intently to their conversation.

    ¡°Can I call you Rose?¡± Anna asked. The woman nodded yes.

    ¡°Why Rose?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°¡¯Cause they¡¯re pretty, like her,¡± Anna replied. The newly dubbed Rose smiled brightly at her.

    ¡°Rose it is then,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°How much longer will we be in this forest?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°A few days if we can keep the pace we had before the caravan,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Road looks about the same, so I think we should be fine,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I hope we find an inn. I really want a nice bed,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°There should be one within a day of the edge of the forest,¡± Voekeer said.

    Thokri got up to check the food. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± he said.

    They all filled their bowls. Rose had trouble eating but still ate several helpings if given the chance.

    Once they all finished, they cleaned up. Anna used her ring to speed things up much to everyone¡¯s appreciation. The others went to sleep. It was a peaceful night, and she spent it chasing small animals around with her eyes.

    When the dawn came, they ate breakfast and got back on the road. It took four days to get out of the forest. The only thing of note that happened was she caught a deer, so they had fresh meat. Rose seemed happy to ride next to her and Thokri, and she listened intently to the dwarf¡¯s lessons on the world.

    He pulled out his pipe and started to smoke. Rose watched it closely.

    ¡°Want to try, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    Rose nodded yes, and he passed her the pipe. She inhaled deeply and then started to cough so hard Anna thought one of her lungs was going to pop out.

    ¡°Easy, lass. You got to get used to it first,¡± Thokri said as he patted her back.

    Rose grinned. Her eyes were watering, but she was smiling. She passed the pipe back to Thokri, but the sparkle weed was having its effect on her, and she started to giggle and smile at everything.

    The forest thinned out that day, and the road got better, so Anna picked up the pace. By that afternoon, they were on a smooth road and surrounded by fields where cattle or sheep grazed.

    Anna sent her eyes back to her dreams. Rose tapped on her arm and pointed at her eye then gestured around as if looking for something.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when strangers see those parts of me,¡± Anna said. Rose cocked her head to the side like a confused puppy.

    ¡°Humans aren¡¯t very nice if they know you¡¯re different,¡± Anna added. Rose patted her chest and then shook her head no.

    ¡°I know, but enough people are, and I don¡¯t want everyone to be afraid of me or hate me,¡± Anna said. She sighed and looked up. ¡°I think it¡¯s just something I need to get over, alright?¡± she added.

    Rose hugged her for a moment and then let go.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    They found another inn a few miles down the road and decided to stop for the night.

    This inn was fairly large considering it was in the middle of nowhere.

    At least, I think this is the middle of nowhere.

    She got off the wagon and looked around. It almost felt like they were back at the inn near Oldforge for some reason. She shrugged and then helped Rose off the wagon. The woman rubbed her rear. Sitting on a hard wooden plank wasn¡¯t easy on most people.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The inn had enough men to take care of the horses, so the party just got their things and went inside.

    There were a few guests, but it wasn¡¯t full by any means. They found a table and sat down. Voekeer waved a barmaid over.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for anything you want, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Anna said to Rose. The woman smiled and nodded.

    ¡°We have so much coin now, I¡¯m not sure what we should be doing,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°We have to finish the contract, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I know that. I mean afterwards. Why bother with adventuring anymore?¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Lad, I¡¯m a forge master. I don¡¯t need to be doing this for coin,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That explains why you complain about human and elf forging constantly,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I thought you were a miner,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°All dwarves learn how to do every job in the mountain before they pick their favorite,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I think the dwarves have it right there,¡± Voekeer said. Thokri nodded sagely.

    ¡°Aye, lad. It¡¯s the best way,¡± he replied.

    ¡°When Thokri goes home, I¡¯m planning on going with him and trying it myself,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They¡¯d let you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Aye, I raised her myself. She¡¯ll be welcome at the mountain,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, tree no, you can¡¯t do that!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re bad enough now. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what you¡¯ll be like after spending all that time with a mountain full of dwarves!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I fear for the world should that transpire,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°No shit,¡± Elaine said. Rose looked confused.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you¡¯ve been around those two. Trust me,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna and Thokri looked at each other and shrugged. The barmaid came over and took their orders. She also took the money for a few rooms for the night.

    The ale was piss water, but the stew was good. Anna watched as Rose squashed her food down to a paste with her spoon before eating it.

    She did that when we were on the road too.

    Rose ate small bites and drank after each one. Anna figured that it was because she was lacking a tongue.

    I wonder if there is anyway to grow it back?

    Her friends had told her that there was no way to grow something back once it was lost, but they were just people and only knew what they had seen and heard, so maybe they just didn¡¯t know of a way to do it.

    I¡¯ll ask around when we get back to Oldforge.

    She ate her stew and drank the terrible ale. Rose only ate one bowl and had two mugs of ale before finishing. Anna remembered how hungry Gwen had been. She supposed that was just the sickness.

    The rooms were small but comfortable, and they all got a good nights sleep before setting out the next day. It took two more days to reach the river village where the sea monster was wreaking havoc.

    The town had wooden walls. They were old and worn. The wood had gone grey, and a few spots were probably rotten. There were no guards at the gate, and she was certain that it wasn¡¯t even possible to close it in the first place.

    The road wasn¡¯t paved or even level. The wagon rode over the hard ground, kicking up dust as it went. The buildings in town were no better than the wall, looking as if they hadn¡¯t been cared for since their construction.

    Men glared at them as they passed. At least until they spotted her and Rose. Then they leered. Both women were used to it and ignored them.

    They found the docks, and Thokri jumped off to talk with the dockmaster, figuring he would know about the sea monster. Voekeer got out of the wagon and followed the dwarf.

    Anna took a deep breath. It reminded her of Fishport. Here, at least, a little Fishport was in much better shape. The men came back a few minutes later.

    ¡°It¡¯s been lurking a few miles downriver. We should be able to get there and slay it today if we hurry,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Anna replied.

    They rode off again and left the sad little town behind them. They followed the road for a few miles.

    ¡°That must be the clearing the lad was talking about,¡± Thokri said.

    Anna pulled off into the clearing. The river was nearby, and she looked out over the blue water for a moment. She got off the wagon and so did the others. They walked over to the river and looked around.

    ¡°So, how do you think we should do this?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Well, lad, we need to lure the beast to the shore, and then we can use the spears to kill it,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What if it flees back into the water?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°We got spears with ropes we can tie to the trees,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna looked out at the water again, ignoring her friends. She spotted a huge fin pop up for a moment, and then it submerged again.

    She took off her belt and handed it to Rose who was next to her. Rose looked confused. Anna didn¡¯t say a word though. She pulled off her dress and handed that to the woman as well. Then without warning, she started to run and jumped into the river, aiming for the spot she¡¯d seen the fin.

    The water was cool and clear with a slight current that tried to pull her down river. She was a strong swimmer though, and it was no trouble for her. The water blurred her vision some, so she summoned an eye and used it to look around.

    The river had a rocky bed with a few long streaming plants sprouting up. There were schools of fish swimming around as well.

    They aren¡¯t like the river fish from Fishport.

    She looked around for the sea monster only to find a huge gaping maw heading right for her.

    She didn¡¯t have time to dodge, so she summoned a tentacle and wrapped it around the beast¡¯s throat. It started to squirm like an eel caught on a fisherman¡¯s line.

    It does sort of look like an eel, and a fish, and a snake. Weird.

    The thing was about sixty feet long and about ten feet around with four short fish like fins along with a long fin that ran down its back. She squeezed tighter and tighter, but it didn¡¯t look like the monster was slowing down any.

    Can you choke a sea monster to death?

    After a few minutes of struggling, she got bored and summoned another tentacle. This one had a huge spike on the end. It shot up and slammed into the beast¡¯s throat.

    After a moment of resistance, the spike pierced through the tough scales and buried itself deep inside the monster. The sea monster thrashed around more violently than before. She pulled the spike out of the monster and blood gushed out of the wound, billowing into red clouds. Her vision was completely obscured, but the eye could still see everything, so she wasn¡¯t worried.

    The monster¡¯s struggles weakened, and then after a few moments, it went still. She held it there for a minute or two to make sure before swimming over and punching it in the eye. It didn¡¯t twitch, so she figured it was dead.

    She swam to the shore, pulling the carcass with her tentacle. She stepped out of the water to find her friends staring in utter disbelief.

    She walked over to them. The tentacles dropped the carcass near the shore and disappeared.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You killed it,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°That is what we were supposed to do,¡± Anna replied. Voekeer just stared at her. Anna covered her mouth and giggled.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You were really planning on killing it with spears?¡± she asked, breaking down into a full belly laugh.

    ¡°You were planning on killing it on your own the whole time, weren¡¯t you?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes. I thought that¡¯s what the plan was,¡± Anna replied recovering some.

    ¡°Then why did we buy all of those spears?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I thought you all were just covering for me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You mean I sat on a bunch of spears for the last week for no reason?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It would seem so, child,¡± Barika replied. Elaine groaned and kicked a rock.

    ¡°Next time, tell us when you plan on going all tentacle monster, alright?¡± she said. Anna nodded.

    ¡°So, how do we clean this thing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t, child. Every part of that monster is toxic,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°So how do we prove we killed it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Take its fangs as trophies, and we¡¯ll let the town headman know. He¡¯ll send some lads to check it out, and then he¡¯ll sign the contract,¡± Thokri replied.

    She walked over and tore the two-foot long fangs from its jaw. Blood and black fluid leaked out.

    That¡¯s probably not safe for people to touch.

    She rinsed them off in the river, then wrapped them up. She dried herself off with her power as well before putting her dress and belt back on.

    They turned the wagon around and went back to the shitty little village. She went back to the docks and the men showed the dockmaster the fangs. He called some dockworkers over and sent them to where the dead sea monster was. Then they were led to the mayor¡¯s house.

    Thokri and Voekeer went to get the contract signed. They returned grinning a few minutes later and hopped on the wagon.

    ¡°Did he sign it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye. When he saw the fangs, his eyes about fell out of his head,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°So, are we staying here, or do you want to get back on the road?¡± Anna asked. They all looked around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back on the road,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Which way?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Go west. If we take the eastern road near the sea, we may get caught in one of the summer storms,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°West it is,¡± Anna said. ¡°What are the summer storms like?¡±

    ¡°Terrible, child. I¡¯ve seen them blow whole villages flat,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Yikes,¡± Anna said.

    They rode west for several weeks with the river to the south and fields to the north. There wasn¡¯t much to see. They passed the small villages along the shoreline. None of them looked all that interesting, and the inns undoubtedly had better accommodations.

    After nearly a month had passed, they reached a crossroads. The road west would lead to a city called Riverhold. It was named that because it was built over two rivers, and ships could sail right into the walls. They took the road north that lead around the forest and back to Oldforge, having no business in Riverhold.

    There were vast fields of some crop she¡¯d never seen before. Thokri and Rose were in the wagon, hiding from the harsh summer sun, leaving her alone on the driver¡¯s bench. It was unbearably hot for the others, other than Thokri. He seemed fine.

    They were stripped to their underclothes with Rose forgoing clothing entirely. Anna wanted to be naked too, but the others forbade her from doing so. She was in plain sight of anyone else traveling the road after all.

    I don¡¯t care!

    She sighed and kept driving the wagon. It was so hot that the men working in the fields on either side of the road did so in the nude as well. Anna got herself an eyeful of sweating muscular men for days on end, much to her amusement.

    One afternoon when the sun felt like it was going to melt the wagon and its mortal occupants, there was a strange clunk and the wagon started to shake. Anna pulled the reins to stop and tied them off. She hopped off the wagon and walked around to investigate.

    ¡°Well, shit!¡± Anna said.

    The rear right wheel had a broken spoke, and the iron band was bent out of shape now. Thokri shuffled out of the wagon and stood next to her.

    ¡°Can you fix it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I can patch it, lass, but we¡¯ll need a real shop to fix it before we get back on the road,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if any of those men know where we can get this fixed,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied. She turned to walk into the field next to the road.

    ¡°HEY! COME HERE!¡± Anna shouted from the edge of the field. One of the men looked up. He glanced around nervously. ¡°COME ON! WE NEED HELP!¡± she shouted.

    ¡°BACK TO WORK, YOU!¡± another man shouted. The first man went back to whatever he was doing, and the one that yelled at him walked over to her. ¡°How can I help you, miss?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Our wagon broke a spoke. We can patch it, but we need somewhere close to repair it right,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Head to the manor. It¡¯s just up the road. They can help you there,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said. She turned and went back to the wagon.

    Thokri and the others were dressed and out of the wagon at this point. Anna lifted the wagon up while Voekeer and Thokri tied a rope tightly around the broken spoke. When they finished, the wheel was mostly straight and seemed to be holding the weight of the wagon. Not wanting to stress it anymore than they had to, they walked beside the wagon as they made their way to the manor.

    It was a mile or so down the road when they turned down a long path that ended in a huge house. There were trees lining each side of the path. It was pretty, but she still thought the Duke¡¯s palace was nicer. Once they reached the house, a servant came out to greet them.

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We broke a spoke on one of our wheels, and when I asked a man in the fields nearby, he said you could help us,¡± Anna replied. The servant nodded.

    ¡°Head down that path until you reach the workshops. They will be able to fix your wagon,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    She could hear the tale tell sounds of a smithy as they approached the workshops. Thokri was grinning.

    ¡°You really should just go back to the mountain,¡± Anna said in dwarven.

    ¡°Aye, I know, but I¡¯m not ready just yet,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I know your family misses you,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said sadly. She had never learned what kept him away for so long and wasn¡¯t sure if he even knew.

    The workshops came into view, and they resembled a small village. A few men came over to meet them as they neared.

    ¡°Busted a spoke. Can you lads give us a hand?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Sure can,¡± one of the men replied.

    They led them to a large shop where the horses were unhooked and led away. Thokri, followed by Voekeer, walked over to the lead man, and they started to talk.

    ¡°Wanna go walk around?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Sure, why not,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°They may be a while,¡± Barika said.

    Anna followed her friends out of the workshop, mostly because she loved to explore so much. Rose tagged along as well, having no interest in watching the men repair the wagon. The five of them headed down a path, amazed by the size of the workshops.

    Anna smelled rotten meat and started to walk in that direction. Her friends followed without asking where she was going. She turned a corner to find an open space. There were nine people hanging from ropes in the center of the space. They had all been there for a few days, and with the heat, it was ripe to say the least.

    Lyreen gasped and covered her mouth.

    ¡°What in the name of the goddess?¡± Barika asked.

    Anna walked over to the bodies. They were all naked, and none of them had signs around their necks like most executed criminals.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± a man asked.

    ¡°What did they do?¡± Anna asked.

    The man walked over. He was standing next to one of the bodies. He looked up at the dead man.

    ¡°Runaways. Got what they had coming to them,¡± he said.

    ¡°So, you caught them and brought them back here just to kill them?¡± Anna asked. The man spat on her foot.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like your tone,¡± he replied.

    The corpse¡¯s hand reached down and grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder. It squeezed. The man looked over at the hand and simultaneously screamed and pissed himself before falling to the ground. He then scooted away from the squirming zombie on his ass.

    The rest of the corpses started to move.

    ¡°You might want to take care of that,¡± Elaine said. The man got up and ran away faster than Anna had ever seen a human run. The zombies went still, turning back into simple corpses.

    ¡°That¡¯s just wrong, child,¡± Barika said. She was smirking, so Anna didn¡¯t think she was mad at Elaine.

    ¡°We should leave,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. We are just delicate women. There¡¯s no way we could possibly help,¡± Elaine replied. Her friends all laughed for some reason.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll explain on the way back,¡± Elaine replied.

    They turned and headed back to the workshop, leaving the grisly scene behind them.

 Chapter 45

    The wagon was repaired in spite of the near panic caused by reports of zombies. The women in the party smirked. The rest of the time they were in the workshop but refused to tell the men anything until they got back on the road.

    Once they were a few miles away from the manor, they spilled. Thokri let out a belly laugh that only a dwarf could muster, and Voekeer just shook his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re all a menace. You know that, right?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    She was driving the wagon in the blazing sun by herself again. She didn¡¯t mind all that much, other than the lack of company.

    Even Thokri doesn¡¯t want to sit next to me.

    Voekeer sighed. ¡°Honestly, I think they all deserved far worse than a scare,¡± he said.

    ¡°I wish there was something else we could have done, but what they did was legal,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Baa! Legal, only in human lands, lass! We dwarves would have buried the lot of them alive for what they did to those lads!¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°The same is true for our people. They would have killed the ones responsible,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I hope my father never finds out about this,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Why is that, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Because what I saw was a nightmare, and you know what he does to nightmares,¡± Anna replied.

    Everyone was quiet for a moment.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fucking terrifying,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied. Her friends didn¡¯t say anything else for a while afterwards.

    I hope I didn¡¯t scare them too much.

    ¡°So, how long before we get back to Oldforge?¡± Lyreen asked after a few minutes of silence.

    ¡°About a month, as long as the wagon holds up that is,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, lad. Just had too much weight over the wheel. That¡¯s all,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I knew we should have had Elaine sit somewhere else,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Shut it, elf!¡± Elaine replied. The others laughed.

    Anna simply smiled, glad that they weren¡¯t too upset.

    The rest of the journey to Oldforge was relatively peaceful, other than Elaine nearly killing a man she had taken to bed when she found out he was married that is.

    As Oldforge grew larger, she had the strangest feeling.

    Is this what coming home is like?

    Having no way to know, she shrugged it off.

    They waited in a long line to enter the city. The guards were searching everyone who entered for some reason. When it was their turn, she stopped the wagon where instructed to, and a guard came over to talk.

    ¡°We got a wagon full of spears and gold, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Adventurers?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Sounds like you had a good run then,¡± the guard replied.

    ¡°We did,¡± Thokri replied. They showed the guards their guild badges.

    ¡°Well, we still need to search your wagon,¡± the guard said.

    Thokri shrugged, and they all got off the wagon. The guards looked through their things. They paused when they opened the chests.

    ¡°Did you slay a fucking dragon?¡± one of the guards asked.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Anna replied.

    The guard looked at her for a moment and shook his head. When they spotted the two-foot fangs, she was certain that the rumor of them being dragon slayers would start as soon as the men hit the tavern that evening.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this about anyway?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Wish I knew. We just got orders to lock the city down a week ago,¡± the guard replied. Voekeer frowned. ¡°Make sure you go straight to the guild. No one is allowed out without good reason,¡± the guard added.

    Once the guards finished, they got back on the wagon and headed into the strangely empty city. Without the crowds, it didn¡¯t take long to get back to the guild hall.

    She drove the wagon around the side of the building to the stables located there. Adventurers were rather fond of their mounts and didn¡¯t like them kept too far away. The wagon was parked, and the horses were led to stalls to be brushed and fed.

    Anna picked up two of the chests, leaving Voekeer, Thokri, Elaine, and Barika to carry the third. Rose carried the fangs and two packs with Lyreen carrying the rest. They walked into the back door and headed to the main room only to find it full of sullen adventurers.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen more cheerful crowds at a funeral,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Funerals are a lot of fun,¡± Elaine replied. The others looked at her for a moment, unsure if she was joking this time or not.

    They walked over to the counter and set the chest down. Anna set the two she was carrying next to them. The others gave her a look this time.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Bruno walked out to greet them. He looked at the trunks and at them and then back at the trunks.

    ¡°Do I want to know?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need you to do some paperwork for us,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Bruno muttered something rude under his breath. They told him about the caravan and what they had done. He took out a stack of papers and started to write on them, complaining the whole time.

    They each had to sign the documents stating they were claiming the treasure and Rose with finder¡¯s rights. Voekeer had a few documents he had found in the caravan so that the owners could be found and informed. This was a legal necessity.

    Once they finished signing the mountain of documents poor Bruno had to write up, he retrieved a guild contract. He seemed cheerful to do so.

    Because Rose couldn¡¯t read, he read it aloud for her. He asked her if she understood as he read it and would continue when she nodded yes.

    Once he finished, she made an X on the bottom of the page and then paid the silver needed to join. Anna had given her a pouch full. Once that was done, Bruno smiled. It was a terrifying sight.

    ¡°Enjoy your freedom,¡± he said. Rose smiled back and winked.

    ¡°Try not to get eaten by anything,¡± he said.

    ¡°She might like that, lad,¡± Thokri said. Bruno chuckled, and Rose smacked Thokri¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Any idea what happened?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Not a clue. One day, the guards just started telling everyone to go home,¡± Bruno said.

    Voekeer shrugged. He handed Bruno the signed contract. Bruno looked it over then stamped it. He put it on the shelf and then counted some coins from a strong box before putting them on the counter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t spend it all on the same whore,¡± Bruno said.

    ¡°You really need a new joke,¡± Anna replied. Bruno looked at the party for a moment then shrugged.

    ¡°Works for everyone else,¡± he said.

    She helped him bring the chests into the vault which was a room with a huge iron door. She wasn¡¯t allowed inside and didn¡¯t really care anyway.

    Bruno gave them a stack of skull contracts to look through. They found a table and sat down. Voekeer spread the contracts out, and they started to look them over.

    ¡°What¡¯s a basilisk?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Big lizard that sprays poison and can turn folks to stone,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That sounds fun,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Not really, but with you around, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°You know their eyes can be used in a number of spells,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Aye, and their scales make fine armor,¡± Thokri added.

    Voekeer held out his hand. Anna passed him the contract and he looked it over.

    ¡°Pay isn¡¯t too good, but it¡¯s not like that really matters at this point,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°We should look at the others before we make any decisions,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°This one is to collect some gryphon feathers,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a gryphon?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Big fucker that looks like an eagle and a lion had a baby,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Ooooh, what¡¯s a lion?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Big cat,¡± Thokri replied. She spent a moment trying to imagine such a creature but was unable to.

    ¡°Collecting feathers shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Tell me, where is that contract¡¯s location?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°It says we can get them from anywhere, but the largest nest in the kingdom is at the base of Skybreaker mountain,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a long way from Oldforge,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°We are also supposed to deliver them to the requester¡¯s estate,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°And where would that be?¡± Barika asked. Elaine looked at the contract in her hands again.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Just south of the capital,¡± she replied.

    ¡°It would take months, but we¡¯d get to see most of the kingdom,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye. Might be worth it for the trip along,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Voekeer asked. Barika picked up a contract at random.

    ¡°Giant spiders have nested near the edge of Gloomwood, and they are attacking nearby settlements,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yum,¡± Anna replied, thinking of the spider legs she¡¯d eaten in the cavern. Her friends looked at her with concern on their faces for a moment.

    Thokri looked over a few on the table then grinned at one. He picked it up.

    ¡°This one is for wyverns. Could use a hide for some light armor,¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a wyvern?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Hush, child,¡± Barika replied.

    The others looked over a few more of the contracts.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do more than one?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°We would have to get the guild master¡¯s permission,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Would she say no?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Better have a good plan on how we¡¯d do them before we go and talk with her, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Let me go get a map of the kingdom,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He went over to the counter and talked with Bruno for a moment. The others kept looking through the contracts.

    I have no idea what any of these monsters are.

    She set the contract she was holding down and took a piece of candy from her belt pouch and popped it in her mouth. She rolled it around with her tongue coating her mouth with sticky sweetness.

    She looked up at the ceiling again to see if the big spider was there still.

    Oh, there it is!

    She watched it sit there, unmoving, for a few moments before looking around. The other adventurers were drinking and softly murmuring to each other. Mostly about what could be happening. A few were doing the same as them and looking at contracts to go on as an excuse to leave the city.

    Even Rufus is looking for work?

    The bull man and his cronies were in deep discussion about a contract to guard a caravan heading to the empire.

    Voekeer came back with the map, and the others started to talk about what contracts they wanted to take, and then they started to plan the best route to take.

    It took the better part of two hours for them to come up with a good plan and work up the nerve to talk to the guild master. They went to the counter and gave Bruno back the contracts they didn¡¯t want.

    ¡°So, no slime hunting?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I take it you want to go and see the guild master?¡± Bruno asked when he saw the map and the contracts still in Voekeer¡¯s hands.

    ¡°We do,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Bruno motioned for them to followed, and they went into the back of the Adventure¡¯s Guild Hall. It was the first time she¡¯d ever been here. Really, it was just a hallway with a few rooms.

    They went into the one on the far back wall. Bruno knocked on the door, and she heard the guild master¡¯s voice saying they could come in.

    The inside of the office was surprisingly nice with thick carpets on the floor and bookshelves lining the walls. The guild master sat behind an enormous desk that was filled with papers. She was reading one of them at the moment with a frown on her face.

    She looked up. ¡°I supposed you want to take more than one contract,¡± she said, looking at Voekeer.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°You have my permission,¡± the guild master said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes, really,¡± she replied. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples. ¡°Listen, I know you can handle anything we have, and I¡¯m trying to get my people out of this city before they start to cause trouble,¡± the guild master added.

    ¡°Why do you want to get everyone out of the city? Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No idea, but I don¡¯t feel like dealing with the paperwork because some of my boys got antsy and fucked up the guards,¡± the guild master replied.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Take whatever you need from the stores and get out of here in the morning. I¡¯m not sure if this lockdown is going to get worse or not,¡± the guild master replied.

    ¡°Alright. I guess we¡¯re going to get our wagon ready,¡± Voekeer said in a confused tone.

    The guild master grunted and went back to work. They went back to the main room and talked to Bruno, letting him know of their plans.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some supplies from the storeroom. Got anything you want to offload?¡± Bruno asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we have a whole bunch of spears and nets we used to get the sea monster,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Well, we can keep them here for you,¡± Bruno said.

    ¡°That would help, thank you,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Bruno waved them off then left for the back of the guild himself.

    The party went back to their wagon and unloaded the extra weapons and other unneeded supplies. Bruno brought a few other people with him, and within a few minutes, their wagon was basically empty save for rations and their packs.

    ¡°We should take a strongbox full of coin as well,¡± Thokri said.

    The others agreed, and they went back inside. Bruno filled one with copper, silver, and gold coins for them, promising to take what they owed from the treasure and no more. They ate a huge meal of soup, bread, and cheese. They also drank copious amounts of ale before heading to bed for the night. She looked out the window at the empty streets.

    I should go find out what¡¯s happening.

    She went to put her dress back on but hesitated. After a moment of thought, she decided against it.

    Something weird would happen. Something weird always happens.

    She went to bed instead, figuring they would just learn what was going on with everyone else when they got back.

    The next morning, she passed out hangover cure to the others. Only Thokri refused. Everyone else gratefully downed the concoction and sighed seemly in unison.

    ¡°This is the greatest thing dwarves have ever come up with,¡± Lyreen said.

    The others agreed, causing Thokri to shake his head in disgust. Breakfast was porridge, which she sweetened to an eye watering level. They ate in silence.

    Once finished, they went to Bruno. Anna handed him two letters. One was to the dwarves, letting them know she¡¯d be gone for a long time and asking for them to keep taking care of her house.

    The other was to Beth. It was filled with more drawings, mostly from the ball. Beth loved dresses and would have died from excitement had she been allowed to attend. After that, they said their goodbyes to the ogre and left the Guild Hall.

    They got the carriage hooked up, and everyone climbed aboard. She drove the wagon through the empty streets with Rose and Thokri sitting next to her. The others were sprawled out in the now roomy wagon. They had kept a few spears, but those were now strapped to the side of the wagon wrapped in oilskin.

    Rose shifted some. She was still wearing an ill-fitting dress. They had bought a few on the trip home, but like Anna, nothing quite fit her.

    ¡°We can get some made when we reach a big town,¡± Anna said. Rose nodded if she felt bad about Anna buying her things. Anna couldn¡¯t tell.

    They were searched again before leaving the city. The guards seemed more on edge this time, but that might just be because they were at a different gate this time. The western road was far larger than the southern one, and there was more traffic, even with the lockdown.

    They spent two weeks on the road before stopping in a large town. The guards at the gate waved them through as soon as they showed their guild badges. She looked for an inn as they rode down the main street. She found one near the gate.

    It even has a stable attached.

    She pulled in next to the inn, and a few men came out. Thokri paid them, and they started to unhook the horses. The party went inside the inn and got rooms for the week.

    ¡°Come on, Rose. Let¡¯s go get you some gear,¡± Thokri said.

    They had intended on buying everything she needed before they left Oldforge, but that hadn¡¯t worked out because of the lockdown. The other towns and villages they passed were small and didn¡¯t have the kinds of things they were looking for.

    ¡°Sure you want to use a bow?¡± Lyreen asked. Rose nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to knock those huge tits of yours off,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine if she wraps them or gets a breast plate,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t have time to put one on?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Then she¡¯ll smack herself in the boob with the string. I¡¯m sure it will hurt like hell, but that¡¯s not your problem elf,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It is if she flinches and shoots me in the ass, human!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°That¡¯d be a hell of a shot,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Shut up, you,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Lyreen had been opposed to Rose using a bow for some reason and had been trying to talk her out of it since she had decided on it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. She just has some weird thing about butts,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I DO NOT!¡± Lyreen replied.

    Everyone chuckled for a moment before they left the inn.

    They walked around the town until they found the clothes shop. This town didn¡¯t have a separate dressmaker and tailor because they were a husband and wife pair. Both were hard at work when the party walked inside.

    ¡°How can we help you?¡± the husband asked.

    ¡°We need clothing for her. Some light dresses for the summer and a few heavy ones for the winter along with a good cloak,¡± Barika replied. The wife got up.

    ¡°I need to get your measurements,¡± she said.

    ¡°She can¡¯t speak. Is that going to be a problem?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± the wife replied. She led Rose into the back room.

    ¡°Can I help you with anything else?¡± the husband asked.

    ¡°Do you have ribbons?¡± Anna asked.

    He smiled. Most people did when she was talking to them for some reason.

    ¡°Of course, we do,¡± he replied. He walked over and pulled reel after reel and set them on the counter. She walked over and looked at the colorful things.

    There were so many, she didn¡¯t know where to start. Elaine walked over and pulled out a length of purple ribbon.

    ¡°Got to start with this. It¡¯s the same color as your eyes,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Yeah, that one is nice.¡± Barika and Lyreen walked up next to her and started to look at the ribbons.

    ¡°I guess it really depends on how you do your hair,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, if we put your hair in pig tails, you¡¯d need a different color than if we braided it and put the ribbon at the bottom,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said. She picked a few lengths she liked and let her friends do the same. She gave the man a copper for them and let Lyreen put her hair in pig tails.

    She seemed excited about them for some reason.

    Rose had come back out in the middle of it, and she seemed excited as well. Her hair had grown out some, and she ended up buying a blue ribbon to tie it back. Elaine got a black one, of course, and Lyreen bought a pink one.

    Once they paid for Rose¡¯s clothing, they left the shop and headed to the main market. The market wasn¡¯t anything special, but she was still having fun looking at the stalls. Thokri was dragging Rose around, pointing out the things she would need, and then explaining in great detail what to look for in said things.

    Watching the two of them, she had a strange feeling and then remembered the first time she¡¯d gone to a market with Thokri to buy adventuring gear.

    A smile came to her face.

    I know what would make this perfect.

    ¡°I want to go to a candy stall,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°As soon as they finish, we¡¯ll go find one,¡± Voekeer said.

    Poor Rose was carrying an arm full of equipment and tottering along after the surprisingly quick dwarf.

    ¡°You might want to get her a pack,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting to it, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna took a few of the more cumbersome things from Rose who smiled at her in thanks.

    ¡°He forgets that not every pretty human girl is me,¡± Anna said. Rose nodded in understanding.

    Anna sighed. She¡¯d tried to teach the woman how to read and write, but she just couldn''t for some reason.

    Whenever she tries to write, the letters are backwards and upside down sometimes.

    She¡¯d asked her if that¡¯s what was happening when she tried to read, and Rose had nodded yes.

    The others told her to quit trying after Anna had told them what she learned, saying that it would be impossible for Rose, and that it would just frustrate her.

    She¡¯s having trouble with dwarven sign as well.

    Anna had tried to teach her that as well, but to be fair, it was a complex language based on dwarven which was itself a complex language that shared nothing with common language.

    I should have known it would be hard. Me and Thokri have been talking to each other in dwarven for a year, and the others barely know a word of it.

    She didn¡¯t think Rose was stupid or anything, but it seemed that it may be impossible to teach her a new language anytime soon.

    Guess I just have to find a way to heal her.  Anna remembered that their journey would be taking them to the capital. I might find someone that can help her there!

    Elaine, Thokri, and Barika had all been there before, and they told her so many things, some of which seemed far fetched, but her friends wouldn¡¯t lie to her. She got a little shaky when she thought about it from the excitement.

    She heard Rose sigh and looked over to see what the woman was doing. Thokri was holding a pack and started to explain how to pack it. Poor Rose looked confused as the dwarf described in great detail what to do.

    ¡°Hey, uh, I think we should just show her,¡± Anna said.

    Thokri stopped and looked at Rose and then back at Anna.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied.

    Rose looked at her in thanks before they started to fill her new pack. It didn¡¯t take long for the two of them to pack Rose¡¯s pack. She watched intently as they did so. Once finished, she put the pack on, and Thokri adjusted the straps, explaining how and why as he did so.

    They found the armor vendor next. Thokri put poor Rose in a thick mail shirt over the usual padding, and she looked miserable in it. They tried a few different types of armor before hand, but most were either too heavy for the frail woman or didn¡¯t protect well enough from the dangers of adventuring. She reluctantly put the pack back on and started to sweat horribly as they walked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s ready for a full kit, Thokri,¡± Anna said. He looked back for a moment.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± he replied and kept walking.

    Their last stop for equipment was the weapon¡¯s stall. Thokri was poking through the bows with Rose while the rest of the party went to their preferred weapons. Anna had enough clubs to last for a long while, so she looked around at the other weapons.

    Oh, what¡¯s this?

    In a basket next to the slings were small grey objects. She picked one up. It was surprisingly heavy. She tossed the oval thing into the air and caught it.

    It¡¯s metal!

    The weight reminded her of gold, but it was a dull grey color. There were leather bags hanging next to the basket. She put one over her shoulder and adjusted it so it would hang next to her hip. She filled the bag with the metal ovals and then walked to the merchant.

    ¡°Yes, miss,¡± he said.

    ¡°How much for this bag and all of these?¡± she asked, opening the flap.

    ¡°Three copper,¡± he said. She handed him the coins.

    ¡°Ever used war shot before?¡± he asked. She shook her head no.

    ¡°Make sure you practice with it first,¡± he said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied. She walked over to her friends who were still picking through the weapons.

    ¡°What have you got there?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°War shot,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why would you¡­. By the tree, why didn¡¯t I think of that?!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about throwing stuff in a while, so don¡¯t feel bad,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How much was that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°A few copper,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We should buy that whole basket before we leave,¡± Voekeer replied looking past her.

    Rose ended up with three bows. A light one for practice, a heavier one to hunt with, and a war bow. She couldn¡¯t draw the hunting bow or the war bow, but Thokri was convinced she¡¯d be able to with the proper training. She also bought a bundle of arrows for each.

    They went back to the inn and packed Rose¡¯s new equipment in the wagon. She looked relieved when she pealed the padding off. Anna looked her over.

    ¡°Bath?¡± she asked. Rose nodded vigorously.

    ¡°Water and food first. You¡¯ll pass out from the heat if you don¡¯t,¡± Barika said.

    Rose looked crestfallen but didn¡¯t argue, not that she could. They finished packing the wagon and went into the inn.

 Chapter 46

    She pulled the wagon in front of the inn/tavern.

    I¡¯m still not sure what to call it.

    The towns folk had called the place both things and had also informed them it served as the meeting hall for the headmen.

    A man walked out of the attached stables. Thokri waved him over and paid him to take care of the horses. They got off the wagon and went into the ill-defined building.

    Inn, definitely an inn.

    They found a table and sat down.

    ¡°Do you need more salve?¡± Anna asked. Rose nodded.

    ¡°Want me to rub it in again?¡± Anna asked. Rose nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Just come to my room when we go up for the night,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How¡¯s her training coming along?¡± Voekeer asked. Thokri rubbed his beard for a moment.

    ¡°Not too well. The lass had no stamina, and she¡¯s weak as a kitten. Don¡¯t know what they had her doing, but it wasn¡¯t labor, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I got a pretty good idea what she was doing,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°More like who she was doing,¡± Elaine added. Rose made a rude gesture at them.

    ¡°She was a dancer,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That explains a lot,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I thought a dancer would have great stamina,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Shaking your ass for men is a lot different than running in armor in the hot sun,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯m more curious about how Anna¡¯s doing with the war shot,¡± Lyreen said. Anna grinned.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I feel bad for the monsters,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°You should, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    They waved a barmaid over, and a young woman rushed over enthusiastically.

    She¡¯s really young.

    If Anna had to guess, she¡¯d say that this was no woman, but a girl no more than fourteen. She looked at the party with wide eyes for a moment.

    ¡°Are you heroes?¡± she asked. Thokri laughed hard.

    ¡°No, lass, we¡¯re just adventurers,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Really!?¡± she asked excitedly.

    ¡°Aye, just here to kill some spiders,¡± Thokri replied. She inhaled sharply.

    ¡°I have to go get my grandpa. He¡¯s been waiting for you!¡± she said and then rushed off.

    ¡°And there she goes,¡± Elaine said smirking.

    The girl returned with an older man a few minutes later. He looked at them for a moment.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect a bunch of women,¡± the man said. Elaine looked around the room.

    ¡°Yeah, it is kind of a sausage fest in here,¡± she replied. The man laughed.

    ¡°By the gods, it is, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯re planning on heading out tomorrow,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°The forest is half a day¡¯s walk, and the nest is another half day away from there. Hope you don¡¯t mind camping surrounded by viscious monsters because the Gloomwood has more than just spiders in it,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Oh, fun,¡± Anna said. The man looked at her in confusion until his eyes found her chest.

    ¡°I, uh,¡± he said.

    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± Anna said. He looked up quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a map. Let me know if you need anything else before you go,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Some ales and food would be nice,¡± Elaine said.

    The young barmaid turned red and rushed off. The man smiled as he watched her go.

    ¡°She¡¯s a good girl but kind of excitable,¡± he said.

    ¡°We all were at that age,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m William, but you can call me Bill, and that was Lynda,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good to meet you, Bill. I¡¯m Voekeer,¡± Voekeer replied. The rest of the party introduced themselves. Bill took a seat at their table.

    ¡°I have to ask, why did you decide to take this contract? Other than for the coin, that is,¡± Bill asked.

    ¡°Spider legs are delicious,¡± Anna replied. Bill looked at her oddly.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to eat them?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Some of them, yes,¡± Voekeer replied. Bill shook his head.

    ¡°Takes all kinds, I guess,¡± he said.

    They talked with Bill until the food showed up, and then they ate. Food was stew, as usual, and the ale was piss water, also as usual.

    They went to bed early, wanting to get a good night''s sleep before heading into the forest. Rose showed up and Anna put the salve on her before she left, not wanting to spend the night in anyone¡¯s room.

    I think she likes being alone.

    Rose had been ecstatic when she got to sleep in Anna¡¯s tent the first night they had found her and was shocked when they paid for a separate room for her.

    ¡°Maybe she wasn¡¯t alone often before we met her,¡± Anna said.

    They headed out the next morning, paying for the horses to be stabled and someone to watch the wagon for them. Anna put the strong box in her pack, not trusting the townsfolk with that much coin.

    ¡°I should make a zombie to leave in the wagon,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°We¡¯d never get the smell out,¡± Barika replied. Elaine rubbed her chin and then snapped her fingers.

    ¡°I know, what if I stuffed it with flower petals?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would help, lass,¡± Thokri replied. Elaine shrugged and kept walking.

    They reached the forest midday. Anna summoned a few eyes and sent them off ahead. She looked around for a moment before walking into the forest herself. The others followed her, and they made their way to the spider nests.

    They headed deeper into Gloomwood. Unlike the empty forest where they had found the caravan, this place teemed with life. There were the normal animals one would find in a forest, deer, rabbits, wolves that kind of thing, but there were also ones with mana cores.

    They were similar to the other animals, but the mana had changed them. There was a deer with glowing antlers. It was eating some brush.

    That¡¯s a big boy.

    It was twice the size of normal deer, and its fur was white, making it stand out in the green forest. She wondered how such a brightly colored creature had made it to adulthood and then realized that it was probably because of the horns.

    I bet it shoots lightning or something.

    Not wanting to get shot with lightning again, she decided to leave it alone.

    The eyes made the animals run away if she got too close with them, so she kept her distance. It wasn¡¯t just the animals that were changed by mana. There were plants that were filled with it. They didn¡¯t exactly have mana cores. It was more like concentrations of it throughout. She stopped when she spotted fire moss. It was sparkling with odd orange mana.

    ¡°What is it, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°This plant is filled with mana,¡± Anna replied. Barika walked over and looked at the fire moss. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe to harvest?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never used plants soaked in mana before,¡± Barika replied. Anna took out her belt knife and started to cut the moss free.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take some, but I think I¡¯ll find some other herbs to test first. I don¡¯t think Lyreen would ever forgive me if I messed up her potion,¡± Anna said. Barika laughed.

    ¡°You¡¯d never hear the end of it from either of them,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I still think their baby would be cute,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I have no doubt. Shame I¡¯ll never get to see,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get to see their great, great, grandchildren and say goodbye to them one day, too,¡± Anna said. Barika put her hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder and squeezed for a moment before letting go.

    ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t want to be wandering around this place at night,¡± Anna said. She started to head in the direction of the spider nest, keeping a lookout for a good place to camp for the night. She found a pond fed by a small stream just after sunset. It was clear enough to set up their tents.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch,¡± Anna said. She could hear things rustling around in the brush and spotted a few creatures that didn¡¯t look all that friendly lurking in what they thought were shadows.

    ¡°Anyone want fresh meat, or are we just eating rations?¡± Anna asked. The others looked around.

    ¡°Rations will be fine,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Rations it is,¡± Anna said. She started to open her pack to fish hers out. ¡°Are we going to cook it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No need. These rations are good cold,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Thokri started a fire and watched it closely. She pointed at the fire then at the rations and shrugged.

    ¡°The fire helps keep the critters away,¡± he said. Rose nodded. Anna thought back to the dire wolf and wondered if a simple fire would have kept that beast away.

    Guess we¡¯ll never know.

    She chewed on some of the dried meat. It was the good stuff she¡¯d bought for the sea monster contract. They would have to start cooking again once it ran out. The stuff from the guild was terrible.

    Or I can buy some more good stuff.

    She had intended to buy a bunch of it and some chests that kept food fresh when they got back to Oldforge, but that hadn¡¯t worked out. She chewed and looked through her eyes floating around them, looking at the different plants that were next to the camp.

    Oh, that one¡¯s pretty!

    She spotted a plant covered in big flowers. She floated her eye over to get a better look. The flowers had two petals. There were spikes coming out of the edge of the petals. The center was covered in a thick syrupy substance. Some of the flowers were closed. She wasn¡¯t certain why they didn¡¯t look like new buds.

    Those ones are some of the biggest.

    She chewed away at her jerky, watching the odd flowers, debating on if she should dig one of the plants up and bring it with her.

    I could put that in one of my flower boxes.

    A bird flew over and landed on one of the flowers. It poked its beak into a small opening in the center of the flower.

    The petals snapped shut. The bird struggled for a moment before going still. A few feathers stuck out the sides of the now shut flower. She stopped chewing.

    What the fuck!

    ¡°What is it, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°A flower just ate a bird!¡± Anna replied excitedly.

    ¡°Are you sure you saw that?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s over there if you want to see for yourself,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of plants that can eat critters before. Some even get big enough to eat folks,¡± Thokri said. His statement caused the others to look around nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take one,¡± Anna said, starting up.

    ¡°Why?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to plant it in my garden,¡± Anna replied.

    She took a small shovel from her pack and walked off towards the strange plant. She made her way to the plants and found a small one.

    Can¡¯t take the one that has the bird in its flower.

    She dug it up and brought it back to the camp. Her friends were staring at her.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna replied. She set the plant down and picked through her pack, looking for one of the cloth sacks she brought along.

    Adventurers need sacks. That¡¯s what Thokri told me.

    She pulled a rough burlap one out and stuffed the roots of the plant, along with a large chunk of dirt, inside, then tied it. After that, she tied the whole thing to the side of her pack. Her friends were still staring when she sat back down.

    ¡°Why are you all just staring at me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Why in the world do you want that thing, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Cause it¡¯s pretty,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That is not pretty,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Well, I think it is,¡± Anna replied.

    She took some of her jerky and dropped it on one of the flower¡¯s petals. It snapped shut around it. Her friends just stared at the plant for a moment, and then went back to eating.

    The others went to their tents after they finished, and Anna put the fire out once she was sure they were all sleeping. Each of her friends had a lantern to carry with them if they needed to relive themselves at night.

    I still don¡¯t know why they get so mad when I send an eye to keep watch for them.

    Lyreen had said something about privacy, but she still didn¡¯t get why that was so important.

    She put a small chunk of jerky in each of the plant¡¯s flowers, not wanting it to eat her hair as she walked. She also splashed some water on the sack knowing that plants needed to keep their roots wet.

    Hope it lasts till we get back to Oldforge.

    She floated the eyes around, watching the animals that preferred the nighttime. She idlely wondered what darkness was like for the thousandth time.

    The morning came, and they broke camp and ate a cold breakfast as they walked. She spotted huge webs sometime before noon. There were huge bundles stuck inside some of the webs. Using her eyes, she looked through the silk and found animal carcasses wrapped up inside.

    ¡°Found the spiders,¡± she said.

    ¡°Where at?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Over that way. We¡¯ll walk right into them before we see them though,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How do you want to do this?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Kill the fuckers, then burn the webs as we go. Not too much fire. Don¡¯t want it to get out of control,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna took a deep breath and let it out. It wasn¡¯t really necessary, but it did calm her for some reason. She summoned dozens of eyes and sent them out into the forest. They would spot spiders, and then she would use her tentacles to kill them.

    She walked slowly towards the webs. She stopped and pointed at a spot a few feet away.

    ¡°There,¡± she said.

    Lyreen lifted her hand. Sparks flowed into her focus and then back out into her body again. A jet of flame shot out of her palm into the area Anna had pointed to. Webs that were unseen by all but Anna¡¯s eldritch eyes burst into flames. Lyreen stopped her spell as soon as they caught. They burned away with a whooshing sound. The eyes spotted a spider trying to scurry away. It had been hiding in the webs.

    Waiting for something to walk by.

    A tentacle with a spike appeared suddenly and stabbed it through the head. Its legs flared around, not realizing it was dead yet. After it stilled, she tossed it aside and they kept walking.

    ¡°So why do they build webs if they stalk around the forest and kill things?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They normally just bring things back and store them in the web,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°So why was that one hiding?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Sleeping,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Wait, spiders sleep?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    There was another burst of flame. This time, a spider shot towards them. Lyreen killed it with a force bolt to the face. Unfortunately, part of the spider exploded, showering them in spider gore. Everyone stared at Lyreen.

    ¡°Why in the name of the gods did you shoot it at this distance?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It was attacking us!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°It would have gotten Anna!¡± Elaine said. Lyreen stopped and looked at said eldritch horror who was covered from head to toe in greenish gunk.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna licked her lips, made a face, then spit.

    ¡°Yuck,¡± she replied. She shook her head then started to walk farther into the webs.

    The eyes found a few spiders creeping around. She stabbed them quickly, not wanting to get covered in the gunk again. Lyreen and the others stayed a few steps behind her as they walked. Lyreen and Elaine took turns burning the webs. Elaine¡¯s fire was far hotter, so it had to be used carefully.

    ¡°Have you ever seen fuzzy spiders like this before?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, big ones and little ones,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll taste the same as the cave spiders?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re close, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    The spider nest was big, but they managed to clear it by the end of the day. There was a pile dead spiders, dozens of them.

    Anna started to pull the legs off, getting them ready to cook. She only took the biggest juiciest looking legs, leaving the rest in a pile. Thokri was cutting the caprice off of the larger ones.

    ¡°What are you going to do with those?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They make good shields,¡± he replied.

    ¡°But you have one made from dwarven steel already,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye, but I can make one from this that¡¯s nearly as strong and weighs less,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So why don¡¯t more people make shields from spider parts?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You have to kill them first, and that¡¯s not as easy as you make it seem,¡± he replied.

    She put the pile of legs she wanted to cook near the fire that Elaine had built.

    ¡°Go find somewhere to wash up. You stink!¡± Elaine said when Anna walked next to her.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna replied.

    She walked away from camp and sent a few eyes around to look for a stream or lake. While the foresters had a map of the place, it wasn¡¯t very good, so she had no idea where one could be.

    She wandered around for an hour before finding a small lake. It was nighttime, so the lake was grey, but she could tell it would be pretty in the daylight.

    She walked to the bank and undressed in the moonlight. She set her things on the shore and walked into the lake about waist deep before she started to scrub the gunk off. The water was cool against her skin. She looked down at the still surface and saw her face.

    The silvery moon light didn¡¯t let her see any colors, but it was as clear as a fine mirror. She turned and looked over the lake. The moon was reflecting off the surface as well as the stars, making it look like she was standing in the sky.

    The water started to ripple for a moment. Something was swimming toward her. A figure burst out of the water right in front of her.

    The fucking fuck!

    Suddenly, it grabbed her by the hair, then dove under the water, dragging her with it. The thing swam fast. It pulled her far into the lake and started to dive deep into the clear waters. Anna saw two human-like legs kicking next to her. She grabbed one of them and squeezed, not hard enough to break bones, but it would hurt a human or elf.

    The thing let her go and started to claw at her arm with its strange webbed hands. Anna grabbed its other leg, then yanked it towards her.

    It¡¯s a woman, whatever it is.

    She pulled herself between its legs, close enough to grab hold of its hip, and then yanked herself right against its crotch. One hand held its hip, and the other shot to the thing¡¯s neck. She squeezed hard as the thing thrashed around.

    I think it breaths water like that sea monster, but it looks like a human or elf, so if I can stop the blood from going into its head, it will pass out anyway.

    The woman¡¯s struggles lessened. She went still after a moment. Anna could feel her heartbeat still, so she knew she hadn¡¯t killed her.

    She was yanked back by her hair when she let go of the woman¡¯s throat. She squeezed out of reflex and crushed the woman¡¯s hip. She let go and reached back to try and get a grip on whatever had pulled her hair. It let go and darted around to catch the woman who was drifting towards the bottom.

    A man?

    The man carefully held onto the woman and swam away.

    She won¡¯t make it.

    The woman had attacked her for some reason, and she was unsure if she should help or just kill them both. She summoned an eye and sent it after the man. He swam to the bottom of the lake and into the thick plants that grew there. He placed her on the bottom and shook her a few times.

    She didn¡¯t move, still unconscious. He poked at her shattered hip and then shook her again. A few children swam over and started to poke at the woman.

    Must be hers.

    Anna was starting to feel a little bad for hurting the woman so badly until she spotted the bones. The eye looked at the pile that sat near their nest. Most of them were fish with a few deer mixed in. She could care less about those. It was the human skull that sat broken mixed in with the others.

    It was obvious that it had been cracked open so that they could get the brains. She¡¯d done it herself to animals. That meant that these things were maneaters, and there was only one thing to do with maneaters.

    Tentacles wrapped around the family of monsters, and with one quick motion, she crushed the life out of all of them. Their broken bodies floated to the bottom to rest next to their victims. She turned and swam back to the shore.

    After washing her dress and cleaning her belt, she put them both back on. She then started to walk back to camp, wanting to tell her friend about her strange encounter.

    It took her about twenty minutes to return. The others were cooking the spider legs as well as a pot of something else.

    Guess not everyone wants them.

    She shrugged. It just meant more for her after all.

    ¡°That took a while,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I found a lake, but some monsters attacked me, and I had to kill them,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What kind of monsters?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°They looked like people with webbed hands and feet,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Could be a few things,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re dead now,¡± Anna replied.

    The others didn¡¯t seem to care all that much, so she dropped it. She went back to her pack to see how her plant was doing.

    I wonder how long it takes to eat?

    The flowers were still closed. She poured more water on the sack and then walked over to check the food.

    A few of the legs were done, so she took one and started to break it apart, pulling out the meat and eating as she went. She passed a chunk to Thokri when he held out his hand.

    ¡°Is it everything you hoped for?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    The forest spider meat was more tender and juicy than the cave spider meat had been, even after it had been roasted over a fire instead of boiled.

    ¡°I wonder if I could keep giant spiders for meat?¡± she asked herself. Elaine shuddered.

    ¡°Only you would even think of that,¡± she said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t, lass. They eat too much,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna replied.

    She munched away at the spider meat. Rose sat next to her and held out her hand. Anna ripped a nice chunk out and handed it to her. Rose ate it without hesitation. She chewed it, tilting her head back and forth as she did. She swallowed, and then smiled, giving Anna a thumbs up.

    ¡°Want more?¡± Anna asked. Rose nodded yes, and Anna gave her another chunk.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re eating that,¡± Lyreen said. Rose shrugged and took another bite.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s eaten worse,¡± Thokri said, his voice grim. Lyreen looked confused for a moment and then shook her head.

    Is that because she was a slave?

    Anna still wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to Rose, and she really didn''t want to find out.

    I¡¯m getting tired of learning awful things.

    They cleaned up the camp and went to their tents for the night, leaving her alone again. She didn¡¯t really like being alone, but no one else could do what she could, and the others needed sleep, so she dealt with it.

    She sat next to her pack and started to sing her song softly, looking up into the night sky.

 Chapter 47

    They packed up camp first thing the next morning and headed back to the town. She led the way again though it was easy. All she had to do was follow the trail she had made leading them to the nest in the first place.

    The eyes were buzzing around watching this and that as she walked. She spotted an odd-looking rabbit. Its fur was extra fluffy, and its eyes were solid green. She sent an eye over to get a better look. The creature froze like rabbits do, but unlike other rabbits, it started to sparkle.

    It snapped out of existence. Anna looked around with her eyes and spotted a shimmer that popped into a shower of sparks. Suddenly the rabbit reappeared a few yards away. She snatched it up with a tentacle and squeezed it tightly.

    ¡°I just caught a bunny that can move with magic!¡± she squealed.

    ¡°Where?¡± Elaine asked just as excited.

    Anna darted over to the tentacle. The rabbit was being held firmly, and the creature was so terrified, it was frozen in the tentacle¡¯s grasp. Eyes floated around the trapped creature staring at it with their lidless gaze.

    Elaine rushed over and started to look the rabbit over.

    ¡°Definitely a magical beast,¡± she said. She reached over and started to rub the rabbit¡¯s ear. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to dissect you,¡± she said.

    ¡°What? No! It¡¯s too cute to dissect!¡± Anna replied. Elaine looked over at Anna.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you catch it if you weren¡¯t going to kill it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep it!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep a magical beast!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, for one thing, it will just teleport away when you let it go,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Not if I have Lyreen cast a spell on its cage it won¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You know magic blocking?¡± Elaine asked, turning to Lyreen. The elf got a smug look on her face.

    ¡°Of course I do. I actually finished school,¡± she replied. Elaine glared at Lyreen for a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need a cage for it unless you¡¯re planning on carrying it around in a tentacle,¡± Voekeer said, cutting in.

    Tentacles sprouted all around them. They started to snap branches off the trees and brush and weaving them together. Within moments, a wicker cage was crafted and handed to her. Anna held it out.

    ¡°Like this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It will chew through that child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Not before we get back to town. Then Thokri will make me one out of metal. Won¡¯t you?¡± Anna asked, looking at the dwarf with big eyes. Thokri chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a cage for the critter,¡± he replied.

    Lyreen held out her hand. Her focus glowed and sparks started to float out and touch the cage. Lyreen wiggled her fingers, moving the sparks around in an intricate pattern before they settled on the wood and soaked in.

    It didn¡¯t take her long, and when she was finished, the cage seemed to shimmer in Anna¡¯s sight. The tentacle holding the rabbit stuffed it into the cage, and Anna closed the door and latched it shut.

    The rabbit started to spark again, but the sparks just dissipated. The rabbit shivered and tried again. When it failed a second time, the creature scrunched up on itself and froze.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat you, friend,¡± Anna said.

    The rabbit didn¡¯t so much as twitch. She shrugged and tied the cage to the top of her back.

    ¡°So, now you have a carnivorous plant and a teleporting rabbit. Try not to get anymore pets on this trip, okay?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    Anna picked a few plants that she¡¯d seen rabbits chewing on in the past as they walked. She reached behind her and poked them into the cage. The rabbit¡¯s nose twitched a few times, and then it cautiously took a nibble.

    Once it chewed a few times, it yanked the plant back. She let go, and it devoured it. She poked plants into the cage during their walk back. The rabbit seemed to like just about anything she fed it.

    ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t lose its appetite, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Bunnies are always hungry,¡± Anna replied. Barika laughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she said.

    They reached the edge of the forest by midday. She sent the eyes away as soon as they stepped out into the bright sunlight. They stopped to eat, and she stuffed a few more plants into the cage. The rabbit had perked up some and would come to the edge of the cage now when her hand went near it.

    After eating, they set off to the town. The walk back didn¡¯t take long, and they arrived in the early evening. They walked back to the inn where they had left the cart and went inside. It was full of townsfolk, and she saw Bill sitting at a table surrounded by old men. He waved them over, and they walked to greet him.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you all back so soon,¡± he said.

    ¡°Spiders aren¡¯t much trouble for us,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Those damned things wiped out a whole gathering party. Twenty men gone, and the seven of you took care of them in a day,¡± Bill said shaking his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s what we do, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    Voekeer pulled out the bag filled with fangs they had taken from the spiders as proof they had been killed. He handed it to Bill who opened the bag and looked inside. Bill took one of the six-inch long fangs from the bag, and several people around the inn gasped at the sight.

    ¡°So many,¡± Bill said. He dumped the fangs on the table making a large pile. There were more gasps and murmuring.

    ¡°They never stood a chance,¡± one of the old men said.

    Anna watched as he picked up one of the fangs. There were tears in his eyes. Another man patted him on the arm. The old man nodded and tossed the fang back onto the pile.

    ¡°You lot were worth every copper,¡± he said. Voekeer took out the contract and handed it to Bill.

    ¡°Get me a quill,¡± Bill said. A man got up and walked into another room.

    ¡°When will you be leaving?¡± Bill asked.

    ¡°Sometime tomorrow. Our friend here caught herself a magical rabbit, and we need a proper cage for it,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He had put his hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder. Bill stood up and looked into the cage.

    ¡°What can it do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It teleports,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything that can hold it here,¡± Bill said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have spells that can stop magic,¡± Anna replied. Bill looked them over again.

    ¡°I should have guessed some of you were mages,¡± he said.

    ¡°How else do you think we can stroll into a monster filled forest and kill dozens of them?¡± Elaine asked. Bill laughed.

    ¡°Now I feel like we got you all for cheap,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You did, lad. Just be thankful that the lass here likes to eat spider legs. Otherwise, we¡¯d have gone straight for the basilisks,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°She what?¡± Bill asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s weird. Try not to think about it,¡± Lyreen replied. Bill and the old men at the table all laughed.

    ¡°Weird or not, come have a drink with us,¡± Bill said.

    She took off her pack and sat next to Bill at the table. Her friends found empty seats and sat down as well. A black-haired woman brought a tray full of ales to them moments later. Anna took a drink and smiled.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± she said. Thokri was nodding in approval as well.

    ¡°Hear that, Earl! The dwarf likes your brew!¡± Bill said.

    ¡°Bah, I don¡¯t like this swill. I just don¡¯t hate it,¡± Thokri replied. The old men started to laugh, and the man who was most likely Earl waved Thokri off.

    They stayed and talked with the old men for a while, telling them about their fight with the spiders. It was all lies, of course. Anna didn¡¯t want them to know what she could do. The old men seemed to enjoy the tale anyway, so it didn¡¯t really matter in the end.

    Bill signed their contract, and they put the fangs back into the sack. The townsfolk didn¡¯t want them, so the party decided to keep them. A man walked in with a metal cage and handed it to her.

    ¡°If you can put a spell on it, this should work,¡± he said. Anna set the cage next to her then stood up and hugged the man. He squirmed some, and she let go. His face was bright red. Anna looked down to make sure her dress wasn¡¯t ripped or something. Finding it intact, she looked back up at him. He was looking around the room nervously.

    ¡°Better hope Susan doesn¡¯t find out you¡¯ve been hugging pretty girls,¡± Bill said.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hug her! She hugged me!¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Susan?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°My wife,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Does she get jealous?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± one of the old men said.

    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯ll hug her too if you want. Then she won¡¯t have to be jealous,¡± Anna replied. Everyone just kind of looked at her. She heard Elaine sigh.

    ¡°Did I say something weird again?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said. She sat back down.

    ¡°Well, at least she¡¯s pretty,¡± Bill said. The old men at the table chuckled, but her friends didn¡¯t seem all that amused by the statement.

    Was that mean? Should I say something or just leave it?

    She looked at Thokri who shook his head no.

    Okay, don¡¯t say anything. Got it.

    They left after a few more minutes, taking food to their rooms claiming to be tired from the walk. After Lyreen cast a spell on her new cage, she moved the rabbit to it. The creature didn¡¯t seem to mind her touching it at this point and didn¡¯t try to escape when she picked it up.

    They left early the next morning, not waiting for Bill or the other old men to say goodbye.

    Why are they so mad at those people? I¡¯m not mad. I am pretty after all.

    She guided the wagon out of the town and to the road south. There were no roads through Gloomwood, only ones that went around, and that would take weeks. They were in no rush. The basilisks were cold blooded and hunting them in the fall and winter was the best choice anyway.

    It was late in the summer and still hot at the moment, not so much that her friends stripped naked though.

    I still don¡¯t see what the big deal is!

    ¡°So, what are you going to name the rabbit?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°What are the green gemstones called?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Emeralds,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Her name is Miss Emerald,¡± Anna said.

    The cage rattled in the wagon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a boy,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Lord Emerald then,¡± Anna replied. The others laughed.

    ¡°Lord Emerald it is,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What are you going to do with this creepy plant?¡± Lyreen asked a few minutes later.

    ¡°Plant it in my garden in Oldforge,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Might want to keep it indoors, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It might eat a wee one when it gets bigger,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh no, that would be terrible. I like those children,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Their mothers on the other hand, I wouldn¡¯t miss them at all,¡± Anna said. She heard Elaine giggle, but Barika hushed her.

    Gloomwood crept up next to the road, and by the end of their first week out of the small logging town, it was right next to them as they rode along.

    The dense forest remained for another week before they reached the edge of the forest. The road curved back to the west. The tree line receded into the distance as they traveled southwest, and a few days later, it was no longer visible.

    Back to staring at fields all day.

    Black clouds rolled overhead, and thunder could be heard in the distance.

    ¡°Come on, lass. Time to get into the wagon,¡± Thokri said.

    Rose nodded, and the two of them climbed into the back and closed the flap. She heard the others closing the back flaps as well.

    They should stay dry, mostly.

    The canvas top was mostly waterproof, but if it rained hard enough, some would still get in. She sighed. The rain didn¡¯t bother her in the slightest, so she was the one that had to stay out in it.

    I don¡¯t mind, but it does get boring.

    After a few more peals of thunder, the rain started. It was a heavy downpour. The rain was so hard that she could see little more than a sheet of white in front of her. At least with her normal eyes, that is. The other eyes didn¡¯t have any trouble seeing.

    Luckily the horses were well trained and didn¡¯t seem to mind the lack of visibility. The sound of the rain on the canvas drowned out any conversation the others might be having. The rain didn¡¯t let up, and after a few hours, the wind started to pick up. The wagon started to rock back and forth with each gust.

    I miss boring! I have to find a place to stop.

    An eye shot up far into the sky. She looked all around them for a place they could find some shelter to wait out the storm.

    There. It still has a room that will work.

    The closest place was a ruin, one of many that dotted the landscape. It wasn¡¯t one of the strange places like on the frontier. This one was just a fort or manor that had been abandoned in the distant past. From what she could see, it had been built by humans when a civilization called the old empire ruled this region. They had built most of the roads and places like Endertown.

    She drove the wagon through the storm and turned onto the overgrown path that led to the ruin. The gate had long since been removed from the walls, so she rode into the courtyard.

    It was oddly devoid of foliage, as if someone had been clearing it away. She pulled the wagon to the front of the main building. Its bronze doors were a greenish color from age. The rain hadn¡¯t let up.

    She hopped off the wagon and started to unhook the horses. Her friends got out of the wagon wrapped in their cloaks and rushed over to help. Once the horses were free, she rushed over to the door and shoved it open.

    Thankfully it wasn¡¯t barred or locked, and with a loud bang, the hinges popped free. They squealed in protest as she shoved the door open. There was a large open room. Just inside, she could see a few rooms off to the side and a hallway that led into the back of the structure.

    Wow, it¡¯s not bad in here.

    She walked into the room. It smelled a little musty, but nothing too bad. Her friends entered behind her, bringing the horses with them. Rose was carrying her back, and Lyreen had Lord Emerald¡¯s cage.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said, taking her things from her friends.

    ¡°You might want to dry off,¡± Lyreen replied as Anna took the cage. Water was dripping off her, creating a puddle on the floor.

    ¡°Here,¡± Anna said, handing her things back.

    She took a few steps away from her friends and started to move her dreamer power through her body. Steam began to rise from her body. She walked around the room, exploring the space as she dried off. Lyreen cast a light spell, and the room filled with...grey.

    Well, that¡¯s disappointing.

    She walked back to her friends having finished drying off. They were hanging their cloaks on whatever they could find around the room. Thokri and Voekeer were with the horses.

    Looks like they brought some feed in with them.

    The horses were munching away on the oats.

    I still don¡¯t get why they like it so much. Bleh.

    She¡¯d eaten some of the feed when no one was looking. It was dry and kind of crunchy.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go explore. Anyone want to come with me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No point. This place has been picked clean already,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°So? I just want to see what it looks like,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Have fun walking around the creepy ruin,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Seriously, where¡¯s your sense of adventure?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Drying out,¡± Lyreen replied, pointing at her cloak.

    The others didn¡¯t look like that wanted to move either, so she walked off, shaking her head.

    She summoned an eye and started to look around as she walked down the hallway into the back of the building. The hallway had rooms on either side. The doors had long since rotted away, leaving rusted piles where the iron bands once were.

    I wonder why the front door was made from bronze?

    She then wondered why someone hadn¡¯t taken the damn thing and sold it for scrap over the millennia since the old empire fell.

    The room was filled with debris, but nothing of any real interest. She poked around in a few of the piles and then left the room. The other rooms were the same, nothing more than rotten wood and animal nests.

    That rat was mean.

    At the end of the hallway was a large room that was filled with rotten piles of wood. She walked over to one of the piles and pushed it around with her foot. There were lumps of rusted iron all through it.

    I wonder what they stored here?

    She checked a few more of the piles, finding more lumps of rust, before heading into one of the side rooms.

    ¡°Oh, a kitchen!¡± she said as soon as she walked through the door. There wasn¡¯t much debris in this room. It looked like most things here were made from stone. It was a huge room filled with ovens and strange fireplaces. She walked over to one of them.

    There was a hole in the bottom where she assumed the firewood went and another hole in the top where a pot could be placed. Behind that was an opening to vent the smoke out of a shared chimney.

    I wonder why they stopped making things like this?

    She looked at the ovens, which weren¡¯t all that different from the other ovens she¡¯d seen. She left the kitchen and went back to the large room. This time she headed for the room on the opposite wall.

    Oh, wow.

    The room was huge. It looked as if it went all the way back to the front of the building. There were piles of rotted wood in rows going down both walls in this room. She poked around in the piles of wood but didn¡¯t find much of anything. She used the eye to look around, hoping to find something interesting.

    She floated the eye back and forth in the room a few times before spotting the flicker of magic underneath one of the stones that made up the floor. She dug her fingers into the stone and lifted it from the ground, setting it to the side. Below was a lump of rusted iron. She picked it up, and the lump started to fall apart.

    Inside it was a medallion attached to a long chain. Neither had any corrosion. The medallion was round with intricate symbols written all over it. In the center of the medallion was a large round crystal. She took her light ring from her belt pouch and put it on. Holding it over the medallion, she pushed some mana into it, causing a brilliant white light to appear in the palm of her hand.

    The medallion and chain were made from a copper-colored metal that had a hint of silver in it. The gem was a bright yellow color, and it seemed to twinkle in the light.

    So pretty.

    She stopped her spell, put it on, and flipped her hair out from underneath. She headed back to the front room to show her friends the new treasure that she¡¯d found. A chill breeze blew past as she left the side room and walked towards the hallway leading to the front.

    This place is drafty.

    ¡°So, did you find anything good?¡± Lyreen asked as Anna walked back into the front room.

    ¡°Yeah, this,¡± Anna replied holding the medallion out. Her friends all looked.

    ¡°And you put on the possibly cursed necklace why?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s pretty,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯d hurt her anyway. Remember the ring?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°How could I forget,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Nothing weird happened when I put it on, so I think it¡¯s fine,¡± Anna said.

    The others took turns examining the medallion, but none of them had ever seen anything like it before. Thokri licked it then frowned.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Donno,¡± he replied, then spit. ¡°Tastes like shit, though,¡± he added.

    Another cold breeze blew through the fortress. The horses nickered and stomped.

    ¡°Easy, lads. We¡¯ll be off soon,¡± Thokri said, walking over to the nervous animals.

    ¡°We should leave soon. I¡¯d rather not spend too much time in a haunted ruin,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Ghosts aren¡¯t so bad, so long as you don¡¯t steal from them,¡± Elaine said.

    Everyone looked at Anna.

    ¡°It¡¯s not stealing! Dead people can¡¯t own things!¡± Anna replied. The cold breeze picked up. This time a soft moan could be heard.

    ¡°Go put it back!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°No!¡± Anna replied.

    The moan got louder. Elaine glared down the hallway. Her tattoos started to glow, filling the room with malevolent magic.

    ¡°I¡¯LL BIND YOU TO A COCKRING AND GIVE IT TO THE DWARF IF YOU DON¡¯T KNOCK IT OFF!¡± she shouted. The breeze and the moaning stopped instantly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re missing!¡± Thokri said.

    Still silence. Thokri waved his hand dismissively. It took a few hours, but the rain died down eventually, and the bright evening sun came back out. They packed back up and left the ruined fortress.

    They found an inn just after sunset. Lucky for them, she could see in the dark, and the horses would go wherever she led them. She pulled next to the stable and got off the wagon.

    A few grumpy looking young men came out to greet them. They brightened up when Thokri handed them a few coins each and went to work taking care of the horses.

    The party entered the inn. It was filled with people, but there were still a few empty tables. They sat at one and waved over the barmaid.

    ¡°What will you have?¡± the bubbly woman asked.

    ¡°Ales and whatever you have for dinner,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have a water,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Are you sure? The ale¡¯s pretty good here,¡± the barmaid said.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± the barmaid said and walked off.

    ¡°Still swearing off strong drink, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°For at least a century,¡± Lyreen replied. Thokri chuckled.

    ¡°Oh, come on, lass. It wasn¡¯t that bad showing the lads the goods, was it?¡± he asked.

    Lyreen grumbled about dwarves causing Thokri to laugh harder.

    ¡°At least they noticed you. I could strip down and carry a sign that said fuck me, and men would just say eww and hurry away,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Oh, come on now. You know that¡¯s not true,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°It might as well be,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What about that wagon man a few months back?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to think about that scoundrel,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°How about that big farm boy at the crossroads?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°That was out of pity on his part,¡± Elaine replied.

    Poor Elaine.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to a brothel when we get to the next city, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll take you up on that,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°You could always do it yourself until then,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s just not as much fun,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Do what now?¡± Anna asked. Elaine leaned over and whispered the mechanics of self-love into Anna¡¯s ear. ¡°Really? With your fingers?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I never thought of that,¡± Anna said. Elaine patted her on the arm.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯d answer any question you have,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Actually, I do have a question,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s a cockring?¡± Anna asked.

 Chapter 48

    ¡°Are you sure this is the right spot?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s where the farmers told us the basilisk is nesting,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Anna summoned a dozen eyes and sent them into the scrubland.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think that most of the world is the ass end of nowhere,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Sure seems that way, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°People like living near each other. That¡¯s all,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°So why don¡¯t they just build a city out here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing but scraggly weeds and rocks out here,¡± Voekeer replied.

    There¡¯s all kinds of stuff out here. But nothing people would have any interest in I guess.

    She searched the barren landscape with her eyes trying to find the basilisk.

    ¡°How can something so big hide so well?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It could be miles from here. Those men spotted it out here, but they didn¡¯t follow it,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Why bother it to begin with? We¡¯re three days from that farm and two weeks from the last town. There¡¯s no one out here to hurt,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s been hunting cattle, and when the men try to stop it, it eats them,¡± Voekeer replied.

    She started to walk farther into the brush. The eyes didn¡¯t exactly have a range, but it used more power the farther away from her they were.

    I don¡¯t want to burn another dress.

    Her friends followed her.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we use that tracking spell of yours?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I have to have some tracks to track first,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna was looking through more than one of the eyes at a time. It was still a little hard to follow all the new fields of vision, but it had become bearable now.

    At least I don¡¯t get dizzy anymore.

    They walked for a few hours, searching the area, before she spotted something.

    ¡°I think I found it,¡± Anna said.

    She summoned a tentacle and poked the rock. It moved. She poked it again, and it jumped up. It was a massive beast with a long serpent-like body and ten legs. He glared at the tentacle, and suddenly all the brush around the wiggling appendage turned to stone.

    Her friends all ducked down. They were a ways away, but it looked like they didn¡¯t want to take any chances. She didn¡¯t care. The worst thing that could happen to her is she¡¯d end up wearing a stone dress for a few seconds before ending up naked.

    That does happen a lot.

    Not that she cared. She really only wore clothes because she had to.

    I do like my belt though. Pouches are so handy.

    She wiggled the tentacle at the basilisk a few times. It snapped down on it like a lizard catching a worm.

    Got you.

    The tentacle stretched out, reaching down the monster¡¯s throat, sprouting rear facing barbs as it went. The basilisk started to flail around in a panic, causing horrific injury to its insides in the process. She pushed the tentacle all the way to its stomach, and there it grew a spiked head, puncturing it and most of the surrounding organs.

    It¡¯s dead no matter what now, so I¡¯m going to try something.

    Another tentacle appeared and wrapped around the back half of the oversized lizard.

    ¡°Watch this, everyone!¡± Anna said.

    The rest of the party stood up and looked at the basilisk. Before they could ask what she was doing, both tentacles pulled away from each other. A wet tearing sound could be heard as the tentacle slid back out of the monster¡¯s throat. It was covered in the basilisk¡¯s innards. Blood gushed out of the beast¡¯s mouth, and when it pulled free, it looked like a fountain for just a moment.

    She started to giggle and bounce up and down excitedly. The tentacles started wiggling in excitement as well. One was covered in glistening meat, and the other held the flopping carcass of the mighty beast aloft like a child playing with a rag doll. She turned to her friends and pointed at the wiggling appendages.

    ¡°Did you see that!? It went Sploosh!¡± she exclaimed, still vibrating.

    The others were utterly shocked. It took them a few minutes to stop staring at the macabre spectacle.

    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked. She was thoroughly confused by Lyreen¡¯s question.

    ¡°That is not okay,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What do you mean? We were supposed to kill it, and I did!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That was too much!¡± Lyreen replied, pointing at the dead basilisk as it flopped back and forth.

    ¡°But it¡¯s dead,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, for fucks sake,¡± Lyreen replied. She walked away rubbing her temples.

    ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Anna, child, despite the fact it was a dangerous monster, it was still a living thing, and tearing it apart like that was cruel,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Remember when we used to catch small animals to eat?¡± Barika asked. Anna nodded. ¡°Did we ever do anything like that to them?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No, we just bopped them on the head,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°And when you went hunting with Thokri, how did you kill those beasts?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°We killed them with one shot. Thokri told me that it¡¯s cruel to make them suffer¡­ Oh,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika brushed the hair from Anna¡¯s face.

    ¡°I made a mistake, didn¡¯t I?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You did, child, but if you don¡¯t do it again, it will be alright,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna nodded. She felt bad about the basilisk now. She set it down and sent the tentacles away. Voekeer frowned.

    ¡°If you learned from Barika and Thokri not to torment beasts, then where did you get the idea it was fun?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Elaine,¡± Anna replied. Everyone turned to look at the necromancer.

    ¡°Me? What did I do?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Well, when you were burning those goblins alive and making the zombies eat the others, you were smiling and laughing the whole time,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Elaine said. She rubbed her neck for a moment. ¡°Listen, necromancy isn¡¯t a very nice kind of magic, and the people who practice it aren¡¯t very nice either,¡± she added.

    ¡°But you¡¯re nice,¡± Anna replied. Elaine smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so. But I¡¯m not a normal necromancer, and the only reason I was smiling and laughing was because that was the first time I ever cast my spells without having to worry about holding back,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s not like I can cast huge fire spells or raise an army of the dead on a regular basis,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said. Elaine gave her a flat look.

    ¡°You should have asked me before you assumed I liked burning things alive or having my creations eat them,¡± she said.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna replied. Elaine sighed and then put her arm over Anna¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad for that, but I told you before to ask me if you have any questions, alright?¡± Elaine said. Anna nodded.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get to harvesting that beast,¡± Thokri said.

    They walked over to the limp lizard and started to pry scales from its corpse. A few hours later, they walked back to the wagon. She had a bag full of scales along with the thing¡¯s eyes and poison glands. She tossed the bag into the back of the wagon and then went to help Thokri hook the horses back up.

    ¡°We should be able to get to the wyverns in two weeks if the weather holds,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°And then the griffins,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, and if we get lucky, we might run into one on the way, so we don¡¯t have to go all the way to the mountains,¡± he said. Anna nodded.

    Griffins are all over this region according to the contract. They just don¡¯t land very often.

    Once they finished hooking up the horses, she climbed onto the driver¡¯s seat with Thokri and Rose. She flicked the reins, and the wagon was off. They were heading back to the farmers that had told them where the basilisk was to get them to sign the contract.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    It took three days to get back to the farmers. They were so far out that there were no inns to stay in, and because of the wild animals, she had to keep watch all night.

    The farmers signed the contract without question. They showed them the bag of scales and the eyes. Anna had kept its fangs as well, but they weren¡¯t part of the haul. She just liked them.

    Maybe I¡¯ll make a necklace out of them.

    They were heading back towards where she had slain the basilisk. It was on the way to the wyvern nesting ground.

    Like the basilisk, the wyverns nested far from people, but they could fly for more than a thousand miles and would swoop down and carry off livestock and people anywhere in their range.

    At least they stay away from cities.

    This contract was from the kingdom and didn¡¯t need to be signed by anyone. All they needed to do was bring back proof of a kill, and they¡¯d get paid.

    It was fall now, and the leaves of the few trees they passed were changing colors. It was one of the most beautiful things she¡¯d seen. She remembered her first fall. She¡¯d been so busy helping the crossroads town rebuild, she¡¯d barely paid attention to it. Now she had all the time in the world to admire the scenery. The temperature had dropped as well, and the others were wearing cloaks to ward off the cold.

    Not quite cold enough for the thicker clothing yet though.

    She had a cloak but never bothered to get thicker or longer dresses. She knew she¡¯d get strange looks walking around in the wintertime in a thin skimpy dress but didn¡¯t care.

    Everyone looks at me anyway, so why bother trying to fit in?

    ¡°What¡¯s on the other side of the scrublands?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The empire is to the west and swamps to the south,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°How long would it take to get to the empire?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Months,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What about the swamps?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Even more months,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Have you ever been to the swamps?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What are they like?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Swampy,¡± Thokri replied. She gave him a look. He grinned at her. ¡°Weird looking trees growing out of stinking water filled with bugs, snakes, and lizards. Everything wants to bite or eat you, and the lizardfolk that live there hate everyone,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Do beastfolk women that are part bird lay eggs or have babies?¡± Anna asked. Thokri took a deep puff from his pipe.

    ¡°No idea, lass. You¡¯ll have to ask one,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I bet they have babies because they have boobs,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Wyverns lay eggs, right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I wonder what they taste like. I bet it¡¯s good, and imagine how big of an omelet you could make with one! You would need a whole pig¡¯s worth of bacon to go with it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    She took a piece of candy from her pouch and popped it in her mouth.

    I¡¯m being annoying again. I¡¯ll stop talking now.

    She watched the barren landscape, spotting strange creatures that scurried around in the brush or large birds that floated more than flew above them.

    A few days passed, and they neared the site of the alleged wyvern nest. She heard a terrible cry coming from above them. The horses panicked some, but she was able to get them under control quickly. A dark shadow passed over head.

    Now that¡¯s one big lizard.

    The creature was at least thirty feet from nose to tail with a wingspan of at least sixty feet. She pulled out a piece of warshot. She was wearing her bag just in case this happened. She threw the warshot at the wyvern with a casual underhanded throw. The chunk of lead flew out from her hand at incredible speed, causing the air to crack as it passed.

    In the blink of an eye, it hit the wyvern in the base of the throat. The beast¡¯s thick hide did nothing to slow it. An instant later, the top of its skull exploded, and the monster plummeted to the ground. It landed with a bone shattering crunch.

    ¡°Got it,¡± Anna said. Thokri gawked at it for a moment.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said.

    Why is he surprised at this point?

    She drove the wagon over to the dead beast, and they got out to start harvesting it.

    Thokri walked over to the wyvern¡¯s head and stared down at the hole.

    ¡°Did you use a spell?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t cast spells. You know that,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why is it bigger on the way out?¡± he asked. Anna just shrugged in response.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to take its hide along with some of the bones, teeth and a few organs. Can anyone think of anything else we¡¯ll need?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s about it, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    They got to work skinning. It took hours, even with the help of her tentacles, to get it¡¯s hide off. She heard another screech. She looked around while pulling out another chunk of warshot.

    Wait for it¡­ Wait for it¡­ Wait for it¡­ NOW!

    She threw the warshot with all of her might. Instead of a simple crack, the warshot¡¯s passing created a boom this time along with a gust of wind. It streaked through the sky, hitting the wyvern with such force that the beast¡¯s head exploded. The body was knocked away and fell nearby. Gore rained from the sky, thankfully away from the party.

    ¡°I think you over did it,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t feel a thing,¡± Anna said. Barika started to laugh.

    ¡°No, child. I don¡¯t expect it did,¡± she said. Everyone started to laugh.

    ¡°No one would ever believe this back home,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye. I just watched her do it, and I still don¡¯t believe it,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Honestly, I just think of her like one of the elven heroes from the age of the gods, and it all makes sense,¡± Lyreen said. Voekeer nodded.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, she does seem like one of them,¡± he replied.

    ¡°See?¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Tell me about them?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, my favorite one from the legends is Zaathra, the wise. She was elf kind¡¯s greatest mage and a sage as well. She was so powerful that she took starlight and condensed it into a gem. She used that gem to open portals up to other worlds and would bring treasures back from them to give to her people,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What kind of treasures, and there are other worlds? Is she still alive? Is that gem still around? I wanna see it!¡± Anna squealed in excitement.

    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s dead by this point. That was eons ago. Even though the first elves were immortals, they could still be killed. As far as the gem, some dragon probably has it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you some of the old stories while we work, alright,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    They worked on the wyverns late into the night, setting up camp near the corpses because the others were so exhausted, they didn¡¯t want to move. Anna shoved what was left of the great beasts into a huge hole she dug with her tentacles and covered it with dirt.

    Too bad wyvern meat tastes so bad. Otherwise, we¡¯d have been able to make enough jerky to last for months.

    She¡¯d eaten a piece of it after Thokri told her to and spit it out immediately. The dwarf had laughed hysterically for half an hour afterwards because of the face she made.

    I¡¯ll get him back.

    She walked back to camp. Her friends had stripped off their bloody clothes and left them in a pile for her to clean with her ring.

    They sat around a large fire made from the dried brush that littered the landscape. It cracked constantly, sending sparks flying into the sky. The others were washing themselves off with damp rags or cleaning their equipment off. She undressed and took her ring out to start cleaning her things.

    It is my ring after all.

    She ran her hand over her belt and watched as the dried blood, grime, and other things just lifted away and then evaporated into nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to learn that spell,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°So would I,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find a spell book with it in the capital,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Everything there is so expensive, it might be better to wait till we get back to Oldforge,¡± Elaine replied. Anna gave the necromancer a flat look. Elaine looked back in confusion at first. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I keep forgetting how rich we are,¡± she said.

    ¡°Tell me about it, child. I¡¯ve been scraping copper together for a room for the night or a meal for my whole life, and now, I have enough to live like a queen for the rest of my life if I want to,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about buying a workshop when we get back to Oldforge so I can research undeath,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to the mountain to drop off most of my cut. It will be good to see my wives again,¡± Thokri said.

    I want to go and see the dwarves! Should I ask, or is this a thing he wants to do alone? I don¡¯t know! Is it okay to ask about that, or is it rude? I don¡¯t want to be rude.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a dwarven mountain before. Mind if I tag along?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye, I don¡¯t mind if the lot of you come with,¡± Thokri replied.

    YES! Thank you, Voekeer!

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a dwarven mountain myself. I¡¯ll definitely be joining you,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Same here, and I want to meet your family,¡± Elaine said. Rose gave a thumbs up.

    Guess we¡¯re all going because Lyreen would never leave Voekeer.

    Thokri stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to go take a leak,¡± he said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. Rose¡¯s eyes went wide. She was sitting next to him and was now eye level with his crotch, and unfortunately, or by the look on her face fortunately, he was stark naked waiting for his clothes to be cleaned.

    ¡°Need some help?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, need more than two hands to hold this dragon,¡± he replied.

    She snorted. They usually asked each other if they needed help when one or the other would head off to relieve themselves.

    He trotted off to find a bush or large rock to piss on, leaving a stunned looking Rose behind.

    ¡°I thought that same thing the first time I saw it,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure out how such a short guy has such a big cock,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It¡¯s like that most of the time,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°That and skinny guys don¡¯t know why,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Just one of those things,¡± Elaine replied.

    Thokri let out a bloodcurdling scream. Everyone jumped to their feet and started to scramble for weapons, except for Anna that is. She fell over laughing. The others paused and looked at her.

    ¡°What did you do, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°He said it was too big to hold with two hands, so I held it for him,¡± Anna replied, trying to catch her breath.

    ¡°Held it for him?¡± Barika asked. Then it dawned on her what had happened, and she let out a belly laugh of her own.

    The others started to laugh one by one, and soon all of them were in hysterics.

    They searched for the nest the next day.

    I wonder why people want the eggs so much?

    Thokri told her that because it was a male and female, that there might be viable eggs.

    ¡°So, if there are baby ones, we kill them. If there are eggs, we take them, right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Because when the egg first hatches, the baby will imprint on the first thing it sees, so if they are already hatched, they will just fight us, right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Why would people want a giant lizard that could eat them?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Who knows, but they pay a lot for them, so who cares,¡± Lyreen replied.

    People are weird.

    ¡°There it is!¡± Elaine said, pointing at huge mound of sticks, bones, fur and feathers.

    The party made their way over, and Anna climbed up to look.

    ¡°Three eggs!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°We are going to get so much selling these!¡± Elaine said, climbing up next to Anna.

    She looked around next at the bones and feathers the eggs were stuffed in.

    What¡¯s that?

    She summoned a tentacle and pulled a huge skull that looked like a deformed bird. Elaine stared at it.

    ¡°Hey Thokri, is that what I think it is?¡± she asked. The dwarf climbed up next to them and grinned.

    ¡°If you were thinking that¡¯s a griffin skull, you¡¯d be right,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Today just keeps getting better,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°That it does, lass. That it does,¡± Thokri replied.

    They brought the wagon to the nest and carefully removed the eggs, along with all of the feathers and the griffin¡¯s bones. Once they finished, they packaged the eggs in an empty crate that was stuffed with cloth. The feathers went in a huge sack, and the bones went along with all of the other animal parts they had collected on their journey.

    ¡°Looks like we don¡¯t need to go up north now. We¡¯ll just go see that man about the feathers and then head to the capital to sell these eggs and anything else we can offload,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Does that mean we can be back in Oldforge before winter?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, best place to stay will be the capital like we planned. The weather gets awful. Remember the blizzard?¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Oh, alright,¡± Anna said.

    She got the wagon moving, and they got back on the road. Voekeer was sitting next to her on the driver¡¯s seat. He was looking at the map with Thokri, and the two men were debating on what the best route to the estate was.

    Either way, we have to go down this road for two weeks before turning east towards the capital. I hope there are more inns. I want an ale and some stew. I¡¯m tired of jerky, even the good kind. My flower doesn¡¯t seem to care though. It gobbles up any meat I put in its petals, even the nasty stuff the guild gave us. Oh, I wonder if it would have liked the wyvern. I should have checked. I could have got enough plant food for a few years if I dried it. Oh well, too late now. I don¡¯t want to go back and dig it up.

    Voekeer nudged her. ¡°You still with us?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. What¡¯s going on?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to take the main roads until we reach the five rivers crossing. Then we¡¯ll head southeast to the estate,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What were you thinking about just now?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°If my flower would eat wyvern,¡± Anna replied. Voekeer looked to the side as if thinking about it deeply for a moment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go back and dig it up, do you lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll just catch something if we run out of that gross jerky,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I feel bad for the plant,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, that stuff taste like shit and is tough as an old boot,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it can taste food, and it doesn¡¯t chew, so I don¡¯t think it cares,¡± Anna said. Voekeer and Thokri looked at her for a moment before sighing in unison.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Nothing, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said.

    She looked down the long dusty road they were travelling down and grinned.

    I knew adventuring was going to be fun!

 Chapter 49

    They traveled north until they reached the main road that led east into the kingdom. After stopping at a small town for a few days to resupply and get new shoes for the horses, they were back on the road.

    It took weeks to get to the requester¡¯s estate, but the trip was easy. The main road was lined with inns and villages, so they didn¡¯t have to dip into their rations unless they wanted to.

    It was well into the fall by the time they reached their destination. Anna drove the wagon down the long path that led to the manor on the estate. The trees that lined either side of the small road were mostly bare. The few leaves that remained were brown and looked as if they wouldn¡¯t last much longer.

    The manor came into view. It was a three-story building made from stone and covered with glass windows.

    She pulled the wagon in front of the manor, and Thokri slid off. She passed the reins to Rose and slid off as well, walking around to stand next to the dwarf. Voekeer met them next to the wagon. Both men gave her a strange look. She just smiled at them.

    Why should they get to see everything?

    They walked to the front door, and Thokri took the large bronze knocker and slammed it into the bronze plate beneath it. A few moments later, the door creaked open and a tall thin man loomed over them, or rather her and Thokri. Voekeer was a few inches taller than him.

    ¡°How may I help you?¡± the man asked in a surprisingly deep voice.

    ¡°We¡¯re adventurers, and we have the griffin feathers your master asked for,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He held out the large sack filled with feathers and opened it slightly for the man to look inside. The man nodded.

    ¡°Right this way,¡± he said.

    They followed him inside. The main room was massive and filled with paintings as well as pedestals. And on these pedestals sat birds. Not living birds of course, but stiff glassy-eyed things that stood like statues. Every one seemed to be watching them as they walked.

    There were paintings hanging on the walls, like most places where wealthy people resided. These paintings were different though. They were all of birds, birds flying, birds sitting on tree branches, birds feeding their young, birds swooping down to catch fish from a river. She¡¯d never even seen most of the birds that sat upon the pedestals or were depicted in the paintings before.

    The man led them to a room which had a table sitting in the middle that was also surrounded by birds on pedestals.

    ¡°Please wait here while the master inspects the feathers. I will have some refreshments brought to you,¡± he said, holding his hand out for the bag.

    Voekeer handed the bag over along with the contract. The man took them both and nodded gravely before leaving the room, closing the door hard behind him. The three of them looked at each other for a moment.

    ¡°This is creepy, right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°This is way past creepy,¡± Voekeer replied. Thokri just shook his head and sat at the table.

    ¡°Humans,¡± was all he said.

    She sat next to him, and Voekeer sat down as well. They looked at each other trying not to notice the staring birds.

    There was a knock on the door, and then it creaked open. A maid pushed a cart in. There was a tray with a tea set on it.

    Of course. It¡¯s decorated with birds! Why wouldn¡¯t it be decorated with birds?!

    She set the tray on the table and then poured each of them a cup of tea. Anna put way too much sugar in, as usual, and filled the cup right to the rim with cream. She stirred it gently, and then with more grace than a human could possibly possess, took a drink withing spilling even a drop. Voekeer, Thokri, and the maid looked at her in amazement for a moment.

    ¡°The master should be finished soon,¡± the maid said before leaving the room.

    They drank the tea and tried not to look at the birds for a what felt like hours. The man returned with their signed contract and rushed them out of the manor.

    They looked at each other again when the door slammed behind them.

    ¡°How are we going to explain this to the others?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    And I thought I was strange¡­

    They got back on the wagon and left the manor, not telling the rest of the party of the strange place.

    She pulled the wagon onto the main road once more and headed north to the capital. The city was farther south than Oldforge, and, at least according to her friends, shouldn¡¯t have as harsh of a winter as she¡¯d seen her first year.

    They reached a massive fortification a few days later.

    ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t supposed to be at the city for a few more days,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the city, lass. This is just one of the outer forts,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Outer fort?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They have these on all of the main roads leading to the capital. An army big enough to siege the city needs to use the main roads, so they try and stop them here, or at least slow them down,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna nodded. She looked at the grey stone walls as they got closer. Men in armor looked over the side at them. Each one held a crossbow in their hands. The gate was open, and there were no guards to stop them.

    She drove the wagon through the gate. There were two metal gates that could be dropped to trap people inside of the structure along with a few holes in the archway overhead that, according to Thokri, were used to pour boiling water, oil, sand, or poison onto invading soldiers.

    Once she was on the other side of the gate, there was an open space that led to another gate where men could rain arrows, bolts, or spells down on anyone unfortunate to get inside.

    Looks like they can send troops in here as well.

    She waved at the men on the wall. A few waved back. She could see them grinning at her.

    They like me.

    She drove through the back gate. It was built in a similar fashion to the front gate. Once they passed the fort, the road widened, and they were surrounded by what seemed like endless fields that were in the process of being harvested.

    She watched them with some interest as she passed but didn¡¯t care enough to ask Thokri about the process. After her treatment by farmers early in her life, she had little interest in their vocation.

    They stopped at an inn that evening. It was the largest she¡¯d ever seen on the road and larger than most of the inns she¡¯d seen in Oldforge as well. They walked into the massive place and found themselves in an equally huge main room. The people sitting at the tables ran the gambit from scraggly adventurers, like themselves, to well-dressed merchants, and even a few that could be nobles.

    They found an empty table and sat down. A barmaid walked over.

    SHE HAS CAT EARS!!!

    Other than the fluffy cat-like ears and swishing tail, she looked like any other woman from the kingdom. Anna had asked her friends what the beast people really were. They were almost human on the insides with a few differences based on whatever species of animal they were mixed with, but no one seemed to know for sure.

    Just another thing I¡¯ll have to figure out later, I guess.

    ¡°What can I get for you?¡± the barmaid asked.

    SHE PURRS!

    The woman had let out a little rumble at the end of her question.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take an ale and a bowl of stew,¡± Barika replied, smiling at the woman.

    ¡°Same here, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    Everyone else ordered the same thing, except Lyreen who still refused to drink ale. The barmaid left, swishing her tail as she walked away.

    ¡°She¡¯s cute,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°She certainly is,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°So, a few more days and we¡¯ll be there,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get a nice room and relax,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find a few spell books to read over the winter,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I was thinking the same thing. They have a necromancer¡¯s guild here. I hope they¡¯ll let me use their library,¡± Elaine replied.

    Lyreen didn¡¯t look all that enthusiastic about a library filled with necromancy books, but she didn¡¯t say anything.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to spending some time at the great temple,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°The clan has a huge hall there,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I was hoping to get some training from the elven sword masters. I heard a few reside in the capital,¡± Voekeer said.

    Rose and Anna looked at each other and smiled. Anna had told Rose of her plan to find a way to heal her, and Rose was excited.

    Barika told me not to get her hopes up, but I have to try.

    The barmaid returned with their food and drinks. The party paid for the meal and rooms for the night, then they all started to eat.

    The stew was hearty and made with better ingredients than most of the stew she¡¯d eaten the last few months, and the ale was surprisingly good, rivaling even the dwarven tavern, though Thokri would never admit it. They all ate in relative quiet each enjoying a hot meal.

    ¡°YOU STUPID BEAST! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!¡± a man shouted, followed by a meaty smack and crashing.

    Everyone looked up. The barmaid was on the floor next to a fallen tray. A man was standing over her with a wet spot on his shirt.

    ¡°No, sir! I didn¡¯t mean to! It was an accident!¡± the barmaid wailed. The man looked like he was going to kick the cat woman.

    Anna stood up and took her club from its holder and tapped it on the table loudly. The man looked up, along with most of the other patrons. The rest of her party got up and got their weapons.

    ¡°So, you want me to crack your skull, or you going to sit back down and shut up?¡± Anna asked, sounding very much like a dwarf. The man¡¯s face turned red.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be intimidated by trash!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Guess he wants his skull cracked,¡± Voekeer said.

    The sound of his sword being drawn quieted the last of the conversations. The men that were seated at the table all stood up and started to reach for weapons. The barmaid scrambled away as soon as the man was distracted, running into the back of the inn quickly.

    ¡°Well, lad, the little lass ran away, so who are you going to smack around now?¡± Thokri asked. He was holding a long single edged knife and grinning like a mad man.

    People started to move away from the two groups, leaving a clear path between them.

    ¡°What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± a cold voice asked.

    Anna glanced over to see a table full of men in dark cloaks. One of the men pushed his cloak open reviling a dark uniform underneath. He placed his hand on his sword hilt. It sparkled with magic. The man who had hit the barmaid went white and put his sword away.

    ¡°Nothing, sir,¡± he said quickly. The man turned his gaze to her and her friends.

    ¡°Well?¡± he asked.

    She heard her friends shuffling around. She looked at the men in cloaks more closely.

    Are they soldiers or hired killers?

    Every man looked lean and strong as if they spent years honing their skills.

    Why didn¡¯t they help that woman?!

    Anna moved. She seemed to disappear and reappear in front of the black cloaked men. Only the breeze caused by her incredible speed showed she had actually ran there instead of using magic. She looked up at the surprised man and cocked her head to the side slightly.

    ¡°I was about to crack open his skull and see if he had shit for brains or not,¡± Anna said. She tapped her club against his chest. ¡°So, big man, why did you stop me and not him? You alright with men beating women? Is that what it is?¡± Anna asked, thumping his chest with her club every time she asked a question.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t our intention, miss. We were just trying to stop a brawl,¡± another one of the black cloaked men said.

    She looked over at him. He was older than the others, with white hair and a nasty scar running down the left side of his face.

    ¡°As if you could stop me,¡± Anna said. She put her club away and grinned at the men before going back to her friends who were all staring wide-eyed at her.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Those men were agents of the crown!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, they work for Jessica?¡± Anna asked. Elaine sigh and shook her head.

    ¡°For the love of the gods, call her Queen Jessica at the least!¡± she replied.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Anna said.

    The innkeeper rushed out with a crossbow in hand. He was followed by a few large men with clubs and the barmaid.

    ¡°It was him!¡± the barmaid said, pointing at the man who had hit her. The innkeeper leveled the crossbow at the man.

    ¡°OUT!¡± he shouted.

    The man and his companions had lost all of their nerve after seeing the queen¡¯s men and Anna¡¯s strange powers, so they ran out of the inn at full speed. The cat woman rushed over to them.

    ¡°Thank you so much for helping me,¡± she said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think nothing of it, lass,¡± Thokri replied. Barika walked over to the barmaid.

    ¡°We can¡¯t have a mark on your pretty face, now can we?¡± she asked. She held her hand to the woman¡¯s face and gold power flowed out. The bruise healed quickly, much to everyone¡¯s surprise. The barmaid touched her face in surprise she hugged Barika tightly.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± she said. Barika hugged her back.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she said.

    ¡°Drinks are on me tonight,¡± the innkeeper said.

    They sat back down and finished their meal. The barmaid brought them drink after drink. Lyreen took one after a while.

    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to drink ale anymore,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°One won¡¯t hurt,¡± Lyreen replied.

    The barmaid was all smiles every time she came to the table, and Barika was flirting with the woman the whole time. Anna drank a few too many ales and suddenly had to pee something fierce. She made her way outside, not wanting to use whatever privy they had setup.

    Those places stink so bad!

    She found a bush a ways away from the inn and squatted down. Someone grabbed her hair and she felt the cold blade of dagger against her throat.

    Really?!

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± a voice hissed into her ear.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on it. I¡¯ll get pee on my feet if it do,¡± Anna replied. She let out a powerful stream. The man flinched some. ¡°So, what do you want, or do you just like watching women pee?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the man asked.

    She snatched him by the wrist and spun him over her shoulder right into the puddle of piss on the ground.

    She twisted his wrist farther, snapping it, causing the knife to fall out of his hand. The man didn¡¯t cry out in pain but did gasp some.

    Tough.

    She reached down and grabbed him by the throat, squeezing hard, but not hard enough to kill him.

    ¡°I asked first,¡± she said.

    ¡°Let him go,¡± a familiar voice said from behind her. The old man and two of his companions were pointing crossbows at her.

    I could kill them, but Elaine said they worked for Jessica, so she¡¯d be mad if I did.

    She let the man go and stood up slowly.

    ¡°I¡¯m an adventurer out of Oldforge. We finished a few contracts and plan on spending the winter in the capital. If you let me reach into my pouch, I can show you my guild badge,¡± Anna said.

    The old man nodded. She took out her badge and showed him. He gestured for her to toss it to him, so she did. He caught her badge and inspected it closely.

    ¡°What contracts did you finish?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Monster hunting and a gathering one,¡± she replied.

    ¡°What kind of monsters?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Giant spiders, a basilisk, and wyverns,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°All skull contracts,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied. He tossed her badge back.

    ¡°This didn¡¯t happen,¡± the man said. Anna shrugged.

    ¡°Why me and not the man who hit the barmaid?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s just a common fool. You on the other hand¡­¡± he gestured at the man at her feet. ¡°It¡¯s clear you¡¯re far more dangerous than you appear to be,¡± he replied.

    She reached down and lifted the man to his feet.

    ¡°You should probably get a bath,¡± she said. He looked at her stupidly for a moment before trotting off to his friends.

    ¡°So, why let me go if I¡¯m so dangerous?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re telling the truth, and adventurers that take on four skull contracts at a time are going to be dangerous,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Why do you sound so sure?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We searched your wagon before confronting you, and we found the monster parts. Also, that badge is genuine,¡± the man replied. Anna shrugged and squatted back down. She looked over at the men.

    ¡°Get out of here before I start charging,¡± she said.

    A few of them turned red, and they all scurried off, leaving her some privacy while she finished. She went back into the inn and sat down.

    ¡°That took a while,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Could have used some help,¡± Anna replied. Thorki chuckled, thinking she was joking, and they started drinking again.

    The men in cloaks returned sometime later, sans the injured one. They made it a point not to look at her or her companions.

    They better not have hurt Lord Emerald or I¡¯ll toss them!

    Her friends went upstairs one by one over the next few hours. Barika took the barmaid with her, leaving her and Thokri alone at their table surrounded by empty mugs.

    ¡°Why did that man hit the barmaid?¡± Anna asked. She had been thinking about it, and it didn¡¯t make sense to her.

    He could have just complained to the innkeeper and gotten free drinks or a meal out of it.

    ¡°Hitting weak people makes him feel stronger, I guess,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. Wouldn¡¯t hitting someone strong make you feel stronger?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied, patting her on the arm.

    They left the table and went upstairs. She could hear the cat woman crying out in pleasure when they passed what must have been Barika¡¯s room.

    ¡°Did she just meow?¡± Anna asked, trying not to laugh.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied, bursting into laughter. This caused Anna to laugh, both of them nearly falling over.

    They made their ways to their respective rooms, still laughing when they entered the small but well-kept spaces. Anna took off her belt and pulled off her dress before flopping on the bed. She looked at the window and paused.

    How¡¯d that man sneak up on me like that?

    That was her last thought before going to sleep for the night.

    She had a long conversation with her tentacles that night, discussing what had happened, hoping they would know something. They didn¡¯t.

    They left the inn early the next morning with Barika saying a long goodbye to the cat woman. Barika was grinning ear to ear as they loaded the wagon. Anna and Thokri hooked up the horses like always before they got back on the road.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to cough up a hair ball, are you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°She was well trimmed, child,¡± Barika replied. Lyreen didn¡¯t replied, but Elaine started to laugh hysterically, so she must have made a face.

    ¡°So, was her tongue raspy?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, it was human, and she was quite skilled with it,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Must have been. I¡¯ve never heard a woman make sounds like that with just a tongue before,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You really need to try another woman sometime, child,¡± Barika replied. Elaine sighed.

    ¡°I might have to if my luck with men doesn¡¯t change soon,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a good man one day,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d have better luck finding the red crown of domination,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Some powerful wizard created it along with a sword eons ago. It¡¯s supposed to be able increase the mana a person can control by a thousand fold. He used it to take over a few kingdoms hence the name,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He was killed by a woman,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah. He kidnapped some princess or something, and when he tried to force her to screw him, she stuck a knife in his throat,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Serves him right,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°So, what happened to the crown?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No one knows for sure. Some people say that the woman took it and ruled over the wizard¡¯s domain for years before disappearing one day,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I should look for it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°The world is filled with magic swords, crowns, and other wonderous things, child. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find lots of them in your travels,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Does this thing count?¡± Anna asked, holding up her hand and wiggling the finger the strange ring was on.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it does. You know, we should bring that to the mage¡¯s guild to get it appraised,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh, they could tell me about my medallion, too!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯d know something. They have the largest library in the kingdom there,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯d let me look around?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes. There is a small fee, but it¡¯s open to the public,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That sounds even better than buying books!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It is. The only reason I¡¯m not going there is because they don¡¯t have many books on necromancy,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°If you¡¯re interested in relics, the temple¡¯s library may be of interest to you as well,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°So, are we treasure hunters now?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Always were, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I mean, we really aren¡¯t monster hunters or anything. We just follow Anna around and pick up the pieces when she¡¯s done,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, lass. We all made more coin from this trip than any of us have before,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t complaining. Honestly, if this keeps up, I¡¯ll be visiting my father in a golden carriage and have servants tossing flower petals in front of me as I walk,¡± Voekeer said. They all laughed.

    ¡°As long as it isn¡¯t a bunch of women, I¡¯m fine with it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Oh, come on. I was thinking some elf maidens would be a nice touch,¡± Voekeer said. She heard a smack.

    And she hit him.

    The others started to laugh again. She grinned as she drove the wagon towards the capital, happy to be finished with their contracts.

    Killing monsters is fun, but it was starting to get boring. Maybe we should go treasure hunting for a while.

 Chapter 50

    She looked up at the gate.

    It¡¯s even bigger than Oldforge, and it¡¯s got magic in it, too!

    The guards waved them through the gargantuan gate. It had the same murder holes as the ones back in that fortification they had passed through on the road.

    She turned the wagon to the west. The adventurer¡¯s guild was a few miles away, and it would take them hours to get though the crowds. The sheer number of people was staggering.

    I thought Oldforge was huge, but this makes it look like a sleepy farm village.

    Elaine had joined her on the front of the wagon and was sitting next to her, leaving her between Thokri and the necromancer.

    ¡°I really want to get over to the necromancer¡¯s guild after we get everything taken care of, but I don¡¯t know if I can handle all of those strange men today,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Anna replied. Elaine hugged her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    The roads were wide and well laid out, so despite the crowds, they were able to travel at a good pace.

    ¡°Will the horses get fat during the winter?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No. The lads at the stables will make sure to exercise them,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Anna said.

    They turned down a large street.

    ¡°The adventurer¡¯s guild should be just ahead,¡± Elaine said.

    A huge building with flags flying over the top came into view.

    ¡°We have a flag?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    The flag was red with a gold emblem emblazoned on the center of it. The emblem was the same as their guild badge, crossed swords with a bag of coins spilling out behind it. She always liked the badge, and the flag made her smile.

    She pulled around the side of the fortress-like structure to where Thokri said the stables were. They were so huge she was able to pull the whole wagon into them. They got off the wagon after a few men came over to take care of the horses. Thokri talked to the stable men, and Voekeer went to talk to the stable master. They needed a place to store the wagon for the winter, and the guild here had a warehouse. The rest of the party unloaded their packs and waited for the men to finish.

    ¡°Why do we make them do everything?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because they¡¯re men, and that¡¯s what they do,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It makes them feel better. They don¡¯t get to do much when we are out on contracts,¡± Barika said.

    The other women nodded knowingly. Anna shrugged, not really understanding what they were talking about. Both men came back in a few minutes.

    ¡°Got the lads taken care of for the winter,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°The guild will store our wagon and supplies for the winter, and they will take care of selling the monster parts and the eggs for us,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Good, so all we need to do is get the things we don¡¯t want sold out of the sacks then?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Elaine climbed into the back of the wagon and started to rummage around in the sacks. She pulled out all kinds of squishy things and stuffed them into another bag.

    Anna took Lord Emerald¡¯s cage, and once Elaine finished, they went inside the guild. The capital guild hall felt more like a military fort than an adventurer¡¯s guild.

    They walked over to the huge counter where dozens of young women in uniforms were helping adventurers. They waited in line for a few minutes before a busty woman with bright yellow hair and blue eyes greeted them.

    ¡°We need rooms for the winter,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just need to see your guild badges,¡± the attendant responded.

    They all took out their badges, and the woman wrote down the numbers on the back. They paid her a few silver coins, and she handed them keys.

    ¡°Can we turn our contracts in here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You could, but I¡¯d recommend saving them for your home guild. Less paperwork for all of us if you do that,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Know where we can find a bath?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°We have one in the guild. It¡¯s nice, but we don¡¯t have a separate one for men and women, so if you¡¯re shy, you¡¯ll have to go out in town,¡± the attendant replied.

    ¡°Not a problem for us,¡± Elaine said.

    They left and went to their rooms. The long-term ones were on the third floor. Anna unlocked the door and went into a large well-furnished room.

    ¡°Nice,¡± she said.

    She put Lord Emerald down and then started to unpack her things. Once she finished, she set her dingy pack to the side, frowning at it.

    I need to clean all of my things.

    She took out her cleaning ring and held it out over the pack. The dirt started to evaporate, leaving clean but dry leather behind. Once she finished cleaning it, she took out a tin of tallow mixed with beeswax and a few other oils and started to rub it into the leather.

    There was a knock on her door.

    ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± Anna said. Elaine poked her head in.

    ¡°We are about to head to the bath if you¡¯re still coming,¡± she said.

    Anna put her pack down and wiped her hand off.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m always up for a bath,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Yep, and there¡¯ll be men in this one, you little pervert,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I am not. I just like to look,¡± Anna replied. Elaine made a rude noise, and Anna rolled her eyes. She reached for her belt.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. We can make the men pay for it if none of us bring coins. They do have pockets after all,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°So does Lyreen,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Even better,¡± Elaine said.

    She took a clean dress and walked out into the hallway. The rest of her friends were there.

    They went downstairs and got directions from a man wearing a similar uniform as the attendants to the baths. They walked into a steam filled room. The adventurer¡¯s guild was mostly men, and thus the bath was currently filled with men.

    A male attendant looked at them oddly when they walked into the room. Anna pulled her dress off without a moment of hesitation and stuffed it onto a shelf along with her clean dress. Her friends paused, but after she turned and looked at them, they all started to undress.

    They were out of their clothes quickly enough, and every one of them had seen the others naked so many times they didn¡¯t even pause to look, except for Lyreen and Voekeer, but they were always ogling each other.

    Anna was the first to the wash area, and she dumped a bucket of steaming water over her head and started to scrub away before the others.

    She watched as brown water flowed away from her into the nearby drain.

    ¡°How do you manage to get so filthy?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m always driving the wagon,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you wipe down before you sleep though?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You really should. You won¡¯t have to scrub so hard at the baths if you try and keep clean between them,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I never thought of that,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Need help with your hair?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Always,¡± Anna replied. Elaine scrubbed Anna¡¯s hair and rinsed it a few times before the water ran clean.

    ¡°Want me to wash yours?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Please,¡± Elaine replied. Anna started to scrub Elaine¡¯s long hair. It had grown down to the middle of her back and was just as thick and curly as Anna¡¯s. Anna looked at Elaine¡¯s toned back and shoulders as she washed.

    She¡¯s got a lot stronger in the last year.

    Elaine had been on the skinny side when they first met, but now she was clearly a woman used to hard work.

    She¡¯s got a nice butt too. I don¡¯t know why Lyreen keeps calling it fat. Maybe it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t really have one. I mean, neither does Voekeer, so elves must think having one at all means it¡¯s fat. Yeah, that must be it.

    Anna had realized over the last year that Elaine was actually on the pretty side compared to other human women. She had felt a little bad for thinking Elaine was plain, but she had never said anything about it, so there was no harm. She only had to rinse Elaine¡¯s hair once.

    She must wash more often like Lyreen said I should do.

    Rose and Barika were already finished but waited for the others. Rose kept her hair short, letting it grow out a few inches, and Barika shaved hers everyday just like she had since Anna had met her. Thokri had long thick hair, and if you counted his beard, he had more than everyone else combined.

    She knew that dwarves took great pride in their hair and beards, and he was no exception, brushing his multiple times a day. This meant that his hair was usually cleaner than anyone else¡¯s, and he finished washing quickly as well.

    Once everyone was clean, they walked to the large bath. The men already in the bath had been staring at the party, or the women in the party, the whole time. Anna grinned at them and looked down into the water as if trying to see their manhoods. The men seemed to squirm at the thought and quickly looked away from her gaze. Anna laughed at their discomfort and walked into the water, sitting down on one of the submerged benches. The rest of the party joined her on the bench, leaning against the back wall of the bath and sinking some to let the hot water reach their necks.

    They soaked in the water for a while before getting back out and drying off.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe no one talked to us,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°All the blood rushed from their brains when they saw tits,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°If they can¡¯t talk because they have a hard on, then they aren¡¯t worth talking to anyway,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°And what would you know about that?¡± Elaine asked. Barika laughed.

    ¡°Just because I¡¯ve never been with a man doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know what makes a good one,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve never been with a man?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Not once?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Not once,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a virgin?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been with more women than you have men,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Sure it does, lass, and she¡¯s got more experience than the lot of you put together,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any, so I don¡¯t count at all,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re better at crude banter than most women with years of experience, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Does that matter?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It does, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    They got dressed and then went back to Anna¡¯s room so she could clean their clothing. She made quick work of it with her ring, and the others went back to their rooms. Elaine stayed behind, and they chatted while Anna finished her pack.

    ¡°Ready to go to the necromancer¡¯s guild?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Let me clean my belt. I don¡¯t want to get grime all over my dress,¡± Anna replied. Elaine nodded and started poking food at Lord Emerald. The rabbit was pleased by this.

    Anna finished cleaning her belt quickly and put it on, not worried about the grease stains she¡¯d inevitably get around her waist.

    Just part of being an adventurer, I guess.

    She hung her ironwood club on her belt.

    ¡°How do I look?¡± she asked, twirling around.

    ¡°Disgustingly cute, now come on. Let¡¯s go talk to the creepy old men,¡± Elaine replied. Anna chuckled and they left the guild.

    She had no idea where they were going, but Elaine seemed to know the city fairly well.

    She did spend five years here.

    Elaine had gone to school from the time she was fifteen till she was twenty before running away. It had been six years since she last lived in the city, but big ones like this don¡¯t change that much in such a short time.

    Elaine brought her to an open space. There was a sparkling arch in the center of the space. They walked over to it, and Elaine handed a man standing next to it a few coppers.

    ¡°Mage¡¯s square,¡± she said.

    The man nodded and tapped symbols on the side of the arch. It started to sparkle, and suddenly the space inside of the arch swirled with magic before setting out. Elaine took her hand and pulled her into the arch. She blinked a few times when they walked to the other side.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The mage¡¯s square. We are on the other side of the city. I¡¯m surprised you noticed we teleported,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It was really sparkly in there,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I forgot about your mage sight!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You know I can¡¯t get hurt,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Still, I should have said something,¡± Elaine said. Anna shrugged. Elaine took her hand and started to lead her away.

    ¡°This part of the city is where all the mages live. See that tower over there?¡± Elaine asked, pointing at a giant white tower.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s the royal academy,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°So, how far did we teleport?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°About thirty miles,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°And we¡¯re still in the city?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yep. The capital is huge,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°You never told me about the transport arches before,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They¡¯re called gates, and the capital is the only city in the kingdom that has them,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s lost magic. The capital was built during the old empire, and they had gates in all their cities. There¡¯s even a huge gate in the center of the city that is supposed to be able to connect to other cities, but no one can get it to work,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    Anna looked around at the people in this part of the city. Every one of them had something magical on them causing them to sparkle.

    Robes, wands, daggers, a few swords, and even one crown. There really are magical things all over the place.

    An old man with a big white beard walked over to them and grabbed her by the arm. She slapped his hand away.

    ¡°Hands off!¡± she said.

    ¡°What are you?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°A woman, and I don¡¯t know if anyone has ever told you this, but you¡¯re not supposed to go around grabbing women you don¡¯t know!¡± Anna replied.

    Several men in full plate walked over. They sparkled with magic like everyone else in this part of the city.

    ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± one of them asked, his voice strangely clear despite his helm covering his face.

    ¡°No, sir! Just a misunderstanding. That¡¯s all,¡± the old man replied and scurried off.

    ¡°Weirdo,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Even this part of the city has undesirables. Stay safe, miss,¡± the knight replied.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna said. The knights walked away, and Elaine tugged her hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you and weird men?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I could ask you the same thing,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That hurt,¡± Elaine said. She was smirking, so Anna didn¡¯t think it really bothered her.

    ¡°Maybe you should take Barika up on that offer,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Elaine replied but didn¡¯t say anything else.

    They reached the necromancer¡¯s guild soon after. She could tell it was the necromancer¡¯s guild because it was dripping with death mana, and well, there were skeletons in strange poses attached to the sides of the building.

    Creepy.

    Elaine pushed the door open and went inside. She was hit by a powerful sweet smell that had just the hint of death mixed in. The inside was different than the adventurer¡¯s guild. There were no tables, just a few chairs with a small number of men sitting in them reading quietly.

    A man sat at a large desk at the far side of the room. They walked over to him.

    I think I¡¯m the most colorful thing that¡¯s ever been inside this place.

    The room was black. The carpet was black. The only thing that wasn¡¯t black were the bones that made up the furniture and other decorations.

    I have to drag Lyreen here! Anna grinned cruelly thinking of the elf¡¯s reaction.

    The man looked up at them when they got to the desk. He was a thin, pale, greasy person who looked like he was ill with some incurable disease.

    Too much death mana.

    She could see it covering him and wondered how he¡¯d gotten so much on him.

    ¡°How can I help you, ladies?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I would like to know if I can use your library. I¡¯m willing to pay,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Our library is free to all that seek knowledge. If you head down that hallway, it is at the last door on the right,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Elaine replied with a smile.

    ¡°My pleasure, miss,¡± the man replied.

    They walked away from the desk and down the hallway.

    ¡°He seemed nice,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s at the front desk,¡± Elaine replied.

    Elaine opened the door to the library. It was a large room with bookshelves lining the walls. There were small tables and push chairs scattered around the room.

    Do they have people buried here or something?

    The place was soaked with death mana, more so than even the few graveyards she¡¯d been to. The men in the room all looked up at them. They seemed to accept Elaine¡¯s presence after looking at her tattoos and black dress but were confused by Anna¡¯s colorful nature.

    The two of them walked into the room, and an old man with long white hair walked over. He was rubbing his hand nervously.

    ¡°How can I help you two?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Could you tell me where the index is?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s right over there,¡± the man replied, pointing at a small shelf that contained a few thick books.

    Elaine walked over with Anna following behind. She started to look through the books, so Anna looked around the room. The men were still staring at her, so she smiled at them and waved. They all looked away quickly.

    Weird.

    She watched them while Elaine looked through the indexes. They would look up at her nervously, and every time they saw her looking back, they¡¯d look away.

    She got bored and looked over Elaine¡¯s shoulder to see what she was reading.

    How the stages of decomposition alter the quality of undead, a field guide. Well, that sounds wonderful. Let¡¯s see what else they have. Funeral rites and how they affect the undead; The feeding habits of vampires; Zombies as a workforce, a study; The nature of death; Kringo¡¯s guide to flaying; Ghouls for the simple minded; How to live with spirits; Loving the dead; How to¡­. And I¡¯m done.

    She looked away from the index and around the room at the necromancers suspiciously. They had lost interest in the two of them and were reading their books intently. Elaine put the index down and went over to one of the shelves where she picked up a creepy looking book.

    Did it just twitch when she touched it?

    She walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. Anna sat next to her and looked up at ceiling.

    No spiders! Why are there no spiders? What kind of weird place has no spider!?

    She looked around the room again and started to fidget after a while. Elaine was engrossed in her book and wasn¡¯t paying any attention to her. She sighed loudly. A few men looked over at her, but Elaine didn¡¯t even twitch. She started to fiddle her hair while she waited.

    Hours later, Elaine closed the book.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough reading for one day,¡± Anna bounced up out of the chair and snatched her friend by the arm, yanking the mage out of her seat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s goooo!¡± she said.

    She pulled Elaine right out of the library, down the hall. Once they reached the main room, Elaine slipped out of Anna¡¯s grip. She walked over to the front desk.

    ¡°I take it you found the library informative?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I did,¡± Elaine replied. The man looked her over.

    ¡°Would you happen to be a licensed necromancer, miss?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± Elaine replied. She took her license from her belt pouch and handed it to the man. The man looked it over. He stood up and bowed slightly.

    ¡°My lady,¡± he said, handing the paper back to Elaine.

    Elaine nodded at the man. She looked uncomfortable being called my lady though. He looked up at her.

    ¡°Would you be willing to join our guild? We have ritual rooms that can be rented for a low cost as well as access to¡­ Harder to come by ingredients,¡± he asked.

    Ingredients? Oh, he means dead people. At least, that¡¯s what I think he means. Maybe they have other stuff, but no. It¡¯s probably dead people or parts of dead people. I bet they have a whole room filled with stuff in jars! Elaine said she needs to get more jars. She¡¯s going to have a creepy room like that, so I know these weirdos do!

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. I¡¯m already a member of the adventurer¡¯s guild,¡± Elaine replied. The man nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s no issue. Quite a few of our members are in other guilds. Though, it¡¯s usually the mage¡¯s guild. I don¡¯t believe we have any adventurers among our ranks. Anyway, we don¡¯t have any requirements other than the guild dues which are reasonable for all the benefits we provide,¡± the man said. Elaine rubbed her chin.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to tour your hall before I make any decisions if that¡¯s alright?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course, my lady,¡± the man replied. Elaine nearly winced.

    He walked out from behind the desk and motioned for them to follow him. They walked into the back of the guild. The smell of death grew stronger. The man pushed open a door.

    ¡°This is one of the ritual chambers. They are cleaned after each member¡¯s use, so you can be assured that nothing will taint any spells you cast here,¡± the man said.

    The room was spotless with a bare wood floor that was polished to a shine. There were a few shelves with various jars that were labeled with things like sliver powder or coffin nails.

    Must be for spells.

    The room was filled with death mana, but it wasn¡¯t oozing around like it usually did. It reminded her of a still pond with ripples forming in its surface when they walked around the room.

    Elaine inspected the shelves then walked over to an altar that had a carved skull on it. The skull sparkled with normal mana instead of the death mana that filled the room.

    ¡°How much does it cost to rent a place like this?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Five copper a night, plus whatever ingredients you happen to use,¡± the man replied.

    Elaine seemed pleased by this.

    Must be a good price.

    They left the room, and the man led them farther into the building. He pushed open another door.

    Yum.

    The smell of food wafted out. It reminded her of a good tavern. They walked into the room to find a few small tables with plush chairs next to them. Men in black were eating delicious looking food while sipping what was most likely wine from crystal clear glasses.

    ¡°Food isn¡¯t allowed in the rest of the guild hall for sanitary reasons, so we ask all our members to take their meals here. We have several chefs on the staff, and they can prepare just about anything one could possibly want. We also keep a full stock of wines as well as other spirits and fine ales if that¡¯s your preference,¡± the man said.

    They looked at each other. Elaine snapped her head back to the man after a moment.

    ¡°Are guests allowed?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°You know the others would never come here, right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°So, it will just be our little secret,¡± Elaine replied. They both giggled.

    ¡°We also have rooms that you can rent if you happen to be working late and need a place to sleep. Some of them have two beds as well,¡± the man said as they walked out of the food room.

    They went to the very end of the hallway and down a set of stairs. The man paused at a large door that was at the bottom of the steps.

    ¡°This is the room where we process and store the ingredients. I¡¯m afraid it can be rather off putting to most people,¡± he said.

    Why is he looking at me? Oh, he thinks I¡¯m a normal person.

    ¡°I spent three days in a goblin nest killing the little fucks with a club. I think I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Anna replied. The man nodded.

    ¡°That does sound messy,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, they had to wash me with horse brushes afterwards. Burned my dress too,¡± Anna replied. He chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer as well I take it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied. He laughed.

    ¡°Well, no need to sugar coat it then. We have a fresh batch of corpses right from the hangman¡¯s noose. Why don¡¯t we see what luck has brought us today,¡± he said.

    Damn, he was just pretending to be all dark and spooky like that?

    He opened the door, and she could smell blood and other body fluid along with a hint of rot and alchemical elixirs that were used to preserve things.

    I can¡¯t believe Elaine had me drink one! Yuck!

    There were shelves lining the walls with jars on them. Each one had a label with a date: what it was and the gender and age of the person it had come from.

    Is that a barrel of skin?!

    She wandered over and looked in the barrel. A misshapen face looked back at her. She blinked a few times and then looked over at Elaine who just shrugged.

    There were stacks of bones all neatly organized by type along with a row of skulls. She found a few large barrels that were sealed. They were marked blood.

    Who would need that much blood?

    ¡°Ernest should be getting ready to process the bodies. Come on. We can watch,¡± the man said.

    They walked into another room. It stank of mostly blood, but also of shit and piss. A man was standing near a large wooden table. A bench next to the table was filled with tools that looked like a crude version of Elaine¡¯s kit.

    A naked man lay on the table. His chest had been cut open, and the man had his hands in his chest cavity. They walked over to watch the man work. He pulled out the man¡¯s heart and placed it in a tray then reached into the opening once more.

    ¡°New folks?¡± Ernest asked.

    ¡°The Lady Elaine is. Miss...¡± the man paused to look at her.

    ¡°Anna,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Miss Anna is her adventuring companion,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re both a damned sight prettier than the usual bastards that join up,¡± Ernest said. He took a few more organs out. ¡°I¡¯d say you join up even if it¡¯s just for the parts. Only place you can get them legally as far as I know. Unless you go out and kill some outlaws,¡± Ernest said.

    Anna looked over at Elaine. She¡¯s going to join. I know that look.

    They watched Ernest work. The man was fast. He had the body broken down into disarticulated bones, meat, and other things in less than twenty minutes. A young man started to clear the bench and clean the table off while Ernest looked through the pile of cloth wrapped bodies.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Wonderful! Let¡¯s go fill out the forms. I¡¯ll treat you both to dinner once we finish,¡± the man said. They left the ingredients room and headed back to the front desk.

 Chapter 51

    Anna bounced down the stairs the next morning with her usual cheerful disposition. She had spent more time playing with Lord Emerald than usual, so her friends were already sitting at a table enjoying their breakfast. She took a seat next to Elaine and Rose and waved at a barmaid to get her own bowl of porridge.

    ¡°We missed you two getting back last night. How did it go?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I joined the Necromancer¡¯s Guild. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much paperwork was required,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Will that interfere with adventuring?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°No. The Necromancer¡¯s Guild doesn¡¯t take contracts. It¡¯s really there to prove you are legitimate and not just some grave robber,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, what was it like?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Creepy, but the food was amazing,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You ate there?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Oh, gods, did we,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What kind of grub they have?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°It was like the carriage stop but better and cheaper. Oh, and they had Brewbelly ale!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re pulling my leg,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Nope. I thought the same thing, but they showed me the cask!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How in the world did those lads get ahold of something that good?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Despite their reputation, necromancers provide a very valuable service and are well compensated for it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s Brewbelly ale anyway?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Tell me, lass, what do you know of the clans?¡± Thokri asked. Lyreen frowned.

    ¡°Not much really,¡± she replied. Thokri stroked his beard.

    ¡°Well, you see, each clan specializes in one craft. Now, that doesn¡¯t mean we all can¡¯t do anything, but if you want the best, you go to the clan that specializes in that thing,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Oh, so the Brewbellies brew ale then? I guess that makes sense,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Aye, they brew ale, but that¡¯s not all they make. They also make every kind of booze there is. They also like to cook,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Sounds like we need to go try that ale,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I agree. I¡¯ve been a lot of places, but I¡¯ve never had the chance to try ale a dwarven brewmaster made. I¡¯ll go, even if it is a den of wickedness,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking Elaine to the den of wickedness tonight,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I thought I was going to take her, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but she¡¯s never seen a hard cock and wanted to go. I really don¡¯t need everyone to come along,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let her get into any trouble,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. Honestly, I might have her come and watch,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Elaine replied. The others started to laugh.

    ¡°That¡¯s just mean!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Anyway, I heard the markets in this city are amazing, and I want to go look around,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°We should go to the Mystic¡¯s Bazaar. It¡¯s near the Mage¡¯s Guild, and it¡¯s filled with all kinds of enchanted things,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh, that sounds perfect!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Well, we could spend the day there and have dinner at the Necromancer¡¯s Guild, and then come back here,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°That works. I checked in with the temple yesterday, and I don¡¯t have anything else planned,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah, we just sat around here and talked to other adventurers,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I took the lass out and got her hammered,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why she looks like that! Rose, do you want some hangover cure?¡± Anna asked. Rose shook her head yes then winced from the pain.

    Anna handed her a potion, and she drank it down quickly, sneezing a few times before handing the empty bottle back to Anna. She smiled at Anna, and Anna smiled back.

    Still have to ask around about healing her.

    They finished breakfast, and her friends got their cloaks before leaving the guild hall and heading for the transport gate.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised it works on me,¡± Anna said as they walked up to the gate.

    ¡°It¡¯s a portal I think, so the spell isn¡¯t actually doing anything to you,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°How do portals work?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, they open up to a realm we call the Wyrding. You can stretch or compress the Wyrding with mana, so they just compress the space between the two portals so you don¡¯t have to walk as far,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It really is. It¡¯s a shame we lost the spells to make new ones though,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Did that happen during the mage wars?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Elaine replied.

    I really need to learn more about the world.

    They walked through the portal and found themselves in the same square as Elaine and Anna had visited the day before. Elaine started to walk down one of the large streets, and the rest of them followed her.

    ¡°The bazaar is a huge dome. It was built to be a colosseum for gladiators to fight in ancient times, but that was outlawed centuries ago, so they turned it into a market,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a gladiator?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Humans have slaves fight each other to the death while a crowd watches. The fighters are called gladiators,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s barbaric!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it was outlawed, though some places still do it,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I think something is wrong with your people,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought that for most of my life,¡± Elaine said.

    Wow! That¡¯s just huge!

    They walked up the long street to the bazaar. It was the largest building she¡¯d ever seen. There were stalls and people with blankets selling their goods all around the building. They walked past these merchants. Elaine had told them that anyone could set up outside of the bazaar, but only the best got a place inside.

    They have better things than most of the merchants in Oldforge on the blankets! What in the world are they selling inside?!

    Guards patrolled the makeshift market making sure none of the merchants blocked the road and keeping the thieves to a minimum. They walked up the steps to the bazaar, past an army of guards, and into a huge open space. Anna looked around in wonder for a moment.

    I didn¡¯t think people could build things this big.

    The dome was painted with scenes of a battle that transpired in the distant past. It was lit with impossibly bright mana lamps. There were benches lining the walls that rose higher than the walls of most of the towns and even some of the smaller cities she¡¯d passed through.

    The open space was filled with stalls. They were lined up in neat rows. Everything sparkled with mana causing the air itself to shimmer in her vision. She blinked a few times to get used to it before rushing after her friends who had already walked away.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    They looked through the stalls, slowly moving up and down the rows.

    It¡¯s got to take days to see everything!

    She paused at a stall with strange little strips of metal with decorations on one end. She picked one up with a cute butterfly and held it up.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a hair clip. You can use them to keep the hair out of your face if you don¡¯t want to tie it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    She took the clip out of Anna¡¯s hand and brushed her hair to the side. She put the clip in Anna¡¯s hair and took a step back to look at it.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s just wrong how cute she is,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty too,¡± Anna replied. Elaine just laughed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nice,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. You are pretty,¡± Anna replied. Elaine just shook her head and then started to look through the hair clips herself.

    ¡°How much?¡± Anna asked the grinning merchant.

    ¡°A silver,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s the enchantment?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It won¡¯t tarnish, and it shouldn¡¯t break unless you do something crazy to it,¡± he replied.

    A silver doesn¡¯t sound like too much for an enchanted hair clip.

    She looked over at Thokri who nodded subtly. She paid the man for the clip and waited for her friends to pick through them as well.

    Lyreen found a clip with a little leaf on the end of it. She put it in her hair and then looked in the mirror the merchant held up. She smiled and paid him a silver as well before leaving.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t find anything you liked?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Nothing there was really my style,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t see any skulls, bones, or other dead stuff,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Shut it, elf,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna found a stall that was selling what the merchant called expedition equipment.

    It¡¯s just adventuring gear for mages!

    The party started to browse. She picked up a bundle of thin pure white rope.

    ¡°What¡¯s special about this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s woven from deep spider silk. It¡¯s stronger than steel and won¡¯t rot like hemp will,¡± the man replied.

    She tugged on the rope far harder than a person should have been able to.

    Wow, it really is strong.

    She set it aside to buy it and kept looking. She picked up a heavy belt pouch and opened it up.

    Oh, wow. It¡¯s got a little pan and cup. I wonder what this thing is? Is that a heat crystal? Oh, that¡¯s a strip of mithril. What in the world does this do?

    She looked at the merchant in confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mana stove. Unfold the three top pieces and pull up on that lever, and it gets hot enough to cook food,¡± he said.

    ¡°What powers it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The mithril draws mana in from the air, and the heat stone is faceted, so it doesn¡¯t suck up all the mana at once,¡± the merchant replied.

    Oh, I¡¯m so buying this!

    She set it aside along with the rope.

    ¡°I have a spice kit if you¡¯re interested,¡± the merchant replied, seeing that she was interested in the cooking set.

    ¡°Oh, that sounds nice,¡± Anna replied.

    He took a small tin out from behind the stall and opened it up. There were several clear vials filled with colorful powders. Anna nodded and the man put it aside. She found a few more small things like a twisted wire utensil set to go along with her new cooking set. Her friends bought a few things from the stall as well, and they went back to looking through the massive bazaar.

    She ended up buying a pack to put all the stuff they bought into. She of course ended up carrying it.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll go get some food now,¡± Voekeer said as they walked out of the bazaar.

    ¡°It is getting late,¡± Barika said.

    At least we got to eat some lunch at a stall.

    She secretly liked street food more than anything else, but for some reason, all her friends like eating at taverns or home cooking more, so that¡¯s what she ended up eating the most of. Adventuring food didn¡¯t count of course because you didn¡¯t really have a choice out in the middle of nowhere.

    Like Oldforge, as night fell, humans seemed to leave the streets and beast men replaced them, even here in what would have been called the Mage¡¯s District in other cities, that was still true.

    No dwarves around here, but none of them can use magic, so I guess that makes sense.

    The beast men that were out at night were the ones that were mixed with nocturnal animals. Their large eyes followed the party as they walked. Most of them were wearing focus crystals indicating they were mages of some variety.

    One of them hissed at her when he noticed Anna staring. She flipped him a rude gesture back, and he turned and walked off in a huff.

    ¡°You were staring again, weren¡¯t you, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Someone is going to fight you one day if you keep doing that,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Someone is going to get tossed one day if they fight me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She has a point,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage her,¡± Barika replied. Voekeer just shrugged.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not saying that she should keep staring at people, but honestly, she¡¯s not the one that has to be careful, that¡¯s all,¡± he said. Barika just sighed and Elaine shook her head.

    The Necromancer¡¯s Guild was as creepy as the day before, and the other members of the party just looked at the skeletons mounted on the side of the building with a sort of revulsion that was expected of normal people when viewing such things. Other than Thokri. He just spit.

    ¡°How charming,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°It¡¯s imposing, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°It¡¯s even weirder inside, but it¡¯s worth it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How could it be worse than that?!¡± Lyreen said, pointing at a skull with its mouth wide open as if locked in some eternal scream.

    ¡°The furniture is made from skeletons, and they have a basement full of dismembered bodies for sale,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Just go back to the guild if you don¡¯t want to try the ale then,¡± Elaine said and pushed the door to the Necromancer¡¯s Guild open.

    She went inside followed closely by Anna and Thokri. The others shuffled in after them. Anna could see the shock and horror on their faces when they looked around the main room. Thokri went to spit but saw the necromancers looking at him and swallowed it instead.

    Walter looked up and smiled at them. It would have been a warm smile had he been another man, but on his face, it just looked disturbing.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought the rest of your party today. Tell me, would they like a tour?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Maybe later. We were just going to have dinner,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Walter replied.

    Elaine led them down the long hallway. The rest of the party huddled together like frightened rabbits as they walked.

    It¡¯s not that bad.

    They walked into the dining room. When the apprentices saw them, they waved them over to a table where the party sat down.

    ¡°Bring out some of everything and Brewbelly ales all around,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Of course, Ma¡¯am,¡± an apprentice replied. Barika looked around the room frowning.

    ¡°Such disrespect for the dead,¡± she said.

    ¡°Every one of them was a murderer,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make this right,¡± Barika said.

    Elaine just shrugged not wanting to get into an argument with Barika.

    The apprentices came back with mugs full of the wonderful ale and placed them in front of each of them. Anna took a long drink out of her mug enjoying the rich spiced taste. Thokri grinned as soon as he smelled it and took a drink himself.

    ¡°Oh, lass. I could kiss you for bringing me here,¡± he said. Elaine laughed.

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t married, I¡¯d do more than kiss you,¡± she replied.

    ¡°You¡¯d fuck a dwarf?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°¡¯Cause they are all short and hairy,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve bedded human men that were just as hairy as a dwarf and more than a few short ones. Don¡¯t see how I¡¯d be any different from them,¡± Elaine said. She took a drink from her own mug and sighed in appreciation.

    Lyreen looked stricken.

    ¡°I¡¯d fuck an elf, too,¡± Elaine added, grinning at the elves.

    ¡°Really?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Elaine replied, winking at him. Lyreen elbowed Voekeer, who happened to be smiling at Elaine. Elaine laughed.

    ¡°Oh, come on. You know I won¡¯t take your man,¡± she said. Lyreen glared at her for a moment then took a drink of the ale.

    ¡°Wow, this is amazing!¡± she said smiling again.

    Rose took a drink. Then with a surprised look on her face, she took another deep drink.

    ¡°Looks like she likes it,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°The poor lass likes every kind of strong drink,¡± Thokri said, patting Rose on the arm. Rose put the mug down and smiled weakly at them.

    She does drink a lot.

    Rose often drank until she passed out at the table, needing to be carried to her room.

    Her friends looked worried every time the woman started to drink, but they didn¡¯t want to stop her, this being the first time the woman was truly free in her life. While she couldn¡¯t talk or write, they had managed to find out that Rose had been born a slave and lost her tongue when she was a young teenager.

    Something wiggled in the back of her mind whenever she thought about it, and that something didn¡¯t feel nice, so she tried not to.

    They were brought fresh mugs along with a few huge trays full of food. Everyone started to pull different types of food from each tray and pile them on the plates that were placed in front of them. The food was just as delicious as the night before, and now there was more than enough to go around.

    The room grew cold, and the door opened slowly. A fog of death mana flowed into the room. Anna and the others looked up from their meal to see what was going on. A tall thin man walked into the room. He was as pale as a corpse with black lines visible under his exposed skin. He was dressed in a black robe like the other necromancers, but his were enchanted and dripped with death mana. He looked around the room, and his eyes locked on their table. He walked over and loomed next to them.

    ¡°You must be the woman,¡± he said, looking right at Elaine.

    ¡°Last time I checked I was,¡± she replied.

    He laughed. It was a hideous sound.

    ¡°I am high necromancer Bernard, and I am the head of the Necromancer¡¯s Guild,¡± he said. Elaine hopped up and bowed slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, sir,¡± she said.

    ¡°Likewise,¡± Bernard replied. He looked at the rest of the party who were all staring up at him with wide eyes.

    ¡°What a colorful group of friends you¡¯ve brought with you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Being colorful in here isn¡¯t hard,¡± Anna replied. He laughed again.

    ¡°That is true, but I think you¡¯d be colorful no matter where you happened to be,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, I get that a lot,¡± Anna replied. She started to stuff her face again, thinking the conversation was over.

    The high necromancer laughed again. He sat at an empty seat next to Lyreen. She looked like she wanted to jump out of her skin. An apprentice brought him a plate, and he filled it with a few things. Elaine sat back down.

    ¡°I had intended on talking to you, but you left before I could yesterday,¡± Bernard said.

    ¡°My apologies, sir. I didn¡¯t know you wanted to speak to me,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing bad, my dear. It¡¯s just we don¡¯t get women in the guild very often, and certainly not ones that are also adventurers,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s rare for women to be necromancers. I mean, we can¡¯t have children while we practice, so that stops most girls that are interested,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Indeed. Tell me, why did you decide to study the dark arts?¡± Bernard asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason. It just feels right,¡± Elaine replied.

    Bernard smiled. It was a terrible sight.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± he said.

    Anna picked up a large piece of meat with a bone still attached and started to eat it. Bernard looked at her for a moment with a bit of confusion on his face. Anna swallowed a large mouthful without chewing and looked at the high necromancer.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied and started to eat.

    They chatted with the high necromancer. Elaine talked with him about necromancy while the rest of the party did their best to ignore the strange conversation, which wasn¡¯t that hard with a belly full of strong dwarven ale.

    They finished dinner and said their goodbyes to Bernard before leaving the Necromancer¡¯s Guild. It was late when they left, and Anna was carrying Rose along with the pack.

    ¡°That was the best food I¡¯ve ever had!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I agree, child, despite the strange company. I wouldn¡¯t mind going back from time to time,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Well, just let me know when you want to go back,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Still want to go to the red-light district?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No way,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna put Rose to bed when they got back and passed out everyone¡¯s purchases from the day before going to her own room and going to sleep for the night.

 Chapter 52

    Her boots crunched the snow as she walked away from the transport gate. She¡¯d finally broken down and bought herself some winter clothing.

    I was right. I don¡¯t feel any warmer wearing this, but at least everyone isn¡¯t staring at me now.

    Her normal clothing had been fine until the first snow, and then everyone looked at her oddly.

    I can¡¯t believe how excited Lyreen and Elaine are, but at least they were just happy. The dressmaker squealed when I told her it was her choice on what she made for me.

    The woman had gone the extra mile and gotten her a matching set of boots, mittens, a hat, and a cloak to go along with the dress. The accessories were lined with thick white fur which was soft, and she enjoyed the feel of it.

    Another benefit was that she was able to stuff her hair under the hat. This meant that the only thing that was out of the ordinary about her that was still visible were her eyes, and most people didn¡¯t seem to notice that they were oddly colored.

    I kind of like not being the center of attention everywhere sometimes.

    It had been an odd few weeks for her. All her friends had found things to do or work on over the winter. Thokri had decided that Rose wasn¡¯t progressing as fast as he¡¯d like her to, so she was receiving ¡®extra training¡¯ as he put it.

    Poor Rose.

    The woman was so exhausted that she slunk off to bed as soon as she ate every night.

    Lyreen spent most of her time reading, so Voekeer had found a retired sword master to give him some lessons. Elaine was doing things that shouldn¡¯t be done at the necromancer¡¯s guild during the day and even stranger things with the whores in the redlight district at night.

    Anna had tagged along with her friend once, and she finally got to see everything she¡¯d been curious about, and a few things she wasn¡¯t. She hadn¡¯t gone back.

    Barika went to the temple most days and would heal the sick or feed the poor or stuff like that. She¡¯d asked Anna if she wanted to come with her once, but Anna reminded the priestess of what happened the last time she went to a temple district, and Barika told her to avoid the place.

    Left to her own devices, she decided to talk with the other adventurers that spent their days drinking in the main room of the guild hall. They mostly bragged about themselves or tried to talk her into bed with them, but today, one of them had mentioned a strange place he¡¯d visited.

    I hope he was telling the truth.

    He had told her about a place in the part of the city where the people that weren¡¯t from the kingdom congregated. This place was supposably filled with foods from these people¡¯s homelands. After hearing this, she had to go.

    Too bad the others were too busy to come with me though. I think Rose wanted to come.

    The man had been drunk and kept trying to put his hand on her thigh when he was telling her about the food place, but she¡¯d managed to get directions from him. She¡¯d drunk him and his buddies under the table so she could escape without hearing him whine about her being a cock tease.

    I still don¡¯t get why men call me that. I¡¯ve never teased a single man about their cocks, at least in front of them that is.

    She¡¯d also paid for their drinks because she didn¡¯t want anyone to think she took advantage of them.

    She looked around as she walked. The buildings and streets weren¡¯t all that different than other parts of the city. The people out walking around were, however. She hadn¡¯t seen most of the races that were living here.

    Even the humans are different. There are even a few that look like Barika. Maybe I can find some food from her homeland!

    She smelled her destination long before she saw it. A pungent mix of woodsmoke, cooking meat, and spices filled the cold winter air. She found the source quickly. It was a large building without doors. She could feel the heat from the cooking fires pouring from the inside as she walked in.

    She was overwhelmed by the sights and smells for a moment. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people crowding around stalls that sold both prepared food and raw ingredients. She pushed her way into the crowd and started to follow her nose.

    It¡¯s never been wrong about food before!

    She made her way to a stall that was surrounded by dog like beast men. Being a tiny woman, she was able to squeeze her way right up to the front. A woman that looked like she was the same race as the men crowding around her stall was dipping bowls of a meaty soup out and passing them to the beast men. They tossed a copper in a clay jar when they took the bowl.

    She snatched a bowl from the woman and tossed a copper into the jar. One of the dog men looked over at her. She couldn¡¯t read his face but assumed he was first annoyed, then surprised by the way he cocked his head to the side. She took a spoon from another jar.

    ¡°You won¡¯t like it, human,¡± the dog woman said.

    She ignored the woman¡¯s warning and dipped her spoon into the soup. There were multiple kinds of meat, but most of it was thin and ribbon like.

    Is that entrails?

    She¡¯d gutted plenty of animals before but never eaten any of the stuff she took out, other than the liver, which she liked. Her friends had told her that the guts weren¡¯t good to eat, so she hadn¡¯t tried before.

    She took a bite. The meat was springy and had what her friends had told her was a gamey taste, though she wasn¡¯t sure if that was quite right.

    They use the same word for different tastes, so who knows.

    The broth was a strong bone stock that was filled with fat that made her mouth feel a little greasy. It was also salty and left a slight metallic taste in her mouth.

    Blood. They must have put blood in the soup.

    She took a few more bites, enjoying the new textures and flavors. This was the sort of thing that she loved. The soup itself was good, not great, but good, and she could understand why men who obviously labors would love it. She¡¯d noticed that people, normal people that is, ate more and seemed to want more fat and meat in their food when they worked hard or were cold.

    She finished the soup quickly and looked up to find all the dog men looking at her. The dog woman was looking at her as well. She cocked her head to the side when Anna smiled at her.

    ¡°That was good. Thanks,¡± Anna said as she put the bowl and spoon in the pile of dirty ones.

    The woman whined some. The men made yelping sounds, and the woman snarled at them which caused the men to make more yelping sounds. Anna started to leave. There were a lot more food stalls to visit, and she didn¡¯t want to fill up at this one after all.

    ¡°Wait?¡± the dog woman asked.

    Anna turned back around. She couldn¡¯t tell what the woman was thinking. These people were more dog than human, and she¡¯d never really been around dogs before.

    They like to bark at me for some reason.

    "Yes?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You really liked it?¡± the woman asked.

    Anna nodded yes, and the woman made a yelping sound that was different from the sound the men had made.

    I think they were laughing at her.

    One of the men started to sniff. She pushed his head away. ¡°Don¡¯t be weird,¡± she said.

    The dog people started to yelp and snarl at each other. At first it sounded like animals she¡¯d heard in the forest, but after a moment, she realized they were talking to each other in a language she¡¯d never heard before.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He said you don¡¯t smell right,¡± the dog woman replied.

    Anna sniffed herself. She didn¡¯t smell weird, so she just shrugged. More of the dog men started to sniff her. She kept pushing them away. The dog woman started to growl, and then she said something to them. The men backed off and started to say things back to the woman.

    The woman gestured for her to walk closer to the stall, and she did. Then the woman sniffed at her. She cocked her head to the side for a moment, but then looked back at the dog men and said something. They whined at her, but she insisted.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t smell like a human or anything else. You don¡¯t really smell like anything actually. They were wondering why, and I told them it wasn¡¯t their business,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m not human or anything else, so they are right. But they really shouldn¡¯t sniff humans like that. It¡¯s not polite,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They know that. That¡¯s why I told them they are acting like a bunch of wild pups,¡± the woman replied. Anna grinned.

    Thokri calls Lyreen and Voekeer wee ones when they do something dumb.

    "Can they speak common?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No. It is too different from our language for most of my kind to learn. It took me many years to speak it,¡± the women replied.

    ¡°How do they work if they can¡¯t speak common?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They work for the merchants that run the warehouses. Don¡¯t need to know the language to carry boxes,¡± the dog woman replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Anna said.

    The dog men were getting restless, wanting food she guessed. She tossed a large silver coin in the woman¡¯s jar. The woman looked at the gleaming coin in surprise. It alone was worth more than all the other coins combined by far.

    ¡°Thanks for talking to me. I know you¡¯re busy,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Come back later. I¡¯ll give you the best I can cook, and we can talk more,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said. She slipped away as the dog men crowded around the stall once more.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    She decided to look around some before getting more food, not wanting to fill herself up without exploring first.

    She spotted several reptilian people sitting at a table. One plucked a live lizard out of a bowl and popped it in its mouth, swallowing the thing whole. She thought about joining them for a moment but decided she would rather have cooked for today.

    Maybe later.

    One of the reptiles took a drink of a frothing liquid from a stone cup. This interested her, so she walked over to them. They started hissing at her as soon as she walked over.

    ¡°Oh, uh, I just wanted to know what you¡¯re drinking,¡± Anna said. They kept hissing, though it sounded different.

    I bet they¡¯re talking just like the dog people.

    Another one walked over.

    ¡°They want you to leave,¡± it said in a hissing voice.

    ¡°I just wanted to know what they were drinking,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It is a drink made from fruits from the swamps in the south,¡± it replied.

    ¡°Can I have some?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, I do not sell to other races, especially humans,¡± it replied.

    ¡°Well, why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because I do not have enough to waste it on a soft skin, now go,¡± it replied.

    The reptiles got up from their seats and walked over.

    Oh, they think they can scare me?

    Anna looked into its cold reptilian eyes with her own unblinking eyes for a few moments.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± she said and walked away from the stall not wanting a fight to cut trip short.

    The reptiles kept hissing at her as she walked away, no doubt insulting her.

    What a bunch of weirdos. I mean, I bet they are soft too.

    Though to her, everything was soft, so she wasn¡¯t sure that counted.

    She found a stall that was selling meat on a stick. She walked over to get a stick and noticed three humans that were just as dark as Barika sitting at a table eating meat wrapped in flatbread.

    ¡°Can I have what they¡¯re eating?¡± Anna asked the man behind the stall who was cooking food.

    He nodded, took a piece of flat bread from a pile, and threw it on a large hot iron. After a moment, he flipped it, took it in his hand, and held it next to a spit that had layers of meat rotating over a bed of coals. He took a knife and sliced off a few chucks, catching them in the bread. Once he finished, he tossed some chopped vegetables and spooned a white sauce on it. Then he handed it to her.

    She tossed a copper into a bowl that sat on the stall and took the food from him. She walked over to the people that looked like Barika and smiled when they looked up at her.

    ¡°Mind if I sit?¡± she asked, speaking the language Barika had told her was her own.

    ¡°How do you know our language?¡± a large man asked.

    There were three of them at the table, two men and a woman. The men were both large and well built. The woman was large as well and muscular, though not as much as Barika.

    ¡°A friend of mine taught me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Please, sit with us, and tell us about yourself and your friend,¡± the woman said.

    Anna sat down. The woman was smiling at her, and the men looked a little confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna, and my friend¡¯s name is Barika. We¡¯re adventurers,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I am Oppon¨ªoba, this is Kod?¨® and he is Dwotim,¡± the woman replied, gesturing to her companions.

    Anna took a bite of her food. The bread was chewy and soft, and the meat was tender and well spiced. The vegetables were raw, and their strong flavors and crunch were nice. The sauce was creamy and had a slight tang to it that reminded her of cheese for some reason.

    She made a happy sound at the new flavors causing the three people seated with her to smile. She chewed and swallowed.

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve never had one of these before, and I wanted to try it before it got cold,¡± Anna said. Kod?¨® laughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, girl. We understand,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know how you can speak our language so well,¡± Dwotim asked. She paused for a moment, not knowing how much about herself she should tell them.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent most of my life with Barika,¡± Anna replied. This answer seemed to satisfy the three of them.

    It¡¯s true too.

    "What is she like?¡± Kod?¨® asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s taller than Oppon¨ªoba with more muscle, and I think she¡¯s older as well. Oh, and her boobs are bigger too,¡± Anna replied.

    Dwotim snickered, earning himself a look from Oppon¨ªoba.

    ¡°What is she like?¡± Oppon¨ªoba asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s kind and friendly, always helping people. She¡¯s a priestess as well. She¡¯s our party¡¯s healer,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What is she doing in this kingdom?¡± Dwotim asked.

    ¡°Living her life,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I understand that, but why all the way out here?¡± Dwotim asked.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Anna asked. Dwotim looked surprised by her question.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of our business,¡± Oppon¨ªoba said. Dwotim nodded.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Oppon¨ªoba asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a girl from a fishing village far to the east. My friends found me when I was very young and took me with them,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What about your parents?¡± Kod?¨® asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a mother, and my father doesn¡¯t care,¡± Anna replied.

    I don¡¯t think he can care to be honest.

    Kod?¨® looked like he wished he¡¯d never asked.

    ¡°Can you tell me about your homeland? Barika doesn¡¯t talk about it often,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What would you like to know about?¡± Oppon¨ªoba asked. Anna thought about it for a moment.

    ¡°Tell me about the food,¡± Anna said. Dwotim laughed.

    ¡°A woman after my own heart,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s best to start with food, isn¡¯t it?¡± Oppon¨ªoba asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s something we all have in common,¡± Anna replied.

    They started to tell her about the foods in that far away land they called home. She could tell all three of them missed it dearly.

    I wonder if Barika misses the food?

    She finished her meal and listened to them for a while.

    ¡°What kind of treats do they have?¡± Anna asked. Sweet things were her favorite after all.

    ¡°There are many treats, but I think the best is Goco fruit,¡± Oppon¨ªoba replied. By the looks on their faces, the men seemed to agree.

    ¡°What¡¯s it taste like?¡± Anna asked. This question seemed to puzzle them.

    It must unique like the mushroom puff I ate in the cave.

    She¡¯d never tasted anything quite like that again and had been tempted to go back and collect a few.

    ¡°It¡¯s sweet,¡± Oppon¨ªoba replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find one to eat one day,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I saw a man selling dried ones, but he wanted too much for them,¡± Dwotim replied sadly.

    ¡°Show me,¡± Anna said. She stood up and gestured for them to do so as well.

    They looked at each other for a moment then stood up.

    ¡°If you insist, but they are really expensive,¡± Dwotim replied.

    She followed the three of them through the crowd deep into the heart of the food market. That¡¯s what she decided to call this place.

    They stopped in front of a huge stall filled with bushels of fruits and vegetables. She walked up to the stall and looked at the produce.

    I¡¯ve never seen most of these!

    She looked around for a moment before Dwotim pointed at the Goco fruit. It was dried, though seeing as it took the better part of two years to travel from one side of the empire to the other, that made sense. It was sooth and wrinkled but still brightly colored. She added up the price in her head.

    It is pretty pricey.

    She motioned to the merchant who walked over.

    ¡°Yes, miss?¡± he asked. She took out a small handful of silver coins and handed them to the merchant.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take all of the Goco fruit,¡± she said.

    The merchant snatched the basket the fruit was in, dumped it into a small cloth sack, and handed it over to her. She took the sack, thanked the man, and then turned to her new friends. They were just gawking at her. She fished out three of the palm sized fruits and handed each of them one.

    ¡°Thanks for showing me these,¡± she said as she took a bite from one.

    It was sweet, and well, she¡¯d never really had anything like it before, so she understood why they couldn¡¯t describe it. The three of them looked at the fruit in their hands. She ate hers in a few bites then tied the bag up, not wanting to risk any of the expensive fruit falling out. She started to walk away.

    ¡°Hold on, where are you going?¡± Oppon¨ªoba asked.

    ¡°I want to eat at a few more places before I head back to the guild hall,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What guild?¡± Dwotim asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m an adventurer,¡± Anna replied. They all nodded.

    ¡°Thank you for the gift,¡± Kod?¨® said before taking a bite. The others followed.

    Wow they must really like these.

    She smiled at them. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll see each other again sometime,¡± she said.

    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Dwotim replied. The other two agreed, and she walked away.

    It wasn¡¯t too late, so she walked around the food market more, looking for something else to try.

    There was a large crowd of beast men standing around one of the stalls. Most of them were reptiles, like the ones that had been rude to her early in the day, but there were also other kinds, so she assumed it was probably okay to go and see what was being sold.

    She squeezed up to the front of the crowd.

    Are those bugs?! They are bugs! Hey, that lizard man is frying them up in a pan! Oh, I have to try that!

    The lizard man cook would grab a handful of fat wiggling grubs from a basket and toss them into a pan with some oil on the bottom. He¡¯d move them around with two long sticks until they were crispy and then put them on a leaf and sprinkle seasoning on them before handing it to whoever snatched it first. People would toss a copper in his jar once they took the leaf.

    She was faster than anyone else, so she got the next one. Much hissing could be heard when she did, so she scooted out of the crowd, not trusting the reptiles. There were a few of the other kinds of beast people standing off to one side. She walked over to them to eat. She leaned up against the wall and took a bite out of one of the huge grubs.

    The outside was crisp as expected, but the inside was gooey. It tasted woody and nutty. She¡¯d eaten a stick before out of curiosity and had collected wild nuts. This reminded her of both.

    She squeezed the bug insides into her mouth before popping the rest of the crisp outside in and chewed it up.

    Wow, that¡¯s pretty good. Oh, I need to take some of these back to the guild to eat in front of Lyreen. I bet she¡¯d throw up!

    She ate another one, debating on if she should bring one back and decided not to.

    The lizard men were all glaring at her and speaking in their strange hissing language. The other beast men didn¡¯t seem bothered by her presence. If anything, they were curious.

    ¡°What¡¯s with them?¡± Anna asked a woman that looked like an otter that walked on its hind legs.

    ¡°They don¡¯t like you,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They say you take food that belongs to us,¡± she replied.

    ¡°But I paid for it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes, yes, we saw, but they think humans take everything,¡± she replied.

    ¡°If they don¡¯t like being around humans, why do they live in a human city?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Lizards say that all of this used to belong to them before the humans came,¡± the otter woman replied.

    ¡°Wait, this city is more than ten thousand years old, and it was built by humans. How long ago was that?¡± Anna asked. The lizardmen stopped hissing for a moment, and they seemed to puff up some.

    ¡°You make them angry,¡± the otter woman said. She backed away.

    ¡°I was just asking a question!¡± Anna added.

    The lizard men started to hiss angrily at her. She started to walk away from the food stall, not wanting to get into a fight.

    I¡¯d never hear the end of it if I killed a bunch of people the first time I went out alone in the capital.

    One of the lizardmen grabbed her arm as she walked by and yanked her over to them.

    ¡°LET ME GO YOU SCALY SHIT!¡± she shouted in dwarven.

    The lizardman seemed confused by her shouting in dwarven and let her go. She slipped away into the crowd before he could change his mind. She didn¡¯t know if they were men or women, so she decided to think of them all as men until she could figure out how to tell them apart. After she got a good distance away, she ate the rest of the bugs then went looking for more things to eat.

    She found a group of human men eating large round chunks of meat that were covered in bread.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Fried balls,¡± one of the men replied.

    ¡°Balls as in balls?¡± she asked, gesturing to her crotch.

    ¡°You got it. Err, well, you don¡¯t, and neither do the pigs anymore,¡± he replied.

    The other men chuckled, and she grinned. She walked over to the cook who was cutting what looked like skin and other cords of a large testicle before setting in into a bowl with other cleaned ones.

    So that¡¯s what they look like outside of a sack.

    She had been curious, but the only way to know was to rip another pair off and look, and that was just mean.

    ¡°Got another batch about to go in. You want some, miss?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Anna replied.

    She watched as the cook dipped them into a bowl of batter and then dropped them into a deep pan filled with oil. The oil crackled as the water was driven out of the batter, each one turning to a golden brown in a few minutes. The cook pushed them around a few times with a long handled flat basket like implement. Once he deemed them done, he used the basket thing to take them out of the oil, letting each one drip before putting them into bowls that were lined up on the stall.

    She took a bowl. It had three of the large testicles in it. She tossed a copper into the bowl that was filled with coins. The man nodded, and she joined the other men who were still eating their meal. She picked one of them up and blew it off. She didn¡¯t need to, but it saved her from getting weird looks. She took a bite.

    All the men were watching her. The meat was juicy and tender with an odd texture to it, and the breading was a little sweet. It was also oily having soaked up a lot of the cooking oil. She chewed it and swallowed.

    ¡°Best tasting ball I¡¯ve ever had in my mouth,¡± she said.

    The men all roared with laughter. Even the cook chuckled. She took another bite, making sure to lean over the bowl so none of the grease or juices would drip on her clothing. The men didn¡¯t look like men from the kingdom or the empire. They had lighter skin and straight hair. They spoke with an odd accent as well.

    ¡°Where you boys from anyway?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Up north in the foothills of the great mountains. How about you?¡± one of the men replied.

    ¡°Fishing village out on the edge of the frontier near the great inland sea,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mean to be rude, but you don¡¯t look like any of the women I¡¯ve seen around here,¡± another said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not like any of the women you¡¯ve seen,¡± she replied.

    They didn¡¯t pry when it was obvious she wasn¡¯t telling anything else about herself. They chattered about different things to eat they had found, and when she finished, she left the stall.

    She was getting full, so she decided to see what that dog woman had for her, hoping it was finished. The dog woman¡¯s stall was crowded, so she decided to come back the next day, not really wanting to pester a busy merchant.

    She doesn¡¯t owe me or anything.

    She left the food market and walked back out into the freezing cold.

    How the fuck did lizards rule this place? They can¡¯t even go out in the cold, can they?

    She wasn¡¯t sure if lizard men were like normal lizards, but those things stopped moving if they got too cold. So unless it used to be warmer, she doubted their story.

    She had put her mittens back on as soon as she left and checked to make sure the bag of fruit was still tucked into her belt. She walked off into the night, heading back to the guild hall.

    What a fun day! I¡¯ll have to come back tomorrow.

 Chapter 53

    She sat alone drinking her ale.

    You¡¯d think the adventurer¡¯s guild would serve better.

    Her friends were off doing whatever, and while she could have joined any of them, she didn¡¯t want to. She sighed.

    Great. I¡¯ve discovered a new kind of boring.

    She took another drink from her mug and looked around the room.

    Well, I could go drink those men under the table again. No, they probably wouldn¡¯t fall for that again. Maybe I should go take a bath. No, I need to wait for Rose. She always gets a bath when she¡¯s done with training and doesn¡¯t like to be the only woman.

    ¡°Alright, lass. Need you to sign for this piss water,¡± a distinctly dwarven voice said.

    Anna looked up from her drink and spotted the strangest dwarf she¡¯d ever seen.

    Why is his hair short, and why doesn¡¯t he have a beard?!

    She¡¯d never seen a dwarf without a beard before, not counting the women dwarves of course. He was standing at the counter with a sheet of paper in his hand waiting for one of the attendants. Anna downed her drink and walked over to him.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the lad that¡¯s been pissing in my mug!¡± she said. He looked over at her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for this swill, lass. Me and the lads are just delivering it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You know where a lass could get a proper drink?¡± she asked, partly because she wanted to know why he shaved, and mostly because she was bored out of her mind and drinking with strange dwarves seemed like the perfect way to alleviate that problem. He rubbed his chin.

    ¡°How come you can speak dwarven so well?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I grew up around a dwarf,¡± Anna replied. He nodded.

    ¡°Place called the Cracked Boulder. Just tell them Obroc sent you, and you¡¯ll be fine,¡± he replied.

    ¡°See you there then. I¡¯m Anna by the way,¡± she said.

    ¡°Obroc, if you hadn¡¯t guessed,¡± he replied. They shook hands.

    The attendant was looking at them oddly. They had been speaking dwarven the whole time, and while it wasn¡¯t uncommon to hear, few of the other races spoke it.

    He handed the paper he was holding to the attendant who signed it. He told her how to get to the Cracked Boulder and then left through the side door. She went up to her room and put on the rest of her winter clothes before leaving the guild hall.

    She took the transport gate to a part of the city in the northeast, near the wall, and walked a few blocks before finding the street that Obroc had described.

    So, this is where all the dwarves live!

    Dwarves didn¡¯t need to wear thick winter clothing like humans and elves, so she was able to look at them as she walked.

    Most of the dwarves here were shaven or with huge-waxed mustaches unlike anything she¡¯d ever seen before. The men had short hair to a point, and the woman all had long braided hair. The braids weren¡¯t like the ones that Elaine would put in Anna¡¯s hair. They were far more elaborate.

    She didn¡¯t have the hood to her cloak up, but her hair was hidden beneath her hat, so she didn¡¯t get more than a few curious glances as she made her way to the tavern.

    The Cracked Boulder was easy to find. There was a sign with a cracked boulder of all things on it hanging above the door. She pushed the thick wooden door open and walked into a warm smoky room. Dwarves sat at tables around the room and lined up at the bar. Most were smoking from long clay pipes. All eyes seemed to be on her as she walked over to the bar.

    ¡°Ya never seen a lass before, or do I got something on my face?¡± she asked in dwarven as she sat down.

    The barman laughed. She heard chuckles around the tavern as well.

    ¡°What¡¯ll have, lass?¡± the barman asked.

    He had the biggest mustache she¡¯d ever seen which had thoroughly been waxed and formed into points that curled at the ends.

    ¡°Something that doesn¡¯t taste like horse piss,¡± she replied, tossing a small silver on the bar. He picked up the coin and nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me the weak human shit either!¡± she added as he walked to the barrels that lined the wall behind the bar. He chuckled and shook his head.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it, lass,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Never seen anyone like you before,¡± the dwarf next to her said.

    His head was shaved smooth and so was his face. She¡¯d never seen a bald dwarf before, and so she looked at him for a moment.

    ¡°Never seen a bald dwarf before, so I guess we¡¯re even,¡± Anna replied. He laughed.

    ¡°Aye, you got me there, lass,¡± he said. She held out her hand.

    ¡°Anna,¡± she said. He took it.

    ¡°Gidder,¡± he replied as he shook.

    ¡°So, what brings you to this little hole in the wall?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I was tired of drinking the horse piss at the guild hall,¡± she replied. He laughed.

    ¡°Well, old Fotmil has the best stuff in this city, so you came to the right place,¡± he said.

    I doubt it¡¯s better than what the necromancers have, but I won¡¯t tell them that.

    The barman returned with her ale and put it on the bar in front of her. She thanked him and picked up her mug. It was a foamy drink with a light-colored head on it. It smelled of barley and spices. She took a sip.

    Wow, this is really good stuff. I should bring the others here. They¡¯d love this! Wait, I didn¡¯t see anyone but dwarves in here. Does that mean this is one of those places the others told me about that is only for one race? They told me to stay away from places that didn¡¯t allow everyone.

    The dwarves didn¡¯t seem bothered by her being there and were back to smoking and drinking. She noticed a few had plates of food in front of them. It wasn¡¯t anything special, mostly just bread and cheese, but she did see a few bowls filled with mushrooms.

    Oh, I hope those are like the ones they served at the tavern in Oldforge!

    ¡°Excuse me? Could I get a bowl of mushrooms?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye, how spicy do you want ¡®em?¡± Fotmil replied.

    ¡°Hot enough to burn the asshole off a dragon,¡± Anna said. Fotmil chuckled.

    ¡°Lass, you don¡¯t want that stuff,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m tougher than I look,¡± Anna said. He thought about it for a moment then shrugged.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me if you¡¯re shitting all day for a week,¡± he replied. She laughed.

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen. Trust me,¡± she said.

    He walked away and leaned into the back room, shouting at someone in the kitchen. She heard a woman shout back, and then he shook his head and walked back to the bar. A few minutes later, a thick dwarven woman walked out with a large bowl of steaming mushrooms.

    ¡°Who wanted to die?¡± she asked. Fotmil nodded in Anna¡¯s direction.

    ¡°HER?!¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Fotmil replied.

    ¡°Lad, I¡¯m not giving that scrawny thing these. She¡¯d keel over from the smell alone,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not scrawny!¡± Anna replied.

    She took off her mittens and then undid her cloak, taking it off and setting it on the stool next to her. Her winter dress was form fitted just like her adventuring dresses were and showed her generous curves well. She heard a few whistles from dwarves around the room. Even though she was too thin to be dwarven, she was still more than ample in a few places and suited dwarven tastes just fine.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The thick woman set the bowl on the bar and put her hand nearly around Anna¡¯s waist.

    ¡°Lass, there¡¯s nothing to you!¡± she said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, Vameani!¡± Gidder said.

    ¡°Shut up, lad. No one asked you!¡± Vameani replied.

    Anna reached over and took a mushroom while the woman was distracted with poor Gidder. She popped the still steaming thing in her mouth and chewed. The mushroom was juicy and tender with a rich flavor. She could taste the bitter metallic taste that her friends had said was spicy. To her, it complemented the mushroom¡¯s strong savory flavor well. She took another one and ate it. Vameani had noticed and watched with a sort of shocked look on her face as Anna munched away on the supposedly deadly things.

    ¡°Well, dip me in shit!¡± Vameani said as Anna popped a third one into her mouth.

    ¡°That sounds messy,¡± Anna replied. Vameani laughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re a strange one, lass,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know. Name¡¯s Anna,¡± Anna said, holding her hand out.

    Vameani shook it. She let go and sat at the bar next to where Anna was seated. Anna sat back down and ate another mushroom. Vameani ate one as well, and her face turned red. She chewed it quickly and swallowed it down, coughing a few times when she finished.

    ¡°Gaa, I thought I might have made them weak or something, but they¡¯re as bad as always,¡± she said.

    Anna pushed her ale over to the woman who drank it down in one gulp. Fotmil brought them fresh mugs. Anna found a big mushroom and ate it in a few bites, the juices dripping down her chin. Vameani looked at her like she was some kind of monster.

    ¡°What are you made from, lass?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Dreams,¡± Anna replied seriously. Vameani took a drink of her ale.

    ¡°Aye, that would explain a lot,¡± she said.

    Gidder took a mushroom and ate it while she was drinking. His entire head turned red, and he started to cough, downing his whole mug of ale in one huge gulp.

    ¡°I ought to keep a bowl of those on the bar more often,¡± Fotmil said.

    ¡°You¡¯d have to add another shitter,¡± Gidder replied.

    ¡°Good thing I know a dwarf who¡¯d do it for cheap,¡± Fotmil said, putting another mug in front of Gidder.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Gidder replied, picking up the mug.

    Anna kept eating the mushrooms and drinking her ale. Vameani went into the back and brought her another bowl of mushrooms when she finished her first. This one was much larger and didn¡¯t have anywhere near as much of the spicy seasoning in it. To her, it was just as good because Vameani had added other spices. Fotmil, Gidder and Vameani ate this bowl with her.

    The door opened, and a dwarf so wide he had to turn to the side walked in.

    He walked over to the bar and slid onto the stool next to Vameani. Fotmil went to fill a mug for him without saying a word. The new dwarf took a mushroom and popped it in his mouth.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the scrawny lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scrawny. I¡¯m slender you hamhock, and my name is Anna,¡± Anna replied.

    The huge dwarf just grunted and took a drink from the mug Fotmil had placed in front of him. It looked like a tea cup in his massive hands.

    RUDE!

    She shook her head and ate another mushroom. Vameani got up and picked up Anna¡¯s cloak, mittens, and hat. She walked over to the door, hung up the cloak, and placed her hat and mittens onto a shelf. She then walked into the kitchen, most likely to check on whatever they were serving for dinner.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Brolmumir,¡± the huge dwarf said after swallowing the mushroom he¡¯d taken.

    Anna just grunted and took a drink herself, figuring that was a valid way to communicate with the massive dwarf. She picked up another mushroom and took a bite out of it. The mushrooms were all different kinds, and she really liked the big ones like this. Its cap was as wide as her palm, and the stem protruded slightly out of the bottom. This kind had gills like other mushrooms, but they tasted good when they were boiled, so the dwarves tended to leave them in.

    She¡¯d eaten plenty of mushrooms at the dwarven tavern in Oldforge, but never any that had been seasoned quite like this. She munched away, enjoying the mild bowl as much as the spicy ones.

    ¡°Have Vameani bring out a big plate of eastern fried ones,¡± Brolmumir said as he stuffed a mushroom in his mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked, her voice partially muffled from the food in her mouth.

    ¡°Dip ¡®em in batter, and fry them in oil,¡± Brolmumir replied.

    ¡°I had pig balls like that yesterday,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You ate pig balls?¡± Brolmumir asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Wha¡¯d they taste like?¡± Gidder asked.

    ¡°Tender pork,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get them?¡± Fotmil asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a food market that has all kinds of weird food. I got them there,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Where¡¯s it at?¡± Brolmumir asked. Anna gave them directions to the food market. She could see other dwarves listening in.

    ¡°Uh, if you go there, be careful. The lizard people are kind of mean,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Fuck ¡®em,¡± Brolmumir replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± Anna said. The dwarves burst into laughter.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Brolmumir replied.

    Vameani brought out a tray of the fried mushrooms and placed them on the bar in between Anna and Brolmumir. Anna picked one of the still sizzling mushrooms up and stuffed it in her mouth.

    She bit down, causing hot oil and steam to gush out of the mushroom. She chewed for a moment savoring the flavor. The breading reminded her of the pig balls and the mushroom was one of the round ones that reminded her of buttons. Brolmumir reached out and picked one up, dropping it the moment he touched it.

    ¡°Fucking abyss that¡¯s hot!¡± he said.

    ¡°No shit. It just came out of the oil,¡± Vameani replied. Brolmumir glared at Vameani for a moment.

    Anna ate another one of the steaming mushrooms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t finish them all before the rest of us get a chance to eat them!¡± Brolmumir said.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna replied, a bit of steam coming out of her mouth as she talked. Vameani shook her head and chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re a tough one, that¡¯s for sure,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    They chatted while the food cooled. She mostly listened to them talk about their jobs or the weather or other things that normal people liked to talk about. She liked to listen to people, so she did just that, answering the few questions they asked, but for the most part keeping quiet.

    They started to eat the mushrooms a few minutes later and continued to chat. Obroc showed up a few hours and a few plates of different eastern fried foods later. He walked over and sat at the bar.

    ¡°Good to see you made it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks for telling me about this place. You were right. The drinks are good,¡± she replied. Obroc got a drink and started to eat from the plate of fried food with the rest of them.

    ¡°So, what clan are you all with?¡± Anna asked. The dwarves looked at each other.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t in a clan, lass,¡± Fotmil replied.

    ¡°Really, I thought all dwarves were in a clan,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°All of us were born and raised in this city, and so were our parents and their parents,¡± Brolmumir replied.

    Anna just nodded. She¡¯d never heard of any dwarves that weren¡¯t from a mountain clan, but it made sense.

    I bet all the big cities have little places like this. I wonder if Oldforge has dwarves that were born and raised there?

    She decided to look for them when she got back.

    ¡°So, what do you do anyway, lass?¡± Obroc asked.

    ¡°Hunt monsters. It¡¯s getting kind of boring though. We¡¯re thinking about treasure hunting,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You hunt monsters?¡± Brolmumir asked.

    ¡°Aye, I¡¯m an adventurer,¡± Anna replied.

    He looked suspicious, so she fished out a few of the giant spider fangs she kept in her back pouch. She dropped them on the bar next to the big dwarf whose eyes went wide at the sight. He picked one up, looked at it, then back at her, and then back at the fang.

    ¡°By the stone one¡¯s balls, how¡¯d your scrawny ass kill something with teeth like this?!¡± he asked.

    ¡°First off, my ass is amazing. Second, I¡¯m stronger than I look,¡± Anna replied. She grinned at him, and he shook his head.

    ¡°Fuck it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Come on, lad. Ya had to know there was more to her than a pretty face,¡± Fotmil said.

    ¡°Aye, she¡¯s got a great pair of tits, too,¡± Brolmumir replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said. The dwarves started to laugh.

    ¡°So, why treasure hunting?¡± Fotmil asked.

    ¡°I like to travel and explore places, so why not?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Fotmil replied.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t expect to get rich from it,¡± Obroc said.

    ¡°Aye, the only way to make good coin is to work,¡± Brolmumir replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that,¡± Gidder said.

    ¡°Lad, you¡¯ll drink to anything,¡± Fotmil replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Gidder said, causing the dwarves to laugh again.

    I wonder what they would say if they knew I have two huge chests full of gold and jewels back in Oldforge and another chest full here from my share of the monster parts and those eggs.

    She laughed with the dwarves, keeping her secret.

    ¡°What¡¯s the biggest monster you ever killed?¡± a dwarf sitting at a nearby table asked.

    ¡°Sea monster. Fucker had to be forty feet long, had teeth this big!¡± Anna replied. She held her hand, showing the size of the teeth, and a few of the dwarves scoffed.

    ¡°How¡¯d you kill the critter?¡± another asked.

    ¡°Stabbed it in the throat with a spear,¡± she said.

    ¡°How big was the spear?¡± a dwarf asked.

    ¡°Huge! I like them big. What can I say?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I bet you fucking do!¡± a dwarf said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never know,¡± Anna replied.

    The dwarf chuckled and started to get ribbed by his companions. She started to tell the dwarves about some of the adventures she¡¯d been on. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, though most thought she was lying.

    ¡°Hey, Lass, if you¡¯re looking for treasure, I have a map you might be interested in,¡± a dwarf said. He got up and walked over.

    ¡°Oh, for fucks sake, lad. Stop with the map thing!¡± Brolmumir said.

    ¡°Quiet you over sized gnome!¡± the dwarf said.

    ¡°Call me a gnome again, and I¡¯ll wring your neck!¡± Brolmumir replied, sliding off the bar stool.

    ¡°Easy, lad. Vameani will fucking kill you if you make a mess for her again,¡± Fotmil said.

    Brolmumir flinched and got back on his stool, grumbling about Vameani, but not saying it loud enough for anyone to really hear.

    The other dwarf pulled a ragged looking roll of paper from his belt and handed it to Anna. She looked over the well-worn map. It was of poor quality to begin with, so some of it had faded completely. She was able to see most of it because of her strange eyes though and memorized it instantly.

    This is the undercity Elaine mentioned. According to this, there is a secret passage near the eye of the deep worm that leads to a chamber of untold wealth.

    Anna handed the map back to the dwarf.

    ¡°Like I said, I have a map, and I¡¯d be willing to part with it for a one gold piece,¡± he said.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Anna replied. He looked like she¡¯d slapped him, and the other dwarves started to laugh hysterically.

    I might have paid a silver for it, but a gold is just rude!

    ¡°But it¡¯s a real treasure map!¡± he said.

    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you gone to get the treasure?¡± Anna asked. Now the dwarf looked nervous.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m no treasure hunter, and there might be a guardian. I couldn¡¯t handle that!¡± he replied. Anna just nodded.

    ¡°Aye,¡± she said. She turned back around to the bar and started to eat the fried food, ignoring the dwarf who was still trying to make excuses. He gave up after a while.

    ¡°That lad has been trying to sell that map for months now,¡± Fotmil said.

    ¡°He needs to come down on the price some or go find some young elves,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Fotmil said as he nodded.

    I¡¯m so going to go look for that treasure! If I find it, I¡¯ll give that dwarf a gold coin to be fair though.

    She finished the fried food and drank a few more ales before heading out for the night. The walk back to the adventurer¡¯s guild was quiet. It was freezing cold outside and only dwarves and furry beast people were out in any great numbers.

    She sat with her friends, bubbling with excitement about the treasure map she¡¯d memorized.

    ¡°You look happy,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I found a treasure map!¡± Anna blurted out.

    ¡°You know most of those are fake, right?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°No, but I didn¡¯t buy it or anything. I just memorized it, so it¡¯s no problem,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°And where is this treasure supposed to be, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°The undercity,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I take it you¡¯re going to go and look for it?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to need some supplies for a subterranean excursion,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna smiled. She didn¡¯t even have to ask them to go with her.

    ¡°We can swing by the bazaar first thing in the morning. The undercity has places to stay and restaurants as well, so we don¡¯t need to carry that much,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°You mean it¡¯s not a sewer?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°There is a sewer system, but it¡¯s not connected to the actual undercity,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Who lives down there?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Mostly beastfolk,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Let me get a piece of paper, and I¡¯ll draw the map for you,¡± Anna said.

    She went to her room and drew the map, filling out the faded parts so the others could read it. She went back to the table and set it down. Everyone leaned over and looked at the map.

    ¡°Looks like we need to get into the caverns below the undercity. This might take longer than I thought,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Well this means we try our hands at treasure hunting sooner than I thought,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that one bit, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    The rest of the party nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 54

    ¡°We have a few maps to the Undercity here, but there are better ones in the guild hall that¡¯s located down there,¡± the attendant said.

    The party had gone through their supplies the night before and realized they had enough for the expedition to the caverns without having to buy anymore. They did lack a proper map of the Undercity and had gone to the guild to ask if they had any for sale. Anna also had her rabbit and the plant.

    I hope the attendants will take care of them for me.

    ¡°Wait, this city has two guild halls?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes. We have so many subterranean members here we needed one,¡± the attendant replied.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know we had members that stayed below ground,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Oh, yes, there are ones that take the underground contracts and gather the rare materials from the caverns below the city,¡± the attended replied.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you working with them?¡± Lyreen asked Thokri.

    ¡°If I wanted to live and work underground, I¡¯d go home, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Could you tell us how to get there?¡± Voekeer asked.

    The attendant gave them directions. There were entrances to the Undercity all over the city, but the Undercity Adventurer¡¯s Guild was located near the Overcity¡¯s Guild, so they only had to walk a few blocks.

    She handed over her rabbit and her flower to the attendants. They seemed happy about the rabbit but not so happy about the flower.

    I hope they water it.

    With that taken care of, they left the guild hall and headed for the entrance to the Undercity.

    It was a cold day, and everyone was bundled up. An icy wind blew, causing the others to clutch their cloaks tighter around themselves. Thokri didn¡¯t seem to mind, though he did swear a few times when an exceptionally cold burst would hit them.

    They reached a small stone building that housed the stairs leading down. The party quickly went inside and started to walk down the stairs. Color started to fade as she walked down the stairs, but there were small mana lamps lining the walls, so it never went away completely.

    The stairs were long, and by the time they made it to the bottom, the air had warmed considerably. They found themselves in a short tunnel which led to an open space that was about as tall as the guild hall. She couldn¡¯t tell how far the space stretched because of the buildings which looked an awful lot like the ones on the surface.

    The streets were filled with people, mostly beast people of varieties she¡¯d never seen before with the occasional dwarf thrown in. Being warmer, most of them were wearing clothing you¡¯d expect to see in the spring or fall.

    The others let their cloaks fall open after walking for a few minutes.

    They must be getting hot.

    She copied them, unwilling to stand out more than usual. The part of the Undercity they found themselves in must have been some kind of market because there were stalls lining the road as well as the occasional person with goods laid out on a blanket. Behind one of the stalls, a bug like beast man was chopping up mushrooms, lichens and something with a gelatinous consistency.

    That looks different. I wonder what it tastes like.

    She drifted over to the stall and held up one finger. The bug nodded and pushed some of the chopped-up stuff into a large bowl, mixed it around, and poured a dark pungent liquid out of a clay jar over it. The bug tossed it a few times and then put it on a plate and handed it to her. She tossed a copper in a large jar sitting on the stall. The bug man also put a long thin stick that was sharpened at one end on the plate.

    Her friends followed her over. They looked at her plate with expressions that ranged from curiosity to revulsion.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to eat that?¡± Lyreen asked. She¡¯d been the one with the sour look on her face.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    She used the stick to pick a few of the chunks of food up and then stuffed it into her mouth. She¡¯d never tasted anything like it before. The sauce was both sweet and savory at the same time and was filled with spices she¡¯d never tasted.

    Oh, wow! Is it fermented like ale?

    The mushrooms seemed to be there for texture, and the flavor of the sauce overpowered them. The lichens were bitter but not in a bad way. It seemed to help with the sweetness of the dish. She speared one of the gelatinous chunks and ate it.

    Uh, what?

    It was sour and salty and, well, squishy. She really wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about it, so she decided to eat it with the rest of the ingredients. She took a big bite and chewed a few times.

    Hmmm.

    She couldn¡¯t say she liked it or disliked it. This was too different from normal food for her to know.

    ¡°Wanna try some?¡± she asked.

    Her friends all shook their heads no. She shrugged and started to wolf down the food. Once she finished, she set the plate on the stall and thanked the bug man. He clicked at her, and they started to walk off.

    ¡°Do you even know what that was?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No, do you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Gross, that¡¯s what,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad, and I know what you put in your mouth, so you don¡¯t have any room to talk,¡± Anna said.

    Thokri chuckled, and Lyreen looked confused for a moment before she realized what Anna was talking about. Then she just huffed and walked a little faster.

    ¡°They don¡¯t taste bad, as long as he washes first that is,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna just shrugged not really caring. She still didn¡¯t have any interest in sex besides using it as a topic to tease people about.

    They reached the Undercity Adventurer¡¯s Guild a few blocks later. It wasn¡¯t as impressive as the surface guild hall. This one was only a single story and had a sign hanging over the door making it look like a tavern.

    The inside was very tavern like as well. She looked around, seeing the strange people sitting at tables around the main room. There was a person with huge eyes and slick slimy skin like a frog. They walked over to the counter, and Voekeer showed his guild badge.

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± the slimy person asked.

    ¡°We acquired a treasure map, and it leads to the caverns below the city. We were told that you had better maps than the guild hall on the surface,¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°A little treasure hunting in the off season, eh? Can¡¯t say I blame you. Must get boring on the surface being so cold and all,¡± the slimy person said.

    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Lyreen replied. The slimy person licked its eye.

    What the fuck! How did he do that? I want to do that!

    Anna attempted to lick her eye, but her short tongue couldn¡¯t reach past her upper lip. Elaine nudged her, and when Anna turned to look, the woman was shaking her head no.

    ¡°We got maps, but I¡¯ll have to charge you a silver for a copy. Before you ask, yes, I know that the Overcity guild hall gives them away, but we can¡¯t down here,¡± the slimy person said. Voekeer gave him a silver.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the slimy person said. It got a map from the shelf behind it and handed the map to Voekeer.

    ¡°Be careful out there, alright?¡± the slimy person added.

    ¡°We will,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They walked away from the counter and found a table to sit at while they compared the map from the guild to her treasure map. After looking over the two maps for a few minutes and drinking at least one mug of ale each, they decided that the treasure map was indeed a map of the actual caverns below the Undercity, and that it had a very good chance of being real. Voekeer rolled the maps up and stuffed them in his pack.

    ¡°Want to stay and eat or get going?¡± he asked.

    Lyreen looked over at a table that had giant snails sitting at it. They were eating plates of rotten mushrooms.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± she said.

    Anna looked at the snails. They reminded her of ones that she would spot in gardens here and there, only huge and carrying people because they were wearing harnesses that had pouches, packs, and other things attached to them.

    They picked up the slimy mushroom chucks with long tendrils that sprouted from their bodies. They were making strange noises at each other which she assumed to be their language. Her friends were still talking about whether or not they¡¯d be eating, but she didn¡¯t bother saying anything having eaten already. Not wanting to annoy the snail people, she looked around the room again.

    Most of the adventurers were beast people that looked like some kind of animal mixed with human to varying degrees. There were, however, a few tables full of people that were even more strange than the snails. A group of small furry people stood on a table. They were round with short arms and legs, beady eyes, and a mouth that seemed to take up most of their body. They screeched and squealed at each other and shoved huge plates of a black dirt like substance into their gaping maws.

    There was a table of giant centipedes eating raw meat. They would pause on occasion and look around as if they were expecting to be attacked at any moment. She¡¯d seen giant centipedes before, but these were obviously different. They were wearing packs strapped to their bodies. Unlike the large packs that people shaped like her wore, these were smaller, and there were many of them, each attached to a different segment on the centipede person¡¯s body.

    They clicked at each other while they ate. One noticed her, and they all turned their heads to stare. She waved at them, and they clicked loudly before returning to their meal.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stare!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve just never seen people like them before,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Neither have I, but you can¡¯t stare at them,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna replied.

    She looked into her mug. It was empty, but there were still a few bubbles at the very bottom. She watched as the bubbles slowly popped.

    The others decided to eat because they would be living off rations for a few days and wanted one good meal before they started their search. The barmaid that had brought them their ales came back with fresh ones and bowls of thin soup. It wasn¡¯t like any she¡¯d had before with mushrooms at the base from the stock and strange gooey meat instead of beef or pork that was the usual when they were away from rivers.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    She missed the food they ate by the rivers. She noticed that there was more variety in tastes and textures than inland locations. She ate the soup, not feeling any particular way about it, and when she finished, she found that her friends seemed to feel about the same way by the looks on their faces.

    Lyreen looks like she¡¯s going to throw up!

    Anna smiled at the elf when she looked up. Lyreen pushed her bowl to Anna whom she must have thought wanted more. Anna took the bowl and started to eat.

    Thokri always says not to waste food.

    She finished Lyreen¡¯s, and soon after, the others were done as well. They left the Undercity Adventurer¡¯s Guild and headed for one of the cavern entrances.

    ¡°We need to go to the northwest entrance,¡± Anna said as they walked.

    ¡°How far is that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°A few hours walk,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I forget how big this city is sometimes,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah, the transport gates make it feel smaller than Oldforge,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°We could all stand for some walking after spending so much time indoors,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not you, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Normal people get fat if they don¡¯t move around all the time,¡± Anna said. She eyed Lyreen for a moment. ¡°You know, she is looking a little chubby,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Lyreen shouted. Elaine and Barika eyed the elf.

    ¡°You know, her pants are a little tight,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right, though, if you ask me, it¡¯s an improvement,¡± Barika added. Rose snapped her fingers, and then when everyone looked at her, she gave Lyreen a thumbs up.

    Lyreen just kind of stared at the other women for a moment. She stopped when Thokri burst into laughter and slapped his thigh. Lyreen made a rude gesture at the dwarf and then turned her head and looked in front of her, ignoring the laughter coming from the rest of the party, sans Voekeer of course who happened to be looking at Lyreen¡¯s tighter pants as she walked ahead of him.

    I don¡¯t get it. He sees her naked every night. Why is he staring like that?

    She wondered for a moment longer and then decided she just didn¡¯t get it and started to think about what the treasure could be.

    I hope it¡¯s something like a magic sword like in a storybook or something! Oh, wait, it could be a super elixir that makes one person live a long time! I HOPE IT¡¯S A MAGIC CRYSTAL BALL LIKE LYREEN TOLD ME ABOUT!

    She got more and more excited as they walked, thinking of all the wonderous things it could be, and before she knew it, they had made it to the cavern entrance.

    The cavern entrance looked more like a city gate than she expected. The stone around the entrance had been smoothed out, and an arch had been built using stone that didn¡¯t quite match the rock that made up the natural caverns beyond. The guards nodded at them as they passed, and they walked down a long passage that looked more like the tunnel at the entrance to the Undercity than the natural caverns she¡¯d spent the last winter in.

    After walking nearly a mile, the tunnel opened up into a cavern. There were more than a dozen passages in the open space. Other travelers were there either passing through, standing around checking maps, or simply resting. A few of the other groups had dim lanterns lit. She¡¯d been told that out of courtesy for other intelligent races, any time an underground traveler encountered another group, they were supposed to dim any lights they may have because most of the subterranean species were sensitive to light.

    Her party hadn¡¯t bothered with any additional light as of yet because there were mana lamps in the tunnel from the city. The cavern was dimly lit with the glowing moss so they didn¡¯t need it here either. She assumed her human and elven friends would make the light they needed on their own, so she didn¡¯t bother asking them about it.

    She headed for the tunnel that had been marked on the treasure map, and the others followed her. Lyreen cast her light spell after a few, making sure they were away from other travelers. She could adjust the brightness, but only so much, and even at its dimmest, it was still brighter than a lantern.

    The reason they used a spell instead of the lanterns was that magic was free and lamp oil cost coin and hand to be carried with them. They went deeper into the cavern system heading down tunnel after winding tunnel until they found a large open cavern.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here to rest,¡± Voekeer announced as soon as he stepped into the open space.

    ¡°Just make sure you get rest lad,¡± Thokri said, patting the elf on the arm.

    Voekeer cracked a grin and then walked off with Lyreen hurrying behind him.

    They found a nice flat spot and started to set up their tent. Anna didn¡¯t bother taking her tent out. She just set her pack down and leaned against it.

    ¡°Feeling lazy?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to rain down here,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°True,¡± Elaine said.

    She started to set her tent up next to where Anna was lounging. Elaine had gotten better at setting her tent up in the last year, but she usually needed help. Anna didn¡¯t get up but summoned a few tentacles to aid her friend. Elaine glanced at them for a moment but didn¡¯t say anything as they started to pick poles up and push them into the tent.

    Anna heard some snapping and looked over to see Rose waving at her and pointing at her own tent. More tentacles sprouted from nothingness and started to help her with her tent as well.

    She didn¡¯t have to control them. They just did what needed to be done. It was hard to describe them to her friends. They were part of her, but they weren¡¯t part of her. If she focused, she could feel them and control them, but it was like feeling something with her mind...sort of like the pictures the eyes saw were in her mind...like thinking of something instead of actually seeing it, only it was real.

    I don¡¯t think the dreamer thought about my other parts when he made me.

    She had tried to talk about it with her friends, but none of them really understood what she meant by it.

    I wish I could talk to the dreamer.

    She thought that he would always be with her, but after he brushed her mind in the caverns, she hadn¡¯t felt him again, and when she tried to reach out in her dreams, nothing was there. Thinking about it made her feel utterly alone even though she was surrounded by her friends.

    No one will ever understand me.

    She looked at the ceiling of the cavern, studying the rockface and wondering what the point of all of this was until she smelled food. She turned her head to find the others sitting around a glowing lantern happily munching on some of the rations they¡¯d brought with them. She pulled out a piece of candy and popped it in her mouth, not really feeling like jerky at the moment.

    She got up and sat with the others. They were in good spirits and joking with each other. She smiled and joked back out of habit. One by one, the others went to their tents to sleep before she was left alone again.

    She laid on her pack, summoning an eye to float around and watch the surroundings. Hours later, Thokri got out of his tent and started to pack it up. She got up and put her pack on. The loneliness had left her as fast as it had come on, and she felt better.

    Once the others had packed their things, the party headed farther into the cavern, eating their breakfast as they walked. They spent several days walking down tunnel after tunnel. The caverns getting more and more wild as they went.

    Something slammed her against the wall, and she felt sharp fangs tear through the shoulder of her dress. With reflexes quicker than lightning, she grabbed the thing that had shot out of a hidden passage in the cave wall and tore off two feet of it. She was doused in foul smelling ichor, and the thing¡¯s body flopped around like an eel caught on a fisherman¡¯s line. She looked at the chuck she had pulled off. It was nothing more than a large mouth with long leg like appendages surrounding it.

    ¡°What the fuck is that?!¡± Voekeer asked, his voice sounded panicked.

    ¡°Dead,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I can fucking see that. I mean, what is it?!¡± Voekeer said.

    Why is he mad? I¡¯m the one that got bit, dammit. It ripped my dress!

    She looked down at the huge tear, and then down at the ichor that now covered her. Thokri walked over and looked at the part she held and then back at the twitching body. He rubbed his beard and then spit.

    ¡°No idea,¡± he said.

    ¡°But you¡¯re supposed to know everything!¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Lad, I¡¯m not from this far south. Don¡¯t know all the nasty critters that live here,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I can spot them now that I know what to look for, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Anna replied, tossing the mouth part to the side.

    She kept walking trying to wipe the thick fluid from her dress only succeeding in smearing it around. An eye floated ahead of her, looking for the mouth part of more of the creatures. She slammed a tentacle into the wall of the cavern a few yards farther down the path. It went right through the mouth parts of the monster and deep inside before growing spikes and twisting. This all happened in less than a second. The tentacle disappeared and gore poured out of the cave wall, pooling on the floor.

    Her friends all gawked at the shredded beast as they walked past.

    ¡°I¡¯m never going to get used to those things!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°You can walk in the front if you don¡¯t like my tentacles,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, no, I didn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t like them at all. I¡¯m just surprised by how amazing they are, that¡¯s all!¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna turned to look at her friends. Voekeer and Lyreen were both smiling and nodded, and it looked like the others were doing everything they could not to laugh at them.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anna said. She turned and started to walk down the tunnel again. ¡°Even if you are full of shit,¡± she added.

    This time the others burst into laughter. She walked out of the tunnel into an open space. The cavern was huge, but it lacked the moss that lit most of the caves they¡¯d been in so far. She looked around the cavern and noticed something sparkling on the other side of the cavern.

    She sent the eye over to investigate, focusing so that it would see magic better than usual. The sparkling area on the cave wall shimmered. She could see streams of mana flowing into intricate patterns.

    Looks like the whole wall in here is just a spell.

    ¡°That wall is a magic spell,¡± Anna said, pointing at the wall. The others looked towards where she was pointing, squinting to see.

    Wait, only Thokri can see that far in the dark down here, and he wouldn¡¯t know magic if it fell on him.

    They walked over to the wall, and Lyreen cast a spell that caused the wall to shimmer, but it went solid again after a moment.

    ¡°I can¡¯t dispel it. Try your tentacle,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna summoned a tentacle and poked the wall. There was some resistance at first, but then it popped like a bubble, sending sparks of mana flying in all directions. A blast of fetid air blew out of the sealed room.

    She walked into the opening and down a short tunnel, reaching a small room that was clearly made by people. In the center of the room, there was a pedestal, and on that pedestal sat a mace. Anna walked over to the pedestal and looked at the mace. It was swirling with divine power.

    She reached out for the mace but paused.

    I shouldn¡¯t touch it.

    She pulled her hand back from the mace. She heard Barika gasp and turned to look at her friends. All of them were just staring at the mace.

    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the scepter of Octavius the Great!¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Who?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No one for you to be concerned with, little girl,¡± a cold voice said from behind them.

    They all spun to look at the entrance to the tunnel. A man dressed in black with a long cloak stood there. He had his right hand resting on the hilt of a sword. There was something off about him. A strange black aura seemed to surround the man. He took a step towards them, and her friends all scurried back. She looked at them and was confused by the fear she saw on their faces.

    They look like they are about to piss themselves. Who is this prick?

    ¡°Who you calling little girl?¡± Anna asked as she took a step forward. The man smiled a wicked smile at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re either brave or stupid, girl,¡± he replied. Anna took another step towards the man.

    ¡°Call me stupid again and I¡¯ll rip out your guts,¡± she said. He started to walk towards her.

    ¡°It¡¯s clear you have no idea who you are talking to, so I¡¯ll tell you, using short words of course. I happen to be the fifth general of the¡­¡± he replied.

    She back handed him, sending him flying into the wall. He bounced off and fell to the floor. He got up slowly and gingerly touched his now bleeding lip. The smile was gone from his face, replaced by a look of rage.

    ¡°The fifth general of the lord of darkness, and now your enemy. May your false gods have mercy on your soul,¡± he added. Anna laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one that¡¯s bleeding, mister fifth general,¡± she replied.

    He drew his sword, and a wave of malevolent power radiated off the black blade. He sneered at her, and she laughed again.

    ¡°Is that all you have, big boy? I was expecting more,¡± Anna said.

    She took the ironwood club from her belt and smacked her palm with it. The rage drained from his face as he watched her. Then he smiled his wicked smile again.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just an adventurer,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No mere adventurer could have made me bleed,¡± he said.

    ¡°Is that some big deal? Because I didn¡¯t even hit you that hard,¡± Anna replied.

    She had hit him hard enough to kill any normal person, but nowhere near as hard as she could hit someone.

    He sheathed his sword and sighed.

    ¡°Looks like my plan attracted the wrong person,¡± he said.

    ¡°What plan?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Where do you think that dwarf got the map?¡± he replied. Anna shrugged.

    ¡°Never thought about it,¡± she said. He shook his head.

    ¡°Only a fool would rush into unknown places in times like these,¡± he replied.

    A tentacle wrapped around him and squeezed tightly.

    ¡°What did I fucking say about calling me stupid!¡± Anna said.

    He squirmed, trying to get free, but the tentacle¡¯s grip didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°FUCKING COCKSUCKING GOATLOVER!¡± Thokri shouted. He stormed over, a look of pure hate on his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re not scared anymore?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It was a fucking spell, lass!¡± Thokri spat.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know,¡± Anna replied. Thokri just spat and muttered something horrible about the man¡¯s mother in dwarven.

    ¡°What the fuck are we supposed to do now?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Want me to squish him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t,¡± the man said in a strained voice.

    ¡°No one asked you!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I was just letting you know I¡¯d rather not be squished, that¡¯s all,¡± he said.

    ¡°And I¡¯d rather not be called stupid, but you just couldn¡¯t keep your mouth shut, now could you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Look, I may have lost my temper and said things I didn¡¯t mean, but there¡¯s no reason to be rash,¡± he replied.

    The end of the tentacle turned into a large veiny phallus. She waved the throbbing member in front of his face.

    ¡°One more word, and I¡¯m shoving it down your throat,¡± Anna said. He eyed the phallus with concern written on his face.

    ¡°We are going to turn him over to the paladins,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What about the mace?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We have to turn that over as well, child. It¡¯s a relic of one of the greatest champions of the light,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°So, we didn¡¯t find any treasure?¡± Anna asked sadly.

    ¡°Are you kidding? You know how much of a reward we are going to get for turning over one of the dark one¡¯s ten great generals and a holy relic?!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, we did find treasure?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Looks like,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Anna grinned and walked over to the general. She causally picked him up and put him over her shoulder, tentacle still wrapped around him.

    ¡°Wait, they aren¡¯t attached to the ground?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No, why would they be?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°But, how, that just doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Lyreen replied. Voekeer put his hand on Lyreen¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°What about her makes sense?¡± he said. Lyreen sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know why I even asked,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not be anywhere near the tunnel full of monster corpses when we camp tonight, so let¡¯s get going,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I¡¯m with you there, lass,¡± Thokri added.

    Barika took the scepter from the pedestal, and they left the small room heading back to the city with strange but valuable treasure in hand.

    I think I like treasure hunting!

 Chapter 55

    They made it out of the tunnel that was filled with the strange monsters, the ones that had tried to eat her not long ago, and kept going until they found a cavern that was large enough to set up everyone¡¯s tents, except hers of course. She still didn¡¯t feel like setting it up.

    She set the general down, and the tentacle propped him up. She took off her pack and then started to undo her belt.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the general asked.

    ¡°Taking off my clothes to get cleaned up,¡± Anna replied. Off came her belt which she set aside.

    ¡°I could use some help over here,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Anna replied.

    Tentacles appeared next to Elaine and started to help her with her tent again. Sometimes Elaine was able to set her tent up on her own, but she seemed to have trouble every night down here. Anna summoned a few to help Rose as well. The general looked at the appendages as they worked.

    ¡°How many can you create?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not making them. They come from my dream world, and there are enough of them there to fill an open field from horizon to horizon,¡± Anna replied.

    She pulled off her dress and flipped it inside out. He looked over her body as she got her water skin from the side of her pack and started to wash the ichor off. The ichor was sticky and gross, but she managed to get it all off. She tossed the ruined dress away thankful she¡¯d put on one of her many adventuring dresses the day before.

    She plopped down next to her pack and picked up her belt by one of the clean parts. A tentacle appeared and popped open the pouch that held her rings. It fished out the cleaning one and handed it to her. She put it on and then started to clean her belt off, humming a tavern song she¡¯d heard at one of the inns they stayed at during the summer.

    ¡°If you let me go, I¡¯ll forget all about this,¡± the general said.

    ¡°And lose the reward? Not going to happen,¡± Anna replied.

    She finished cleaning her belt and put her ring back in her belt pouch. She took a clean dress from her pack and put it on, then put her belt back on, adjusting everything so that it was on right. She sat back down and leaned against her pack, summoning an eye to keep watch. The general looked at the eye for a moment and then back at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re not human, are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What gave it away?¡± Anna replied. He laughed bitterly.

    ¡°Leave it to me to find the only outsider in the city and pick a fight with her,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been called that before. What does it mean?¡± Anna asked. He looked at her a moment, searching her face before sighing.

    ¡°Something from another realm. In your case, I¡¯d say a realm that¡¯s nothing like ours,¡± he replied. Anna looked into the man¡¯s dark eyes wondering what else he knew.

    ¡°You¡¯re half right. My father is from another realm. He created me using a part of himself and the memories and dreams of a few dozen girls and young women that were sacrificed by men who wanted power,¡± Anna said. The general glanced at the eye floating nearby.

    ¡°Does your father look like that?¡± he asked nodding at the eye and tentacle.

    ¡°Yes, but bigger. Much bigger. Bigger than everything everywhere with more eyes and tentacles than there are numbers. He goes on forever in all directions and back and forth in time, dreaming, always dreaming,¡± she replied.

    The general looked shocked.

    ¡°Do you know what he is? He calls himself the dreamer, and the only time he ever woke up was when he made me,¡± Anna asked. The general shook his head.

    ¡°No, but the master might know. If you let me go, I¡¯ll take you to him, and you can ask,¡± he said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. My friends want to take you to the paladins, so that¡¯s where you¡¯re going,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We can just wait until they fall asleep and slip away,¡± he said.

    ¡°They are all I have. I¡¯m going to be with each of them for the rest of their lives!¡± she snapped.

    A look of sheer terror crossed his face, and he looked away.

    She went to eat with her friends. They were in a good mood, joking and trying to guess what they would get as a reward for the general¡¯s capture.

    Does the dark one really know about the dreamer? Should I go and see him? My friends don¡¯t want to meet him, but why? What could happen? I can¡¯t be hurt, so he couldn¡¯t do anything to me.

    She chewed her jerky and listened to her friends talk about all the things they wanted to buy, each one getting more and more extravagant.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get a cupcake,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not really a surprise,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had one since we left Oldforge,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I thought you went out to eat all the time,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Well, yeah, but there wasn¡¯t a bakery at the food market, and dwarves don¡¯t really eat treats. At least, not the city dwarves,¡± Anna replied. Thokri just shrugged.

    ¡°Got a few places back in the mountain, but you¡¯re right, we don¡¯t eat them as often as humans and elves,¡± he said.

    ¡°Elves really like sweet things. I heard there are whole streets in the great forest city that are devoted to treats,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°Okay, we have to go there after we visit the dwarves!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Get the cloud cake. They use cream sweetened with elder flower nectar,¡± the general said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been to the elven capital?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I have, and it was beautiful,¡± the general replied.

    ¡°Why would a servant of the dark one go there of all places?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°The master has no quarrel with elves, or dwarves for that matter, only humans and their gods are our enemies,¡± the general replied.

    ¡°What if a human doesn¡¯t worship the gods?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Then she would be fine necromancer,¡± the general replied.

    ¡°What happens to humans that do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We give them a choice to stop, and if they refuse, they die,¡± the general replied.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not human then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, child. He¡¯s a darkling,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°You hit me that hard thinking I was human?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You would have killed me!¡± he said.

    ¡°She¡¯d have taken you¡¯re head right off, lad. Seen her do it a few times,¡± Thokri replied. The general looked away again.

    He¡¯s being so dramatic.

    The party talked for a while longer before the others went to their tents. She walked back over to her pack and sat, leaning back on it.

    The general didn¡¯t say anything else, and just like the days before, she sat there staring at the cave ceiling while the eyes searched for any danger.

    The party made their way back to the Undercity. It took them less time to return than it did to find the treasure room in the first place. She chatted with the general while the others slept during their journey and was starting to feel bad about turning him over.

    I hope Barika is right about this.

    While he was kind of rude sometimes, he didn¡¯t seem like some evil monster, so she hoped the paladins wouldn¡¯t be too mean to him.

    They walked through the gates to the Undercity and headed towards the nearest exit to the surface. She had put on her winter clothing before they made it to the Undercity. After being in her adventuring dress for a few days, she felt kind of silly wearing so much.

    They walked out into the mid-morning sun. The others shielded their eyes for a moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the transport gate as quickly as we can,¡± Voekeer said. People stared as they walked through the streets.

    ¡°Uh, does everyone know what a darkling looks like?¡± Anna asked, leaning over to get closer to Elaine.

    ¡°No, but a man tied up with one of your tentacles is going to attract attention,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Elaine replied.

    Other than gawkers, no one bothered them on their way to the temple of light, which she found out was the name of the god of light¡¯s temple.

    Someone needs to come up with better names for these things.

    Once they neared the temple, things changed. Priests and priestesses seemed to know that something was different about the general. They scurried away as soon as they saw him, darting into temples and shrines. When they neared the temple of light, a large group of paladins came marching down the street to meet them.

    A paladin in gleaming silvery armor that was trimmed in gold walked away from the others.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Who is this prisoner, and what binds him?¡± the paladin asked with a voice that reminded her of the stuckup noblemen she¡¯d met at the ball.

    ¡°Brother, this is the fifth general in the service of the dark one, and he¡¯s bound with a spell from Anna. She¡¯s the one holding him,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°How is it that you captured such a fiend?¡± the paladin asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything, brother, but can we go inside out of this cold first?¡± Barika asked. The paladin nodded.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied.

    They found themselves surrounded by paladins, and they escorted them into the temple of light.

    It reminded her of the temple she¡¯d been taken to in Oldforge when she was questioned about being the chosen one.

    I wonder if they have a bath here?

    ¡°Put him down here and release your spell,¡± the lead paladin said.

    Anna set the general down and then sent the tentacle back to her dream realm.

    ¡°Was he armed?¡± the paladin asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Anna replied.

    She had decided to keep his sword, and her friends agreed, other than Barika, but the priestess relented when Anna started to whine about it. She had swung it around a few times while the others weren¡¯t looking.

    It doesn¡¯t do the waves of black mana when I draw it though.

    Even without the mana, she was still able to cut through stone with it. The general had even encouraged her to test it out.

    I still can¡¯t believe the temple would destroy a sword this amazing. I¡¯m glad he told me to keep it.

    The general knelt down and put his hands out in front of him. One of paladins reached for him, and quicker than anyone could move, the general grabbed the man¡¯s arm, twisted it around his back, and snaked an arm around the man¡¯s neck. The general looked her right in the eye, grinned, and then snapped the man¡¯s neck.

    He held out his hand. His sword tore out from her pack and flew into his hand. The waves of evil magic started to flow from it. He flicked the blade out and took the head off another paladin. The paladins shied away, and he darted towards the door at incredible speed.

    She summoned a tentacle to catch him, but he managed to dodge it, so she dropped her pack and ran after him. He might as well have been standing still compared to her, and she slammed her fist into the side of his head, sending him flying into one of the marble pillars.

    He slammed into it with a horrible crunching sound. She thought she¡¯d killed him, or at least knocked him out, but he jumped up and pointed his sword at her. A black beam shot out, aimed at her chest. She blocked it with her open hand.

    Her mitten disintegrated into a cloud of black dust along with the first six inches of her sleeve. The beam dispersed as soon as it touched her bare skin, turning into wispy puffs of black.

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE A FUCKING IDIOT! YOU KNOW WHAT I AM, AND YOU STILL TRIED TO FIGHT ME!¡± Anna shouted.

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE NOTHING BUT A FILTHY LYING HUMAN! THERE¡¯S NO WAY WHAT YOU TOLD ME WAS TRUE! NOTHING LIKE THE DREAMER COULD BE REAL!¡± he screamed back.

    He lifted his sword with shaking arms and rushed towards her in a desperate attack. She stepped to the side, snatched his wrist and crushed it. She grabbed the sword by the blade with her other hand and pulled it from his faltering grip. He yelped in pain and clutched his shattered wrist. She flipped the sword in her hand and held it by the grip, ready to strike.

    ¡°Go ahead, human. Kill me, but it won¡¯t change anything. My lord will come, and he will kill all of you!¡± the general said.

    Anna looked at the sword for a moment. It had strange inscriptions covering the blade and an odd black crystal in the hilt.

    I tried to push mana into it, but it wouldn¡¯t go.

    She spent another moment looking at the blade before she smiled.

    ¡°That power you use, it isn¡¯t mana, is it?¡± she asked. He just spat.

    ¡°Do it already!¡± he said.

    She pushed pure dreamer power into the sword, it started to crack. Bizarre power that shone with colors that should never have existed in this world started to leak out. The dreamer power flowed up the blade, cracking the metal as it went. The air around the sword started to pulse and crackle. She pointed the sword at the general who had a look of pure terror on his face.

    Dreamer power dripped from the blade, falling to the ground and slashing like a heavy raindrop. It sizzled the moment it touched the pure white marble. Small tentacles sprouted from the viscous substance. They undulated angrily as if upset at their sudden presence in this reality.

    ¡°THE DREAMER IS REAL, AND SO AM I!¡± Anna screamed at the general.

    ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡± he replied with a trembling voice.

    ¡°I¡¯M NOT A MONSTER!¡± she screamed.

    Dreamer power surged through the sword. She raised it, preparing to cut him in half. Whispers started just on the edge of hearing. Flashes of things could be seen at the edge of vision. The general screamed at the sudden madness that surrounded him. He passed out from pain and fear a moment later.

    She looked down at his unconscious form, and the rage she¡¯d felt drained from her, leaving her feeling numb.

    Her friends and the other humans snapped out of the fear spell that the general seemed to naturally cast when he was conscious. They rushed over to her. The lead paladin held out his hands which started to glow with brilliant golden light. The general was covered in a golden light.

    ¡°There, he won¡¯t be able to use his foul powers now,¡± the lead paladin said. He shook his head. ¡°I should have cast that to begin with. I¡¯m a fool!¡± he added.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t tell you about the sword. I just wanted to keep it,¡± Anna said.

    The sword was dull and broken now. Her dreamer power had disappeared into nothingness as soon as she cut off the flow. The tentacles and other bizarre phenomena had vanished as well, leaving only melted pits in the otherwise smooth marble floor.

    ¡°May I?¡± the lead paladin asked.

    Anna handed him what was left of the general¡¯s sword. The lead paladin looked over the blade.

    ¡°There are nicks on the holy sword from when a chosen one of the past crossed swords with this blade. There are marks on the haft of the goddess¡¯s spear, a gouge in the vanguard¡¯s armor, and before today, nothing had so much as marred this black blade, but with a touch of your power, this once invincible sword has been reduced to a useless hunk of metal,¡± he said.

    Gone was the bluster and the look of distain that most men of noble birth seem to carry on their faces. Instead, he had a look she¡¯d never seen before. All the paladins gathered around had a similar look on their faces. It made her nervous, so she started to fidget.

    She glanced around, looking for her friends, but they were at the back of the crowd and unable to reach her at the moment. She took a step back from the crowd of men, unsure of what to do.

    They hate me. That¡¯s why they are all looking at me! It¡¯s my fault their friends are dead! They¡¯re going to find out what I am and chase me away!

    She felt the wiggling in the back of her mind again, and this time her stomach got tight. The lead paladin took a step towards her, and she took another step back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it. I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Anna said.

    The lead paladin paused. He looked confused.

    There was a loud clack, and the paladins turned to look behind them. The crowd parted, revealing an ancient man wearing a simple white robe. He carried a staff made from polished wood and was leaning on it heavily.

    He hobbled over slowly, his staff clacking on the marble floor. Her friends followed closely behind him, eyeing the paladins as they walked.

    ¡°You must forgive them, my child. They are rough men, despite their fine armor,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Anna replied.

    It really wasn¡¯t, but she didn¡¯t want to make anyone else hate her. The old man smiled at her and walked next to the lead paladin.

    ¡°Get him out of here and clear the room!¡± he barked.

    The Paladins sprang into action, every one of them trying to find something to do as quickly as they could. Within moments, they had removed the general and pushed the few worshippers that had been there between services out. The paladins didn¡¯t return, leaving the party with the old man and the lead paladin.

    The old man eyed the black sword for a moment.

    ¡°Never did I think I¡¯d live to see this cursed blade broken,¡± he said.

    ¡°Nor did I, brother,¡± the lead paladin replied.

    ¡°That is not all. We have recovered the scepter of Octavius,¡± Barika said.

    She took the scepter from beneath her cloak. Being a holy relic, the party decided she should be the one to carry it.

    Both men looked at the scepter. The old man reached out and touched it reverently. Anna took this opportunity to creep behind them and scurry over to her friends. She felt better as soon as she was next to them again. She watched the old man take the scepter from Barika. It began to glow, and then he started to glow. Soon the room was filled with a golden light.

    ¡°This is a great day!¡± the old man said, his clear voice ringing throughout the huge open space.

    ¡°Not only was a great enemy to mankind defeated, but this holy relic has been returned to us in our hour of need!¡± he added. He held the scepter up over his head.

    ¡°RING THE BELLS, BROTHERS! LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE GOD OF LIGHT HAS BLESSED THEM!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°Brother, perhaps we shouldn¡¯t let the people know until we move the prisoner to a more secure place,¡± the lead paladin said. The old man turned to look at the paladin.

    ¡°Oh, yes, of course. NEVERMIND!¡± the old man added.

    Thokri chuckled. This caused both men to turn and look at the party.

    ¡°Well, lads, I¡¯m glad you like the scepter, but it¡¯s not quite yours yet,¡± Thokri said. The old man looked confused.

    ¡°What do you mean, sir dwarf?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That still belongs to us. See, we found it down in that cavern after fight¡¯n our way through flesh eat¡¯n monsters and breaking through a seal so strong that prick couldn¡¯t get in. Not to mention bashing him over the head and dragging him here,¡± Thokri replied. The old man looked shocked.

    ¡°You, want gold?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Aye, lad. See, we¡¯re adventurers, not heroes. We didn¡¯t go down there looking for that thing. We went looking for treasure, so if you don¡¯t want to pay us for it, we¡¯ll sell it to someone else. We¡¯ll take that lad back, too,¡± Thokri replied. The old man glanced over at the unconscious darkling.

    ¡°Him? Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Pigs got to eat, too,¡± Thokri replied. Despite her best efforts, Anna smirked at the face that the old man made.

    ¡°I see. Well, I suppose we can offer a reward for returning the scepter and capturing this man,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°Brother, they claim that this is the dark one¡¯s fifth general, and I am inclined to believe them,¡± the lead paladin added.

    ¡°So do I, brother,¡± the old man said. He sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get your gold. Now, since you¡¯ve shown yourselves to be nothing more than hired swords, leave this holy place!¡± The old man said.

    He started to walk away. Thokri folded his arms and prepared to say something, but Barika put her hand on him and shook her head no. The lead paladin started to walk away.

    ¡°Can I have my sword back?¡± Anna asked.

    The lead paladin hesitated for a moment before holding the black sword out. She took it from him.

    ¡°Why would you want it back? It¡¯s no good as a weapon,¡± the lead paladin said.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how much I could sell the broken sword of the dark one¡¯s fifth general for?¡± Anna replied.

    The lead paladin shook his head in disgust and walked away, muttering about greedy adventurers as he left. She got her pack, put it on, and they were met by a priest carrying a scroll. He handed it to Thokri and left without saying a word.

    Thokri opened the scroll and whistled.

    ¡°How much did we get?¡± Voekeer asked as they walked out of the temple.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that!¡± Barika said as soon as they were away from the temple entrance.

    ¡°Did what?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Threated to sell the scepter! You made us look like some kind of greedy no accounts!¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Lass, we are greedy no accounts,¡± Thokri said. Barika looked stunned.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± she said with a sigh. Voekeer patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get over wanting to be a hero one day,¡± he said. She shoved him away.

    ¡°Shut up, boy,¡± she said, though she was grinning when she did so.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said in dwarven.

    ¡°For what, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°For getting me out of there,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Was that what I did? I thought I was just being a greedy dwarf,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°My new sword,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why did you want that thing back?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s made from adamantine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Let me see that, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    She handed him the sword. He stopped walking and eyed it for a moment before touching his tongue to the blade. His eyes widened.

    ¡°It is, and some kind of mithril,¡± he replied.

    ¡°No wonder they couldn¡¯t cut it with the holy weapons!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, lad. Even with the damage, this is still a fine sword,¡± Thokri replied.

    She had inspected it closer and noticed that it wasn¡¯t so much cracked as having the appearance of wood that had been struck by lightning. The blade had holes in it and was missing chunks, but it still had an edge, mostly, and the hilt and grip were intact, other than a few deep channels in the glossy black metal.

    ¡°I know you have a lot of mana, but even you shouldn¡¯t have been able to mar adamantine like this,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t push mana into it, so I used dreamer power,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I was wondering why you summoned tiny tentacles instead of just crushing him with them,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Yeah, they showed up when a drop of it hit the ground,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Does that mean those whispers were real?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Oh, those. Yeah. They are real. I hear them in my dreams all the time,¡± Anna replied. Lyreen shuddered but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe to keep it? I mean, he did yank it right out of her pack with magic?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Bah! Whatever enchantment this thing had is long gone. I mean, look at it,¡± Thokri said, holding the sword up and looking through a hole in the blade.

    ¡°Point taken,¡± Voekeer said.

    Thokri handed the sword back to her, and she tucked it into her belt. The scabbard had been destroyed, along with a few straps on her pack, when the general had yanked it away.

    They went back to the guild hall, and Thokri handed the scroll over to the attendant. She looked it over and nodded.

    ¡°We¡¯ll send them a letter to make sure you get paid,¡± she said.

    Anna took Lord Emerald and her flower back. They had replanted it in a large clay pot for her and fed each of the open flowers.

    Wow, I didn¡¯t think they would do such a good job!

    She went to her room and put her things away, changing into one of her adventuring dresses. She looked at her ruined winter dress and sighed.

    Oh well. Looks like I¡¯m going to have to go and visit the dress maker again.

    She met her friends in the main hall where they ordered food and ales.

    ¡°If I find any more treasure maps, hit me over the head, alright?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What good would that do, child? We¡¯d just break our hands,¡± Barika replied.

    Everyone laughed and then started to talk about what they would do the next day.

 Chapter 56

    Water dripped from everything as they walked down the street. It was early spring, and the weather was still cold but warm enough to melt the snow. The rest of the winter had been downright boring, other than midwinter festival that is.

    I liked the decorations, and the lights were pretty, but everyone kept trying to kiss me.

    She¡¯d already been kissed twice in her life, and that was enough for her.

    They decided to stock up on rations. She had already talked to most of the food merchants surrounding the guild and was leading them to her favorite meat seller. The coyote woman, she¡¯d been corrected sternly when she called her a dog person, had offered to cook anything Anna brought her. She had tipped so generously that the woman had made more over the winter than she had in the prior two years and was more than happy.

    Anna had no idea what to bring, so the woman had started to give her lists to go out and get. She had to search markets all over the city to find everything, and much to her delight, the ones near the adventurer¡¯s guild had the best food.

    She pushed open the door to the meat merchant¡¯s shop. It was named Pete¡¯s Meats after its owner, a name which made her smile when she said it. She was hit by the usual smell of blood and smoke as she walked inside.

    ¡°What can I do for you today, Miss Anna, and who are your friends?¡± Pete asked.

    ¡°This is my adventuring party,¡± Anna replied.

    She introduced them one by one. Pete was a huge friendly man, and everyone was smiling by the time he finished greeting them all.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you all,¡± Pete said grinning. Thokri chuckled, and Elaine groaned at the terrible joke.

    ¡°We need rations for a few months of travel Pete,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Jerky and sausages I take it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Is it just the six of you?¡± Pete asked.

    Anna nodded yes and then asked for a few different kinds of jerky and sausage to let the others try to see what they liked best. Once everyone picked their favorites, Pete took out a sheet of paper and started to write down a receipt, promising to have their order delivered that day or the next. They planned on leaving in a few days, so they told him he didn¡¯t have to rush.

    ¡°Ruothild¡¯s place has the best dried fruits and vegetables. They also have nuts and mushrooms,¡± Anna said as they walked out of Pete¡¯s place.

    ¡°Ruothild? That sounds like a halfling name,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a halfling?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Short chubby folks,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds like her,¡± Anna said.

    Ruothild¡¯s shop had a colorful sign hanging above the door. It was the reason she had first gone into the place to be honest.

    She pushed the door open, and a bell jingled. There were shelves covered in large clear jars, each filled with some kind of dried food. Usually, she would fill a small bag with some of whatever she wanted and then bring it to the counter to get weighed. But this time, she needed barrels full of the stuff, so she¡¯d have to ask Ruothild herself.

    The halfling was sitting on a stool behind the counter, smoking a pipe and looking over a ledger. Anna walked to the counter, and Ruothild looked up.

    ¡°Anna, what can I do for you today?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We need rations for the trip back to Oldforge,¡± Anna replied.

    Ruothild nodded. She started to look through the ledger and tell them the goods she still had in bulk.

    Being the end of winter, there wasn¡¯t much of a selection, but it was enough to get them by. They were planning to travel on the main roads and were going to stop at inns each night to rest. They could eat at them as well.

    They picked what they wanted and paid her. She promised their goods the next day, just like Pete. After leaving Ruothild¡¯s, they headed to a bakery run by elves. Anna had found it in her search for cupcakes and fell in love with the bread there. When she told Lyreen and Voekeer about it that morning, they nearly dragged her there first thing.

    The elven bakery had a sign in both common and elven hanging above the door. Voekeer was the first inside this time, followed closely by Lyreen. The owner greeted them in Elven to which they responded. When he saw Anna, he grinned.

    ¡°So, these are the two young ones you told us about,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes, this is Voekeer, and this is Lyreen,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ailmar. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, sir,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Getting ready to head back to Oldforge and need some travel bread I take it?¡± Ailmar asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Come back in a few hours, and I¡¯ll have a big batch for you,¡± Ailmar replied. After chatting with Ailmar for a few minutes, they left the bakery and went to a few more food places before heading back to the guild.

    They checked on their wagon which was being loaded with the supplies and goods they had stored in the guild warehouse. The gold would go in last and need to be placed above the axles. At least, that¡¯s what Thokri had told her.

    They had bought spare wheels and axles for the trip as well. The spare wheels were attached to the side of the wagon and were covered with oilcloth. The spare axles were tied to the side and covered as well. It looked kind of silly to her, but she didn¡¯t say anything because the others seemed to think it was normal.

    Once they checked on the wagon, they went back into the guild hall and found a table to sit at. They spent the rest of the day drinking and talking with the other adventurers who were getting ready to leave the city. Once night fell, she went to her room and packed up, going to sleep when she finished.

    The next day was busy. Their food was delivered early in the morning, and they loaded it along with their packs. Anna set Lord Emerald in the back along with her flower and pack. The rabbit stuck his nose out of the cage and stiffed hard.

    ¡°You¡¯re so greedy!¡± she said and handed him some of the food that was in a pouch near his cage. After she finished stuffing her rabbit, she helped get the horses hooked up.

    Lord Emerald¡¯s not the only one looking a little fat. I¡¯ll have to take it easy on them at first.

    She had heard that horses could get hurt if you ran them too hard when they weren¡¯t used to it, and these two certainly didn¡¯t look used to it anymore. She flicked the reins and got the wagon moving, waving goodbye to the stablemen. The city was crowded, but not so much so that they were slowed down. They rode out of the eastern gate just before noon.

    Thokri was smoking his pipe again, so none of the others wanted to ride with them on the front. The road was crowded for the rest of the day, and they stopped at an inn just before sunset.

    It was crowded, but they still managed to get separate rooms. After a quick meal, it was stew of course, they each went to their separate rooms. She didn¡¯t bring Lord Emerald with her into inns. Most innkeepers wouldn¡¯t allow it anyway, but fluffy and fat as he was, he¡¯d be fine in the wagon.

    She doused the light and got undressed, looking out the window at the moon for a while.

    I wonder why part if it gets dim throughout the month?

    She puzzled over it for a few minutes before falling asleep.

    They were back on the road early the next day and for weeks they rode along making good time. She spent most of that time thinking about what came next after they returned to Oldforge.

    I¡¯ll need to ask the dwarves to take care of my house for longer, and someone will have to water my flower. Maybe I should let Lord Emerald go. I don¡¯t think living in a cage is fair to him. We will be passing Gloomwood. I can just let him go there.

    She thought about it for a while and decided that while she¡¯d miss him, he wasn¡¯t living a good life stuck in a cage, so it was the right thing to do. She told her friends about it, and they all agreed, so when they arrived at the edge of Gloomwood forest, she took his cage and walked over to the tree line. She set it down and opened it up. He hopped out a few feet and then turned around to look at her.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Alrighty, you¡¯re free, so go and live a good life, alright,¡± Anna said.

    Why do I feel so bad?

    She felt sadder than she¡¯d ever felt before. He just kept looking at her and wiggling his nose like he wanted food. She got up and took the cage. After a moment, she walked slowly over to the wagon and put the cage inside. She looked back at Lord Emerald, and he stood up on his hind legs to look at her. She waved goodbye and got on the wagon once more. She flicked the reins, and the wagon jerked into motion.

    Sparks appeared next to her on the driver¡¯s bench, and Lord Emerald popped into existence next to her. He climbed onto her lap and sat down. She pulled the wagon to a stop and looked down at him.

    ¡°But you¡¯re free,¡± she said. He just wiggled his nose at her.

    ¡°Looks like he doesn¡¯t want to go,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°But why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been stuffing him full of good food, and nothings tried to eat him for months. I don¡¯t blame him for wanting to stay,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, well, you can still go whenever you want to, alright?¡± Anna said.

    The rabbit just twitched his nose and kept right on sitting. He hopped into the back a few hours later where he tried to get the bag of food. Elaine stuffed it in the cage so he couldn¡¯t get it, so he sat on the top of the cage.

    That evening when they got to the inn, he followed her in and sat next to her at the table.

    The barmaids all loved him and brought him some vegetable scraps to eat while the party ate their dinner. He followed her upstairs and hopped into her bed when she laid down, snuggling next to her as she fell asleep.

    He spent his time sitting on the driver¡¯s bench next to her or begging for food in the wagon during the day and sleeping next to her at night.

    Her birthday came and went much like any other day with her friends wishing her well. It felt strange being two, but she supposed it didn¡¯t make much of a difference. she hadn¡¯t physically changed a bit.

    It was nearly summer when Oldforge appeared in the distance. The city looked like it had when she left. The guards waved them through, only pausing for a moment to stare at her and then Lord Emerald who was sitting next to her on the bench.

    The wagon rolled down familiar streets heading for the adventurer¡¯s guild. The streets were crowded, mostly with carts filled with produce from the surrounding farms or goods being taken from the city to said farms. This is what life was like for most people. You either grew food, or you sold things to people growing food.

    I might be the only person that really doesn¡¯t have to worry about food. Other than if my friends can eat, I guess I do have to worry about food after all.

    She pulled into the guild stables, and they went inside. Bruno was behind the counter talking with a few adventurers when they got to the main room. They walked up behind the adventurers and waited for them to get finished with the ogre. Lord Emerald walked over to one of the barmaids and stood up, placing both paws together, and started to move them up and down.

    The barmaid squealed in delight and scooped him up, carrying him off to receive some treat no doubt.

    ¡°He¡¯s way too smart to be just a rabbit. You know that, right?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I think he might be a person,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Does that mean we have a rabbit in our party?¡± Voekeer asked. They looked at each other for a moment.

    ¡°I mean, we have a tentacle monster, why not a rabbit?¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Because he can¡¯t talk,¡± Voekeer replied. Rose punched him on the arm.

    ¡°Ouch, fuck, oh shit, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it,¡± he said. Rose glared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

    ¡°Does that mean he needs to join the guild?¡± Anna asked. Again they just looked at each other.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we keep this to ourselves, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Aye, that might be for the best. Don¡¯t want to let everyone know the lad is smart. He might not get as much free grub if we do,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°He¡¯d never forgive us,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Well, that settles that I guess,¡± Anna replied.

    The other adventurers finished their business with the guild, so they walked over to Bruno.

    ¡°Been a while. Did you finish those contracts?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure did. Here they are, and we got more gold to store,¡± Voekeer said, handing their contracts to him. He looked them over for a moment.

    ¡°So, what did you do this time, kill a dragon?¡± Bruno asked.

    ¡°No, we found the scepter of Octavius and defeated the dark one¡¯s fifth general,¡± Voekeer replied casually. Bruno gave them a look.

    ¡°You¡¯re not fucking with me, are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not,¡± Barika replied. The ogre sighed after a long moment.

    ¡°You know what, it¡¯s none of my business. I got plenty of room in the vault, so just bring whatever you want here when we¡¯re done,¡± Bruno said.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to go to Boulderfist mountain in a few weeks. We will be gone a few years at the least,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll mark it down. If you get any contracts from other guild halls, let them know to send us a letter, alright?¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let the guild master know. She might want to talk to you fuckers before you leave,¡± Bruno said.

    Anna went out to the wagon and got the first chest. She didn¡¯t feel like carrying both of them at once. She only weighed a hundred pounds, so she had to balance them carefully. Otherwise, she¡¯d tip over.

    She brought the first one in and set it next to the counter and headed back out to the wagons. She heard Bruno grunt and swear when he lifted the chest. She got the other chest and put it in front of the counter as well. Bruno swore when he saw it but took it anyway. He rubbed his back when he walked out the second time and gave them a receipt for two heavy-ass chests in his words.

    Lord Emerald hopped from the back room soon after and sat next to her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s unload the wagon, and then we can take care of the rest of our business,¡± Thokri said.

    Bruno had added their payments for the hunting contracts to the chests of gold. They didn¡¯t really need any more coin to carry around with them in the city and would take a few small lock boxes full on their trip to the mountain.

    After they finished with the wagon, they went to the dwarven tavern. She needed to get the key to her house and asked them to if they could watch it for a few years.

    I hope they don¡¯t mind.

    She thought she knew the dwarves pretty well, but after the last year, she realized that people were just strange, and she doubted that she¡¯d ever really get them.

    Thokri pushed open the door to the dwarven tavern. They walked over to a table and sat down. One of the barmaids brought them a tray full of ales and asked if they wanted food. Everyone was hungry, so they ordered some of the roast meat. Dwarves came over to sit with them, and they started to talk about what had been going on since the party left.

    Her friends told them about their time away. They spent hours talking, and when they finally left to check out Anna¡¯s house, with a few of the dwarves that had done the work in tow, she had to use her cure poison ring on the elves and Rose so they could walk straight.

    It was still daylight when they got to her house, and she unlocked the door and walked inside. A very surprised Gwen squeaked and hopped up, knocking the table with a swollen belly. Anna looked down at her belly for a moment.

    ¡°Anna, you¡¯re back! I, uh, have been staying here. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°How¡¯d that happen?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, this,¡± Gwen replied, placing her hand on her belly. ¡°Well, I met this man, and he was so handsome and kind and, well, you do know how this works, right?¡± she asked. Anna just stared at her blinking until Barika shoved her out of the way.

    ¡°Of course, she does. Now, tell me how far along are you?¡± Barika asked. Gwen smiled.

    ¡°About five months,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Have you been to see the midwives or a priestess yet?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Both. The dwarves paid for me to see them. They are so sweet. They wanted to make sure that both of us are okay,¡± Gwen replied. A big hand grasped Anna¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t find enough stone to cover the floors, so we used ironwood. Hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± one of the dwarves said.

    She snapped out of it and looked around the room. They had replaced the plain oaken floor with a polished ironwood one. It was a deep reddish brown, and she could see faint reflection in its surface. They had also replaced most of the structural beams of the house with ironwood ones and lined the walls with thin panels. There were lamps hung on the walls around the room, the bright oil lamps with glass bulbs over the wick like the belt lanterns they carried only bigger. Her furniture had been replaced with stone and Ironwood pieces, so the whole inside of her home seemed to match.

    The centerpiece of the room was the fireplace which had been replaced by a huge black stone affair covered in dwarven carvings and now fitted with beautiful wrought iron swing arms to hold whatever cooking pot, and what a cooking pot it held.

    Instead of her plain iron pot, a huge cast iron cauldron hung there, bubbling away with what smelled like soup. The cauldron itself had been cast with the grinning face of the stone one in several places and intricate patterns covering it.

    ¡°I, uh, kept your soup going,¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied, still overwhelmed by everything.

    ¡°Do you want some?¡± Gwen asked, walking over to her.

    ¡°No, thanks. I just ate,¡± Anna replied.

    Gwen looked at her nervously. Anna just stared at her, unsure of what she wanted. Gwen started to fidget, pulling her fingers and looking around the room.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me, are you?¡± Gwen asked.

    What is she talking about? Why would I be mad? I don¡¯t understand at all!

    She just kind of stared for a while.

    ¡°I, I¡¯ll leave if you want,¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because I was staying in your house without asking,¡± Gwen replied. She looked more confused than nervous now.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t here to ask, so how could you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t mind?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°No. Uh, do you mind staying here for a few years while we go to Boulderfist mountain?¡± Anna asked. Gwen¡¯s eyes got big, and then she hugged her.

    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± she said.

    Anna hugged her back, but something moved in Gwen¡¯s belly. Anna bounced back like a startled cat, leaving a shocked looking Gwen standing there.

    ¡°IT MOVED!¡± Anna said. Gwen smiled.

    ¡°Babies do that, see,¡± she said.

    Gwen took her hand and pulled it to her belly. Anna yanked her hand back.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine! I believe you!¡± she said rapidly.

    Gwen looked like she was about to cry.

    Oh no, I just, I didn¡¯t mean to, oh don¡¯t cry!

    Anna wasn¡¯t sure what she should do, so she scurried out of the house. The sun was starting to set, casting a red-orange hue across the city. She took a deep breath of the cool evening air to calm down.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± Elaine asked. Anna turned to look at her friend.

    ¡°There¡¯s a person inside her, and they moved!¡± Anna squealed.

    Elaine laughed. It was a hard laugh. She doubled over for a moment and needed to catch her breath.

    ¡°Oh, gods! That¡¯s just great!¡± she said.

    ¡°IT¡¯S NOT FUNNY!¡± Anna shouted.

    Elaine started to laugh again. Anna folded her arms and huffed.

    ¡°Come on. You¡¯ve seen women with child before. Why are you acting like this now?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Because those ones didn¡¯t move!¡± Anna whined. Elaine laughed hard again.

    ¡°Sure, they did. You just didn¡¯t notice,¡± Elaine replied. Anna shuddered some.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just gross,¡± she said. Elaine put her arm around Anna.

    ¡°I actually agree with you there. That¡¯s why I¡¯m never going to have any, but you can¡¯t say that, especially not to a woman who¡¯s pregnant,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get back in there,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t want to touch her,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Too bad. You have to, and you¡¯re going to congratulate her and act like you¡¯re so happy,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because that¡¯s what you do when you¡¯re around a woman who going to have a baby, alright?¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna replied.

 Chapter 57

    They rode out of the northern gate of the city early in the morning on what promised to be a beautiful spring day. Thokri smoked his pipe and leaned back on the rest looking up at the puffy clouds.

    He¡¯s really happy about going home.

    She felt kind of strange. Coming back to Oldforge hadn¡¯t felt like going home this time. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of how long she¡¯d been gone or because her house wasn¡¯t the same, but it just didn¡¯t feel right.

    I¡¯m never going to belong anywhere. I¡¯m just not like anyone else.

    After traveling around the kingdom for most of a year and spending the winter in the capital, she¡¯s seen so many different kinds of humans. People from the far west, the islands, the north, the far south near the swamps, but she never saw a single soul that looked quite like her.

    It wasn¡¯t just her outlandish features either. Even her face, pretty as it was, couldn¡¯t be placed amongst the races of men. She didn¡¯t even look like the people that were the children of one or more of the kinds of humans. It was as if the dreamer had made something entirely new when he made her.

    I¡¯ll always have Fishport I guess. Beth sounded so happy in her letter. She even learned to write so she could tell me how much she wished she could have gone with me. I hope she¡¯s happy with William. He seemed like a nice boy.

    Ted and Elizabeth had sent her a letter as well thanking her for keeping her promise to Beth and telling her to be careful because the life of an adventurer was clearly dangerous. She still hadn¡¯t told them everything about herself and probably never would.

    They arrived at Lonesome Keep a few weeks later. It was the last bastion of civilization until they reached Elven lands, which could take weeks depending on the road which was only maintained by caravans traveling to and from the Elven kingdom.

    Lyreen and Voekeer had ridden in such a caravan when they had left home, though Voekeer had to work, and Lyreen had her way paid by the village elders. Both had been dropped off in Oldforge, Lyreen because that¡¯s where the mage¡¯s academy was, and Voekeer because he was tired of doing all the menial labor.

    She looked at the ancient fortress as they rode past. It was the same as the one they¡¯d taken refuge in during the rain storm the year prior where she¡¯d found her strange medallion. This fortress was in far better shape having been partially rebuilt in the millennia since the fall of the old empire. She waved at one of the watching soldiers, and he waved back.

    They could have stopped there for the night if they had wanted to, but the others didn¡¯t want to stay in the fortress unless they needed to. Once passed the fortress, they were in the wilds, at least part of the wilds. There were lots of wilds as it turned out.

    I wonder why the forest we found Rose in wasn¡¯t considered a wildland? I mean, no one patrols it, and something tore all those people apart.

    Rose refused to talk about what happened, and the others told her not to ask, so she didn¡¯t.

    They had been traveling through the forest for days, but after crossing the border, it grew thicker until a few hours later, it reminded her of the forests on the frontier. Unlike the frontier, the road was in good repair. She was surprised by this.

    People usually do a half assed job unless they are being paid, and even then, they do like three quarters of an ass. I wonder what three quarters of an ass would look like, maybe Lyreen¡¯s. No, that¡¯s more like half assed but with both cheeks. Why am I thinking about Lyreen¡¯s ass? Oh shit, her weird thing with asses is rubbing off on me. ACK!!! I DON¡¯T WANT TO THINK ABOUT LYREEN RUBBING HER ASS ON ME!!! WHY DID THAT JUST POP INTO MY HEAD?!?!?!

    She shook her head and started to watch the tree line as they rode, trying not to think about Lyreen¡¯s rear. Even though the forest didn¡¯t belong to anyone, adventurers from the human kingdom and rangers from the Elven forest kept the worst of the monsters away from the road.

    She was a little disappointed when she found out. She had been looking forward to killing something with big teeth and claws. She liked to keep teeth and claws, even though her friends thought it was weird, except for Elaine, who didn¡¯t see a problem with it.

    Elaine has jars with body parts in them, so maybe she¡¯s not the best person to ask? Oh well, don¡¯t care. I like them either way.

    They traveled north for two days before heading to the northwest. Had they continued on the northern road, they would have reached the land of many lakes as the Northmen called it. None of her friends knew much about the place other than it was where the Northmen lived.

    I really got to find Olig one of these days!

    She kept missing him. It was like the guild master didn¡¯t want him around, so she¡¯d send him on the farthest contracts from Oldforge available at the time. He was heading to the southern swamps at the moment to fight a swarm of giant leeches that were eating fishermen that lived on the outskirts of the wretched place.

    Leeches are so nasty! They just try to suck you! It¡¯s just gross!

    She¡¯d been attacked by normal sized ones while taking a bath in a pond. She squealed and ran out of the water when it happened, much to the amusement of her friends.

    Nothing much happened as they traveled to the Elven border. They did pass a caravan on its way to the human lands, but the merchants didn¡¯t have anything they wanted.

    Why would anyone want nut oil anyway?

    The Elven border crossing had a fort just like the human one, though they were patrolling and stopped the party to search the wagon. They didn¡¯t find anything unusual except for what Elaine had in her jars. After that, they stayed away from the necromancer, far away.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Back on the road with a slightly irritated Elaine, they continued on their journey northwest. Boulderfist mountain was nearly a year away from the Elven forest if nothing went wrong.

    Something always goes wrong. That¡¯s just how my life is.

    They passed a small group of empty cottages a few miles from the border.

    ¡°What are those?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Elves don¡¯t have inns, lass. They build cabins for folks to stay in along the road,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of weird,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Just the way elves are,¡± Thokri replied.

    Later that day, she pulled into one of the clearings filled with cottages and stopped the wagon near the small barn. Anna and Thokri took care of the horses, getting them bedded down for the night, while the others started cooking dinner.

    One of the cottages was a common building that contained a kitchen as well as a laundry and a few tables for travelers to eat at. The rest of the cottages had a few beds and a large fireplace to warm them during the winter.

    Once the horses were taken care of, they went into the main building. The smell of a freshly started fire filled the room. Voekeer and Barika were tending the fire while Rose and Elaine were cutting up the dried vegetables and meats. Lyreen was nowhere to be seen, but Anna assumed she was off doing some chore or another.

    My friends aren¡¯t lazy, that¡¯s for sure.

    She walked over to help cut things up, and Thokri started getting the pot ready. It had been brought in, but no one had bothered to rig the chains needed to hang it over the fire. The pot was the big one. She still wasn¡¯t sure why they had brought such a huge thing with them, but as usual, she didn¡¯t question her friends¡¯ decisions.

    She started to chop food, and within moments, it was all done. Lyreen came in carrying a bucket full of water. She set it down, completely out of breath.

    ¡°You sent her to get water?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°She insisted,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna walked over, grabbed the bucket with one hand, and casually lifted it from the floor. Lyreen glared at her with pure hate in her eyes as Anna smiled sweetly at her. Then she bounced off to the fireplace, not spilling a single drop, despite swinging it slightly as she went.

    Thokri brought the pot over and hung it on the iron arm that swung out from the fireplace. He adjusted it so it hung straight, and then she poured the bucket in the pot. It only filled it up partway, so she went out to get more water from the well. Lyreen was still glaring at her as she walked out of the cottage.

    She followed the splashes that Lyreen had left to the well. She handed the bucket to a tentacle that appeared next to her. It reached down the well and scooped up a bucketful of water before handing it back to her. She went back to the cottage and walked inside.

    The others were dumping the food into the pot. She poured the bucket into the pot and decided that it was enough, so she set the bucket next to the door and then took a seat at the large table in the center of the room. The table had also served as the prep table, but her friends had cleaned it off before and after they had filled the pot. The others sat down as well. It would take a while for the water to boil, and they could see the pot from the table.

    ¡°We need to cut some wood to replace what we used. Someone already put a few logs out to dry, but they didn¡¯t split them up,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°There should be tools in the wood shed,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t need them,¡± Anna replied. He looked at her for a moment then shrugged.

    She went back outside and found the woodshed, not that it was hard to find, and then walked behind it. There was a stack of huge logs sitting there. She summoned an eye to look around and make sure no one was watching her before she summoned a few tentacles. They got to work.

    One shaped itself like a saw, and another held the log up. A third grasped the chunk that was cut off the log, handing it to another two which ripped the chunk into smaller pieces that would be just the right size for use in the fireplace.

    The tentacles made quick work of the logs. She stopped when the woodshed was full, heading back into the cottage no more than half an hour after she had left. The pot was bubbling, filling the room with a mouthwatering aroma. At least, she liked it.

    Her friends were sitting around the table chatting. She went to sit with them.

    ¡°How much did you cut?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I filled the woodshed,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, we definitely won¡¯t have to cut anymore,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Did I do something weird again?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s just that most travelers just replace what they use, that¡¯s all,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    Thokri picked up the spice box and walked over to the pot. The spice box looked like a small strongbox.

    I mean, it did cost me a gold and a few large silvers for the spices. The box was free though. I mean, that¡¯s something, right?

    He opened the box and started to pull out pouches of spices. Elaine got up and rushed over. She snatched a pouch from his hand and stuffed it back in the strongbox.

    ¡°Not going to happen!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Just a pinch won¡¯t hurt you, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather have you pinch my ass than put that shit in our food again!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, shut up! You can¡¯t even taste spice!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it if you eat it, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°It made my ass burn last time we ate it!¡± Elaine whined, causing Anna to giggle.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to that, too,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Elaine said.

    Slamming the strongbox shut, she picked it up and carried it back to the table, leaving Thokri with a few spices, none of which were what one would call spicy though. Elaine glared at him, and he chuckled and started to season the stew with what he had.

    At least he didn¡¯t take out any salt. The dried meat has more than enough of that on it.

    Thokri sprinkled the spices in and then stirred the pot a few times before tasting. Dwarves tended to like heavily seasoned food, whereas elves, not so much. There was no telling with humans. Barika, for instance, could eat food that would make Thokri sweat, but Elaine, as she¡¯d just proven, didn¡¯t even like strong island pepper. Rose was somewhere in the middle, leaning closer to Barika.

    And then there¡¯s me, who can eat anything.

    She was being literal about that. She hadn¡¯t found anything she couldn¡¯t eat, though most of the nonfood things she tried didn¡¯t taste very good. She watched him stirring the pot. She could have done all of this with her tentacles, but she didn¡¯t.

    They already feel kind of useless after the monster hunting thing. I don¡¯t want to make it worse. I should use normal tools next time I cut wood. That should help make them feel better.

    The stew bubbled for a few more minutes before they dished it up. The stew was a little on the salty side but still good.

    ¡°What happens if another group of people show up?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t stop unless they needed to, and then they¡¯d either wait for us to finish or ask to join us and make sure to help out any way they could,¡± Voekeer replied.

    After they finished eating, she used her ring to clean up the mess.

    One day I¡¯ll figure out where it all goes.

    Once she finished, she went to one of the cottages. There were ten of them in total. She took the one nearest the road. If anyone were to join them, they¡¯d enter that one first. She wasn¡¯t in any danger from anyone, really, so she didn¡¯t mind being out in front so to speak.

    The inside of the cottage was empty other than a huge fireplace and six beds.

    We could all stay in one of these if we needed to.

    She got undressed, tossed her clothes and belt on the floor next to the bed, and flopped on the bed. She didn¡¯t bother with covers or a pillow. She could fall asleep on a rock if she needed to, and didn¡¯t sweat, so she wouldn¡¯t get the mattress dirty.

    Even if I did, I could just clean it with my ring.

    She looked at the old spider webs that covered the ceiling.

    I think humans have a better idea with the inns.

    She fell asleep hoping a spider wouldn¡¯t crawl in her mouth or nose while she slept.

 Chapter 58

    The road was the best she¡¯d ever ridden down, being perfectly smooth and flat. She didn¡¯t know how the elves did it, but she was impressed.

    Even the forest is clear and nice. I don¡¯t know...how do they take care of so much land? I thought there weren¡¯t as many elves as humans or dwarves. How can so few people do such a good job?

    Voekeer had tried to explain, but he was only fifteen when he ran away, so he didn¡¯t know much about the outside world, and Lyreen, well, she was just spoiled, so she didn¡¯t know much either. Thokri knew more than both of them. Though the last time he¡¯d been in elven lands was decades ago, not that much changes amongst the elves in such a short time. It was hard for her to think of spans of time that long.

    I¡¯ve only been alive for two years. Twenty or two hundred, I just¡­ I can¡¯t do it yet.

    A village came into view. It was a strange sight.

    I still can¡¯t get over them not having walls. I mean, how good are the rangers?

    The elven rangers were sort of like the guards and the army put together but not really. They were made up of the best hunters in the forest sent from each village to train for a century before being assigned to forty person units and sent out to patrol the roads to gain experience for a few centuries before they are allowed to head into the forest. She still didn¡¯t get why so much training was needed. Voekeer and Lyreen were good at what they did with only five years of experience, and Barika was amazing with twenty. Thokri seemed to know everything, and he had fifty. She just didn¡¯t see the point in training for two or three centuries.

    The elf village was clean, spotlessly so, and the perfect road split off into perfect streets with slightly raised sides for people to walk on. There were street signs that had directions to popular places around the town like the inn, which they had here, or food places, or even the town hall.

    She followed the directions the sign had to the inn. She looked around as they went. The buildings were all made from wood which she expected because they were in the middle of a forest. What she didn¡¯t expect was the amount of craftsmanship that had been put into each one.

    Human buildings were well built, but unless it was for some lord or wealthy merchant, they wouldn¡¯t be decorated past some white wash and a flower box. But here, every building was not only perfectly crafted, all the wood was sanded smooth and stained or painted in bright colors. Most of it was carved in some fashion as well with long curves and round doors and windows. Every building had glass windows as well, and a few had little panes in the doors.

    An elven wagon rode past them. It was just as well made and decorated as the buildings, and she got a little jealous. Her own wagon felt kind of frumpy now.

    ¡°I want an elven wagon,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this one, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s ugly,¡± Anna replied. The look Thokri gave her was priceless.

    ¡°Lass, it¡¯s a wagon, not a wench. It doesn¡¯t matter what it looks like so long as it carries you and your shit!¡± Thokri said.

    Anna just gave him a look and went back to watching the road. She pulled up next to the Inn, and the elves came out to take care of their wagon. When she went to pay them, Thokri shook his head no.

    ¡°We pay inside all at once, and don¡¯t give the wenches tips. They don¡¯t like it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call them wenches either,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°I¡¯d never do that anyway. I call them barmaids or barmen,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call them that either,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I just won¡¯t talk,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You can talk, just, you know, don¡¯t act like him,¡± Lyreen said pointing at Thokri.

    ¡°I¡¯m not changing, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°You¡¯re a dwarf. Everyone expects you to act like an ass, but she looks human, and people will get angry if she does, so shut it!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°BAH!¡± Thokri said loudly. The elves looked annoyed at their bickering, so Anna slid off the wagon and the nearest elf took the reins.

    ¡°Will you be needing anything brought in from your wagon?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uh, my friends are still in there,¡± Anna replied. He looked at her like she was stupid.

    I feel kind of dumb for saying that actually.

    Voekeer said something in elvish as he walked up. The elf nodded and replied in elvish before hopping onto the wagon and flicking the reins. The wagon jerked into motion and off he went.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I told him to get the horses shoed and have the wagon looked over,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I could have done that, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°No one would have let you use their shop or tools,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Bah! I¡¯m a forgemaster, lad. They should be happy I¡¯d even walk into their farrier,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°And some of these people have been at the forge for a thousand years longer than you¡¯ve been alive. They don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a forgemaster or not,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Bah! Elves!¡± Thokri said and started for the inn.

    The rest of the party started to walk after him, catching up quickly. He pushed the polished wooden door open, and they went inside. Instead of being greeted by a room filled with tables, this inn had booths like the carriage stop had.

    An elf woman waved them in and led them to one of the large booths in the back next to a huge window. They sat down, and she left them there without saying a word. She returned a moment later with a silver tray that had seven glass cups filled with water by the smell of it. She set them down in front of each of them then left with the tray, again not saying a word.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°The cook is going to come out and talk to us,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Because that¡¯s how we do it,¡± Voekeer replied.

    To Anna, it was a perfectly good answer. Her human friends had used it plenty of times to explain far more horrifying behavior than a cook wanting to talk to the people eating the food he or she made, but for some reason, Elaine didn¡¯t seem to like it very much.

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    She took a drink of the water. It was far colder than it had any right to be on a warm day this late in the spring. It had the faint hint of some acidic fruit, reminding her of the ones the ships would carry with them to stop the men from getting sick, although this wasn¡¯t the same fruit. It was sweeter than that fruit had been.

    She held the glass cup up and looked through it.

    How¡¯d they get it this clear?

    She looked over at the huge window and examined the glass it was made from.

    It¡¯s just as clear and the same thickness across the whole thing!

    She took another drink of the cool water and looked around the room. The more she looked, the more she realized just how much effort had been put into everything here.

    They stained and sanded the rafters?

    An older elf woman walked over to their table and sat down. She smiled.

    ¡°So, what brings all of you to my inn?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We want a place to spend the night and eat. What else would we be doing at an inn?¡± Anna replied. Lyreen punched her.

    ¡°Why are you like this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Like what?¡± Anna asked. Lyreen looked back at the innkeeper.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Please forgive my friend. She¡¯s simple,¡± she said.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Hush!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not simple!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°She was asking why we¡¯re on our trip, not why we stopped her for the night, so just hush. You¡¯re making it worse!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to tell her I was stupid!¡± Anna said.

    The innkeeper laughed causing both Anna and Lyreen to look at her. She said something in elvish, and Lyreen turned red.

    ¡°She¡¯s not my sister!¡± Lyreen replied quickly.

    ¡°Of course, you aren¡¯t. You¡¯re flat,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Why is everything about tits with you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°¡¯Cause they¡¯re fun and bouncy. You¡¯d know that if you had them,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m an elf, you idiot! Elves don¡¯t have huge fat sacks hanging off their chest!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to smother you with these huge fat sacks if you call me an idiot again!¡± Anna replied.

    The innkeeper burst into laughter; the kind that would have done a dwarf proud. Every time she looked up and saw the looks on Anna¡¯s and Lyreen¡¯s faces, she burst into laughter again. She took a few breaths and smiled at them.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t laughed like that in decades. Anyway, we have roast meat, stew, fresh greens with sauce, or baked river fish with a side of pickled cabbage,¡± the innkeeper said.

    ¡°I want the fish!¡± Anna replied. The innkeeper nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the roast meat, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the stew,¡± Voekeer said.

    Elaine ordered the roast meat as did Barika and Rose. Lyreen ordered the greens.

    ¡°We have ale, wine, mead, and cider,¡± the innkeeper said.

    ¡°Is the mead sweet?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, very,¡± the innkeeper replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have that,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Do you like sweet drinks?¡± the innkeeper asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied, smiling at the thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you out some cider as well. It¡¯s sweet as well. I think you¡¯ll like it,¡± the innkeeper replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said. Her friends ordered what they wanted to drink, and then the innkeeper left.

    ¡°She was nice,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Just wait till she brings back the food and tells us about it, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to do that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s another thing we do,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Why do they all look like someone died? That sounds fun!

    She sipped the water while waiting for the food. Her friends were talking about the journey again. She already heard everything each of them had to say.

    I wonder why people repeat themselves so much? Maybe it¡¯s because they can¡¯t remember everything like I do. Or maybe they¡¯re just bored?

    The innkeeper came back carrying a tray. The other elf was with her also carrying a tray with the rest of their food and drink.

    They sat the trays down, and the other elf woman left. The innkeeper passed out their food, stacked the trays, and slid them to the center of the table, then sat down with them.

    ¡°Those greens are from my garden. I have a greenhouse behind the inn, so we have fresh vegetables all year round,¡± she said. Lyreen poked one of the chopped leaves with her fork and stuffed it in her mouth.

    She looks like she likes it. I still don¡¯t get why people eat raw leaves like that. I mean, how hard is it to cook them? I like cooked leaves and meat. I wonder if you can cook bark ¡®cause it¡¯s kind of gross raw. Maybe wood would taste good cooked. I should try it some time.

    ¡°Now, because most of you wanted the roast meat, I¡¯ll tell you that I bought the meat from butcher this very morning, and that the pig was butchered today before the sun came up. I don¡¯t know how that man does it, getting up every day when it¡¯s still dark to work until after sunset, will the tree bless him for all he does,¡± the innkeeper said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine pork, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°A complement from a dwarf! I never thought I¡¯d see the day!¡± the innkeeper said.

    Thokri laughed and took another bite. Anna twisted a piece of the fish off with the fork provided.

    ¡°Careful. There might be a bone or two in it still,¡± the innkeeper said.

    ¡°Not the first bone I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Anna replied.

    The innkeeper covered her mouth and giggled. Anna looked up at her.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Think about what you said, child,¡± Barika replied. Anna pondered for a moment before realizing what the innkeeper was laughing about.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Bone is another word for pecker. Well, I haven¡¯t had any of those in my mouth, but I did eat some balls once,¡± Anna said. The innkeeper turned red and kept giggling.

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t need to say that last part,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Was it weird?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, but it sounded dirty,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh, right. I didn¡¯t mean it that way this time,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, sweety. I was just being bad. So, how¡¯s the fish?¡± the innkeeper asked, still smirking.

    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°There¡¯s a river nearby, and some of the boys go out to fish every day. I buy the big ones,¡± the innkeeper said.

    It¡¯s kind of pitiful compared to the ones I used to eat, but I really shouldn¡¯t say that. People get mad when you call things small, unless it¡¯s supposed to be small. Then they get mad if you call it big. I really don¡¯t get people.

    ¡°I lived in a fishing town. I used to eat fish all the time,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, that must have been wonderful. I love fish,¡± the innkeeper said.

    ¡°Oh, it was. My favorite was when we made fish stew!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That sounds interesting. How is it made?¡± the innkeeper asked.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really easy,¡± Anna replied. She then went on to describe how to make fish stew, at least the kind served in Fishport anyway.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the boys catch enough fish for a big pot, but I might make a small batch for myself.¡±

    ¡°You can use salted fish too, but it¡¯s not as good,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We don¡¯t get much salted fish in the great forest, but I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± the innkeeper said.

    Anna took a sip of the mead. It was very sweet and didn¡¯t have much alcohol in it. She nibbled the pickled cabbage next to the fish.

    Tangy and sour. I like it.

    She was surprised that elves served something like this. Everything she¡¯d been told about them suggested they liked bland food, but this was anything but bland.

    Maybe the dwarves were just being jerks. They don¡¯t like the elves for some reason. Every time I ask a dwarf why they don¡¯t like elves, they just say they like them just fine, but then whenever they talk about them, they go Bah! Elves or something like that. At least the elves told me why they don¡¯t like dwarves, but I don¡¯t think dwarves are all that uncouth or barbaric. They just like to drink and joke, that¡¯s all.

    She took a fork full of both the fish and the cabbage and took a bite. The tangy sourness of the cabbage blended with the smokiness of the fish, and it tasted wonderful. She made a happy sound, and the innkeeper smiled at her.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you enjoy your meals. Just let us know if you need anything,¡± she said as she stood up.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lyreen said.

    The innkeeper smiled again and then left. Voekeer looked around for a moment.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Lord Emerald?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if he was allowed in, so I over fed him, and he¡¯s sleeping it off,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of food,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It really was,¡± Anne replied. They finished their food, and the first elf came back out and cleared the table.

    I did like that cider!

    They paid for their rooms and were given a large iron key. Anna looked it over. It had some kind of enchantment on it, and while she didn¡¯t know what it was, she guessed it had something to do with the lock on the room.

    They climbed the stairs. They were clearly for elves and much taller than she was used to. Her room was at the end of the hallway near a window that had a large plant sitting on a table in front of it. The plant didn¡¯t really look like anything special. She looked at it for a few minutes and decided that it must be an elf thing to have a random plant sitting on a table in front of a window for no particular reason and went into her room.

    The lock clicked in a satisfying way when she turned the big iron key. She removed the key and put it in one of her belt pouches before turning the door handle and pushing the ornate door open. The inside of the room was well lit, even late in the evening. There were bright mana lamps on the walls and a huge glass window that was decorated with lead inlays of a huge tree.

    Anna undid her belt and set it on the small desk next to the bed. Then she pulled her dress off over her head and tossed it on the bed before walking over to the window and looking out. The view was of another street. There were still people walking around outside. One of them looked up, and his eyes went wide when he saw her. She smiled and waved. He waved back and nudged the man next to him who looked up as well.

    He grinned at her and waved as well. After a moment, the first man nudged the second and they walked off. She went back to her bed and laid down looking at the ceiling like she aways did before sleeping.

    I can¡¯t believe they polished the rafters here as well.

 Chapter 59

    She walked over to the window the next morning and watched the sun rise. Well, sort of. The sun was rising in the east, and this window was facing north, so she only kind of saw it, but watching the colors was fun either way.

    There were elves walking around on the street, but none of them looked up this time, so she wasn¡¯t being gawked at. After watching the street fill with colors, she got dressed and went downstairs.

    Her friends were already at the table talking to the innkeeper. She sat down next to Rose and smiled at everyone.

    ¡°What were you up to, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Watching the sunrise,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You were wearing clothes this time, weren¡¯t you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No, why?¡± Anna replied. The others just looked at her.

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry if you get any complaints. We can¡¯t keep her in her dress,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Who¡¯s going to complain about me being naked?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Wives everywhere!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh, them, yeah, sorry,¡± Anna said. The innkeeper just smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find us to be less jealous than humans are,¡± she said.

    ¡°Really, then what¡¯s wrong with Lyreen? She looks like she¡¯d going to fight any woman that even looks at Voekeer,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen looked horrified, but the innkeeper just laughed.

    ¡°She¡¯s just young. She¡¯ll grow out of it in a few centuries,¡± she said. The innkeeper took a sharp breath. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I know you won¡¯t be around then,¡± she added.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m immortal,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Anna! That¡¯s a secret!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s my secret, and what if I see her in, like, five hundred years? I¡¯d rather just tell her now so it¡¯s not a shock then,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You all can quit looking like that. She¡¯s not the first immortal I¡¯ve ever met,¡± the innkeeper said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes, young man, I have. I do run an inn on one of the main roads through the great forest,¡± the innkeeper replied.

    ¡°Right, sorry,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been away from home for a while, haven¡¯t you?¡± the innkeeper asked.

    ¡°Six years,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Runaway?¡± the innkeeper asked. Voekeer clammed up. ¡°From an old-fashioned village where everyone just does what their parents do, and you wanted to do something else. Father wouldn¡¯t listen, and mother wouldn¡¯t step in. Felt like you were trapped, so you ran. Something like that, right?¡± the innkeeper asked.

    ¡°Nailed it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve seen hundreds of you pass through here. Listen, my grandparents were like that. Came from a family of singers, and let me tell you, I can¡¯t carry a tune with both hands. Lucky for me, they kicked it when I was four hundred, so I took the coin they were going to use to send me to music school and bought this place. Best thing I ever did,¡± the innkeeper said.

    ¡°What about your parents?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Off in some traveling music show. Who knows when they¡¯ll be back, if ever,¡± the innkeeper replied.

    ¡°How old are you?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Eight hundred. How about you?¡± the innkeeper replied.

    ¡°Twenty-one,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Well, there goes my plan for the night,¡± the innkeeper replied.

    ¡°Excuse you!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, honey. You would have been invited,¡± the innkeeper replied. She laughed at Lyreen and Voekeer¡¯s faces before getting up and swishing away.

    ¡°I like her,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye, a fine lass,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s for breakfast?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Bacon and eggs, child. We know how much you like that,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Yay!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Would you two get that look off your faces. She was just fucking with you,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°How can you know that?!¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Because we turned in our keys,¡± Elaine replied. Lyreen blinked and looked away.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, are we going to go check on the wagon?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s already out front, and that fat rabbit has already been begging for table scraps,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°How much did he end up with this time?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°After nearly swooning from his cuteness, the innkeeper brought him in the back to eat from a bin of scraps. We haven¡¯t seen him since,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll have to roll him out again,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    They were brought a huge breakfast, and after spending far longer than usual, both eating and teasing each other, they got ready to leave.

    That¡¯s got to be the best inn ever! I don¡¯t know what the others have been so worried about. Elves are great!

    Anna gave her key back to the innkeeper in exchange for a sleeping Lord Emerald. The wagon was out front just like she¡¯d been told, so she handed the fat rabbit to Rose and climbed up on the drivers bench next to Thokri. She took the reins, gave them a flick, and the horses started off at a walk.

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    She guided them onto the street, setting off at an easy pace. Everyone in the town seemed to be moving at a relaxed pace, as if they didn¡¯t have a care in the world. Everyone smiled and waved at her, though she did smile and wave in the first place. They rode out of town and back onto the main road, heading northwest towards the dwarven mountain once more.

    A few days later, she pulled into a set of cottages early. It was raining so hard that she could hardly see in front of her face and had to use a few of her eyes to make sure they didn¡¯t ride off the road.

    Good thing my dream friends can see though anything. We would have had to stop on the side of the road if not!

    Her friends rushed into one of the cottages while she took care of the wagon and the horses. Tentacles sprouted from the ground and helped her undo the harness and then lead them into the barn. She looked around the barn and didn¡¯t see anything to dry them off with, so she put extra straw in each of their stalls.

    The tentacles had made sure that the wagon was as watertight as it could be, and one of them held a waterproof sack filled with rations. She¡¯d nudge them mentally to do this while she took care of the horses, and they nudged her back that they had finished. She had no way to really describe how it worked. There was nothing in a normal person¡¯s experience that even came close to it.

    Just another way I¡¯m weird.

    The tentacle tossed her the sack and disappeared along with the rest of them. They weren¡¯t affected by the rain. Neither was she for that matter, but she didn¡¯t see a point in keeping them in this world where they might get spotted by other travelers.

    I don¡¯t feel like explaining everything to more people again.

    Her friends had told her all long that her powers were nothing like magic or divine power or anything else really. They also caused a strange nervous feeling in others, as if something horrible was watching them whenever she summoned anything, though you had to be near whatever had appeared.

    She walked into the cottage and stopped near the door. Her friends were all naked with their clothes strung up near a large fire that someone, probably Thokri, had built in the fireplace. She dropped the sack next to her and steam started to rise from her body. She was dry within moments and casually walked over to sit on one of the beds. The others looked at her for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s warm in here. You¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said, knowing what they wanted her to do.

    ¡°But what if someone else come in?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine!¡± Anna replied, not really wanting to put everyone else¡¯s wet clothes on.

    Lyreen huffed but didn¡¯t pester. She knew Anna was possibly the most stubborn person in the world, and the more she asked her to do something she didn¡¯t want to, the more likely she was to suffer from some horrifying practical joke in the next few days.

    Voekeer got up and went over to the sack Anna had dropped. He picked it up and opened it, looking at the contents as he walked back over to the bed they were sitting on. He took out a few smoked sausages before tossing the sack to Barika who had held out her hand. She caught it and fished out a few chunks of dried meat before tossing it to Thokri. It went around the room before she got it.

    She took out more food than the others combined and started munching away. The others looked at her for a moment and at the pile of food on her lap, but they didn¡¯t say anything. One by one, they went to put their clothes back on, and after a few hours, the rain died down.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to head our own cottage now,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Elaine said.

    One by one, her friends got up and left the cottage, leaving her alone once more. Well, not exactly alone. Lord Emerald was there, but he was currently lounging next to the fire. She got undressed, figuring that no one was around anyway, and her belt was still a little damp and needed to be emptied to dry properly. If she heated it up too much, it would get hard and brittle.

    She emptied each pouch and set her things on her dress which was laid out on her bed. She hung the belt near the fireplace, but not too close, and then went back to her things.

    Oh, gross! All the bandages are wet, and something leaked on them!

    One of the wax seals had melted on a vial of pain relief potions. She bundled them up and tossed them into the fire.

    No saving that. Oh well, I have more in the wagon. Next time, I¡¯ll just hang my clothes to dry and use my power on my hair.

    She cleaned out the pouch and then went through the others. Luckily, that was the only vial that had spilled.

    Oh, good, the candy is safe. That could have been bad.

    She was wiping off the tins of foot cream when the door sprang open, and a few armed elves sprang into the room. They were all drenched and miserable looking. She stood up, and the lead elf swung his bow around and pointed it at her, drawing an arrow to his cheek. She put her hands up and smirked at him. ¡°You know, men usually buy me a drink before they try to stick something in me,¡± she said. The elf turned bright red and put his bow down. ¡°Let me go put some more wood on the fire. You all need to get out of those clothes and warm up,¡± Anna said.

    The elves just stared at her for a moment, so she put her hands down, went over to the fire, and started to stack wood on it before taking the iron tube and blowing on it ¡®till the fresh wood caught.

    Oh, wait, I shouldn¡¯t have bent over in front of them. That¡¯s what Elaine told me.

    She straightened back up and turned around to find the elves stripping off their wet clothing. Their wet packs were lined up next to the door as well as their armor. A few of them hesitated at their underclothing, but after taking another look at her, off it came. There was only one woman amongst them. The other nine were men.

    It¡¯s a patrol. Probably rangers. I hope they spend the night. Voekeer really wanted to meet rangers!

    An older elf walked over. It was hard to tell with elves, but he carried himself differently than the others, so she guessed he must be their leader.

    ¡°Sorry about that. It¡¯s their first time out, and everyone¡¯s jumpy,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was just as surprised as he. We¡¯ve been traveling through your forest for months, and you¡¯re the first people to join us in these cottages,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not our way to intrude,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I know. There are two elves in my party. We¡¯re adventurers. Anyway, they told me about that,¡± Anna said. He laughed.

    ¡°Elven adventurers with humans. They must be young. Well, it¡¯s none of my business. I hope you don¡¯t mind us intruding,¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. This place is for everyone, and it¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t plenty of room,¡± Anna replied.

    She looked around the large around, and even with the elves buzzing around, it didn¡¯t seem crowded. They hung up their clothing and started to unpack their packs. She went back to her things spread out on her dress and started to wipe them off again.

    ¡°Are you a healer?¡± one of the elves asked.

    ¡°No, I just make potions and creams,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You hear that, Corym! She makes creams!¡± the elf shouted. Another elf made a rude gesture in return. Anna eyed both elves.

    ¡°His looks fine to me, but yours is kind of short,¡± she said, looking right at the first elf¡¯s manhood.

    Don¡¯t laugh. Oh, don¡¯t laugh. You¡¯ll ruin it. Hold it in, girl! Do it!

    The other elves burst into laughter.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just cold. Yeah, that must be it,¡± Anna added.

    The elf scurried away from her quickly. She finally burst into a good belly laugh, earning herself a glare from the first elf.

    ¡°Oh, and if anyone does need that kind of cream, I have a few tins of it,¡± Anna said. No one took her up on her offer.

    She finished cleaning and drying her things and went to get her belt. Once she oiled it, she repacked it, folded her dress, and set it on the end of the bed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting dressed?¡± the elf woman asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna replied, sprawling on the bed. Lord Emerald hopped up next to her, and she pulled him next to her.

    She fell asleep instantly, as always. It was late, and she wanted to spend time in her dream world while she got the chance. She would be awake most of the time they spent in the wilds on watch.

    She woke up the next morning still surrounded by elves. She slipped out of bed and got dressed. The older elf opened his eyes and looked at her. She smiled, made like she was eating, and pointed at the door. The older elf shouted loudly for the others to get up, causing them to spill out of their racks.

    She left the cottage during the pandemonium and went to check on the wagon. The ground was squishy, and the mud squelched between her toes as she walked. She undid the back flap on the wagon and peered inside. There was some water, but not enough to worry about. She opened the flap the rest of the way and then went to the front to open that one.

    ¡°How is it?¡± the older elf asked.

    ¡°Some water got in, but our stuff is mostly waterproof, so nothing is ruined, though it might smell weird if we don¡¯t get it in the sun soon,¡± Anna replied. She squished her toes in the mud for a moment.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll just have to deal with it later,¡± she added.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get back on patrol soon,¡± the older elf said.

    ¡°I was just kidding about the cream, but I do have balm for sore feet,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I appreciate the thought, but we have our own,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Are you going to eat with us?¡± Anna asked. He shook his head no.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I¡¯m afraid,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    The rangers were out of the cottage and down the road before her friends got up.

    She cleaned up the cottage, hooked up the horses, and cleaned out the barn before splitting more wood. Her friends joined her towards the end, and when they finished, they left.

    I shouldn¡¯t tell the others. I think Voekeer would be sad he didn¡¯t get to meet them.

 Chapter 60

    The elven border crossing that led to the wild lands was far different than the one where they had entered the great forest. This one looked like one of the fortresses back in the human kingdom with dozens of steely eyed rangers patrolling the place.

    Anna pulled the wagon to a stop on the road next to the fortress. One of the border guards walked over to speak with them.

    ¡°It¡¯s not safe past this point,¡± she said.

    ¡°We know, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t really care what you do. I¡¯m just supposed to tell you that,¡± she said.

    ¡°Doing a fine job, lass. Can we go now?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Get moving,¡± the elf woman replied.

    The elf guard took a step back, and Anna got the wagon going again.

    The forest grew thick and unruly as soon as they were away from the border. She started to hear the calls of wild things all around them. Thokri picked up his crossbow and looked around.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s stalking us,¡± Anna said after looking through the eye she had floating above the wagon. Thokri nodded but kept holding the crossbow.

    As the day wore on, the forest got thicker still, and the trees grew tall, dimming the light. It was more than enough for her to see colors, so she wasn¡¯t worried about whether nor not the horses could see. She pulled the wagon to a stop late in the afternoon. A large tree was laying across the road.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to get another set of troll balls,¡± Anna said as she hopped off the wagon.

    ¡°You¡¯re just teasing, right lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°No, but don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t see any trolls around here,¡± she replied, smirking at him before walking over to the tree.

    I wonder when they are going to come out and tell us what they want?

    Naked elves surrounded them. They were shorter and stocker than the elves from the great forest, so they were most likely to wood elves, but she wasn¡¯t sure.

    As soon as she got near the fallen tree, they walked out of the forest pointing their bows at her.

    ¡°HANDS UP!¡± One of the wood elves demanded. She ignored him.

    He¡¯s shaking anyway. He¡¯s never killed anyone before, let alone a pretty woman.

    Anna grabbed the tree and flung it into the air. It sailed off into the forest falling a great distance away with a loud crash. The elves had watched it fly off and collectively winced when it landed.

    ¡°Did you need something?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No Ma¡¯am!¡± the elf that had threatened her replied.

    ¡°Good, then get off the road,¡± Anna said.

    She walked back to the wagon and climbed onto the driver¡¯s bench. Thokri had a stern look on his face, but his eyes danced with amusement. She flicked the reins, and the gawking elves scurried back into the forest.

    ¡°Thought you wanted a set of balls?¡± Thokri asked, bursting into laughter.

    ¡°I do, but elf balls are so small,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°HEY!¡± Voekeer shouted from the back.

    ¡°YOU OFFERING?!¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°HE¡¯S NOT!¡± Lyreen replied. Anna just laughed in response.

    They didn¡¯t run into anymore trouble and made camp for the night just off the road. Animals with seemingly no fear of people kept trying to join them for dinner, so Anna summoned a few tentacles to keep them away or toss them if they were stupid. Lord Emerald was chomping away on some wild plant that seemed to be growing everywhere.

    ¡°You sure it¡¯s okay for him to eat that?¡± Elaine asked. Anna shrugged.

    ¡°He was a wild bunny. He knows better than me on what a bunny can eat,¡± Anna replied. Lord Emerald looked up at them, still chewing a leaf. He paused for a moment before going back to eating.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t the elves live here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Gran told me we used to live in the forest all the way to the feet of the mountains, but there was a cataclysm tens of thousands of years ago, and we had to leave the northern lands,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°My gran told me the same thing. She also said something about the world bleeding when it happened,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°The world can bleed?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Yeah. It was probably just the molten rock that Thokri told us about,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°I wonder what happened,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°The only people who might know are the high elves, and they won¡¯t talk about it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    I¡¯ll get them to tell me one day.

    Despite the overabundance of stupid wild animals that needed to be tossed overnight, nothing bad happened. They packed up and got back on the road.

    A few days later, a caravan came towards them in wagons. The wood elf driving the lead wagon waved from them to stop.

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    HE¡¯S NAKED!

    Anna pulled the reins and stopped the wagon. He shouted something in elven.

    ¡°COMMON OR DWARVEN!¡± Anna shouted back, using the native words for both languages.

    ¡°WANT TO TRADE?!¡± the wood elf shouted.

    ¡°WHAT DO YOU GOT, LAD?!¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°FURS, SKINS, RARE THINGS!¡± the elf shouted back.

    ¡°That sounds fun,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    She pulled the wagon off the side of the road, and the elves did the same. They started to unload some of their goods, and her friends got out of the wagon to look. There were so many different kinds of fur for trade, she wasn¡¯t sure which one she should get.

    The wood elves unloaded the biggest fluffiest fur she¡¯d ever seen. It was so huge that it took four elves to drag it out of the wagon and unroll it on the ground. She walked over to it immediately. The fur was brown in color and so thick that her hand disappeared to her wrist when she touched it.

    Okay. Thokri said not to be too excited and not to give them too much in trade. So, what should I offer? What would they want for something this amazing? Oh, I know. I¡¯ll show them some of my teeth!

    She took out a basilisk fang and held it out to the wood elf standing next to the fur.

    ¡°This for the fur,¡± she said.

    He looked at the fang for a moment before his eyes went wide. He shouted something in a language that was similar to elven but not quite the same.

    A few more elves walked over. They passed the fang around repeating the same word over and over.

    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± one of them asked.

    ¡°We killed a basilisk, and I took its teeth,¡± Anna replied.

    They talked more in the odd form of elven. Her friends walked over to see what was going on.

    ¡°Is it not enough?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, No, it¡¯s enough,¡± the first elf replied.

    He put the fang in his pocket, and a few of the elves rolled up the fur and carried it to their wagon.

    ¡°You got that for a tooth?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah, they really liked it,¡± Anna replied. Lyreen was wearing a necklace made from shiny beads.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get that?¡± Anna asked. Lyreen smiled and fiddled with the necklace.

    ¡°Voekeer got it for me. There¡¯s a man over there that makes them!¡± she replied.

    Lyreen pulled Anna over to show her the necklaces. The man had a blanket laid out with a few on it. Anna looked at them, but none of them were better than her medallion, so she didn¡¯t trade for one.

    Each one of her friends found a few things they liked and traded for. The elves invited the party to camp with them for the night, and they agreed. They set up their tents off to the side and joined the elves at a huge fire they had built. The elves passed around a strange food made from crushed dried meat mixed with fat and nuts and berries. Anna took a bite from a small bar of the stuff.

    Oh, that¡¯s good! It¡¯s salty and kind of sweet with lots of fat!

    She kept nibbling on it and watched the elves laugh and tease each other about this and that, kind of like the party did.

    Some of the men brought drums out and started to play a rhythmic tune. The elven women got up and started to dance. They swayed with the rhythm, moving right in front of the men, pressing their pubic region right next to their faces or turning and wiggling their rears. Some of them even leaned over and jiggled their small breasts at the men.

    They sure are friendly. They have bigger boobs and butts than most of the elves I¡¯ve seen. Must be because they¡¯re wood elves. Is being so tall what makes other elven women flat?

    Anna pondered this new information for a moment, uninterested in the women. One strayed over and started to dance in front of a bright red Voekeer.

    She smiled at his discomfort and leaned forward.

    ¡°No touch,¡± she said as she shook her breasts at him.

    Lyreen glared at her but refused to stand when the woman pulled at her arm. The elf woman shrugged and went to Thokri who just smirked as she danced in front of him. Not getting the reaction she expected from the dwarf, she flitted back to the elf men.

    ¡°I wanna dance naked!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Whoever they dance for the longest is who they are going to have sex with tonight. See how some of the women over there aren¡¯t dancing?¡± Lyreen replied.

    She looked over at the group of wood elves and spotted a large group of women grinning at the dancers but not joining in. There were also a group of men sitting away from the fire that the dancers weren¡¯t coming near either.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Gran told me about the wood elves,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What about those wood elves that tried to rob us?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Just bandits. Every race has them,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Even dwarves?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, lass, even dwarves,¡± Thokri replied.

    She watched the naked elves dancing in the fire light, thinking about why people would turn to banditry.

    I guess they are greedy, or maybe desperate. I¡¯ve never been either. I wonder what it¡¯s like?

    It was clear who the women preferred after a while, and those lucky men were pulled into the dance with the women. When they started to get handsy with each other, she left, heading back to the wagon.

    I¡¯ve already seen what happens next, and I don¡¯t want to see it again.

    She collected some firewood and went to the small firepit Voekeer hand dug out. Rose walked over and took the armload of wood from her. She started to arrange the wood in the firepit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to watch either?¡± Anna asked.

    Rose shook her head no. She scraped a stick a few times, creating some dry fluffy substance that would catch a spark, and then proceeded to strike her flint and steel. As soon as the fluffy stuff started to smoke, Rose laid on the ground and started to blow on it.

    Having short hair makes that easy unless you have hair like mine. Then it doesn¡¯t matter.

    Rose kept blowing and managed to get a small flame to flare up. She started to feed small sticks to the fire, gradually building it up until it was fairly good sized.

    Anna ripped apart the wood and handed it to her friend when she needed it. She looked over and found that the armload was dwindling fast.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to go and get more,¡± she said. Rose nodded at her and then moved her hands as if she was tying something.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll bring you a bundle this time,¡± Anna replied.

    She walked into the forest and pushed her way through the brush that aways grew where the trees were thinned out. Like near the road, some people had to cut their way through, but sticks couldn¡¯t stop her, no matter how many there were.

    Once she got through the underbrush, she looked around for anything that would make good firewood.

    Can¡¯t rip the trees down. They are too wet when you do that.

    She found a fallen tree and kicked at it.

    Not rotted, but dry. This is perfect.

    She started to tear it apart. She¡¯d gone far into the forest so no one would notice the sounds she made. She gathered a good amount, but then remembered that if she got the tap root, she could make fire starters out of it.

    That would make it so much easier!

    She walked around to what was the bottom of the tree. The roots were huge. The half that stuck out of the ground were more than twenty feet tall, and the hole where they had been was deep.

    I¡¯m not getting in there. I¡¯d have to dig my way out if the tree breaks and it falls back on me.

    Tentacles appeared and started to tear huge chunks of the tap root off and pile them safely next to her.

    After she¡¯d gotten enough of the tap root to start fires for weeks, she bundled it and the wood up with lengths of twine before heading back to camp.

    This will make it much easier for the others!

    The rest of her friends were at the camp when she returned, and a pot was over the fire with the night¡¯s dinner bubbling away. She dropped the bundle of wood next to the firepit and took the tap root a few feet away to break it into smaller chunks.

    When she finished, she wrapped it up and put it in the wagon. She went back to sit at the fire and was handed a bowl of stew.

    Oh, Barika must have collected some wild herbs while I was out!

    They chatted about the wood elves while they ate. Lyreen and Voekeer told them about what they had learned from their families.

    I guess elves don¡¯t like wood elves that much.

    She didn¡¯t think they were so bad, at least the ones they had met today. The other ones were bandits, so they were bad, but these ones were nice.

    Once they finished eating, the others went to bed leaving her alone to watch the camp like usual. She didn¡¯t mind all that much.

    It would be nice to have someone to talk to.

    She looked up at the night sky and wondered who else was out here for her to meet.

 chapter 61

    She splashed Rose as she got into the river. Rose grinned and splashed her back. They both giggled.

    ¡°We could charge people to watch that,¡± Voekeer said.

    Rose splashed him, causing everyone to laugh. Anna put her arms around Rose and pulled her close.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re pretty, and you have nice boobs,¡± she said in her ear.

    Rose smiled at her and then dunked her under the water. Anna came back up and breathed out the water she¡¯d breathed in. Rose started to scrub the filthy little eldritch horror.

    Anna had been driving the wagon for weeks in the wilds, and the roads had turned mostly dirt. She didn¡¯t wash herself very often. She didn¡¯t really feel it, so her friends had decided to wash her at the next river. Rose volunteered to do the worst of it this time. They threw dice, but the men were exempt for some reason.

    A huge tentacle shot out of the water.

    ¡°Stop fucking around, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°IT¡¯S NOT ME!¡± Anna shouted.

    She picked up Rose and tossed her to Thokri. She squealed as she flew through the air. Thokri caught her and then ran for the shore. The rest of her friends were closer than they were so they made it out quickly. She was pulled under the water and deeper into the river. She twisted around to see a huge mass of tentacles with a massive beaked mouth.

    I¡¯m naked and in the water. Oh yes!

    She summoned her own huge tentacles. One grabbed the tentacle wrapped around her leg and snapped it. The monster¡¯s tentacles were nothing more than muscle and bone like any other living thing. Her tentacles were made from dreams and couldn¡¯t be broken.

    She started to crush the beast¡¯s tentacles with her own. A few of the huge ones she summoned wrapped around the writhing mass that made up its core. The huge beast started to thrash around. She pulled so much power from her black core that the water started to boil around her, but she didn¡¯t feel dizzy or anything, so she started to summon more of them. Eyes appeared as well. She looked at the monster to see what it really was.

    It¡¯s just a big animal. Oh well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t torment it.

    The tentacles squeezed and black blood streamed out from it as its bones were crushed. The thrashing ceased, and she sent the tentacles away. She swam to the surface and then back to shore. Her still naked friends gawked at her for a moment.

    ¡°TOSS ME THE SOAP!¡± she shouted.

    Thokri snapped out of it, picked up a chunk, and tossed it to her. She started to scrub with the help of her tentacles. The others didn¡¯t seem to want to stay near the river anymore, so they packed up and got back on the road.

    ¡°What was that thing?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°River kraken I think,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°The sailors used to talk about krakens. They said they ate ships,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard there are huge ones in the sea that can do that, but the river ones don¡¯t get much bigger than a wagon,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That one was. It was at least three wagons,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I wonder what it was eating?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Lots of whatever it was,¡± Anna replied.

    A few days later as they rode through the forest, she noticed something off to the side. She threw a piece of war shot into the forest. It struck an elk in the side of the head, blowing it clean off. She pulled the wagon to a stop.

    ¡°What is it, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Dinner,¡± Anna replied. She handed him the reins and walked into the forest to get the carcass.

    Maybe I can make some jerky out of this. We¡¯re running low, and I don¡¯t want to have to worry about if the others eat or not. Though they know more about food than I do, needing it and all, but still, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll like some fresh whatever this is.

    She¡¯d thought it was an elk at first, but it was way too big for that. Not only that, but the blood that was pouring out of its neck was filled with sparks of mana. She shrugged, tossed it over her shoulder, and walked out of the forest, trailing blood behind her.

    She walked out of the forest and over to where Thokri had pulled the wagon off the road.

    ¡°What in the fuck is that?!¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Donno. I thought it was an elk, but I guess it¡¯s not,¡± she said, dropping it on the ground near the wagon. It was bigger than the horses, and somehow more blood poured out of its neck as it lay there.

    ¡°Is it safe to eat?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone getting sick eating a magical beast,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Neither have I,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°They¡¯re safe. We need to get this bled before it goes off though,¡± Barika replied.

    The party went to work getting rope and other things they¡¯d need to butcher such a large animal.

    They had the carcass strung up, gutted, and skinned within half an hour. They built smoking racks and then started the fires while it bled out. They would need large smoky fires to preserve all of the meat. Once they finished preparing they took the carcass down and cut it up. A few large chunks of meat were kept to roast that day the rest was cut into thin slices and placed on the smoking rack.

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    ¡°I think these racks are bigger than yours,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Just a little,¡± Anna replied. They both chuckled and then headed over to see if Thokri needed help.

    He had built a huge fire pit to roast the choice cuts they had saved for dinner. She had gone into the forest to collect tasty wild herbs as well. He let the fire burn down to a bed of red-hot coals. Then he put the meat on the spit and put it over the coals. A tentacle appeared and started to turn the handle. Her friends looked at it and grinned.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s handy,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°More like tentaclely,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It works either way,¡± Barika said.

    Thokri went to the wagon and got out a small barrel of ale he had stashed way along with mugs for everyone. He jammed an iron spout into the barrel and filled the mugs. He passed out the mugs. Once he finished, he held up his mug.

    ¡°You¡¯re the best crew I¡¯ve ever worked with,¡± he said. They tapped mugs, and everyone took a drink.

    Wow! He broke out the brewbelly stuff! He must really be in a good mood! Better not spill any.

    They drank and joked around while the food cooked.

    I really like this. Everyone is so happy. Maybe we should do this more often.

    Rose squirmed for a moment and then pulled off her shirt. She undid her wrap, letting her breasts bounce free. She took a deep breath afterwards.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to wear that all the time, child. It¡¯s just us,¡± Barika said. Rose smiled at the priestess as she put her shirt back on and then sat down.

    ¡°Why do you wear that thing?¡± Lyreen asked. Rose pointed at her eyes, then jigged her breasts, and then waved as if she wanted someone to stop.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like it when people look at them,¡± Anna said. Rose pointed at her and gave the thumbs up.

    ¡°If I looked like her, I¡¯d dress like a two-copper whore,¡± Elaine said. Rose gave Elaine a look.

    ¡°What?¡± Elaine asked.

    Rose pulled up her sleeves and held out her hands, wrists up. The scars from the chains she¡¯d worn most of her life were still visible.

    ¡°Oh, fuck. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know when to keep my mouth shut sometimes,¡± Elaine said.

    Thokri chuckled.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Someone paying you to suck their cock,¡± Thokri replied, laughing harder.

    ¡°I know, right? She spends more coin on sex than I do on food,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°I DO NOT!¡± Elaine shouted.

    ¡°I only spent a few silver a day on food. How much did you spend on men?¡± Anna asked. Elaine chewed her lip for a moment.

    ¡°Shit!¡± she replied, causing everyone to laugh.

    ¡°Just find a blind man. It¡¯d be cheaper,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Oh, fuck off!¡± Elaine replied.

    After everyone laughed for a few minutes, Barika turned to Rose and smiled.

    ¡°Just wear whatever makes you comfortable, child,¡± she said. Rose smiled back.

    Anna stood up and started to undo her belt.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°She said wear whatever makes you comfortable,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Not you, child. Keep those things covered,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna replied, sitting back down.

    ¡°You think that meat¡¯s done yet?¡± Elaine asked. An eye appeared and took a look.

    ¡°If you like it red, then yes. If not, I¡¯d give it a few more minutes,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika and Thokri got up and went to the spit, slicing off large chunks of the meat onto wooden plates before sitting back down. Barika cut hers up and popped one of the pieces into her mouth. She groaned with pleasure as she chewed.

    ¡°Fuck it. I¡¯m getting mine now!¡± Elaine said.

    The rest of the party hurried over and cut chunks from the roasting meat. She was last but didn¡¯t mind. There was plenty, and she didn¡¯t really need to cook it, so the red still bloody chunk she ended up with didn¡¯t bother her all that much. She cut it up like Barika had done and took a bite.

    Oh, wow! This IS the best meat I¡¯ve ever eaten.

    They devoured the first serving and the second. Rose started to giggle after she ate the second plate. She smiled at everyone when they looked at her. Soon Voekeer was grinning and laughing loudly.

    ¡°How much did you give those two?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Just a mugful, lass,¡± Thokri replied just as confused as the others.

    After a while, the others started to act giggly just like Rose and Voekeer. She was perplexed by this. First, none of them had all that much ale, and second, they weren¡¯t really acting drunk, just silly, like Lyreen when she smoked the sparkleweed.

    She took another bite of the meat and watched them act weird. Rose fell over giggling. Elaine tried to pull her up, but she just fell right on top. They both broke into laughter, and after a moment, started to kiss.

    Nope, not going to happen.

    She knew that sometimes drunk people would do stupid things or have sex with people they normally wouldn¡¯t, and then regret it the next day, so she stopped them by picking Elaine up by the waist and setting her next to Thokri who didn¡¯t look too bad off.

    Thokri steadied her while Anna pulled Rose off the ground and dusted her off. Once she was sure Rose wasn¡¯t going to fall back over, she sat back down.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you all?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I like it!¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna looked at Thokri who just shrugged. No one seemed all that concerned, so she just sat back and enjoyed the show. Once she was sure everyone was done eating, she stuffed them in their tents and then cleaned up. She tended the smoking meat and wandered around, looking for tasty herbs, making sure to stay close enough to the camp in case her friends needed her.

    Oh, eggs, nice! I can fry these up with some of the sausages for breakfast. Everyone will love that.

    She collected the eggs and the bird that attacked her as she did so.

    Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be with your babies again soon.

    She stuffed them in the sack she¡¯d brought with her and poked around a few more bushes before heading back to get a fire started.

    Once she got back to the camp, she climbed into the back of the wagon and rummaged around in the supplies until she found the sausages. The others moved the food stuff around constantly for some unknown reason.

    She popped back out of the wagon and went over to the fire pit they¡¯d cooked the roast over. After starting a small fire and letting it burn down some, she put the sausages in the pan and let them heat up, rendering some of the fat out.

    Once they were good and crisp, she put them on a plate and broke the eggs into the pan. Using her fingers, she scrambled the eggs. She washed them first, so it was okay. Scrambling eggs was easier than flipping them when you had little fat and you were using your fingers.

    She ripped up a few of the herbs she liked and mixed them in with the eggs. She let them all cook until the eggs were firm and the herbs were soft before dishing them up on plates.

    Once that was finished, she gutted the bird and ripped off its skin before looking at it and then back at the dishes of food.

    ¡°Guess you¡¯re lunch then,¡± she said and hung it on the back of the wagon to keep it away from critters. She walked over to the tents, surprised that no one was up eating the food yet.

    ¡°WAKE UP, SLEEPIES!¡± she shouted, though not too loud.

    She heard Barika groan in pain. Anna rushed over to her tent and opened the flap. She was covered in sweat and holding onto her stomach.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Poisoned,¡± Barika rasped. Anna fumbled around in her bag and pulled out her ring.

    ¡°No, child. Mana poison must use herbs to clear it,¡± Barika said, pushing herself up. Her whole body glowed some as her blessing aided her.

    ¡°Can the goddess help?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Maybe for me, child, but I can¡¯t cure the others,¡± Barika replied. Anna fished around in her belt and pulled out a few powerful cure potions that should take care of just about anything.

    ¡°Will these work?¡± she asked. Barika took one.

    ¡°They can¡¯t hurt. Let¡¯s give them to the others,¡± she said and then downed it. Anna went to each tent and gave her friends one of the vials each.

    They were out of it. None of them even complained about how nasty that stuff is!

    She ate the eggs and sausages, not wanting them to go to waste, and waited to see if the potions worked. Barika cried out in pain, and she rushed over to help.

    ¡°It did work, child. We need the Erakt flower!¡± she said.

    ¡°What does it look like?!¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The size of your palm, five orange petals, and three long red stalks sticking out of a deep well in the center,¡± she replied.

    She rushed out of the tent and summoned an eye and large tentacle. She made it so they¡¯d keep her friends safe and then ran into the forest to search for the flower.

 chapter 62

    I hope I can find that flower!

    She summoned a dozen eyes to search as she ran. They were able to keep up, and unlike her eyes, they could somehow tell colors in the dark. That wasn¡¯t really needed at the moment because the sun had just come up.

    She ran and ran, spreading the eyes out in all directions. She didn¡¯t look through each one. Instead, the eye would tug at her if it spotted something like the flower.

    She ran deep into the forest but didn¡¯t find a thing. One of the eyes pulled at her, and she ran to it. She looked through the eye and spotted a strange clearing full of flowers.

    I don¡¯t see what she described, but I might as well look.

    She reached the clearing. It was huge and full of flowers.

    It has to be here!

    She sent her eyes away, not needing them to search the field. She walked into the field and was hit with a strangely sweet smell.

    Wow, that¡¯s a strong flower!

    She took a few more steps in, and a weird little butterfly flew up in her face. She waved it away and kept searching.

    Oh, wow! That one¡¯s glowing! I know it¡¯s not what I¡¯m looking for, but I should take it anyway.

    She crouched down and dug it up carefully. She learned from Barika that a lot of the time, other parts of the flowering plant could be used and often were more useful that the flower itself. She stuffed it in her back pouch and kept looking.

    Oh, a Trina flower! Those are super useful! I should take it too!

    Another one of the butterfly things hit her in the head. She batted that one away, sending it flying into the flowers.

    ¡°Come on. I¡¯m just gonna take a few. You can have the rest!¡± she said.

    She took the Trina flower and a few others. More and more of the butterflies buzzed around her. One of them twitched, and then its wings unfurled farther.

    A butterfly person? I didn¡¯t know there were butterfly people! I guess if there are spider people, there could be butterfly people, but, wow, they are so tiny! Hey, why are they casting a spell?

    More and more of the butterfly people unfurled and sparks started to float off them and swirl around her. She snatched one of the butterfly people out of the air and shook it, breaking the spell.

    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t hurt her!¡± another one said.

    ¡°Wait, you can talk?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, and let her go!¡± yet another one said.

    ¡°Why were you trying to do something to me?!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, we weren¡¯t!¡± one said.

    ¡°I can see mana,¡± Anna replied.

    They all scattered, leaving her holding one of them. She looked at the delicate creature. Really, all creatures were delicate compared to her, but this one was exceptionally so.

    ¡°What were you trying to do to me?¡± Anna asked.

    The butterfly person tried to wiggle loose, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen, so it just went limp.

    I don¡¯t have time for this!

    ¡°Just tell me where I can find a flower that has five orange petals and three red stalks coming out of a deep middle!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Let her go, and I¡¯ll tell you,¡± a butterfly person with bright colors said. Anna tossed the one she was holding away, and it flew off.

    I knew you were faking!

    ¡°Go that way till you find a stream. Follow the stream that way until you find a pond. It should be there,¡± it said.

    Anna trotted off out of the clearing and headed for the stream. She swore she heard giggles as she ran off, but she was moving too fast to be sure. She resummoned the eyes and sent them off to search while she ran.

    She found the stream soon after and then started to follow it in the direction that the colorful butterfly told her to go. The banks of this stream were covered in flowers. It was a pretty sight, but none of them were the ones she was looking for, so she kept going.

    She reached a large pond that was surrounded by flowers.

    Okay, I don¡¯t see the flower. Did those things lie to me?! I¡¯ll fucking squish them! Wait, no, I have to save my friends first!

    Unsure of what to do, she paused for a moment.

    A woman giggled.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Anna asked. The woman giggled again.

    Anna looked around and didn¡¯t see anyone.

    Well, that was weird. I mean, I¡¯ve heard whispers and stuff before, but never giggles. Oh, well. Time to go.

    She turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go. I¡¯m so lonely,¡± a woman said.

    She turned around quickly. In the middle of the pond stood a nude woman. She was waist deep in the water.

    ¡°What are you doing in the pond?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Please, come here. I¡¯m so lonely,¡± the woman replied, holding her arms out as if she wanted a hug.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Sparks floated from her mouth and surrounded Anna. Anna took a step towards the pond, grinning in a most unsavory way.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Come to me,¡± the woman said. Anna stopped at the edge, still grinning.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you company,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Please, come here. I need you,¡± the woman said.

    A tentacle erupted from the water and wrapped around the woman, lifting her into the air. She screamed louder than a human should be able to scream. Anna squeezed her and then gave her a good shake.

    ¡°So, you still lonely?¡± Anna asked, laughing hysterically at the look on the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°What is this thing? What¡¯s going on?¡± the woman asked. She looked panicked.

    ¡°That¡¯s my tentacle. I¡¯m giving you a hug. You said you were lonely, and you needed me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What are you?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Maybe you should have asked before you tried to put a spell on me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to kill you, I swear!¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Right, look, I¡¯ll throw you back if you tell me where I can find a flower with five orange petals with three red stalks coming out of a deep well in the center,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a flower like that before, but there might be one in the Grimgrot grove,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Grimgrot?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They look like butterflies, but they aren¡¯t, and they¡¯ll put you to sleep and eat you, so be careful,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°They sent me here,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Those little shits!¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Anywhere else?¡± Anna asked, not really caring about the Grimgrots.

    ¡°The dryads might know. They live in a grove towards the sunrise,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied before tossing the woman back in the pond. She cartwheeled away, skipping a few times before sinking. Anna bolted off, heading east, hoping to find the flower soon.

    It didn¡¯t take her long to find the grove. She had the eyes searching for it as she ran. The air was still when she walked into the patch of oddly shaped trees. There were no animals save for a few birds. She walked deep into the grove.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she said, but no one answered. She sent a few eyes out to explore and leaned against one of the larger trees.

    Where is everyone?

    A person walked out of one of the trees and looked at her.

    What in the fuck?

    ¡°What are you?¡± the person asked. The person morphed into a vaguely woman shape, though she looked like a woman made from the forest itself.

    I wonder what wooden boobs feel like?

    ¡°Do you speak?¡± the wooden woman asked. Anna¡¯s eyes darted up to the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry. I¡¯ve never seen someone like you before,¡± she said.

    ¡°My name is Alcea, and I am a dryad. Why are you in our grove?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Anna, and I¡¯m looking for a flower that has five orange petals with three red stalks coming out of a deep center,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why do you seek this flower?¡± the dryad asked.

    ¡°Oh, my friends were all poisoned, and Barika, she¡¯s a healer, she told me to go and get it to save them,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± the dryad said.

    Anna followed the dryad deep into the grove until they reached a large tree. She walked over to the tree and touched one of the huge roots that arched up from the soil. A flower just like Barika described sprouted from the root.

    ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± Anna asked.

    She¡¯d never heard of magic that could grow things before. The dryad walked over to her. Getting very close, she put her arm around Anna¡¯s waist and leaned in as if to kiss her.

    Wait, what is she doing? Does she really want to kiss me? Why would she want to kiss me? I¡¯m not a plant person or whatever?

    The Dryad pressed her lips against Anna¡¯s, slipped her tongue in between Anna¡¯s lips, and started to roll it around in her mouth.

    Gross! It tastes like a squishy wet leaf, and it¡¯s warm!

    The dryad kept kissing her for far longer than Vincent had before pushing her away and looking at her as if confused.

    ¡°What are you?¡± the dryad asked.

    ¡°You just stuck your tongue down my damned throat, and now you ask?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I thought you were beautiful, so I wanted to kiss you,¡± the dryad said quickly.

    ¡°Thanks, I guess. So, can I have the flower now?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°What flower?¡± the dryad asked.

    ¡°That one,¡± Anna replied, pointing at the root.

    ¡°That¡¯s a root,¡± the dryad replied.

    Anna turned and looked at the root that the flower was sprouting out of.

    Wait, where did it go?! I needed that!

    She turned to look back at the dryad, but she was gone.

    ¡°OH, COME ON!¡± she shouted.

    She walked over and ripped the root that used to have the flower in it out of the ground and threw it into the air. She heard what may have been a pained screamed but didn¡¯t really care. She just ran off out of the grove, hoping that she¡¯d get lucky and find the flower.

    She sent out even more eyes and had them look for more than just the flower. Now they would tell her if they came across any people living in the forest in the hopes that anyone living out here would know where the flower grew.

    It was late in the afternoon, nearly evening, when she found a village deep in the forest.

    There¡¯s no way anyone could have gotten out here in a day.

    The village was primitive with huts made from raw sticks and mud with mossy roofs. The inhabitants of the village were a type of goat beastmen she¡¯d never seen before. She sent her eyes back to her dream world so as not to disturb the villagers too much, and then walked into the village.

    A few of the goatmen sprang out and started to play strange instruments that were a series of pipes tied together. The pipes were different lengths, so when the goatmen blew in them, they created different sounds. A few of the goatmen started to dance around her. They were all laughing and smiling.

    ¡°Have you seen a flower that has five orange petals and three red stalks coming out of a deep well in the center?¡± Anna asked. One of the goat men slid next to her and placed his hand on her rear.

    ¡°I have,¡± he said, giving it a squeeze.

    ¡°Can you take me to it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I will, but you have to play with us first,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Play with you?¡± Anna asked.

    He pulled her in, squeezing her rear. His other hand slid up her side and groped her breast.

    I¡¯M NOT PLAYING LIKE THAT!

    Before she could say no, he laughed.

    ¡°DANCE WITH US!¡± he shouted before pushing her into the arms of a goatwoman who took her by the hands and spun her around.

    Drums started to play, and more of the goatpeople joined in. They danced their way to the village center which was filled with even more goatpeople. She was passed around from goat person to goat person as they all laughed and smiled at her.

    A goat man poured wine into her mouth from a large wine skin. He poured it into the mouth of a goatman next to her when it gushed out of her mouth and down her dress. The goatman who had grabbed her rear when they first met pulled her to him again. His hand went right back on her rear.

    ¡°I need to get back to my friends,¡± Anna said. He laughed and smiled.

    ¡°Follow me. You did what I asked you to,¡± he said.

    They slipped out of the dance and off into the forest. He led her to a small brook where the flowers were growing on the bank.

    ¡°Take all you need,¡± he said. She went over, dug up a few plants, and stuffed them into her pouch.

    ¡°Go now, and if you ever need more, come back and see me. You have a very nice ass,¡± he said.

    ¡°Uh, thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    She darted away, running as fast as she could, back to her friends, hoping that it wasn¡¯t too late.

    When she reached the camp, she was hit by a powerful stench. She found her friends sitting around the fire stark naked. They all looked a little pale but otherwise fine.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, good, you¡¯re back. We were starting to worry,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I found the flower you asked for,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, well, your potion worked,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°It did? But you said to get this flower to save you,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes, child, we would have needed that, but your potion cleared us out just as well as that would have,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Boy did it clear us out,¡± Voekeer added.

    ¡°What do you mean cleared you out? And what¡¯s that smell?¡± Anna asked.

    Her friends all just looked at each other. She could tell they didn¡¯t want to say out of embarrassment more than anything else.

    ¡°Best shit I¡¯ve had in decades, lass!¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, where have you been all day?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°The flowers were really hard to find,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I realized that after I sent you out, but I couldn''t get your tentacle or eye to contact you,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my fault. I set them to only contact me if they couldn¡¯t stop something from hurting you,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika nodded. Anna sat down with her friends. Lyreen sniffed the air next to her.

    ¡°Why do you smell like wine?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Anna replied.

 Chapter 63

    ¡°I¡¯m not touching that!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°But you have the cleaning ring!¡± Lyreen whined. Anna took it out of her pouch and held it out to her friend.

    ¡°You can use it,¡± she said.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll run out of mana!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Then wash it in the stream!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Please?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Help me out here,¡± Lyreen asked, looking at Thokri. He pointed at his clothing which were hanging on a tree branch to dry.

    ¡°When did you do that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°While you were pestering her, child,¡± Barika replied, carrying her own clothes back from the stream to hang.

    ¡°But she has a cleaning ring!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°And you have clothes that are covered in shit, so wash them yourself like everyone else!¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen glared at her for a moment then stormed off towards the stream carrying her dirty clothes. Anna went over to the wagon. She needed to grease the axles anyway and wanted to do something while her friends cleaned up.

    Greasing the axles was an easy task for her, at least out here in the middle of nowhere it was. All she had to do was lift up the wagon with a tentacle and take the wheel off, a simple task for her. She didn¡¯t even need to use the tool to loosen and tighten the wheel nut.

    Once the wheel was off, all she had to do was wipe the grease off, inspect everything, and if it looked good, put new grease on and put the wheel back on. The whole job only took her about twenty minutes to do, but it had to be done every other day.

    When they were in the kingdom, they used a jack to lift the wagon and the nut tool to take the wheel nut off. It took about twice as long that way.

    She pulled the first wheel off and cleaned the old grease off. Everything looked good, so she slathered the grease back on and put the wheel back on the wagon. By the time she finished with the wagon, her friends were finished with their clothing. She cleaned the greasy rags off out of sight.

    I don¡¯t want to fight with Lyreen anymore, but I still can¡¯t believe she wanted me to clean up her shit!

    When she finished with the rags, she tossed them back in the wagon and went to sit with her friends. Lyreen was the only one that looked grumpy. The rest of them didn¡¯t seem to mind washing their own clothing.

    ¡°How¡¯s it looking?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Good, but I¡¯m going to need more grease soon,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t find a village, we¡¯ll have to start looking for bears, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye or two out for both,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Who¡¯d have a village out here anyway?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Wood elves, satyrs, bugbears, hobgoblins, all kinds of folks, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s a bugbear?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Looks like someone the lass here would fuck, only with orange fur all over,¡± Thokri replied, pointing his thumb at Elaine.

    ¡°HEY! Wait, no, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Elaine said. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have sex with one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Be careful, child. They are quite a bit larger than human men,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°So was the horseman,¡± Anna said.

    Everyone looked at Elaine in shock. She just smiled.

    ¡°I was curious,¡± she said.

    ¡°It fit?!¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Sort of,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised I didn¡¯t see you the next day, child!¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother you,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Wait! Did you watch?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°No, but I saw his pecker before they went in the back room,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Is that why you wouldn¡¯t go back with her after the first time?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What was it, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°There was this donkey¡­¡± Anna said. Barika held up her hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any more, child,¡± she replied.

    ¡°What kind of place did you take her?!¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°A few of the men at the necromancer¡¯s guild recommended it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Well, that explains it,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It means I wouldn¡¯t have gone to a brothel that a bunch of people who think corpses make for good furnishings suggested,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Point taken,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Anyway, how much grease do we have left?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°A week, maybe two¡¯s, worth,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You can use any fat from any animal if need be, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start hunting when we get away from here. I didn¡¯t see many big animals around when I was looking for the flower,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Probably all of the monsters,¡± Elaine said.

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    Rose walked back to camp. She started to hang her clothes up.

    ¡°Would you put something on!¡± Lyreen said as she walked back up.

    Rose flipped her a rude gesture and continued to hang her clothes. Lyreen huffed then went to hang her own clothing.

    Voekeer went over to help Lyreen hang her clothing which turned into him doing it. Rose walked over and sat down next to Barika. She tapped the priestess on the shoulder and then made a motion like shears next to her hair.

    ¡°Go get them, child. I¡¯ll trim you up,¡± Barika said. Rose went to the wagon, and Barika watched her rear as she went.

    I wonder if those two will ever do anything. I mean, I think Rose likes men, but she¡¯s never tried anything with one since I¡¯ve known her.

    Anna pondered that for a moment. The only other person in the party that didn¡¯t have sex as often as they could manage, other than her of course, was Thokri, and he didn¡¯t because he wouldn¡¯t cheat on his wives.

    Rose returned and handed Barika the shears. She sat down in front of Barika who started to clip away. Anna watched as Barika returned Rose¡¯s hair to the close cut one she¡¯d kept since they¡¯d cut it the first time.

    Rose got up and wiped herself off, then took the shears to put them away. She came back and plopped down with the rest of the party. They chatted while they waited for everyone¡¯s clothes to dry.

    It was a hot day, even under the forest canopy, and bugs buzzed around just outside the camp. Elaine had filled jars with some horrible black substance that reminded Anna of tar. Whatever it was, it did a good job at keeping the biting little beasts away.

    I really don¡¯t want to know what it¡¯s made from.

    It took hours for everything to dry in the humid forest air, but it did eventually.

    They packed up and left with clean clothes and a hundred pounds or so of smoked meat that the others seemed hesitant to take.

    I¡¯ll just eat it all myself!

    She couldn¡¯t see wasting food just because the others were nervous about it.

    They made good progress. In the next few days, she didn¡¯t find any large game and was starting to think she¡¯d have to start looking for fat badgers or other small animal to get her grease soon.

    They made camp for the night and sat around the small fire they had going, talking like they usually did. She heard talking off in the distance. It was in a language she¡¯d never heard before, and it sounded like whoever was doing it was heading their way.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming,¡± she said.

    Her friends picked up their weapons and waited. The biggest goblin she¡¯d ever seen walked out of the forest. He just stopped and looked at them for a moment before more of the huge goblins walked out behind him.

    What the fuck!

    No one moved for a moment. The huge goblins were apparently just as surprised as the party. Thokri said something in the language she¡¯d heard these goblins speak. They snapped out of their shock and started to talk to Thokri.

    ¡°Easy now. Just some hobgoblins out hunting. They thought we were bugbears out from a neighboring village and came over to say hi,¡± Thokri said.

    So that¡¯s what a hobgoblin looks like! I¡¯m glad I was so surprised and didn¡¯t toss them.

    Thokri walked over and talked with the hobgoblins for a while. They didn¡¯t seem too friendly, but they weren¡¯t hostile either. They left after a few minutes of back and forth with the dwarf. Thokri shook his head as he walked back over.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Lads wanted to make sure we knew not to hunt on their lands,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them stop me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We know no one can stop you, now hush child,¡± Barika replied. She looked at her feet.

    I thought it was funny.

    ¡°Did they say anything else?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye, that they did, lad. I asked where we could get some grease from, and they told me that the bugbears would have some. They also told me where their village is, and it¡¯s only about a day or so from here,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Is it off the road, or do we need to hike?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°According to those lads, the bugbears have a path to their village. They like to trade with folks that pass this way,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s worth a look,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I agree. Looks like you¡¯ll be getting to meet those bugbears after all,¡± Voekeer said. Elaine just grinned at him.

    They reached the path to the bugbears village the next day.

    Guess they meant a day or so walking.

    Anna turned the wagon onto the rough dirt trail, and they started down it. It hadn¡¯t rained in a few days, so it wasn¡¯t too muddy. They only had to push the wagon out of the muck a few times.

    The village came into sight a few hours later. It wasn¡¯t what she expected.

    No wall? I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see a village in the wilds without a wall.

    When they rode into the village, they were swarmed by children so much so that she had to stop the wagon. A few adults came over and chased the children away moments later. A huge man walked over. He looked like a furry orc, and when he smiled, he reveled tusks like an orc.

    Maybe they¡¯re like a furry orc race like elves and wood elves are, kind of the same but not.

    ¡°You trade?¡± he asked in a thick accent.

    ¡°We trade,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What you need?¡± the bugbear asked.

    ¡°Grease for the wagon,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°We have grease. What you have?¡± the bugbear asked.

    ¡°Coin,¡± Thokri replied. The bugbear spat.

    ¡°We no need shiny metal. What else you have?¡± he asked. Thokri looked around for a moment.

    Oh, I know. The wood elves like my teeth. Maybe the bugbears will too!

    Anna pulled out a giant spider fang.

    ¡°Teeth,¡± she said.

    ¡°Ah lass, they don¡¯t want¡­ that,¡± he said. He stopped talking when he saw the greed in the bugbear¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°How many have?¡± the bugbear asked excitedly.

    ¡°Some. How much grease do you have?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Some,¡± the bugbear replied.

    ¡°Hand me my tooth bag,¡± Anna said.

    She heard the others rummaging around in the back of the wagon for a moment before Barika handed her the bag. She took out one of the wyvern teeth. They looked impressive being as long as her hand and curved with a sharp point.

    ¡°We take!¡± he said, pointing at the bag.

    ¡°No, only one!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We bring much grease, you give more?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Maybe, let me see the grease first,¡± Anna replied.

    The bugbear turned and shouted something at some of the other bugbears that were crowded around. They rushed over and came back carrying huge skins. Anna handed the bag of teeth back to Barika and hopped off the wagon. The bugbears looked down at her, obviously surprised by how small she really was.

    She walked over to the skins, and one of the bugbears opened the top. Inside was a thick black substance. It smelled strange, unlike anything she¡¯d ever smelled before. She stuck her fingers in it and rubbed in on her thumb.

    Well, it¡¯s grease, but what in the world did they make it from?

    She went to lick it, but one of the bugbears grabbed her hand gently.

    ¡°No, not eat. Make sick. From ground!¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of grease from the ground before,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes, very good for wagon, but make sick if eat, so no eat,¡± one of the bugbears replied.

    ¡°How much for all of it, lad?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Twenty teeth,¡± the bugbear replied.

    There is no way I¡¯m giving that many of my teeth way!

    ¡°Deal,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°But Thokri, those are mine!¡± Anna whined.

    ¡°That grease is worth two gold for half a pound back at the mountain, lass. We can go and hunt for more teeth, but we won¡¯t get a deal like this again!¡± Thokri replied. Anna looked down at the skins.

    There must be two hundred pounds here¡­ Dammit, he¡¯s right!

    She sighed and nodded. Thokri let the bugbear rummage around in her bag. He took all the nice ones out, though only twenty like Thokri had agreed to.

    ¡°You stay with us for food!¡± the bugbear said. The bugbears all started to clammer around him.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯re staying for dinner,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    The bugbears loaded the grease into the back of the wagon and then led them to a place to keep it for the night. Once that was finished, they were brought to a huge rectangular house made from long branches and bark. There were two doors, one on either end of the building.

    When they went inside, there was a fire pit that didn¡¯t have a fire in it currently. There was a platform for with furs hanging off it covering part of the what would be the second floor. There was also another opening on the roof that was currently propped open.

    Must be to let heat and smoke out.

    ¡°Come sit,¡± the bugbear said.

    They took a seat near where the fire pit would be, and the bugbear sat next to them. More bugbears started to pile in, and soon they were surrounded by huge furry people. A skin was brought to the bugbear next to them, and he took a drink. He handed to Thokri who drank some of it.

    ¡°Tastes like mead,¡± he said. He handed it to her, and she took a drink from the huge wine skin.

    ¡°Good mead,¡± Anna added.

    She passed it to Elaine who took a drink. It went to each member of the party after that before being passed to the bugbears.

    More of the skins showed up when the first was emptied. Soon after, a drum started to play, and a few of the bugbears started to dance. The others clapped along with the music. Soon food was brought out. It was meat that had been mostly roasted over a fire.

    Her friends all looked at it sadly. After the undercooked magical beast, none of them wanted to eat rare food, but they also knew they couldn¡¯t say no. She, on the other hand, ate with the gusto only a person that knew for a fact that they wouldn¡¯t suffer any consequences could do.

    The bugbears were generous, and after a while, everyone was stuffed full of meat and mead. A basket filled with mushrooms was brought into the wooden house. Some of the bugbears ate a single one as it was passed around. When it got to the party, Thokri grinned.

    ¡°Time to go for a ride, lass,¡± he said and took two.

 Chapter 64

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Are these what I think they are?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking they¡¯re ironwood mushrooms, you¡¯d be right,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°And you just took two of the things?!¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Aye lass, but don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not my first time,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What do they do?!¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They cause hallucinations, child. Strong ones, and the more you eat, the worse it is,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°So why did you eat them?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°¡¯Cause it¡¯s fun, lass,¡± Thokri replied. Barika ate one suddenly, and then the others reached for them.

    ¡°Break them in half if you¡¯ve never had one before,¡± Barika said. Elaine and Rose split one, and so did Lyreen and Voekeer.

    ¡°You try too,¡± the bugbear said.

    ¡°It won¡¯t do anything,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, they good. You try. You see,¡± the bugbear replied.

    Shit! I have to, don¡¯t I?! Fuck it! I¡¯ll show them!

    Anna took a handful of the mushrooms and stuffed them in her mouth. She chewed once, then swallowed. They tasted nasty, and she wanted to get it over with. The bugbears looked at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°That too much!¡± the bugbear said.

    ¡°I could eat them all, and it wouldn¡¯t do anything. Just wait, you¡¯ll see,¡± Anna replied.

    The bugbear looked like he didn¡¯t believe her but didn¡¯t say anything. The basket was passed to the next bugbear, and it went around the room as well.

    Lyreen started to stare off into space. Her pupils got big, and she blinked a few times. She started to look around the room.

    ¡°Look at your hand, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    Lyreen held up her hand and looked surprised as if she¡¯d never seen it before.

    ¡°So many colors!¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    Elaine was the next to have an effect. She looked up at the ceiling and gasped.

    ¡°It¡¯s not real, child,¡± Barika said, patting her on the arm. Elaine looked at Barika terrified.

    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, child. It¡¯s not,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Elaine said sounding unsure. Barika smiled at her and kept patting her arm until the necromancer calmed down.

    The bugbears were doing the same with their friends or family, talking to them or calming down the ones that seemed upset. One by one, each of her friends started to feel the effects of the ironwood mushrooms, finishing off with Thokri. He didn¡¯t do much other than grin and look around the room.

    The bugbears kept looking at her. She smiled at them but didn¡¯t say anything.

    I bet they¡¯re all wondering what the fuck is this woman right now.

    None of them asked her any questions though. After a few more hours, everyone fell asleep, other than a few bugbears that were guarding the village. They would look in every once and a while throughout the night.

    She laid on Thokri who had fallen asleep. She wasn¡¯t willing to go to sleep herself, unsure if it was safe for all of them to sleep, but she also didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone that might wake up, so she closed her eyes and waited for dawn.

    She sat up when the bugbears started to stir and shook Thokri awake. He looked around with bleary eyes for a moment.

    ¡°What is it, lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s morning,¡± Anna replied.

    He groaned, rubbed his head, and then stood up. He kicked Voekeer who opened his eyes and then shut them quickly.

    ¡°Get up, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Voekeer said.

    He tried to roll over, but Lyreen was lying on top of him. He gently shook her, and she muttered something in elven. Thokri didn¡¯t waste anymore time. He went and kicked the rest of the party to wake them. Only Barika seemed to be fine. The others looked sick, like they drank too much.

    Oh, I know. I¡¯ll give them all some hangover cure. That will make them feel better!

    She took out one of the vials from her back pouch.

    ¡°Won¡¯t work, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna replied and stuffed it back in her pouch.

    They stumbled out of the building, and Lyreen threw up as soon as she stepped outside. This caused Elaine to throw up, and then Rose did. Voekeer managed to keep it down, and Barika and Thokri just chuckled at them.

    ¡°You could have warned us,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Where would be the fun in that, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I hate you both so much right now,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you all are complaining about. I don¡¯t feel a thing,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, fuck off,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna laughed but decided not to tease them anymore. She got the horses ready. A few of the bugbears came over to watch. The one that had done most of the talking walked over after a while.

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    ¡°You leave?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We have to,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You come back when you need more ground grease,¡± he said.

    ¡°If we pass this way again, we will,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said.

    They were brought a few skins of water to drink before they left, which her friends downed greedily. Once they finished, they said goodbye to the bugbears and headed back to the main road. She managed to get the wagon down the path without getting stuck.

    I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be any help today.

    Her friends were all sleeping it off in the back. Even Thokri and Barika were out. She could smell the strange ground grease.

    That stuff had better be worth it! I liked those teeth!

    She wasn¡¯t in the best of moods over it. She could have said no, but Thokri had already agreed, and he was always right, so she didn¡¯t want to argue, but she was upset he¡¯d traded her things away.

    I wonder why that lazy rabbit¡¯s not up here with me?

    She summoned an eye and looked in the back of the wagon to find Lord Emerald curled up with Rose.

    So that¡¯s how it is.

    She frowned and sent the eye away.

    Guess I don¡¯t get company today.

    She kept her normal eye out to watch for trouble, but after all these weeks in the forest, nothing more than some big predators had ever bothered them. She didn¡¯t count the weird stuff she¡¯d run into looking for that flower. None of those things were anywhere near the road.

    The predators ended up in her fur collection for the most part except the giant bird that couldn¡¯t fly. She didn¡¯t know what to do with it, so they had just cooked it like a huge chicken.

    Everyone liked the pillows we stuffed with the feathers.

    Later that day, her eye tugged at her. It had spotted something strange.

    OH FUCK!

    She pulled the wagon to a stopped quickly and surrounded it with tentacles. The ground started to shake, and moments later, huge cow-like things burst out of the forests. Luckily the tentacles were able to divert them around the wagon. Her friends popped their heads out and looked at the huge herd as it thundered by with huge eyes.

    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK ARE THOSE?!¡± Elaine shouted, trying to be heard over the sound of hooves beating the ground.

    ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW, LASS!¡± Thokri shouted back.

    A roar shook the forest, and the huge cow things bellowed in fear. Some ran headfirst into her tentacles. Whatever chased them drove them to such a blind terror that they were willing to ram horrors from beyond all reason than face it.

    The few beasts that had rammed her tentacles were stunned and flopped around on the ground trying to get back up. The ground shook more and more when whatever had been chasing the huge cows burst from the forest. It tore the trees apart, sending them flying. Anna¡¯s tentacles swatted any chunks that came close to the wagon away.

    The thing that stepped out made a troll look tiny. It looked, well, it didn¡¯t look like anything she¡¯d seen before. It had short hind legs with long forearms. It had hands, though the fingers were longer than any persons, and they ended in long black claws. It was covered in a thick looking mottled green hide. It roared again, drool spraying from its tooth filled maw, the moment it saw her tentacles.

    It rushed towards the wagon, glaring with six rage filled eyes, at what it must have thought were rivals in the hunt. It swiped at the tentacles. They reached out and wrapped around its wrist and squeezed. The monster pulled its arm back. She had pushed power into the tentacle so its grip didn¡¯t break.

    She formed one into a long blade and slammed it into the beast¡¯s chest. It only went in a few inches, nowhere near enough to stop such a monster. The beast grabbed the bladed tentacle and pulled it out of its chest, shoving it away.

    More power surged through her as she tried to push the tentacle back in. Her dress started to smoke from the effort.

    ¡°GIVE ME MY SWORD!¡± she shouted.

    She heard panicked rummaging before Voekeer slapped the general¡¯s black blade in her open palm. She jumped off the wagon with such force it rocked hard. She ran at startling speed towards the monster. When she neared, the tentacle let go. The beast did exactly what she expected and took a swipe at her with its clawed hand.

    She stepped out of the way and brought the sword down on its wrist.

    You¡¯d better not break, you piece of shit!

    She wasn¡¯t fond of swords. The only reason she kept this one was because it was made from adamantine. The sword didn¡¯t break from the impact. Instead, it glided through the beast¡¯s hide, flesh, and bone with ease. The huge hand flew off, and blood gushed out everywhere. The monster howled. It sounded more like rage than pain. She doubted many things even in the wildlands could hurt such a creature, so any injury it received was shocking.

    She used its shock to dart in and bury her sword to the hilt in its guts. At least, she thought she did. When she yanked the blade to the side to lay it open, she realized that she had only cut through its skin fat and some muscle. She jumped to the side before it could slap her away or stomp on her.

    She looked it over, trying to figure out if she could stab it to death or just keep cutting parts off ¡®till it bled out.

    Fuck it! It¡¯s worth a try.

    She jumped on the monster¡¯s back and ran up its spine. She slammed the sword into the back of its head. She buried the sword past the hilt, only stopping when it reached her fists that were clamped around the grip. She could feel the back of its skull shatter. The monster started to convulse as it fell over dead.

    The tentacles pushed it away from the wagon, and it fell on its side. She let go of the sword and landed on the ground hard. She just laid there looking up at the sky.

    Fucking, fuckty, fuck! I can¡¯t believe that worked!

    She heard her friends rush over.

    ¡°Are you alright, child?¡± Barika asked, sounding genuinely worried. She gave a thumbs up.

    ¡°Yep, nothing hurts me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why are you laying there then?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Because I want to,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame her. Look at the size of this thing!¡± Voekeer said.

    He walked over to it and put his hand on the back of its deformed skull. He reached up, grabbed the hilt of the sword, and gave it a yank.

    ¡°It¡¯s stuck,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± she said sitting up.

    She looked over at the sword. It was out of her reach, so she summoned a tentacle that wrapped around the hilt and yanked it free. The monster¡¯s head rocked some from the force, and Voekeer jumped back. The tentacle handed her the sword, and she inspected it.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not any worse than before,¡± she said.

    She stood up and looked around. The forest was destroyed all around them, and blood covered the road as well as the wagon.

    ¡°What a mess,¡± she said. The others looked around as well.

    ¡°What are we going to do with that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Can we eat it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°What? No!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a magical beast and a predator. It would taste terrible and poison us like the last one did,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°The dried meat didn¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°True, but it would still taste like shit,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave it out here,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Can you animate it, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s too big. I couldn¡¯t take it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d hear you say that,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Shut it, elf!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of it. Just let me get its teeth and claws first,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°How are you planning on doing that? This thing is huge, even for you?!¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Anna replied. She walked around to the front of its head, reached in the huge mouth, and started to yank the foot long teeth out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a sack,¡± Elaine said.

    She filled the sack and then moved on to the monster¡¯s claws. She looked at its hand for a moment before hacking off its fingers at the first knuckle, figuring she could clean the flesh off later. After that, she picked up the severed hand and held it up.

    ¡°We should keep it!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Why do you want that, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No reason,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen lifted her hand and sparks gathered around for a moment before shooting out and hitting the hand. It sparkled for a moment and then went dim.

    ¡°It should keep for a few weeks,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied. She set it aside and then looked at the monster again.

    ¡°So, how are you going to do it?¡± Lyreen asked.

    All the tentacles disappeared. The others looked around in confusion. Suddenly a single towering tentacle appeared. It was taller than the trees and bigger around than most of them as well. It reached down and picked up the dead monster by the neck before flinging it off into the sky. Her friends gawked at the monstrous appendage, and she looked at them smugly.

    ¡°It¡¯s so huge!¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna giggled, and Lyreen pushed her after she realized why Anna was giggling. The tentacle disappeared, and she headed for the driver¡¯s bench.

    ¡°Get in the back, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re covered in blood again. Don¡¯t want it to soak into the seat,¡± Thokri replied. She looked down at herself.

    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± she said, looking at her gore covered dress.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a tarp,¡± Voekeer said.

 Chapter 65

    Anna swung the axe at the thick tree in front of her. It bit deep into the wood making a satisfying sound when it did so.

    This is so much fun!

    She enjoyed cutting down trees, and the colorful leaves, fall leaves, that fell from them every time she hit them with an axe made it all the better.

    The others had talked a great deal about what they were going to do for winter shelter and had decided to build a cabin instead of trying to find a village in which to stay. Once that was decided, they found a clearing large enough for the wagon to be pulled into near a stream and decided to stop there.

    She swung the axe again, and a large chunk of wood flew free. She was working on a wedge shape in the side of the tree that would guide it in the direction she wanted it to fall.

    Just a few more swings, and I¡¯ll be able to move to the other side.

    She looked over at her friends. Thokri and Voekeer were hard at work cutting branches from the trees she¡¯d already felled while Barika and Elaine cleared the site where they¡¯d build their winter cabin. Lyreen and Rose were out hunting. Rose wanted to practice with her bow, and Lyreen offered to use her tracking magic to find game.

    She moved to the other side of the tree after cutting a few more large chucks out. She was relentless, and after a few minutes, the tree swayed, and the sound of cracking wood echoed through the forest.

    The tree moved slowly at first but built up speed, tearing the branches off nearby trees at it fell. It hit the ground with a thump. She moved to the next tree but didn¡¯t start to cut it. She held up the axe to inspect the blade.

    Getting a little dull. I should go sharpen it. A dull axe is more dangerous than a sharp one after all.

    She started to walk back to the wagon. She heard the men stop working and looked over. They were following her.

    ¡°Seemed like a good time to take a break,¡± Voekeer said, noticing her puzzled look.

    Elaine and Barika stopped cutting the brush down as well, joining them at the wagon. A tentacle poked out of the wagon holding the sharping stone. Anna took it and unwrapped the coarse cloth that protected it. She climbed up on the wagon and sat down, tossing the cloth over her leg, and then proceeded to rub the blade of the axe against the stone. It was a cheap axe made from wrought iron with a strip of steel welded to the front to serve as the blade.

    Thokri had argued that they needed to buy quality axes, but she had argued that there wasn¡¯t a point because she could just rip the trees out of the ground. Her argument won out, so they had a few of the cheap ones, and honestly, they¡¯d only used them a few times in the months they¡¯d been on the road, so she¡¯d been right.

    ¡°We should have enough logs by the end of the week,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Once we finish the cabin, we¡¯ll need to cut more brush and dry it to feed the horses over the winter,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°Aye, better get some of that back cream ready, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Got plenty,¡± Anna replied. She held the axe up and inspected the blade before gently rubbing her finger along it.

    Good enough for an axe.

    She wrapped the stone up and set it on the back of the wagon. She¡¯d need it again anyway.

    She slid off the wagon and walked back over to the trees. She found another one that was the right size and started to chop away. The others chatted for a while before returning to work. The only reason she hadn¡¯t stayed is because she wanted to get another five trees done before they stopped for the day to make sure they could start building the cabin by the end of the week.

    By the time the sun started to fall that evening, she had felled six more trees, and the men had cleaned four of them by the time they quit for the night.

    Lyreen and Rose had returned with a fat deer and had prepped it for dinner that night. She put the axe back in the wagon and walked over to the stream to clean up. She just pulled her dress off and dived in, swimming around some before running her fingers through her hair, trying to get the wood chips out.

    Once she finished, she used the sandy soil from the bottom of the stream to scrub the filth from her body before heading to the shore and picking up her dress. She washed the woodchips off it. She wasn¡¯t sure if the cleaning ring would remove them or not. She walked back to the camp when she was finished and passed the men on their way to clean up.

    The rest of the party was setting up the big tent. It was starting to get cold at night. No one was sure when the temperatures would drop below freezing, and they didn¡¯t want to risk getting caught in the small tents.

    She hung her dress from the side of the wagon and walked over to where the others were setting up the tent. A dozen tentacles appeared and took over. They had the tent up and staked in moments. Her friends just kind of looked at her.

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    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Do you mind unpacking for us?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Not a bit,¡± Anna replied.

    More tentacles appeared and started to pull things out of the wagon. Her friends walked towards the stream to join the men. She had everything unpacked and setup by the time they came back. She¡¯d even dried and cleaned her dress knowing the others still didn¡¯t like it when she sat around naked.

    They sat around the fire and ate the deer stew Rose and Lyreen had made.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to animate some skeletons to watch the camp. That way, we can all take it easy,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind keeping watch,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I know, but I need the practice,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to get boring out here. In fact, some folks get a little crazy when they are stuck in a cabin all winter. If anyone starts to feel restless, let me know,¡± Barika said. The others nodded as they ate.

    ¡°If it¡¯s me, I¡¯ll go for a walk. There¡¯s nothing you can do for me anyway,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°We can talk, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°We talk all the time. If I¡¯m getting weird, that means it isn¡¯t working, so I¡¯ll go for a walk,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika gave her a look but then just shook her head.

    ¡°Well, tell me either way. I¡¯d like to know if that sort of thing can even happen to you,¡± she said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied.

    They finished dinner and then cleaned up before heading into the tent. Anna flopped onto her huge fur and rolled around a few times before resting on her side. Her friends looked at her. Their jealousy was apparent. They crawled into their own bedding before putting out the light. She pulled her trusty dire wolf pelt over herself and went to sleep quickly.

    The rest of the week went by much the same as the first day. They cleared the camp site, felled trees, and cleaned up the logs to prepare them for use. She¡¯d found large flat stones to set on the ground and placed the first of the logs on top of them.

    A v shape was cut into the ends of these logs. They put reverse v shapes into the next set of logs and those were placed on the first ones. This was repeated until the cabin walls were eight feet off the ground.

    After that, they built the structure for the roof using shorter lengths of timber at an angle holding up the center beam. Smaller logs were placed on this structure before being covered with wooden shingles she¡¯d spent the last day making with a hatchet.

    Despite her doing most of the heavy lifting, and well, just about everything else, it took three days to finish the cabin¡¯s structure and several more to build the rest of the things needed to last the winter.

    I¡¯m just using my tentacles next time!

    They packed the tent into the wagon. They would not need it for the rest of the winter. She walked into the cabin. Lanterns hung on the walls gave off a yellow orange light. The horses made happy horse sounds when they spotted her from their stalls nestled on the far side of the cabin.

    You know, I thought this place was huge, but now that I look at it, it¡¯s going to be cramped with seven people and two horses.

    There was a huge fireplace on the north wall near the center of the room. It had been made from stones she¡¯d collected from the stream and held together with clay they¡¯d found near the stream as well.

    After letting it dry, they¡¯d had to fill in cracks that had formed several times before finally lighting a fire in it and looking for smoke leaking from any unseen ones. Once that was finished, they had built every person or couple a bed. They were simple slat beds covered in whatever the person sleeping on them used as bedding. Hers was farther from the fireplace than the others and covered with thick furs.

    And one fat rabbit.

    Lord Emerald was curled up on her bed sleeping, despite it being just past noon. She hesitated for a moment, wanting to join him for a nap, but she had a few things that needed to be done sooner rather than later, so she left the cabin and walked over to the wagon.

    The others were hard at work doing their own winter preparation, and it was up to her to get the wagon ready for the winter. It had already been emptied with its contents placed in the cabin. Tentacles undid the canvas from the wooden ribs that supported it. The canvas was folded and placed to the side. The ribs were removed and placed to the side as well.

    The wagon was lifted from the ground, and its wheels were removed. They were cleaned off and placed inside of the wagon, and the ribs were placed on top of them. After that, the canvas was placed in the wagon. A thick oil cloth tarp was wrapped around the top of the wagon to protect its contents, and then she placed it on several logs that had been carved into beams.

    There, now the axles won¡¯t sag, the wheels won¡¯t warp, and the canvas won¡¯t get damaged by the snow. That tarp should keep the water out of the cargo area too. Okay, time to get some firewood.

    She left the camp and walked out into the forest, summoning eyes to look for dead, hopefully dry, trees she could tear apart. She walked a long way into the forest before finding a patch of dead trees. She paused at the edge of the patch and sent her eyes in to look. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. It was just a large patch of dead trees in the middle of an otherwise lush forest. She shrugged and walked into the patch.

    When she neared the center, something wrapped around her throat and squeezed tightly. She was lifted into the air and came face to face with a huge rotted tree. Eyes opened on the tree and looked at her.

    ¡°What are you?¡± the tree asked with a mouth that opened in its bark.

    The stench of rotted plants filled the air when it did. She calmly pointed at her neck after it waited for a moment.

    ¡°Oh, sorry about that,¡± it said. It wrapped another branch around her waist and let go of her neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna,¡± she said when she could speak again.

    It squeezed her tightly as if it was trying to crush her for saying her name. She tightened the muscles in her stomach and reached down with her hand, grabbing the branch and digging her fingers into the tough wood.

    Foul rotted liquid poured from the gouges. It loosened its grip on her, and she let go of the branch.

    ¡°Now put me down before I tear you into chunks and use you as firewood!¡± Anna said.

    It screamed and squeezed her again, far harder than before. Branches shot towards her. They were grabbed by dozens of tentacles that appeared out of nowhere. Branches were snapped off or held in place by the tentacles. A tentacle wrapped around her chest and another snapped off the branch around her waist. She was gently placed on the ground.

    ¡°YOU FOUL CREATURE! I WILL SQUEEZE THE LIFE FROM YOUR BODY AND CONSUME¡­¡± it shouted before several of the tentacles pushed their way into its mouth, wrapping around its tongue, before coiling up and filling the whole space.

    The tree shook with fury, and its eyes rolled around as she wrapped a huge tentacle around its trunk and smiled.

    ¡°Firewood it is!¡± she said before a snap echoed through the forest.

 Chapter 66

    The door opened, and a cold wind blew into the cabin. Thokri walked inside with an armful of firewood.

    ¡°Snow started,¡± he said as he headed towards the fireplace.

    ¡°How bad?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get a few feet this week,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Normal for this far north then,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    He stacked the wood on a rack next to the fireplace and went to sit at one of the tables Anna made from wood left over from building the cabin. She¡¯d made a few other tables and chairs and placed them around the cabin as well. She was whittling a piece of wood into a bugbear at the moment. Rose walked over, picked up the hobgoblin she¡¯d already carved, and looked at it closely.

    ¡°Mind if I take a look at that?¡± Voekeer asked walking over to her bed as well.

    She handed him the bugbear. He looked it over a few times before handing it back.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing how much detail you can get with just a belt knife,¡± he said.

    ¡°I use my fingernails too,¡± Anna replied.

    She scratched at the wood with one of her nails, taking a sliver off. He nodded and walked away. It had been his idea for her to carve some of the scrap wood. He¡¯d shown her the basics when she was making the furniture for the cabin.

    He looks like he likes to carve stuff, but I think it makes him sad because of what happened with his family.

    She went back to carving, thinking of the bugbear¡¯s face that sold them the ground grease.

    I really don¡¯t know much about any of their families, except for Thokri that is. He loves to tell me about his children. The others told me a few stories back when we first met, and then again in the caves, but they haven¡¯t said much since. I mean, I met Elaine¡¯s brother and still don¡¯t know that much about him. I guess I should have talked to him more at the time.

    She looked over at Barika. The priestess was the one she knew the least about. Every time she¡¯d asked, Barika simply told her that the past was the past, and it was best left alone.

    She looked into the bugbears just carved eyes for a moment.

    I wonder what it would have been like if I had been made to look like you, or maybe a hobgoblin, instead of a human? What would my life had been like so far?

    This wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d had that thought, though it was the first time she thought about being a bugbear or a hobgoblin. There were so many ways things could have gone differently for her.

    She focused on the carving. If she started to imagine all the different ways things could have been, she¡¯d zone out, and the others would tease her about it.

    Rose set the hobgoblin down and walked over to Thokri. She put her fists up and then pointed at the clear spot in the room. They had decided to practice over the winter, and Anna had placed her thick fur on the floor to help limit the injuries from being thrown to the ground.

    It was easy to keep clean with her ring, and Lyreen had drawn a spell on the back to stop any dampness from the compacted dirt floor causing rot.

    ¡°Mind helping, lass?¡± Thokri asked, looking at Barika.

    ¡°Sure, I could use some exercise,¡± Barika said.

    Usually, Thokri would talk through a training session while demonstrating the technique by himself before having his student go through the motions while he watched. He¡¯d correct any issues he spotted before they practiced together.

    Now Rose had a hard time grappling with Thokri. They were around the same height with Rose being an inch or two taller, but he weighed two hundred pounds more than her and had arms as thick as her waist, so she just had a hard time getting a grip on him.

    Because of that, he usually enlisted the aid of one of the others. Elaine and Barika being the most common choices. The elves were far too tall to learn the basics with, and while Anna seemed to be the obvious choice, she wasn¡¯t according to Thokri.

    I still can¡¯t believe he called me a broom handle with tits and ass!

    ¡°Alright, lass. Go for a throw. Don¡¯t care which one,¡± Thokri said. Rose nodded, and Thokri looked at Barika. ¡°Don¡¯t make it easy, lass,¡± Thokri said.

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    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Barika replied.

    Thokri put his hand between the two women. They got into fighting stances. Thokri pulled his hand away, and Rose lunged forward. By the look of it, she was trying to use a back throw. It was a risky move to start out with, involving grasping your opponent¡¯s clothing and then rolling backwards.

    Barika saw what Rose was intending and immediately stepped to the side. Before Rose could react, Barika got a hold of her and slammed her into the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She laid there stunned. Thokri made a sort of pained half chuckle when he looked at her.

    ¡°Oh, lass. The horses saw that one coming,¡± he said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at said horses. Barika reached down and pulled Rose to her feet.

    ¡°Child, what have I told you about rushing in?¡± Barika asked. Rose just shook her head and sighed.

    ¡°Lass, you can¡¯t go fighting someone like her without thinking she¡¯s too good for that,¡± Thokri added.

    Rose shook it off and then got back into a fighting stance. Thokri clapped her on the shoulder and put his hand in between them again. Anna went back to carving her bugbear, having seen every move that her friends would be using. She heard another thump and a groan a few moments later.

    She lasted a little longer that time.

    The two of them went a few more rounds before Thokri thanked Barika who sat back down. Thokri took out one of the spears and handed it to Rose. Rose hesitated before taking the spear.

    During her time as a slave, which had been her entire life up until the last year, Rose hadn¡¯t been allowed to touch weapons, so even now, she seemed nervous around them. The only exception to this was the bow. She didn¡¯t have any problem using one of them.

    Rose was stiff, but she didn¡¯t look like she was expecting to be beaten at any moment like she did the first few times she¡¯d held a weapon.

    She¡¯ll be fine.

    Anna set the bugbear down and stood up, wiping off the wood chips that covered her dress. She went over, picked up the broom, and swept them up, tossing them into the fire. Once cleanup was finished, she went to the pot of food that was bubbling over the fire. They had started an eternal soup the day the cabin was finished, and it was getting better by the day.

    She took a wooden bowl from the stack next to the pot and then the ladle that hung on a hook nearby. She used the ladle to stir the soup a few times before filling the bowl. She returned the ladle to its hook and headed over to one of the tables.

    Elaine was currently staring at an organ from the magical beast. One of its kidneys to be exact. She had the organ sliced in two and was drawing it in a journal she¡¯d been writing in for most of the trip.

    ¡°What are you doing exactly?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, from what I had read, all the organs in magical beasts have some mana in them, so I¡¯m going to do an experiment with these. I¡¯m going to let one rot when we get back to Oldforge, and I¡¯ll keep the other preserved. I want to see how much of the mana turns into death mana and how much just dissipates. That¡¯s hard to do with normal flesh, so I figured this would be perfect,¡± Elaine replied.

    She pushed the tray holding the kidney over, and Anna looked at it. She could see green-blue sparks of mana in the complex organ.

    ¡°The mana¡¯s kind of greenish and blueish,¡± Anna said.

    Elaine wrote that down before pulling the kidney back. She picked up a small crystal and held it over the kidney. It glowed whenever it neared a deposit of mana. Elaine had drawn a sketch of the kidney and was marking the areas with mana in them now.

    ¡°Want me to help?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, thanks. I like to do my own research. Helps me remember,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said.

    She started to eat the soup, watching her friend. Elaine was dilligent in her work and seemed to measure every possible part of the kidney before placing both halves back into the jar.

    Elaine got up and returned to her bed, stashing the jar and her journal before retrieving one of the creepy books she¡¯d bought from the necromancer¡¯s guild.

    At least this one doesn¡¯t look at us.

    To be fair, even the ones that had eyes didn¡¯t stare at Anna. They aways seemed to look away when she came near. Anna finished her soup and returned the bowl and spoon to the stack after cleaning them. She went back to her bed to start carving again. She spent a few more hours carving away at the bugbear before setting him next to the hobgoblin.

    Thokri and Rose had finished training some time ago and were tossing dice with Voekeer. Barika and Lyreen were reading like Elaine, though she doubted any of them were reading about the same thing.

    Anna reached in her own pack and pulled out her drawing supplies. She held them for a moment, looking at the paper, thinking about what she should draw. She smiled and started to sketch out the huge magical beast that she¡¯d killed just outside of the bugbear¡¯s village. She took her time and drew it perfectly, just how it had been when the monster hand smashed the trees out of the way and walked out onto the road.

    Beth might get scared if I send this one to her.

    Anna thought about it for a moment and then realized that Beth was fifteen, nearly sixteen now, and wouldn¡¯t be frightened by a drawing. Barika sat next to her on the bed and brushed Anna¡¯s hair from her face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, child?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Beth¡¯s going to be grown up by the time we get back to Oldforge. She might even be married and maybe even have a baby, and I¡¯m still the same as always,¡± Anna replied. She turned to look at Barika. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll still like me?¡± Anna asked.

    Barika smiled.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you that she will because no one, not even the gods, can see the future, but I don¡¯t see why she wouldn¡¯t,¡± she said.

    ¡°What am I going to do if she doesn¡¯t, though?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Think about it this way, child. She¡¯s a girl from a small village out on the edge of nowhere who has a friend that has fought a goblin army, saved a princess, met the queen, found a holy relic lost to time, you even spoke to a god. I¡¯d say she¡¯s worried you won¡¯t want to talk to a boring girl like her anymore,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°But she¡¯s my friend,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°And you¡¯re hers, child, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°I never told her about the princess and the queen. I¡¯m not supposed to,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It will be fine to tell her in person,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Okay, thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Anytime, child,¡± Barika replied.

    She got up and went back to her own bed. The others were watching as well.

    I really can¡¯t hide what I¡¯m feeling, can I? Oh, well. At least I have good friends!

 Chapter 67

    The winter was slow and dull so when the spring came, they packed up and left the cabin as soon as the snow had melted enough for them to do so.

    Two months later just past her third birthday the forest ended abruptly, and she found herself pulling up to a border guard station. The dwarves had built a stout fortress next to the road. Several dwarves stood at attention. They were covered head to toe in full plate.

    One of the dwarves waved for her to stop when she reached the crossing. He walked over and looked up at her. The front of his helm was carved into the screaming face of the stone one.

    ¡°What¡¯s your business in our lands?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading home, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    The border guard looked over at Thokri and then nodded. He took a step back and waved them though without saying another word. She flicked the reins getting the wagon moving. The rest of the guards watched them as they went, standing as still as statues, not saying a word.

    I¡¯ve never met dwarves that wouldn¡¯t talk to you before. That was weird! I wonder if it¡¯s some kind of rule or something. I mean, the elves and the human guards talked to us, but these lads just kind of stared at us.

    The road grew wider, and much to her surprise, it was even smoother than it had been in the elven forest. Fields of grain were growing on either side of the road with the occasional herd of livestock grazing on the fallow ones here and there. It really reminded her of the human kingdoms so far, though the grain wasn¡¯t the same, and there were no humans to be seen.

    ¡°I thought dwarves grew all of their food in the mountain,¡± Elaine said. She had climbed out to look after the border crossing.

    ¡°No, lass. We can grow all the food we need to live, but my kind likes surface food, so we have farms all around the mountain,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Wait! All of this is just for luxury foods?¡± Elaine asked, looking out at the fields.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°How many dwarves live in the mountain?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Lots,¡± Thokri replied. Elaine looked out over the seemingly endless field clearings and wondered just how many dwarves counted as lots.

    Anna stopped the wagon at an inn just before dark. A dwarf waved for her to pull the wagon to a specific spot before walking over.

    ¡°Will the lads need anything special?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, just brush ¡®em, feed ¡®em, and stuff ¡®em in a warm stall,¡± Anna replied in dwarven. The dwarf laughed and grinned at her.

    ¡°Aye, lass,¡± he replied.

    Several other dwarves walked over and started to take care of the wagon. Anna, Thokri, and Elaine slid off the driver¡¯s bench. The others climbed out of the wagon and joined them.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you how it is with my kin before we go in,¡± Thokri said. The others nodded and were listening intently.

    ¡°First, we pay for everything up front, food, drink, rooms, all of it. It¡¯s like that so if a lad don¡¯t have the coin, he can work out a deal. What he¡¯s going to do for his meal. Second, sliding some coin to the server is fine, but just not too much,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°¡¯Cause they¡¯ll think you want to take them to bed,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Ohhh, yeah, I don¡¯t want that,¡± Anna said. Thokri put his hand on her shoulder and grinned at her.

    ¡°I know, lass. That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you. As for the rest of you,¡± he said looking around. ¡°If you want to give one of my kind a try, just ask ¡®em. Most of us are up for a good roll in the sack, and a lot will go both ways if ya know what I mean,¡± he added, wiggling his eyebrows at the others.

    The others didn¡¯t look all that interested in that. Thokri laughed at the looks on their faces and then gestured for them to go into the inn.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get some grub,¡± he said.

    No one argued with this, and they followed their excited dwarven friend to the entrance. He pushed the thick wooden door open, and they entered the inn.

    It wasn¡¯t built like any inn she¡¯d been to so far. Instead of having a bar in the back, there were just row after row of huge ale barrels. The tables that filled the room weren¡¯t the typical round ones where one group would sit on their own. Instead, there were long rectangular tables with dozens of chairs pulled up the either side.

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    Dwarves weren¡¯t like other races. They preferred to eat and drink with others, even if that other person was a stranger. Lanterns were hung round the room spilling their yellow-orange light everywhere. It was enough for her to see the colors in the room, so she knew that her friends could see.

    They walked over to one of the tables and sat at the end. The dwarves sitting there eyed them for a moment before getting back to their drinking.

    Oh, it looks like it¡¯s roast pork with chopped greens for dinner!

    They¡¯d been eating soup and stew for the last few months, and while it was good, she¡¯d learned why Thokri had told her having something good too much could end up being a bad thing.

    Their server walked over. He was a young dwarf dressed in simple workman¡¯s clothing that wasn¡¯t that different from what Thokri wore day to day.

    Most of the dwarves here are wearing the same thing, even the women.

    ¡°Need six rooms for the night with meals. Also, got two horses in the stable,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Two small silver, and if you want anything strong to drink, let me know. That¡¯s extra,¡± the server replied in a deep voice.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied, handing him the coins.

    The server took the coins and then went to get their drinks, taking mugs from a large pile, filling them up at one of the huge barrels, and setting them on a tray.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to give him some coin, lass, do it at the end of the meal,¡± Thokri said.

    Anna nodded, not understanding why, but like most social things, she didn¡¯t question the person who told her how to act.

    The server returned with their drinks, dropping them off without saying a word. A few dwarves held up empty mugs. The server took the mugs. He didn¡¯t go to refill them. Instead, he went into what she assumed was the kitchen based on the smell of roasting meat flowing from the open door.

    ¡°It¡¯s not what I expected,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What were you expecting?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A bunch of drunken dwarves punching each other and throwing up all over the place,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°That happens later, lass,¡± a dwarf sitting next to her said, causing several other dwarves to laugh.

    Lyreen just looked away. This seemed to encourage the dwarves. After a few minutes of ribbing, they went back to drinking, leaving the flustered elf mage alone.

    Their food was brought out and large plates of roast pork were placed in front of them. Anna didn¡¯t bother waiting and stuffed a large chunk in her mouth, chewing away with unadulterated glee.

    ¡°She¡¯s gone feral!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied, tearing another chunk of meat from the roast, grease and sauce dripping from her chin as she stuffed it into her mouth.

    Her friends laughed, as did the dwarves. She wiped her mouth off on the shoulder of her dress and then took a drink of the thick rich ale.

    She set the mug down and let out a belch that echoed through the room. The dwarves alternated between laughing and cheering. Her friends on the other hand just shook their heads.

    ¡°We¡¯re never getting her back after this, are we?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, child. We¡¯ve lost her to the dwarves forever,¡± Barika replied. They were both smirking in a way that let her know they were just teasing her.

    Though, I think they are worried I¡¯ll start acting more like a dwarf if they don¡¯t keep an eye on me at the mountain.

    She still didn¡¯t see a problem with it, but her friends did, so she tried not to get too bad around them.

    ¡°Will there be inns like this to stop at every night?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye, small towns too,¡± Thokri replied. Their map had ended at the beginning of dwarven lands.

    I wonder why there weren¡¯t any maps of Boulderfist Mountain and the surrounding lands in Oldforge?

    She picked up a fork and took a mouth full of the greens. They were well spiced and had butter melted into them.

    Thokri always says real dwarven food will stick to your ribs. I wonder if that means getting fat?

    Regardless of what he meant by that, it had nothing to do with her, so she kept right on stuffing her face with juicy pork and buttery greens.

    More dwarves arrived at the inn. These men and women were clearly farm workers. Still covered in dirt from the fields, they filed in and took up most of the available seating, including the seats next to her and Thokri.

    The dwarf sitting next to her smelled like dirt and sweat. He grinned at her for a moment.

    ¡°Been a while since we had humans through these parts, lass. What bring you folks out this way?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Heading to Boulderfist Mountain so my friend can visit his family,¡± Anna replied cheerfully.

    The dwarf nodded, but before he could say anything else, a server walked over and started to talk with the newcomers. The server was a dwarf woman, and the men started to flirt with her. She seemed to be happy about this and flirted right back. Anna ignored them, having no desire to be included in that conversation.

    They ate the rest of their meals and drank a few more rounds with the dwarves before heading to their rooms for the night, with the exception of Thokri who wanted spend some time with his people.

    They don¡¯t act the same as the dwarves that live in the human cities, that¡¯s for sure.

    She unlocked the door to her room with the oversized key and went inside. The room was large, though it was dwarf sized, so everything was wider and closer to the ground.

    She walked over to a table sitting next to her bed and took off her belt. She set the belt on the table, then pulled her dress over her head and tossed it on the belt. She took a deep breath. It felt good to be free of her clothing. She slowly walked to the window and pushed it opened, letting a cool breeze fill the room.

    She put her hands on the windowsill and leaned out, taking a deep breath as she did. Her room was on the back of the building, and the view was of a field of grain that seemed to stretch on to the horizon.

    She looked around, realizing that she¡¯d hear about it in the morning if someone saw her naked, but as luck would have it, there was no one out back at the moment. She looked up at the stars after watching for people a little bit longer. They were twinkling down on her like they always did.

    You¡¯re the first things I ever saw.

    She smiled and watched them for a few minutes before walking back to her bed and sprawling out. She decided to leave the window open because it was a nice night, and she liked the way the breeze smelled like a grain field.

    Sparks showered her bed for a moment before Lord Emerald appeared. He hopped over to one of the spare pillows and curled up in the ball before falling fast asleep. She smiled at him and then closed her own eyes, opening them in her dream world surrounded by wiggling tentacles.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± Anna said excitedly.

 Chapter 68

    Boulderfist Mountain rose into the sky. Its top was hidden by the clouds. The road they were on merged with a few other roads. There was only one way in on the surface, so it was necessary. She could see the huge entrance just ahead.

    There were two massive stone statues on either side of a huge gateway. Each was of an ancient hero of the clan that had fallen defending his home from invaders. Dozens of dwarves guarded the mighty gate, though they didn¡¯t stop anyone from entering the mountain.

    Thokri said there are gates that lead to the actual city inside, and they stop you at those.

    She knew she had to take the wagon to one of the warehouses to store it. According to Thokri, animal drawn wagons, carts, and carriages aren¡¯t allowed in the main city except for special circumstances.

    They rode through the gate, and she looked at the huge stone doors. They were carved with half of the stone one¡¯s screaming face so that when the doors closed, that¡¯s all an invader would see. Much to her surprise, the doors shimmered with some kind of magic.

    ¡°I thought dwarves didn¡¯t use magic,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We don¡¯t, but we can carve the runes,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, I remember you mentioning them once¡­ You never told me what they were exactly,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye, lass. That¡¯s because I don¡¯t know for sure. Only the runecarvers do,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    Just past the gates, there was a huge open space with gates on the left and far wall. The right wall was where the warehouses were located. She knew this because of the sign hanging just inside the gate.

    When they reached the right wall, Thokri made a sign at the dwarf that was guiding the wagons. He made a sign back, and Thokri replied. The dwarf motioned for them to go through one of the ten gates that lined said wall.

    Once inside, she was amazed by the sheer size of this warehouse.

    You could fit Fishport in here!

    Dwarves guided them deep into the labyrinthine warehouse before they reached a stall with an open gate. They got off the wagon, and a few dwarves started to unhook the horses. The party retrieved their personal belongings from the wagon, and then the dwarves unloaded it into the stall.

    Once that was finished, they pushed the wagon into the stall, and then a few of them started to take the wheels off in preparation for long term storage.

    Thokri was filling out a huge stack of paper and talking with one of the dwarves. Anna wasn¡¯t really paying attention to what they were talking about though. She was too busy looking around the warehouse. A dwarf rolled a hand cart over.

    ¡°Load up the cart,¡± Thokri said, putting his pack and coin chest in it. Thokri leaned over when she put her things in the cart.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pull the cart, lass. We don¡¯t want everyone knowing about you,¡± he whispered.

    She just nodded, unsure of why he didn¡¯t want people to know about her, but she trusted him, so she let it go. Thokri lifted the front of the cart using the handles, and they started to walk out of the warehouse.

    ¡°I want to see my kin before we do anything else,¡± Thokri said. Barika patted him on the shoulder.

    ¡°We¡¯d never dream of keeping you,¡± she said.

    He grinned at her, and they started for the gate that led to the main city.

    If one were coming in the gate, it would have been the one on the far wall with the one on the left leading to the foreign market. That was a place where non-dwarves could buy and sell things. Other races weren¡¯t allowed to own or rent property in the city and needed a pass to enter.

    Normally, at least according to Thokri, the passes were a silver a piece and only good for a while, but if a dwarf vouched for you, you could get one that was good for up to a year for free.

    They waited in line at the gate, and when they got to the guard station, Thokri put down the cart and walked over to the table covered in papers where an older dwarf man sat.

    ¡°You vouching for this lot, lad?¡± the older dwarf asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°How long they staying?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Few months at most,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll have you fill out for a long-term pass. That way, if anything happens, you don¡¯t have to come back,¡± the older dwarf said.

    Thokri nodded and was handed six sheets of paper. He started to fill them out as Anna watched people come and go from the city.

    ¡°Alright you lot. Have any of you visited the mountain before?¡± the dwarf asked.

    Anna looked back at him and shook her head no. The rest of the party did as well. He nodded.

    ¡°We dwarves don¡¯t live like your people do. You get that, right?¡± he asked. They all nodded.

    ¡°Good, now what I mean by that is that if your people do something a certain way, and it¡¯s not how we do it, then do it our way. This is our home, not yours, and we don¡¯t care what your elders, kings, masters, or gods tell you!¡± he said.

    ¡°Have you had trouble before?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Aye, lass. We have, and it¡¯s usually from humans,¡± the guard replied.

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    ¡°Really, what kind of stuff do they do?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Fuckers love to argue with us when we tell them they can¡¯t do something. It¡¯s aways but we do this back home, or our god says to do this. Shit, a few months ago, a whole fucking crew of them marched in here and demanded to see the forge lords saying they were obligated to forge new armor for some kid they said was their chosen one!¡± the dwarf said. Thorki stopped writing for a moment and just looked at the guard.

    ¡°You¡¯re shitting me, right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not about that I wouldn¡¯t,¡± the guard replied.

    ¡°Forgive my ignorance, but I¡¯m not sure why that¡¯s so offensive,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Lad, if some humans came to your village and demanded that the elder¡¯s drop whatever they¡¯re doing and reshoe their horses, and when they get told no, start hollering about how the gods demand it, how well would that go over?¡± the guard asked. Voekeer looked shocked, then disgusted. ¡°Aye, lad. You get it,¡± the guard added.

    Thokri finished with the papers and handed them to the guard who looked them over. He took six little necklaces that had numbers on them, marked the number on each piece of paper, and then passed them out.

    ¡°Those are your passes. Wear them whenever you¡¯re out. Only exceptions are the baths, but you got to leave them with your things there. Also, don¡¯t lose them. This one is free, but if you got to replace it, you have to pay ten silver,¡± he said. They all nodded. ¡°Now, go on and get,¡± the guard said, pointing at the gate.

    They passed through. Thokri took the lead, and they started to walk down a street that despite being inside of a mountain was still paved with stones. The street was narrow compared to the ones in human and elven settlements.

    Being inside of a mountain, there was a stone ceiling above them as well, and the buildings on each side of the road were carved out of the mountain itself.

    As they walked, she noticed that there were other streets of similar size leading off to the left and right every hundred yards or so. Each of those streets were constructed the same.

    She got a picture in her mind that the inside of the mountain was carved into squares. Doing some basic math in her head, she was able to guess that each of these squares had about a hundred little buildings in them, give or take of course because some of the buildings were bigger than others.

    She thought about how big the mountain was and then remembered that there were levels going up and down and blinked a few times at the sheer number of people that could live in this place.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Elaine asked. Anna just nodded yes and then went back to looking around.

    Every building was carved with intricate designs, and most had murals of various scenes from the dwarven legends painted on them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how bright it is in here,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Did you think we lived in some cave, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Well, no, but I know you can see in the dark, so I figured there wouldn¡¯t be much in the way of lights,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Bah! Just ¡®cause we can see in the dark doesn¡¯t mean we want to,¡± Thokri said. Elaine looked around and nodded.

    ¡°I get that,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Everything being grey gets boring after a few days,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but do you still see mana¡¯s color in the dark?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah, for me, mana glows, so it¡¯s like seeing the sparks from a camp fire at night,¡± Anna replied. Lyreen nodded obviously thinking about Anna¡¯s answer.

    They walked for hours before Thokri pointed at a building.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay here for the night,¡± he said.

    ¡°What do you mean, stay here for the night?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Lass, my home is five floors down and in the center of the mountain. It will be days before we get there,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Wait, what? Why didn¡¯t you say that to us sooner?¡± Lyreen asked. Thokri shrugged.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think about it,¡± he replied. Lyreen glared at him for a moment.

    ¡°My feet hurt anyway,¡± Elaine said, cutting in.

    ¡°I got foot cream if you need some,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Will you rub my feet too?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri parked the cart next to the inn, and they unpacked it. Once they had their things, they went inside.

    The inn was similar to the ones they¡¯d stayed in for the last few months, though a great deal smaller. There was a sign hanging on the back wall with the prices for food, drink, and a room.

    Not bad. Only a little more than the inns on the road.

    She¡¯d learned that the more people there were, the more expensive things tended to be. The oldest dwarf she¡¯d ever seen sat in a chair with a blanket over his lap. He looked at them and smiled.

    ¡°Come on in and sit. One of the lasses will have something out for ya soon. Drop yer coins in that jar over there,¡± he said in dwarven.

    Anna and Thokri took their coins out and put them in the jar. The others copied them, then they went to sit.

    ¡°You¡¯re an odd-looking crew,¡± one of the dwarves said, speaking common.

    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Adventurers I¡¯d say,¡± another added.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Strange work for a dwarf,¡± the dwarf said.

    ¡°Aye, so¡¯s wagging your gums, lad, but there you go,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Bah! I¡¯m speaking the truth, lad. Ya just don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± the dwarf replied.

    ¡°What are you trying to say, lad?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that you¡¯re not a proper dwarf! Running around with elves and humans doing what the stone one knows! You should be with your kin, lad!¡± the dwarf said.

    Oh, no. I should to something. Thokri looks pissed!

    ¡°HEY, LASS! BRING US SOMETHING STRONG! WE GOT TO SETTLE SOMETHING!¡± Thokri shouted at the barmaid who was filling mugs to bring them. The dwarf laughed.

    ¡°Yer on, lad,¡± he said.

    The barmaid started to fill mug after mug and set them on a tray. Thokri moved to the seat across from the dwarf, and they glared at each other.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°This is how dwarves setting little things,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I thought they just punched each other out,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°No, they do that for fun. If they¡¯re mad at each other, they do this,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied. The elf mage just shook her head and sighed in an exasperated fashion.

    ¡°Remember what the gate guard said, child. This is their home, and these are their ways. It¡¯s not for us to judge them,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Lyreen replied. The old man hobbled over and sat next to the two of them.

    ¡°Alright, lads. I¡¯ll tell ya the rules in case ya forgot. Ya can¡¯t touch each other or the drinks, and the first one to fall out loses,¡± the old man said.

    Both dwarves nodded. The barmaid brought the tray over and set it next to them. The other dwarves got behind the rude dwarf. They patted him on the shoulders and started to take some of the ales. Anna got up and walked behind Thokri. She took an ale.

    The dwarves glared at her, and she glared back. Anna looked at the rest of the party and motioned with her head for them to join her. Each of them took an ale like she had.

    ¡°What are we doing?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re his friends, so we have to stand with him,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Do we have to drink?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes, but not as much, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Alright lads, get to it,¡± the old dwarf said.

    Thokri and the other dwarf downed a mug and then slammed it on the table. They each took another mug and started to guzzle it. Anna drank from her mug and made sure to glare at the dwarves as best she could.

    She noticed that the dwarves were avoiding looking at Elaine. Anna turned to see the necromancer was smiling creepily at the dwarves instead of glaring like the others.

    I guess that works, too.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, lad? Not used to a real drink anymore?¡± the rude dwarf asked.

    ¡°Bah!¡± Thokri replied.

    The rude dwarf just laughed and downed another drink. A few rounds later, Thokri started to sway some.

    ¡°Not looking so good now, are you lad?¡± the rude dwarf asked.

    He doesn¡¯t look that drunk. What the fuck is going on?

    Thokri picked up another mug and started to drink it. About halfway through, he fell over, smashing his face into the table. The dwarves roared with laughter.

    ¡°See, I told you he was no dwarf!¡± the rude dwarf said, causing the other dwarves the laugh even harder.

    Anna yanked her belt knife out and slammed it into the table.

    ¡°Say he¡¯s not a dwarf again, and I¡¯ll shave you, lad!¡± Anna said speaking dwarven. The dwarf laughed at her.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try, lass!¡± he replied.

    She pulled the knife from the table and smiled.

 Chapter 69

    She drank some ale and then nibbled some of the pickled mushrooms that were on the table for breakfast. Her friends had joined her, though they were still waiting for Thokri. She popped the rest of the mushroom in her mouth and chewed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re eating those for breakfast,¡± Lyreen said with a disgusted look on her face.

    ¡°They¡¯re really good. You should try them,¡± Anna replied. Lyreen scrunched up her nose.

    ¡°No thank you!¡± she replied quickly. Anna shrugged and picked up another mushroom.

    She heard someone shuffling and looked over to see Thokri finally awake. She waved him over and gestured at his things which she¡¯d kept in her room that night figuring that he wouldn¡¯t be in any shape to drag them around first thing in the morning. He just shuffled over, and he downed the two potions she placed in front of him without questions. One was for the hangover, and the other was for headaches in general figuring that just the hangover cure might not be enough. He passed her the empty bottles back, and she stuffed them in one of her many belt pouches.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I let that fucker get to me like that,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°We all lose are tempers from time to time,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied. Then he sighed.

    ¡°I really have been away for too long,¡± he said.

    ¡°I thought fifty years wasn¡¯t that long for a dwarf?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Neither did I, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    He reached out, took one of the mushrooms, and popped it in his mouth. After chewing and swallowing it, he nodded.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know, right,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So how far is it to your home?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Take about two more days,¡± Thokri replied, stuffing another mushroom into his mouth.

    The rude dwarf walked out of the back. Thokri stared in shock at the now bald clean-shaven dwarf.

    ¡°The fuck happened to him?¡± Thokri asked.

    The others started to laugh. The rude dwarf dropped his key off and hurried out of the inn.

    ¡°He learned a valuable lesson last night,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Anna you want to see her try and do a thing if you don¡¯t want it done,¡± Barika replied. Thokri¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°Oh, lass that¡¯s just wrong,¡± he said. She shrugged.

    ¡°I warned him,¡± Anna replied. Thokri just shook his head and then laughed.

    ¡°Wish I could have seen the look on his face when ya got a hold of him,¡± he said. The others broke into laughter again.

    ¡°He started screaming like a little girl!¡± Elaine said.

    Once Thokri shook off the rest of his hangover, they took their things and left.

    Their cart was just where they had left it, so they packed it back up, and Voekeer took a turn pulling it.

    The inside of the mountain was identical. The only thing to look at as they walked were the murals painted on the walls of the buildings or the dwarves themselves, and even they got boring after a few hours.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get some food,¡± Lyreen said, holding her stomach.

    ¡°Yeah, and no pickled mushrooms,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you all don¡¯t like them,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Child, there are just some things a person shouldn¡¯t eat in the morning, and that¡¯s one of them,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Bah!¡± Anna said, causing her friends to laugh.

    ¡°We can stop up there,¡± Thokri said, pointing at a building.

    Anna looked over, and there was a sign that read ¡°Meals to Go¡±. Voekeer pulled the cart next to the door and set it down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll watch it. Just get me something good,¡± she said before her friends could take their things.

    ¡°Thanks, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    Her friends went into the food shop. She leaned against the cart and watched the people as they walked by. She really wasn¡¯t all that hungry after stuffing herself full of so many mushrooms that morning. The dwarves were all dressed the same, and they wore their hair the same, and well, the only thing different about them was whether or not they were a man or woman.

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    Dwarves are kind of boring in their home mountain. I mean, they seemed like so much fun when I met them in the human lands, and now, it¡¯s just all the sameness. Oh, I know, all the fun ones must leave the mountain or something. I mean, that would explain it! It¡¯s so boring here that any kind of different and fun just floats away like a cloud. I like clouds. They are so fluffy and fun, and they look like things sometimes. Well, not really, at least not to me. I have to imagine things they could be. Except for that time I saw boobs. They were really big and even had hard nipples. I wonder if it was Barika¡¯s goddess waving them around? I do that sometimes, just make them jiggle. It¡¯s fun to watch. That was probably what it was. Actually, it probably wasn¡¯t. Barika said the goddess doesn¡¯t really live in the sky. That¡¯s just the easiest way to describe the celestial realm. I wonder if I could get there. Barika said that she¡¯s going to go there when she dies, but I can¡¯t die, and even if I could, I don¡¯t worship the goddess, so I wouldn¡¯t go there.

    Elaine snapped her fingers in front of Anna¡¯s face. Anna looked over at her.

    ¡°Lost you there for a minute, didn¡¯t we?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, I was right here the whole time,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine smiled at her and handed her a bread roll. She took the roll and bit into it.

    ¡°It¡¯s filled with sweet cream!¡± she mumbled her mouth full.

    ¡°Chew and swallow first, child,¡± Barika laughed. Anna swallowed her mouthful and grinned at her friends.

    ¡°Thought you¡¯d like that,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I do!¡± Anna replied, hugging her creepy friend.

    Elaine patted her back with one arm. She held meat and cheese wrapped in flatbread in the other. Anna let her go so she could eat.

    They munched their food and chatted until they finished. Thokri wiped his hands off on his shirt before picking the cart up, obviously feeling better.

    They reached a series of ramps later that day. She marveled at the way the dwarves had carved the stone to create a huge spiraling pathway that led both up and down into the mountains stone.

    When they got onto the ramp, Voekeer grabbed hold of the back of the cart so that if Thokri happened to slip, he wouldn¡¯t get run over by the thing, and down they went.

    They stayed to the right-hand side. The left seemed to be reserved for people travelling upwards. They exited the ramp a few floors down and started their walk to Thokri¡¯s home. This level was indistinguishable from the ground level. The only way she could tell they were somewhere different was the street signs.

    They walked for the rest of the day, at least she thought it was the rest of the day. There really wasn¡¯t a way to tell underground like this.

    The inn they stopped at for the night looked exactly like the one they had stayed in the night before, save for the murals, which were of different legends. The other difference is that a young dwarf woman seemed to be running the place. They tossed coins in a jar she had setting next to the door and joined the other guests at a table.

    ¡°What brings you folks down here?¡± one of the dwarves asked.

    ¡°We had a good run with the last few contracts we took, so I figured I¡¯d come home and drop off my share with my wives,¡± Thokri replied.

    The dwarves seemed to like this answer, and they all nodded and stroked their beards.

    A dwarf girl that looked like she¡¯d be a teenager if she was human carried their drinks out and placed them on the table in front of the party.

    ¡°We have black stew if you want it,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s black stew?¡± Lyreen asked. The girl looked at the elf mage as if she was stupid for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a seafood stew up on the surface. We keep huge pools under the mountain that we harvest for food,¡± Thokri said. He gave the girl a look. ¡°Lass, how in the name of the stone one would a young elf from the surface know what black stew is?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Everyone knows what black stew is!¡± the girl replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it before today, child,¡± Barika said. The girl looked at the priestess, the shock apparent on her face.

    ¡°Neither have I,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had plenty of fish stew. I¡¯m from a fishing village near the great inland sea. The sailors used to bring sea fish back. Sometimes they were so colorful, some of them were even brighter than my hair!¡± Anna said holding up a few of her fluffy curls for the girl to see.

    ¡°What? Why would fish be colorful?!¡± the girl said. Anna just shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth, lass. I saw some fish like that on a trade run once,¡± a dwarf added.

    ¡°Aye, there¡¯s all kinds of strange things out there, lass,¡± another said.

    ¡°Now, child, why don¡¯t you go and get all of us some of that stew,¡± Barika said, smiling at the girl.

    She nodded and scurried off. Barika sighed.

    ¡°Shame we stop knowing everything when we get older,¡± she said.

    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth, lass!¡± a dwarf said.

    Other dwarves agreed. It seemed as if somethings were the same no matter what race you were. They chatted and joked with the dwarves while waiting for the food. The girl brought it out a few minutes later and placed a steaming bowl in front of each of them.

    Well, it¡¯s black, and it smells like fish and seaweed.

    Anna took a spoonful, and there were little chunks of flaky white meat along with strips of black plant that reminded her of seaweed. She took a bite and smiled. It reminded her of Fishport.

    Well, the fish tastes like normal river fish, but the seaweed is different. It¡¯s tougher and isn¡¯t salty at all. I wonder what they season it with because normally this kind of stew would be bland. It¡¯s not really stew either, though. Too thin. I¡¯d call it soup if I made it.

    The dwarf girl sat down at the table and looked at her with big eyes. Anna looked back for a moment, unsure of what to do.

    ¡°Can you tell me about the sea?¡± the girl asked, her voice getting higher with excitement.

    ¡°I never saw it, but the river that Fishport is on is so big, ships from the sea sail in and get supplies,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°A ship is a big boat, right?¡± the girl asked.

    ¡°Kind of. I mean, they do both float on the water, but a ship is huge! I saw one that was almost two hundred feet long!¡± Anna replied. The girl¡¯s eyes got big.

    ¡°Why was it that big?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It was full of spices from the islands,¡± Anna replied. The girl leaned forward.

    ¡°Tell me more about the big ship!¡± she said.

    Anna started to describe the spice ship to the dwarven girl. She noticed that the other dwarves at the table were listening in as well.

    Once she finished telling the girl about the ship, she started to talk about the sailors and the things they told her when she worked as a barmaid. By this point, she¡¯d caught the attention of everyone in the room, her friends included.

    When she ran out of stories about Fishport and the sailors, she told them about the strange things she¡¯d seen while on her adventures so far. A few times, the dwarves scoffed, but when she showed them the monster teeth and the strange medallion, they got quiet. Her friends joined in, adding their own versions, at least the version they had come up with as a cover for what had really happened.

    They told stories late into the night, drinking and laughing along with the dwarves.

    Now, these are how dwarves are supposed to be. I wonder why the dwarves last night were such jerks?

 Chapter 70

    They left the Inn early the next morning.

    At least, I think it¡¯s early. I mean, it¡¯s not like I can see the sun or anything, and the dwarves live in shifts, so I guess it¡¯s morning, maybe, sort of. You know what, I¡¯m not going to think about it.

    The streets on this level were the same as the ones on the first, though there were more houses and workshops than inns and shops in each block. The dwarves here rushed around doing whatever dwarves did when they weren¡¯t drinking or working. She was walking next to Thokri who was pulling the cart.

    ¡°So, this is where you grew up?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, lass. I grew up down on floor ten. I moved up here after I became a forgemaster. Met both my wives up here too,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, are your parents still on floor ten?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Are we going to go and visit them?¡± Lyreen asked. He hesitated for a moment.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and see them on my own,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Da don¡¯t like elves so much, and after what happened with the forge lords, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll like humans that much either. Ya don¡¯t want to deal with that, trust me,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just toss him if he¡¯s rude,¡± Anna said. Thokri gave her a look.

    ¡°Ya can¡¯t go and toss my Da!¡± he replied.

    ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, lass, you can¡¯t!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said. She looked at him with big innocent eyes for a moment.

    ¡°Bah!¡± he said, and she burst out laughing.

    ¡°Got you!¡± she said. He just shook his head but started to grin.

    ¡°Is that common?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No, I actually only tossed that one man,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Not that! I was asking if it was common for dwarves not to like elves!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Na. Da just got screwed in a few deals over the years, that¡¯s all,¡± Thokri replied.

    Lyreen nodded. She seemed to be fine with that answer.

    After walking for a few more blocks, Anna darted off, spotting a place that was selling food out of a big opening in the side of the building. She squeezed past the dwarves that were crowded around and right up to the front.

    The dwarf inside the building was putting handfuls of meat, mushrooms, and what might be vegetables into a round piece of possibly flatbread. She watched him pour some grey sauce onto it and then roll it up and hand it to a dwarf who dumped a copper on the counter. She watched him quickly make another one, and she snatched it out of his hand before another dwarf could get it, and dropped a silver on the counter.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, lass?!¡± a dwarf asked, clearly upset she¡¯d gotten to the food first.

    ¡°Easy, lad. I just paid for you and all these lads to get one. I¡¯m just in a rush, that all,¡± she replied. The cook looked down at the coin and grinned.

    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough for this lot, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Keep the rest,¡± Anna replied.

    The dwarves started to crowd around her. They were smiling though, so she didn¡¯t think they were mad at her. The one that had asked her what she was doing a moment ago put his big meaty hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Thanks, lass!¡± he said, giving it a squeeze.

    She took a bite of the wrap. It tasted wonderful. The bread was chewy and had absorbed both the creamy sauce and the grease from the meat which was tender and full of flavor. The mushrooms were fresh and chopped roughly, adding both an earthy flavor and an interesting texture. Lastly, there were the vegetables which she¡¯d never seen before, though they did taste similar to a few surface ones she¡¯d had in the past.

    She squeezed past the dwarves again, heading back to where her friends were waiting. The dwarves all patted her on the arms, back, and rear as she walked past in an appreciative manner. Voekeer gave her a look when she returned to the cart.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You just couldn¡¯t wait, could you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, this was the best smelling food ever!¡± she replied.

    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± he said, shaking his head.

    They walked away from the food place, heading towards Thokri¡¯s home.

    ¡°Hey, can I have a bite of that?¡± Elaine asked, walking next to her.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied, passing the wrap over.

    Elaine took a big bite and made appreciative sounds before passing the wrap to Lyreen who seemed very interested in it after the necromancer had deemed it worthy. The others ended up passing it around, each taking a bite before handing it back to her.

    ¡°We need to go back and get a few more!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Bah! They sell those all over, and that place was too close to the stone carver¡¯s guild. It¡¯s always crowded,¡± Thokri replied.

    They found another place selling wraps a few blocks away. This shop wasn¡¯t as crowded, so they got a large basket full of them to eat as they walked.

    They reached Thokri¡¯s home a few hours later. He grinned when he saw his home and put the cart down beside the door. They took their things. Rose picked up the sleeping Lord Emerald who had been hiding in the cart or with her the whole time.

    Traitor!

    She wouldn¡¯t have been so annoyed if he¡¯d been a normal rabbit, she and Rose were built about the same after all, but this bunny knew better, and he had been snubbing her for some reason.

    Thokri pushed the door opened, and they all walked inside. The main room was large and filled with chairs. There was a long table pushed up against the left wall, and the rear wall had ale barrels stacked up against it. There were people already sitting in the room. Two woman and what looked like twenty children all looked up with huge eyes at the newcomers.

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    ¡°Thokri?¡± the older of the two women asked, her voice wavering slightly.

    ¡°Aye, lass, it¡¯s me,¡± Thokri replied softly. The woman stood up and rushed over to him, pulling him into a hug, kissing him passionately.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± she asked once she released him.

    He pulled away slightly and looked at her in confusion.

    ¡°I sent letters, lass. Didn¡¯t you get them?¡± he asked. She shook her head no.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard from you in ten years, lad. Thought you might be off on the other side of the sea or something,¡± she said. Thokri just shook his head.

    ¡°Na, I just hooked up with a new crew, and we¡¯ve been pulling the coin in,¡± he replied.

    The other woman stood up and walked over to them. She threw one of her arms around Thokri and kissed him as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important, as long as you¡¯re back,¡± she said, hovering right next to his lips. The baby she was holding started cry, and she stepped back and started to rock the child.

    Thokri looked at the baby and then around the room.

    ¡°I see you two are watching half the clan¡¯s children,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye, pay is good, and the lasses around here need someone to do it,¡± the first woman said.

    ¡°So, how many of them are ours?¡± Thokri asked. The first woman looked around the room for a moment.

    ¡°Four of them. We got eight living with us right now, total. Your three are out of the house. The lads are doing the apprenticeship, and that lass of yours took after you and is off guarding caravans stone one knows where,¡± she replied. Thokri grinned.

    ¡°Might meet that lass out there some time then!¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± the first woman replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s the apprenticeship?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Remember when I told you how all dwarves spend time learning about every job, and then they can pick the one they like?¡± Anna asked. Lyreen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what they call it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, they leave home to do it?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yep. They¡¯d be about, oh, fifteen for a human or elf when they start and about twenty-five or so when they finish,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, where are the other four children then?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°All dwarves receive a basic education. They do that when they are old enough to not shit themselves to when they start the apprenticeship. They live at home while they do that though,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Wait, everyone gets an education?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes, I mean, why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Anna replied. Elaine didn¡¯t seem to have an answer for that.

    ¡°Oh, and they also have a choice to wave the apprenticeship and work with their parents if they own a business, kind of like that dwarf girl at the inn,¡± Anna replied. Elaine nodded in response.

    ¡°Drop your packs and come sit,¡± Thokri said.

    They put their things next to the wall and then introduced themselves to his wives. The first woman was his second wife, Gilira, and the second woman had been Bralla. Thokri was handed the baby while the two women went to get some snacks and mugs for the ale.

    As soon as the women left the room, all the children seemed to turn their attention to her. She smiled at them and scooted off the chair onto the ground. The moment her butt touched the floor, she was inundated with them. They climbed on her, pulled her hair, chewed on her a few times, and did the things young children always did when they found a colorful person like her.

    She didn¡¯t just sit there and let them get her. She tickled, tossed, and otherwise spun them up into a pile of giggles. She heard a laugh and looked up from the swirl of children to see Bralla grinning at her. The dwarf woman was holding a try of dried mushrooms and lichens along with bread. Gilira was standing next to her with enough mugs for each of them. Anna grinned back and stood up, gently prying little fingers out of her hair before sitting down. The crowd of children tried to climb on her a few times before giving up and scattering around the room to bother the rest of the adults.

    Gilira and Bralla set the tray and mugs on the long table.

    ¡°Come and get it,¡± Bralla said. Thokri and Anna got up.

    ¡°You get your own food and drink when you visit a dwarf¡¯s home,¡± Anna said.

    Her friends got up and followed them over to the table, dodging screaming children as they ran around aimlessly.

    ¡°You just had to spin them up, didn¡¯t you?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°At least they¡¯ll sleep good tonight,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°If they make it that long,¡± Gilira said.

    Anna picked up a piece of the bread. It was flat bread like the wrap had been. She piled up the dried mushrooms and lichens on it and then took a mug and went to fill it.

    She was able to fill her mug one handed but realized that maybe she should have done this first. Once the mug was full, she turned off the tap, walked over to the long table, and set it down, not wanting to sit back down and have to guard her food and drink from the children.

    She picked up one of the dried lichens and took a bite. It was crunchy and kind of salty, reminding her of the dried meat from Fishport. She ate the rest of it and then took a drink of the ale. It wasn¡¯t black ale like she¡¯d expected. Instead, it was a light amber color. She took a drink and found that it was mild and on the sweet side. She was a little confused as to why a dwarf would have ale like this in their home until she thought of the baby Bralla was holding.

    Oh, that¡¯s right. Women with babies in them shouldn¡¯t be drinking.

    She knew that dwarves were much tougher than any of the other races, so whatever little amount of alcohol that this ale contained must be fine. She picked up one of the dried mushrooms and stuffed it in her mouth. It felt like all the moisture was sucked out instantly. She took a drink of the ale which helped a little.

    Next thing in her mouth was the flatbread. It was soft and chewy and delicious, even better than the bread that had been used to make the wrap. She pulled another piece of bread off and ate it.

    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Just eat and talk,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I thought there¡¯d be more to it,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°As far as I know, yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, you got it right, lass. Our people figure the best way to get to know someone is to eat and drink with them,¡± Gilira said, walking over to them.

    ¡°I guess we aren¡¯t all that different, at least, when it comes to getting to know each other over food,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Most races are like that, lass. The gods must have all gotten together and picked things we have in common, that¡¯s all,¡± Gilira said. Elaine sighed.

    ¡°Too bad they didn¡¯t pick a few more things,¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye, ain¡¯t that the truth,¡± Gilira replied with a laugh. Elaine laughed as well, and then both of them grinned at each other.

    ¡°So, did you bake this bread yourself?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye, we bake bread every morning,¡± Gilira replied.

    They started to chat about food, and then for some reason about children. Anna didn¡¯t have any particular want to talk about either thing, so she finished eating her food then downed her ale. She walked back over to the ale barrel, preparing to fill her mug again.

    ¡°Over here, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    He was standing next to a barrel on the other end of the wall filling his mug. Anna walked over to him. A dark amber liquid was pouring out of the tap. It smelled like a strong spirit, and there was no foam in his mug as it filled.

    ¡°Dwarven whiskey, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°It just smells like whiskey. What makes it dwarven?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Dwarves made it,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, so that was dwarven bread I just ate and dwarven dried mushrooms?¡± Anna asked. Thokri frowned at her.

    ¡°Bah! You want some or not?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Is my butt bald?¡± she replied holding her mug out.

    She filled her mug with the dwarven whiskey when he finished with his. Both of them took a long drink of the powerful whiskey before letting out a long-satisfied breath. Bralla looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment.

    ¡°Is she yours?¡± she asked.

    Anna and Thokri looked at each other for a moment then back at Bralla. They both shook their heads no. She kept looking for a moment then shook her head.

    ¡°Never mind,¡± she said.

    There was a knock on the door and then it opened. A dwarf woman walked in. She was wearing workers clothing and was covered in dust.

    Smells like mushroom stalks. She must be a stalk worker.

    They were the dwarven equivalent of wood workers, which dwarves had, but they didn¡¯t use as much wood, so that job was less common. At least, according to Thokri it was. One of the children squealed and rushed over to her, hugging her leg tightly. She picked the child up and hugged him.

    ¡°There¡¯s my bug!¡± she said. She shifted him over to her hip and looked around. ¡°So, you finally dragged your carcass back, eh Thokri?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye, and it¡¯s good to see you too, Grudare,¡± Thokri replied. She just laughed.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you all be. I¡¯m sure you have all kinds of things to talk about. Thanks for watching the lad!¡± she said before leaving.

    ¡°Some history?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied, clearly unwilling to talk about it.

    ¡°Ex-girlfriend,¡± Bralla added.

    ¡°Oh, you have to tell us now!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Not going to happen, lass,¡± Thokri replied. Lyreen made a pout face.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t even told me about her,¡± Anna added.

    Lyreen huffed and walked over to the food. Voekeer scurried after her.

    ¡°She looks like a handful,¡± Bralla said.

    ¡°She¡¯s actually gotten better,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°How old is the lass?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re both in their twenties,¡± Barika replied. Bralla winced.

    ¡°What are they doing away from home?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He ran away, and she¡¯s just spoiled,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°And what about you? You look younger than them. What are you doing away from home?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m three, and I don¡¯t have a home,¡± Anna replied.

    And she doesn¡¯t believe me. No one ever believes me! I can¡¯t wait until I¡¯m over twenty. Then people will believe me.

    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Thokri said seriously.

    ¡°But how?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t born three years ago. I was made three years ago,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Made? What does that mean?¡± Bralla asked, thoroughly confused.

    ¡°Well, one night in the spring three years ago, a group of evil men kidnapped most of the virgin women from a human village called Fishport¡­¡± Anna replied beginning her story.

 Chapter 71

    ¡°And then we got here!¡± Anna finished. Both dwarven women just looked at her in a strange way for a few moments.

    ¡°Well, you lot lucked out, didn¡¯t you?¡± Gilira asked.

    ¡°Aye, that we did,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Like I told you before, lass. You¡¯re the reason we¡¯re up to our eyes in coin these days,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Now we just have to keep you from wandering off, and we¡¯ll be set,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wander off!¡± Anna said. Everyone just looked at her.

    ¡°Fine, maybe I do, but I come back!¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye, and usually with food,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I like food,¡± Anna added. The others laughed and shook their heads.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you all settled in. Come on, we have a few open rooms. You can pick which ones you like,¡± Bralla said.

    Most of the children had been picked up, and the families¡¯ older ones had returned from school and were playing with the younger children in the living room. Anna walked over and picked up her pack from the pile along with her coin chest. The rest of the party did the same, and then they followed their hosts to the back of the house.

    Wow, this place is way bigger than I thought it would be!

    There were at least fifteen rooms in the house. The first and largest one they passed was the room that the married adults stayed in. Anna peaked inside for a moment. It had multiple beds along with one big one on the back wall. She didn¡¯t get a chance to investigate further, not wanting to appear as if she was snooping.

    The next room was the nursery. All the children under a certain age would stay in this room so that the adults could come in and take care of them quickly.

    Next were the rooms for the children that lived with the family. They ranged in size, depending on the age of the child. The older the child, the bigger the room they got, unless the family had too many children. Then older children would take the smaller rooms, and the younger children would double up in the larger rooms. The largest rooms were reserved for guests and adult children that came to visit.

    ¡°Alright, go ahead and pick the rooms you want,¡± Bralla said, moving the baby around in her arms as she spoke.

    Anna just opened the door next to her and walked inside not really caring.

    I¡¯m pretty sure I lived in a closet in Fishport.

    The room was smaller than the rooms at the inns had been, but it did have a bed, table, and dresser, so it was just fine by her standards. She set the coin chest on the floor next to the bed and then put her pack down next to it. She went back out into the hallway where her friends were still looking inside of each of the rooms they had been offered.

    ¡°Follow me, lass,¡± Thokri said grinning.

    Anna walked after him down the hall and further into the house. He pushed open a door at the end of the hallway and gestured for her to go inside.

    IT¡¯S A BATH!!!

    She took off her belt and tossed it on the floor before pulling off her dress and tossing it aside as well.

    ¡°Soap and wash cloths are next to the wash bucket. Have fun, lass,¡± he said, grinning at her excited expression.

    She zipped over to the washing area. There was a spout with two hand wheels next to a bucket and a bench to sit on. She turned both of the wheels to full blast, filled the bucket with steaming water, and poured it over her head. She filled it again and used this bucket full to get the rest of her wet.

    She took the soap and a washcloth from a shelf sitting next to the faucet. She scrubbed off quickly and rinsed again before heading to the bath. It was nothing more than a large pool next to the back wall with steps leading into it that could be used as benches when soaking.

    She bounced over to the bath and hopped in, heading to the back wall, and sitting on one of the steps. The water came just above her breasts.

    Oh, wow, even the baths fit me here!

    Most of the time, the water came up to her neck when she bathed in human lands. She hadn¡¯t taken a bath like this when they passed though the elven forest. They had tubs like Lord Ender had in his house. They were all too big for her, of course, being elf sized.

    I can¡¯t believe he had a bath in his house! He never told me about his bath. He just told me that dwarves had public baths like humans but bigger, and they didn¡¯t separate between men and women like most humans do. Well, some humans. The ones at the guild didn¡¯t care, but the guild doesn¡¯t count as human I guess. I mean, everyone works there, and adventurers are all a bunch of weirdos anyway.

    Elaine walked in next, followed by Barika and Rose.

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re the first one here!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Thokri told me to follow him!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Did he tell you to jump in before the rest of us got here, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°No, but I wanted a bath!¡± Anna replied. Barika sighed but then smiled at her.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°So, how¡¯s the water, child?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s hot,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I could use a good soak after all this travel,¡± she said.

    The three of them stripped down and washed quickly, helping each other clean up before joining her in the bath.

    ¡°Fuck, this is hot!¡± Elaine said as she slowly lowered herself into the water next to Anna.

    ¡°I told you so,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You think boiling water is just hot, so you don¡¯t count,¡± Elaine replied after she had put her butt on the step.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault the dreamer didn¡¯t let me feel hot or cold like you!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not blaming you. I¡¯m just hot!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Once you get used to it, it¡¯s quite nice,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°It is starting to feel nice,¡± Elaine said.

    She put her arms about her head and then leaned back stretching. Her back and shoulders popped several times.

    ¡°Oh, gods, I¡¯ve been on the roadway too long,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°From your mouth to the ears of the goddess, child,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna stretched as well, though it didn¡¯t make her feel any different and nothing popped. She looked up at the ceiling at the intricate tiles for a moment. She heard the door again and looked back down. Lyreen and Voekeer had walked in and were heading to wash up.

    ¡°How¡¯s the water?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Hot enough to boil you,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, exactly what you¡¯d expect from a dwarf¡¯s bath then,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Elaine replied.

    The elves joined them once they finished, and they all just kind of sat there soaking for a few minutes.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m done,¡± Elaine said.

    She left the bath, walking over to a shelf with towels on it to dry off. Rose and Barika got up next and walked over to the shelf.

    I should get out too. I didn¡¯t want to be in here when they started groping each other.

    Anna got out of the bath and started to steam as she dried herself, not bothering with a towel. She was dry by the time she reached her dress and just needed a moment to cool off before she picked it up and put it back on. She didn¡¯t bother putting on her belt before heading out of the bath.

    She went to her room and dropped off the belt before heading to the living room and sitting down. The children were playing in the room, but all the adults were in the kitchen cooking based on the smells flowing from the room. She picked up a mug and filled it with the sweet ale before sitting in one of the chairs.

    The children were engrossed in a game she¡¯d never seen before, so they were ignoring her. Barika walked out first, followed by Rose then Elaine. They went to get ales as well before sitting in the chairs next to her.

    ¡°Whatever that is, it smells good,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It does. You know, I haven¡¯t had a good home cooked meal in years,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Neither have I,¡± Elaine said.

    The elves came out of the baths much sooner than she¡¯d expected.

    They probably smelled dinner too and wanted to make sure they got some.

    ¡°What are they cooking in there?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I can smell a few kinds of meat and a lot of spices,¡± Anna replied. Elaine groaned.

    ¡°You can have what they¡¯re having,¡± Anna said, pointing at the children who were still engrossed in their game. Elaine shot her a dirty look but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Hope you¡¯re hungry!¡± Bralla said, walking out carrying a large tray.

    Thokri and Gilira were behind her with equally large trays. They placed them on the long table. The moment they stepped away from the trays, the older children jumped up and rushed the table only to be stopped by their mothers.

    ¡°Guests first! You know the rules!¡± Bralla said in dwarven. The children looked dejected and moped around, waiting for the party to get their food.

    ¡°Come on, they¡¯re waiting for us,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t have that,¡± Barika replied. Anna went to the table and got a plate from the pile that was neatly stacked on one of the trays.

    She looked over the food. There was a pile of chopped meat covered in thick sauce as well as fried mushrooms mixed with subterranean vegetables. She used a large spoon to scoop a large portion of each onto her plate before taking some of the flat bread. She topped off her mug with the sweet ale and then went to sit. A small child toddled over to her and looked at her with big eyes.

    ¡°Hi?¡± Anna said in dwarven. The child just babbled something and then reached up with chubby hands.

    ¡°I can¡¯t pick you up right now,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°He wants you to feed him,¡± Bralla said.

    ¡°Oh, is that okay?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, just make sure to give him small pieces,¡± she replied.

    Anna broke off a chunk of meat and held it out for the child. He just opened his mouth, so she stuffed it in. He chewed it with his mouth open before swallowing it down and then opening his mouth again. Anna put another piece in his mouth, and he gobbled it.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to eat it all if you¡¯re not careful,¡± Lyreen said.

    She sat down near Anna. The others sat nearby as well, including Thokri and his wives.

    ¡°I can get more,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, but don¡¯t take it all. We do have to save some for Lobar and Eriben,¡± Gilira said.

    ¡°Lobar?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°My second husband. He works at the air pump with Eriben,¡± Gilira replied. Thokri grinned at her.

    ¡°Glad to hear it, lass. When did you two get hitched?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Been six years now,¡± Gilira replied.

    ¡°You his first?¡± Thokri asked. Gilira shook her head no.

    ¡°He got married to his first young. They were still living with her folks before we got together,¡± she replied. Thokri nodded.

    ¡°Wait, does that mean she lives with you all as well?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Gilira replied.

    ¡°So, uh, how does that work?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°We sleep with who we want to on sperate beds, lass,¡± Gilira said. Lyreen nodded.

    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± she said.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the big bed for?¡± Anna asked.

    The dwarves all looked at each other and grinned. They looked back at her after a moment.

    ¡°Sometimes we like to have a little fun with each other, that¡¯s all,¡± Bralla replied.

    The party was well and truly speechless. Even Anna hadn¡¯t known that last tidbit of information.

    Okay, I¡¯m just going to eat now and maybe it will stop being weird in here soon.

    She tore a piece off the flatbread and used it to pick up some of the meat. She popped it in her mouth and chewed. The meat was tender and greasy with a strong flavor. The sauce was probably what the others called spicy, but to her, it was filled with so many new flavors she couldn¡¯t help but make happy sounds while she ate. Bralla laughed.

    ¡°Does she always do that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Only when she likes something,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna looked up at them, still chewing, and smiled, her mouth still full. She swallowed the mouthful without chewing further.

    ¡°It¡¯s good!¡± she said. The dwarven women laughed.

    ¡°Well, try the fried vegetables,¡± Bralla said.

    Anna tore off a chunk of the bread and scooped up some of the vegetables. She popped it in her mouth and chewed.

    They¡¯re just fried vegetables with some salt and some kind of island pepper. I think they used fat from this meat to fry them in.

    She chewed and swallowed.

    ¡°Good,¡± she said before trying a bite with both.

    Oh, that¡¯s nice. I bet that¡¯s why they serve all these together. They really taste good like this. She kept munching, stuffing bites into the mouths of any children that walked over to her.

    Once everyone had eaten their fill, Thokri, Bralla, and Gilira carried the trays back into the kitchen, no doubt covering them to keep them warm for the other two men that would be home sometime later.

    Rose yawned and stretched. She stood up, pointed at the hallway that led to the rooms, and then put her hands on the side of her head, indicating that she was going to sleep.

    ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea, child,¡± Barika said standing up as well.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll turn in as well,¡± Voekeer said. Elaine just got up without saying anything.

    I kind of want to meet the other dwarves, but I¡¯m really over meeting new people, even fun ones. I guess I¡¯ll go to sleep and just meet them tomorrow with everyone else.

    She got up as well and started to walk to the back with the others. Thokri didn¡¯t look surprised by her decision. He seemed to know when she was over peopling for the day.

    When she reached her room, she stripped off her dress and laid on the bed, looking up at the plain stone ceiling before closing her eyes, and then looking up at a sky that looked back down on her.

 Chapter 72

    There was a knock on her door, and then it creaked open. She turned her head to see Elaine walking in.

    ¡°Wake up. We¡¯re going to be leaving soon,¡± she said.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Bralla offered to take us with her when she goes out for more food today. Want to come?¡± Elaine asked. Anna slid off her bed and went to get her dress.

    ¡°Did I sleep in?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, everyone else is up,¡± Elaine replied.

    I never sleep longer than the others. I wonder what¡¯s going on?

    She pulled her dress over her head and then wrapped her belt around her waist, fastening it tightly around her. She picked up the token and put it over her head, fluffing her hair out to allow the strap to rest against her neck.

    She followed Elaine out of her room, closing the door behind her. When they walked into the living room, everyone was sitting in chairs with children running around, squealing as they played. She noticed two new faces, both dwarf men.

    They must be Lobar and Eriben. I wonder which one is which? I hope I don¡¯t have to ask. That¡¯s always weird.

    There was a tray on the large table that had piles of flatbread along with a dish that had a greenish white substance in it. There was also a pot, but it had a lid on it, so she didn¡¯t know what it contained.

    She walked over to the table and picked up a plate, figuring she had enough time to eat.

    ¡°Spread the cream on the bread and pour the syrup over it,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    This is like the cheese bread I ate at the capital, except that cheese was from a goat, and they poured honey not syrup on it.

    She spread the cream on the flatbread with a wooden spatula. The cream didn¡¯t smell at all like anything made from any kind of milk she¡¯d ever had before.

    It smells like some kind of mushroom¡­

    She paused at the thought of milking a mushroom but then shrugged it off. She took the lid off the jar and using a spoon, dipped it in the thick black substance and drizzled a generous amount over the cream. She placed the spoon next to the jar and put the lid back on when finished.

    I guess I¡¯ll just treat it like the cheese bread at the capital and fold it in half. I can carry it around like that too!

    She folded the bread and then took a bite. It was sweet and creamy just like the cheese bread had been at the capital, though the taste was different. She ate it in a few bites and then went to sit with the others. She never really got hungry and didn¡¯t want to eat all their food.

    ¡°This is Lobar, and this is Eriben. That¡¯s Anna, lads,¡± Thokri said.

    Lobar was a black-haired dwarf, and Eriben had the same brown hair as Thokri.

    ¡°Good to meet you, lass,¡± Lobar said.

    ¡°Aye, good to meet you,¡± Eriben added.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, too,¡± Anna replied with a smile.

    ¡°Did you get enough to eat?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Are you sure? You only had one piece of bread,¡± Bralla said.

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, we better get to the market. Got to get there early to get the best meat,¡± Bralla replied.

    She got up and grabbed a shoulder bag that was hanging next to the door. The party got up as well.

    ¡°See you lads later,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Lobar said

    Eriben just grunted.

    They followed Bralla out of the house. Thokri grabbed the cart and started to pull it behind him.

    ¡°How far is the market?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, not far, just a few blocks,¡± Bralla replied.

    I wonder if it¡¯s like the markets we passed. I mean, they were just really big buildings with pictures of food ingredients on the side.

    The streets were fairly empty as they walked with most dwarves at their work for the shift. The few out on the streets were either working or drunk or both. They were dwarves after all.

    Anna watched one such dwarf staggering around with a bottle in his hand. He looked at the party for a moment before getting a mean look on his face and throwing his bottle right at Voekeer. Anna took a step forward and snatched the bottle out of the air before it hit her friend. The drunk dwarf looked at her stupidly for a moment as if he couldn¡¯t comprehend that someone had moved that fast. She shook the bottle and found it to be mostly full. She took a drink and discovered and strange new taste.

    Hmm, that¡¯s at least half booze, but why does it taste like, I don¡¯t know, rocks or something?

    ¡°Hey, what is this stuff?¡± Anna asked, handing the bottle over to him. He took a sniff and then spat.

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    ¡°Bah! Stone cutter nasty shit, lass. Just dump it out,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you toss that at me?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s so fucked up he don¡¯t know, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°DON¡¯T KNOW MY HAIRY ASS!!! HE¡¯S A FUCKING POINT EAR, AND HE DON¡¯T BELONG DOWN HERE!!!¡± the drunk shouted.

    Anna threw the bottle and bounced it off the dwarf¡¯s head, knocking him over. The bottle smashed against the street nearby while the dwarf rolled around on the ground, holding the side of his head.

    ¡°Good throw, lass,¡± Bralla said, grinning at her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Come on, we¡¯d better get going before he gets back up,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    They reached the market twenty or so minutes later. The building was just as big and just as covered in food paintings as the ones they¡¯d passed on the way to Thokri¡¯s house. There was a younger dwarf standing next to a bunch of carts. Thokri pulled their cart over to the dwarf and set it down. He tossed him a coin, and the dwarf nodded at him.

    They went into the market with Bralla in the lead. Anna looked around as soon as she walked through the oversized door. The inside was a massive open space filled with row after row of open stone boxes that contained all manner of foods and other things.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need a lot, so you lads grab those hand carts and follow me,¡± Bralla said.

    Thokri and Voekeer walked over to hand carts. They were really just smaller versions of the cart they had brought with them. Each of the men took one.

    I wonder why people always ask men when they need to carry things or drag a cart around? I mean, I know everyone says that women are weaker or something, but all of them are pretty weak honestly.

    Bralla walked off, and the party followed her. She headed straight to the far end of the market where she stopped in front of a long counter that was covered in dried blood. Behind the counter, dwarves were cutting up huge chunks of meat with long sharp knives.

    Wow! Look at that! There must be at least twenty different kinds of animals all cut up back there!

    ¡°I need fifty pounds of cavern rat meat!¡± Bralla said in dwarven.

    ¡°Aye!¡± one of the dwarven butchers replied.

    ¡°Do what now?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, lass. We raise them for meat,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell the others, lass,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I want to see the look on their faces when I tell them they ate a rat!¡± he replied grinning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s wrong with eating rat?¡± Anna asked. Thokri laughed.

    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± he replied.

    I don¡¯t get it. I mean, rat tastes pretty good as long as you cook it, but people normally cook food, so it shouldn¡¯t make a difference. Wait, rats aren¡¯t people, are they? ¡®Cause I know I¡¯m not supposed to eat people! No, they can¡¯t be. They just run around, get into food, and squeak, and besides, dwarves wouldn¡¯t keep people for food¡­ Now I want roasted rat, dammit!

    She¡¯d eaten most of the animals that had the misfortune of meeting her during their travels, unbeknownst to her friends of course. During her nightly buffets, she¡¯d discovered that she liked to eat most of them.

    She heard a loud thud and snapped out of her musings to see that the butcher had tossed what looked like half a cow on the butcher¡¯s block next to him. He picked up a huge knife, and with one big chop, cut it in half. Another chop and the half was halved. The butcher set down the knife and picked up a thinner one that he used to break down the section of meat even further. He asked Bralla questions as he did so, cutting the meat exactly how she wanted it cut. Once he finished, he took the meat and placed it, cut by cut, on a large set of scales next to the block.

    ¡°Got twenty-three pounds here, lass. That still good, or you want me to take some of the stew meat off?¡± the butcher asked.

    ¡°Leave it, lad. Got lots of mouths to feed,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± the butcher replied.

    He tore a long sheet of what looked like paper from a roll next to the butcher¡¯s block and then started to wrap the meat up in it before tying it up with some cord. Each cut of meat went into a different package, and he wrote a few letters and numbers on each one before placing them on the counter. Bralla took them and put them in the hand cart Thokri was pulling, and they walked away from the counter.

    They followed Bralla, and as they walked, she started to notice a sour smell. It reminded her of the pickled cabbage that people in the human realms loved so much. She liked it too, but she liked just about anything pickled, so she wasn¡¯t sure if she counted or not.

    The closer they got, the stronger the smell got until they reached a row of stone boxes that was filled with huge stone basins. Bralla went to one of the boxes, picked up a small crock stacked next to the stone box, and then started to dip out some of the contents of one of the basins into it. She put a lid on the crock and then placed it into the handcart before moving on to another one of the basins where she started to fill another crock.

    Anna walked over to the first basin. It was filled with mushrooms that were floating in a green-orange brine.

    Oh, I¡¯ve had those before. They¡¯re all squishy and sour.

    She walked over to where Bralla was filling another crock and looked into the basin. This one contained long spikey things that she¡¯d never seen before, and the brine was a dark blue.

    It kind of smells sweet? Sour too, but sweet somehow.

    She wanted to reach in and take one of the weird things, but everyone had yelled at her when she ate food right from a merchant¡¯s stall before, so she just had to wait. She took the crock and put it in the cart for Bralla who smiled and thanked her.

    Bralla went from basin to basin, filling more than a dozen crocks with pickled mushrooms, fruits, vegetables, and what was probably peppers. Barika seemed interested in those for some reason and even asked a few questions about them as Bralla scooped them into the crock. Anna didn¡¯t particularly care one way or the other about peppers, so she just wandered around looking into the other basins.

    ¡°Do you lot like cheese?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°YES!¡± they all chimed seemingly at once. Bralla laughed.

    ¡°Well, come on then!¡± she said.

    Wait, how can there this much cheese in once place? No one told me there were this many different kinds either! What is going on here?!

    Every stone box in this row was overflowing with wheels of cheese, and each box had a different variety in it. She spotted a basin in one of the boxes and zipped over to investigate.

    Hold on, they have cheese in water here! Why is it in water? Wait, that doesn¡¯t smell like water. It smells kind of sour. Hold on, does that mean there¡¯s pickled cheese?!

    She let out an excited squeal at the thought and started to bounce back and forth on the balls of her feet. Bralla walked up next to her and chuckled.

    ¡°Want to try some?¡± she asked.

    Anna simply couldn¡¯t speak from excitement at the moment so just nodded her head vigorously. Bralla scooped some of the cheese out of the basin. It was round like a ball and pale white. She filled a large jar with it and then put it in the cart.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and get some of the ones you want to try?¡± Bralla said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked, having calmed down enough to speak once more.

    ¡°Of course, now off with you,¡± Bralla said, making a shooing motion with her hand.

    Anna zipped off and started to grab wheel after wheel of cheese, wanting to try all of it. The once empty cart that Voekeer was pulling soon filled with cheese. Bralla and the others watched as she put the last wheel of cheese on the cart.

    ¡°You¡¯re never going to shit again if you eat all of that!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°That can happen?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°To us, yes. To you? I doubt it,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    Bralla looked at the mountain of cheese for a moment and then frowned.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, lass, cheese is expensive, and I don¡¯t have much coin with me,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for the cheese, and the rest of it, so don¡¯t worry. Get whatever you want. I don¡¯t mind,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, lass, I couldn¡¯t do that,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I brought even more coin with me than the others, and I have way more than any of them back in Oldforge, so it¡¯s fine,¡± Anna said.

    Bralla looked at her for a moment and then sighed.

    ¡°Aye, just don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you keep buying everything for us. You hear me, lass?!¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s finish up ¡®cause we need to bake a whole lot of bread to go along with this cheese,¡± Bralla said.

    They left the cheese section and headed off into the market.

 Chapter 73

    Anna¡¯s eyes sprang open, and she sat up and looked around her room for a moment before hopping off her bed. She walked over to the dresser and pulled open the top drawer. It was the one that she had placed all her dresses in. She took one of the neatly folded garments out and shook it a few times before pulling it over her head. She wiggled a few times to get it over her chest, as usual, before adjusting it and then smoothing it out.

    Once she finished with that, she went to get her belt, wrapping it around her tiny waist before buckling it on. She left her room and walked down the hallway towards the main room. She could hear everyone else talking.

    I guess I must have overslept again. I wonder why I keep doing that?

    Her friends, along with Thokri¡¯s family, were already sitting in chairs around the living room. It was still before the children arrived, and she was even up early enough to see Uthra, who was Lothar¡¯s first wife. She was dressed and ready to get to her job at the paper mill.

    Anna had learned that dwarves loved to keep records of everything little thing, so they used literally tons of paper each day. Because of this, paper mills were nearly as common as forges or stone carvers¡¯ shops, and there was at least one on each floor.

    Anna scurried over to the long table where she took a plate and piled it up with cheese that was on a tray. Everyone had been eating cheese with just about every meal for the last month, trying to put a dent in the huge pile that sat in the pantry.

    She took a few pieces of flatbread and then walked over to an empty chair and plopped down. After setting her plate off to the side, she took out one of her spell rings. This one was made to light candles or campfires, but she¡¯d discovered that she could toast bread, or in this case, melt cheese with it.

    She slipped the ring on her finger and picked up one of the pieces of cheese with her other hand. After pushing a tiny amount of mana into the ring, a blue flame shot out a few inches from her palm. It was supposed to be yellow like a candle according to Elaine. She held the piece of cheese near the flame until it started to melt and then popped it into her mouth, chewing the gooey blob up before swallowing it.

    Elaine walked over and held out a piece of flatbread and looked at her with big eyes. Anna took another piece of cheese and melted it with her ring before dropping it on Elaine¡¯s bread. The necromancer folded it up and took a bite of it, blowing the heat from her mouth as she did.

    ¡°Was it too hot?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Worth it,¡± Elaine replied, the words slightly muffled because her mouth was still full.

    Anna tore off a chuck of the bread on her own plate and handed it to Elaine who grinned at her. Ever since Anna had discovered her love of melted cheese, Elaine had made sure to snag a few pieces of it herself. Elaine, being a normal, sort of anyway, human, needed to use the flatbread to hold onto the molten cheese, so Anna just put a few pieces on her own plate in case Elaine forgot to bring more than one over. She melted another piece and put it on the bread for Elaine to take. The necromancer snatched it out of her hand giving her a muffled thanks before heading back to her own seat.

    ¡°Do you think we could head to the forge and find out about getting weapons and armor made?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    The others looked at her, clearly wanting her to hurry up and eat. She sighed and started to stuff the cheese in her mouth, washing it down with an ale that Rose brought her. She smiled at her friend who smiled back before snatching a large chunk of cheese from her plate and wolfing it down. Anna just looked up at her in shock for a moment. Rose smiled at her again and then walked away as if she were completely innocent.

    Anna ate the rest of her breakfast and put the plate and mug on the long table before heading out of the house with her friends.

    Thokri led them away from the house deeper into the mountain. They had visited the market a few more times and had gone to Thokri¡¯s favorite tavern so he could see all his old friends.

    That was a fun night, though I think Rose wishes she could forget dancing for everyone.

    Rose seemed happier around the dwarves than she¡¯d ever been around humans, or elves for that matter. She smiled often and would laugh with them as if she was one of their kind. That particular night, they¡¯d all had quite a bit to drink, and Rose pulled a serving woman to her and danced in the most provocative way Anna had ever seen a person do before.

    The dwarves loved it and much to everyone¡¯s amusement, a few tried to copy her, including the serving woman who was just terrible. The fun ended when Elaine tried to join them but tripped over her dress and fell face-first on the floor, breaking her nose. Thankfully Barika could heal while drunk. Otherwise, Anna would have had to sober the priestess up which would have made her grumpy.

    I still don¡¯t get why it was Rose that hid in her room the whole next day. I mean, Elaine¡¯s the one that fell down and got blood all over the floor. Rose didn¡¯t even take her clothes off or anything. At least she got over it. I mean, the dwarves were all happy to see her when we got back to the tavern. A few even tried to dance for her again. That old man was really good at it by the time we got back.

    The streets were crowded with dwarves heading to work, though dwarves, unlike humans, didn¡¯t stop randomly in the path. Instead, they seemed to drift off to the side near the buildings if they needed to slow their pace.

    I always wondered why Thokri got so mad when people would stand in the street. I guess this is why. That, or he¡¯s just impatient. I wonder why someone that¡¯s going to live so long gets so mad when people slow him down a few minutes?

    The forge was only a twenty-minute walk from the house, and surprisingly, it didn¡¯t look any different than any other building in the mountain save for the artwork on the side was of the Stone One forging the world surrounded by dwarves working at their own anvils creating everything from nails to spears.

    Thokri pushed open the thick wooden door, and the sound of hammers hitting metal poured out. Heat blasted her as soon as she stepped through the door. A quick glance at her friends told her that it was unbearably hot, and they couldn¡¯t spend that much time here, though she doubted the others would complain. They didn¡¯t want to look weak in front of the dwarves for some reason.

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    ¡°What do you lot need?¡± an old dwarf asked.

    He was sitting behind a large stone desk that was covered in paperwork, currently looking up at them with a haggard look on his face.

    ¡°Armor and weapons for all of us,¡± Thokri replied.

    The old dwarf eyed them for a moment and then looked over at a sheet of paper that was hanging from the wall. It was the layout of the forge with the names of craftsmen next to each workstation along with tallies underneath their names.

    ¡°Malgon and Reirgami can handle the armor. They are working at five and six. Hokul at ten can handle most of the weapons unless you need a bow or a crossbow. Then you¡¯ll have to talk to Malvur at fourteen,¡± the old dwarf said.

    Thokri tossed him a silver which he caught and then licked and frowned.

    ¡°Humans are putting more tin in them these days,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye, but they still spend,¡± Thokri replied before walking away.

    The old dwarf chuckled and stuffed the coin in his pocket. Anna turned to follow Thokri who was already heading for the far end of the shop. She followed, watching the dwarves work at their workstations as she went.

    The stations were nothing more than a forge to heat the metal, a few anvils, large stone pots filled with water or oil to quench the hot metal, and benches filled with tools. The dwarves working ignored the party as they walked by, concentrating on their task instead.

    Thokri stopped at station five. A dwarven woman was riveting sections of black steel together to create what looked like a pauldron to Anna. She looked up and set the pauldron and tools aside before standing up and walking over to them, wiping her hands off on her leather apron as she approached them.

    ¡°What can I do for ya?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Lad up front told us you make us armor,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Aye, I can. Let me know what you need first so I can make sure I have enough time to make it,¡± she said.

    ¡°A suit of full plate for me. Best you can do with the best black steel you have,¡± Thokri replied.

    The woman nodded and looked towards Voekeer who was standing next to Thokri.

    ¡°The same for me, ma¡¯am,¡± the elf replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to measure you, lad. Haven¡¯t made armor for an elf before,¡± she said.

    ¡°Do I need arming clothes for you to do that?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°No, lad, but you¡¯ll have to get some made. This armor isn¡¯t going to be like anything made by elves,¡± she replied.

    ¡°My current armor is human-crafted,¡± he replied. She shook her head.

    ¡°That won¡¯t work either, lad,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Do you have someone you recommend?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye, she¡¯s good and fast. I¡¯ll write down her address for you,¡± the dwarf woman said.

    ¡°A chainmail shirt, helmet, vambraces, and greaves for me,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Want any gloves?¡± the dwarf woman asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m a healer, and it¡¯s better if I don¡¯t wear them,¡± Barika replied.

    The dwarf woman nodded and looked over to Lyreen.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the same as her, but I need two mage gauntlets as well,¡± Lyreen said.

    She took off her current one and handed it to the dwarven smith who looked it over for a moment before handing it back.

    ¡°Aye, I can make that. Want two left-handed ones, or a right and left?¡± the dwarven woman asked.

    ¡°Right and left,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Dual casting?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fairly common for elven mages, so I wanted to give it a try,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s almost unheard of for humans,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°They actually said it was impossible at the school in Oldforge. I didn¡¯t even know it was a thing until I read about it in a book written by a sun elf,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Sounds interesting. Do you still have it?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I do actually. He wrote a whole section on multi-casting and even managed to tricast, though his technique would be impossible for a woman to duplicate,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? I¡¯ve never heard of gender-specific spells before,¡± Elaine said.

    Lyreen hesitated for a moment but then looked around and seemed to relax.

    ¡°He, uh, used his manhood as the third, er, focus point,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Elaine stared at Lyreen for a moment and then snapped her fingers.

    ¡°That¡¯s genius! But yes, that would never work for a woman,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The way mana channels run through a person¡¯s body. For men, there is an outward facing one that runs through his penis. For a woman, it¡¯s the opposite. We have an inward-facing one down there,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    I don¡¯t have any in my slit. I guess it¡¯s because I don¡¯t have any inward-facing ones.

    ¡°What kind of armor do you want lass?¡± the dwarven smith asked.

    Anna looked her way again, and she was staring right at her.

    ¡°Just chainmail, vambraces, greaves, and a helmet,¡± Anna replied.

    The woman nodded and looked at Elaine.

    ¡°What about you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Same,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What about the quiet lass?¡± the dwarven smith asked looking at Rose.

    ¡°She¡¯s mute, and she needs light archer¡¯s armor,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± dwarven smith replied.

    She went over and picked up a piece of paper and a measuring tape and walked out of her workspace. She started by measuring Voekeer, then moved on to Thokri, and finally to Rose. Once she finished, she ripped off part of the paper and handed it to Voekeer.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be able to make you what you need, and if any of your friends need anything, she¡¯ll be able to make that as well,¡± the smith said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Voekeer replied taking the paper.

    They paid half of the cost upfront so the smith could start work before heading over to the weapons makers. The dwarven smiths seemed to notice them now that they had commissioned something, and Anna could see them watching the party as they walked, most likely hoping that they¡¯d stop at their workstation.

    When they stopped at the station the old dwarf had told them handled weapons, the smith walked over. He was a huge black-haired dwarf with eyes the color of flint and a huge smile on his face.

    ¡°What can I do for you lot today?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Can you make this sir?¡± Voekeer asked, handing the smith a folded sheet of paper.

    The smith unfolded the paper and looked it over for a moment, nodding and stroking his beard a few times as he did so.

    ¡°Aye, lad, I can. Fine work on the drawing. You got a talent there,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks, but my friend here drew that,¡± Voekeer replied, putting his hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder.

    She smiled at the smith who smiled back at her. After a moment, he looked back at Voekeer.

    ¡°A gold for work like this,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°So, what about the rest of you?¡± the smith asked.

    ¡°Hunting spear, lad. A big one,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Figured that¡¯s what you lot were up to,¡± the smith said.

    ¡°Can you make me a lady¡¯s stiletto dagger out of mithril?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye, how long do you want it, lass?¡± the smith replied.

    ¡°I want to wear it on my inner thigh, so as long as it can be,¡± Elaine added. The smith laughed.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re that kind of lass,¡± he said.

    Elaine grinned at him but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Need an archer¡¯s sword for this lass,¡± Thokri said, pointing his thumb at Rose who nodded.

    The smith nodded and then looked at Anna.

    ¡°I want a mace! A long hard one that I can really pound someone with!¡± she said.

    The smith laughed hard. She looked around and noticed that her friends were as well.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I got what you¡¯re looking for right here!¡± a dwarf said. He was working at the station next to them and was grabbing his crotch.

    ¡°I said long,¡± Anna replied.

    The dwarf looked like she¡¯d slapped him, and now the rest of the smiths were in hysterics as well.

    ¡°HEY, LASS! I GOT JUST WHAT YOU NEED HERE!¡± a dwarven woman shouted.

    She gestured for Anna to come over, so she did, with the dwarves hooting at her as she passed by. The woman handed her a phallus, with balls, made from solid black steel. Anna took it and looked it over before looking back at the woman with a confused look on her face.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do with this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You ever been with a lad before?¡± the woman asked.

    Anna shook her head no.

    ¡°Push it in and then pull it back out, but not all the way, then push it in again. Keep doing that, and it¡¯ll feel great, trust me,¡± the woman added.

    Anna looked at the steel phallus again.

    ¡°It won¡¯t fit. I¡¯m too small down there!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯ll fit, now get going. I got work to do,¡± the woman replied, shooing Anna away from her station.

    She walked back to her friends, noticing that the dwarves were smirking at her now instead of laughing. When she got back over to the weapons smith, he looked down at the steel phallus and grinned.

    ¡°Looks like you got what you came for, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°I still want my mace!¡± Anna replied.

 Chapter 74

    ¡°Let¡¯s head over to the tailor to get our arming clothes made,¡± Voekeer said as they stepped out of the forge.

    It was close by, and they had nothing better to do, so they all agreed and followed the elf as he made his way to the address scrawled on the scrap of paper in his hand. The streets had emptied with most of the dwarves at their workplace by this point in the day.

    This street didn¡¯t have any taverns, inns, or even food places on it. Just workshops ranging from the forge they had just left to a weaver¡¯s workshop that was just as large. The tailor was a few doors down from the weaver¡¯s, which made sense to her.

    They went inside, and a young dwarf girl was sitting at a small table just inside. She smiled brightly at the party when they walked over to her.

    ¡°Can you tell me where this person is?¡± Voekeer asked handing the paper to the girl.

    She looked it over and then looked at a chart on the table that had where everyone was working, similar to the one at the forge.

    ¡°She¡¯s at station fourteen,¡± the girl chirped.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Voekeer said.

    Thokri passed her a few copper coins. She took them and beamed at him. He grinned back, and they left, heading for the tailor.

    The workstations here were a seat with a table surrounded by bolts of cloth and racks of thread and sometimes ribbon. The dwarves were sewing everything from shirts to blankets, and like the smiths, were completely engrossed in their work.

    Station fourteen was near the middle of the building, and they reached it quickly. The tailor that the smith had recommended was much younger than the other tailors and had a resemblance to the smith.

    Oh, they have to be related. Maybe a younger sister or daughter or something. Thokri did tell me that dwarves will send you to a family member whenever they get a chance. It¡¯s just how they do things.

    She had been watching the party as they walked up and smiled at them when they stopped at her station.

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Me and the lad need arming clothes for full plate. The lass here needs a set for scout armor, and the rest of this lot needs gambesons,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°A silver from you three and twenty copper each for the gambesons,¡± the tailor replied.

    They paid for the clothing, and then she took a tape measure from a drawer in her table and brought it over to measure each of them. The three getting full plate were measured in the same way she had been when she had been fitted for the ball gown. The rest of them were only measured for the length of their arms, the width of their shoulders, and from their shoulders to their waist, though she paused when measuring Anna and took a quick measurement of her bust and waist for some reason. Once she finished measuring them all, she went behind her and started to write everything down.

    ¡°Be about two weeks before it¡¯s finished. You can check back, or I can send a runner,¡± she said.

    ¡°Send a runner, lass,¡± Thokri replied. He gave her his address which she wrote down.

    She started to sew a coif that she¡¯d been working on before they had walked over to her workstation, and they walked away, heading for the door.

    Lyreen paused for a moment and then walked over to one of the workstations, her eyes glued to a dress that an old dwarf woman was embroidering.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful! I¡¯ve never seen a dress like this before! Is it for a special occasion?¡± Lyreen asked.

    The old dwarf smiled at Lyreen and nodded.

    ¡°Aye, lass. It¡¯s for the gem festival,¡± she replied

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked looking at Thokri.

    He rubbed the back of his head for a moment.

    ¡°Bah! He wouldn¡¯t know. Only lasses can go,¡± the old woman said.

    ¡°Really? Why¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s when we give thanks to the stone one for making us as hard and beautiful as the gems in the earth. It¡¯s not for them,¡± she replied.

    ¡°What do you do at this festival?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Sing, dance, eat, drink, spend time with other lasses without the lads or wee ones around,¡± the old woman replied.

    ¡°What a lovely tradition,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye, the stone one knows it¡¯s not easy being a lass, so he looks out for us. Say, would you lasses like to go? It¡¯s not for another two months. I could whip you up some dresses by then,¡± the old woman said.

    ¡°Can we?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re lasses, aren¡¯t you?¡± the old woman asked.

    ¡°Last time I checked, but we¡¯re not dwarves,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Bah! It¡¯s for all lasses, not just dwarves,¡± the old woman said.

    ¡°We¡¯d love to go,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°How much for the dresses?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°As much as you can pay. The festival is for all lasses, but the more you pay me, the nicer dress I can make you,¡± the old woman replied.

    Anna dropped a gold coin on the woman¡¯s table. It spun around a few times before laying flat with queen Jessica¡¯s stern side profile staring off into the distance. The old woman just stared at the coin, seemingly at a loss for words.

    ¡°Lass, that¡¯s too much,¡± the old woman said.

    Anna reached in her belt pouch, pulled out a hand full of gold coins, and held them out to show the old woman who just stared stupidly at them.

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    ¡°I want the prettiest dress there is, so I don¡¯t mind paying for it,¡± Anna replied.

    Another gold coin dropped on the table. Anna looked over to see that Lyreen had dropped this one. Elaine pulled one from her coin purse and then dropped it. She was followed by Barika and then Rose. Her friends grinned at her.

    ¡°Can¡¯t let you show us up all the time, now can we?¡± Lyreen asked.

    Anna smiled back at them. The old woman looked at the coins with tears in her eyes for a moment before looking back at the party.

    ¡°Bless you all. I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± she said.

    She picked up the coins one by one and put them in her coin purse. Then she stood up suddenly, walked around the table, grabbed Anna by the arm, and started to pull her away.

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get you all measured! I¡¯ll start on all of yours as soon as I finish that dress!¡± she said.

    Anna was pulled to a booth in the back of the building and shoved in where she was stripped, measured, and then shoved back out the moment she got her dress over her head. The rest of the women in the party received the same treatment before the old woman popped back out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to get you when I¡¯m finished. Where are you staying?¡± she asked.

    Anna gave her Thokri¡¯s address, and the woman walked back to her workstation. They met back up with the men and left the tailor¡¯s workshop, heading home, wanting to make sure they got back in time for dinner.

    They hadn¡¯t eaten anything since breakfast, and while her friends weren¡¯t bothered by this, she was hungry, at least as hungry as she got which was about as much as when a normal person skipped a single meal. She started to wander towards a food shop and was pulled back by Barika.

    ¡°You can wait, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°But...¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No buts. You don¡¯t even need to eat, so you can wait,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Fine!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sass me, girl!¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika shook her head but didn¡¯t let go of Anna¡¯s arm until they were well away from the food shops.

    They reached Thokri¡¯s house sometime later and walked in the door. The house was filled with the smells of food. Bralla and Gilira stood next to the long table holding bowels of soup in their hands. They were feeding the children who were swarming around them.

    Once the party entered the house, the children lost interest in dinner and swarmed them, wanting to be held or played with or whatever else came to their young minds. Anna and the others ignored them for the most part and went to get food.

    ¡°Get everything you need?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to go to the gem festival!¡± Anna blurted out.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! We haven¡¯t been to one in years!¡± Gilira replied.

    ¡°Do you want to come with us?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. We have so much to do around here. I just don¡¯t know if we could be away for a week. I mean, who would watch the children?¡± Gilira asked.

    ¡°The men would. Wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Lyreen replied looking at Voekeer.

    He looked around the room and noticed that all the women were looking at him now.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. We¡¯ll take care of everything! Won¡¯t we, Thokri?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied sullenly.

    ¡°We have so much to do! We need to make sure our dresses still fit and polish the jewelry! We should ask Uthra to come too. She hasn¡¯t been to one since she started at the papermill!¡± Brilla said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right! She needs a break too!¡± Gilira replied.

    ¡°So, what kind of jewelry will we need?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Well, you have to have a necklace made from gold with a gem that matches your eyes. Oh, you¡¯re going to need an emerald! I¡¯ve never seen eyes so green before! They¡¯re beautiful!¡± Bralla replied.

    Lyreen smiled shyly at Bralla. She pushed some of her hair away from her face and behind her ears.

    ¡°They¡¯re just like my father¡¯s,¡± she said.

    ¡°I bet he¡¯s quite the looker,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°He is,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I have a question!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What is it, lass?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°That old woman said that lasses get the gem festival because the stone one knows it¡¯s hard to be a lass, but I thought the stone one sees all dwarves the same, and any dwarf, lad or lass, can do anything they want to, so what was she talking about?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, the stone one sees us all the same, and we can do anything the lads can do, but we¡¯re the ones that have to carry and look after the wee ones their first few years, so we have to take time away from our crafts. He saw that and decided to give us a week off a year to thank us for what we have to do for our kind, and that week became the gem festival,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You need to get yourselves some food. We got a lot to talk about,¡± Gilira added.

    She went over to the long table and picked up a bowl before dipping out a large portion of soup from the stone basin it had been poured into. The basin was smaller and easier to carry than the huge caldron it had been cooked in, that and the cauldron was still on the fire keeping the rest of the soup hot for the men who were still at work. She picked up a spoon and took a bite of the soup while she walked to a chair.

    Oh, they used the spices I gave them again! I still can¡¯t believe how happy they were to get them. I guess spices are more expensive here in the mountain than they are in the capital or Oldforge, so they don¡¯t use them as often as humans do. I wonder why that is. I mean, the dwarves go everywhere. I thought they¡¯d bring them home when they returned from their trading expeditions.

    She sat down and had a swarm of children surround her immediately. She took a spoonful from her bowl and blew it off before stuffing it into the first open mouth standing in front of her. She did this a few more times before taking another bite herself.

    The children looked at her with big eyes clearly wanting more, so she looked at them with big eyes of her own indicating that she wanted food too, at least, that¡¯s what she hoped they¡¯d think. They seemed to take the hint that she wasn¡¯t going to be sharing anymore and scattered, pestering the others for bites of food.

    ¡°I think you lasses have dresses handled, so we need to get your necklaces made and rings if any of you have a lad,¡± Gilira said.

    ¡°Do boyfriends count?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Na, only the ones that put a ring on your finger do,¡± Gilira replied.

    ¡°I will one day!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Bah! I¡¯ve heard that one before!¡± Bralla replied.

    All the women in the room, save Anna, chuckled at that, and Voekeer turned bright red.

    ¡°Well, then any of you have wee ones?¡± Bralla asked after a moment.

    It was clear she was asking Barika for some reason. The priestess laughed and shook her head no.

    ¡°That would be a challenge considering my taste in lovers,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Aye, that is true. What about the rest of you?¡± Bralla asked.

    As expected, the rest of her friends shook their heads no.

    ¡°Well, that means you don¡¯t need any bracelets. Looks like all you lasses will need is necklaces,¡± Bralla added.

    ¡°Where is the festival anyway?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°At the central cathedral on each floor. We have to rent rooms nearby to stay in, but that shouldn¡¯t be a problem with all the coin you folks brought,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. During the first shift, everyone takes to the streets around the cathedral eating, drinking, and chatting until the second shift starts. Then we head to the cathedral where we sing and dance and drink more until the third shift. That¡¯s when we head back to our rooms and get some sleep. We do the same thing each day until the final day of the festival. That day, at the end of the second shift, we give thanks to the stone one for another year and the festival ends. That reminds me, lass, can you pray to other gods being a priestess and all?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°I can so long as I keep the goddess first,¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Are there any rules?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye, no fighting, and no fucking lads,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Elaine said.

    They chatted about what to expect from the festival for a few hours before the other men got home and were informed they¡¯d be taking time off for the gem festival this year. Lobar and Eriben had the same look on their face as Thokri did when they were informed they would be taking care of the house for a week without the women, but like him, they agreed without any argument.

    When Uthra was told, she was ecstatic and immediately started to chatter away about how much fun she always had at the festival, and that she was looking forward to going with all of them. The women talked late into the night, or third shift as the dwarves called it before each headed to their rooms.

    Anna pulled off her belt and dropped it on the small table next to her bed. It hit the stone surface with a loud thud. She looked at it in confusion for a moment before remembering the phallus that her back pouch contained. She took the phallus from her pouch and held it up, looking it over for a moment.

    I guess I should just use it and get it over with. I mean, it was a gift, and you¡¯re supposed to use gifts. It¡¯s rude not to. Besides, everyone had been telling me how good sex feels, and I¡¯ve been meaning to try it out for a while now, so why not tonight? I mean, what harm could it do?

 Chapter 75

    She held out the bent phallus to her friends who had been staring at her the moment she walked into the main room the next morning.

    ¡°I was right,¡± she said.

    Elaine took the phallus and looked at it in shock and what might have been awe. The top two-thirds looked as if they had been pressed in a vice and were longer and thinner than they had been the day before. The bottom portion that once had been shaped like balls hadn¡¯t come out of the ordeal unscathed either. No, they had been deformed by her incredible grip strength while she was in the throes of passion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m impressed,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said eyeing it.

    Bralla walked over, looked at what Anna was holding, and she just shook her head and pointed at the hallway that led to the back of the house.

    ¡°Put that thing away unless you¡¯re bringing it with you, lass,¡± she said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    She turned around and went back to her room, dropping the deformed phallus on her table, before heading back out.

    I should get Thokri to make it into a knife! One of those big ones!

    She had thought to return it to the smith that made it, but the woman would probably think she¡¯d destroyed it on purpose and be upset with her, and she didn¡¯t want that.

    It was good black steel anyway, so whatever.

    She met her friends in the main room again where they were all waiting by the door. Bralla had offered to take them to the jeweler¡¯s shop to help them pick out what they¡¯d need for the festival.

    Bralla thinks that everyone but me and Lyreen should be able to find a necklace already made at the shop, but Lyreen¡¯s eyes are just too green, and mine, well, no one has purple eyes but me.

    The jeweler¡¯s shop was a long way from the house, but they had left after the first shift started, so there weren¡¯t many people on the streets. They reached the shop just before first shift¡¯s lunch and went inside.

    There were small tables filled with jewelry of all kinds. Bralla walked over to a table filled with necklaces and picked up one with a black crystal. She held it out for Barika to look at. The priestess took the necklace and looked closely at the crystal for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite lovely,¡± she said, looking back at Bralla.

    ¡°Aye, and it matches your eyes perfectly, lass,¡± Bralla replied.

    Barika nodded and held onto the necklace. Bralla looked over the necklaces again and handed Elaine and Rose one as well. The gems were nearly a perfect match for both women, and both of them seemed pleased.

    ¡°Alright you two, let¡¯s go and see if the lad has any gems that match those eyes of yours,¡± Bralla said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    Bralla chuckled, and they walked to the back of the shop where a young dwarf man was carving an intricate design on a ring. They waited for him to look up, not wanting to disturb his work. He set his carving tools down on the bench next to the vice he had placed the ring in and walked over to the counter that divided the shop from the workspace in the back.

    ¡°What can I do for you, lasses?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They need necklaces for the gem festival,¡± Bralla replied.

    He looked at Lyreen for a moment. Anna didn¡¯t blame him. Strange as she was, the elf towered over every dwarf by nearly a foot.

    He walked away from the counter and took a strong box from a shelf near his work bench. He set it in front of them and then fished a key from one of the many pockets on his apron. He slid the key into the lock on the front of the lockbox and turned it, causing the lock to release with a loud click. He pulled the key out and put it back in the pocket of his apron before pulling the lid open, revealing small trays filled with gleaming gemstones. He took the trays out and laid them out on the counter, pushing the one with green stones forward. He picked a large emerald from the try and held it up.

    ¡°I think this one matches the best,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye, I think you¡¯re right, lad,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°What do you think, lass?¡± the jeweler asked, holding the gem out for Anna to look at.

    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t see color the same as other people. I can¡¯t tell,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Heard that some humans were like that,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, most of the time it¡¯s lads, but sometimes it happens to a lass,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Bah! Don¡¯t make any difference, I guess. Anyway, what do you think of it, lass?¡± he asked, turning to look at Lyreen.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°That¡¯s all that matters then,¡± he replied.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He set the emerald aside and looked at Anna¡¯s eyes for a moment before leaning in close to her face and moving his head back and forth, examining them from other angles. He looked back at the trays of gemstones, picking though the purple ones before picking an amethyst. He held it up next to her face and frowned for a moment before shaking his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to find anything exact, lass, but this is close,¡± he said.

    Bralla looked at her eyes and then at the crystal.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, lad,¡± she said.

    ¡°Alright then. It won¡¯t take me long to make them. Look around and let me know if ya like anything else,¡± the jeweler said.

    Bralla nodded, and they walked away from the counter.

    ¡°He just wants us to buy stuff, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Anna asked when they were away from the counter.

    ¡°Aye, not a bad way to make some coin, having lasses walk around in a jewelry shop while they wait,¡± Bralla said, nodding towards her friends.

    Elaine was eyeing a pair of earrings closely, and Barika was pointing out things she thought would look good on Rose. Anna wandered over to a peculiar table that was filled with iron jewelry that had somber grey gemstones set in it. Bralla walked up next to her and put her hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s if you lost someone, lass. The rings are if you lost a lad, and the bracelets are if you lost a wee one,¡± Bralla said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna replied, remembering how Thokri told her about how many brothers and sisters he¡¯d lost in the mines.

    His mother must have a lot of those then.

    They walked away from the somber jewelry and spent the rest of the time they waited looking around the shop. Anna didn¡¯t see anything she liked enough to buy, but her friends did, and each one had a handful of the stuff when they were called back over to the counter to retrieve their necklaces. Anna gave him the sliver that he asked for and put the necklace in her belt pouch. They weren¡¯t supposed to wear them until the festival started. The rest of the party paid for their necklaces and whatever else they had wanted before they left the jeweler¡¯s shop.

    She went to her room when they got back to the house and put her new necklace on. She took the mirror Elaine had given her from her pack and used it to look at herself. She smiled at herself and then made a few other faces just for fun before putting the mirror away. She took the necklace off and put it on the table beside the bent phallus.

    The others are going to tease me about this if I leave it out. I should put it in my pack to keep it out of sight.

    She picked up the phallus, went over to her bed, and crouched down. She¡¯d placed her pack under the bed to keep it out of the way while she didn¡¯t need it. After pulling it out and wiping at some of the dust that had stuck to its well-oiled surface, she undid the straps, flipped the rain cover open, and looked inside the pack.

    It still contained a few things that just didn¡¯t belong in any of the dressers, like her sharpening stones, the fire-starting kit, or the leather cleaning supplies. Instead of putting the phallus in her pack, she tossed it on her bed, brought the pack over to her table, and emptied it out. She also unstrapped her tent from the bottom of the pack and set it aside.

    I shouldn¡¯t have let it get this nasty, and I really need to oil my belt. I¡¯ve been lazy the last few months.

    She took off her belt and set it on the table next to the contents of her pack and then pulled her dress off and tossed it over the chair next to the table.

    I don¡¯t want to stain that one. My ring doesn¡¯t get rid of stains for some reason. I bet it¡¯s because it pulled the dye out of clothes if it did. The dye isn¡¯t really that different than a stain if you think about it.

    She opened the cloth drawstring pouch that she kept her leather cleaning stuff in and took out her brushes along with a tin of grease that she used to protect that leather from moisture and keep it soft. She also took a ribbon from one of her belt pouches and tied her hair up into a tight ponytail to keep it from getting in the way.

    After spreading the pack out on the table, she took the rough brush and, using short quick strokes, started to clean the dust and other grime from her pack. She actually enjoyed cleaning things and ended up humming a tune she¡¯d learned back in Fishport while she shook her rear along with the rhythm. She started with the rain cover and moved on to the upper straps before working on the lower straps and finally the main body of the pack. When she was about halfway done, the door opened.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing,¡± Elaine said.

    She walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

    ¡°Yeah, it was nasty,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I should probably do that too before it gets worse,¡± Elaine said.

    She came over to the table and looked over Anna¡¯ shoulder at her progress.

    ¡°How do you keep your tits from getting into everything?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    They had been rubbing against the table and her pack the whole time and were covered in greasy grime. This sort of thing happened all the time. She had smudged drawings, knocked over ink wells, dunked them in soup bowls, and she even cleared her whole meal off the table with them once.

    Big boobs are annoying sometimes.

    ¡°Mind if I go get mine so I can join you?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°That¡¯d be great!¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine grinned and then left her room. Anna kept cleaning her pack and was almost finished when Elaine came back. Rose was with her as well. Both women had their packs with them. Rose grinned at her and then dropped her pack next to the door. She took off her belt, pulled her dress over her head, and went to set it on one of the dressers. Rose wasn¡¯t wearing anything under her dress. She¡¯d gone back to going without like Anna did since they got to the mountain, evidently comfortable enough around the dwarves.

    ¡°You know cleaning grease from these would be a pain,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna looked back over her shoulder to see the necromancer taking off her binding and then shimming out of her lower underclothes and placing them next to her dress. A now nude Elaine stretched, putting her arms over her head and arching her back. Several loud pops came from her back and shoulders and she winced.

    ¡°Want me to rub your back again?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, gods yes,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Alright. Just come back to my room after we get washed,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice,¡± Elaine replied

    Anna went back to cleaning her pack, and when she finished, she stood up and turned to her friends.

    ¡°Table¡¯s open,¡± she said.

    ¡°You go. I don¡¯t mind waiting,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna took a rag that used to be one of her dresses, along with her tin of grease, and went to sit on the floor. Elaine walked over and sat next to her. She reached over and tried to brush the grime off Anna¡¯s breasts. She merely smeared the sticky grime around some and ended up wiping her fingers off on Anna¡¯s rag.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get washed after I finish anyway, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll join you. A soak would be nice,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna nodded and then popped open the tin. She dipped the end of the rag into the grease and then started to rub it into the pack.

    ¡°You know, if you wanted a stronger toy, I could make one out of enchanted bone that should hold up,¡± Elaine said, sitting down next to her.

    Anna stopped and looked over at her friend who had a serious look on her face.

    ¡°How could you make bone stronger than black steel?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I found a book on bone shaping that describes how!¡± Elaine replied excitedly.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯d use it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t like it, did you?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I liked it just fine. I mean, it felt great and all, but, well, it just wasn¡¯t as good as I thought it¡¯d be,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What did you think it was going to be like?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Better than a cupcake,¡± Anna replied.

 Chapter 76

    The streets were full of women in colorful dresses as they approached the great cathedral. The last two months had flown by, and the women of the party along with Bralla, Gilira, and Uthra had managed to get everything they¡¯d need for the week of revelries.

    ¡°So, how much closer do we need to get?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see the cathedral when we wake up each morning,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°You seem happy about that,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye, lass, I am. I¡¯m nothing but an average working dwarf, and so are my folks and my lads, so to stay so close to cathedral, I feel like I¡¯m one of the lords,¡± Bralla replied. Gilira and Uthra nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I know lord means something different for dwarves. Could you tell me about them?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Aye, a dwarf lord is the lad or lass that¡¯s the best at what they do, so a smith would be a forge-lord or a trader would be a trade-lord. It¡¯s something that¡¯s decided by the others in whatever trade you¡¯re in, and you have to keep working if you want to keep the title. Oh, and that lot runs the clan. They get together and decide on who we trade with, who we war with, and who we ignore,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°What happens if they can¡¯t agree on something?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t happen,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°But what if it¡¯s something important like going to war?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Bah! If it¡¯s important, then the lords can agree on it!¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°Sometimes things can be complicated and¡­¡± Elaine started. Bralla put her hand on the necromancer¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Lass, we¡¯re dwarves, and this is our way,¡± Bralla replied.

    Elaine sighed and nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that my father used to lecture us about how important debate and compromise were in politics, so the idea of just dropping something feels wrong somehow,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye, but arguing about the same thing over and over feels wrong for us dwarves. It¡¯s just how things are,¡± Bralla replied.

    Elaine looked down the street for a moment before she chuckled.

    ¡°I never did care for those lectures,¡± she said. Bralla clapped her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Lass, no one likes hearing the old folks go on,¡± she said.

    ¡°Guess we have that in common then,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Bralla said.

    They reached the great cathedral later that day, and they all stopped to stare at the magnificent sight. The building that lay before them was enormous, taking up what looked like ten of the normal city blocks. The walls were carved with relief of the stone one creating the world. She looked as he pulled the void itself into his hand and then placed it on his anvil and pounded it into the world.

    It was followed by a relief of the stone one creating the dwarves. He tore off a piece of the mountains he had just forged and carved them to look like himself, fashioning both men and women at the same time. Once he finished, he shoved them deep under the ground so that they could continue his work and forge the world as they saw fit.

    Thokri told me that story a dozen times but seeing it like this is just so incredible!

    Her eyes drifted away from the reliefs to the rest of the cathedral. Every surface was encrusted with gemstones causing it to glitter in the lamp light. There was a huge open space around the cathedral allowing it to be seen in its entirety by anyone that approached it.

    That open space was filled with massive statues that went from floor to ceiling of dwarven heroes from the time when the world was new. The stone statues were so polished they seemed to gleam, and they all had gems for eyes that glittered with the ones on the walls of the cathedral.

    ¡°By the gods,¡± Elaine said with hushed reverence.

    ¡°Only one god here, lass,¡± Bralla said. Elaine just nodded, unwilling or unable to reply to the dwarf.

    They looked for a while longer before heading off to find a room to rent for the week. They walked into a place that said it had a room available on a piece of paper glued to the wall next to the door. The inside was packed with well-dressed dwarven women, and unlike the inns or taverns she¡¯d visited in the city, there were no tables, bars, or even barrels of ale. Instead, there were curtains hanging up that divided the room into smaller spaces. She could see the women coming in and out of some of the spaces and spotted a few mats on the floor.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    They weren¡¯t kidding about places filling up! It¡¯s two days to the festival, and people are willing to spend the night in an indoor tent!

    They waited in line, and when they reached the old woman that ran the place, she was worried they wouldn¡¯t have any room for them. The old woman eyed them for a moment before clearing her throat.

    ¡°You can stay out here for 2 gold a night. We got single rooms for ten gold a night, and because there¡¯s six of you, you can rent one of the big rooms for twenty a night,¡± she said.

    They looked at each other, and everyone nodded.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take the big room,¡± Bralla replied.

    ¡°Good choice, lass,¡± the old woman said.

    Anna paid the woman, and she handed them two large keys. Bralla took one, and Barika took the other. They left the main room and went to find their room in the back. Bralla unlocked the door when they found their room, and they all shuffled inside.

    It was a large space, though it looked as if most of the furniture had been removed and replaced with eight large beds. There was also a long rack on the back wall for hanging clothing. They each walked to one of the beds and put their packs down next to it. None of them wore their festival dress on the day-long walk to the cathedral, unwilling to risk them getting damaged on the way.

    ¡°We need to get the dresses hung up,¡± Gilira said.

    Anna took the bundle that contained her dress out of her pack and placed it on her bed. After pulling the knots loose on the cords that held the bundle closed, she opened the thick cloth to reveal a white dress covered in intricate gold embroidery.

    She lifted the dress up and looked it over again. It was clear that this dress had been made for dancing and moving around in general. When she¡¯d tried it on, it had been loose yet stayed in place when she spun around and jumped, something that old tailor had made each of them do.

    This dress is just like everything dwarven, so pretty and made so well, but still tough and useful. I could have worn this while I was serving drinks in Fishport or dancing with Vincent at the ball in Oldforge.

    She gave the dress a shake, walked over to the large bar in the back, and hung her dress up. The others did the same when they finished unpacking their own dresses. Each one was nearly the same as her own, made from the same white cloth and embroidered with the same golden thread, though the patterns differed some for each woman.

    Anna looked over at her dwarven companion¡¯s dresses for a moment. They were different than the ones the party had made, and, at least in her opinion, were on the plain side. Each of them were cut the same way as the party¡¯s dresses, but they were made from rougher cloth and lacked the intricate embroidery, simply being trimmed with ribbon instead.

    I do like the colors, though I don¡¯t like wearing white because I¡¯m kind of messy, but the old lady said that doom moth silk doesn¡¯t stain, so it¡¯ll be fine, probably.

    Bralla¡¯s dress was a bright blue, and Gilira¡¯s was a light red, so light that it was pink in Anna¡¯s opinion, though the dwarf denied that. Lastly was Uthra¡¯s. Hers was dark green.

    The dwarven women were quite proud of their dresses, having made them themselves and didn¡¯t even bat an eye when Anna and her friends had brought home their own extravagant ones. Dwarves weren¡¯t prone to jealousy as it turned out, even though they were a greedy race.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go get some grub,¡± Bralla said after everyone fiddled with their dress for a moment.

    They left their room, and Bralla locked it behind them, placing her key in her dress and patting it.

    Like Thokri aways says, locks keep folk honest.

    Once they left the busy inn, they stopped on the street and looked around.

    ¡°Now ladies, I¡¯ll show you how to find the best food in any city,¡± Barika said.

    The dwarves looked at her in confusion. Barika put her hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder and grinned at her.

    ¡°Go on, child. Do your thing,¡± she said.

    Anna grinned back and closed her eyes. She sniffed the air a few times. She opened her eyes again and started to walk towards the smell of food.

    ¡°This way,¡± she said.

    She led them away from the inn, pausing every once in a while to sniff the air before she stopped in front of a small food place. She only paused for a moment before she pushed the door open and went inside. The smells of roasted meat, rich sauces, and even sweet treats filled the air. She headed for one of the tables and sat down. The others scurried behind her, looking around in utter shock.

    ¡°So, what should we get, child?¡± Barika asked with a big smile on her face.

    ¡°Noodles with meat sauce, along with the black ale, and if you can, get the fried sweet bread to finish,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s handy,¡± Bralla said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t always work. Sometimes she leads you to fried assholes,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t assholes. It was balls, and those were good,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°She can¡¯t taste spice either, so sometimes it¡¯s your ass that gets fried,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°I said I was sorry,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t mad, and I ate all of it because it was delicious,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Remember the rice pudding I gave you to make you feel better the next day?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh gods, that stuff was good,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I actually managed to learn how to make it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°How did you manage that?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I just watched,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°If I could have one of your abilities, I think I¡¯d choose that one,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d want my boobs,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh gods, no. My back hurts just thinking about it!¡± Elaine said.

    The others laughed for a moment and then started to chat about which part of Anna they would like to have before the server came out with the food and placed a huge bowl in front of each of them along with a mug of black ale.

    The noodles were long and thin and covered in a white sauce that was filled with chopped meat and mushrooms. She took the two-pronged fork that had been placed next to the bowl and stuck it in the noodles, spinning it around to get a ball on the end, and stuffed it in her mouth.

    The first thing she tasted was the sauce. It was as creamy as it looked with a strong taste of garlic and island pepper. She started to chew. The noodles had a springy texture and tasted like the wheat noodles she¡¯d had in the past, along with the finely cut tender meat and the large chunks of mushroom. It was fun to chew in addition to being tasty.

    She made happy sounds as she ate. She swallowed her first bite and put down her fork, picking up her mug and taking a drink. The black ale washed the taste of the creamy sauce out of her mouth. She looked around to see that all her friends were eating as well.

    ¡°So, you all like my butt that much?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 77

    She walked over to her dress, took it down from the beam, and gave it a shake before putting it on. She pulled her hair out from inside the dress, flipped it out so it fell down her back, and then walked back over to her bed where she sat down and put on the white slipper-like shoes that the tailor had included with the dress.

    She stood up and took the cloth belt she was supposed to wear with the dress and wrapped it around her waist before tying it with the knot that Bralla had taught them. She had a small cloth coin purse that she stuffed into the folds of her belt.

    Once that was done, she put on the necklace and the guest token she still had to wear and then spun around a few times to see if anything came loose.

    ¡°Help?¡± Elaine asked.

    Anna turned to look at her friend. The woman was a mess. Her hair was frizzy, her dress, despite being perfectly tailored to her, somehow looked frumpy. She was holding her belt and looking at Anna with a pleading look on her face. Anna smiled, walked over to her friend, and started to adjust her dress.

    She managed to get it looking right and smoothed it out before taking Elaine¡¯s belt and wrapping it around the woman. After tying it into the proper knot, she gave it a light tug to make sure it was secure. Once she was finished with that, she reached up and touched Elaine¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can do about this,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened! I washed it last night just like the rest of you did, but it¡¯s like this now!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Did you use the hair soap?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°There was hair soap?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yeah, the green bar was hair soap, and the white bar was body soap,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, gods! I used the white one all over!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Well, that explains it,¡± Anna replied.

    She turned around and looked at the dwarves who were helping each other get dressed.

    ¡°Any of you lasses have hair grease?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Uthra replied.

    She tossed Anna a small tin. She caught it and then pulled the lid off. She turned Elaine around, got a fingerful of the grease, and started to work it into Elaine¡¯s hair.

    Once she finished, she started to brush Elaine¡¯s hair. She brushed and brushed and brushed and then brushed more before she finally finished, and Elaine was left with shiny perfect looking locks. Anna put the brush down, got her mirror out of her pack, and handed it to Elaine. The necromancer held it up and looked at her reflection for a moment.

    ¡°Gods! How did you manage to get my hair to look like this?!¡± she asked.

    ¡°You can thank the dwarves. That grease is great stuff,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Do they have anything that can help with her face?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Shut it, elf!¡± Elaine replied.

    Elaine seemed genuinely upset by the comment and turned to put her things away, ignoring the elf. Lyreen didn¡¯t seem to notice that she¡¯d actually gotten to Elaine and got a satisfied look on her face before she turned to pack her things up for the day.

    They left the inn when everyone was dressed and ready, heading out to find breakfast. The streets were filled with dwarven women all decked out in their finest while they chatted, laughed, and drank. The air was filled with an excited buzz as the first day of the great dwarven gem festival started.

    They passed an old dwarven woman sitting on a blanket leaning against a wall. She had a crate filled with dark colored bottles and a basket with coins next to her. Anna tossed a few coins in the basket and took one of the bottles from the crate.

    ¡°Bess ye, wee one,¡± the old dwarf said.

    ¡°Stone one smile on you, ma¡¯am,¡± Anna replied.

    She pulled the stopper from the bottle and a puff of white mist came out along with a sweet smell. She took a drink, and her mouth was filled with a sweet and spiced liquid that was full of bubbles. It reminded her of the strange wine they served at the ball in Oldforge, the stuff that shot the cork out when it was opened.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fizzy brew!¡± Uthra said in a delighted tone.

    She rushed over and bought herself a bottle. She opened it and took a huge swig before looking at the bottle with a grin on her face. The others looked at her and then walked over and bought their own bottle of the sweet stuff. The old woman thanked them all before they left, still searching for a place to eat.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Lyreen hiccupped, and Anna turned to look at the elf. She was flushed red and grinning in a drunken way. She¡¯d only drank half the bottle.

    ¡°Better get something soon, or we¡¯re going to have to carry her,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Bralla replied looking at Lyreen.

    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk!¡± Lyreen said slurring her words.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Gilira replied, patting the clearly drunk elf on the arm.

    Anna finished her bottle of fizzy brew and tossed it into a huge basket already partially full of refuse. She¡¯d never seen baskets like this around the city before and assumed they were there because of the gem festival. She sniffed the air, deciding to find the nearest food place so Lyreen could get something in her belly before drinking anymore.

    ¡°This way,¡± she said, motioning for the others to follow.

    This time, she found a few women frying eggs, meat, and vegetables on a huge metal plate. The smell was incredible. She heard Rose¡¯s stomach grumble. The woman put her hands on it, covering it in embarrassment. Anna noticed a glint on her left wrist and saw an iron bracelet had slipped out from her sleeve.

    What? Why is she wearing that? Did she lose a baby? When did that happen? She hasn¡¯t even been with a man the whole time I¡¯ve known her. Oh no, that means it happened before I knew her! That means, that means, that means¡­

    Rose quickly covered up her bracelet and gave Anna a pleading look as if she was begging her not to say anything. Anna kept staring at Rose until Elaine flicked her on the side of the head.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± Elaine asked.

    Anna snapped out of it and turned to Elaine.

    ¡°Uh, I want another fizzy brew,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Yeah, those were pretty good. Come on, let¡¯s eat, and then we can go find more,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    She glanced at Rose who smiled weakly at her before they lined up to get some breakfast. The dwarves thanked the cooks after they filled their plates, and they walked to the side to eat, needing to return the plates and forks when they finished.

    Anna shoveled the food in her mouth thinking about Rose, and before she knew it, she¡¯d eaten it all. She walked over, placed the plate and fork in a basket, and then joined her friends, staring off into space while she waited for them to finish eating.

    What should I do? I mean, should I do anything? She doesn¡¯t want anyone to know, but she still wore the bracelet for some reason. Why would she wear the bracelet if she doesn¡¯t want anyone to know?

    ¡°Hey, you still there?¡± Elaine asked, waving her hand in front of Anna¡¯s face.

    Anna blinked and then nodded yes.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you today?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Uh, I was just wondering what the inside of the cathedral looks like,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Sure you were,¡± Elaine said with a suspicious look on her face.

    After the others finished, they went to find more of the fizzy brew. She did like the drink but was more concerned with what she¡¯d learned than anything else. So much so that she didn¡¯t notice the rest of them stop and kept walking.

    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong this instant!¡± Barika said pulling Anna¡¯s arm.

    Anna¡¯s eyes darted around. She didn¡¯t want to tell Rose¡¯s secret, but she didn¡¯t want to lie to Barika.

    Rose clapped. Everyone looked at her. She pulled down her left sleeve and pointed at her iron bracelet, then she pointed at her eyes and then at Anna.

    ¡°I thought bracelets meant you had a baby,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It does, but an iron one means she lost it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°When did that happen?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Before we knew her,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She was still a slave before we knew her. How did she end up¡­ Oh,¡± Lyreen said.

    Rose sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was trying to keep your secret,¡± Anna replied.

    Rose smiled at her and then held her hand up to her mouth as if she was drinking out of a bottle.

    ¡°Aye, we can do that,¡± Bralla said.

    More dwarves were out in the streets now. Some were singing, and a few were dancing. A woman walked out in front of the party and put her hands out, smiling at Bralla as she did. Bralla clasped hands with the woman, and they started to dance.

    Other dwarves joined in, and soon, the rest of the group was pulled into a dance right there in the middle of the street. She found herself surrounded by smiling dwarven faces, and her heavy thoughts seem to melt away as she danced with the carefree women.

    Anna found herself looking at a familiar face. Lyreen grinned at her, and they clasped hands and started dancing, spinning around through the crowd of dwarves, laughing as they went. They let go of each other after a few moments, and each lost themselves in the dance once more.

    She danced with her friends one by one as she found them before Rose took her hand and pulled her in close. She put her cheek against Anna¡¯s, and they started to slowly dance. The dwarves around them moved away to give them room. Dwarves put a great deal of value in family. So much so that their customs had special etiquette if family members were involved.

    The gem festival was no different. If two female relatives were to dance, it was slower and more intimate, and Rose had pulled Anna into that dance. They danced cheek to cheek and in step with each other to the rhythm of the dwarven song that the surrounding dwarves were singing to them. They moved slowly inside the circle of smiling singing dwarven women, and after a few moments, they broke away, kissing each other on the cheek before sliding their hands down each other¡¯s arms until their hands met, and they squeezed each other one final time before letting go and turning away, heading back into the crowd of dwarves.

    She was pulled back into the dance and spent who knows how long with the dwarves before she heard someone shout her name. She looked around to see Lyreen waving at her and gesturing for her to come to her. Anna left the dance and joined her friends who were leaning against a wall with mugs in their hands.

    Elaine handed her a mug, and Anna took a drink. It was sweet ale, and seeing as everyone was all sweaty and red faced from dancing, that was probably for the best. Barika and Rose were off with Bralla and Gilira having a talk. Rose looked upset, but not at the others.

    Anna looked at the bracelet again and felt strange. She didn¡¯t like the idea of having her own children, but losing one had clearly upset Rose, and that made her upset.

    ¡°Elaine, are we sisters?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to think we are,¡± Elaine said. Elaine gave her a curious look.

    ¡°If people did bad things to you, would you want me to hurt them?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Elaine replied

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯d want you to bring them to me!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how valuable the parts of an enemy are to a necromancer?¡± Elaine asked.

    Anna shook her head no.

    ¡°The eyes alone can be used in fifteen spells, and the fresher the better, and it doesn¡¯t get that much fresher than alive. Why, I could spend days extracting everything I could use!¡± Elaine said.

    Elaine started to smile in a wicked way, clearly thinking of all the terrible things she¡¯d do to someone given the chance. Anna pulled the necromancer into a hug and felt Elaine¡¯s arms wrap around her as well.

    She¡¯s weird, but she¡¯s still my sister.

 Chapter 78

    Anna looked up at the huge bronze doors of the cathedral. The face of the stone one was cast into the surface of the metal, and gems were embedded, all causing it to glitter in the lamp light. She was standing with her friends in a crowd of dwarven women, waiting for the bell that marked the beginning of the second shift to toll.

    The dwarves grew quiet. Having spent their lives in the mountain, they seemed to know when shifts start. They turned their eyes to the door and waited. A moment or two later, a bong reverberated through the air, and she felt it in her bones. The doors started to open, but the dwarves didn¡¯t move. They were waiting until they opened completely before heading inside.

    The doors opened quickly, and once they touched the outside walls, the crowd of women started to walk into the cathedral.

    A subtle golden fog flowed out of the inside of the cathedral and slowly wrapped around the women. She would have stopped and gawked when she stepped through the door had it not been for the press of the crowd.

    The inside of the cathedral was massive, as if the whole ten block space was empty. The floor seemed like it was made from a single sheet of green marble that was streaked with gold and silver. The walls depicted the stone one slaying great beasts and forging wonderous things. Her eyes were drawn to the ceiling which had been carved into a dome and was covered in swirling patterns of gold, silver, and mithril. Gemstones of every kind were embedded in the precious metals as well, causing the whole surface to sparkle with light and magic.

    As they approached the center of the building, she saw a statue depicting the stone one. He stood before an anvil and held a hammer above his head preparing to strike whatever he was crafting on the anvil. She¡¯d never seen a more detailed statue in her life.

    Everything from the way the tiny muscles in his arm flexed because of the way he was holding his hammer to the way his hips were twisting as if he were on the downward part of his blow. She would have sworn that it was a real live person had it not been made from solid mithril.

    The crowd spread out and met with other crowds of women that had entered from one of the other three doors. Everyone grew quiet for a moment, and then the women began to sing, giving thanks to the stone one. Anna and her friends joined in, adding their own unique voices to the already wonderful song.

    After a few minutes, the song ended, and then the music started, and the dwarves started dancing. The woman next to her grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a dance. Her friends were all pulled in different directions, and she lost sight of them almost immediately.

    Okay, well, I guess I¡¯ll just go with the plan to meet the others near the feast tables when they bring out the food.

    It was fairly common for groups to get separated at the gem festival, so meeting up at the feast tables was what most people did. She got farther and farther away from where she¡¯d started and danced with all kinds of dwarves. She felt a gentle, if not a bit shaky, grip on her arm and turned to see an old woman smiling at her.

    ¡°Would you dance with me, lass?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Anna replied.

    They clasped hands, and Anna noticed that the woman¡¯s wrists were covered in iron bracelets. She also had an iron ring on each hand. The old woman kept smiling as they slowly danced. Anna kept her from losing her balance a few times. The old woman grew tired quickly, and they stopped, but she kept hold of Anna¡¯s arm when the dance ended.

    ¡°Do you mind if I hold onto you for a little longer, lass?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m much too old to be dancing, but my great-granddaughters begged me to come with them, and I just can¡¯t tell them no,¡± the old woman said.

    She looked around for a moment and sighed.

    ¡°Though it looks like I¡¯ve lost them,¡± she said.

    ¡°I lost my friends, too. Want to go to the feast tables and wait for them there?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you, lass, but I wouldn¡¯t want to hold you up,¡± the old woman replied.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no trouble. I, uh, don¡¯t actually know where the feast tables are though,¡± Anna said.

    The old woman cackled and hooked her arm around Anna¡¯s.

    ¡°Come on, lass. I¡¯ll show you,¡± the old woman said.

    They walked slowly though the crowd of dancing women. Everyone moved to let them pass as they walked, seeming to respect the old dwarf. She started to smell food after a while, and soon enough, the crowd thinned, and she spotted the feast tables. There were dozens of long tables lined up piled high with food and drink.

    ¡°Mind walking a little farther with me, lass? There are benches where I can sit and wait nearby,¡± the old woman asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Anna replied.

    She looked at all the food on the tables as they passed by. There were so many new things that she couldn¡¯t wait to get back and try them all.

    I love eating so much I think it might be my favorite thing ever!

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    The benches the old woman had told her about were filled with tired looking old dwarves and a few pregnant ones who looked just as exhausted as the elderly seated with them. Anna helped the old woman sit down on one of the benches.

    ¡°Well, lass, better go and find your friends,¡± the old woman said. Anna held out her hand.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Anna. What¡¯s yours?¡± she asked. The old woman smiled and took Anna¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Bolhild,¡± she replied.

    ¡°It was nice to meet you,¡± Anna said smiling brightly.

    ¡°Nice it was to meet you,¡± Bolhild replied.

    She walked away from her new friend and headed back to the tables, intending to eat some of everything there. She looked around for plates but didn¡¯t find any and then watched the dwarves to see what they did. She watched a woman tear off a chunk of meat, stuff it in her mouth, and then wipe her fingers off on the cloth that covered the table.

    So that¡¯s what that¡¯s for!

    She¡¯d seen clothes covering tables before and always wondered why they were there. Now it all made sense.

    She tore a piece of the same meat the woman had and took a bite. It was so tender that it seemed to melt as she chewed. Even after she swallowed, it left a rich oily taste in her mouth. She licked her lips and then took another piece, nibbling it as she walked along the table, looking for something else that caught her eye.

    A mushroom cap the size of a pumpkin sat on a platter. It was covered in a thick green sauce that had specks of yellow and red though out. Unlike the meat, there was a stack of flatbread next to the mushroom along with a long knife. She picked up the knife and a piece of flatbread and sliced a piece off a piece of the mushroom, dropping it into the flatbread and then wiping the knife off on the edge of the bread before putting it back on the tray next to the mushroom. She folded the bread around the mushroom slice to try and keep the sauce and juices from escaping.

    The mushroom was sour, and the sauce had a strange bitter flavor to it. She didn¡¯t like it at all but also didn¡¯t want to waste food, so she stuffed what was left in her mouth and swallowed it whole. After wiping her fingers off on the tablecloth, she moved on.

    Eating some of everything, she bumped into her friends who were standing next to a huge cut of meat. She walked up to them and ripped a chunk of the meat off and stuffed it in her mouth before wiping her fingers off.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t out dancing still, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I walked an old woman over so she could find her great-granddaughters,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That was nice of you,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It was?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It was, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Have you all seen the drinks? I could use one,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No, we just got here,¡± Elaine replied.

    They walked away, looking for the drinks and eating anything that looked good as they did.

    ¡°Hey, where are Bralla and the others?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Probably still dancing,¡± Lyreen replied with a shrug.

    She found barrels of ale on the table with mugs next to them. They got themselves a drink. While they enjoyed their ales, Anna noticed that a large number of dwarves were heading in the same direction carrying empty mugs.

    ¡°Wonder what they¡¯re doing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Only one way to find out, child,¡± Barika replied.

    They followed the dwarves to a massive cauldron surrounded by barrels of ale the size of wagons. Dwarven priestesses were filling mugs and handing them back to smiling and laughing women. Anna watched as one woman walked up to cauldron. The dwarves grew quiet and watched the woman.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink with the stone one!¡± she said to the priestess standing next to it.

    The priestess nodded then took the woman¡¯s mug and dipped it into the cauldron. When she pulled it back it out, it was glowing gold and a golden fog was pouring out. Whatever its contents were, they had more divine power than anything she¡¯d seen. Even Barika¡¯s healing paled in comparison.

    Several priestesses surrounded the woman, and then the first one handed her the mug. She took it and then looked at it nervously, all her confidence seemingly washing away as she stared into the mug. The priestess nodded at her, and the dwarf woman swallowed hard and then put the mug to her lips to take a drink.

    A pulse of golden power shot through her body, and she went limp the moment she took a drink. The dwarven priestesses caught her, one of them touched her face, and then they lifted her limp form and started to carry her away. The other dwarves touched her reverently as they did.

    Anna looked back at the cauldron and noticed that the mug was laying on its side, but none of the liquid in it had spilled. The priestess that had been standing next to the cauldron picked up the mug and dumped the golden liquid back in before setting the mug on a table next to it. There were a few other mugs already there, indicating that she hadn¡¯t been the first dwarf to try and drink the brew.

    I wonder what that tastes like!

    Anna slipped away from her friends and headed straight for the cauldron. She squeezed through the crowd and found herself standing in front of the cauldron.

    It¡¯s huge!

    She walked over to the priestess and smiled at the woman who kept a stern look on her face.

    ¡°Am I allowed to have some?¡± she asked.

    ¡°All may drink the stone one¡¯s own if they speak the words,¡± the priestess replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink with the stone one!¡± Anna said.

    The priestess nodded and took her mug, dipping it into the cauldron and then handing it to her. Priestesses surrounded her when she took the mug.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Get away from there!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°THIS IS A HOLY RITE AND WILL NOT BE DISRESPECTED!¡± the priestess that had handed her the mug shouted suddenly.

    Everyone looked at Lyreen who went pale and looked around with wide eyes. Barika stepped forward and crossed one of her arms over her chest just below her breasts and leaned forward.

    ¡°Please forgive her. Despite her looks, she hasn¡¯t reached a century in age and is still considered immature amongst her people. She meant no disrespect and is merely concerned for her friend¡¯s wellbeing,¡± she said.

    The priestess¡¯s face softened, and she sighed.

    ¡°The stone one¡¯s own is a blessing, lass. It won¡¯t hurt her,¡± the priestess said.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°No harm, lass, but remember that not all gods are as forgiving as the stone one,¡± the priestess said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t, ma¡¯am!¡± Lyreen replied.

    The priestess looked at Anna again and nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, lass. We¡¯ll catch you,¡± one of the priestesses whispered to her.

    Nothing in her life had affected her in any way, but looking into this mug, she wasn¡¯t so sure if that was going to be the case this time.

    Fuck it!

    She drank from the mug. It was sweet, like someone had taken all the fruits she¡¯d ever had and blended them together to make the perfect drink. A strange warmth filled her. It was like when she moved her dreamer power around inside herself except it felt softer somehow. She ended up drinking the whole mug and took a satisfied breath after swallowing the last mouthful.

    The crowd grew quiet, and everyone was looking at her.

    Oh, no! I did it again!

    She held the mug out to the priestess so she could place it with the others, and the woman shook her head no.

    ¡°It¡¯s yours, lass,¡± the priestess said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, and don¡¯t lose it. It¡¯s been blessed by the stone one,¡± the priestess said.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Anna replied, looking at the still glowing mug.

    ¡°Go on back to your friends, lass,¡± the priestess said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

 Chapter 79

    Someone put their hand on her shoulder and then shook her. She opened her eyes to see Bralla looking down at her.

    ¡°Time to get up, lass,¡± Bralla said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    She sat up and looked around the room to see her human and elf friends still unconscious in their beds while her new dwarven friends were up and about. After she drank a mug of the stone one¡¯s own, all the dwarves wanted to drink and dance with her, so she¡¯d been pulled away from her friends the moment the priestess had stopped watching. She hadn¡¯t escaped from their clutches until the bell marking the end of the second shift rang, and the priestesses shooed everyone from the cathedral.

    She¡¯d met back up with everyone just outside of the cathedral grounds, and they¡¯d walked, staggered was a better way of putting it, back to the inn together. The others had been so exhausted, and drunk, from their revelries they simply fell into their beds and passed out the moment they walked into the room. She, on the other hand, had gotten undressed and hung her clothing up so it didn¡¯t get too wrinkled for use the next day.

    She opened her pack, pulling out a large box, and opening it. It was filled with potions, each one in a small compartment of its own to keep them from rattling around and breaking. Most of them were hangover cure for obvious reasons, but she had a few of the powerful cure potions. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t have to use them because of the rarity of ingredients and the complexity of the recipe itself.

    That and the mess people make after they drink one.

    ¡°You lot look like shit,¡± Uthra said.

    Anna looked up to see that the dwarves had woken everyone else up, though she wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d call what Lyreen was awake or not. She pulled the potions from their holders and brought them to each of her friends who gladly drank them down. After the usual sneezing, their eyes seemed to clear, and they thanked her.

    ¡°So, why are you naked?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wrinkle my dress by sleeping in it,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen looked down at her dress and frowned. Suddenly, she looked up at Anna.

    ¡°Can I borrow your cleaning ring?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Sure, but I don¡¯t think it gets rid of wrinkles,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I sweated a lot, and I don¡¯t want to smell when we go out today,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah, and you peed on yourself a little too,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine started to laugh, and Lyreen turned bright red.

    ¡°You could have kept that to yourself, you know!¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh, right, sorry,¡± Anna replied.

    She went back to her bed and picked up her belt, opening the pouch that contained her magic rings, and fished out the cleaning ring. Lyreen was pulling off her dress when she walked back over, so she waited for her to finish getting undressed before she handed the elf the ring and then followed her over to the beam to watch.

    Lyreen hung her dress up and then put the ring on and held it near the sleeve of her dress. She pulled the sleeve tight for some reason and then activated the ring. Anna watched as the sleeve was cleaned. Lyreen let go when she finished, and much to Anna¡¯s surprise, the wrinkles were mostly gone.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it could do that!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I noticed that my dresses were less wrinkled after you cleaned them on the way here, so I figured that if I pulled the cloth tight, it might work even better,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly, and ending up with a face full of elf breast. She let go when she realized Lyreen was still covered in dried sweat, making a face.

    ¡°Gross,¡± she said.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that hugged me,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s still gross,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Hey, can I borrow that after she¡¯s done?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    Rose walked over and held hers out as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do yours when they finish,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Would you mind cleaning mine as well, child?¡± Barika asked as she stripped down.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Anna replied.

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    ¡°Better get some water to clean our asses with. No sense in putting clean clothes back on our filthy asses,¡± Bralla said.

    The dwarves left the room, and Lyreen continued cleaning her dress. When she finished, Elaine started on hers, and then Anna cleaned Barika¡¯s and Rose¡¯s. She was finishing up Barika¡¯s dress when the dwarves got back and handed her their dresses. She cleaned them up quickly and then joined the others at the massive basin the dwarves had carried into the room. She picked up a cloth, dipped it in the water, and started to wipe off her hands, face, neck, and finally her breasts.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t sweat, lass,¡± Uthra said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. I just spilled my drink on myself, and these things catch everything,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, I bet they do,¡± Uthra replied.

    After they got washed as best they could, they got dressed and left their room for the day. They wandered around the streets looking for something to eat that would help with the lingering effects of the hangover her friends were suffering from.

    The smells of heavy foods filled the air, and she realized that of all the races, dwarves would know how to deal with a hangover the best, so pretty much anything being sold this morning would be perfect. She heard a sizzling sound and smelled something sweet.

    She looked over to see a dwarf flipping a pancake on a large flat iron. Next to the pancakes were cuts of meat that looked suspiciously like bacon and a few large eggs. She looked over her shoulders at her friends. Each one was looking at the pancakes like a pack of starving wolves. Bralla put her hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder and patted it a few times.

    ¡°Ya did it again, lass,¡± she said.

    They ate huge stacks of pancakes slathered in butter and covered in sweet thick syrup, a pile of crispy bacon-like meat, and a few large eggs. Once finished, all of them stood there for a moment, rubbing their now overfull bellies and sighing with satisfaction. After they digested for a few minutes, they walked away. After a few blocks, she smelled flowers of all things when a woman opened a door nearby.

    ¡°How do you lasses feel about a massage?¡± Gilira asked, looking at the same building Anna was.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never had one before,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve rubbed all your backs, but no one has ever rubbed mine,¡± Anna replied.

    Her friends looked sheepish, and Gilira put her arm across Anna¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Time we got that changed then, lass,¡± she said as she guided Anna to the building.

    The scent of flowers was strong. When they walked into the building, dwarven women crowded the main room, sitting on benches and chatting with each other. Most had wet hair and a slight sheen of oil on their skin.

    Gilira didn¡¯t let her go until they reached a small counter near the back wall. There was a sign that had prices for their various services. Most of the things listed were parts of the body like the neck, shoulders, back, and well, the whole thing. The last one on the list puzzled her though it simply said full service.

    What¡¯s more than your whole body?

    ¡°It¡¯s this lass¡¯s first time, so take care of her, alright?¡± Gilira said, patting her on the shoulder and handing the woman behind the counter enough for the full service.

    Guess I¡¯m going to find out.

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s safe? I mean, you know what happens when she¡­¡± Elaine said, causing the dwarves to stare at her.

    ¡°Get yer mind of the gutter, lass,¡± Gilira snapped.

    ¡°Er, sorry,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Come on, lass. We¡¯ll take care of you,¡± a dwarf said as she gestured for Anna to follow.

    They left the main room and walked into the back. There was a bath on the other side of the doorway, but instead of getting washed, she was led down a hallway next to the bath and passed several rooms that had curtains instead of doors.

    The dwarf pulled the curtain back on one of the rooms and motioned for her to go inside. She walked into the room. There was a single person bath in the back along with a shower. A long stone table covered in a thick blanket was off to the right. The dwarf walked into the room behind her and headed for the bath.

    ¡°Never had a human in here before. How hot do you want the water, lass?¡± the dwarf asked.

    Better just tell her how hot normal humans need it. I don¡¯t want her to cook someone if she does get a human later.

    ¡°Cooler than a dwarf but still steaming some,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, go get washed up, lass. I¡¯ll get this filled,¡± the dwarf said.

    Anna nodded and got undressed, putting her clothing on a rack and hanging her dress from the side. She went over to the shower and turned on the water, waiting for it to heat up before getting under the powerful steam like her friends did.

    She started to wash her hair with the appropriate bar of soap, making sure to get all of it, which was quite a task, when the smell of flowers filled the room. She looked over at the bath and watched the dwarf pouring bottles of oil into the running water.

    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Smells good and makes your skin softer,¡± the dwarf replied.

    Sure it does.

    She finished washing up and turned off the water. The dwarf gestured for her to get in the bath, so she walked over and stepped into the slightly steaming water.

    ¡°How is it?¡± the dwarf asked.

    How the fuck am I supposed to know?!

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she replied, sinking into the water which came up to the base of her neck.

    The dwarf went over to the table and started to line bottles and tins up on a table next to her. She stretched a few times, rubbing her hands and fingers to loosen them up, before walking back over to Anna and taking a towel hanging from a hook near the bath.

    ¡°Ready when you are, lass,¡± she said.

    Soaking did nothing for her, so she got out of the bath, and the dwarf wrapped her in the towel and rubbed her dry before putting her hair up in it like her friends did when they got washed. The dwarf gestured for her to lay down on the table, so she did, and she watched the dwarf as she picked up one of the bottles and poured it on her back. It was warm and felt like thick oil.

    The dwarf started to rub it into her back. Once she finished, she moved her hands to the back of Anna¡¯s neck and started to massage there. She worked them for a moment before moving on to her shoulders and her upper back.

    ¡°Do you stretch often, lass?¡± the dwarf asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Anna lied.

    ¡°I can tell. You¡¯re not tense at all,¡± the dwarf said.

    Once she finished Anna¡¯s back, she had her roll over and then started on her front. It didn¡¯t take as long to massage her front, and when she finished, Anna sat up. The dwarf took the towel off her head and started to rub some hair grease into her scalp. She brushed her hair, and then when she finished, Anna got dressed and was led back to the main room. She looked for her friends and spotted Bralla, Gilira, and Uthra sitting on a bench. She went to sit next to them. The dwarves smiled at her when she sat down.

    ¡°What¡¯d you think?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°I smell nice now,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Should have known a massage wouldn¡¯t do much for you,¡± Gilira said sighing.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

 Chapter 80

    They wandered into the cathedral an hour or so after second shift started. The rest of the week would be more relaxed according to Bralla, so they didn¡¯t bother waiting in the crowd in front of the cathedral for the festival to start that day.

    There were crowds of women standing around chatting instead of one huge dance like the day before. They headed for the feasting tables to get some food and drinks before wandering over to the dwarves and joining in on their conversations. Well, the others did anyway. Anna stayed at the feasting table and proceeded to stuff her face with as much food as she could.

    ¡°Are you Anna by any chance?¡± a dwarf asked.

    Anna looked over at the woman, mouth still full of food. The dwarf was on the young side with bright orange hair and a big bright smile on her face. Her dress was green and so was the gem mounted in the simple golden necklace she wore. Anna swallowed her food after chewing a few times and then licked the grease from her lips.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Thank you for taking care of gram yesterday!¡± she said.

    Gram? What¡¯s a gram? I didn¡¯t do anything with a gram, did I? Wait, isn¡¯t that the stuff that makes up a pound? What did I help with that weighed that little? Wait, why is she looking at me like that? I mean, even if I did help with something, why is she so happy about it?

    ¡°She was so excited when she told us about the strange human lass that danced with her,¡± the dwarf added.

    Oh, grandma! That¡¯s what she meant by gram!

    ¡°It was fun for me too,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Would you like to join us?¡± the dwarf asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    She wiped off her fingers and face and then followed the dwarf away from the feasting tables and into the crowd.

    I wonder what they are going to want me to do?

    The orange haired dwarf stopped next to a group of about twenty dwarves. Most of them had orange hair as well. Bolhild was with them. She had her arm wrapped around one of the dwarven women using her for support.

    These must be her great-granddaughters. They all kind of look alike, maybe, sort of, I think. Eh, whatever. It doesn¡¯t matter either way.

    ¡°Oh, Anna! It¡¯s nice to see you again!¡± Bolhild said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too,¡± Anna replied.

    One of the dwarves held out a flask and motioned for Anna to take it.

    ¡°Are you trying to kill her?¡± another dwarf asked.

    ¡°It ain¡¯t that bad!¡± the one holding the flask said.

    ¡°Not that bad she says! Last time I took a drink of that shit, I woke up naked on the first floor!¡± the other dwarf replied.

    ¡°Bah! Not my fault you got no ass,¡± the one holding the flask said.

    What¡¯s she talking about? She has an ass. It¡¯s pretty big too!

    Anna took the flask from the woman¡¯s outstretched arm, pulled the stopper, and took a drink. She made a face from the incredible sourness that filled her mouth, swallowing in a gulp, and then sticking her tongue out afterwards. The dwarves burst into laughter. A few of them patted her on the shoulders and arms.

    ¡°Took that like a dwarf, lass!¡± the dwarf said.

    ¡°That was nasty!¡± Anna replied.

    The dwarf looked hurt by this statement, and the other dwarves burst into laughter again. She took her flask back and took a drink from it, making a face herself before stuffing the stopper back in and putting it in her belt.

    ¡°You made a face too!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Bah!¡± the dwarf replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her, lass. Her lad brews that swill, so she gets her tits in a knot if anyone talks bad about it,¡± the other dwarf said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± the dwarf with the flask replied defensively.

    ¡°Tell that lad of yours to come home from the brewery and take you to bed more often. I want to see at least one of my great-great-grandchildren before I go to the mountain,¡± Bolhild said.

    The dwarf with the flask turned bright red, and the other dwarves started to tease her about it. She put her hand on her belly and smiled shyly.

    ¡°You might get your wish, gram. I¡¯m late,¡± the one with the flask replied.

    The dwarves got quiet for a moment, eyeing the woman with anticipation.

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    ¡°How long has it been?¡± Bolhild asked.

    ¡°Two weeks,¡± the possibly pregnant dwarf replied.

    The dwarves looked disappointed now. She didn¡¯t blame them. It was almost impossible to tell that early without magic, and the dwarves didn¡¯t have any magic.

    ¡°I, uh, have a spell that can tell,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°You do?!¡± the possibly pregnant dwarf said.

    She stepped towards Anna, grabbed her by her shoulders, and began to shake her excitedly. The other dwarves pulled her off after a moment.

    ¡°Stone one¡¯s balls! Are you trying to kill the lass?!¡± one of the dwarves asked.

    ¡°Shit, sorry,¡± the possibly pregnant dwarf replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m tougher than I look, so I take it you want me to cast my spell?¡± Anna asked.

    The dwarf shook her head vigorously. Anna held out her hand, palm up, and summoned an eye. The dwarves stared at it, clearly surprised by its sudden appearance.

    ¡°I usually use this to check for broken bones and stuff, but Barika taught me what to look for when a woman¡¯s with child as well,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, what do you see?¡± the possible pregnant dwarf asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t looked yet, hold on,¡± Anna replied.

    Anna turned the eye to look at the woman and focused on it. She suddenly saw inside of the woman and looked inside her womb. It was clear that something was growing inside the woman. She suppressed a shutter knowing that would just upset everyone and that what was growing inside was just a baby anyway.

    She smiled and nodded at the woman who squealed in delight. The other dwarves started to hug her or rub her belly. The pregnant dwarf pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tightly suddenly.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± she said.

    Someone tapped on her back. The dwarf let her go, and she turned around to find another pregnant dwarf smiling at her. She was much farther along with a visibly swollen belly that she had one of her arms wrapped around.

    ¡°Could you tell me if my wee one is healthy?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    The woman shook her head no.

    ¡°I just want to make sure. You can do that, right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I can,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Would you please?¡± she asked.

    Anna sighed and looked inside the dwarf.

    Hmm, this baby looks like a baby instead of some weird thing. Wow, it, no she, even has hair. I¡¯ve never looked inside someone that was inside someone before. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard, just a little bit more, and there we go. Okay, she¡¯s got a fast heartbeat, but that¡¯s normal. I see lungs, brain, muscles and bones. Nothing out of the ordinary. Honestly, she doesn¡¯t look that much different than a baby after they are born. Better tell her mom. She¡¯s getting that ¡®oh, no, something must be wrong¡¯ look on her face.

    ¡°She¡¯s healthy,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°She? Do you mean I¡¯m having a lass?!¡± the dwarf asked.

    Anna nodded, and the woman pulled her into a tight hug, smiling. When she let go, her eyes got big, and she pulled away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡± she said.

    She rushed away, or at least as much rushing as a very pregnant woman could manage, and Anna, not quite sure what was going on, shrugged it off and turned back to face the orange haired dwarves who were still congratulating the young pregnant dwarf. Bolhild grinned at her when she noticed that Anna was paying attention to the group again.

    ¡°So, what do you do, lass?¡± the old dwarf asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m an adventurer,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, what does an adventurer do?¡± Bolhild asked.

    ¡°Well, we explore ruins, hunt dangerous animals and monsters, look for treasure, that kind of stuff,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Did you find any treasure?¡± one of the dwarves asked.

    ¡°Sort of. It was something called the scepter of Octavius. I thought it was just a mace, but the temple gave us a chest of gold for it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How big was the chest?¡± the dwarf asked.

    ¡°Big,¡± Anna replied.

    She motioned with her hands to show the approximate size. The dwarves looked impressed and started to fold their arms and rub their faces in a most dwarven fashion.

    ¡°You said we, right?¡± one of the dwarves asked.

    ¡°Yep, me and my friends,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How many of you lot are there?¡± another asked.

    ¡°Seven counting me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Not a bad haul, even for seven of you. No wonder you have such a nice dress on,¡± a third dwarf added.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad I won¡¯t be able to wear it again,¡± Anna said sadly.

    ¡°Why not, lass?¡± Bolhild asked.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s for the gem festival, and I¡¯m going to be leaving before the next one, and who knows when I¡¯ll be back,¡± Anna replied.

    The dwarves looked at her like she had grown another head.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Who told you that you could only wear that to the gem festival?¡± Bolhild asked.

    ¡°Uh, no one, but when we told Bralla about it, she said she hadn¡¯t worn hers for years because she hadn¡¯t gone to the festival, so I thought that you didn¡¯t wear them anywhere but here,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, we dwarves don¡¯t, but you¡¯re not a dwarf, lass. It¡¯s just a dress for you,¡± Bolhild said.

    ¡°I never thought about it like that,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t go around wearing it in the mountain, and you¡¯ll be fine, lass,¡± Bolhild added.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Have you ever hunted a dragon?¡± one of the dwarves asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never even seen a dragon,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± the dwarf replied sounding disappointed.

    ¡°We did kill a sea monster once,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Really? How big was it?¡± the dwarf asked.

    ¡°It was huge!¡± Anna replied.

    She went on to describe the beast and how they had dispatched it. At least, the version they had all agreed on. The dwarves loved it, though dwarves love any story, true or not, if it was told well.

    Once she finished telling them about the sea monster, it was clear they wanted to hear more, so she told them about the basilisk, another fabricated tale, and in her opinion, a rather lame one. According to the others, they used poisoned bait and then tracked the dying monster to its lair where they killed it with spears once it collapsed.

    I still say that¡¯s meaner than what I did to it. I mean, tearing its insides out was way quicker than dying from any poison Elaine would come up with. According to the others, poisoning monsters is what people normally do. That¡¯s the story with the wyverns as well. We left out some sheep and followed them back to their nest where we waited for them to die and then got the eggs and griffin feathers.

    Using poison to kill animals seemed kind of wrong to her, but she didn¡¯t have to worry about getting hurt or killed by the things, so she guessed she¡¯d just have to trust the others when it came to things like this.

    Just another one of those things I¡¯ll never really understand.

    The dwarves grew quiet and started to stare at something behind her. She turned around to see what was going on and just blinked at the sight of dozens of pregnant dwarven women all looking at her expectedly. The woman that she¡¯d checked to see if her baby was healthy took a step forward. She had a smile on her face.

    ¡°I went to tell my sister, and well, I guess some other lasses overheard what you can do, and they wanted to know if their wee ones were doing well. Sooo, would you mind?¡± she asked.

    She could tell by the look on their faces that if she said no they would be mad at her or even worse start crying and she couldn¡¯t stand that, so she summoned her eye once more.

    ¡°Alright, just line up,¡± she said.

    They lined up, and she started to check the first one, looking inside the woman and seeing a small baby-like growth.

    How did I get myself into this mess?

 Chapter 81

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look like someone stole your cupcake,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°The festival was over. There wasn¡¯t any reason to stay, lass,¡± Bralla added.

    ¡°I know that,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Look on the bright side. You don¡¯t have to look at any more babies,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It was only really bad that one time. Bolhild chased them away and told them just to visit the midwives if they were worried,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That was one formidable woman,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°You know, she was over a thousand years old!¡± Anna added.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think dwarves lived that long,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Neither did she,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon for people to live longer than their race¡¯s norm, child. I¡¯ve met humans who are well over a hundred before,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I have met elders who were older than two thousand,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°My father is older than time,¡± Anna added, causing everyone to give her a look.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it count?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It just doesn¡¯t!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. We were talking about how old people are, so I said how old the dreamer is. I mean, you talk about how old your parents are, why can¡¯t I?!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I only told you how old my parents are so that you would know it was a mistake I was born¡­ OWWW! FUCK! WHY DID YOU PINCH ME?!¡± Lyreen shrieked holding her side.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re not a mistake, and if you call yourself one, I¡¯ll pinch you!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t mean to have me, so what else would you call it?¡± Lyreen asked, rubbing her side.

    ¡°A happy surprise!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say it. Just don¡¯t pinch me anymore. That fucking hurt!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You sound like Barika, you know,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°Yeah, so,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She told me the same thing,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°See what happens when you don¡¯t listen to me, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°You sic your monster on me?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I did no such thing, child. She did that on her own, and she¡¯s not my monster. She¡¯s our monster,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Nobody owns me. I do what I want,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that, child. I meant that you¡¯re all our friend, that¡¯s all,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, of course I am,¡± Anna added.

    Barika ruffled her hair and then placed her hand on Lyreen¡¯s side, healing the elf who sighed in relief.

    ¡°So, what else do you lasses have planned?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°Nothing really. We just need to pick up our equipment from the forge, and I believe your husband intends to visit his parents, but after that, I think we¡¯ll be heading out,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°What about afterwards?¡± Gilira asked.

    ¡°Well, it will take us a year to get home if everything goes well, and then back to work I suppose,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Take care of him for us, will you?¡± Bralla asked.

    ¡°We will,¡± Barika replied.

    After walking for a few more hours and talking about mostly nothing, as people tended to do when they liked each other or were nervous, they reached the house and went inside. The men were lounging around and drinking while the children chased each other around the room. Trays of food sat on the long table with dirty plates and mugs lined up at the end.

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    Voekeer jumped up and rushed over to Lyreen who met him halfway. They started to kiss immediately. Elaine sighed and headed to the back of the house without saying a word. Anna, not wanting to watch her friends suck each other¡¯s faces, followed the necromancer.

    She went to her room and emptied her pack, putting her things away, slowly giving the couples enough time to finish before she went back out to join them. She carried the blessed mug, wanting to show it off to Thokri.

    When she reached the main room, she realized that she¡¯d misjudged the amount of time she needed to stay in her room, though it hadn¡¯t been too short, but too long. Everyone else was already there and drinking. She went to the barrels and filled her mug with dwarven whiskey before joining them by the long table for a snack.

    ¡°Look what I got!¡± she said, holding the mug out for Thokri to look at.

    He took it and looked it over with a confused look on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mug, lass,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Yeah, but I drank the stone one¡¯s own from it, and now it¡¯s been blessed!¡± Anna said.

    Thokri¡¯s eyes went wide, and he just stared at the mug for a moment before looking up at her.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what the blessing does yet, but it¡¯s still glowing brightly with god power,¡± Anna added.

    He looked at the mug for a moment longer before taking a drink from it and then passing it to Lobar. The mug was passed from dwarf to dwarf, each one taking a drink before they returned it to Thokri who went to refill it. Lobar clapped her on the shoulder and grinned at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of someone drinking a whole mug of that shit!¡± he said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could,¡± Eriben added.

    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly normal, so I don¡¯t think I was supposed to be able to,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri returned with the mug, and everyone took turns drinking from it and chatting about what they had done during the festival. The men had just sat around watching the children and drinking, treating the whole thing like a break for themselves as well.

    They all went to bed after a good bath and fell into a routine for the next few weeks. A messenger arrived, informing them their equipment was ready, and much to everyone¡¯s surprise, no adjustments were needed.

    After they returned to the house, Thokri left to visit his parents, leaving the party behind. They spent that time lazing around, doing a bunch of nothing, so much so that when Thokri returned, they were nearly shoved out the door by his family. Bralla joined them on their trip to the gate, stopping just before they walked though.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait so long next time, lad,¡± she said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Thokri replied.

    They kissed and then she whispered something in his ear. He stiffened at the news and started to say something, but Bralla just kissed him again and then put her hands on his shoulders and touched her forehead to his.

    ¡°Go on, lad. We¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said.

    Thokri sighed. Clearly, whatever she said had upset him, but he didn¡¯t argue with his wife. He just pulled her into a hug again and said aye. They hugged for a while before letting each other go. She turned and walked away. He watched until she disappeared into the crowd before turning back around and heading though the gate without a word.

    They scurried after him, rushing through the gate to catch up with their friend. They headed for the warehouse, having decided to skip the foreign market. The goods sold in the market in the city proper were far superior anyway, so they had stocked up there.

    They entered the same gate at the warehouse they had when they had arrived all those months ago, and Thokri handed the receipt to one of the dwarves who looked it over and then waved down another dwarf who then led them back to the storage area that contained their wagon.

    The door was unlocked, and a swarm of dwarves showed up to prep the wagon and get it loaded. The horses were brought over. They looked well taken care of and even had new shoes. They were harnessed and attached to the wagon soon after.

    Thokri signed the paperwork after looking everything over one more time. Anna climbed onto the driver¡¯s bench and took the reins. When Thokri joined her, she gently flicked the reins, and they were off.

    When they rode through the main gates and into a hot summer day, a warm breeze blew across her face, and she smiled.

    Oh, I missed this.

    She looked over at Thokri and noticed that he was just staring off into the distance. Something was clearly weighing heavily on the man.

    ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not yet, lass,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Anna said.

    They rode on in silence. When the sun started to set, she pulled into an inn and parked the wagon next to the stables. They went into the inn once the horses were taken care of and found a place to sit at one of the long tables. The barmaid brought them drinks and took their coin for the meal and their rooms for the night.

    The moment she left, her friends started to stare at Thokri. She could almost see their gazes hitting the side of his head. He sighed and then took a long drink of the foamy mug before setting it down on the table and folding his hands near his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a Da again,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news!¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Congratulations man!¡± Voekeer said.

    The rest of the party chimed in, patting him on the arms and head and telling them how happy they were for him. He smiled and thanked them, but she could tell that something was wrong by the look on his face.

    Why is he so sad?

    She took a drink and kept watching him. He looked up at her after a few moments.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. I just don¡¯t know if I want to be leaving, that¡¯s all,¡± he replied.

    ¡°If you want to stay, then we can go back to the mountain,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°No one would blame you for wanting to be with your family,¡± Barika added.

    Thokri sighed.

    ¡°Aye, and I thank all of you, but I¡¯m not going back. Bralla told me because she wants me to come home more often, not because she wants me to stay. My life¡¯s out on the road now, and they all know that, so don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be alright,¡± he replied.

    After a moment, Voekeer grinned.

    ¡°You know what this means, right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s that, lad?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°We need to buy one of those huge barrels of ale and try and drink it dry!¡± Voekeer replied.

    Thokri let out one of his deep belly laughs.

    ¡°I like the way you think, lad!¡± he said.

    Voekeer grinned and patted the dwarf on the shoulder.

    ¡°BRING US A BARREL, LASS!¡± Anna shouted.

    The dwarves around them all started to cheer, assuming they were being included in the festivities.

    Looks like we¡¯ll need two barrels!

 Chapter 82

    She sat up in bed and stretched. Colors were just starting to leak into the room from the window, indicating it was just before dawn. She slid out of her bed and went downstairs. Tentacles appeared in the fireplaces and began starting a fire so she could cook breakfast.

    She went to her pantry and took one of the many cuts of bacon she had stacked on the shelves. She ate several pounds of the stuff each morning, so she had to make sure she had plenty on hand. She also took a few eggs to fry up. She didn¡¯t aways eat them, but Elaine liked them, so she made sure to have them ready for when she woke up.

    She walked over to her table where the tentacles had placed a cutting block and a knife for her to slice the bacon up. The bacon was wrapped in thin cloth that she pulled off the meat and set aside. It was useful for boiling puddings, so she kept it around. Her knife was dwarven made and sharp as a razor. It made quick work of the bacon.

    She set it aside as well and walked over to the fireplace, taking her long-handled cooking pan which hung from the wall next to it and placing it over the fire. It was massive, far larger than a single woman, or two of them, would ever need. She¡¯d bought it from a man who told her it had belonged to his great grandmother, and after she had passed, no one in his extended family needed such a large pan, so he decided to sell it.

    How could I say no to that? It¡¯s perfectly seasoned, and I can fit two pounds of bacon on it at once.

    She laid the strips of thickly sliced bacon on the pan, filling its surface completely. They started to sizzle soon after, filling the room with a wonderful smell.

    The stairs creaked as her friend staggered down them. She looked over to find a wild-haired Elaine still in her shift rubbing her eyes as she walked.

    She kind of looks like one of those zombies she raises.

    ¡°Want some eggs?¡± Anna asked.

    Elaine mumbled what Anna knew what a yes before she plopped on one of the plush chairs she¡¯d bought when she moved in.

    I still can¡¯t believe Gwen just left my house empty like that! I mean, I know she got married and wanted to live with her husband, but still! At least the dwarves took care of the place until I got back.

    She flipped the bacon with her fingers. She had the tools to do it properly, but she didn¡¯t see the point when it was just the two of them. A tentacle held out a plate for her to put the cooked bacon on, and she cracked about six eggs into the greasy pan.

    They bubbled and sizzled the moment they touched the hot surface. Some ground salt and island pepper were sprinkled over them before a tentacle flipped them over after flattening its tip out. A few more moments and the tentacle scooped the eggs onto the plate. She took the plate from the tentacle and walked over to the table, placing it on the big table in the middle of her room.

    Elaine got up, shuffled over to the table, and sat down. Anna sat across from her, and the tentacles placed a plate in front of both of them along with a fork. Elaine pulled some of the eggs onto her plate along with a few pieces of bacon.

    They both started to eat in a manner that would do wild dogs proud, and within a few moments, the eggs were gone, and so was most of the bacon. Each of them took a piece of the remaining bacon and started to munch.

    ¡°Got any plans?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Just going to walk around the market until I find something fun,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll join you,¡± Elaine said.

    Anna nodded as she had an entire piece of bacon in her mouth and had been told more times than she cared to think about not to talk while she was eating. They finished the rest of the bacon soon after.

    They got up from the table and headed upstairs to get dressed, leaving the still summoned tentacles to get the dishes ready for her to clean. Once they got into their room, Elaine slipped behind the curtain that she¡¯d insisted on putting up when she moved in.

    I still don¡¯t get why. It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t seen each other naked thousands of times already.

    Elaine had told her it was for privacy, which even after having it explained to her on many occasions, she still didn¡¯t really grasp the concept. She shrugged and then went over to her dresser, pulling the top drawer open. Inside were her city dresses. They were nothing more than plain long-sleeved ankle-length affairs, the kind of dress that common women around the city would wear. She found that wearing the same kind of clothing as everyone else caused people to treat you like you were one of them and not an outsider.

    And Thokri always says that outsiders pay more.

    She put on the dress then closed the drawer and headed back over to her bed. On the wall next to it hung her various belts. She picked the long thin leather one that went with this style of dress. She tossed it over her shoulder and reached down to open the small chest that sat below. The chest was filled to the brim with pouches, purses, and bags of all shapes.

    She rummaged around until she found a matching coin purse and belt bag. Lyreen always pestered her about having things that matched, so she tried to make sure she did in the city. Once she had picked one, she closed the chest and then went over to a small cabinet and opened it.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The cabinet was filled with knives, each one hanging on a set of hooks with its sheath hanging next to it. She owned dozens of knives, and each one was different. Most were dwarven made, but she had a few human and elven ones mixed in. After a moment of looking, she turned her head to the curtain Elaine was currently hiding behind.

    ¡°What knife should I wear?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What color is your dress?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Dark green,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°The elven one with the silver handle,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    She took the knife and sheath from their hooks. The knife had a four-inch curved blade and was made from a silvery metal the elf who sold it to her called star steel. Thokri had tasted it and just said bah when she¡¯d had him look it over, so she wasn¡¯t sure what it really was. The handle was three inches and was also curved though in the opposite direction.

    I¡¯ll never tell Thokri, but I think it¡¯s nicer than any of my dwarven knives.

    She put it in its sheath, then slid it along with the coin purse and belt bag onto her belt, and then wrapped it around her tiny waist. She slid the silver belt end through the buckle and pulled it tight before making a loop, pulling the end through it, and letting the extra leather dangle down.

    Once the belt was on, she moved everything around until it was where she wanted it to be. She closed her knife cabinet and went to sit on her bed while she waited for Elaine to finish getting ready to leave. The necromancer didn¡¯t emerge for ten more minutes, and when she did, it was in the same black dress that she always wore.

    Matching must be easy when all you have to do is wear black and be creepy.

    She took her cleaning ring from her alchemy table before heading down the stairs and over to the neatly stacked dishes. The tentacles lifted each one for her to wave her hand over before placing it back where it belonged. Once she finished, she sent the tentacles back to her dreams and then put her hands over her head to stretch, something she did when she finished working. She turned to find Elaine smirking at her.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Come on,¡± Elaine replied.

    The sun hasn¡¯t come all the way up, and she¡¯s already being weird.

    She followed Elaine out of the house and onto the street. The front of her house smelled sweet. A butterfly floated by her face before landing on one of the many flowers that grew in the garden boxes that sat in front of her windows. She smiled for a moment before she noticed that Elaine had already walked away. She scampered after the woman, not wanting to be left behind.

    The city was bathed in the orange light of dawn and grew brighter as they walked towards the market. The ever-present crowds grew thicker as the day started, and when they reached the market, the streets were swarming with people.

    They passed most of the stalls. Most were selling things that had no interest to either of them. When they reached the huge open part of the market filled with row after row of merchants, they stopped and looked around.

    ¡°Got anything you want to look at?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I need some enchanting ink, and I¡¯m almost out of blank books,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said.

    They walked into the sprawling market towards where she thought they might find the things that Elaine was looking for.

    So, we can probably find the ink where I get my drawing stuff from, but I¡¯m not sure about blank books. Oh, I know, we can check the stalls that sell books! They might have some!

    When they reached the stall where she bought most of her drawing and letter writing supplies, the merchant smiled warmly at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Anna,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Harold. Have you been alright?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes. That tea you told me about helped,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, what can I do for you today?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Do you have any enchanting ink?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I do. Are you taking up scroll making?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s for my friend here,¡± Anna replied.

    Harold looked over at Elaine and stared for a moment.

    ¡°I need fine black if you have any,¡± she said.

    ¡°I do, miss,¡± he said.

    He reached behind his counter and pulled out a clear glass inkwell and set it on the counter. Sparks of white mana seeped from the cork sealing the top.

    ¡°How much?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°One silver,¡± Harold replied.

    Elaine took a silver from her coin purse and handed it to Harold who handed her the ink well.

    ¡°If you bring me back the well, I will sell you the next one for fifty copper,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I do,¡± Elaine replied.

    She said goodbye to Harold, and they headed for the booksellers. There were never many people in this part of the market. While reading wasn¡¯t rare in the city, it wasn¡¯t commonplace either. She usually came to find potion books or when Lyreen wanted another story book and didn¡¯t want to take Voekeer.

    They walked down the row looking at the stalls when she spotted one with a tiny man wearing adventurer¡¯s clothing standing behind it. His head was quite large compared to the rest of his body, mostly due to the back of his skull being longer than other races. He was balding, but what remained of his hair was thin and wispy and was mostly located on the sides and back of his head. His ears were slightly pointed like an elf¡¯s were, but no where near as long. His nose was large and came to a point, sticking out a few inches from his face. Below his massive nose was an equally massive mustache. It was the largest mustache she¡¯d ever seen, even larger than the city dwarves at the capital¡¯s had been.

    She looked up at his eyes, which were big and orange, and noticed that he was looking at her as well. He grinned at her and waved for her to come over to his stall. She wandered over, and he bowed when she stopped in front of his rather ostentatious stall.

    ¡°Never in all my travels have I seen a person quite like you, miss. May I have your name?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna! What¡¯s your name?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Findwick Fizzlebock, and it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he replied.

    She looked around at his stall and noticed that all of the books were the same, so she picked one up to look at the cover.

    The Life and Times of the Amazing Explorer Findwick Fizzlebock written by Findwick Fizzlebock.

    Below the ornate title was a picture of the man standing behind the stall. She looked up at him, and he smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never find a more daring tale,¡± he said.

    She opened and glanced at a few pages before closing it.

    ¡°How much?¡± she asked.

    ¡°For you a silver, and I¡¯ll even sign it!¡± he replied.

    She took out a sliver and handed it to him. He took the book first and opened it. Then taking a sparkling quill from one of the many pockets on his shirt, he wrote his name in a flourish on the inside cover. He closed the book again and handed it back, finally taking the silver from her and then bowing slightly to her.

    ¡°I hope you enjoy it, my dear,¡± he said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied.

    She walked away from the stall and towards Elaine who was picking around in the stall across from Findwick¡¯s.

 Chapter 83

    ¡°Hey, Elaine, have you ever been to the Spice Islands?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, why do you ask?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Well, Findwick was visiting them looking for the ruins of some ancient lizardman civilization that supposably inhabited them thousands of years ago. He found out that the southernmost island is inhabited by a race of lizard people that don¡¯t live anywhere but that island. Well, they didn¡¯t know anything about a lost civilization, but they did have the best dragon pepper he¡¯d ever eaten,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Some of the scholars at the royal academy thought that the lizardmen empire used to control most of the western coast of the great inland sea, so I guess them also controlling the spice islands isn¡¯t that farfetched,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Findwick didn¡¯t think that the civilization on the islands was connected to the lizardman empire,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, why not?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Well, first, he doesn¡¯t think they¡¯re the same race. He said that the island lizardmen have bigger differences between genders than the lizardmen on the mainland. Also, they don¡¯t eat bugs or meat like the other lizardmen do. They eat fish and other things they catch in the ocean. Oh, and their languages are so different that he said there is no way they share a common root. I¡¯m not sure what that means though,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine stopped writing for a moment and looked around. She did that when she was thinking.

    ¡°Think about common and Barika¡¯s language, and then about dwarven and common,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Oh, right. There¡¯s a lot of things that are the same between Barika¡¯s language and common, but dwarven isn¡¯t the same at all!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yep, and that¡¯s because both human languages are based on old Imperial, so if you think of languages like a tree, old Imperial is the root,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Then all the other human languages are the branches!¡± Anna replied, interrupting Elaine.

    ¡°Exactly. The only exception to that is the Northman¡¯s language,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because Northmen came from the other side of the barrier mountains, and the other humans came from the far west,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°As far as I know, there¡¯s no way across the barrier mountains, and there¡¯s nothing but an endless desert to the far west,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Findwick thinks that it used to be much hotter and wetter in this region, and he thinks that there wasn¡¯t a desert back then. But something happened and it got colder and drier that made the lizardmen move south and the humans moved in when they left,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Okay, I can see that, but what about the Northmen?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°There was a pass through the barrier mountains, and he found it, but it was walled off,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yep, most of the people with him at the time were dwarves, and they told him that they¡¯d never seen stonework like it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, it changed everything we thought we know about our past,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to go and check it out,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Okay, so where are we heading first?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Fishport, I want to see Beth before I go to the Spice Islands,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why there?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Findwick was hurt badly when he tried to explore the island and had to leave. When he got back to the northern spice islands, he realized he was just too old to keep on, so he decided to write his memoirs. He ended it saying that he wanted someone to pick up where he left off and go explore that island because he¡¯s sure that the key to finding the lost civilization is there,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, if you find something about it, then it proves the book is real?¡± Elaine asked.

    Anna shook her head.

    ¡°No, I just want to check to see if he was really there, so if the island and the lizard people are like how he described, it¡¯s good enough for me,¡± she replied.

    ¡°If that¡¯s all you want to do, why not go somewhere closer? There has to be something in that book,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. A lot of the places he went, he could have just heard about from someone else, so we need to go somewhere that most people have never visited that he did, and this is the closest one,¡± Anna replied.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Elaine nodded.

    ¡°Okay, that makes sense. Hey, could I borrow that book?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    She closed it then handed it to her friend who took it, opened it up, and started to read.

    Well, I lost her. Might as well go to sleep for the night. We can go and talk to the others tomorrow before they go and start their days.

    Early the next morning, she got up, crept down the stairs, and started to prepare food like she did every morning. The moment the smell of cooking bacon floated up the stairs, she heard the floor creak, and Elaine shuffled down, still fully dressed from the day before. She had dark circles under her eyes and had clearly slept in her dress.

    ¡°You look like shit,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I stayed up reading your book,¡± Elaine replied as she flopped onto her chair.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. I wasn¡¯t going to take it back or anything,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I know, but it was so good, I ended up reading the whole thing,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Want some eggs?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, thanks, just bacon please,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said.

    She went back to cooking, and after a few minutes of quiet, she heard Elaine softly snoring and turned to see that the woman had fallen asleep in her chair. Anna shook her head and turned back around to keep an eye on the bacon. She stacked it onto a plate when it was done, popping a piece in her mouth before walking over to the table and setting the plate down. She started to eat the bacon and waited to see if Elaine was going to wake up. After a few minutes, she sighed and got up.

    ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡± Anna asked.

    She walked over to the sleeping necromancer, and waved the plate near Elaine¡¯s face, and the woman¡¯s eyes flicked open. She stretched and then took the plate with one hand and started to stuff her face with the other. Anna went upstairs to get dressed, knowing Elaine would finish the rest of the food.

    She got dressed, deciding to wear an adventuring dress along with her usual belt before heading back downstairs. Elaine was finishing up the bacon when she returned.

    ¡°So, we should go and let the others know we¡¯re heading out. They¡¯ll want to go, too,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine ate the last few pieces before getting out of her chair and handing the plate to Anna who cleaned it along with the rest of the dishes she¡¯d used to make breakfast.

    They left when she finished, heading to the adventurer¡¯s guild. They reached the massive building just after dawn, and when they entered, she spotted the rest of her friends sitting together at a table eating breakfast. She smiled at them and started to walk over.

    You know, they¡¯re all pretty much the same as when I first met them, except for Rose that is. She doesn¡¯t even look like the same person that I pulled out of that wagon. I wonder how many more Roses are out there, stuck in wagons or chained to beds waiting for someone to come and save them? NO! Don¡¯t do that! Barika said it will just make me feel bad.

    She sat down next to Rose who grinned at her. Lord Emerald was seated in her lap. He popped his head up as soon as Anna sat down. She rubbed in between his ears just like he liked. When Elaine sat down, he hopped away.

    Oh, come on, she didn¡¯t mean it!

    Elaine frowned at the fleeing rabbit before looking back at the others.

    ¡°So, what do you want to talk about, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°How do you do that?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Do what?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Know what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve known you for most of your life, child. I just can,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, what is it, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Oh, right, well, I¡¯m going back to Fishport and then to the Spice Islands, and I wanted to know if you all wanted to come to?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°So you¡¯re finally going back to see your little friend then?¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s probably bigger than me now,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I get Fishport, but why the Spice Islands?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Well, I bought a book from a gnome yesterday, and he traveled all over the world exploring places, and one of them was the spice islands, and I want to go and see if he¡¯s full of shit or not,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, you want to go all the way to the Spice Islands to see if a gnome is telling the truth or not?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes, really. It¡¯s not like we have anything to do around here!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Aye, the lass is right, and I¡¯m tired of sitting around with my thumb up my arse,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°But you aren¡¯t doing that,¡± Anna said.

    Thokri eyed her for a moment and then shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a saying, lass. It means sitting around doing nothing,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, right, one of those,¡± Anna said.

    Why are there so many sayings dammit?!

    ¡°We should go and let Bruno know we¡¯ll be leaving,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They got up and walked over to the counter, leaving their half-eaten breakfast sitting on the table. Bruno was working with one of the newer adventurers. He noticed them walking over and started to watch them. The young man turned to see who the Ogre looking at. His eyes went wide when he saw them.

    ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯ll come back!¡± he said and scurried away when they neared.

    ¡°What¡¯s with him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Fuck if I know,¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be leaving. Might be gone for a few years,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°You got to be shitting me!¡± Bruno replied.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t shit you, lad. You¡¯re my favorite turd,¡± Thokri said.

    Bruno glared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

    ¡°Is this because you got banned from taking normal contracts?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, but that was still bullshit!¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I warned you shitsticks not to take fifty in one month, but you didn¡¯t listen now, did you?¡± Bruno asked.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t see what the problem with working hard is,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t anything wrong with working hard, skinny. It¡¯s taking work from everyone else that¡¯s the problem,¡± Bruno replied.

    Anna turned to look at the room full of hungover adventurers and then back at Bruno.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, they are really raring to go, aren¡¯t they,¡± she said.

    This earned her a look from Bruno.

    ¡°So, where are you assholes going anyway?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The spice islands,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°What in the fuck are you going there for?¡± Bruno asked.

    ¡°Heard the food was good,¡± Thokri replied.

    This time Thokri got a look.

    ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t give a shit. Just don¡¯t die,¡± Bruno said.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t die,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Get the fuck out of here!¡± Bruno said.

    ¡°Sure thing, fatso,¡± Anna replied.

    They left the counter and headed out of the guild hall before he could respond. They started to walk towards the dwarven tavern. She needed to let them know she was going to be gone for a long time so they could send people to take care of her house. Sparks appeared in the air in front of her, and she held out her arms. Lord Emerald appeared and fell into them. She pulled him to her chest to hug him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to introduce you to Beth!¡± she said.

 Chapter 84

    They walked out of the southern gate early in the morning heading for the coast.

    ¡°Would you stop staring at me?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t wearing black!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Yeah, and we¡¯re heading south in the middle of summer. I don¡¯t feel like dying from the heat,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°But you always wear black!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Yeah, and I decided not to this time. You got a problem with that?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Uh, no, I just wasn¡¯t expecting you to wear something so, so, yellow, that¡¯s all,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with yellow?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just Elaine¡¯s usually all black robes and graveyards, so seeing her in a cute yellow dress is just weird,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°She has a jar filled with people¡¯s eyes in her pack if that makes you feel better,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen glanced at Elaine¡¯s pack and shuddered.

    ¡°No, no, it doesn¡¯t,¡± she replied.

    They continued walking for a few more hours until the sun was high in the sky. She noticed a shimmering on the road and realized it must be hot. She turned to look at the others to find they were all drenched in sweat.

    ¡°Should we stop for a break?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We will when we find some shade, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Want me to summon some tentacles?¡± Anna asked.

    Barika shook her head no.

    ¡°We¡¯re still too close to the city,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna replied.

    They were surrounded by vast fields of crops separated by thin strips of uncultivated soil. There wasn¡¯t anything in the way of shade anywhere near them, though she did see a huge tree off in the distance.

    ¡°There¡¯s shade about half an hour away. Is that okay?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ll have to be, child,¡± Barika replied.

    The others sped up when she mentioned the tree, and they reached it sooner than she¡¯d guessed. They walked down a small path that led to the huge tree. The area around the tree had been cleared, and small benches had been built. There was a small statue of a featureless person wearing a cloak. He had a walking staff in one hand and a lantern in the other.

    Oh, it¡¯s a shrine to the traveling god.

    Each member of the party placed a single copper into the small bowl at the foot of the statue. That was all the god ever asked for, just one copper if you could spare it, though they would bless you even if you couldn¡¯t. She looked at the blank face for a moment. No one was sure what gender the god was or how old they appeared or really anything about them.

    I guess that makes sense though. The traveler could be anyone.

    They went to sit on the benches to rest and drink before getting back on the road. It was cooler in the shade of the tree, though it could also be because they were at the shrine. She leaned back and looked up through the branches at the flecks of sunlight that managed to make it through the dense foliage.

    She looked back at her friends after a while and found they were all drinking from their canteens. She took her canteen from her belt and took a drink. The water was warm and had a slightly burnt taste, most likely from the pitch that lined the inside of the canteen.

    The others can¡¯t taste it, but at least they believed me about it, unlike the stripes on the flowers. No one believes me about those.

    She took another drink of the tepid water and looked out at the fields surrounding the tree.

    That¡¯s a lot of peas. Looks like they are almost ready to harvest too. That means the inns around here are going to be serving pea soup a lot in the next few weeks. I like pea soup, but Lyreen hates it, so she¡¯s going to whine. I hate it when she does that. Oh, I know, I can start passing her some of my smoked sausage when we¡¯re walking, so she¡¯s not hungry when we stop for dinner. She won¡¯t gripe then! You know what? It¡¯s lunchtime anyway. Might as well eat now.

    She opened her pack and took out a sack filled with different kinds of smoked meat. Her friends noticed what she was holding and moved closer.

    ¡°Did you bring any of the sausage?¡± Lyreen asked.

    Anna smirked at the elf and then pulled out one of said sausages and handed it to Lyreen who snatched it out of her hand and stuffed it in her mouth. The rest of the party started to smirk, causing Lyreen to turn red.

    ¡°Stop looking at me like that, you fucking assholes!¡± Lyreen said before turning away.

    Everyone started to laugh, and Lyreen¡¯s blush spread all the way to the tips of her ears, though she didn¡¯t stop eating the sausage. She held out the sack and let the others pick what they wanted before taking a sausage for herself. Lyreen smirked at her as she ate. Anna just winked at her friend, causing the elf to blush again.

    She¡¯s so easy.

    ¡°These are even better than the last batch. Where did you find them, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°One of the meat stalls in the beast man part of the market,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been there before. What¡¯s it like?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Well, they have a lot of different kinds of food for sale, mostly stuff that only beast men eat. Oh, and they have tailors that make clothing for beast men and inns that have special rooms that fit the really big or really small beast people. You know, that kind of thing,¡± Anna replied.

    Voekeer frowned and looked off to the side.

    ¡°Did I say something weird?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°What? No, it¡¯s just I never thought about where one of those huge bullmen would sleep if they were on the road before, that¡¯s all,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Now the rest of her friends all sort of looked around at each other. She guessed that none of them had really thought about it before. Barika stood up and stretched. Once she finished, she reached down and picked up her pack, throwing it over her shoulder.

    ¡°We should be on our way,¡± she said.

    The rest of the party got up without a word, putting their packs on and preparing to leave the shade. She stuffed the food back in her pack and closed it back up before standing up and putting her own pack on. Once she finished, they walked back down the path to the road and back into the blazing sun.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    They continued their journey south. They reached the first inn late in the evening. She noticed several wagons parked next to the inn. Unlike her wagon, they weren¡¯t covered, though they did have tarps over whatever goods they were hauling.

    The wagons were being watched by a few bored young men who were also there to take care of the horses in the stables. She doubted they would be doing either in a few hours, most likely playing dice or trying to get one of the barmaids to meet them in the loft. One of the young men noticed she was looking and grinned at her. She pretended not to see him and turned her head back to the inn.

    They went in the front door and found that the inn was full of wagon men who were clearly having a good time. Luckily there were still a few open tables, so they sat at one, and a very young barmaid with bright green eyes and frizzy brown hair scurried over.

    She¡¯s way too young to be working as a barmaid. Oh, wait, that¡¯s probably why the innkeeper¡¯s sending her our way ¡®cause a table full of women and non-humans aren¡¯t going to do anything weird to her.

    The girl just looked at each of them with big eyes. It was clear she wasn¡¯t used to dealing with such an odd group.

    ¡°Yes, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Wha, ah, what can I do for you tonight?¡± the girl squeaked.

    ¡°Rooms for the night, child. Five of them, and meals with ale for each of us,¡± Barika replied.

    The girl nodded and bolted away.

    ¡°She reminds me of Beth,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Beth is a grown woman now,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s just whenever I try to imagine what she looks like now, I just can¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I look like my mother, at least what she used to look like, so try and imagine what her mother looked like when she was young,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna stared at the necromancer for a few minutes before shaking her head.

    ¡°No, still can¡¯t do it,¡± she said.

    ¡°It was worth a shot,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see her again soon, child. Then you won¡¯t have to guess,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna replied.

    The girl came back carrying a tray with their drinks and food on it. She set the tray on the table.

    ¡°Okay, Mr. Arnold said that I need to get twenty-two copper from you. That¡¯s five for each room, and another two for the extra person,¡± she said.

    They each paid the girl. Anna handed her a silver along with the five copper for her room. The girl stared at the coin for a moment before looking back at Anna.

    ¡°It¡¯s for you,¡± Anna said.

    The girl squealed and wrapped her arms around Anna¡¯s head, pulling her into a tight hug. She then dashed off, heading straight for another one of the barmaids. The woman had the same eyes and frizzy hair as the girl and was clearly related. The woman hugged the girl but then spun her around and pointed at the table where she¡¯d left the tray with drinks and food still on it. The girl¡¯s eyes went wide again, and she zipped back over.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said.

    She started to unload the tray, placing mugs of ale and bowls filled with thick stew in front of each of them. The moment she finished, she darted off with the now empty tray and rushed back to place it on the end of the bar. She showed the innkeeper the coin and started to chatter away at the man like children tended to do when excited about something.

    Anna turned her attention to the stew. It was thick and filled with large chunks of meat and vegetables. She used the spoon sticking out of the bowl to break one of the chunks of meat up to a more manageable size. She scooped up the now smaller piece of meat and ate it.

    Well, it¡¯s not bad. I mean, I definitely wouldn¡¯t call it good, but it¡¯s not bad.

    She started to eat the stew without paying too much attention to the way it tasted. She took a sip of the ale and wasn¡¯t surprised by the poor taste.

    ¡°Horse,¡± she said.

    Thokri took a drink of the ale and made a face. He set it back down and gave the mug a disgusted look before going back to eating the stew. She finished hers and pushed the bowl away, taking another drink from the awful ale. The girl zipped back over and picked up her bowl.

    ¡°Do you want another one?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m full,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Okay, let me know if you change your mind!¡± the girl said.

    She rushed off with the bowl, heading back to the bar where the innkeeper ruffled her hair before sending her to the back room. Her friends finished their bowls of stew one by one, each one refusing a second, with the exception of Rose who always had seconds. After refilling her mug a few times, the girl disappeared, replaced by an older woman.

    Must be getting late, and they don¡¯t want her around the drunks.

    Anna tossed another silver coin on the table and stood up.

    ¡°It¡¯s late. I¡¯m heading up,¡± she said.

    As she walked to the stairs, the older barmaid walked to the table took her mug, along with the silver, and walked away, grinning when she noticed that Anna was watching. Anna grinned back, remembering her time as a barmaid before walking up the stairs.

    She went into her room and tossed her pack next to the bed before stripping off her clothing and flopping on the bed face down on the rough straw mattress. She rolled over and looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before falling sound asleep.

    A woman screamed loudly. Anna jumped out of her bed. She snatched her dress from where she had tossed it and pulled it on, grabbing her belt and putting it on as she ran out of her room. She¡¯d discovered in the last few years that there was rarely a problem that wasn¡¯t made worse by her nudity, so she¡¯d gotten in the habit of getting dressed before rushing off.

    Other guests were pouring out of their rooms as she bolted down the stairs. A few of the barmaids, along with the innkeeper, were surrounding the little barmaid¡¯s older family member. She was sitting on her folded legs crying into her hands. One of the other barmaids was hugging her, and she was crying too.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that little Jess is dead, murdered,¡± the innkeeper replied.

    Who¡¯s little Jess?

    She looked down at the crying woman for a moment, then realized who Jess must be.

    No! Not the little barmaid!

    ¡°Who? Why?¡± she asked, looking back at the innkeeper.

    The innkeeper took a ragged breath.

    ¡°It was Erick. She was showing everyone that coin you gave her, and when she showed him, he tried to take it. She wouldn¡¯t give it to him, so he started to beat her. By the time Billy pulled him off, she was already dead,¡± he replied as he started to cry.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the prick at now?¡± a man asked in a cold voice.

    She turned around to see that a large group of wagon men were standing behind her. It was clear by the looks on their faces they had heard what had happened to the little barmaid.

    ¡°Billy has him in the barn,¡± the innkeeper replied.

    The wagon men started towards the door. The innkeeper took a step towards them, holding out his hand.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of it. Just stay here with the women,¡± the man with the cold voice said.

    The innkeeper¡¯s arm fell, and he just stood there with a look on his face she¡¯d never seen before. She looked at him for a moment before deciding to follow the wagon men outside.

    I¡¯d rather be around pissed off people than crying ones.

    The crowd of men headed to the barn. None of them were talking, but all of them were still clearly enraged. They stormed into the barn where the two stable hands were sitting. One of them had his hands tied behind his back, and the other was sitting in a chair next to him. Both men had looks of utter despair on their faces.

    The man in the chair jumped up and rushed to stand between the tied-up man and the wagon men.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean it! It was an accident!¡± he said.

    One of the wagon men punched him in the guts, causing him to sink to the ground with the wind knocked out of him.

    ¡°HE DIDN¡¯T DO NOTHING YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!¡± the tied-up man shouted.

    The wagon men started to beat the tied-up man, viciously kicking him. He fell on his side and tried to curl up in a ball but wasn¡¯t able to fend off the blows because his hands were tied behind his back.

    After savagely beating him until he was limp on the ground, the wagon men yanked him to his feet and started to drag him out of the barn. One of the men grabbed a rope that had been hanging from a hook and tossed it over a beam in the barn.

    ¡°Oh, gods, no! I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her! You got to believe me!¡± he said.

    Wait, they¡¯re going to kill him! Should I stop them? He killed the little barmaid, but do they have to kill him? I don¡¯t know what to do! I don¡¯t know what to do! Where are my friends? I need my friends!

    She spun around and spotted them in a crowd of people standing near the barn door. She rushed over to them.

    ¡°Easy, lass,¡± Thokri said, putting his hand on her shoulders.

    She heard the sound of a rope suddenly going taut. She turned to see the tied-up man being pulled into the air by his neck. He started to thrash around, kicking his feet as he was strangled by the rope.

    The man who had been in the chair got up and rushed for the men pulling the tied-up man into the air. He was caught by several of the other wagon men who were standing around watching the hanging. They started to beat him. Unlike the tied-up man, he fought back, slamming his fists into several of the men before they could shove him to the ground. Several of the men held him down while one of the men punched him in the face.

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± the man with the cold voice shouted.

    The men let him go. He didn¡¯t get back up. Instead, he just laid there and started to cry.

    ¡°Aunty don¡¯t have no one else. Don¡¯t take Erick from her. He didn¡¯t mean it. He didn¡¯t,¡± the man said.

    A stench wafted past her. She looked up at the hanging man to see that he was limp now with a dark stain spreading across his pants. The cold-voiced man nodded at the men holding the rope, and they tied it to one of the posts normally used to tie up horses before walking away.

    She watched the dead man sway back and forth for a few moments before Thokri pulled on her shoulder, leading her away from the grisly scene.

 Chapter 85

    Thokri led her back into the inn. The innkeeper, along with the barmaids, watched them as they went over to a table and took a seat. She¡¯d never seen the look the innkeeper or the barmaids had on their faces before, and she herself had that strange wiggling filling inside her. She looked around the table at her friends. They, none of them, looked happy, but they also didn¡¯t look all that upset.

    This is my fault, isn¡¯t it? I never should have given that little girl a silver coin! What was I thinking? Of course, something bad was going to happen. A silver is what a man makes in a week in the city. I bet stable hands out here on the road don¡¯t make that in a month, and he saw a kid showing it off and just lost it. Why don¡¯t I ever think before I do things? Now a little girl is dead all because of me!

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have given her that silver! I¡¯m so fucking stupid!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t your fault, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°How is it not my fault? I gave her a silver coin. Of course, she was going to go show it off!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, why is it your fault and not her sister¡¯s then? She did run right over there and show her the coin as soon as you gave it to her. She could have taken it and kept it safe for her,¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°She couldn¡¯t have known what was going to happen,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°And neither could you,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I still feel terrible,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It means you have a heart,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t sometimes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°We all have that wish,¡± Barika said.

    Thokri clapped her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Got a long day ahead. Better get some sleep,¡± he said as he stood up.

    They went back up the stairs and into their respective rooms. She just flopped on her bed and curled up in a ball without bothering to get undressed this time. She fell asleep with ease, as she always did. She had always assumed this was because of who her father was, but she couldn¡¯t be certain and doubted that she¡¯d ever really know.

    She found herself in a familiar field surrounded by her wiggling dream friends just like any other night. She couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw them. She held her arms out and dozens of them reached out to touch her. She giggled as they ran their warm soft bodies over her skin. She started to sing and sway, beginning a dance that would last all night. Her eyes snapped open when she heard shouting.

    Are you fucking kidding me?!

    ¡°FIRE!!!¡± a man shouted.

    She jumped out of her bed and grabbed her pack before running out of her room. She was down the stairs in moments.

    When she reached the main room, she noticed the front door was open, and the smell of smoke poured in from outside. She rushed outside and saw a dull orange glow coming from the side of the inn.

    Oh, fuck! The barn!

    She tossed her pack and ran to see if she could help. When she passed the edge of the inn, she saw dark smoke billowing out of the barn. The big front doors were closed along with the doors to the loft.

    ¡°HELP!¡± a man shouted.

    He, along with several other men, were trying to push a wagon that had been parked feet away from the barn. Anna rushed up, grabbing the wagon¡¯s tongue and giving it a hard yank. The wagon started to move, but she slipped, and it stopped.

    ¡°WE GOT TO SAVE THE HORSES!¡± a man shouted as he ran past them.

    He headed straight for the barn, putting his hands on the doors.

    ¡°NO, DON¡¯T!!!¡± Anna shouted.

    It was too late. The man yanked the doors open, and fire erupted from the barn as if someone had shot a fireball from inside. The man was blown over and rolled on the ground, clutching his face. She let go of the wagon and ran to the man, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him away from the fire.

    ¡°We got to save the horses!¡± he said.

    ¡°They¡¯re dead!¡± Anna replied.

    She knew that horses didn¡¯t like fire, and they tended to make all kinds of horse sounds letting you know how much they didn¡¯t like fire, and she hadn¡¯t heard anything coming from the barn. Another man rushed over and helped her drag the man away from the fire. Once he was safely way, she ran back to the barn.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± the man who helped asked.

    ¡°I have to close the doors!¡± she replied.

    Unless you¡¯re save¡¯n someone, you got to keep the doors to a burning building closed! That¡¯s what Thokri told me!

    A hot wind blasted her as she approached the doors, causing her hair to blow around. She grabbed the right door and yanked it shut. Then she looked over at the left one and realized she couldn¡¯t get it and keep this door closed.

    Oh fuck!

    She summoned a tentacle and pushed the door to her, sending it back to her dreams the moment she had a hold of the other door. She pushed it shut as well then jammed the wooden block attached to one of the doors back in its place.

    She turned around to see a dozen or so of the wagon men trying to push the wagons away from the barn. She didn¡¯t join them. Instead, she ran behind the inn looking for the well. When she found it, she ran over, picked up the bucket, attached it to the long rope, and dropped it down the well. She watched impatiently as it filled with water before yanking it back up, unhooking it, and rushing back where she splashed the side of the inn that faced the barn with water.

    ¡°THE BARN¡¯S BURNING, YOU DUMBASS!¡±  a man shouted.

    ¡°GO SUCK A DICK, SHITHEAD!!!¡± Anna shouted back.

    She ran back to the well, not wanting to hear his response. Voekeer ran over to her when she was pulling the bucket back up.

    ¡°What can I do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Get more buckets and more people!¡± Anna replied before rushing away.

    When she got back from splashing the inn, the rest of her friends, along with the innkeeper and the staff, were filling buckets.

    ¡°I¡¯m faster at that than you! Just go and get the inn wet! We don¡¯t want the fire to spread!¡± Anna said as she ran up.

    She hooked her bucket to the rope and dropped it in the well. The already sodden bucket sank quickly. She yanked it up and poured its contents into a bucket one of the staff was holding. He ran off, heading for the inn. Barmaids dropped off buckets, basins, pots, and everything else that could hold water next to the well, and she filled them all. Her friends, along with the staff, made trip after trip to soak the side of the inn. She even watched water fly up and cover part of the roof a few times.

    ¡°Alright lads, go and toss some around the barn! Don¡¯t want the grass to catch!¡± Thokri said.

    He ran off, heading for the barn this time. The others followed him. They alternated between splashing the inn and the area around the barn until the roof of the barn collapsed. After that happened, they stood around and watched it burn, tossing buckets full of water on any grass that started to smolder as needed. A large group of men walked over from the road to where they were standing.

    ¡°Anything me and the boys can do for you, Peter?¡± a balding man asked.

    The innkeeper sighed.

    ¡°Not until the fire goes out,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Was anyone inside?¡± the balding man asked.

    The innkeeper looked around franticly.

    ¡°Has anyone seen Billy?!¡± he asked.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t in there,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the innkeeper asked.

    ¡°Yeah, Erick¡¯s body wasn¡¯t there either. He probably took it and left,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Body?¡± the balding man asked.

    ¡°He killed the little barmaid, Jess, when he was trying to steal a piece of silver I gave her as a tip, and the wagon men hung him when they found out,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Billy was always such a good man. Why he didn¡¯t come and tell me he was leaving?¡± the innkeeper asked.

    ¡°They beat him up pretty bad when he tried to stop them. Maybe he was worried they wouldn¡¯t let him or something,¡± Anna replied.

    The balding man turned and glared at the wagon men for a moment.

    ¡°So, they think they can dole out the queen¡¯s justice, but they can¡¯t be bothered to help with a fire?¡± he asked though by the way he shook his head afterward, she doubted that he wanted an answer.

    More men showed up as the night wore on. These men were carrying tools, mostly things like shovels, rakes, and hoes, but a few were pushing wheelbarrows. When the barn had burned down to a huge pile of hot coals, they started to dump buckets of water on what remained.

    She took a rake from a young man who was only leaning against it and started to pull the larger piles apart. She was the first to start doing this, but after the coals were cooled enough, Thokri and a few of the men joined her.

    She pressed the rake down into a large pile of coals and pulled it back roughly. A large chunk pulled free, revealing long blackened bones. She paused for a moment and looked at what was left of the ribcage of one of the many horses that had perished in the blaze. An image of Erick swinging from the beam flashed in her mind before being replaced by an image of smiling Jess. The wiggling feeling started again, causing her to pause. She shook her head, trying to drive it away.

    This was all because of me.

    Some of the men left and new ones took their place after a few minutes. She looked around and noticed that even Thokri was taking a break. She went back to work, not wanting to stop until it was finished. A man clapped her on the shoulder sometime later.

    ¡°It¡¯s out, miss,¡± he said.

    She looked down at the pile she¡¯d been raking and noticed that it was already soaked though.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she replied.

    She walked away from what was left of the barn and over to the young man whom she¡¯d taken the rake from and handed it back to him. He took it, looking at her with wide eyes. She wasn¡¯t sure why he was surprised she gave him his rake back but didn¡¯t want to talk to a stranger, so she didn¡¯t ask.

    She looked around but didn¡¯t see her friends anywhere, so she walked away from the young man and found a spot to stand alone and wait for one of them to come by.

    She watched a man walk from the front of the inn. He was carrying a steaming bowl. She sniffed, wondering why she didn¡¯t smell anything, but realized that the smell of the burned barn was covering everything else. She walked around the inn and found a large group of women serving food from pots sitting on long tables. She spotted her friends gathered around with some of the men and started to walk over to them. Someone put their hand on her shoulder, and she spun around to find the mother of the boy whom she¡¯d helped Barika heal at the farm years ago standing there.

    ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!!!¡± she screamed.

    The woman flinched back, clearly confused.

    ¡°WHY ARE YOU HERE?!!¡± Anna shouted.

    The woman took a few steps back. Barika rushed over to her and pulled her into a hug, rubbing the back of her head.

    ¡°What happened, child? What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to make everyone hate me!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Because that¡¯s what she did at the farm!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I, I was just going to ask if you wanted help washing up before you ate! That¡¯s all! I swear!¡± the woman said.

    Why does she sound like that?

    Anna looked at the woman and studied her face for a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re not her!¡± she said.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s confused from all the heat. I¡¯ll help her clean up. Thank you though,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°Sure thing, ma¡¯am. I hope you feel better,¡± the woman said before walking away.

    Anna looked up at Barika who was clearly worried. The older woman smiled at her.

    ¡°She¡¯s right. You are filthy. Let¡¯s get you cleaned up,¡± she said.

 Chapter 86

    Warm water flowed through Anna¡¯s hair, rinsing away the soap.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t let you run around looking like a soot sprite now, could I?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s a soot sprite?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Little black puffs that hide in dark dirty places,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never seen one,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They don¡¯t live this far east, but they were all over my home village,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°What were they like?¡± Anna asked, shifting in the basin so she could look at Barika.

    ¡°Well, they are rather cute and quite curious which causes them to get into everything,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°They sound fun,¡± Anna said.

    Barika laughed and sat up on her stool.

    ¡°Oh, they were. The problem was they cover everything they touch in soot, so if you don¡¯t get rid of them, they¡¯ll get into the clean laundry, the food, even your bed,¡± she replied.

    Anna grinned at the thought.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d you get rid of them?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, that was the easy part. All you had to do was clean. The problem was you had to clean every little nook and cranny constantly. We used to go over and help my grandmother when I was young. She used to tell us that when you get old, it¡¯s hard to keep the sprites away. I didn¡¯t understand then, but I sure do now,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°What was she like?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Grandma? Oh, that woman, let me tell you. She always had the sternest expression on her face, and she never took any sass from anyone,¡± Barika replied.

    She laughed and shook her head.

    ¡°At least that¡¯s what she was like around the grown-ups. Around us children, she never stopped smiling. She had a way of making everything we did fun. She also always had treats ready when we finished,¡± she added.

    ¡°I wish I could have met her,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°She would have loved you, child,¡± Barika said.

    Barika sighed, and the smile faded from her face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say goodbye when I ran away,¡± she added.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because all I could think about was how unfair the world was. I was so wrapped up in myself that I forgot about that sweet old woman,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°You should go back and see her,¡± Anna said.

    Barika shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s been nearly forty years, child. She¡¯s long gone by now,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said sadly.

    Barika stood up and held out her hand. Anna took it and was pulled to her feet.

    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of food, and you¡¯ve more than earned a bowl or two of it,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I bet I could eat a whole pot,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat the pot, child,¡± Barika said.

    They both grinned at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

    Anna got out of the basin and dried herself off with the fluffy towel one of the barmaids had brought her. She pulled on a clean dress, and they left the back room of the inn and headed back to the main room. It was filled with the men and women who had come to help. The rest of her friends were sitting at a table, so they walked over and sat down.

    ¡°I thought they were serving the food outside,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Getting too hot out there,¡± Thokri replied.

    He pushed a bowl in front of her. She grabbed the spoon and took a bite. It was a thick porridge made from crushed oats and barley that had been sweetened with a huge amount of honey. She looked over at Thokri who winked at her.

    He knows me so well.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to spend the day here resting then head out tomorrow, so no need to rush,¡± Voekeer said.

    Anna nodded, still having a mouth full of food.

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    ¡°I¡¯m so tired, I¡¯m getting a headache!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to bed?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I wanted to know if you were alright. You kind of freaked out back there,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that woman looked like the one from the farm that treated me bad after I helped her son,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can tell in the first place. All humans look the same to me,¡± Lyreen added.

    Anna looked at Barika, then Rose, and finally Elaine, and then back at Lyreen before giving the elf a look.

    ¡°Not them! I mean normal humans!¡± Lyreen said.

    Her human friends looked at each other and then shook their heads.

    ¡°Anyway, I normally don¡¯t make mistakes like that. I think I got overwhelmed again,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We can leave now if you need,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want any of you to get sick because of me. I¡¯ll just go up to my room when I finish,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Best if we all did the same,¡± Thokri added.

    She ate her food quickly, not wanting her friends to stay up any longer because of her. They left the table and headed up the stairs. She entered her room once again and tossed her pack, that one of her friends had been nice enough to bring inside for her, on the floor next to the door before shimming out of her dress and flopping on the bed.

    I swear I¡¯ll fucking scream if anything else happens!

    She rolled onto her back and looked up at the rough beams that held up the roof, studying the patterns in the wood before closing her eyes. Her eyes sprang open when she heard a rap on the door.

    ¡°What!¡± she said.

    ¡°Dinner is ready. Would you like some, miss?¡± a woman asked.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Roast pork,¡± the woman replied.

    I love roast anything, but I don¡¯t want to be around people right now.

    She sighed.

    ¡°Can you bring it to my room?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, miss,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have some,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have it brought right up!¡± the woman replied.

    Anna got up and put her dress back on before going to the table next to her bed and lighting the lamp.

    Humans get weird if they find you sitting in the dark. I wonder what that¡¯s like, dark is like, for them? I mean, is it just black everywhere or something?

    She sat in the chair next to the table and waited for the woman to return with her food.

    What a weird day. Maybe we should have just gone through the frontier. We could have taken the wagon, and then Lord Emerald could have come with us! Well, I guess he¡¯s happy with the barmaids at the guild hall, and I do get to sail on a ship this way, so it¡¯s not all bad.

    There was another knock on her door.

    ¡°I have your food, miss!¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll get the door!¡± Anna replied.

    She rushed over and opened it, knowing the woman was carrying a tray, making opening a door awkward. One of the barmaids was on the other side, and she looked utterly exhausted. She shuffled into Anna¡¯s room and went to the table where she put a plate of steaming roast pork along with a large mug of ale. Once she finished, she turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait, hold on,¡± Anna said.

    The woman stopped and gave her a look. Anna rushed over to her pack, rummaging around until she found her coin purse. She took a few silvers and rushed over, stuffing them in the woman¡¯s apron.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, and please, get some sleep when you can,¡± she said.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± the barmaid replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Anna said.

    She followed the woman to the door and closed it behind her as soon as she was through. She went back to the table and sat down. The smell of roast pork covered in a sweet sauce filled her nose. She¡¯d loved the combination of savory and sweet found in most roast dishes humans served.

    She pulled a piece from the roast and stuffed it in her mouth, ignoring the utensils that had been placed on the plate. The meat was tender and juicy, and the sauce was sweet and tangy, just how she liked it. She swallowed the first bite and licked her fingers before taking a drink from the mug.

    Oh, wow! This is really good! I wonder why the innkeeper is serving such great food? Is he trying to thank everyone for helping or something?

    She continued to eat her meal, enjoying it more than usual. She heard a scream and then shouting coming from downstairs.

    ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!

    She moved to stand up but hesitated.

    You know what? It¡¯s not my problem. All my friends are in their rooms eating, and I¡¯m tired of caring about strangers right now.

    She relaxed in her chair and pulled another chunk of the pork off. She ate it and tried her best to ignore the commotion downstairs. Moments later, someone ran up the stairs and down the hallway. They started to beat on one of the doors. She heard a door open soon after.

    ¡°You have to come! Mr. Peter¡¯s hurt real bad!¡± a woman said.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Barika replied.

    Anna stopped chewing and looked over at the door.

    Shit!

    She heard two people running back down the hallway. She jumped out of her chair and ran to the door, yanking it open, and running after Barika and the barmaid who¡¯d come to get her. She caught up to them on the stairs and slowed down to keep pace with them.

    When they reached the main room, the smell of blood hung thick in the air. Several men were holding onto a sullen-looking woman, and a crowd of people were standing near the bar.

    ¡°Out of the way!¡± Barika said.

    The crowd parted, and she caught sight of the innkeeper lying in a pool of blood. A man held his hands on the innkeeper¡¯s chest, trying to keep him from bleeding out. Barika rushed over and knelt down next to him. She pushed the man¡¯s hands away and put her own on his chest. Her hands glowed for a moment before returning to normal. She frowned and moved one of her hands from his chest and touched his neck with two of her fingers.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± she said.

    ¡°NO!!! HE CAN¡¯T BE!!!¡± an older woman wailed.

    One of the barmaids pulled her into a hug, and she started to cry on her shoulder. Barika put the man¡¯s hands on his chest and held them there with one of her hands. She placed her other hand on the man¡¯s forehead and closed her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, Black God, be merciful when you judge this man. Guide him to where his lost loved ones dwell and let him know eternal peace,¡± she said.

    Someone started to laugh. Anna turned around quickly to see the sullen-looking woman smiling.

    ¡°IT WAS HIS FAULT! HIS FAULT! ERICK DIED BECAUSE OF HIM! I HAD TO MAKE HIM PAY!!!¡± she screamed.

    ¡°The wagon men hung Erick after they found out he killed Jess while trying to steal a piece of silver,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°NO! YOU¡¯RE LYING! YOU¡¯RE LYING! HE WOULDN¡¯T DO THAT!!!¡± she screamed back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not! All I know is four people died because he tried to be a thief!¡± Anna said.

    The woman paused and looked at her for a moment.

    ¡°Four?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, four! Erick killed Jess, he got hung by the wagon men, you killed the innkeeper, and they¡¯re going to hang you!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, NO! NOOOO!!!¡± the woman screamed before going limp in the men¡¯s grips.

    ¡°You can scream all you want, but that¡¯s what happens to murderers!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this! He told me we were going to be married! He said he was going to do it when he saved a little more! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO START A FAMILY!¡± she shrieked.

    ¡°Take it up with him when you get to the abyss!¡± Anna replied.

    The woman started to cry hysterically. Anna grabbed Barika by the hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before anything else happens!¡± she said.

 Chapter 87

    A hot breeze shook the tall stalks of grain that surrounded the road. The smell of ripening grain filled the air. Anna took a deep breath enjoying the scent.

    When she looked back down the long road, she noticed the walls of a town off in the distance. The sight caused the wiggling feeling to return. She paused for a moment and took a breath. Thokri put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

    ¡°You alright, lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± she replied.

    He gave her shoulder another squeeze. She started walking again. As they got closer to the town, the wiggling feeling got worse.

    It¡¯s been a week since that awful day. Why am I being like this? Is there something wrong with me now?

    The walls were short and made from stone. They looked like they¡¯d been rebuilt from ruined ones, though that must have happened centuries ago.

    The gate was open, and two guards stood in the shade inside the opening. They waved the party through the moment Voekeer showed them his guild badge.

    They walked through the gate onto the main street of the town. The street was filled with people going about their day. Most were the dark-eyed, brown-skinned humans that inhabited this region. But there was also a surprising number of beast people mixed in the crowd. Of the beast folk, most were horse people with cow folk being the next most numerous and with a few cat and dog people here and there.

    The wiggling feeling in her chest dissipated at the sight of so many non-humans. It was replaced by her usual curiosity when visiting a new place.

    Wow! This is the most beast folk I¡¯ve seen outside of Oldforge or the capital! I wonder what they¡¯re doing here?

    ¡°Can we stay for the day?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I suppose we have been making good time. Any reason why?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Just want to look around,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Can we go find an inn? I don¡¯t want to carry my pack around all day,¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°We can get some food too!¡± Anna added.

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not more pea soup!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to put up with it for a few more weeks, child,¡± Barika replied.

    Lyreen groaned in a dramatic manner.

    ¡°Dragon pepper,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Add dragon pepper to it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Does that help?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I mean, I like it normally, but the pepper adds something fun to the taste that you might like,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I might have to try that! But I don¡¯t have any pepper,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if we were going to be camping or not, so I brought plenty of spices,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I was wondering why your pack was so damned heavy,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the spices. It¡¯s my armor,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You brought your armor?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I want to show it to Beth,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°How about there?¡± Elaine said.

    Anna looked over at the building she was pointing to. It was a large two-story structure. The sign that hung above the thick wooden door had a wagon being driven by a rooster on it.

    What in the fuck is that supposed to mean?

    She puzzled over the meaning of that sign as they crossed the street and walked through the larger than normal front door. She was struck with the scent of roasting meat and spices the moment she stepped foot inside. As they headed into the room, she noticed that some of the tables were quite a bit larger and taller than the others.

    This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen more than one size table at the same place! Oh, I bet it¡¯s because the owner is a bullman. He must want his friends to have a comfortable place to sit too.

    There were a few other people in the main room. Most were sipping drinks, and a few were eating what looked like boiled cabbage that had been chopped and served on a plate. When they reached the table, they took off their packs, placing them next to their chairs as they sat down.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°SUE, WE GOT MORE GUESTS!!!¡± the bullman shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯LL BE OUT IN A MINUTE!!!¡± a woman shouted from the back room.

    The bullman sighed.

    ¡°Sorry, you caught us getting ready for dinner,¡± he said.

    ¡°No worries, lad. We know how it is,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Least I can do is bring you something to drink while you wait. What¡¯ll you have?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ales,¡± Thokri replied.

    The bullman nodded and started to fill mugs from one of the large barrels behind the bar. He put the mugs on a tray and carried it over to the table. He set the huge mugs in front of each of them, foam spilling down the side when they touched the table.

    ¡°So, you folk just here to eat, or you need rooms too?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Rooms, and we¡¯d like to leave our things in them while we walk around. Is that alright?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s three copper a room. You get food with that, but not the roast you¡¯re smelling. That¡¯s extra,¡± he said.

    ¡°How much?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Two more copper. If you don¡¯t want to pay, you get stew,¡± he replied.

    Anna dug out five copper and handed them to him.

    ¡°Someone knows what she wants,¡± the bullman said with a laugh.

    ¡°It smells good!¡± Anna replied.

    He laughed again.

    ¡°Just wait till you taste it!¡± he added.

    The rest of her friends paid him, and he went back behind the bar. She took a drink of the ale and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. Not long after, a cow woman walked out of the back room wiping her hands on her apron. Anna looked her over as she approached the table. She was a thickly built woman covered in soft brown fur and wore a simple dress similar to the ones she wore while in Oldforge.

    ¡°So, what can I get you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s ready?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Got stew or steamed vegetables,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Steamed vegetables?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we steam them, chop them up, and mix butter and spices in. It¡¯s pretty good if you ask me,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to try that, miss,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have that as well,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°So will I,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Anna said.

    Rose gave the woman a thumbs up.

    ¡°Might as well,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said with a nod.

    ¡°Alright, well, I¡¯ll have it out in a few,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, hon,¡± the woman replied. She walked away from the table, flicking her tail back and forth as she made her way to the back room of the inn.

    Once the woman slipped into the back, Anna looked around at the other guests for a moment. Most looked as if they were fellow travelers stopping at the inn for either a quick meal or stopping early to rest in the safety of a larger settlement. As usual, most of the travelers were men with the few women that accompanied them trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

    As she glanced around the room, she did catch one young woman staring. She paused to give the woman a closer look.

    Blue eyes. Don¡¯t see that often. Her hair¡¯s light too. Maybe she¡¯s got some Northman blood in her. Those men sitting with her look like relatives, probably brothers and her father I¡¯m guessing. Wonder where they¡¯re going?

    The woman smiled shyly at her, so she smiled back. After a moment, she broke eye contact with the young woman and continued to look around the room.

    The cow woman walked out of the back room carrying a tray filled with plates of steaming food and walked over to their table. She set a plate in front of each of them.

    ¡°Enjoy,¡± she said before leaving again.

    The boiled vegetables turned out to be mostly boiled cabbage with a few chunks of onion and carrot mixed in, and the spices were nothing more than roughly ground dragon pepper.

    Well, there is a lot of butter, so it¡¯s going to taste good.

    She took a bite and wasn¡¯t at all surprised by what she tasted.

    Yep, boiled cabbage with butter on it.

    She continued to eat, enjoying her meal despite its simplicity. The barmaid returned with a pitcher to top off their drinks. She also dropped their keys on the table before heading to refill the drinks at a nearby table.

    Anna picked up one of the large iron keys and stuffed it into her belt pouch. After eating the rest of the cabbage as quickly as she could without drawing any attention to herself, she picked up the mug of ale and started to drink. She gulped it down and finished the full mug off quickly. Once done, she slammed the mug down on the table and let out a thunderous belch.

    ¡°That stuff is great! Well, I¡¯m going to go and check out my room. I¡¯ll be back down in a few,¡± she said.

    Her friends nodded and mumbled things as she got up and took her pack. She headed for the stairs, passing by the widely spaced tables as she went.

    When she reached the stairs, she noticed they were wider than usual as well, and the ceiling above them was higher up, though the stairs and the railing were normal. She climbed up and was surprised when none of the steps squeaked.

    When she reached the second floor, she glanced at an open window to her right and a large door without a number straight ahead of her.

    Must be the innkeeper¡¯s room.

    She followed the hallway to the left and looked for the room that matched the number on her key.

    Oh, nice, it¡¯s on the left. That means I¡¯ll be able to look out onto the street!

    She unlocked the large door with the iron key and went into the room. It was roughly the same size as the rooms in most inns. The only real difference was that it had a much higher ceiling. The room itself was sparsely furnished, only containing a bed and table.

    Look at that bed! You could fit five of me on that thing!

    She took off her pack and dropped it next to the door then ran over to the huge bed and jumped face-first onto it. She landed with a thunk, the bed being much firmer than she had expected, and started to laugh. She just laid there and kept laughing. She wasn¡¯t even sure why she was laughing. Something just seemed funny.

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s finally lost it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she had it to begin with,¡± Elaine added.

    Anna rolled onto her back and sat up, taking a few breaths to calm herself before sliding off the bed.

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just, uh, that bed wasn¡¯t as bouncy as I thought. That¡¯s all,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re all ready to go when you are,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Anna replied.

    The three of them walked out of her room and joined the other members of the party in the hallway. Anna locked her room and summoned an eye and tentacle to guard her things, instructing them to warn her if anyone tried to get into her or her friends¡¯ rooms. With security out of the way, they left the inn and headed out onto the busy street.

    ¡°Well lass, you wanted to look around, so which way?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°South for now. I¡¯ll pick a side street when one looks interesting,¡± she replied.

    Thokri nodded, and the others didn¡¯t seem to mind too, so she started walking down the main road.

 Chapter 88

    ¡°We should get some pickled eggs and ale to go along with this cabbage!¡± Anna said patting her belly.

    ¡°Aye, I could go for that,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Are you trying to kill someone?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°The last time you two ate pickled eggs and drank ale, we got thrown out of a tavern. If you add cabbage, we might get chased out of town!¡± Voekeer said.

    She chuckled at the memory. The two of them had gotten into a contest of who could fart the loudest, and a poor barmaid had gotten sick when she walked past their table. Needless to say, they were no longer welcome at that tavern.

    ¡°Alright, how about we find some meat on a stick?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s a good idea,¡± he replied.

    She lifted her head up and sniffed the air like some kind of hound before nodding for her friends to follow her. The scent of roasting meat was coming from the south, so she led her friends farther down the road.

    She discovered the source of the smell when she reached the center of town. There was a large open market filled with food stalls, most of which were serving roast meat of some kind. She paused for a moment to inhale deeply before setting off again, leading her friends past a dozen or so food stalls to the one that smelled the best.

    There was a small crowd around the stall where the wonderful aroma had originated. They pushed through the crowd to the front of the stall. Behind the counter stood an old horse man. He was chopping a huge chunk of meat into pieces small enough to fit on the skewers while several batches of said skewers sizzled away on a blazing hot mesh covered grill. He paused his chopping, turned all the skewers, and then went back to cutting meat.

    ¡°Just a few more minutes, folks,¡± he said.

    ¡°Take your time, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Always do, dwarf, always do,¡± the horse man said.

    When he finished chopping the meat, he quickly got it onto skewers and dropped them into a vat filled with a dark liquid. Once he finished that, he took the cooked batches off the grill and handed them out to the waiting customers.

    ¡°A copper for two sticks,¡± the horse man said once he finished.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take four!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Put the coin in the jar then, and I¡¯ll have it right out,¡± he said.

    Anna and her friends dropped coins into the jar and stepped off to the side to wait for their food.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get that meat?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Family¡¯s got a ranch out west. We raise cattle out there and sell most of them, but I keep a few choice cuts for myself,¡± he replied patting the meat.

    ¡°Is that why there are so many beast people here? Because you all have families with ranches?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± the horse man replied.

    He flipped the skewers, taking a moment to fan the grills to get the coals going again.

    I think that¡¯s the best answer I¡¯m going to get in a day. Oh well. Those skewers smell so good! They were worth stopping for, and I bet that roast is going to taste good. I wonder what kind of sauce he dipped the meat on a stick in? It kind of smells like fish sauce but with more spices in it. I doubt he¡¯ll tell me what it is. People who run food stalls never want to talk about their recipes. They always tell me it¡¯s a secret. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t just taste what¡¯s in it anyway, so I don¡¯t get why they have to be that way.

    ¡°STOP!!!¡± a man shouted.

    A man ran past them at a sprint, shoving his way through the crowded street. Four armed men chased after him, shouting as they went.

    Wait, they weren¡¯t guards! They might kill him if they catch him!

    She bolted after the men.

    ¡°WAIT!!!¡± Voekeer shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll BE RIGHT BACK!¡± she replied.

    She caught up to the armed men quickly and followed them down a side street and into an alley. They chased the man through the twisting alleys until his luck ran out, and he stopped at a dead end. He turned around and held his hands up, smiling in a casual way.

    ¡°You got me,¡± he said.

    One of the men pulled a knife from his belt and held it out.

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    ¡°What are you going to do to him?¡± she asked.

    The men turned and looked at her.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± the man with the knife asked.

    ¡°Anna,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Well, Anna, buzz off! This is none of your business!¡± he replied.

    She folded her arms across her chest and shifted her hips to the side, giving the men a look.

    ¡°I will when you tell me what you¡¯re going to do to him,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to cut his fucking balls off, so buzz off unless you want to watch!¡± the man with the knife replied.

    ¡°What the fuck did he do to deserve that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing! Nothing at all! I didn¡¯t do a single thing!¡± the cornered man replied.

    ¡°Nothing! You fucked my sister and then tried to skip town!¡± the man with the knife said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like he did anything wrong to me,¡± she said.

    ¡°But he stole her virtue!¡± the man with the knife replied.

    ¡°How is that any of your business?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to protect her!¡± the man with the knife replied.

    ¡°From what? Having sex? Look, the only thing you need to worry about is whether or not she was willing,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, she was very willing. One could have even described her as enthusiastic¡­¡± the cornered man replied.

    Anna shot him a poisonous glare and uttered a dwarven curse so foul the Stone One himself grinned at her from his throne deep within the divine mountain. The cornered man took the hint and shut his mouth, looking away from her. She walked to the man with the knife and put her hand on his arm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this. It¡¯s not worth it, alright?¡± she said.

    ¡°She¡¯s right, man. Old Robert will put us in the stocks and make us pay out the nose if you carve that prick up,¡± one of the other men said.

    The man holding the knife tightened his grip on the blade for a moment before relaxing.

    ¡°FUCK!!! I need a fucking drink!¡± he said.

    He yanked his arm away from her and shoved his knife back in its sheath before storming off. His friends scurried after him, leaving her with the cornered man alone in the alley.

    ¡°You really saved me there. I owe you one,¡± he said.

    ¡°You should probably get out of town,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, I plan to, but first, let me buy you a drink,¡± he said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. The inn I¡¯m staying at has free drinks with the meals,¡± Anna replied.

    She started to walk out of the alley, and he walked with her.

    ¡°That sounds like a nice place,¡± he said.

    ¡°It is. The dinner smelled good, and the beds were huge!¡± she replied.

    ¡°I think I might join you,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s three copper for a room and two more if you want the good food,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Quite a deal,¡± he said.

    They walked out of the alley and back onto the main street where she headed back to the center of town. The man walked with her, though once they were out of the alley, he started to swagger along as if he hadn¡¯t just been cornered like a rat.

    As they walked, he wore a cocky smile and winked at women causing them to giggle and turn away shyly before glancing back to see if he was still watching them.

    What¡¯s with them?

    When they reached the open space at the center of town, she looked around until she spotted Voekeer. She let out a whistle causing the elf to turn. She waved at him and then started to head in his direction.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°One of my friends,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You are friends with an elf?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, you got a problem with that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What? No, not at all. It¡¯s just, I didn¡¯t think elves made friends with anyone but other elves, that¡¯s all,¡± he replied.

    ¡°They normally don¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    She started to make her way through the crowd heading for her friends, and the man kept following her.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Voekeer asked when she reached him.

    ¡°This is the man that was getting chased,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What were they chasing him for?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°There was a slight misunderstanding with a young lady as to the seriousness of our relationship,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Her brother and his lads were going to cut his balls off for fucking her and running,¡± Anna added.

    Her friends looked at him as if he were some sort of stinging insect for a moment.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s he doing here?¡± Lyreen asked. Anna shrugged.

    ¡°Donno, he just followed me,¡± she replied.

    ¡°So, why did you follow her, lad?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°I wanted to return her to you all safely,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to us, boy,¡± Barika said.

    She gave him a stern look, and his cockiness seemed to melt away.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let those men catch me alone again!¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, you followed her around like a puppy, figuring they wouldn¡¯t start anything. Is that right?¡± Elaine asked.

    He just nodded.

    ¡°Well, I did save him. I guess I should make sure he stays safe. At least until he gets out of town,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Up to you lass, but it¡¯s get¡¯n late. Might have to take the lad back to the inn with us,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°An excellent idea, sir dwarf! A good meal and a night¡¯s sleep would be wondrous after a day like today,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Bah! You talk too much, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Hey, where are my meat on a sticks?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Rose ate them,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°She did?!¡± Anna asked.

    Rose grinned at her and patted her belly.

    ¡°But those were mine!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t know when you were coming back, and they were getting cold, child,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna huffed and walked off, heading back to the stall to get more. Voekeer grabbed her shoulder and spun her back around.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get more!¡± she said.

    ¡°You can get some tomorrow. It¡¯s time to go back to the inn!¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Fine!¡± Anna said.

    They started to walk back to the inn with the man scurrying along behind them. Rose put her arm around Anna and gave her a squeeze. Anna looked over to see the woman was looking at her intently.

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. It¡¯s just I really wanted to try them, that¡¯s all,¡± Anna said.

    Rose smiled at her again, gave her another squeeze, and then let go.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t miss much,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah, they were about the same as the ones you get in Oldforge, maybe a little saltier, that¡¯s all,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Hmm? I was sure that stuff they were soaking in was fish sauce. I wonder why it didn¡¯t make them taste different?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t taste like they had any fish sauce on them to me,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Bah! That lad didn¡¯t let them soak long enough to get any real favor in them, and as hot as that grill was, he was just using it to put a crust on the meat, that¡¯s all,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°Like the steaks at the necromancer¡¯s guild?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Except those were amazing,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye, for a bunch of spooky fucks, those lads know how to eat,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°You¡¯ve eaten with necromancers?¡± the man asked, clearly shocked.

    ¡°Yeah, we do it all the time,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I see,¡± the man said.

    She could see by the look on his face that he clearly hadn¡¯t thought what tagging along with a group of strange adventurers would entail.

    I doubt he thinks most things through if today was any indication.

 Chapter 89

    ¡°That was just as good the next day,¡± Anna said patting her belly.

    ¡°It was good, but you didn¡¯t have to make a pig of yourself like that,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna let out a long, loud belch.

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Nothing now,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen gave her a disgusted look and shook her head.

    ¡°I agree with Anna. It was a delightful meal, both times,¡± Victor, the man she¡¯d rescued, added.

    ¡°I¡¯d better have been seeing as I paid for you to eat it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Another thing I¡¯m grateful to you for,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I could show you how grateful I am if you¡¯re willing,¡± he said.

    Anna turned to look at the man and found that he had a dirty smile on his face.

    ¡°The only way I want to see that is if it slaps you in the calf when you run,¡± she replied.

    Her friends burst into laughter, and the dirty smile slipped from his face being replaced by shock.

    ¡°By the goddess, if it hung that low, I¡¯d like to see it too!¡± Barika added.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t the length of the sword, but it¡¯s the wielder¡¯s skill that wins a battle,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but you still aren¡¯t going to slay a dragon with a short sword no matter how good you are,¡± Anna replied.

    Her friends laughed again, and this time Victor joined them.

    ¡°Looks like this is a battle that won¡¯t soon be won,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re never going to get me, but I might let you wash my hair sometime,¡± Anna replied.

    The dirty smile returned to his face.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be smiling when you actually have to do it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Seriously, what do you mean?¡± he asked.

    Lyreen just chuckled and kept walking.

    The next few weeks passed by quickly as they made their way south. Their new companion was a source of entertainment for her and broke up some of the monotony of their trip with his stories, though she doubted most of the things he claimed to have done actually happened.

    I wish he could just stay with us, but he doesn¡¯t want to go to the Spice Islands or even Eagle¡¯s Bay. Oh, well. I have another day to spend with him. Maybe we can do something fun when we get to town! Wait, no, we aren¡¯t going to be staying in town. It¡¯s still early, and we need to keep going.

    They reached the town a few hours later. It wasn¡¯t all that different from any other town other than there were hardly any beast folk.

    They must all be living in the other town. I wonder why that is? Oh, I know, maybe they don¡¯t have ranches around here. We are getting close to the forest, so I bet beasts or monsters come out, and they might eat the cows.

    They stopped in the center of town, and Victor smiled at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not good at saying goodbye, so I¡¯ll see you later,¡± he said.

    She grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. He froze for a moment before putting his arms around her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you, too,¡± he replied.

    ¡°If you¡¯re ever in Oldforge, swing by the Adventurer¡¯s guild and say hi,¡± she said.

    ¡°I will,¡± he replied.

    He let go and looked at her for a moment before turning and heading off towards the western gate. She watched him walk away until he disappeared into the crowd.

    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll ever see him again,¡± she said.

    ¡°Who knows, lass, who knows,¡± Thokri replied.

    He gave her shoulder a squeeze before they walked away themselves.

    They headed south, reaching the forest road a few days later. Once there, they turned east. The forest to their right wasn¡¯t right next to the road like it had been on the frontier or the wildlands. Someone kept it cleared a hundred yards or so back.

    To their left were fields and small farmhouses, though the farmhouses were more than a mile away from the forest, and most had walls around them. She also spotted ruins here and there, mostly abandoned farmhouses, but there were a few piles of rubble that dated back to the old empire.

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    ¡°So, why is there a forest here anyway?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°¡¯Cause there¡¯s a shitload of trees growing all around, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Okay, so why is there a shitload of trees growing in between Oldforge and the biggest river in the kingdom? You know, the one that has the only major port and connects to all the other kingdoms and the empire? I mean, it doesn¡¯t make any sense if you think about it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s filled with monsters, so it¡¯s easier to go around,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°So is the frontier, and they cleared the road all the way to Endertown going east and then all the way past Fishport going south, so cutting through this forest shouldn¡¯t be a problem for them at all,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°There¡¯s probably a battlefield from the mage war in there. Those places are still filled with all kinds of nasty stuff,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Even after ten thousand years?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, some of those spells they used were so powerful they might never fade away,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What started it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No one knows, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true,¡± Elaine added.

    Everyone turned to look at the necromancer.

    ¡°One of the books I read in the library at the necromancer¡¯s guild hall had a firsthand account from an arch-lich who lived, or rather unlived, through the mage wars,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Do you think we can trust the word of an undead?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°In this case, yes,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Please continue then,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Alright. So, the mage-emperor Urhammu had twin sons, Merodach-bal-uzur, and Nabu-ekhi-erba. Merodach-bal-uzur was the older of the twins and heir to the throne, so Nabu-ekhi-erba was sent to the celestial tower so he could train to be the mage of the high heavens,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It was the title given to the second most powerful mage in the old empire. Basically, he was going to become his brother¡¯s right-hand man,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound so bad,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t. Anyway, from everything I read, it sounds like the brothers got along just fine, at least until their father died and Nabu-ekhi-erba returned home from the celestial tower to take his place by the throne. He brought his wife with him.

    See, he fell in love with a moon elf woman and married her in secret at the tower. Merodach-bal-uzur flew into a rage and demanded that Nabu-ekhi-erba divorce her immediately saying that he won¡¯t have the royal bloodline tainted by an elf,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why he was worried. It¡¯s not easy for humans and elves to have children,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy, no, but back then, it was no big deal,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, what happened next?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Merodach-bal-uzur had his brother and his sister-in-law arrested. He locked his brother in a tower and executed his sister-in-law by having her flayed, making sure Nabu-ekhi-erba could hear her screams. After that, he had her body dismembered and displayed in the courtyard. Nabu-ekhi-erba escaped from the tower and fled the capital, returning to the celestial tower. He convinced the mages at the tower that his brother had broken the law by executing his wife because they had been married at the great goddess¡¯s temple, and that meant she had been a royal, and killing a royal, even if they committed a crime, was against the law. The high mage of the celestial tower sent a message to Merodach-bal-uzur demanding he explain himself, and he responded by sending an army to take the tower by force. The mages annihilated the army, and in an act of retribution for his wife, Nabu-ekhi-erba destroyed his brother¡¯s private estate, killing his wife and children,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It sounds like both brothers were dicks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They really were, and it gets worse. After the death of his family, Merodach-bal-uzur claimed his brother had committed treason, which is the one thing a royal could be executed for by the way. He also claimed the celestial tower was complicit in the act and demanded that the other mage towers aid him in bringing the criminals to justice. Only half the towers agreed to help him. The other half joined the celestial tower, saying that the mage emperor had gone too far when he executed his sister-in-law because both sides were roughly the same strength. So, there ended up being a tense stand-off, at least until Merodach-bal-uzur sent his brother his wife¡¯s severed head as a birthday present,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Goddess above,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah, honestly, even the lich thought that was fucked up. So, understandably, Nabu-ekhi-erba retaliated by destroying the fortress city of Nineveh where Merodach-bal-uzur¡¯s best friend, General Rubati, was stationed. Rubati was killed in the attack along with the entire population of the city. With the loss of his friend, Merodach-bal-uzur lost what little compassion he might have had and launched attacks on every place that might have sympathy for his brother or the celestial tower. His forces showed no mercy, putting everyone to the sword as they marched. Nabu-ekhi-erba and his allies weren¡¯t any kinder. They utterly destroyed any place that had allied with Merodach-bal-uzur. Towns, villages, and cities burned, and the places where the two forces met in battle, reality itself was warped by the cataclysmic magics used, causing rifts to form, letting things from outside of our realm leak in,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Like me!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Not really. The lich also wrote that the things that leaked in wreaked havoc until they evaporated into nothingness,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s different,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Anyway, the war went on like this for ten years. It finally ended when a servant poisoned Merodach-bal-uzur. With him dead, Nabu-ekhi-erba went to the capital to claim the throne, but he was killed and cannibalized by the starving people,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Do what now?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They ate him,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Ewww,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lad had it coming,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯re still not supposed to eat people,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Alright, where was I? That¡¯s right. Both brothers died, and with them, the royal family was no more, so the nobles started to fight amongst themselves to claim the throne. None of them were able to do so though, and the empire just splintered apart, forming dozens of petty kingdoms. After that happened, the lich decided he¡¯d had enough of the living and left, leaving his account behind in the hopes people wouldn¡¯t repeat such a folly,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°A lich said that?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yeah. He ended his account by saying that ninety-five out of every hundred people had died in the ten years of fighting, and that even being undead as he was, he found that loss of life disconcerting,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Goddess, there were hundreds of millions of people living back then if the old stories are true,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Is that a lot?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s more than everyone living in the mountain, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    She stopped walking and stared off into space, trying to imagine that many people.

    ¡°That¡¯s just awful,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°And it didn¡¯t need to happen,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah, if Merodach-bal-uzur didn¡¯t want elf blood in the family, all he had to do was disinherit any children Nabu-ekhi-erba¡¯s wife had,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That no matter what happened, any of her children would never be emperor, so it¡¯s like taking them out of the royal family without taking them out of the family,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, all of those people died for no reason?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Elaine replied.

    The party walked on in silence, thinking about what Elaine had told them.

 Chapter 90

    Massive walls rose up in the distance as they approached Eagle¡¯s Bay. Impressive as they were, Anna¡¯s attention was currently elsewhere. She could smell a briny scent in the air as well as hear the call of sea birds in the distance. There were also strange whooshing sounds. All these things combined sent her anticipation over the edge, causing her to shiver with excitement.

    The sea is right over there! Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see it! They¡¯ll have fresh fish too! I haven¡¯t had fresh fish in years! I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to find a place serving fish stew? I bet there¡¯s going to be all kinds of ships in port! Everyone keeps telling me this place is like a hundred Fishports, and that people from all over the great inland sea stop here! I hope I get to see warships! The sailors always used to talk about them!

    They reached the gate after waiting in a short line. The guards were wearing full plate armor and holding polearms. One of them had his visor up and was checking passes and taking tolls. They showed their guild badges to him, and he nodded and waved them through without saying a word. They walked through the gate, and the smell of the city smacked her in the face so hard she took a step back when it hit her.

    ¡°Damn,¡± she said, waving her hand in front of her face.

    One of the guards laughed.

    ¡°You get used to it,¡± he said.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Just remember, if you breathe through your mouth, you¡¯ll taste it!¡± the guard said.

    The moment he said something about breathing through her mouth, she did, causing her to make a face and spit. This caused the guard to laugh even harder. She was tempted to flip him a rude gesture but knew that was a quick way to spend the night in a cell.

    That¡¯s what all the other adventurers told me anyway.

    Ignoring the laughter directed at her, she walked away from the gate.

    The city wasn¡¯t like any other she¡¯d been to. The layout of its streets didn¡¯t make any sense, and the buildings were tightly packed into every available space. Unlike the uniformity of Oldforge and the capital, no two buildings were exactly the same.

    She was busy examining the unique architecture when Thokri tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to look at him, and he just pointed. When she looked where he was pointing, she stopped walking. There were ships bobbing up and down, tied to the largest docks she¡¯d ever seen, but that wasn¡¯t what caught her attention. What had her mesmerized was the seemingly endless expanse of water that stretched out to the horizon.

    She walked forward and looked to her right, seeing the mouth of the great river. It was so large that ships sailing up it seemed to be as small as toys. When she turned her head to the left, she saw hundreds of ships tied to hundreds of docks. There were swarms of men loading and unloading the ships while countless seabirds circled above, crying out as they did.

    She stood there for a few moments until someone tugged on her arm. Thokri grinned at her when she looked over at him.

    ¡°Come on, lass. We got to get to the dock master¡¯s office,¡± he said.

    She nodded, and they started to walk along the docks. She looked at the ships as they passed. Each one was bigger than anything that had ever pulled into Fishport when she¡¯d lived there.

    I hope we can find a small one ¡®cause none of these will be going there.

    After passing a few ships, she looked to her left at the many tightly packed buildings that faced the piers. The buildings were mostly taverns, inns, and brothels, just what one would expect from a city filled with sailors.

    They walked for a few minutes until they spotted the dock master¡¯s office. It was plain compared to the surrounding buildings, painted a dull tan color with a simple sign that merely stated what the building was.

    Inside was calm compared to the busy street. Only a few well-dressed ship¡¯s officers stood at a counter near the back of the room. Each was busy with piles of paperwork while clerks examined the documents as the men finished.

    The party wasn¡¯t there for any of the dock master¡¯s services. Instead, they headed to a small office on the right-hand side of the room where one could book passage on one of the many vessels with an open berth.

    They entered the office and found a gnarled old man sitting behind a desk with piles of papers surrounding him. He looked up at them, his eyes glancing at each of them, and lingering on her chest, before returning to Voekeer.

    ¡°Where you folks heading?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Fishport. It¡¯s a small town on the eastern frontier river,¡± Voekeer replied.

    The man thought about it for a moment before pulling a rolled-up piece of paper from the pile next to him and setting it on his desk. He flattened it out, revealing a map of the coast, then gestured for Voekeer to come over.

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    ¡°Show me,¡± he said.

    Voekeer leaned over and pointed at a tiny dot near the edge of the map. The old man nodded and then started to rifle though the papers. Several minutes later, he pulled a paper from one of the stacks and placed it on the desk facing the party.

    ¡°The Potent Puffin is going to stop there. They cost five silver a head and leave in three days,¡± he said.

    ¡°Works for us,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Good, let me write up your boarding passes,¡± the old man said.

    The man took small pieces of paper from another pile. He took his quill from its stand and dipped it into an ink well.

    ¡°Name?¡± he asked, looking up at the Voekeer.

    ¡°Voekeer,¡± he replied.

    The man grumbled something about elves while he wrote on the paper. When he finished, he set it aside and looked over at Lyreen.

    ¡°Lyreen,¡± she said.

    The man sighed again but started to fill out a fresh paper. He did this one by one until he finished their passes. Once each of them gave him the five silver, he lit a sealing candle and dripped wax onto the bottom of each one before pressing a stamp into it. He rolled up the passes and handed them to their owners.

    ¡°We send a runner to inform the ship, but if I were you, I¡¯d go and let the captain know you¡¯ve booked passage on his ship after you leave here. Mix ups happen from time to time, and I¡¯d hate for you to show up and find out she¡¯s already full. They will also tell you what time they are setting sail. Don¡¯t be late. They won¡¯t wait, and we don¡¯t give refunds,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°We will, sir,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Oh, and if you have any problems, come back and let me know,¡± the old man added.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They walked out of the dock master¡¯s office and back onto the busy street, heading to the left once more. The dock was far longer than she originally thought, and it took more than an hour to reach where The Puffin was moored.

    The ship was long and sleek looking with two masts, and if she had to guess, a shallow draft, just the sort of ship that visited Fishport while she lived there. The sails were currently furled with heavy covers over the sails to protect them while not in use. A large crane was lifting crates from the dock and into the ship¡¯s hold as they approached.

    The first time I ever really showed people what I could do was when I picked that crane up to save those men. I don¡¯t think that crane is going to fall over. It looks way bigger than the ones in Fishport.

    A group of sailors were talking with the dockworkers, so the party walked over to the men.

    ¡°Excuse me, the booking agent told us to swing by and let the captain know we¡¯ve booked passaged on your ship,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Go let the captain know we got some passengers,¡± one of the men said.

    A young man nodded and rushed up the gangway onto the ship, and the man looked at them.

    ¡°Where you folks heading if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Small town called Fishport. We have some business there,¡± Voekeer replied.

    The man laughed.

    ¡°Then you must be in the fish business or running from something ¡®cause there¡¯s nothing else in that shithole,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That shithole is my home village,¡± Anna said.

    The grin fell from the man¡¯s face.

    ¡°I, uh, didn¡¯t mean nothing by it, miss. I was just messing around,¡± he replied.

    The man next to him slugged him on the arm and shook his head.

    ¡°Sorry about that. The only time he talks to women is when he asks them how much,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, I can tell. So, what¡¯s in the crates?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Tools, cloth, medicine, grain, basically it¡¯s everything they can¡¯t make themselves,¡± the second man replied.

    ¡°The sailors always used to tell me that an empty hold was a bad thing, so what do you carry back?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Salted fish, whale oil, ivory, anything we can sell quickly,¡± he replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the captain says, we¡¯ll carry anything, so long as it makes us a profit,¡± the first man said.

    ¡°And that includes curious young women,¡± a man added.

    She turned to see a well-dressed man walking down the gangway with the young man who¡¯d been sent to get the captain trailing behind him. He looked them over one by one before extending his hand to Voekeer who happened to be standing the closest.

    ¡°Edward and I happen to be the captain of this fine vessel,¡± he said.

    ¡°Voekeer, and this is Lyreen, Barika, Elaine, Anna, Rose, and Thokri,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They each shook the captain¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d invite you aboard and show you around; however, we are loading cargo, and it¡¯s not safe, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wait for the tour,¡± the captain said.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright. We need to find a place to stay anyway,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d suggest staying at the Pelican¡¯s Perch. While it does cost a bit more than other places, I¡¯m told that expense makes it more suitable for a group with so many women,¡± the captain said.

    ¡°That sounds perfect. Could you tell us how to get there?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Of course, Ma¡¯am. Head back towards the dock master¡¯s office and look for a blue building with gold trim. The sigh has a pelican roosting on a ship¡¯s mast,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°It was my pleasure. Now if you excuse me, I have to continue my battle with an army of paperwork,¡± he replied.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see you in three days then,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Be here at dawn,¡± the captain replied.

    ¡°We will,¡± Voekeer said.

    The captain turned around and walked back onto the ship, and the party walked away from the dock heading towards the inn he¡¯d recommended.

    ¡°Hey, what did he mean by the inn would be better for a group with women in it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He means it costs too much for sailors to bring their street whores to fuck,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Ewwww!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Do you have to be so crude?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Bah! I was just tell¡¯n the lass how it was, that¡¯s all,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°It may be true, but there are better ways of explaining things to her,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Oh? Well then, tell me how you would have told the lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Well, I would have said that sailors bring prostitutes to the less expensive inns,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Ah, and what if she¡¯d have asked why do that when there¡¯s a brothel right next door?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t ask you that, so why would she have asked me?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°¡¯Cause ya didn¡¯t let her know how much the street whores cost, so she¡¯d have wondered,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say how much they cost either,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah, he did. He said they were street whores, and that means they are cheaper than the ones in a brothel,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m not sure how you managed to come to that conclusion, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. It¡¯s because street food cost less than food from a tavern, so street whores must be cheaper, too, ¡®cause it¡¯s the same if you really think about it,¡± Anna replied.

    Her friends looked at each other for a moment.

    ¡°You know, that actually makes sense,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, and that¡¯s how she thinks, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    Barika sighed.

    ¡°Just tell her in dwarven next time then,¡± she said.

    Thokri chuckled.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he replied.

 Chapter 91

    She walked into her room and looked around before walking over to her bed and dropping her pack on the floor next to it.

    It¡¯s not the nicest place I¡¯ve ever seen, but it¡¯s not bad. At least it doesn¡¯t smell like sweat.

    The same could be said for the inn as a whole. It was clean and well-kept and not as expensive as she had expected. With a cost of ten copper a night, it was only twice that of the roadside inns, and considering they were in a city, it seemed rather reasonable.

    I wonder how much the other inns cost?

    She left her room and locked the door behind her, heading back down the stairs. She found a table to sit at while she waited for her friends who were still upstairs for some reason, and a barmaid walked over.

    The woman was young with long brown hair, brown eyes, and light brown skin. She was wearing a simple dress that showed more cleavage than usual, though not an excessive amount. Anna noticed part of a tattoo on her left breast though she couldn¡¯t tell what it was. The woman reached out and touched Anna¡¯s hair, rubbing it in between her fingers.

    ¡°How did you get it like this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Magic,¡± Anna replied.

    The barmaid got a confused look on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m a mage. It¡¯s a spell,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s really pretty,¡± the barmaid replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, can I get you anything?¡± the barmaid asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just waiting for my friends,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Alright, just wave me over if you change your mind,¡± she said.

    ¡°Wait, there is one thing,¡± Anna replied as the woman started to walk away.

    ¡°What is it?¡± the barmaid asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s your tattoo of?¡± Anna asked.

    The woman grinned and looked around the room before pulling the top of her dress down, causing her modest breasts to bounce free. On her left breast was a large three-masted sailing ship that looked like it might be a warship, and on her right breast was a much smaller two-masted schooner.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re amazing!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± the barmaid replied.

    She pulled her dress back up and adjusted it to cover herself back up.

    ¡°I have a few more, but I¡¯d have to strip to show you, and the innkeeper would fire me if she caught me doing that,¡± she added.

    ¡°That would be bad,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yeah, this is a great job I¡¯d hate to lose it,¡± the barmaid said.

    She turned and walked away, heading to the bar where she went behind the counter and sat on a stool. The barman, who¡¯d been so engrossed with cleaning the mugs that he hadn¡¯t noticed her flashing Anna, just grunted when she asked him how it was going. Anna¡¯s friends walked down the stairs a few minutes later, and she noticed that they were wearing clean clothing.

    So, that¡¯s what took so long! Wait, was I supposed to change too? Fuck it. I¡¯m just dusty, and this city smells like a barrel of fish that¡¯s been left in the sun too long anyway.

    She got up and met them at the door.

    ¡°So, where to?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Gonna find a good tavern and get a bite, then whatever,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Anna said.

    They left the inn and started to walk towards the main road, looking for a place to stop. She noticed a sign that had two fish with human-looking arms and smoking pipes in their mouths boxing one another. She simply walked over to the tavern and pushed the door open. Her friends followed after when they noticed she¡¯d walked away from the group.

    The tavern was smokey and smelled of stale ale and sweat. Sailors smoking pipes and drinking ale filled the room while barmaids wearing lowcut loose dresses rushed around, refilling their drinks. Anna headed for a table, swatting a few wandering hands away as she passed by the crowded tables. She sat down, and her friends joined her once they made it through.

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    A barmaid swished to the table and leaned over, spilling her ample breasts out of her dress. Anna ignored them and looked the woman right in the eye.

    ¡°I want fish!¡± she said.

    The barmaid laughed.

    ¡°Honey, we got all kinds of fish. You¡¯ll have to narrow it down,¡± she replied.

    Anna pulled a few silver coins from her coin pouch and held them out.

    ¡°I want some of everything, all the other kinds of seafood you got and cooked in all the ways you can, got that?¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, of course! Anything you want!¡± the barmaid replied.

    She took the coins and rushed away from the table.

    ¡°And bring us some good ale!¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± the barmaid replied.

    When she looked back at her friends, she found them staring at her.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t what me! You just ordered everything!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to share!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the point?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask if we wanted any seafood before you got all of it!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, get something else!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t want it! I, I¡¯m just saying you should have asked first!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Uh, why are you always like this?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Like what?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Like this!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re complaining about buying you food. I mean, come on, who complains about free food that they are going to eat because they didn¡¯t get asked if they wanted free food beforehand?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not complaining about free food!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°It sure sounds like you are to me!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°STOP THIS NONSENSE BOTH OF YOU!¡± Barika shouted before slamming her fist against the table.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen huffed and muttered something but didn¡¯t argue.

    ¡°Thank you for the food, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Anna replied.

    The others thanked her as well, and Thokri patted her on the back. This seemed to annoy Lyreen even further, so Anna just decided to ignore the elf until she got over it.

    I still don¡¯t get why she has to be like this! I mean, I was just being nice, and she had to find a way to pick a fight with me! She even got Barika to yell at me! I hate it when she yells at me!

    The barmaid brought a tray full of ales over and passed them out.

    ¡°Some of it will take longer, so I¡¯ll just bring it out as it gets done if that¡¯s alright?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That works for us,¡± Anna replied.

    The barmaid nodded then walked away, ignoring a table full of sailors trying to get her attention.

    ¡°Looks like we have our own server today,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Aye, lass probably figures she¡¯ll get more from us than the lot of them combined,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°She will,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to tip big anymore,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m never giving a little girl a silver again, but something tells me a stable hand wouldn¡¯t get the better of that woman,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri laughed.

    ¡°An orc would have a hard time with that lass,¡± he added.

    ¡°She certainly seems like a handful,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Those things were way more than a handful,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That depends on who¡¯s hands we¡¯re talking about,¡± Barika said.

    Here they go again, being weirdos. Uh, Elaine doesn¡¯t even like women, and she¡¯s going to start up about that barmaid¡¯s looks. I wonder why she does that?

    She took a drink from her mug and made a face.

    ¡°Bitter!¡± she said.

    ¡°Aye, it¡¯s the good stuff,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Bluh!¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Bah! Quit yer bellyaching! Good ale¡¯s supposed to be bitter,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t! Black ale isn¡¯t bitter!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We ain¡¯t talk¡¯n about black ale. We¡¯re talk¡¯n about ale here, lass. Not the same thing,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Bah!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Bah she says! Look here, black ale is made with shrooms, and this here is made with barley. They ain¡¯t the same thing,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I know that, but it¡¯s called ale!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No, it ain¡¯t! That¡¯s just what humans call it! The dwarven name means black drink that¡¯ll kick you in the teeth!¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°It does?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, it¡¯s a word from ancient dwarven. That¡¯s why ya didn¡¯t know,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°And whose fault is it that I don¡¯t know ancient dwarven?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Look, I already told you I can¡¯t teach you that without asking the old farts first,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I thought you were going to adopt her or something. Wouldn¡¯t you be able to then?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I was, but she turned me down,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Why would you do that, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to lie,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I told you it wouldn¡¯t be lying,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an orphan though. My father is still alive!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°And I told you it don¡¯t matter if he¡¯s still living if he abandoned you,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°HE DIDN¡¯T ABANDON ME!¡± she shouted.

    The room got quiet, and everyone turned to look at her. She sat there trembling until Thokri reached out and touched her hand.

    ¡°Easy, lass. I didn¡¯t mean nothing by it,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna replied.

    The barmaid walked back over.

    ¡°Would you like something else, sweetheart?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Anna replied.

    She picked up Anna¡¯s mug and whisked it away. Everyone sat in awkward silence for a few moments before Voekeer started to fidget.

    ¡°So, uh, what did you all think of the ship?¡± he asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s a two-masted gaff-rigged schooner, so she¡¯s going to be plenty fast, and with such a shallow draft, I¡¯d say she¡¯ll be able to visit just about any port she wants to,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I have no idea what you just said,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Okay, well, the ship we are going to be sailing on has two masts,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I got that part,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Right, and the gaff-rigged schooner part describes how the sails are put on the ship,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Okay, so how is the sail put on the ship then?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, schooner means that the ship is rigged fore to aft along the keel, and gaff-rigged means that the sails have four corners, and it¡¯s controlled from the top. Oh, and the head by the spar is called a gaff,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Uh, right, so what about the draft part?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, draft is how much of the ship sits below the waterline, so saying she has a shallow draft means that there isn¡¯t much,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, I get it. So that means it can sail into ports where the water isn¡¯t so deep,¡± he said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, why don¡¯t all ships have a shallow draft?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°A ship with a deep draft is faster and does better in rough waters,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s a give and take with ships like anything else,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, child, what kind of ship would you buy if you had the choice?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°A three-masted bark,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see¡­¡± Anna replied, explaining to her friends what a three-masted bark was and why she wanted one.

 Chapter 92

    ¡°GO AWAY, CHILD!!!¡± Barika shouted.

    ¡°But I¡¯m bored!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then go out and leave me be!¡± Barika said.

    Barika rolled back over and stuck her head under her pillow groaning in pain. Anna closed the door to her friend¡¯s room and sighed.

    I guess I¡¯m on my own today.

    She walked down the stairs and into the main room.

    ¡°How are your friends feeling?¡± the tattooed barmaid asked.

    ¡°Sick, even still Thokri¡¯s out cold,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Gods! What did you lot drink that put a dwarf out on his ass for half a day?¡± the tattooed barmaid asked.

    ¡°It was just rum,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Rum did that?¡± the tattooed barmaid asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It must have been some good stuff,¡± the tattooed barmaid said.

    ¡°Na, it was cheap, so we drank a few pitchers of it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Did you just say pitchers?¡± the tattooed barmaid asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Like those?¡± the tattooed barmaid asked, pointing at a few clay pitchers sitting on the bar.

    ¡°Bigger,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How many of those things did you all drink?¡± the tattooed barmaid asked.

    ¡°Six, or seven. I¡¯m not sure. I had to pee, and it took a while, so they might have drank one while I was gone,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Gods! They¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t die!¡± the tattooed barmaid said.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take more than rum to kill them,¡± Anna replied.

    The barmaid gave her a look and then sighed.

    ¡°Are you planning on leaving by yourself?¡± she asked.

    Anna nodded and the tattooed barmaid looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

    ¡°Look, this city isn¡¯t safe for travelers, especially women,¡± she added.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t!¡± the tattooed barmaid said.

    ¡°SALLY!!!¡± the innkeeper shouted.

    ¡°But, ma¡¯am!¡± the tattooed barmaid replied.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got work to do girl, so get it done!¡± the innkeeper snapped.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Sally replied.

    I¡¯m not getting in the middle of that. Sorry Sally.

    She slipped out the door as Sally the barmaid sulked away.

    It was late morning, or maybe even early afternoon, she wasn¡¯t sure. The street wasn¡¯t as crowded as it had been the day before, though she assumed that was because the sailors were sleeping off last night¡¯s revelries.

    I guess I¡¯ll go and get some food and then go and look at all the ships.

    She sniffed the air and then wrinkled her nose, unable to smell anything other than the pungent scent of rotten fish.

    Smells like I got to do this with my eyes.

    She was tempted to summon her dream eyes but decided that would probably cause a panic and that wouldn¡¯t be good. She started to walk toward the main road, figuring that even if there wasn¡¯t anywhere, she wanted to stop on the waterfront. She could always head back towards the gate.

    ¡°Where you heading, sweetheart?¡± a man asked.

    A few dockworkers were leaning up against one of the buildings leering at her.

    I bet they¡¯d know where I can get some good food!

    ¡°Somewhere to get food. You boys know anywhere good?¡± she asked.

    They looked at each other and started grinning.

    ¡°We sure do. Come on, follow me,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said.

    She followed the grinning men, hoping that whatever food they were leading her to was good.

    They¡¯re just like the dockworkers in Fishport.

    They walked for a few blocks before the men paused at the entrance to one of the alleys.

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    ¡°We got to cross though here unless you want to walk all the way around,¡± the man said.

    She nodded and started to follow him down the long dark alley. They walked for a few minutes before the man spun around and grabbed her by the throat before slamming her against the wall. He placed the flat of a knife blade against her cheek and grinned in a savage way at her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweetheart. We won¡¯t hurt you so long as you¡¯re a good girl,¡± he said as he slid his hand down to her breast, groping it roughly when he reached it.

    He leaned close to her face and then started to lick her cheek. She snapped her mouth to the side and bit down on the offending organ severing it. She slammed her open palm against his ribs, shattering a few and sending the man flying into the wall on the other side of the alley.

    She turned to the other men and spat what was left of the first man¡¯s tongue onto the ground before darting forward, hitting the closest one in the jaw, knocking out most of his teeth. Her fist flew into another of the men, hitting him in the stomach and folding him over. She then backhanded him, cracking his skull and knocking him to the ground.

    The last man stared stupidly at her, frozen in utter shock. She kicked him in the knee, folding the joint backwards before snatching him by the hair and slamming his head against the wall a few times before dropping his limp body on the ground.

    She looked up and noticed a tall man in a blue coat holding a cutlass in his hand staring at her wide eyed.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I, uh, saw those men lead you back here, so I followed to make sure you were alright,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, well, thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, miss,¡± the man replied.

    He slid his cutlass back into its scabbard and continued to watch her.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You have blood on your face,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± she said.

    She crouched down and tore the sleeve from one of the men¡¯s shirts and used it to wipe off her face and dress.

    I¡¯m glad I wore one of the dark ones today.

    She tossed the sleeve aside when she was finished and noticed that the man in the blue coat was still standing there.

    ¡°So, would you happen to know where I can get something good to eat?¡± she asked.

    The man just stared for a moment before smiling.

    ¡°I know just the place,¡± he replied.

    He held out his arm just like the noble men did when they wanted a lady to wrap theirs around it. She walked over, took his arm, and they began to walk out of the alley.

    ¡°Uh, please don¡¯t tell anyone about this. I¡¯m not supposed to bite people,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    Once they reached the street, they turned back towards the main road and walked casually through the crowd as if she hadn¡¯t just maimed four men.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± she asked.

    He paused and turned to look at her.

    ¡°Timothy Claremont, Captain of the Star of Dawn,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re a sea captain!¡± Anna squealed.

    He laughed.

    ¡°I am,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What kind of ship do you have? How many men? What kind of cargo do you haul?¡± she asked in rapid succession.

    He laughed again.

    ¡°Slow down. I¡¯ll tell you all about it after you tell me your name,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯m Anna, and I¡¯m an adventurer,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Well, Anna the adventurer, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he said.

    ¡°So, what about the ship?¡± she asked excitedly.

    He laughed and shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sloop, I¡¯ve got fifty men, and we don¡¯t carry cargo,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re men of fortune so to speak,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That means your treasure hunters, right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it, yes,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I tried treasure hunting once. It didn¡¯t turn out that well,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not for everyone,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, what are you doing in Eagle¡¯s Bay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Trying to recover something that was stolen from me I¡¯m afraid,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Something very valuable,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want to tell me. Well, that¡¯s alright. It¡¯s none of my business anyway,¡± Anna said.

    He laughed again.

    I wonder why he keeps doing that?

    They walked for a while down the waterfront. She looked at the ships as they passed. A few of them were different from the day before, so she made sure to examine the new ones closely. He tugged on her arm, pulling her towards one of the taverns.

    ¡°Here we are. My favorite place to eat while I¡¯m in this port,¡± he said.

    ¡°How many places have you been?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I lost count. How about you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been all over, but usually just passing through,¡± she replied.

    He nodded, pushed the door open, and then gestured for her to go inside while he held it. She walked in a little confused. People usually didn¡¯t treat her like this, and she wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about it.

    The inside of the tavern was like any other she¡¯d visited in the past with the only notable thing being an enormous fish mounted above the fireplace. She¡¯d never seen one quite like it before. It had a snout that reminded her of a spear and spines running along its back.

    Captain Claremont took her arm again and walked to one of the small tables near the back of the room where they sat down. A smiling barmaid rushed over the moment they were settled in.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, captain,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to be back,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What can I get you today, sir?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have a tuna steak with garlic cream sauce and a glass of white wine,¡± Captain Claremont replied.

    ¡°And you, ma¡¯am?¡± the barmaid asked.

    Ma¡¯am? No one calls me Ma¡¯am.

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll have the same, except I want sweet red wine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have it right out,¡± the barmaid said before walking away.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never had wine at a tavern before,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly a tavern,¡± Captain Claremont replied.

    ¡°What is it then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s really more of a cafe to be honest,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No, there are subtle differences,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Such as?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any drunken louts,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said.

    ¡°So, what brings you to this city?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m visiting home and going there by ship is faster than wagon,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Where¡¯s home?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Fishport,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of Fishports. You¡¯ll have to be more specific,¡± he said.

    ¡°The one on the mouth of the great frontier river,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I know the place. Who¡¯s taking you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Captain Edward,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Does he command The Potent Puffin by any chance?¡± Captain Claremont asked.

    ¡°He does,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I know him. He¡¯s a good man, and the Puffin is a fine ship. Don¡¯t mention me to him though. We don¡¯t exactly get along,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    The barmaid returned carrying a tray with their still steaming meals on it. She set a plate in front of each of them and then placed a glass of wine next to their plates. She reached in her coin purse to pay the woman, but Captain Claremont shook his head no, then passed the barmaid enough coin for both meals and a generous tip.

    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± the barmaid said before scampering away.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°A gentleman should always pay for a lady¡¯s meal,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a lady,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Every woman¡¯s a lady,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Not me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Then think of it as an apology for not helping you with those ruffians,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize for that. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but I won¡¯t say no to free food,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Now let¡¯s eat. It would be a shame to let this get cold,¡± he replied.

    He picked up his fork and knife in a way that reminded her of the noblemen she¡¯d met in the past.

    Might as well eat like that too.

    She copied him and then cut off a small piece of tuna steak.

    ¡°Seems you do have some lady in you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Maybe a little,¡± she replied with a smile.

 Chapter 93

    ¡°Well, that was a lovely meal, but I really must be going now,¡± Captain Claremont said.

    ¡°Where you heading off to?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Meeting up with some of my men to discuss the business I told you about,¡± he replied.

    Oh, he must mean the stuff that got stolen from him.

    ¡°Want me to help?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, no. I couldn¡¯t possibly take up any more of your time,¡± he replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t have anything else going on today,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It might be dangerous,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said.

    He smiled and nodded at her.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Well, come along then. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re wondering where I¡¯ve gotten off to anyway,¡± he replied.

    My friends are probably still hung over.

    They left the caf¨¦ and headed towards the main road where they walked about halfway to the gate before turning down one of the side streets. They followed this street for a while before turning down another and then another and before long, she found herself in a part of the city that could only be described as seedy.

    Her companion didn¡¯t seem the least bit bothered by their surroundings and continued to swagger around as if there weren¡¯t dead bodies rotting in the gutters every few blocks. He walked down an alley and then stopped in front of a formidable-looking door where he rapped on it in an odd rhythm.

    ¡°That you, boss?¡± a man asked after pulling a slide open.

    ¡°Yes, now open the door, Bruno,¡± he replied.

    She heard a clunk as the bar was lifted from the door, and then it swung open. Captain Claremont gestured for her to enter as he had at the caf¨¦, though it didn¡¯t feel like he was being a gentleman having her walk into a place like this.

    When she entered the building, she spotted an enormous man standing next to the door wearing sailor''s clothing.

    Yeah, he¡¯s a Bruno.

    She glanced around the room for a moment, noticing a few more scummy-looking men wearing sailor''s clothing lounging around inside.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the slit?¡± one of the men asked.

    ¡°Anna and watch your mouth. She¡¯s my guest,¡± Captain Claremont replied.

    ¡°Sure thing, boss,¡± the man said.

    ¡°What did you find out?¡± Captain Claremont asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re holed up in an old warehouse, and they still got it with them,¡± the rude man replied.

    ¡°Good. How many men does she have?¡± Captain Claremont asked.

    ¡°Three or four. One of them is Simmons, though,¡± the rude man replied.

    ¡°Leave him to me,¡± Captain Claremont replied.

    ¡°We best get going, boss. Don¡¯t want them to slip out while we gab,¡± the rude man added.

    Captain Claremont nodded, and the men stood up and picked up their weapons. They had a motley assortment of long knives, short swords, clubs, and crossbows, with Bruno carrying a massive hammer that looked like it should be driving fence posts into the ground instead of bashing men¡¯s skulls in. He grinned at her, a gap-toothed grin, when he noticed she was looking. They filed out of the building and into the street, leaving one man behind to close and bar the door.

    They crept though the alleys, not exactly sneaking, but they also weren¡¯t making a commotion. She followed them through the winding alleys and watched them break into a run when crossing streets, clearly not wanting to get spotted by the guards.

    They reached the warehouse less than an hour later. The men lined up against the wall, and Bruno walked to the other side of the door, clearly intending on bashing it in with his hammer. She stood next to Captain Claremont who clearly intended on being the first man in the room.

    The captain drew his sword and nodded at Bruno, and the big man swung his hammer, hitting the door near the handle, causing it to explode inward. The captain surged forward, following the door as it opened, and Anna was right behind with the rest of the men pouring into the room after.

    Captain Claremont stopped dead when he found himself face to face with several crossbows. Anna shoved him down when she heard the twang of the crossbows being fired and ended up being hit with several bolts. Men behind her screamed as they were stuck by the bolts that had flown past her.

    Four my ass! There has to be twenty of these pricks!

    She exploded into action, moving across the room in a blur and viciously kicking one of the crossbowmen in the side, sending him screaming into the next man, and knocking them both to the floor. She snatched up his fallen crossbow and used it like a club, smashing the skull of another. Captain Claremont and his men recovered from the shock of the bolt, and a furious battle ensued.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Captain Claremont¡¯s men fought valiantly but stood little chance of defeating the larger better-armed force. At least, they wouldn¡¯t have if it wasn¡¯t for the fact Anna was rampaging around the room, tossing men around like a rabid bear, all while screaming profanities like a dwarf that just stubbed his toe.

    ¡°WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!!!¡± a woman screamed.

    Anna tossed a man aside and looked to see that two more people had arrived. One was a tall red-haired woman wearing a loose-fitting white shirt and a black leather bodice along with a tight pair of pants and tall boots. She was holding a long thin sword in one hand and was scanning the room with a look of disdain on her face.

    The other newcomer was a man who had the look of a hardened killer. She¡¯d seen his type before and tried to avoid them. They were usually mean, and she didn¡¯t like mean people.

    The woman stabbed one of Captain Claremont''s men through the heart, killing him instantly before yanking her bloodied blade out and lunging toward the next man. Anna rushed her before she could kill him and tackled her to the floor. She started to strangle the woman, hoping to choke her out without killing her. The woman struggled and slammed the hilt of her sword against the side of Anna¡¯s head trying to break her grip.

    JUST GO TO SLEEP YOU BITCH!

    The killer drew his sword and swung it down at Anna¡¯s neck in an attempt to decapitate her. She sensed it coming and stiffened her body so when the blade struck her neck, it rebounded as if the man had hit a stone wall.

    She¡¯d expected this. What she hadn¡¯t expected was the spell within the blade to go off just above her. The force pulse that was intended to blast through armor and magical defenses blasted through the air, knocking over most of the people in the room, including the sword¡¯s wielder.

    Anna squeezed the woman¡¯s throat harder, cutting off both her airway and the blood flow. The woman went limp quickly. Anna let go, not wanting to kill her. She looked down at the woman¡¯s face and noticed she had a strange sparkling pendant around her neck.

    Pretty!

    Anna ripped the necklace off and stuffed it down the front of her dress before snatching the woman¡¯s sword and hopping up. The blast had stopped the fight with men of both sides strewn around the room limply. She rushed over to Captain Claremont who was lying on the ground.

    Oh, good. He¡¯s alive.

    She slapped his face a few times to help him come around before pulling him to his feet.

    ¡°What in the name of the gods happened?¡± he asked, looking around.

    ¡°He used a magic sword, and the spell went out of control,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Simmons, you bastard!¡± he said.

    ¡°If Simmons was the one that had the magic sword, he¡¯s dead,¡± Anna replied, pointing at the mangled corpse.

    Captain Claremont stared at the body for a moment and then shook his head as if trying to focus.

    ¡°We need to see who¡¯s alive and then get what we came for and go before someone else shows up,¡± he said.

    ¡°Can you stand on your own?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I think so,¡± he replied.

    He wabbled a few times but managed to stay upright. They searched the room, and out of the eight men that Captain Claremont had brought, only three remained. Bruno was one of them, and out of the twenty crossbowmen, only two had survived. The red-haired woman lived as well. She dragged the enemy survivors into a corner and tied them up, making sure to gag them as well. She also took the red-haired woman¡¯s sword belt and wrapped it around her waist, deciding to keep the long thin sword.

    It¡¯s much nicer looking than my black sword.

    Bruno and the captain searched the room that the red-haired woman and Simmons had come out of and returned with a small chest.

    ¡°That it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Captain Claremont replied.

    The surviving members of Captain Claremont¡¯s party picked up their dead and exited the warehouse, rushing back through the alleys, and making their way back to their hideout.

    Once they arrived, the captain knocked on the door again in the same rhythmic fashion as he had done earlier that day. The man slid open the peep and then immediately unbarred the door and pulled it open.

    ¡°What happened, sir?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It was a trap,¡± Captain Claremont replied.

    ¡°Dammit all to the abyss!¡± the man replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know how she found out,¡± one of the surviving men asked.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now. We just need to lay low for a few days, then get to the Dawn Star,¡± Captain Claremont replied.

    ¡°I need to go,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What? No! People are going to be looking for us for days!¡± Captain Claremont said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a ship to catch in the morning, and I doubt Red¡¯s gonna be doing much of anything tonight,¡± Anna replied.

    Captain Claremont gave her a hard look and then nodded.

    ¡°Keep that sword out of sight. It¡¯s well known, and people will ask questions if they see you with it,¡± he said.

    She nodded, then took the sword belt off and wrapped it around the hilt, making sure to cover it as best she could. Captain Claremont walked her to the door and then held out his hand.

    ¡°We¡¯d all be dead if you hadn¡¯t come along. Thank you,¡± he said.

    She smiled and shook his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help,¡± she replied.

    ¡°You made yourself a friend today,¡± he said.

    ¡°So did you,¡± Anna replied.

    She left the hideout and headed back towards the main street, zipping down the alleys faster than she¡¯d been led there, wanting to get back to the inn before the sun went down. Unfortunately, the streets were packed with people, and by the time she got back to the inn, the sun was down, and the street lamps had been lit.

    When she walked through the front door, she noticed her friends sitting at a table looking rather haggard. She walked over and sat down. The others just stared at her.

    ¡°What the fuck happened to you?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I got in a fight,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What do you mean a fight?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, when I first went out, some men offered to show me a good place to eat, but they ended up leading me into an alley, and one of them pushed me against a wall and held a knife to my face while he grabbed my boob and licked my face,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What have I told you about following strange men around, child?!¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Not to,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, why¡¯d you do it?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Well, they were dockworkers, and the dockworkers were always nice to me in Fishport, so I thought it¡¯d be okay,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika just sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill them, did you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No, I just bit off his tongue and then broke some bones, that¡¯s all,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re not supposed to bite people!¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on her. I¡¯d have bit the prick''s tongue off if he licked my face,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Yeah, that was just nasty,¡± Lyreen added.

    Barika looked around the table and then sighed.

    ¡°Alright, this one time, biting was alright, but don¡¯t make it a habit!¡± she said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, where¡¯d you get the sword?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I bought it from a merchant. He had a whole blanket of swords and things,¡± Anna replied.

    She handed him the sword, and he pulled it from the sheath and whistled.

    ¡°Damn, how much did this cost you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Twenty silver,¡± Anna replied.

    Voekeer looked at the blade again.

    ¡°You stole it for that price,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know, right?!¡± Anna replied excitedly.

    She smiled at her friends as they passed the sword around the table and talked about how they wished they hadn¡¯t been too sick to go out with her that day.

    I wish I could tell you all the truth, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea right now.

 Chapter 94

    Anna adjusted her pack as they walked away from the inn. It was just before dawn, and the soft glow of the sun was just becoming visible to her eyes on the horizon.

    ¡°How are you all doing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d be better if you kept your mouth shut!¡± Lyreen snapped.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start with me. I was being nice,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Please stop. Your voice is squeaky, and it¡¯s making my headache worse!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not squeaky!¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen groaned.

    ¡°You are, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me before?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just your voice. It¡¯s not like you can do anything about it,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna made an offended sound and started to walk faster, ignoring her friends¡¯ pleas to slow down.

    By the time they reached the dock, the others were sweating profusely and breathing heavily. She decided to relent and walked at an easy pace to the ship¡¯s gangway. She handed the man standing next to it her boarding pass, he looked it over and then handed it back.

    ¡°Head up to the deck. The first mate will show you your berth,¡± he said.

    She walked up the thick wooden platform onto the ship and then turned to watch her friends as they came aboard one by one.

    Lyreen¡¯s totally going to hurl.

    ¡°You must be our passengers,¡± a man said.

    ¡°We are,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Well, come with me. I¡¯ll show you to your berths,¡± the man said.

    They followed him to the fo''c''s''le where he opened a door and led them inside.

    ¡°Pick which one you want, and I¡¯ll mark it in the log,¡± the man said.

    She walked to the first one on the starboard side of the ship and went inside. The room was barely more than a few arm spans across and simply contained a bed that was mounted to the hull of the ship with a single porthole to look out. She set her pack on the bed and walked back out of the room, joining the man in the passageway.

    ¡°When will we get underway?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°First light, miss,¡± he replied.

    They must mean for humans ¡®cause it¡¯s already past first light.

    ¡°Are we allowed on deck?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the captain wouldn¡¯t mind so long as you don¡¯t get in the way and stay on the quarterdeck with him,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, miss,¡± he replied.

    Once all her friends picked their rooms and dropped their things off, they left the fo''c''s''le, heading towards the back of the ship to the quarterdeck where the captain stood beside the ship¡¯s wheel.

    The captain nodded at them and then went back to looking out at the horizon. All hands were on deck and at their posts, making the deck rather crowded.

    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen?¡± Lyreen asked quietly.

    ¡°When the sun comes up, the captain will give the order to unmoor the ship. Then the long boats will pull us out to the edge of the harbor and spin us around. After that, they will unfurl the sails, and we¡¯ll get going,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Unmoor means untie, right?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen nodded and then looked back towards the rising sun. After a few minutes, the first streams of orange light peaked over the horizon, and the captain gave the order.

    Men on the dock untied the thick mooring lines. Men on the ship pulled them on board and laid them out on the deck. She felt the ship lurch away from the dock as the lines attached to the long boats pulled tight. They slid away from the dock at a steady pace, and when they passed by the edge, she noticed that the ship was rocking more than it had been when they started.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Unexpectedly, the men untied the longboats and walked from the stern of the ship to the bow where they tied back off. The men on the boats started to row again. The ship started to turn towards the horizon, and when the bow was pointed towards it, the boats started pulling them out to the sea.

    Once they reached the edge of the harbor, the men untied the boats and tossed the lines to their crews. The captain shouted an order, and the sails began to unfurl. She watched as the large cross timbers dropped down on the masts, pulling the huge canvas sails open. They seemed to catch the wind immediately, and the ship surged forward. The captain turned the wheel of the ship, causing the bow to glide to the northeast before straightening it out.

    After sailing for a few minutes, a loud whistle blared, and men started to stream off the deck, leaving only a handful at their stations. Her friends wandered away from the quarterdeck, heading for the bow of the ship while she remained behind, watching the sailors as they went about their business.

    ¡°I don¡¯t allow passengers on the quarterdeck while underway, miss,¡± Captain Edward said.

    She looked over at him and nodded before joining her friends who were standing near the bow looking out at the sea.

    ¡°Kicked you out, did he?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Some Captains are like that, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know, but it doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri patted her on the back and then went back to looking at the horizon. She gazed out across the water as well and noticed that they were surrounded by hundreds of ships coming and going from Eagle¡¯s Bay.

    When she turned to look back at the city, she was stunned to see that there was a whole other port on the other side of the river¡¯s mouth, as well as piers stretching from the banks of the river itself.

    Oh, wow! I didn¡¯t know it was that big! I¡¯m going to have to explore the whole city when we get back.

    The memory of her last night there floated into her mind, causing her to feel a little guilty.

    Maybe not by myself though.

    The sun slowly rose in the sky, and they drifted away from land until it was nothing more than a strip in the distance. Her friends left the bow one by one until she found herself alone on the bow of the ship.

    ¡°Begging your pardon, miss, but are you alright?¡± a man asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡± she asked, turning to find an older man looking at her.

    ¡°Oh, uh, sorry. I just always wanted to sail ever since I was young, and I¡¯ve wanted to see the sea, and now that I¡¯m out here looking at it I, I just don¡¯t have the words, that¡¯s all,¡± she added.

    He nodded and then walked next to her, looking out at the sea.

    ¡°It was the same way for me the first time I went to sea. I spent my whole life looking out at the water from the docks, but it¡¯s just not the same as standing on a bow, is it?¡± he said.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How long has it been?¡± he asked.

    ¡°How long has what been?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve been home?¡± he asked.

    She turned to look at him.

    That¡¯s right. Sailors gossip worse than old ladies. Well, I better just tell him so weird rumors don¡¯t start or something.

    ¡°Five years,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Five years! How old were you when you left?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Young, very young. I have magic, so I went to learn how to use it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Did you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, and I a lot of other things along the way,¡± she replied.

    He nodded.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be the same, you know?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I know,¡± she replied.

    He looked out at the sea for a while longer before sighing and then turning way.

    ¡°Well, I better get back to work,¡± he said.

    Anna turned and held out her hand.

    ¡°Anna,¡± she said.

    ¡°Jacob,¡± the man replied, taking her hand and giving it a shake.

    He walked away, heading back to whatever task he had been shirking. She turned back to the sea and just stared off, blanking, thinking about everything that had happened to her in the last five years of her life. The smell of food filled the air, though it wasn¡¯t enough to break her away from her musing.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to find you up here brooding,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not brooding. I¡¯m just thinking,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Is there a difference?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uh, I think so,¡± she replied.

    ¡°So, what were you thinking about that had you skip a meal?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What if I never left,¡± she replied.

    He grew quiet and looked out over the water, the wind blowing his long brown hair back, revealing his pointed ears.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought the same thing, about myself though,¡± he said.

    ¡°So, what did you decide?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That I made a horrible mistake and what I took from my mother I can never give back,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What did you take?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The last of my childhood,¡± he replied.

    ¡°But it was your childhood. How could you take it from her?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s my mother. She deserved to see me grow into a man, and I just ran away,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Your father was forcing you to do something you didn¡¯t want to do. What else could you have done?¡± Anna asked.

    Voekeer touched his chest where the arrow had nearly killed him at the siege of the crossroads and then smiled faintly.

    ¡°I had no idea what a life of adventure really meant back then. Honestly, I don¡¯t think my father was trying to control me when he told me that I shouldn¡¯t go running off looking for a fight anymore,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, are you still mad at him?¡± Anna asked.

    Voekeer sighed and looked back to the sea.

    ¡°No, not anymore,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Would you still be mad at him if you had stayed?¡± Anna asked.

    He turned to look at her with a shocked expression on his face.

    ¡°I, well, yes, probably,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t a mistake to run away,¡± Anna said.

    He looked down into her eyes, studying them with a serious look on his face.

    I still can¡¯t believe how green they are. Like Lyreen¡¯s, but darker. So different from human eyes.

    ¡°I wish I had just listened to them. It would have saved me a lot of pain,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Maybe, but you would have missed out on so many wonderful things if you¡¯d just done what you were told,¡± Anna said.

    He smiled.

    ¡°You have a way of looking on the bright side of things. You know that, right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°And you have a way of looking at the dark side of things,¡± Anna replied.

    He laughed.

    ¡°Lyreen says the same thing,¡± he said.

    ¡°You should listen to her. She knows you pretty well,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± he said.

    They looked out at the water again, watching another ship off in the distance.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I left,¡± she said.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be me if I stayed, and I like who I am,¡± Anna replied.

    Voekeer laughed and patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and get some food,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds nice,¡± Anna replied.

    They walked away from the bow and headed to the smell of food wafting from somewhere midships.

 Chapter 95

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the look of those clouds,¡± Jacob said.

    ¡°Do you think it will be bad?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Depends, if it¡¯s just a fall storm it¡¯ll be fine but if it¡¯s an early ice storm it could sink us,¡± he replied.

    ¡°When will we know?¡± She asked.

    ¡°A few hours,¡± he replied.

    She leaned on the sturdy wooden railing that wrapped around the aft of the ship and looked out at the churning water. A line of black clouds that stretched across the horizon was slowly catching up to them.

    I wish this thing would have shown up while we were still in Green Cove.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m going to go to my cabin now be safe alright,¡± she said.

    ¡°Only way I know how to be,¡± he replied.

    She left the aft railing and made her way forward passing the quarterdeck as quickly not wanting to annoy the seemly ever irritated captain. Only a few of the crew were on the deck at the moment each one of them hard at work, though she noticed they kept glancing aft watching the storm as crept closer to the ship.

    They look scared, we¡¯ve been on this ship for three weeks and this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen them scared before. That storm must be one of the ice storms Jacob was talking about, I¡¯d better go and let the others know.

    She walked into the passenger compartment and over to Thokri¡¯s cabin and knocked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said.

    She opened the door and walked in, he was sitting on his bed with Rose sitting next to him both of them were holding knives and whetstones.

    ¡°What is it lass?¡± He asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a storm and I think it¡¯s going to be a bad one by the way the sailors are acting,¡± she replied.

    ¡°How long until it hits?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Tonight, or late this evening. We should know how bad it¡¯s going to be in a few hours though,¡± she replied.

    Thokri nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to let the others know I¡¯ll be in my cabin after that,¡± she added.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said.

    He went back to sharpening his knife. She went to tell the rest of her friends who thanked her and started to pack their things before returning to her own cabin. Her things were already secured for rough seas as the sailors said so she just went to lay on her bed looking up at the curving beams that made up the structure of the ship for a few minutes before closing her eyes to sleep. There was a pounding on her door.

    ¡°It¡¯s open!¡± She said sitting up.

    Jacob rushed into her room a fearful look on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s an ice storm isn¡¯t it?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes, and the captain wants everyone below decks,¡± He replied.

    She hopped out of her bed and noticed the ship was moving far more than it had the whole time they¡¯d been underway, she went to get her pack.

    ¡°Just you,¡± he said.

    She nodded and followed him into the hallway where her bewildered-looking friends were walking out of their own rooms. Half a dozen other sailors were there she wondered why they had come until Jacob opened the door leading to the deck causing a blast of frigid air to blow into the hallway. She followed the old sailor out onto the deck, half frozen rain pelted her face the moment she stepped outside. They quickly rushed to the entrance to the lower decks that was located near the aft of the ship. Elaine swore loudly and turned to see one of the sailors helping her back to her feet.

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    It is slick out here, no wonder so many of them came to get us.

    Jacob opened the door and held it for them as they hurried to get inside the ship. He, along with the other sailors, followed behind them closing the door when the last of them were through. They walked down the stairs to one of the lowest decks and then made their way midships. The ship''s rocking was noticeably lessened when they reached the midships they found the rest of the crew huddled in a small compartment dimly lit compartment.

    ¡°Why are we here and couldn¡¯t we bring our stuff?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°This is the safest part of the ship miss but there isn¡¯t much space,¡± Jacob replied.

    ¡°Is it, going to be that bad?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯ll get through it,¡± Jacob replied.

    Voekeer put his arm around Lyreen and said something in elvish, she smiled at him and they walked to one of the empty spots and sat down. The rest of the party along with the sailors that had come to get them all found spots to sit. A nervous tension filled the room as they waited for the storm to unleash its fury on them. The ship began to sway more and more and she could hear the timbers that the vessel was constructed from creaking. Suddenly thunder shook the ship and then it seemed to fall away from underneath her. She found herself weightless for a moment before the ship slammed into the water causing the deck to fly up and hit her sending her bouncing into the bulkhead. She fell to the deck just in time for the whole ship the pitch upwards causing her to slide towards the rear of the ship. The ship dropped suddenly again sending her into the air once more. She hit the deck harder this time and the smell of fresh blood and the pained groans of both the crew and her friends filled the air. The ship started to pitch upwards again and she panicked.

    Oh no, no, no! Someone could die if this keeps up!

    Tentacles popped into existence gently grabbing everyone in the room and lifting them from the deck. Men started to scream or swear as they were lifted into the air.

    ¡°It¡¯s me it¡¯s just me I¡¯m using a spell!¡± Anna said.

    The men calmed down, she looked around to see that most of the crew and several of her friends had been injured.

    ¡°Is anyone seriously hurt!?¡± Barika asked.

    Everyone started to check themselves and each other and after a few moments responded that they weren¡¯t.

    ¡°Thank the goddess,¡± she added.

    The storm threw the ship around violently for what felt like hours. She held everyone with her tentacles keeping them safe, though it clearly wasn¡¯t very comfortable for any of them by the way the kept moving around. She heard what sounded like thunder and then wood cracking as if a mighty tree had just been felled. Moments later the entire ship shook as if it had struck something and began to list horrible to one side.

    ¡°THE MAST!¡± Jacob screamed.

    She dropped herself and rushed out of the compartment running up the stairs and out onto the deck. She was hit by a cold blast of wind mixed with snow and seawater. The waves looked like a mountain range with some of the peaks being taller than the walls of Oldforge, she looked around the deck and saw that the foremast had snapped off and was dangling off the starboard side of the ship caught on the rigging. It was pulling the ship over and would most likely cause it to capsize if it wasn¡¯t cut free soon. She slammed the door behind her and rushed to it tentacles sprouting around it, they began to tear at the thick ropes. She reached the mast in seconds taking hold of the thick wood and lifting it from the deck. The crewmen on deck were so stunned by her, and her tentacles, sudden appearance they just held on to the ship and stared at her as she ripped the mast free. A massive wave broke over the bow causing the ship to go under the water for a moment the last of the ropes holding the mast snapped and it was pulled away. A large portion of the rigging slammed into her wrapping around and she was pulled from the ship along with the mast. She thrashed around clawing at the rigging ripping it from her as if she¡¯d just walked through a cobweb. Once free she swam to the surface, she looked around franticly but couldn¡¯t see the ship.

    SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!!!!!!!!

    Eyes appeared and swarmed around each one looking for the ship.

    Where is it, where is it? I can¡¯t be gone! Where did it go!!!

    One of the eyes spotted and light in the distance.

    A lantern! They¡¯re trying to get my attention!

    She started to swim towards the light moving faster and faster covering huge amounts of distance despite the massive waves and driving winds.

    DON¡¯T GO! DON¡¯T LEAVE ME! PLEASE DON¡¯T LEAVE ME!!!

    She put everything she had into swimming trying to reach the light but no matter how fast she went she just couldn¡¯t get to it. She swam for hours, the seas started to calm the dark clouds lightened then started to thin. Soon they broke revealing a starry sky she stared up at it for a moment in confusion before looking down at the calm waters.

    It, it was the moon!!! No how could I be so stupid! I need to go back! My tentacles I can¡­ they''re gone! Where did they go? Fuck me I must have sent them back when I fell off the ship by accident! I have to find them I have to!

    Thousands of eyes appeared around her the hovered for a moment before shooting off into the storm. They flew to where she¡¯d fallen off, at least where she thought she fell off, and buzzed around for a moment before zipping off in every direction. They searched for hours but the ship was nowhere to be found, a few even went under the water to see if it had sunk, she sent them away after a long while.

    I¡¯m lost! I¡¯ve never been lost before, Barika told me if I ever got lost I should just stay where I¡¯m at and someone would come and find me so that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.

 Chapter 96

    Anna opened her eyes and looked up at a clear blue sky. She could feel the waves lapping on her legs and the sand on her back. Her mind felt fuzzy. Thoughts floating around before slowly fading away.

    After a few moments, she managed to sit up and look around. She found herself sitting on a beach half submerged in water. She turned to look inland and saw nothing but endless sand dunes.

    A desert?

    She stood up and looked around for a moment, trying to figure out just where in the world she could be.

    Okay, let¡¯s see, I waited for two days, but they never came back for me, so I fell asleep ¡®cause I was bored and then woke up here.

    She pondered it for a moment then slapped her head.

    I must have drifted away! They¡¯re never going to find me now!

    She looked up and down the coastline for a few minutes before sighing.

    I must be south of Eagle¡¯s Bay or something. Better head north.

    She took a few steps and looked down, realizing she was naked.

    Where¡¯d my dress go?

    She stared at herself for a few moments before she started to walk again.

    When I get back to Eagle¡¯s Bay, I¡¯ll send a letter to Beth, just in case they ended up there. After that, I¡¯ll go back to Oldforge and just wait for everyone there.

    The coast was littered with bones as well as the detritus from ships washed ashore as she had. The bones were from animals, as far as she could tell anyway.

    After walking for a few hours, she came across the skeleton of a sea monster. The beast had been enormous with a skull the size of a barn. She looked at its teeth for a moment, wanting one, but knowing she probably shouldn¡¯t walk into a town or city naked carrying a ten-foot tooth over her head. When she looked up at the eye socket, she paused, and then looked up at the sun.

    Wait! It¡¯s going east? The sun doesn¡¯t go east! It can¡¯t go east!

    She looked back and forth between the sea and desert for a few moments before walking over to the skull and leaning against one of the massive teeth.

    ¡°That means I¡¯m on the eastern shore of the sea,¡± she said.

    She frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m on the other side of the world now,¡± she added.

    She pushed off the skull and looked back the way she came before looking up at the sky.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± she asked.

    The bones didn¡¯t reply. She sighed and pushed off the skull, walking around it and continuing south.

    ¡°Not like I have a reason to go north now,¡± she said.

    She walked at a normal pace, thinking about what had happened to her.

    Okay, so sailing to the other side of the sea isn¡¯t supposed to be possible because of the sea monsters, so how did I manage to float here? It would have taken months if I did, so why didn¡¯t I wake up? I mean, I know I was having fun with my dream friends, but that¡¯s just not possible! But here I am, so if I didn¡¯t sleep the whole time, then what happened?

    As she walked, the sun finished its arc across the sky, and soon the stars were above, proving that she was indeed walking south. The temperature dropped by a shocking amount, going from hotter than the summers in Oldforge to below freezing. She could tell by her breath. She¡¯d never seen such a drastic drop in temperature before.

    She walked through the night and kept walking, even after the sun came up. By mid-morning, it was blazing hot again, or at least she thought it was. She made her way past the bones and other debris, still wondering how she managed to end up on this lifeless shore. Her thoughts soon wandered to the fate of the Powerful Puffin and her friends.

    I hope everyone¡¯s alright.

    She kept walking, and soon the day turned to night again, and then before she knew it, the sun rose once more.

    A few days after she woke up, she happened upon a relatively whole shipwreck. It had been a trade ship of some kind with a deep broad hull. The ship was lying on its starboard side with the bow pointing towards the sea, letting her see the underside. The hull seemed to be in good shape. The only apparent damage was a large gash near the bow. She walked around the stern of the ship and looked at the deck.

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    A four-masted ship!

    All the masts had broken off along with the bowsprit and most of the railing.

    It must have capsized and washed ashore upside down.

    She climbed up to the main cabin and found the door was missing. She went inside. The only things that remained were the few pieces of furniture attached to the ship itself. Everything else had either been taken by the crew or washed out of the room through the broken windows or the missing door.

    Looks like I¡¯m not going to get lucky and find charts or a logbook or anything.

    She sighed and left the cabin, making her way to one of the doors that led below decks. The door was intact, so she tried to open it, giving it a good tug. The door didn¡¯t budge. She prepared to tear it off, but then paused. Instead, she just let go and dropped down to the shore. She then called an eye and focused on it, using its eldritch vision to look through the thick timbers.

    She searched the inside of the ship, searching for anything she could use, but she found nothing but wreckage and bones. She just shook her head and walked away, continuing her trek to the south.

    Weeks passed with nothing but the dead surrounding her. She was starting to wonder if anyone lived on this side of the sea.

    Maybe I should have gone north.

    Late one night, as she walked, she heard the clash of metal in the distance and stopped, looking around.

    ¡°There!¡± she said.

    She rushed in the sounds¡¯ direction, heading inland. She ran hard, covering ground at an incredible speed, despite the softness of the sand.

    The sounds of battle grew louder as she neared. Soon, she was able to make out shouting and screaming. She knew she was getting close when she could smell blood. She bounded over a dune and finally saw the battle.

    Men wearing dark loose clothing that covered them from head to toe were riding odd-looking creatures with long necks and humps on their backs and were attacking people in a tent encampment. The people were dressed in a similar fashion to the men on the strange creatures and were wielding the same curved swords and long spears as the men. She wasn¡¯t sure who to help until she watched a woman carrying a baby dart from one of the tents only to be cut down by one of the men.

    Only bandits would do that!

    She ran down the dune shouting a dwarven war cry. Her powerful voice echoed off the dunes, causing men from both sides to pause and look in her direction. She reached one of the men on the humped creatures, grabbed it by the neck with both hands and tossed both man and beast into the sky.

    One of the men riding a creature screamed at her, lowered his spear, and kicked his mount, causing it to lurch forward. She stepped to the side at the last moment, grabbing the spear shaft and lifting him from his saddle, slamming him into the ground with enough force to break most of his bones. She spun the spear around and jammed it clean through one of the men and his mount before letting go of the haft.

    A sword swung at her face. She grabbed the blade and yanked it from the man¡¯s grip, flipping it in her hand before swinging it at him, taking his arm off at the elbow. Another one of the men rode past her. She cleaved the head from his mount, causing it to drop, sending him and its corpse rolling away.

    The shouts of battle changed to panic, and soon, they began to ride away. The men in the camp chased after them, pulling a few of them from their mounts before they got away, and beating them mercilessly.

    She walked over to one of the dead men and crouched down next to him. She set the sword down and began to undress him. A man rushed over and held his hand up, repeating the same word over and over. She stopped undressing the dead man and stood up. The man turned and shouted something. More men rushed over. They watched her nervously.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she said.

    The men clearly didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she said in dwarven.

    They looked at each other and said something to her that she didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she repeated, this time going through each language she knew. The men showed no comprehension.

    After a few moments, she pointed at the dead man and then used her arm to cover her breasts and her other hand to cover her crotch. She pointed at the man again. The men looked at her for a moment before one of them gasped. He started speaking rapidly. The other men all seemed to notice that she was in fact a woman and quite naked.

    The man who realized what she was trying to say first turned towards one of the tents and started to shout. Moments later, a woman rushed out. She was covered from head to toe with only her eyes exposed. The man said something to the woman and then gestured around at the carnage she¡¯d caused before gesturing at her. The woman rushed over and put her arm around Anna, pulling her away.

    She was led to a large tent and pulled inside. Dozens of women and children were huddled inside. The woman pulling her hand started to speak rapidly, pointing at her as she did. The women stared at her until an old woman barked something at them, causing them to spring into action.

    They swarmed around her, pulling her away from the opening and towards the back of the tent where they washed the blood and other filth from her body with damp cloths, brushed her hair, and finally pulled a clean dress over her head. She was amazed that it fit around her bust. Though it was far too long, one of the women wrapped a thick belt around her waist, and another put one of the headscarves on her, covering her hair, neck, and face.

    After fussing over her for a few moments, they pulled her to a large open area where they all sat on large cushions. The woman started to talk to her. It was clear they were excited, or relieved, but other than that, she had no idea what they were saying.

    I guess I should start learning how to talk here.

    She pointed at herself and said her name. The women stopped talking and looked at her. She did it again and then pointed at one of the women. The woman looked at the other women who didn¡¯t say anything. She pointed at herself again and said her name one more time. One of the women gasped and then pointed at herself.

    ¡°Banafsaj,¡± she said.

    Anna pointed at her.

    ¡°Banafsaj,¡± she replied.

    The woman nodded and then pointed at her.

    ¡°Anna,¡± she said.

    She pronounced it oddly, though that wasn¡¯t unexpected considering how different the language Banafsaj spoke was from common.

    The woman grew excited and started speaking to the rest of the women, saying Anna¡¯s name a few times while pointing at her. One by one, the other women started to point at themselves and say their names. Anna made sure to point at each one and say them back so that they knew she¡¯d understood them. Once she¡¯d learned the names of all the women and children, she picked up one of the cushions.

    ¡°Cushion,¡± she said pointing at it with her other hand.

    The women looked at each other for a moment before Banafsaj pointed at the cushion and said a word. Anna pointed at the cushion, said the word, and the women started to nod. She pointed at one of the lamps and said lamp. Banafsaj pointed at it and said a word which she repeated.

    I can do this! I¡¯ll learn how to talk to these people!

 Chapter 97

    Men started shouting at each other and suddenly the flaps of the tent flew open. Armed men poured into the tent, and the women started to shout at them. The men shouted back. They kept pointing at Anna and saying something she didn¡¯t understand. There was a lot of shouting back and forth until finally, one of the men shouted a single word louder than everyone else, and everyone went quiet.

    He walked over, grabbed her by the arm, and started to pull her out of the tent. The women started to shout again, but the man ignored them and pulled her outside. Once there, he shoved her roughly away, and then started to point to the east and say a single word repeatedly.

    Wait, is he throwing me out? But I just helped them! Why¡¯s he throwing me out?

    He shoved her again when she didn¡¯t move, so she shoved him back. This just angered him, and he shoved her again hard, knocking her to the ground where he kicked her, hitting her in the side of the leg. He moved to kick her again, but she shuffled away not wanting to get hit.

    What¡¯s his problem?!

    He went after her, kicking her again. She shuffled away and held out her hands for him to stop, scrabbling to her feet and backing away.

    ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going!¡± she said in common while backing away.

    She kept her hands up as she walked away from the men, looking over her shoulder every few moments so she didn¡¯t trip on something.

    The men followed her until she was at the edge of camp where the man that pushed her pointed off into the desert while glaring at her. She stood there for a moment fidgeting. She knew that they wanted her to go, but she really didn¡¯t want to be alone anymore.

    ¡°Please, I¡­¡± she said.

    The man screamed something at her. She could see hate in his eyes. She turned and ran away, heading to the east as fast as she could.

    After running until dawn, she stopped and sank to the ground, her rear resting on the cool sand.

    What did I do? Why was he so mad at me?! Why did they make me leave? I was trying to help them! I just wanted to help them! I just wanted someone to talk to! Why do I have to be alone?

    She put her head in her hands and started to cry.

    Why didn¡¯t they come back for me? Why did they leave me? She said she¡¯d find me! She said she¡¯d always come look for me! Why didn¡¯t any of them come back? Why don¡¯t they want me?!

    She broke down, falling over onto the sand, the last few weeks finally catching up. She lay there crying on the sand until the sun came up. She sat up when the first light of the day brushed her face. She looked out across the seemingly endless desert, and a flash of rage coursed through her.

    ¡°FINE! IF YOU DON¡¯T WANT ME, I DON¡¯T WANT YOU!!!¡± she screamed towards the west.

    She stood up and turned to the east, walking away from the sea, the nomads, and her former friends.

    Days pass as she walks aimlessly, heading towards the east. Suddenly, the wind started to blow, whipping up the sand. There was a horrible howling sound moments later, and she turned to see a wall of sand rushing towards her. She started to run, heading away from the sand, but it caught up to her moments later, lifting her from her feet and tossing her through the air.

    She flew along, bouncing off the sand every once and a while, feeling very much like a leaf in an autumn storm. The storm carried her for hours, the harsh wind and sand tearing the dress she¡¯d just received from the nomads to tatters.

    It finally deposited her on the ground and blew past, leaving her covered in a thick layer of sand. She pushed herself up and looked around. She saw the storm receding in the distance, reminding her of a huge wave on the sea. Her clothing was in tatters now, and the storm had pulled the hair cover from her head, though she didn¡¯t consider it much of a loss. She shook as much of the sand off as she could and then kept walking.

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    The sand next to her exploded, and she jumped away like a startled cat. A massive worm-like creature popped out of the ground. The front part of it split open revealing a maw filled with dagger-like teeth.

    ¡°You have got to be shitting me!¡± she said.

    The worm slammed down, attempting to swallow her, but she jumped out of the way only to find that more of the worms had started to pop out of the ground. They started attacking her one after another as if they were in some kind of feeding frenzy.

    Thousands of the beasts started to spring out of the ground. She stared stupidly at the scene for a moment before dozens of the creatures came after her. She rushed around, jumping out of the way of each of their strikes. One of the smaller ones dove at her. She jumped onto its back and slammed her fist into its thick leathery skin. The impact caused the worm to rupture like an overripe melon that fell off a cart onto a stone path and flung her into the air once more.

    The other worms swarmed the dead worm and began to feast on its torn corpse. She landed on the back of one of the worms and then jumped away. The moment she touched the ground, she started to run from the monsters.

    ¡°FUUUUUUUUCK!!!¡± she screamed.

    She bolted away, dodging them left and right, before finally making it away. When she hadn¡¯t seen a worm in a while, she turned around to make sure none of the worms were following her. The worms were swarming over the debris that the storm had deposited, gulping down anything edible, and stuff that probably wasn¡¯t. She watched them for a few minutes before turning around and walking away, hoping not to end up in the middle of any more worm feeding grounds.

    She reached a huge line of sand dunes and climbed to the top. The desert on the other side of the dunes seemed to flatten out, looking more like the ripples in a pond. She could see the air shimmering above the new flat expanse, reminding her of a hot forge. She walked down the dune and started to make her way across the vast empty space.

    Well, I think I found the ass end of nowhere!

    She giggled at the thought and then sighed, remembering that Thokri had been the one she learned it from.

    Days turned to weeks as she wandered the desert aimlessly, across the seemingly endless sands. She spotted a strange pattern in the sand and headed towards it. When she neared, she smelled fresh blood and heard a strange hissing sound.

    Wait, something¡¯s here!

    This was the first sign of life she¡¯d seen in weeks, and she was a little excited. She rushed over to see some strange snake-like beast men sitting around a huge lizard carcass, carving it apart.

    ¡°Uh, hi,¡± she said.

    The snake men jumped at her sudden words and picked up weapons, holding them towards her and hissing.

    Oh, no, please no, don¡¯t make me leave!

    She put her hands up in surrender, hoping they would understand she wasn¡¯t there to hurt them. The snake men hissed at each other, clearly speaking some form of language. One of the snake men took a rope that was coiled up next to him and began tying a loop into it.

    What in the world is he doing that for?

    He walked over to her and put the loop over her head, giving it a yank to tighten it around her neck. He then roughly pulled her into their camp where her wrists were bound before she was forced onto her rear.

    The snake men went back to butchering the huge lizard, cutting huge chunks of meat from the carcass before tossing them into the beast¡¯s hide. It took them a few hours to break it down completely. They ignored her while they worked. Once they finished, a few of them went over to the pile of meat and picked up a chunk.

    The one that had put the rope around her neck tossed a small piece near her and then gestured for her to eat it. She picked it up and took a bite. It had a strong gamey flavor and was tough as old boot leather. None of these things bothered her all that much though, so she kept eating. The rest of the snake men got a piece of meat, and they all sat down and started to eat.

    This isn¡¯t so bad, I guess.

    Once the snake men finished their meal, they wrapped the meat up in the hide, then tied it up with thick ropes. The snake man who tied her up walked over and tugged on the rope around her neck, clearly wanting her to stand. About half the snake men took hold of the ropes and started to pull the bundle. The other half picked up weapons, and they started to head off towards the southeast.

    The snake man holding her rope gave it a tug to get her moving, and she started to walk with them. She looked around at the snake men as they traveled. They were odd creatures with serpent-like bodies as well as long spindly limbs. They wore no clothing. They only had a few leather straps wrapped around their waists and torsos to carry things.

    They walked in silence, watching the sands as if something were about to jump out at them at any moment. When the sun began to set, they stopped for the night. She was pulled close to the bundle and pushed to the ground. The snake men that had been pulling the bundle curled up on the ground and went to sleep, leaving the other half on guard.

    Sometime after midnight, the sleeping snake men awoke and switched places with the guards. She just sat where she had been forced down and watched them all with unblinking eyes.

    The next morning, the snake men who had been sleeping got up and started to pull the bundle. The one that had tied her up was with them this time, so another snake man tugged on her rope. They walked off to the southeast, heading for some unknown location. She looked at her captors as they walked.

    Well, at least I¡¯m not alone anymore, but I think learning their language is going to be kind of hard.

 Chapter 98

    Anna spotted what looked like a large campsite in the distance as they walked. As they approached, she started to make out figures moving around and saw large racks made from bone spread out in the center of the camp.

    They walked into the camp soon after, and she watched as dozens of snake people swarmed over and started to undo the bundle. The snake man hissed at the snake men, and they hissed back. After that happened a few times, he tugged on her rope and led her away from the bundle.

    As they walked, she watched as the snake people cut the meat into thin strips before placing it on the bone racks to dry in the sun.

    Oh, I bet this is like a deep hunt!

    Voekeer had told her that his village would send hunters deep into the forest to hunt the wild game there every few years and that they¡¯d set up a camp there where that game would be processed, making it so they could stay out there for longer. She watched the snake men work as she walked before finally stopping at a hide that had been stretched over long bones making a shaded area.

    The area was filled with cages that had all manner of strange creatures inside. The snake man tugged her rope and led her to a rather large one where he opened the door. He looked down at her for a moment before tugging on her dress.

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.

    The snake man looked at her for a moment before tugging on her dress again, this time pulling it up as if he were trying to take it off.

    ¡°Do you want it?¡± she asked.

    He pulled on it again. She held her hands up to show him they were tied.

    ¡°Uh, I can¡¯t take it off,¡± she said.

    He clearly didn¡¯t understand her, but he looked at her hands. Then after a moment, it seemed to dawn on him that taking off a dress while tied up was impossible. He quickly untied her hands and took the rope from around her neck before looking at her expectantly. She pulled her dress over her head and held it out for him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t like it anyway,¡± she said.

    He snatched the dress and looked it over for a moment before looking back at her and pointing to the cage.

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± she said, having assumed that¡¯s where she was going to end up.

    She walked into the cage and sat down. He closed the door and tied it shut with the rope that had been around her wrists before walking away.

    ¡°Well, I guess that settles it. I¡¯m their prisoner now,¡± she said.

    She looked at the other cages for a moment.

    ¡°Are any of you people?¡± she asked.

    The creatures in the cages just sat there not replying to her.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think so. So, does that mean they think I¡¯m an animal like those things are? No, they can¡¯t. I talk, and I was wearing clothes. They can¡¯t think I¡¯m just an animal. Maybe these are the only cages they have. I mean, it would make sense that they don¡¯t have cages for prisoners being a hunting camp in all. Why am I talking to myself? It¡¯s probably because I¡¯ve been alone too long. Okay, that makes sense. Wait, now I¡¯m answering myself. That¡¯s not good,¡± she said.

    She sighed and went back to watching the snake men work. After they emptied the hide, they poked holes in it all along the edge. Then they fed long pieces of sinew through the holes before tying it to a large hoop made from bone and pulling it tight.

    Once that was done, one of the snake men started to scrape the flesh from the hide before they propped it up to dry in the sun like the meat.

    As the day went on, more hunting parties returned, and the racks began to fill up with meat. Sometime after noon, the snake man that had tied her up returned. She could tell it was him by the yellow pattern on his scales. He carried a large chunk of meat with him. He passed the meat between the bone bars of her cage, and she took it. It was warm and glistened with blood. She took a bite. It had the same strong gamey flavor the first piece had, though it was much more tender.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said while chewing.

    He watched her for a moment before walking away. She ate the terrible meat before licking her fingers clean and leaning back on the bars, looking out on the camp with unblinking eyes. The snake men busied themselves drying the meat and preparing the hides. She could hear them speaking to each other and listened in.

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    This is not going to be easy.

    The hissing language was so very different from anything she¡¯d learned before. It reminded her of the way lizard men talk, but it didn¡¯t seem to have anything in common with that language.

    Days began to pass, and she sat in the cage, watching and listening. Yellow, the name she had given the snake man who had captured her, came once a day to bring her food. She tried to talk to him every time he arrived, but he never made a sound.

    Finally, after nearly two weeks, the snake men started to pack up camp. Everything was broken down and placed onto bundles which were tied up. She was taken out of her cage, her hands were tied back up, and the rope was put around her neck once more. They set out heading east once everything was packed using the same system of half the snake men pulling loads and half on guard.

    They traveled by day and rested at night. The desert gradually gave way to a rough, rocky terrain, and after three weeks, they arrived at a strange settlement. The snake men stopped just outside of the settlement and several huge six-limbed creatures walked out. They were around nine feet tall with dark red scaly hides. They walked upright on two legs and had four arms. Each arm ended in a hand that had four fingers. Their feet had four toes as well.

    A few of the snake men walked over to the creatures. When the two groups met, one of the snake men held his arms out and turned his palms to the ground before hissing. One of the creatures folded its upper arms across its chest and then put its lower arms in the same pose as the snake man. It made a deep rumbling sound before moving its palms up and then pulling its forearms towards itself as if it were welcoming the snake man.

    The snake man responded by lifting his arms up and then crossing them like an x in front of his chest before inclining his head. The creature did the same, and then both groups turned around and went back to their respective peoples.

    What the fuck was that?

    Once the snake men returned, they started hissing at the rest of their fellows. The other snake men hissed back, and they started to pull the bundles into the settlement. Yellow pulled on her rope, and she started to walk with them, looking around as she went.

    When she got closer to the creatures, she noticed that their red skin was covered in tiny glittering scales and that they had a fine layer of feathers covering their heads. Their mouths were huge on their faces and filled with sharp shark-like teeth, and they didn¡¯t have noses, only two slits in the middle of their faces.

    The part of their anatomy that surprised her the most was their eyes. They had four of them. Each one was a solid red oval, and they seemed to be able to move them independently from the others. The other thing she noticed was that they didn¡¯t seem to have genitals, though she just assumed they were like the reptiles she¡¯d encountered before and that they were internal.

    The settlement reminded her of a small village with dome-shaped huts made from stone with thick hide being used as a door of sorts. Little paths were worn in the hard dirt leading from each hut to a larger path that twisted through the village and off into the distance far to the east.

    That path has to lead somewhere! I wonder if it¡¯s more villages, or maybe a city!

    The snake men stopped pulling the bundles when they reached the center of the town. A crowd of the red creatures formed around the snake men and watched as they opened the bundles. Yellow pulled her over to a bundle and picked up her dress before walking a few feet away and sitting down, placing her dress on the ground in front of him, and pulling her arm, indicating he wanted her to sit down. She sat down and watched as other snake men retrieved things from the bundles and went to sit away from the others.

    Okay, this is weird. What are they doing?

    The red creatures started to walk up to the snake men and gesture at the things they had with them. The snake men would gesture back, and this would happen a few times before the red creatures would take colorful rough-cut gemstones from pouches they had hanging from rough leather belts, the only thing they had on, and hand them to the snake men.

    Oh, I get it. The snake men are selling them stuff.

    A few of the red creatures came over to them, each one gesturing at her dress. Yellow gestured to them, and then they started to gesture to him and each other. Eventually, the red creatures started to make deep rumbling sounds at each other, and though she had no idea what they were saying, she could tell it was an argument.

    This went on for a few minutes before one of them took the whole pouch of gems from its belt and tossed it on the ground in front of Yellow. All of them paused and looked at the pouch. Yellow stared at it, clearly surprised for a moment, before inclining his head.

    The creature that threw the pouch snatched up the dress before zipping away. The others lingered for a moment before heading off themselves. Yellow picked up the pouch and looked inside, poking around in it for a moment before closing it up.

    I wonder what that thing wanted with it. I mean, it was just a beat-up dress.

    The trading went on for hours, and by the time they finished, the red creatures had bought nearly all of the meat, most of the dried hides, a large number of bones, and about half the animals in cages. The snake men seemed pleased with themselves as they began to bundle what was left back up.

    Yellow got up and tugged on her rope to get her to stand. When she did, he looked at her for a moment before taking the rope off her neck. He then untied her wrists and gave her a gentle shove, gesturing towards the path that led out of the village.

    ¡°You want me to go?¡± she asked.

    He gently shoved her again, hissing softly.

    ¡°You, you don¡¯t want to be my friend?¡± she asked.

    He turned around and walked over to one of the bundles carrying the ropes and his pouch filled with gemstones. She blinked for a moment, trying to keep the tears from forming in her eyes.

    Does anyone want me?

    She blinked a few more times before turning and walking down the path leading away from the village.

 Chapter 99

    Anna didn¡¯t bother looking back at the snake men as she walked down the path leading out of town, realizing that they had never intended on being friends with her in the first place.

    Yellow just wanted to sell me like the critters in the cages!

    The idea of being sold like an animal caused rage to flood through her body. She clenched her fist and paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Once she calmed down, she started walking again, wanting to put as much distance between her and the snake men as possible.

    The red creatures watched her curiously as she passed through their village. A few small ones started to follow her only to have some of the large ones make a long deep sound at them, causing them to scurry away. As she neared the edge of the village, a long deep warbling sound came from behind her. She turned around to see one of the red creatures walking towards her.

    Is it talking to me?

    The creature stopped near her and gestured for her to follow with one of its lower arms.

    Why not? I can always just run away if it tries to eat me or something.

    She started to walk to the creature, and it turned and began to walk back into the village. It led her to one of the huts, pulled the hide away from the opening, and then gestured with one of its upper arms for her to go inside.

    She walked through the huge opening and found herself in a round room the size of most barns. There was a small fire pit in the center of the room with an opening in the roof above it to let the smoke out. Bundles of hides lay around the room along with large pots made from clay. Near the fire, there were a few hides laid out.

    The creature went to sit on one of these hides and then gestured with both of its arms on its right side for her to sit on one. She walked over to the hide and sat down, crossing her legs in front of her. The creature crossed its upper arms and started to gesture to her with its lower arms. She cocked her head to the side in confusion, a habit she¡¯d picked up from Rose. The creature paused and then started to make deep warbling sounds at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying,¡± she said in common.

    The creature stopped for a moment and then got up. When she moved, it gestured for her to remain seated with its lower arms. She watched as it went to one of the jars, removed a few large strips of dried meat, and returned to the hide. It held one of the strips out to her, motioning for her to take it. She did so, and then the creature took a bite from the strip it held in its hand before motioning for her to eat as well.

    The chunk of dried meat was the size of a roast and was so tough she doubted that an actual human could have even bitten into it. She, on the other hand, had no trouble tearing some off with her teeth. It was somehow even more gamey than the fresh pieces the snake men had given to her. She chewed and swallowed it, trying not to make a face.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    The creature rumbled some. After that, they both ate in silence. She managed to eat the entire thing, a feat for someone as small as her and then patted her full belly and let out a satisfied sigh. The creature made a rumbling sound and then gestured for her to lie down with one of its lower arms.

    It¡¯s been months since I slept last.

    She laid down on the hide and closed her eyes, falling asleep the moment she did.

    Something nudged her, and she opened her eyes to see the creature looking down on her. She sat up and looked around, noticing that a soft orange light was seeping past the hide hung in front of the door and through the smoke hole in the roof. The creature sat, holding a satchel in one of its arms. It passed her the satchel. She took it and looked inside.

    Dried meat, another pouch, a sharp rock with a piece of leather around it as well as a rolled-up sheet of leather. These look like supplies!

    She looked up at the creature for a moment. It crossed its upper arms and then held up its lower arms, pushing them towards me.

    ¡°That means you want me to go, right?¡± she asked.

    The creature made the gesture again. She nodded, stood up, and slung the satchel over her shoulder before heading out of the hut and walking back to the path that led out of the village. She glanced around and noticed the snake men had left before she¡¯d woken up. She sighed and then started to walk out of the village.

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    A few of the red creatures watched her as she went, but this time no one stopped her as she walked away. The path stretched out before her, winding through the rugged dry terrain.

    She walked for the rest of the day before stopping on the side of the path and opening the sack to look inside. She took out the small pouch and opened it. There was a sharp stone and a round one, along with fluffy dry plant matter. She closed the pouch and put it back in the satchel before removing the rolled-up leather. She unrolled the leather and looked it over. Symbols were painted all over it with wavy lines leading to each symbol. She stared at it for a moment before grinning.

    It''s a map! It gave me a map! Okay, let¡¯s see. It looks like it marked the village right here, and that means that if I keep walking down this path, I¡¯ll reach a crossroads, and then if I go south, I¡¯ll get to another village. From there, I can either go east or west. That mark looks different than the others, so maybe it¡¯s a city. So, when I get to the next village, I have to go east.

    She looked at the map for a little while longer before rolling it up and putting it back in the satchel. She got back up, excited about what the strange symbol could be, and started to walk down the path again, wanting to get there quickly.

    Over the next few days, the landscape became more rugged and rocky with dark red rocks littering the terrain. She didn¡¯t see another person on the long dusty trail. She did, however, see a large number of small six-limbed lizards. They scurried around during the day and disappeared into little borrows at night.

    The lizards were brightly colored with blue, green, and yellow stripes on bright red skin. Out of curiosity, she snatched one that was basking on one of the larger red rocks. The lizard started to hiss and struggle in her hand. She held it up to get a better look at it. It turned its head to face her. Its lower jaw split open, it raised its tongue, and a small tube popped up from underneath, squirting a long stream of orange fluid directly into her eyes.

    ¡°AH FUCK!!!¡± she shouted.

    She dropped the lizard and started to wipe her eyes off, smearing the sticky fluid all over her face. The lizard zipped away, darting under a nearby rock. She managed to get most of the fluid from her eyes and then stormed over to the rock the lizard was hiding under and kicked it. The rock sailed off away and the lizard looked up and hissed at her again. She stomped on it a few times, crushing it under her foot.

    ¡°FUCK YOU, YOU LITTLE SHIT!¡± she shouted as she smashed it flat.

    She walked away from the now very dead lizard, still trying to wipe the rest of the goop from her face. After a few minutes of smearing it around on her face, she stopped and scrapped some of the hard rough sandy soil up with her hands before rubbing it on her face in the hopes of drying out the goop so she could get it off.

    After a few handfuls of dirt, she was able to get most of it off her face and hands. She started to walk down the path, kicking the lizards when one got near her.

    Stupid thing spitting on me!

    She reached the crossroads two weeks after she left the village. She stepped off the rough path onto a wide road and glanced up and down for a moment before turning to the south and heading for what she hoped was a village. The road was hard-packed dirt and well-traveled if the ruts gouged into its surface were any indication.

    I know I¡¯m not supposed to complain about gifts, but I really wish the map was to scale. Seriously, I have no idea how long this road is. I mean, I could get to the town or whatever it is tomorrow, or I could get there in six months! I mean, it¡¯s probably not six months away, but it could be. I mean, I¡¯m still happy that the red person gave me the map, but I¡¯d really like to know how far everything was apart.

    She sighed.

    Oh well. I¡¯ll never get there if I don¡¯t keep walking.

    The road was long and dusty, and the days wore on. After another week passed, she came across a welcome sight.

    OH YES! A LAKE!!!

    She walked off the road and headed for the turquoise-colored lake. Steam rose from the water, reminding her of the public baths.

    I haven¡¯t had a bath in months!

    She placed her satchel near the shore and looked around, making sure nothing would get into her things before diving in. Bubbles started to come off her body the moment she touched the water. The filth she¡¯d been covered in seemed to float away on its own. She swam to the deep part of the lake and used her hands to scrape off any of the grime that didn¡¯t come off on its own before running her fingers through her hair, trying to clean it as best as she could.

    The water seemed to help, and she managed to get all the filth from her long curly hair quickly. She swam to the surface where she leaned back and just started to float around.

    I¡¯m surprised there aren¡¯t people around here. I mean, a lake this big right next to a road in the middle of a wasteland, there should be a town or even a city right next to it. Maybe it¡¯s the weird smell. I mean, it does smell bad, but still, it''s water in a wasteland. People shouldn¡¯t be so picky.

    She floated around for a while before swimming to shore, picking up her satchel, and walking away.

    She walked the rest of the day, letting herself dry off before stopping to eat some of the dried meat.

    Only a nibble. I don¡¯t have much left. Hey, what happened to my bag?! It¡¯s all messed up now!

    The satchel she¡¯d been carrying with her for the last few weeks was covered in holes where it had been resting against her skin.

    ¡°The lake!¡± she said.

    She examined the damage to the satchel for a few more minutes before shaking her head.

    No wonder no one lived there.

    She took a bite from a piece of dried meat, enjoying the taste of food before getting up and heading back down the road.

    This place is crazy.

 Chapter 100

    Anna threw a small rock at the fat lizard sitting on a large rock sunning itself and hit it square in the head, killing it instantly. She trotted over and picked it up by the tail, adding it to the collection of dead lizards she held by the tail in her other hand.

    ¡°That should be enough!¡± she said.

    She walked over to a large boulder and set the dead lizards down before pulling the satchel from her shoulder, taking the stone knife from inside, and setting the satchel on the ground next to her feet. She flipped one of the lizards over and slit its belly open before pealing the skin from its body, slicing here and there, so it came off in one large piece before laying it aside and going back to the lizard. She gutted and butchered it quickly, laying the meat out in thin strips on the large flat surface of the boulder. It was still early morning, so the huge stone hadn¡¯t heated up enough to cook the meat.

    Alright, that¡¯s done. Now I just need to get the rest of these little fuckers broke down.

    She quickly skinned, gutted, and butchered the rest of the lizards, laying the meat out in thin strips before she moved on to the hides. She used a sharp stone to scrap any remaining flesh from them before laying them flat on the boulder next to the drying meat.

    Once she finished, she was left with a pile of bones, a pile of guts, and all the fat. She set the fat and bones off to the side and picked up the guts, taking them a few yards away and dropping them on the ground.

    She picked up a large rock and went back to the boulder where she began to scrape the center of the rock out using her fingernails, creating a makeshift bowl. Once the bowl was finished, she used the knife to cut up the fat, removing any connective tissue and blood vessels from it before placing it in the bowl.

    Now I just have to wait for the sun to soften it. Then I can work it into the hides.

    She transformed the bones into various tools while she waited for the sun to rise in the sky.

    As she worked, she used one of the longer leg bones to stir the fat around in the bowl and flipped the meat a few times. She finished making the tools she needed, and around noon, she started to scoop handfuls of the fat out of the bowl and onto the hides where she rubbed it into them, making sure to work it in to soften the dried skins. She held up one of the finished skins and looked it over for a moment, making sure she¡¯d gotten the fat rubbed into every part of it.

    Well, it¡¯s not really tanned, but it should be fine as long as it doesn¡¯t get wet.

    She looked around at the vast arid space she was standing in.

    I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be a problem though.

    She cut up the hide and then using some of the sinew and a needle she¡¯d made from one of the bones, she patched the damage the water from the turquoise lake had done to her satchel.

    Once she repaired it, she set it aside and began to cut up the rest of the hides, making a belt along with a few pouches for herself from the colorful skins. She took one of the skulls and carved it into a buckle, attaching it to her new colorful belt. She slid the pouches she¡¯d just made onto it before wrapping it around her waist and fastening it.

    There we go. Now I don¡¯t have to keep everything in the shoulder pack.

    She waited a few more hours for the meat to finish drying before stuffing it into her satchel. She walked back to the road and started off.

    After a few hours late in the afternoon, she heard the soft steady breathing of a large animal just off the side of the road. She paused and turned to see what was there. She scanned the side of the road and didn¡¯t see anything out of place, so she froze in place and stopped breathing, watching to see if anything moved.

    There, that¡¯s an eye! Shit, that¡¯s a big eye! I¡¯d better get out of here! Wait, no, maybe I should kill it! I could totally make clothes out of something that sizes skin, and if I¡¯m going to a town, I¡¯ll need clothes. Or do I? I mean, the snake men and the red people were all naked except for belts, and it¡¯s so hot, I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be any humans or elves, so I don¡¯t really need to kill something just to make clothes.

    Suddenly the animal stood up. It was huge and round-looking, like a ball with two legs and a mouth. The beast was roughly the size of a horse, though she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it weighed as much as a bull. It had two thick legs and six big red eyes. It didn¡¯t have a nose and seemed to be breathing through its huge maw of mouth. The beast opened its mouth wide and took a few deep breaths, spinning around on its stumpy legs a few times before finally facing her directly.

    What is that fat thing doing?

    Several long thin tongues stuck out of its mouth and waved around in the air for a moment. They wiggled around before each one started to point at her. After a moment, the beast surged at her, moving far faster than she¡¯d expected it to. Though it wasn¡¯t fast enough. Catching her off guard was one thing, but when she was paying attention, she could react faster than any other being she¡¯d ever encountered.

    She leaped away just before its long tongue touched her. She landed a good distance away, but the creature immediately turned in her direction and started to run at her. She picked up a rock and threw it at the monster, hitting it right between the eyes. The force of the blow knocked it off its feet, and it started to screech, its tongues waving around in the air. She picked up another rock and threw it, bouncing it off the creature¡¯s thick hide. It screeched louder, so she picked up more rocks and kept pelting it until it got up and ran away.

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    ¡°That thing was as stubborn as a drunk dwarf!¡± she said, watching it head off into the rough, rocky terrain that surrounded the road.

    Once she was sure it was well enough away, she started walking again, picking up a few fist-sized rocks just in case it came back.

    I guess this place has more than just annoying lizards and bugs in it.

    A few days later, she came to a crossroads and looked back and forth down the long paths that snaked off into the distance.

    This isn¡¯t on the map.

    Not seeing anything interesting in either direction, she decided to stay on the main road and kept walking.

    Later that day, she sat on a large boulder and took out a few pieces of dried lizard. She took a bite and chewed the tender oily meat for a moment before laying back on the rock and looking up at the sky. It was clear without a cloud to be seen. It was well past noon, and the sun was far into the western sky.

    For being so damned mean, those lizards taste pretty good. Makes me not mind killing the little fuckers so much.

    She popped another piece in her mouth, enjoying the odd slightly sweet tangy taste. She turned to look down the road not expecting to see anything. Far off in the distance, something moved, so she stared for a bit, assuming it was just the hot air shimmering above the barren landscape. She sat up when she noticed that the movement was getting closer.

    She watched intently as a line of enormous beetle-like beasts came into view. Atop the beetles were creatures that reminded her of shrimp, though they were as large as humans. When the strange procession neared her, the shrimp person driving the lead beetle held up one of its many arms and pulled its beetle to a stop.

    Oh, wow! It¡¯s a caravan!

    The shrimp man made a sharp snap sound with its claws and then gestured for her to come over. She hopped off the boulder and walked to the front of the massive beetle.

    This thing¡¯s bigger than my wagon!

    The shrimp person shifted both its eye stalks towards her and then began to gesture with two of its arms.

    ¡°Uh, hi,¡± she said.

    The shrimp person paused for a moment before gesturing for her to come closer and then patting the seat next to it. She looked at the strange person for a few moments before nodding and climbing up next to it in the driver¡¯s seat. It held up its claw and snapped twice before moving its arm forward. Other arms on its body held long reins that went down to a bridle on the beetle¡¯s mouth. The shrimp person flicked the reins, and the beetle lumbered into motion. It set off at a steady pace, heading down the road in the direction she had been traveling.

    I guess they¡¯re going to that town. I wonder if they¡¯re heading to the city too? I hope I can learn to talk to them. No, I¡¯d better not even think that. Every time I¡¯ve thought that in the last few months, I got chased away. I¡¯ll just be quiet and enjoy having someone else around who¡¯s not kicking me or keeping me in a cage.

    The shrimp person didn¡¯t seem to mind the quiet, and they rode that way for the rest of the day. When the sun began to set, the shrimp person pulled the reins of the beetle and guided it off the road, heading a few yards away.

    They climbed off the beetle, and the shrimp man took off its bridle and made a loud snap with its claw. The beetle lowered its head and started to push against the ground. It shoved rocks out of the way and tore into the hard soil before lifting its head up, walking a few feet away, and doing the same thing. The shrimp person she¡¯d been riding with followed along, standing next to the beast¡¯s side as it dug around in the dirt. She walked alongside the shrimp person, watching the beetle go.

    After a few times, it began to dig at the dirt violently, moving huge amounts of it out of the way with its huge head before opening its mouthparts and biting down on something. The beetle pulled its head from the dirt, yanking a massive root-like object with it. The root thing was as big around as her waist and at least several yards long.

    Wait, what?! How did I not notice those before?! I mean, I know they¡¯re underground, but still!

    The beetle began to walk backward, tearing the huge root thing from the ground. The sound reminded her of when she¡¯d watched a team of horses pull a stump from the ground to make room for a new field in a far-off village she¡¯d taken a contract in years before.

    The root thing gave way with a mighty crack, and the beetle pulled it to where the other beetles were waiting. The shrimp people had removed the bridles along with a few tents from their mounts and were setting them up while the beetles began to feed on the root thing.

    She wasn¡¯t sure what she should do, so she just watched as the shrimp people set up their camp for the night, and the beetles munched away. The shrimp person she¡¯d been riding with walked next to her and stood beside her, watching the beetles, so she didn¡¯t feel too out of place.

    Once the camp was set up and the beetles had finished eating, the shrimp person standing next to her tapped her shoulder and pointed at the camp. It started to walk away, so she followed it. The other shrimp people pulled a huge jar from the back of one of the beetles and set it near the center of camp. It pulled the cover from the jar, and she was hit with a smell that could move mountains.

    OH, FUCK!!! WHAT IS THAT?!?!?!

    It was like someone had left fish out to rot in the hot sun and mixed rotten vegetation in just because. The shrimp people crowded around the jar and began to stick their claws inside, pulling out a brown slimy goop which they happily gulped down with their mouthparts.

    Wait, that¡¯s food? Who would want to¡­ you know what? I don¡¯t care what they eat as long as they don¡¯t try to eat me!

    She walked a distance away from the jar, hoping to get away from the smell before sitting on a large boulder and taking out her own food, nibbling away on it while she watched the shrimp people feast on their foul concoction.

    The shrimp people ate quickly and put the lid back on the jar before returning it to the back of one of the beetles. The shrimp person who she¡¯d ridden with looked around, and when his eye stalks settled on her, he gestured for her to come over. She slid off the boulder and walked back to the camp. The smell still lingered some, but it was tolerable now.

    A few of the shrimp people took long spear packs from the beetles and started to walk around the outside of the camp, and the rest of them went into the various tents. She followed the shrimp person she¡¯d been riding with into one of the tents where he gestured for her to lay down.

    Well, I really didn¡¯t see myself traveling with shrimp who ride on the back of giant beetles, but I can¡¯t say it¡¯s the strangest thing I¡¯ve ever done.

 Chapter 101

    Anna woke up the next morning when the soft light of predawn lit the world. The shrimp people were still sleeping with the exception of a few guards who were patrolling just outside of camp.

    She went to a boulder in the camp and perched herself on top of it, turning to the east to watch the sunrise. The shrimp people began to crawl out of their tents and then started to break down the camp. She got off the boulder, walked over to the tent she¡¯d slept in and started to help the shrimp person she¡¯d stayed with pack up its things.

    After gathering up the few things the shrimp own and placing them outside of the tent, they started to roll up the mats that covered the ground. Once finished with that, they took down the tent itself which was nothing more than a large hide stretched over beams made from a wood-like substance she¡¯d never seen before. She helped the shrimp person roll up the tent with the beams inside, then she casually lifted it into the air before carrying it to the beetle. The shrimp person stared at her for a moment, clearly shocked by her feat of strength.

    It recovered quickly and walked over to the beetle with her where they started to attach its belongings to the complex harness that covered the outside of the beetle¡¯s body. The tent went into a large bag that hung on the side of the harness, and then the shrimp climbed on top and pulled the back to the top using straps. It then tightened the straps, securing the tent in place near the center of the beetle¡¯s back.

    The mats went into a bag just behind the tent, and the rest of the shrimp person¡¯s belongings were placed in various other bags around the harness.

    Once finished, the shrimp person put the bridle back into the beetle¡¯s mouth, and then they climbed up into the seat. The shrimp person tapped her on the arm while they waited for the rest of the caravan to pack up. It started to squeak, click, squeal, chip, as well as snapping its claws.

    And it¡¯s talking to me. Well, this is going to be a pain in the ass to learn. Not that I know what pain feels like or anything, but whatever. It¡¯ll still be hard.

    She started to imitate the sounds it was making. It paused for a moment and then started to make each sound again, allowing her to copy it. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t quite imitate a few of the sounds it made, but it seemed that the shrimp person understood her all the same.

    After a few minutes of this, they got back on the road, leading the caravan once more.

    As they traveled, her companion pointed out things and made sounds in its language. She imitated the sounds as best she could while pointing at whatever the shrimp person had been pointing.

    The shrimp people got back on the road, and the next few weeks passed quickly. She managed to learn enough of their language to speak and even tried their food, something that she¡¯d regret for all eternity. She got used to the simple routine the caravan kept until one day, early in the afternoon, strangely, her companion pulled his mount off the road suddenly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing. The trade town is nearby, but we won¡¯t make it there until night, and the gate will be closed. It is better to camp here than outside of the wall,¡± the shrimp person replied.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Many prey upon travelers in the trade town, and there are no guards outside of the walls,¡± it replied.

    I guess it¡¯s the same here as it is back in the human kingdom.

    ¡°I understand,¡± she said.

    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s get the great beetles fed,¡± it replied.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she said.

    They got off the beetle, the shrimp person took out the bridle, and they walked next to the beast as it searched for the root plants.

    Once it found a large growth and pulled it up, the other beetles walked over and joined in the feast. She walked with the shrimp person to the camp and started to help set up tents and anything else that was needed.

    They set up a large tarp and everyone in the caravan sat under it to keep the sun off. She sat quietly and listened to their conversations, smiling to herself when she heard them talking about the same kind of things everyone she¡¯d ever been around talked about.

    People really are people no matter what they look like.

    One of the shrimp people started to talk about their children and how one of them was going to be coming of age soon. The others seemed to get excited about this and started talking about what they should get for this young person in celebration.

    I wonder what they¡¯d think if they knew I was six? Wait, am I six? I mean, I should be if I was only asleep for a little while, but if it was a long time, then I don¡¯t know how old I am anymore!

    She frowned at the thought of not knowing her own age. She¡¯d always assumed that she¡¯d always know because of her perfect memory.

    How could I let this happen?! There has to be a way to find out how old I am again, but how? Oh, I know. I just have to find the others and ask them¡­ Shit! I don¡¯t want to talk to them again, but I really want to know how old I am. I know, I could ask anyone back there, not just them! Okay, I just need to go back at some point and ask someone what the date is. It doesn¡¯t matter who. I know I was born the twelfth day of the fourth month in the year, ten thousand eight hundred fifty-two by the human calendar.

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    The smile returned to her face when she remembered she also knew her birthday according to the dwarven and elven calendars as well.

    As they sat, a group of travelers passed by. They were tall and thin, stick-like people with two legs and two arms. Their bodies were covered in tan-colored scales, their heads were round and had huge bug eyes with mouths that split apart like the annoying colorful lizards that could be found all over the barren landscape. Like everyone else she¡¯d seen in the last few months, they were nude with a few belts covering their bodies.

    There were about thirty of them, and each of them had a long spear or other polearm in their hand as well as a variety of other weapons hanging from their belts.

    ¡°Who are they?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hunters from the trade town,¡± the shrimp person replied.

    She nodded. The group of hunters stopped, and one of them walked over to their tarp. The shrimp person she¡¯d been riding with got up walked over to the hunter and started to gesture with one set of arms. The hunter gestured back, and after a few moments, it nodded and walked back to the group before they all walked away. The shrimp person came back and sat down again.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They wanted to know if we¡¯d seen any game, so I told them of the pooks we spotted,¡± the shrimp person replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you did say other races like to eat them,¡± Anna said.

    Pook was the name of the large round creature that chased her after she¡¯d repaired her bag. According to the shrimp people, they would swallow anything they could fit in their mouth whole, including other pooks, and were responsible for the deaths of many travelers. Learning that the hunters were after them amused her for some reason.

    It really is a pook-eat-pook world out there.

    She watched the hunters disappear into the distance before going back to listening to the shrimp people talk.

    Hours later, a few of the shrimp people retrieved their jar of putrid food from one of the giant beetles and brought it over to the tarp. The moment they set it down, she stopped breathing, having no desire to ever smell that foul substance again.

    They took the lid off and started to scoop it out with their claws. She watched them eat, doing her best not to recall the taste. Thankfully, the shrimp people weren¡¯t like other races and didn¡¯t chat while eating, so it didn¡¯t take them long to fill themselves.

    Once they finished, they packed away the jar and then headed off to their tents to sleep like usual. She followed the shrimp person she¡¯d been riding with into its tent, laid on the mat next to it, and drifted off into her dream world moments later.

    ¡°It is time to wake,¡± the shrimp person said.

    She opened her eyes, sat up, and looked around for a moment before crawling over to help the shrimp person pack its things. With her help, it didn¡¯t take long to break down the tent and pack everything away.

    Once they finished, they got on the beetle and waited for the others before getting back on the road. A few hours later, the wall of the trade town came into view. Just like the shrimp person had predicted, it was a large stone structure standing roughly thirty feet high and made from the reddish-brown stone that was common in the region. She glanced around and noticed that there were no rocks or boulders anywhere near the town.

    Well, I know where they got the stones to build the wall. It¡¯s actually a good idea. They get a wall, and whatever is trying to attack them loses a place to hide. It¡¯s kind of like the small towns on the frontier of Therondale when they cut down the forest all around their wall, I guess.

    The beetles lumbered up to the strangest gate she¡¯d ever seen. It wasn¡¯t really a gate, simply a narrow path that led through the wall. It zig-zagged hard to the right and then left. After that, they walked across a short draw bridge made from thick bones and was held up by huge ropes.

    Once they were past the gate, they found a dozen or so armed guards waiting for them. The guards were all the same race as the hunters, and they, like the hunters, were all holding long spears. The shrimp person next to her began to gesture at the guards who gestured back. The shrimp person took a pouch from one of its belts and held it up.

    One of the guards came over to the side of the beetle and leaned on its spear. The shrimp person opened the pouch, counted out a few colorful gemstones, and gave them to it before closing its pouch and putting it away. The guard looked at the stones for a moment before gesturing for them to pass.

    As they walked into the town, she looked around and noticed that just about everyone was one of the tall, thin reptile people like the hunters she¡¯d seen the day before.

    The town itself consisted of huge stone buildings that were square and usually two stories. It was laid out like any other small town with a main road passing through it and small streets branching off here and there.

    The shrimp person took the main road for a while before turning down one of the side streets and heading to a large fenced-in space where dozens of different creatures were pinned up. They rode right up to the gate and stopped.

    The shrimp person climbed off and walked over to a rough stone building where a few of the thin reptile people lounged in chairs. The shrimp person gestured to them, and they gestured back. They went back and forth for a few minutes before one of the reptile people got up and stretched. It walked over to the gate and pulled it open, allowing the shrimp people to lead their beetles into the closed-in area.

    She followed along, and when they were all through, the reptile person walked in after them and closed the gate. It then led them to a large empty pen where they brought their beetles. Once inside, they started to unload the massive creatures, making a huge pile of goods near the pen¡¯s opening.

    Wow! That¡¯s a lot more stuff than horses can carry!

    A few minutes after they finished unloading the beetles, a few reptile people showed up with hand carts and started to load the goods onto them. Once they finished, the shrimp people followed them out of the fenced-in area across the street to one of the larger buildings where they went inside through a huge opening.

    Oh, it¡¯s a warehouse! Well, that makes sense I guess.

    The reptile people walked to the back of the building where they started to unload the carts. The shrimp people waited at the front, and a reptile person walked over to them and held out a thin piece of hide attached to a stone tablet along with a thin charcoal stick. The shrimp person took both and began to write in a strange language on it.

    It took a few minutes, but when it finished, it handed the tablet and charcoal stick back to the reptile person who looked it over. It walked away, heading to a large board on the wall where it placed the tablet into a small holder before taking a long stone marker and bringing it over to the shrimp person. The shrimp person took it and stuffed it into one of the many belt pouches it had before turning and walking out of the warehouse. The other shrimp people followed, and once they were all outside, they gathered around.

    ¡°We will meet here in five days. Do not be late. If you get into any trouble, I will be at the Smoldering Spring Inn,¡± the shrimp person she¡¯d ridden with said.

    The other shrimp people agreed and then scattered.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± it said once the others had left.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.

    They walked away from the warehouse, heading into the town

 Chapter 102

    After a short walk through the trade town, the shrimp person stopped at the entrance to one of the large buildings on the main road near the center of town, pulled open the thick hide door, and then gestured for her to go inside. The air was filled with a thick pungent smoke and conversations spoken in strange languages. The shrimp person walked inside behind her and then headed to one of the many tables that filled the room.

    Anna scurried after it, and when they reached one of the tables, it pulled out a stool made from hide and bone and sat down. She copied the shrimp person and pulled out a stool for herself before climbing up on it. It was clearly made for a person much larger than herself, and her feet dangled several feet off the ground. She kicked them as she usually did while she waited for something to happen while seated.

    A moment or so after she was seated, the shrimp person pounded on the thick stone table three times before taking a yellow gem from its gem pouch and placing it in the center of the table.

    ¡°What¡¯d you do that for?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They will bring a plate of food for us to share now,¡± the shrimp person replied.

    ¡°What kind of food?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Fresh meat cut into strips,¡± it replied.

    Well, free food is free food, even if it¡¯s not cooked, and it¡¯s not the stuff in the jar. Though, it¡¯s not as if that was actually food for anyone but the shrimp people.

    ¡°So, what kind of meat is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Whatever the hunters brought back yesterday. Probably pook if I¡¯d have to guess,¡± it replied.

    It¡¯s just like when the fishermen used to bring their catch back and sell them in Fishport! I wish I knew what the word for fish or fishing or anything like that is in shrimp language. Wait, do they even have a word for fishing? I mean, they¡¯re shrimp, so they probably come from a place with water, maybe, probably, fuck, I don¡¯t know.

    One of the reptile people came over to the table and scooped up the yellow gem before setting a huge tray full of bloody meat on the table. The meat was dark red, so much so that it was nearly black, and it had several inches of fat attached to it. It had been cut into slices so thick that they were more like steaks at this point.

    The shrimp person reached out and took one of the thick slices with its powerful claw and pushed it to its mouthparts where it tore the meat apart with ease and pushed it into its mouth. She took one of the slices from the tray and looked over the glistening flesh for a moment before taking a bite. The meat was soft though chewy, but she didn¡¯t mind because it was rather tasty compared to everything else she¡¯d been eating since she woke up in the strange place.

    This stuff would be sooooo good if I roasted it over a fire and sprinkled some salt and dragon pepper over it. Oh, and butter, can¡¯t forget the butter. Actually, as fatty as this is I probably don¡¯t need the butter. Best thing to do would be to heat up some of the fat in the pan first so the meat doesn¡¯t stick though. I wonder if there are any pooks on the other side of the sea? Wait, is this pook meat?

    ¡°So, what kind of meat is this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Ernolo lizard I believe, very fresh too,¡± the shrimp person replied.

    ¡°What do they look like?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A large six-legged lizard covered in thick armored scales,¡± it replied.

    ¡°So, like a big version of the rainbow lizards I eat but with armor?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, fatter than that, and their lower jaw doesn¡¯t split open,¡± it replied.

    She nodded and took another piece of meat.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to be heading back in a few days?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± it replied.

    ¡°How long will it take to get home?¡± she asked.

    ¡°More than a year,¡± it replied.

    ¡°Is it worth it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± it asked.

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    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re trading for. Is it worth being away from home for so long?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s an odd question to ask a caravan master,¡± it replied.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just, well, a few years away from your family is a long time,¡± she said.

    ¡°It can be, but I enjoy the open road and the feeling of a good deal, so it¡¯s not bad for me,¡± it replied.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said.

    So, what¡¯s next? I could go home, but why? There¡¯s a whole world out there for me to see, and no one will get hurt if I do it alone, so why not go and see it? All my old friends will be alive for at least another twenty years, and they¡¯re so rich they don¡¯t have to work anymore, so I¡¯ll be able to find out why they left me out there, even if I spend the next twenty years exploring the world.

    She munched away at the meal as she planned everything out before stopping, realizing that she was eating the shrimp person¡¯s dinner.

    ¡°Uh, sorry,¡± she said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I got enough for three people,¡± it replied.

    She took another piece and started to eat it.

    You know, all that time I spent with beast people got me used to eating raw meat, though they seasoned it.

    She ate a few more pieces and then licked her fingers clean. The shrimp person paused for a moment then took a small pouch from one of its many belt pouches and handed it to her. She took the pouch and looked inside to see that it was filled with the colorful gemstones that were used as currency in this part of the world.

    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You helped out, so you get paid,¡± the shrimp person replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said.

    ¡°The yellow gems are worth a meal and a place to stay. The blue gem is worth thirty yellow gems. There are also red ones and green ones. The red ones are worth thirty blue gems, and the green ones are worth thirty red ones,¡± it replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    ¡°You are welcome,¡± it replied.

    She put the gem pouch in her satchel and then went back to eating. They shared a meal together before she slid off the stool and held out her hand.

    ¡°My people say goodbye to friends by shaking hands,¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a hand,¡± the shrimp person replied.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she said.

    The shrimp person reached out its claw, and she took it and gave it a shake.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll see you again on the road,¡± she said.

    ¡°That would be pleasant,¡± the shrimp person replied.

    She walked out of the inn and turned to head deeper into the town.

    Okay, I know enough of the trade sign that if I go slow, I can probably get by, but I¡¯d really like to learn the trade language. Too bad the shrimps couldn¡¯t teach me, but they couldn¡¯t speak it, so that wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    As she walked along, she could feel the eyes on her. She was used to this. She was strange looking, even in human towns, but it was a little unnerving, even for her, after so much time alone and with the shrimp people who didn¡¯t seem to stare at anything.

    It¡¯s got to be the stalk eyes. They just kind of swivel them around, and there¡¯s no telling what they were looking at.

    When she reached the center of town, she found a crossroads and an open square with various open-front buildings that had a large hide covering the opening. She watched as people entered and exited the buildings and noticed that they were carrying things with them when they left.

    Must be the market. I wonder what kind of weird shit they sell here?

    She walked over to one of the shops at random and pushed her way past the hide.

    Inside was dimly lit and filled with people, the tall thin reptile people that made up the vast majority of the population of this trade town. The shop had a pungent smell in the air, and the walls were lined with shelves that had various rocks and clay pots with symbols scratched beneath them. Though she understood what the symbols meant, it was clear to her what this shop was.

    So, they have apothecaries on the other side of the world too!

    She walked around the shop sniffing the various things in the jars and looking at the rocks and other things that were placed on the shelves, at the ones she could see. She was very short compared to the rest of the people in the room.

    At least their parts are on the inside. Otherwise, this would get kind of weird.

    She noticed that the owner of the shop was eyeing her, and considering the size of their eyes, that was a serious thing, so she left, walking back onto the street and heading to the next shop.

    She poked around, looking at this and that until she found a place that just so happened to be selling a huge map. It was a nice map, fit for a royal army, so they had decided to display said map safety on the back wall. The owner of the shop sat in a chair next to a table near the map, looking at her suspiciously as she approached. She simply looked it over, noticing how detailed it was for a moment before turning away and looking at the other goods in the shop.

    I think I can work out whatever their distance measurements are by that map, and I think I¡¯ve been walking for over two thousand miles in the last half of a year. Fuck me in the ass with a steel rod! I really am on the other side of the world now!!!

    She walked out of the shop and stopped on the road, looking in each direction for a moment.

    I could go back, that map showed all the way to the coast, or I could head to the city on that primitive map the red people gave me, or further south where what might be a huge empire on the other side of something like a forest is.

    She thought about it for a moment before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

    ¡°South, I¡¯ll go south,¡± she said in common.

    A few passersby looked at her oddly, but she paid them no mind. She turned and started to walk on the road south once more, heading out of the city and back into the rough wastelands. Only this time, there were people of all shapes and sizes on the road with her.

    After spending a few hours walking, a feathered person who looked like both a reptile and a bird rode up next to her, driving one of the strangest wagons she¡¯d ever seen. It made a screeching sound at her and patted the seat next to it.

    Ah, what the fuck! Why not?!

    She walked over to the wagon and hopped on, sitting next to the driver. She looked down the long dusty road and smiled.

    I guess I¡¯m on my own kind of adventure now!

 Chapter 103

    The morning light crept through the closed flap of the tent spilling onto Anna¡¯s face and waking her up. She pushed the covers off herself and sat up stretching.

    ¡°Time to wake up!¡± she said.

    The lizard-bird man rolled over and groaned, trying to cover himself back up.

    ¡°Why are you like this every morning?¡± she asked.

    He just grumbled and pulled the covers over his head. She sighed, unwilling to press him any further, not wanting to deal with a grumpy companion for the rest of the day. Instead, she got up and left the tent, stepping out into the warm morning air and looking around at the vast grasslands that surrounded them.

    I still can¡¯t believe how different a month of travel can make everything. I mean, now I can speak a few more languages, I¡¯m not stuck in the middle of a wasteland, and I have a new friend! At least, I think Qrixit is my friend. I¡¯m not really sure, but whatever. He doesn¡¯t yell at me or anything, so he probably is.

    The beast pulling the wagon made a noise when it noticed she was up, so she went over and started to unhobble it.

    ¡°At least someone knows how to get up in the morning,¡± she said.

    She led it over to the wagon and started to hook it up. She heard the movement in the tent as she worked, and a few moments later, Qrixit emerged. He scratched himself before walking off into the tall grass, most likely to relieve himself.

    When he returned, he helped her finish hooking the beast up before they both packed the tent away and got back on the road.

    Qrixit didn¡¯t talk much, though he did teach her his own language along with the spoken trade language and sign, and a few others that he''d learned in his travels. His people lived in the jungles she¡¯d seen on the map that separated the wastelands from the Roolean empire to the south.

    I was going to go and see that empire, but I can do that later. I think riding around with him for a few more months will be fun, and if it turns out it isn¡¯t, well, I¡¯ll just leave. Nothing can stop me from doing whatever I want from now on!

    They quietly rode along, as they did most days, and she looked out at the landscape enjoying the view. She spotted a herd of large four-limbed creatures grazing about an eighth of a mile away. The creatures had large bodies covered in wrinkled brown skin with short thick legs holding them up. They were tearing the grass in clumps using large wide lips, stuffing the clumps in their ever-chewing mouths.

    ¡°What are those?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Lonpers,¡± Qrixit he replied.

    ¡°Lonpers?¡± she repeated.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± he said.

    She watched the lonpers as they rode by, munching away on grass seemingly without a care in the world.

    She spotted movement in the grass near the herd. Something was creeping closer to the herd. She watched as the movement grew near the herd and then stopped. Her eyes were sharp enough to make out the disturbed grass where whatever had caused the movement stopped, but the lonpers were none the wiser.

    Suddenly a huge six-limbed reptile burst from the tall grass, running at incredible speed directly at the herd. It opened a huge mouth grabbed one of the beasts by the leg and bit down. A sickening crunch could be heard, even as far away as they were, the lonper let out a pitiful wailing sound. The other lonpers bolted away in a panic, reminding her of cattle stampede.

    The reptile didn¡¯t wait for the lonper to die before it started to tear chunks of flesh from its body, gulping them down as the poor creature squealed and struggled. She turned to Qrixit who didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the scene and tapped on his shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, pointing at the reptile.

    He turned and looked, squinting his eyes to see.

    ¡°Dammit! Get the javelins. If a grass moves, toss one. We can¡¯t afford to let Trinna get hurt!¡± he said.

    ¡°Right!¡± Anna replied.

    She climbed into the back of the wagon and got the quiver of javelins, tossing them to Qrixit before climbing back onto the driver¡¯s bench.

    ¡°To answer your question, that was a braxle,¡± he said.

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    ¡°Braxle,¡± she replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he said.

    She pulled a javelin from the quiver and watched the grass, moving her head back and forth to make sure she could see both sides. Qrixit sped the wagon up, clearly wanting to put as much distance between them and the braxle as they could before nightfall. They kept the pace up for several hours before showing back down to the usual speed.

    ¡°That should be far enough. That braxle will be fat and happy for a few days after eating that lonper, so we¡¯ll be safe tonight,¡± he said.

    She nodded and kept watching, wanting to make sure nothing snuck up on them.

    I could use my eyes, but then he¡¯d ask about them, and I don¡¯t feel like explaining.

    They spent the rest of the day traveling at a steady pace before pulling off the road for the night. They unhooked Trinna and led her away from the wagon, hobbling her between the wagon and the road, unlike most nights. She wasn¡¯t all that happy about being kept from the tall grass but was well-trained enough not to put up a fuss about it.

    Qrixit took the tent from the back of the wagon, and she helped him set it up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch,¡± she said.

    He gave her a long look and then nodded before crawling into the tent for the night. She took the quiver of javelins from the wagon and started to walk around the small camp, watching the grass for any signs of movement. Hours passed, and both Qrixit and Trinna fell into a deep sleep. She prepared to summon an eye but paused.

    No, Qrixit might wake up and see them.

    She took a deep breath and went back to keeping watch.

    The rest of the night passed, and when the first rays of the morning sun poked above the horizon, she started to hook Trinna up to the wagon. Qrixit woke up a few minutes later, and they broke camp and got back on the road. She leaned against him and closed her eyes, falling asleep an hour or so later. She opened them in her dream world surrounded by her dream friends.

    ¡°I hate lying, but I want him to think I need to sleep. That way, he doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m a monster or something,¡± she said.

    She walked through the field of tentacles. They reached out to touch her as she passed. Eyes floated down from the sky too and hovered around her playfully.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯ve been able to spend so much time with all of you. I think I¡¯d go crazy if I stopped sleeping again,¡± she said.

    Music started to play suddenly, and she laughed.

    ¡°You always want to dance, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    The tentacles wiggled happily in response.

    ¡°Alright then, I guess we can play until he wakes me,¡± she said.

    She started to sway her body back and forth, and the tentacles started to ungulate, waving along with the music as well. After a few moments, she started to sing, filling the air with her bright clear voice.

    ¡°Anna!¡± Qrixit said.

    Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up and looked around.

    ¡°Look there!¡± he added.

    She turned her gaze in the direction his clawed finger was pointing and saw the biggest animal she¡¯d ever seen standing in the middle of the road. It was at least seventy feet long with a huge neck and tail. Its massive body was held up by four powerful legs.

    ¡°What is that!?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A thunder lizard,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s the biggest fucking lizard I¡¯ve ever seen!!!¡± Anna said.

    He laughed.

    ¡°Wait until you see a tarrasque,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, just a two-legged two-armed predator that is just as big as a thunder lizard,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh course, I would never lie to you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°People only say that when they¡¯re lying,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not. They have the skull of one in Oomla. I¡¯ll take you to see it when we get there,¡± he replied.

    She looked back at the massive thunder lizard standing across the road and cocked her head to the side.

    ¡°So, uh what do we do about that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We wait,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Right,¡± she said.

    The thunder lizard stood there and munched away on the grass for hours before taking a giant shit on the ground and walking away. Qrixit got the wagon moving the moment the huge beast was out of tail-whipping distance. She spotted a few more of the thunder lizards in the distance that day.

    She kept watch again that night and slept on the ride during the next day. They kept this up for a few weeks as they traveled across the grasslands. Qrixit woke her up when he spotted something he thought she would like.

    Nearly a month after the thunder lizard had crossed their path, they came to a river. Qrixit was nervous as they approached and stopped the wagon a good way away from the water¡¯s edge.

    ¡°Many things hunt in the water. We need to watch out as we cross,¡± he said.

    ¡°Can I get a bath first?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, I just like bathing,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I just told you that things hunt in the water!¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, right, well, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she replied.

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t! Now take a javelin and watch for anything in the water,¡± he said.

    She glared at him for a moment before yanking one of the javelins from the quiver and turning to look at the river.

    He turned away from her and flicked the reins. The wagon jerked forward, and Trinna headed into the river. When they were just over halfway across, she spotted something moving towards them. Whatever it was was huge, bigger than Trinna by far, and she was larger than any horse Anna had ever seen. Anna stood up and aimed the Javelin at the huge shadow moving towards them.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Anna replied.

    She threw the javelin hard, aiming just off to the side to account for the way water changes the position of things. The javelin buried itself deep into the creature¡¯s back, causing it to rear its huge reptilian head up and thrash around.

    It turned to them and lunged at the wagon, its maw held open. She pulled another javelin from the quiver and threw it into the reptile¡¯s mouth. It hit with such force that the javelin shattered, but the shards went through the beast¡¯s skull, exiting from the top, and taking the remains of its brain with them. The beast went limp, sinking in the water for a moment before floating to the surface, a red cloud billowing out from the carcass.

    Suddenly the water began to roll, and the carcass was torn to shreds in a feeding frenzy, being reduced to nothing in a matter of minutes. She looked over at Qrixit with wide eyes.

    ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t safe,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± she replied.

    She sat back down and looked around, hoping nothing else would try and eat them.

 Chapter 104

    The tall grasses had given way to a shorter lusher green grass that covered the flat plains they were riding though. The seemingly endless sea of greenery was dotted with trees here and there along with other shrubbery.

    The vast variety of animals that lived in this place was astounding. Anna never even imagined so many different creatures could exist before coming to this place. She watched a herd of one of the many strange beasts with some interest. The creatures reminded her of deer, except they were covered in feathers and had bird-like beaks that they were using to tear chunks of the thick green grass from the ground.

    ¡°They¡¯re called pong-pongs,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Pong-pong,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he said.

    She went back to watching the pong-pongs graze.

    ¡°Their eggs are quite tasty,¡± he added.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I had any eggs,¡± she replied.

    ¡°We should go and collect a few then,¡± he said.

    ¡°That sounds good!¡± she replied.

    Qrixit pulled the wagon off to the side of the road and they got off. They unhooked Trinna and tied her off nearby, allowing the massive reptile to graze on the greenery while they prepared to raid the pong-pongs nests.

    Once finished taking care of the wagon, Qrixit retrieved two long bone spears and several large sacks from the back of the wagon and handed her one of each.

    ¡°Pong-pongs are usually quite docile, but occasionally they become aggressive when you go near their nests,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.

    ¡°If they start acting aggressive, poke them with the spear,¡± he added.

    ¡°I can do that,¡± she replied.

    ¡°They have thick feathers and tough hides, so make sure you really put your arms into it,¡± he said.

    ¡°I will,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Pong-pongs like to make their nests under trees or in thick brush, so I¡¯d say we should head over there,¡± he said.

    He gestured towards a copse of trees with his spear. She nodded, and they set off from the wagon, staying a good distance from the herd of pong-pongs as they made their way to the trees. The beasts watched them suspiciously as they passed by, circling around the smaller members of the herd.

    Those things are bigger than I thought they were, more like elk, or maybe even a moose than a deer. I really hope they stay over there. I don¡¯t want to have to pick Qrixit up and run with him.

    As they approached the trees, she noticed several pong-pongs lurking around, eyeing them.

    ¡°What are we supposed to do about them?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They¡¯ll run off,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Are you sure, cause they don¡¯t look like they¡¯re going to run,¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Just make sure you seem confident,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Confident? How do I seem confident to a pong-pong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just stand up straight and puff out your chest,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I think my chest is puffed out enough,¡± she said.

    He cocked his head to the side, eyeing her for a moment before looking back at the trees.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably right about that,¡± he replied.

    The pong-pongs scattered as they neared but still kept a close eye on the interlopers. She noticed several large nests made from grass and brush on the ground around the trees.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take the ones with black dots,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Why not?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Those ones will hatch,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± she said.

    When she reached the first nest, she crouched down and placed her spear on the ground. The nest was filled with large tan eggs. Each one was around six inches long and four and a half inches wide. She started to fill her sack up carefully, taking the heavy eggs and placing them inside quickly.

    The nest had twelve eggs in it and none of them had black dots, so she took them all. She moved on to the next nest and found that about half the eggs would hatch eventually, so she made sure to carefully move them, so she didn¡¯t harm the baby growing inside. The nearby pong-pongs didn¡¯t seem to appreciate her efforts though and started to make chirping sounds and stomp their feet.

    As they collected the eggs, the pong-pongs became more and more agitated. By the time the two of them filled their sacks, the pong-pongs had begun to move closer, aggressively chirping at them.

    One rushed at her suddenly. She snatched up her spear and stabbed it in the chest. It squealed loudly and rushed away.

    ¡°We have to go now!¡± Qrixit said.

    He got up and rushed over to her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her towards the wagon. Several of the larger pong-pongs broke away from the herd and started to chase after them. The beast closed in on them and was right on their heels as they neared the wagon.

    Trinna looked up at them, disturbed by the commotion. The moment she saw the pong-pong, she stood up stiff-legged and puffed her body out. She opened her mouth and let out a loud hiss before rushing at the pong-pong, stopped only by her tether. The pong-pong took one look at the massive hissing lizard before fleeing back to the safety of the herd. Qrixit pulled her all the way to the wagon where he spun her around.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You said to stab them if they got aggressive!¡± she replied.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for you to injure one!¡± he said.

    ¡°You told me to stab it as hard as I could though!¡± she replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re so small. I didn¡¯t think you were strong enough to hurt one!¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, I am!¡± she replied.

    They both looked at each other for a few moments before bursting into laughter.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get Trinna hooked back up. We need to get out of here before they realize she¡¯s nothing but hiss,¡± Qrixit said.

    She nodded, and they put their haul of eggs in the back of the wagon before quickly hooking Trinna back up and getting back on the road. The pong-pongs glared at them menacingly as they rode away, but none of them seemed to want to irritate Trinna or come near the wagon.

    When they were well away from the herd, she reached into the wagon and took one of the eggs from the sack she¡¯d filled and held it up.

    ¡°So, how do you eat this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Crack open the top and suck out the insides,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Right, so how do I do that without breaking the whole shell?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± he replied.

    He passed her the reins, and she passed him the egg. He then took a small stone knife from his belt and started to tap away at the top of the shell. He chipped a large chunk of the thick shell away and tore a hole in the membrane beneath it before handing it back to her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied.

    She took the egg from him and started to suck the goopy contents of the egg from the shell.

    It¡¯s all slimy and gross like any other raw egg, but it doesn¡¯t taste that bad.

    She ate about half of the contents and then passed the egg back to Qrixit. He gratefully took it and finished off the remaining goop before placing the shell next to him on the seat.

    ¡°You¡¯re keeping it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Trinna loves eggshells,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I thought she only ate plants,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°She eats eggshells and insects as well,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯d better save them for her. She did stop the pong-pongs from stomping on us,¡± she said.

    ¡°That is true, though I¡¯m certain she did it for her own reasons,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Probably, I mean, who would give her dried fruit if we got trampled?¡± she said.

    ¡°Exactly, she is a greedy creature,¡± he replied.

    ¡°In this case, I don¡¯t mind,¡± she said.

    He chuckled, and she leaned back on the bench and looked up at the clear blue sky. Off in the distance, a flock of large reptiles soared above the grasslands. They bore a resemblance to the wyverns she¡¯d seen in the past, though they had long beak-like snouts, and their leathery wings were connected to all their limbs instead of just their forelimbs. She tapped Qrixit on the shoulder and pointed at the flying reptiles when he looked over at her.

    ¡°What are those?¡± she asked.

    He squinted his eyes for a moment trying to see what she was pointing at.

    ¡°Sky terrors,¡± he replied.

    ¡°They sound dangerous,¡± she said.

    ¡°Not really. They just look fierce. Honestly, I¡¯ve only seen them eat fish,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Fish? Does that mean there¡¯s a river over there?¡± she asked.

    ¡°More likely to be a lake this time of year,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What does the time of year have to do with whether or not it¡¯s a river or lake?¡± she asked.

    ¡°During the rainy season, many lakes overflow creating more rivers,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That sounds like a pain in the ass,¡± she said.

    ¡°It is, but we should make it to the trade city before it begins, and we will wait there until it ends before returning to the wastes,¡± he replied.

    So, this place has a season that they can¡¯t travel here, too. I guess the other side of the world isn¡¯t that different after all.

    ¡°So, are we going to stop at the lake?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t, but I know how much you enjoy the water, so I suppose we can,¡± he replied.

    She squealed happily and pulled him into a hug.

    ¡°Stop, stop! You¡¯re ruffling my feathers!¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± she replied.

    She let him go, and he scooted away from her on the bench.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you find it necessary to squeeze me every time you get excited,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s just something my people do. I can¡¯t help it,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I realize that, but some races would consider it an attack, so you really need to learn to control yourself before we get to the trade city,¡± he said.

    She sighed.

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s hard to just stop doing something you¡¯ve done your whole life,¡± she replied.

    ¡°You need to try, or you¡¯ll get yourself into trouble you can¡¯t get out of one day,¡± he said.

    She nodded then looked off into the distance watching the sky terrors again.

    I don¡¯t think I can stop hugging people, or if I even want to.

 Chapter 105

    The afternoon light sparkled on the surface of the lake like countless jewels as Anna looked out across its surface.

    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty!¡± she said.

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Qrixit replied.

    She shot him a poisonous look which he ignored before sliding off the wagon.

    ¡°Come on. We need to get Trinna unhooked,¡± he said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she replied.

    She slid off the wagon and started to help Qrixit with Trinna.

    ¡°Do you think there are monsters in the lake like in the river?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There is no doubt of that,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said sadly.

    ¡°It should be safe during the day,¡± he added.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, the sky terrors hunt during the day, so most things will stay in the deeper parts of the lake,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s makes sense. I mean, nothing wants to get swooped up,¡± she said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± he replied.

    They unhooked Trinna and tied her off a good distance from the lake before setting up the tent. As soon as they finished, she took off her belt, tossed it in the tent, then darted off to the lake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go in too deep!¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Yes, father,¡± Anna replied

    It was Qrixit¡¯s turn to give her a look and her turn to ignore him.

    She reached the shore quickly and waded into the murky waters until she was waist-deep. She dove beneath the surface with her eyes open and looked around. She could barely see a foot in front of her face, so she summoned an eye and used it to look around.

    She found herself surrounded by thick ribbon-like plants similar to the ones that were found in most freshwater lakes and rivers she¡¯d swum in before. The fish, on the other hand, were nothing like anything she¡¯d seen before. The most numerous of these strange fish were a small, spiked variety that had teeth so large they stuck out of the front of their mouths.

    They swam around in schools in the deeper waters, chasing any other fish that came near them. She came to the surface and turned to see Qrixit right next to the shore with a worried look on his face.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I thought something got you!¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s nothing nearby,¡± she replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not safe. You need to come closer to shore!¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied.

    She dunked back under the water and started to clean the dirt and other filth from her body. As she cleaned her hair, she noticed that several of the larger fish started to approach, swimming around her in a large circle.

    I bet they want to eat my hair! Fish do like bright colors and wiggly things.

    The fish slowly tightened their circles, getting closer and closer before one suddenly darted towards her, its huge mouth wide open. She spun out of the way, wrapped her arms around it as it swam by, and pulled it against her chest. The fish started to thrash around, trying to free itself from her grasp, churning up the water and nearly knocking her over.

    She pulled the creature against her chest even tighter, so much so that she felt its bones snap. The fish struggled for a short time longer before going limp. She stood back up and started for the shore. Qrixit was there with a horrified look on his face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I thought something got you!¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just caught a fish!¡± she said.

    ¡°GET OUT OF THE WATER NOW!!!¡± he shouted.

    She turned to look behind her and saw that the water looked as if it was boiling a few yards away. She quickly looked through the eyes and saw hundreds of small spiky fish heading in her direction.

    ¡°SHIT!!!¡± she shouted.

    She rushed towards the shore but wasn¡¯t quick enough to outrun the fish and was swarmed. The small fish started to bite her. A few nibbled at the fin of the fish she was carrying. She adjusted it so they couldn¡¯t reach it as she ran.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    She felt one fish bite down hard on her rear. She let out a surprised yelp and ran even faster, darting out of the water and running several yards onto the shore before stopping. Qrixit ran over to her. She held the fish she was carrying out.

    ¡°Hold this!¡± she said.

    He looked confused but took the fish from her outstretched arms. She turned around and grabbed the small spiky fish still attached to her left cheek and yanked it off so hard several of its teeth were torn from its mouth in the process. She held it up and glared at it.

    ¡°BITE ME IN THE ASS, WILL YOU?!?!?!¡± she shouted.

    She threw it back into the lake with so much force that it skipped across the surface of the water like a smooth stone until it stopped around halfway across and slowly sank beneath the surface.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Qrixit asked.

    She took a deep breath.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied.

    She turned around and slapped herself on the rear.

    ¡°See, not even a scratch,¡± she added.

    He looked down at her rear for a moment and then back up at her face.

    ¡°You have a thicker hide than I thought,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty tough,¡± she said.

    A shadow passed overhead, and a huge splash came from the lake. They both turned in time to see a huge sky terror flying off with a mouth full of wiggling fish. They watched the huge beast fly away for a while before turning to look at each other again.

    ¡°You know, we should do something with this fish,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    She took the fish from him and went to the wagon where she got her knife from her belt before heading to the back where she laid the fish across the back.

    This has got to be one of the biggest freshwater fish I¡¯ve ever seen! I wonder if it¡¯s a carp? It kind of looks like a carp. There¡¯s a lot of those in the river near Fishport. They used to bring in whole boats full of those things. I wonder if it¡¯s going to taste like carp? Well, there¡¯s only one way to find out.

    She quickly filleted the fish and removed the skin from the fillets before disposing of the remains in the water. She watched the spiked fish swarm the carcass a few moments later despite the threat of the sky terrors looming overhead.

    Fish really are stupid.

    She walked back to the wagon to find Qrixit eating one of the fillets. She picked the other one up and took a bite.

    I wish I had some salt, and dragon pepper, and butter, and a dammed pan! I¡¯m so fucking tired of raw food!!!

    She passed her piece to Qrixit who was nearly finished devouring his.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m still kind of full, from the egg,¡± she replied.

    He gobbled down the last of his fillet and took hers.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she replied.

    The sun sank beneath the western horizon, and stars filled the vast clear sky. Qrixit wandered to the tent and opened a flap.

    ¡°You coming?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stay up too late,¡± he said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she replied.

    ¡°And don¡¯t wander off,¡± he added.

    ¡°Yes, father,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Stop saying that!¡± he said.

    ¡°Want me to call you daddy instead?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± he replied.

    She laughed.

    ¡°I just want to look at the stars for a while. Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he replied.

    He crawled into the tent, and she waited until his breathing slowed before she summoned an eye and pointed it up at the sky. She watched the sky, mesmerized by the wonderous sight. She heard something moving in the grass and spun her eye around to look in the direction it was coming from. She spotted three figures crouched in the grass a few yards away from the wagon. Each figure held a spear in their hand and had a bag over their shoulder.

    People then, and not friendly ones if I had to guess. Friendly people don¡¯t sneak up on you.

    She sent her eye away and turned to face them.

    ¡°I can see you,¡± she said.

    The figures remained frozen for a moment before standing up. They were tall, standing well over six feet, with long thick limbs and a stout body. Their heads were shaped like upside-down pears with a slit-like mouth and two slits instead of a nose. Their eyes were huge and sat on the front of their face like any other predator she¡¯d seen. They gripped their spears tightly and started to walk toward the wagon.

    ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here!¡± one of the strangers said.

    ¡°Well fuck you, too,¡± she replied.

    The three of them were clearly taken aback by her response, taking a few moments to recover before moving towards her again.

    ¡°LEAVE NOW!¡± the same stranger shouted.

    She heard Qrixit rustling around in the tent before he crawled out.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on out here?¡± he asked as he walked over.

    ¡°They want us to leave,¡± Anna replied.

    He looked over at the three and suddenly looked terrified.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go right now!¡± he said.

    He grabbed her arm and pulled it.

    ¡°Pack up the tent while I take care of Trinna,¡± he added.

    ¡°NO!¡± the stranger said.

    The three strangers closed in, pointing their spears at them.

    ¡°The wagon stays! You go!¡± the stranger added.

    Qrixit looked shocked.

    ¡°But, I need my wagon,¡± he replied.

    ¡°GO NOW!¡± the stranger shouted.

    She grabbed the lead stranger¡¯s spear and yanked it out of its grasp before flipping it around and shoving it through its chest. Before its body went slack, she pulled the spear back out and slashed the throat of the stranger on the right, nearly severing its head. She spun the spear around in her hands and brought it down on the head of the last one, its skull shattering with a sickening crunch.

    All three bodies fell limply to the ground, their blood soaking into the thick grass. She turned to find Qrixit frozen with shock. She reached over and shook him. He looked over at her, his eyes wide.

    ¡°Go and hook Trinna up. I¡¯ll deal with the bodies,¡± she said.

    He stared at her for a moment before nodding and shuffling off towards the huge lizard. She took the packs and spears from the corpses as well as a necklace of teeth and claws from the one that had spoken.

    She tossed their things into the back of the wagon and then dragged the bodies to the lake, shoving them into the waters. She watched them float a few feet from the shore before the water around them started to roll. They disappeared under the surface and within moments were torn to shreds by the spiked fish.

    When the water calmed down, she went back to the tent, packed it up, and then put it away before helping Qrixit with Trinna. When they finished, they got onto the wagon, and Anna held her hands out for the reins.

    ¡°I can see in the dark,¡± she said.

    ¡°You can?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.

    He hesitated for a moment before handing her the reins. She took them and got the wagon moving, heading back for the road.

    ¡°Who are you, really?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know,¡± she replied.

    He looked away, clearly deep in thought. After a few minutes, he turned to face her again.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    ¡°For what?¡± she asked.

    ¡°For saving me,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, well, you¡¯re welcome,¡± she said.

 Chapter 106

    Anna looked up at the gate as they approached the city with awe.

    ¡°How did they build this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No one knows for sure, but the story is that the whole city was built by giants eons ago,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°That would explain why everything is so damned big,¡± she said.

    ¡°Just wait until we get inside,¡± he replied.

    She looked at the line of wagons in front of them and then back over.

    ¡°How long¡¯s that going to take?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± he replied.

    She nodded and turned her attention back to the gate, marveling at the sheer scale of it. It was a massive arch that was at least a hundred feet tall and seventy feet wide, decorated with time worn carvings of figures that were barely visible on the dusky red stone.

    The surrounding wall was made from the same stone and stood at least three hundred feet high by her best guess. As to the thickness of the wall, based on the tunnel-like appearance that the passage through the wall had, she would assume it was around one hundred and fifty feet thick, give or take.

    I wonder where they got all the stones from? I mean, they look like the one in the wasteland, so I guess they could be from there, but that¡¯s months away. Well, Qrixit did say that giants might have been the ones that made this city, so maybe it wouldn¡¯t take them months to bring them here.

    Wait, I know, I bet the climate was different when they built it, like what Fizzlebock said in his book. Hold on, even if the climate was different, that wouldn¡¯t make all the rocks disappear, would it? Maybe they just used them all to make the city. No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. I mean, there were lots of rocks in the wastelands. Oh, fuck it! I¡¯ll never figure it out!

    When they reached the gate, a serpentine guard slithered over holding a long wicked looking spear in one of its four arms.

    ¡°What business do you have in the city?¡± it asked in a hissing voice.

    ¡°I have a load of goods from the wastelands I¡¯m selling,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Do you have a manifest?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Qrixit replied.

    He passed the guard a rolled-up scroll made from beast hide and looked it over for a moment.

    ¡°Blade stone, eh? Well, you should find plenty of buyers for that,¡± he said.

    ¡°I usually do,¡± Qrixit replied.

    The guard handed the scroll back to Qrixit and then looked over at her.

    ¡°Does that one speak?¡± it asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°He¡¯s my guard,¡± Qrixit added quickly.

    ¡°He is?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± Anna replied.

    The guard looked at her for a moment before turning back to Qrixit.

    ¡°Two blue gems,¡± it said.

    Qrixit fished the gems out of his gem pouch and handed them over. The guard waved two of his arms, gesturing for them to pass. Qrixit flicked the reins gently, and the wagon started to move.

    ¡°That was expensive,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s worth every stone, trust me,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said.

    The inside of the tunnel had murder holes lining the ceiling along with openings for three portcullises to drop down to block any invaders¡¯ path. The construction wasn¡¯t dissimilar from the fortifications she¡¯d seen on the other side of the world save for the scale.

    I bet I could squeeze through one of those holes.

    She paused, looked down at her chest, and then back up at the hole.

    Then again, maybe not.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    They emerged from the tunnel a few moments later and rode into the city.

    The road widened until it was more than a hundred feet wide and paved with massive stones worn smooth from millennia of traffic. The buildings that lined the road were massive, each one more than two hundred feet tall, though they were only two or three stories at the most.

    It had to be giants! I wonder if any are still around here? Probably not. It looks like all the doorways were walled over with clay bricks and smaller ones were built in all the buildings. The work looks old too. All the repair work on the buildings and road has been done with clay bricks as well, and I doubt whoever built this place would use a completely different method to fix everything. I wonder why they left this city. It doesn¡¯t look like it was destroyed or anything.

    As they rode through the city, she continued to examine the buildings, noticing many smaller ones built into the open spaces between the massive structures. The smaller buildings were made exclusively from clay bricks. Most of the smaller buildings had open fronts and seemed to be small shops of all varieties.

    As they went deeper into the city, the smaller structures grew more numerous, and when Qrixit turned down one of the side streets, the number of smaller buildings increased drastically. Some of which had been constructed on the roadway itself. As a result of this, the crowd thickened and caused their progress to slow to a crawl.

    I guess cities are the same no matter where you go. Qrixit¡¯s definitely calmer than Thokri is, but Trinna¡¯s grumpier than the horses, so I guess it works out.

    The crowd that surrounded them was made up of more than a dozen different races, most of which she¡¯d never seen before.

    I wonder how many different kinds of people there are in the world? I mean, on the other side of the world, there were only a few kinds cause beastmen really only count as weird humans, but ever since I walked into the wasteland, I¡¯ve seen a new kind of person every time I stop. Is there something special about this side of the world, or is there something wrong with the other side?

    Qrixit turned the wagon suddenly, causing her to look around. They were heading into one of the ancient buildings. This building didn¡¯t have its original entrance walled off, allowing the wagon to ride inside.

    The interior of the building was sectioned off into large rooms on either side of a long pathway that led from the entrance to the rear wall. A group of people lounged near the back wall, and when one of them spotted them, they slithered over.

    ¡°Good to see you again, Qrixit,¡± the person said.

    ¡°Good to see you too, Drapa,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Drapa asked.

    ¡°His name is Anna. I picked him up in the wastelands,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Anna? Never heard that name before,¡± Drapa said.

    ¡°I¡¯m from really far away,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Ah, well that¡¯s probably why I¡¯ve never heard it. Anyway, it¡¯s good to meet you,¡± Drapa said.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, too,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, what are we storing for you this year?¡± Drapa asked, looking back at Qrixit.

    ¡°Mostly blade stone and medicine with a few other things I picked up along the way,¡± Qrixit replied.

    He handed the scroll to Drapa who looked it over.

    ¡°Will you be paying now or after you sell your goods?¡± Drapa asked.

    ¡°Now,¡± Qrixit replied.

    Drapa waved over the other serpent people who started to unhook Trinna from the wagon. Qrixit slid off the driver¡¯s bench, and she followed. They were led to the far room on the right near the back wall.

    The room was lined with shelves that contained stacks of scrolls with a tall desk sitting in the center of the room. A stack of blank parchment sat on one side of the desk. On the other sat a strange stone with a black stick as well as a jar filled with water and a brush.

    When they arrived at the desk, Drapa poured a bit of the water onto the stone and then picked up the black stick and began to rub it into the wet stone. She watched intently as the water turned to a deep black color. Once it had reached that hue, he used the black stick to push the water into a small indentation in the stone before placing the stick to the side. He retrieved a sheet of parchment, the brush which he dipped into the black water, and started to write on the parchment.

    Ink? I¡¯ve never seen ink made like that before.

    Drapa wrote up a storage contract, and Qrixit looked it over before signing it.

    ¡°You raised the price since last year,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°I had no choice. Taxes have gone up again,¡± Drapa replied.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they go up last year as well?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°Yeah, and they¡¯ll keep going up if the Gromboks keep attacking traders,¡± Drapa replied.

    ¡°They attacked us, but Anna here took care of them,¡± Qrixit said.

    Drapa looked her over for a moment.

    ¡°Must have been a hard fight,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You¡¯d think that looking at him, but he killed all three of them before I could blink,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Well, if he¡¯s that good, he should join the patrols,¡± Drapa replied.

    ¡°Patrols?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The city sends them out to keep the roads safe. They have had to send more out lately, hence the tax increase,¡± Drapa replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯d better get going. I¡¯ll be back when I find buyers,¡± Qrixit added.

    ¡°Good luck,¡± Drapa replied.

    Qrixit handed over a large number of gemstones and received a small rolled-up sheet of parchment in return.

    Once their transaction was completed, the three of them left the back room and headed for the entrance. The wagon was missing when they stepped back into the hallway. She looked around for it and noticed it stuffed into one of the rooms with its contents unloaded and neatly stacked next to it.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Trinna?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We have a barn we keep the draft animals in during the rainy season,¡± Drapa replied.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep them here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The smell gets into the goods,¡± Drapa replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna said.

    They reached the entrance, and Drapa said his goodbyes before slithering back into the warehouse. They walked out onto the busy street and started walking to the right, going deeper into the city.

    ¡°I know a great place we can rent rooms for the whole season,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Is it expensive?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not really, just a few blue gems,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I can get my own room then!¡± she said.

    ¡°As long as they have two free,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I hope they do,¡± she said.

    ¡°Tired of sharing a bed roll?¡± he replied.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I am, honestly. I never thought I¡¯d be sleeping so close to another male,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something I should probably tell you,¡± she said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m female,¡± she replied.

    He stopped walking and turned to stare at her.

    ¡°What, wait?!¡± he asked.

 Chapter 107

    They walked into the inn and headed for a counter where a seven-foot-tall insect person stood.

    ¡°We¡¯d like two rooms for the season,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°The only open rooms next to each other are on the third floor. Is that acceptable?¡± the insect person asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Good, good, they will be two blue and twelve yellow per room,¡± the insect person said.

    Anna looked over at Qrixit and saw that he was already counting out the gems, so she did the same. Once they passed the gems to the insect person, it handed them a token made from bone with numbers written in the trade language carved onto it.

    ¡°If you need anything, just let me know,¡± the insect person added.

    ¡°We will. Thank you,¡± Anna replied.

    They left the counter and walked into the rear of the building. When they stepped through the brick archway, the floor changed from patterned clay brick to smooth red stone. There were rooms on either side of a long hallway that led clear to the back of the building. Each room had a number carved into the brickwork above the doorway which was filled with a bone and hide door.

    Just to the left of the archway was a staircase that led to the upper floors of the building. They headed for it.

    The stairs were part of the original construction of the building, though bricks had been laid on each step to allow races smaller than giants to use them comfortably. They made their way up to the second floor where they found two guards standing in the walkway that led to the rooms.

    They walked up the next flight of stairs and over to the guards stationed there. Qrixit held out his token and the guard gestured for him to pass. She quickly did the same thing and was also allowed to pass. They found the rooms that matched the numbers on their tokens and entered through the bone and hide door.

    The room was empty save for a stone bed along the right-hand wall and a bone and hide table with chairs in the center of the room. There was one large window in the room, and it was twenty or so feet off the ground on the rear wall. Below the window, there was a ladder built into the wall to allow the shorter races, such as herself, to open and close it unaided.

    She walked over to the bed and sat down, putting her arms behind her and leaning back. She looked up at the ceiling and kicked her feet gently. A few minutes later, there was a gentle knock on her door.

    ¡°It¡¯s open!¡± she said, sitting up.

    Qrixit opened her door and looked around the room before setting his eyes on her.

    ¡°Want to go get some food?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to!¡± she replied.

    ¡°Good. I know a great place nearby,¡± he said.

    ¡°You know a lot of things about this city, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d hope so. I¡¯ve been coming here every year for the last hundred and twenty years,¡± he replied.

    She slid off the bed and walked over to him.

    ¡°So, how old are you anyway?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Four hundred and thirteen,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Wow,¡± she said.

    ¡°How old are you?¡± he asked.

    Should I tell him the truth, or should I just tell him I¡¯m eighteen like usual? I guess I could just tell him the truth. It¡¯s not like he knows how old humans are supposed to be when they become adults or anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m six,¡± she replied.

    He cocked his head in a very bird-like fashion.

    ¡°Well, that explains a lot,¡± he said.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing for you to worry about. Now, come along,¡± he replied.

    He walked out of her room, and she scurried after him, closing the door behind her when she left.  They walked back down the stairs and then out of the inn, quickly heading back the way they had come. Then they turned down one of the small, crowded streets that she assumed was simply an alley when the city had been populated by giants but had been transformed into a busy thoroughfare by the current inhabitants.

    She heard a drumming and looked around, trying to see where it was coming from. Qrixit suddenly stopped and pulled her to the side of the road.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak and bow your head!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just do as I say! I¡¯ll explain later!¡± he replied.

    She noticed that the rest of the people on the street had moved to the sides and were bowing their heads, creating a wide pathway down the middle. She bowed her head but glanced up, trying to figure out what was going on.

    A few moments later, a large group of serpent people wearing armor and carrying spears came into view. They slowly slithered past while the crowd of people on either side of the street remained motionless with their heads down. Once they were well passed, people began to move again, going about their business as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Who were they?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Cartel enforcers,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That really doesn¡¯t tell me anything,¡± she said.

    ¡°The city is run by a trade cartel, and those men were some of its enforcers,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, they¡¯re like guards?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re just hired strongmen the cartel uses to keep everyone in line,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That sounds like a guard to me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I suppose it does, but they don¡¯t patrol the city or go after criminals like guards in other places do,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, who does that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No one. Merchants hire guards to keep their businesses safe, like the ones at the inn, and if things like beatings or killings happen, it¡¯s up to that person¡¯s friends to deal with it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That sounds terrible!¡± she said.

    ¡°Maybe, but it works,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± she said.

    Qrixit pushed the door to one of the brick buildings open, and they walked inside. She found herself in a large room filled with tables where people of all kinds were seated, eating a wide variety of different foods, all of which appeared to be raw, much to her disappointment.

    They walked to one of the smaller tables and sat down. A being with five segments crawled over to their table. Each segment had four legs, two eyes, and a mouth. It pushed three of its segments into the air and shifted its eyes to look at both Qrixit and herself simultaneously.

    ¡°What would you like?¡± it asked, speaking from the mouth nearest to them.

    ¡°I¡¯d like a plate of voomel,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Finely cut meat and fat that have been soaked in the stomach juices of a young braxle,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Is it good?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I like it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that too. Do you have anything other than water to drink?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We have bonloe and erona,¡± the segmented thing replied.

    ¡°What are those?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Bonloe is vexno urine that has been¡­¡± it replied.

    ¡°No, just no, what¡¯s the other thing?¡± she asked, interrupting.

    ¡°Fresh blood with tonon venom mixed in,¡± it replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s a tonon?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a big snail. You know, erona is strong stuff. You probably shouldn¡¯t drink it,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said.

    ¡°So you want some erona then?¡± the segmented thing asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Alright, so that¡¯ll be two plates of voomel and a jar of erona then?¡± it asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Qrixit replied.

    The segmented being crawled away from the table.

    ¡°What kind of person was that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They are an Incolo,¡± he replied.

    ¡°They?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, each segment is a separate person,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve dealt with their kind many times,¡± he replied.

    She looked at the Incolo who was currently placing plates of meat at a table on the other side of the room for a few moments before looking back at Qrixit.

    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t tell you I was female sooner,¡± she said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯d like to say I was never upset, just surprised. It¡¯s not as if it makes any difference to be honest,¡± he added.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied.

    The Incolo returned and placed plates of pungent smelling meat in front of both of them as well as a large jar filled with bright red blood in front of her. She picked up the jar and took a drink as Qrixit looked on. The drink was thick and hot with a salty metallic taste as one would expect blood to have.

    There was also a strong bittersweet flavor which she assumed was from the venom. She swallowed down the mouthful and placed the jar back on the table before licking her lips.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± she said.

    ¡°Do you feel any numbness or tingling?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°No, why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Those are signs that the venom is harmful, so it¡¯s safe to say you¡¯ll be fine, probably,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I told you before, I¡¯m tougher than I look,¡± she said.

    ¡°So it would seem,¡± he replied.

    She picked up one of the thin slices of meat from her plate and popped it in her mouth. The meat was soft to the point of being gelatinous and had a strong sour flavor to it. She washed down the bite with a sip from the jar and then picked up another piece.

    ¡°So, how often do you run into enforcers?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Usually not often, but there¡¯s a big festival the cartel puts on just before the rains start, so they make sure to be seen in the weeks leading up to it so everyone remembers to behave themselves,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a festival?!¡± she asked excitedly.

    ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s quite a spectacle,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I love festivals!¡± she said.

    ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll have to make sure you have as much fun as possible,¡± he replied.

    ¡°YAY!¡± she said.

 Chapter 108

    Anna swayed her hips and clapped along to the beat of drums as she watched several performers dancing. Qrixit tapped her on the shoulder and passed her a chunk of bloody meat with the bone still sticking out of one side when she turned to face him.

    ¡°Are you enjoying the show?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± she replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think snake people would dance like this though,¡± she added.

    ¡°Snake people?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You know them,¡± she replied, gesturing to the serpent people that made up most of the trade city¡¯s population.

    ¡°They are called Tukla. Don¡¯t call them snake people. It offends them,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Tukla,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± Qrixit said.

    She bit into the meat, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth as she did so. The meat was bland and chewy, though that wasn¡¯t surprising considering it was uncooked, unseasoned, and had been part of a living creature a few minutes ago.

    ¡°Would you like to go and see the Tarrasque skull now? They usually decorate it during festivals,¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°Mumph¡­¡± she replied.

    ¡°Swallow before you speak!¡± Qrixit said.

    She swallowed down her bite and then smiled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± she replied.

    She followed him as he walked away from the dancers and through the crowded streets, heading towards the center of the city.

    When they reached one of the main streets, the crowds grew so thick she had to grab ahold of Qrixit¡¯s arm to keep from getting separated.

    ¡°STEP RIGHT UP AND WIN THIS PRIZE IF YOU CAN!!!¡± someone shouted.

    A prize! I want a prize!

    She let go of Qrixit¡¯s arm and scurried away, heading towards the shout.

    ¡°ANNA, WAIT!¡± Qrixit shouted.

    She ignored him and kept pushing through the crowd, forcing her way to the front of a group of people. Past the edge of the crowd was a cart with seven spikes sticking out of the top. Next to the cart stood a Tukla holding four colorful rings.

    ¡°I want the prize!¡± she said.

    ¡°Well, come over and try then,¡± the tukla replied.

    She walked out of the crowd and over to the waiting tukla.

    ¡°So, what do I have to do?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Toss all of these rings on one of these poles, and if you get them all on the center pole, you get the grand prize!¡± the tukla replied.

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A spirit stone!¡± he replied.

    ¡°I have no idea what that is,¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. It is a rare and valuable jewel that can only be mined in the shattered lands,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Can I see it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied.

    He waved one of his hands and another tukla slithered over with a small bone chest. The newcomer pulled open the lid, revealing a glittering gem that was about the size of her palm.

    ¡°Pretty!¡± she said.

    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it,¡± the tukla replied.

    ¡°Give me the rings!¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s four blue gems per try,¡± the tukla replied.

    She pulled out the gems, handed them over, and the tukla passed her the rings.

    ¡°ANNA! IT¡¯S A TRICK!¡± Qrixit shouted.

    ¡°IT¡¯S FINE!¡± she replied.

    She spun one of the rings around in her hand a few times and frowned.

    This thing is all out of balance and warped. It¡¯s like they don¡¯t want anyone to...oh! This is like the men that play with loaded dice for coin at the taverns. Well, it¡¯s time for that snake to learn the same lesson those men did.

    She tossed the first ring. It sailed through the air and landed on the center pole. The crowd cheered behind her, and she tossed another ring, placing it on the center pole. She held the third ring up, and the crowd grew louder. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the ring off to join the others on the center pole. She glanced over at the tukla who, at least by her guess, looked nervous.

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    Serves you right for being a cheat!

    When she prepared to throw the last ring, the crowd grew quiet. She tossed the ring, and it glided through the air in a lazy fashion before landing perfectly on the center pole like the others had.

    The crowd erupted into cheers, and she walked over to the tukla holding the box and took it from him. She opened the box to make sure the spirit gem was still inside before closing it back up.

    ¡°Thanks, that was fun,¡± she said.

    She turned and walked back to Qrixit who was standing in the crowd with a shocked look on his face.

    ¡°So, about that skull?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, right, uh, this way,¡± he replied.

    They walked away from the game and back into the crowd.

    ¡°So, how did you do that?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I mean I¡¯ve never seen anyone win one of those games, so how¡¯d you do it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to answer that,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Do you think you could do it again?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯d let me,¡± she replied.

    ¡°No, I meant other games. Do you think you could win other games like that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve never lost a game I didn¡¯t want to,¡± she replied.

    He grabbed her arm and pulled her off in another direction.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked.

    ¡°To find more games!¡± he replied.

    ¡°What about the skull?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going anywhere!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh right,¡± she said.

    They walked down a few of the side streets until they reached a large open square filled with games.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see what each one has for prizes,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.

    They walked around the square while Qrixit looked at each game and inspected the prizes. She watched people playing and noticed that while some were able to partially complete the game, no one was able to finish.

    After making their rounds, Qrixit stopped in front of one of the games, and they waited in line. This game was unlike any she¡¯d seen on the other side of the world. There was a large hide stretched over a frame that had four holes in it. Behind each hole was an animal bladder that was filled with air. The object of the game was to throw long bone darts through the holes and pop the bladders.

    This would have been no issue for most people, so to make it more challenging, a crossbeam attached to an axle was placed in front of the hide which would be given a good spin before the game started and would block the holes. Lastly, there was a time limit, so no one simply waited for the crossbeam to stop spinning.

    Given all these factors, she hadn¡¯t seen a single person pop more than one of the bladders, and each of those times seemed to be more luck than skill. When it was her turn, Qrixit paid the gamemaster and she took the bone darts and stepped up to the line.

    At least these darts are balanced, so they aren¡¯t completely cheating like that first place.

    The gamemaster gave the crossbeam a good yank and sent the crossbeam into motion. She watched it spin for a moment before throwing the darts in rapid succession. Each dart sailed through a hole and popped a bladder seemingly simultaneously to anyone but herself.

    ¡°Done!¡± she said.

    The gamemaster stared at her in disbelief until Qrixit put his hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that prize now,¡± he said.

    The gamemaster nodded slowly and then went to retrieve the huge white reptile hide that was on display nearby. He rolled it up and handed it to Qrixit who thanked him before they walked away.

    ¡°Now then, we should get the jar of oxnel honey,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    The next game they went to was a large number of flexible poles in a square with a solid pillar located on each side of the square. Clay jugs sat atop each pillar, and the goal of the game was to dash across the poles, starting in the center of the square, with a vessel filled with water and fill up each of the jugs. The difficulty was due to the flexibility of each pole and the weight and awkwardness of the water-filled vessel.

    While they waited, she watched attempt after attempt with most failing before they reached the first pillar. When her turn arrived, she walked over to the center pole and picked the vessel up from beside the center pole.

    ¡°Hold on! I¡¯ll pass it to you!¡± the gamemaster said.

    She leapt up from the ground and landed on the center pole without spilling a single drop of water. The pole swayed back and forth under her foot while she contemplated which jug to fill first. After making a decision, she hopped from pole to pole, reaching the first jug which she quickly filled.

    Once finished, she hopped to the next pillar and filled that jug, and then went to the next and filled that jug. When she reached the last jug, she filled it up, hopped back to the center pole, and dropped down next to the still-stunned gamemaster before placing the vessel next to him. He stared at her wide-eyed for a moment before Qrixit came over.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be taking that honey now,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes, uh, of course,¡± the gamemaster replied.

    When they received the jar, they walked away from the pole game and headed to the center of the square.

    ¡°Think you can do the stone lift?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°Oh yeah, no problem,¡± she replied.

    They walked over to the stone lift game and watched as they waited. The stone lift was the simplest game so far. All one had to do was lift each of the five stones, one at a time, over their head and set them back down gently. The stones grew heavier as one progressed with the fifth stone being a massive boulder.

    As the contestants in front of her took their turns, she noticed that none of them seemed to be able to get past the third stone. When she reached the front of the line, Qrixit leaned over next to her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t blame you if you can¡¯t pick up the fourth stone, so don¡¯t hurt yourself trying,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Just be careful,¡± he added.

    ¡°I will,¡± she replied.

    She walked up to the first stone, crouched down, took it with both hands and lifted it off the ground with ease. She held it over her head for a moment before gently placing it on the ground and moving to the next stone. She lifted that one as well, and then the next, and the next.

    When she set the fourth stone down and moved on to the fifth, she placed her arms around the huge boulder and casually lifted it into the air. After holding it there like she had the other stones, she sat it back down and turned around. Qrixit walked over to the gamemaster with a smug look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking those gems now,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t!¡± the gamemaster replied.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because you cheated!¡± the gamemaster replied.

    ¡°I did not!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way someone as scrawny as you lifted that stone without cheating, so get out of here!¡± the gamemaster replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a load of shit!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Get moving!¡± a large tulka added.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What did you say you say to me?¡± the large tulka asked.

    ¡°I said fuck you!¡± she replied.

    ¡°Anna stop! Let¡¯s just go!¡± Qrixit said, grabbing onto her arm.

    She yanked her arm away.

    ¡°NO! I want my prize!¡± she replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?!¡± someone behind her asked.

    She turned to find several armored enforcers behind her.

    ¡°He won¡¯t give me my prize!¡± she said.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± the lead enforcer asked.

    ¡°No sir! That thing cheated!¡± the gamemaster replied.

    The enforcers slithered over, one grabbing her by the arm.

    ¡°We need to go and talk,¡± the enforcer said.

    The gamemaster had a smug look on his face until another one of the enforcers slithered over to him and grabbed him by the arm.

    ¡°All of us,¡± the enforcer added.

    The smug look fell from the gamemaster¡¯s face and was replaced by one of terror.

 Chapter 109

    ¡°I just want my prize!¡± Anna said.

    The enforcer holding her arm twisted it.

    ¡°Shut your mou¡­¡± he said.

    Her fist slammed into his chest, sending him sailing off into the crowd. The enforcers turned to stare at their fallen comrade who lay limply on the ground before roughly shoving the gamemaster away and readying their spears. Rage began to boil in her chest as the enforcers surrounded her, preparing their attack.

    So, you want to take his side, eh? Fine, then I¡¯ll show you what happens when you try to steal from me!

    The creak of leather just behind her gave away the first attack. She casually avoided the strike, grabbing ahold of the spear shaft and pulling it out of the enforcer¡¯s grasp. She dropped all pretense of humanity as she swung the spear like a glaive at the throat of the lead enforcer.

    The world seemed to stand still as the blade passed through his flesh nearly severing his head. Droplets of blood floated in the air like soap bubbles blown from a wash basin on a windy day. She ignored the odd sight and moved on to the next enforcer, stabbing him in the throat.

    She killed them one by one, moving at the same speed she had when her father had taken control of her body in the goblin burrow all those years ago.

    After she¡¯d cut the last enforcer¡¯s throat, she paused and blinked twice. The world around her started to move again, and the bodies fell to the ground, blood gushing from their wounds.

    There was a pregnant pause as the onlookers tried to comprehend what they had just witnessed before the first scream pierced the air. It was pandemonium after that as the crowd scrambled to get away from her as fast as they possibly could.

    She turned her attention to the gamemaster who stood there frozen in fear. She adjusted her grip on the spear and rushed him, thrusting the spear at his face. He didn¡¯t have time to flinch as the blade slid through his eye and deep into his skull. His body began to shake violently and continued to do so when she pulled the spear out of his head. She stepped over his twitching corpse, heading for the grand prize.

    The gamemaster¡¯s bodyguard started to slither away in a panic. She threw the spear at his back, hitting him between his lower arms and passing straight through him. The force knocked him over where he screamed and flailed around, clawing at the weapon. She reached the chest of gems and looked at the glittering stones for a moment before reaching down to close the lid. She paused when she saw her blood-soaked hand.

    Did I, did I just kill people for shiny rocks?

    ¡°Hurry up! We have to go!¡± Qrixit said.

    She flinched at the sound of his voice and turned to see him standing next to her.

    ¡°Come on! More enforcers will be here any second!¡± he added.

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± she replied.

    She slammed the lid of the chest closed and picked it up, rushing away. She followed Qrixit down a long alley that spilled out onto a small street.

    ¡°Hey, Qrixit?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Keep quiet and follow me. We¡¯ll talk later,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said.

    She followed along behind him, quietly looking down at the chest as she walked.

    Why did I do it? I¡¯m not supposed to kill people unless I have a good reason to, and I didn¡¯t this time, but I did it anyway, so does that mean I¡¯m bad now? I don¡¯t feel bad. I feel kind of sad, but not bad. I wish Barika was here. She¡¯d know if I was bad. Would she hate me if I was bad? I hope not. I don¡¯t want her to hate me.

    ¡°Just let me do the talking, alright?¡± Qrixit said.

    She looked up and saw they were in an alley standing next to the door of a clay brick building.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.

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    He rapped on the door and a slide opened at eye level, for Qrixit anyway, a few moments later. Insect eyes peered through the slot before it closed. The door swung open and a person that looked like a massive praying mantis waved them inside.

    The interior of the building was dimly lit and smokey. Animal carcasses hung from the ceiling in orderly rows, many still dripping blood onto the ground. Qrixit walked past the carcasses and headed for the back of the room where a huge toad-like person sat next to a stone block and was holding a stone blade that bore a strong resemblance to a cleaver in one of its meaty hands.

    ¡°Qrixit, friend, how are you doing?¡± the toad asked in a booming voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing well, Vich. How about yourself?¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°I can¡¯t complain. So, what brings you in today?¡± Vich asked.

    ¡°Need you to move some stuff for me, and I need it moved quickly,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°How quickly?¡± Vich asked.

    ¡°Dead enforcers quickly,¡± Qrixit replied.

    Vich looked at them for a long moment.

    ¡°I can do this for you,¡± it said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Qrixit replied.

    Vich made a series of croaking sounds and several smaller toad people joined them. The toad people croaked at each other for a few moments before two of them came over to her and Qrixit, holding out their hands. Qrixit passed the white hide and the honey to one of them, and she handed the chest of gems over to the other. The one that took the chest flared its nostrils and then croaked.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You smell of tukla blood,¡± it replied.

    She looked at Qrixit, who looked at Vich, who looked at her.

    ¡°Go with them. They will show you where you can get cleaned up,¡± Vich said.

    The toad people walked off, and she scurried along behind them. They walked out of the carcass-filled room and into a long hallway.

    ¡°Go three doors down, and you¡¯ll find the cleaning room on the right,¡± the toad person carrying the hide and honey said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied.

    She headed off in the opposite direction of them as she made her way to the cleaning room. The room had no door, so she walked inside and found a large basin filled with sand sitting in the center.

    She walked over to the basin and pushed her hands into the sand, letting the abrasive substance absorb the last of the moisture from the mostly dried blood. She used it to scrub her hands clean.

    After she finished, she scrubbed the blood spatters from the rest of her body and hair. She shook the dust from her hair and walked out of the room, heading back down the hallway and into the room where she¡¯d left Vich and Qrixit. The two of them were still standing next to the stone block talking. She walked over and stood next to Qrixit.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going now, Vich. Thanks for everything,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Anytime, Qrixit,¡± Vich replied.

    They walked away from Vich and headed for the door.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to spend the night somewhere else tonight. We¡¯ll talk when we get there,¡± Qrixit said.

    She nodded and followed him out of the building and back into the alley. Qrixit led her down the narrow refuse-filled paths before finally stopping at another clay brick building. He pushed the door open and went inside with her following close behind.

    The building was dimly lit and smelled dank. Odd grunts and calls could be heard coming from the hallway behind the counter that lay directly ahead of them. A sickly-looking creature with huge eyes and thin spindly limbs sat behind a counter near the back of the room. Qrixit walked up to the counter and tossed a few yellow gems in front of its hand.

    ¡°A room with a door for the night,¡± he said.

    The creature snatched up the gems and gestured towards the hallway.

    ¡°Seven,¡± it said.

    Qrixit walked away without saying another word, and she followed close behind into the hallway. The sound of grunting, squeaking, and hissing intensified, as did the smell. It gained a slight briny odor.

    The hallway was lined with small rooms. The entrances to most of them were covered with curtains. Room number seven was near the end of the hallway on the left, and Qrixit opened the door the moment he was in front of it. She rushed inside, and he followed behind, closing the door as he entered.

    The room was tiny with a bed sitting off in the corner. A small oil lamp was bolted to the wall opposite the bed, and its anemic orange flame was the only source of light. Qrixit sat on the bed and then patted the spot next to him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk,¡± he said.

    She walked over to the bed, looked down at the filthy hides that covered it, and hesitated for a moment before sitting down.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A mating inn,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Why would you bring me here?¡± she squeaked.

    ¡°Because they don¡¯t ask questions, and they don¡¯t tell stories,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Okay, but why does that matter?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The enforcers and that gamemaster¡¯s family and friends will be looking for you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Should I leave the city?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for all that. We just lay low until the rains start, and this will all blow over,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What difference will that make?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because the only reason the trade cartel is after you now is to make an example of you so they can save face. So if it takes too long to find you, people will just accuse them of grabbing some random person off the street to save face, and that would just hurt their reputation,¡± he replied.

    ¡°But what about the friends and families of the people I killed? Won¡¯t they keep looking?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I doubt it, but even if they do, they would have to prove it was you, and Vich is getting rid of everything that tied us to the square,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What about witnesses?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No one cares about witnesses here,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Why not?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Too many people are willing to lie for a few gems,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said.

    He patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Like I told you, this will all blow over. You have nothing to worry about,¡± he replied.

    She nodded.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get some sleep before the evening crowd gets here,¡± he said.

    He laid back on the disgusting hides and closed his eyes. She looked at the spot next to him and sighed before lying down.

 Chapter 110

    There was a pounding on the door.

    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± the creature that served as the frontman said through the door.

    The filthy hide covering the bed clung to her for a moment as Anna sat up, having become slightly sticky from whatever bodily fluids the prior occupants of the room had spilled on it. She shook Qrixit awake and then got off the bed, trying to wipe the stickiness from her face.

    Qrixit got out of bed and stretched before walking over to the door and pulling it open. He walked out of the room without saying a word. She followed behind him into the hallway. Other patrons of the inn were shuffling out of their rooms having been similarly rousted.

    Everyone began to make their way down the hallway heading for the door. No one made eye contact as they walked out of the dank building into the bright morning light. The former patrons scattered in all directions, themselves included the moment they were outside with Qrixit leading her further into the labyrinthine alleyways.

    ¡°So, where are we going now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A smoke den,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A vile place where you can smoke various substances that will cause you to become happy and see strange things,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, one of those places. Uh, I was always told to stay away from them,¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good advice. If you¡¯re not careful, you can get hooked on one of the substances and spend every gem you have to get more of it while you waste away,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Thokri told me,¡± she said.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Thokri?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°He, uh, raised me,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Oh, so, your father?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°No! My father abandoned me. Thokri would never¡­¡± she replied.

    The words caught in her throat, and she looked away. Qrixit put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

    ¡°My apologies,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just, I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± she replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he said.

    They walked the rest of the way to the smoke den without saying a word. She smelled their destination long before she saw it, an acrid stench hanging in the air that grew stronger with each step. The source of the stench was a dilapidated clay brick building deep in an alleyway off a small street.

    They walked up to the entrance, and Qrixit opened the door, allowing a plethora of unpleasant odors to waft out and join the smoky stench, the most concerning of which was the sickly sweet smell of death. She followed Qrixit inside. He didn¡¯t seem bothered by the stench.

    The inside was open and dimly lit. People lay on hide mats scattered around the floor smoking from long clay pipes. Qrixit walked over to an emaciated tukla sitting on a large hide. The hide had clay pipes laid out along with pouches and small lamps.

    ¡°Two pouches of rock eye and a pipe,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°Four yellow,¡± the tukla replied.

    Qrixit fished the gems from his belt pouch and held them out to the tukla who took them and tossed them into a jar. The tukla then picked up two of the pouches and one of the clay pipes and handed them to Qrixit. Then he picked up one of the small lamps and lit it with a larger lamp before holding that out.

    She took the lamp, and they walked away from the tukla heading to the back of the room. They found an empty hide near the back wall and sat down. Qrixit opened one of the pouches and took a small glass-like chunk from inside and placed it into the pipe. He motioned for the lamp, and she handed it to him. He placed the pipe in his mouth, held the lamp up to the pipe, and inhaled deeply.

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    She watched the flame suck into the bowl and lap around the glass-like substance. The surface of the substance began to bubble and then smoke. Qrixit set the lamp down and took a few long puffs from the pipe to make sure it was lit before passing it to her.

    ¡°Only a little at first. We can¡¯t be sure what this will do to your kind,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.

    She put the pipe between her lips and inhaled. A bitter-tasting smoke filled her mouth before flowing into her lungs. She took the pipe out of her mouth and blew the smoke out through her nose.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I should have known it would have little effect on you after seeing you drink erona like it was water,¡± he said.

    She passed the pipe back to Qrixit who took another puff.

    ¡°So, I get hiding at the mating inn, but why here? I mean, couldn¡¯t one of these people go and tell someone about me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. No one would believe a word they said. All of them smoked their minds away long ago,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said.

    He passed her back the pipe, and she took a puff.

    ¡°So, why are you doing this for me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I already told you. We need to lay low until the rains start,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I know that. I meant, why didn¡¯t you just run away and leave me behind when you had the chance?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t leave a friend behind,¡± he replied.

    ¡°My other friends did,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not them,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said.

    She handed him the pipe and looked away, unwilling to talk anymore. Qrixit seemed to understand and causally smoked the pipe, looking around as well.

    Why am I like this now? Why do I get all weird and upset whenever I think about my old friends? It¡¯s not like they ever did anything bad to me.

    She heard a strange sound and turned to see what was happening. A person from a species she¡¯d never seen before was shaking uncontrollably. The shaking grew more violent, and they fell over onto the hide they had been sitting on where they convulsed for a few more moments before going limp.

    Several people from nearby hides moved towards the fallen person, but when they reached the hide, instead of helping, they snatched for the pouches that were laying next to him. A struggle broke out amongst them over the limp person¡¯s meager belongings.

    The commotion drew the attention of the tukla that was selling the substances at the front of the room, and he uncoiled and picked up a long rod. He slithered over to the melee and began to viciously beat the combatants. A few solid blows from the rod seemed to take the fight out of the would-be scavengers who quickly retreated to their hides.

    The tukla watched them for a few moments before turning to the fallen person and looking them over. He jabbed at them with the rod a few times before he reached down, picked up the pouches and the lamp, and slithered back to the front when he placed the goods back in their respective rows and coiled back up.

    That was weird. The way they shook like that was kind of like when that little boy on my street did after he fell over playing. Barika said it was a seizure. I didn¡¯t think a seizure could kill a person though, and that person looks dead to me. Must have been something else then.

    She sighed and leaned back.

    ¡°How long are we going to stay here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A few days,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°Days!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a dead person right over there! It¡¯s gross!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. One of the scavenger races will eat it once it starts to stink,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°But, but that¡¯s a person!¡± she said.

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Qrixit replied.

    ¡°But they used to be a person, and people aren¡¯t supposed to eat people!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Qrixit asked.

    She was so taken aback by the question she stared at him with a shocked expression on her face for a moment.

    ¡°Because they¡¯re just not!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°They do here. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t going to tell you, but it almost happened to you,¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Those enforcers were going to drag you off into an alley and shake you down for whatever gems and valuables you had, and if it wasn¡¯t enough, they¡¯d have cut your throat and sold you to a meat stall,¡± he replied.

    ¡°But why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because they are greedy, and the meat vendors pay more than the slavers during festivals,¡± he replied.

    She stared at him in utter shock and horror.

    ¡°But, but that¡¯s, it¡¯s, it¡¯s wrong!¡± she said.

    ¡°In other places, yes, but here, it happens all the time,¡± he replied.

    She looked down at the candle for a moment, trying to process everything she¡¯d just learned.

    ¡°One of the worst crimes a person can commit in my homeland is killing and eating another person. It¡¯s completely unforgivable, and I know I¡¯m supposed to accept different customs and different laws wherever I go, but I just can¡¯t accept this. It¡¯s too much,¡± she said.

    Qrixit didn¡¯t reply right away. He just stared at her for a long while before taking a breath.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the south gate after the sun sets. It¡¯s not guarded very well because there¡¯s nothing but wilderness in that direction,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what it¡¯s worth,¡± he said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It was fun until it wasn¡¯t,¡± she replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s usually how it goes,¡± he said.

    ¡°I still consider you a friend,¡± she added.

    ¡°Good because I still am,¡± Qrixit replied.

    She sighed and then smiled.

    ¡°You know what, I never did get to see that skull,¡± she said.

    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to go and see it on the way out of the city,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Maybe not, but when will you get another chance?¡± he replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± she said.

 Chapter 111

    She followed Qrixit out of the smoking den and into the alley. The colors of the daytime had been replaced with the grays of night. Oddly, the late hour didn¡¯t seem to have dampened the revelry based on the sounds she heard echoing down the alley from the nearby street. Qrixit started to head towards the street.

    ¡°I thought we were trying to lay low,¡± she said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Most of the enforcers are tulkas, and they¡¯re rarely up this late,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Really? Why¡¯s that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They slow down when it¡¯s cool,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, they are like snakes?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, yes, I suppose they are, but like I told you, it¡¯s rude to compare them, so don¡¯t,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Right, don¡¯t want to upset the cannibals,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Just because you don¡¯t agree with part of their culture doesn¡¯t mean you can insult them,¡± he replied.

    ¡°If that part of their culture involves killing and eating people, I can insult them all I want,¡± Anna said.

    Qrixit let out an exasperated sound and walked away. She followed after.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the gate and the tarrasque skull the other way?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll need supplies for your journey. It¡¯s not going to be easy traveling during the rainy season, and I don¡¯t want to see you go off unprepared,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense,¡± she said.

    ¡°You were just going to run off into the wilderness without any supplies, weren¡¯t you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first time I did,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand just how dangerous the grasslands are during the rainy season,¡± he said.

    He¡¯s going to worry about me if I don¡¯t get supplies for the trip, so I¡¯d better do it. It just feels like a waste of gems though. I mean, everything is just going to get wet and nasty if the rain is as bad as he says it¡¯s going to be.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get them,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll make our way to one of the night markets,¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a night market?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just what it sounds like, a market open at night. They are usually run by the nocturnal peoples that live in the city,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, that makes sense,¡± she said.

    ¡°If I remember right, there should be one nearby,¡± he replied.

    They made their way through the busy streets heading to the night market. As they neared, she noticed fewer and fewer torches and braziers lighting the streets, and by the time they reached the market, the only light was that of the stars and waning moon above them.

    The festive mood in the city was less pronounced in the night market. Everyone here seemed more interested in going about their business than celebrating.

    Let¡¯s see, I¡¯ll need a pack, some food, maybe a small bedroll, and a spear should be enough to make Qrixit feel better about me leaving.

    She felt the wiggling in her chest when she thought about leaving the only friend she had on this side of the world, and part of her desperately wanted to stay.

    No, I have to go! I can¡¯t stay here, I just can¡¯t!

    She took a deep breath, hoping to calm herself.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound fine,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, I am!¡± she replied.

    She didn¡¯t wait for him to reply. Instead, she started off into the market.

    ¡°Come on, I need to find a pack to put the supplies in,¡± she added.

    After some browsing, she found a stall that was selling leather goods and started to look though the various packs they had for sale. The packs came in all shapes and sizes, most of which were clearly made for people with vastly different body types than humans. She did manage to find a large pack with multiple pouches and pockets that fit her well enough after some searching.

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    This will work!

    ¡°How much?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Ten yellow,¡± the merchant replied.

    She looked over at Qrixit who gave her a head bob indicating he thought it was a fair price. She paid the merchant and put the pack on before they moved on.

    As they passed by stalls selling everything from buttons to stone tools, she noticed a single mote of light float by.

    MANA!!!

    She looked around frantically trying to find the source of the stray mana and noticed a stall filled with sparkling crystals. She rushed over excitedly. Qrixit had to run to catch up with her.

    ¡°Slow down!¡± he said.

    She stopped in front of the stall and stared at the crystals with wide eyes, watching the mana float off them.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this! Come on!¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°What are they?¡± Anna asked the merchant, ignoring Qrixit.

    ¡°Shamanic stones,¡± the merchant said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that word before,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Shaman are people who can control the elements and speak to the spirits,¡± Qrixit replied.

    You know, that sounds like a mage, so I bet shaman is the word for mage in the trade language.

    The merchant waved his hand over the stones, and they glowed as it passed over.

    ¡°This is how you can tell they are true shamanic stones. They react to the spirit inside you,¡± the merchant said.

    On a whim she put her hands over the stones, and nothing happened.

    ¡°Not everyone has a spirit potent enough to light up the stones,¡± the merchant added.

    Qrixit scoffed.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a trick. Watch, I bet nothing happens when I do it either,¡± he said.

    He held his hand over the stones, and they glowed softly just like when the merchant did it. Qrixit had a shocked look on his face, and the merchant looked smug. At least, that¡¯s what she thought the look was. She¡¯d never seen his species before.

    Hmm, these things must be made from something that¡¯s an awful lot like focus crystals. I wonder if I could figure out how to make a magic ring or staff or something out of it? I¡¯d love to be able to cast some spells like the ones in my rings again.

    She picked up the biggest shamanic stone.

    ¡°How much is this one?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A red gem,¡± the merchant replied.

    She took a red gem from her pouch and handed it over.

    ¡°Anna! That¡¯s not worth that much!¡± Qrixit said.

    ¡°It is to me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°But why? You can¡¯t even use it!¡± he asked.

    She held the stone up and pushed a small amount of mana into it causing it to glow a bright purple. The sudden brightness caused everyone around her to cover their eyes and turn away. She immediately stopped channeling her mana, and the stone dimmed but did not go completely dark.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± she said.

    She stuffed the stone into her pack quickly.

    ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± Qrixit asked.

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure how to explain it in the trade language exactly, but I guess you could say I pushed my spirit into it,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Only shaman can do that!¡± the merchant said.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m a shaman,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Come on! We need to go!¡± Qrixit said.

    He pulled her arm and led her away from the stall quickly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Did you forget about everything that happened yesterday?!¡± he replied.

    ¡°No, but you said the enforcers were all asleep, so it¡¯s fine,¡± she said.

    ¡°I did not say that! I said the tulkas were sleeping. There are enforcers of other races!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Exactly, now come on. Let¡¯s get the rest of the things you¡¯ll need before they come looking for the strange shaman and find you!¡± he replied.

    They rushed away from the stall and quickly purchased everything she¡¯d need for a long journey into the wilderness, at least what Qrixit thought she¡¯d need, before leaving the night market. They started back towards the center of the city where the great skull was located.

    ¡°Are you sure we should be doing this? I mean, I could just leave. I don¡¯t mind,¡± she said.

    ¡°So long as we¡¯re quick, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Qrixit replied.

    They reached the center of the city over an hour later, stepping into a huge open square where a huge crowd of people surrounded a massive platform covered in giant skulls. The skulls were all from predators, and each one looked as if it could gobble down a horse in a single bite.

    ¡°That¡¯s the tarrasque skull,¡± Qrixit said.

    He pointed at the biggest skull on the platform.

    Damn those are some big teeth! Still though, I think the sea monster skull I saw on the beach was bigger.

    They made their way over to the skulls, and she looked at them for a few minutes, watching the shadows dance across them in the flickering torch light. They walked away from the skulls and headed towards the south gate, pushing through the crowds as they went.

    Qrixit looked over his shoulder when they left the square and then suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into an alley.

    ¡°Run!¡± he said.

    They both took off running. She made sure to stay just behind him, so she didn¡¯t lose him. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed that half a dozen heavily armed enforcers were just behind them. Qrixit pulled her down another alley where they rushed towards a crowded street.

    Just before they reached the street, another group of enforcers darted out from in between the buildings, cutting off their escape route. They stopped running and looked back and forth between the two groups frantically.

    ¡°Surrender and we¡¯ll make it quick!¡± one of the enforcers said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll rip your fucking heads off!!!¡± Anna replied.

    The enforcers leveled their spears and rushed at them. She clenched her hands into fists and prepared to attack.

    Suddenly, they were all showered with sparks of mana, more than she¡¯d ever seen in one place. The mana swirled into a huge ring before a loud bang sounded through the air, and a massive rush of air blasted out from inside. The enforcers scrambled backwards before they turned and ran away with Qrixit close on their heels.

    ¡°Qrixit wait!¡± she said.

    Before she could run after him, a hand reached through the ring, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her through. She blinked a few times to clear her vision from all of the mana sparks and found herself standing in a large room surrounded by human men wearing blue robes covered in stylized stars.

    ¡°Is your name Anna?¡± an old man asked.

    He was the one who had pulled her through what was undoubtedly a portal.

    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± she replied.

    He smiled at her.

    ¡°Well, then there are some people here that will be very happy to see you!¡± he said.

    ¡°Who?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll take you to them,¡± he replied.

    The portal snapped shut behind her, and the men started to file out of the room. She followed the old man out of the room. She was so confused she simply didn¡¯t know what else to do, and they walked down a long passageway. The old man pulled a door open for her and gestured for her to go inside. She walked through the door and froze when she saw who was waiting for her.

    ¡°Lass,¡± Thokri said.

    He bolted over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a big hug and lifting her off the ground. She hugged him back and squeezed him tightly while her other friends rushed over, joining in.

    After a moment, Thokri put her down and let go. She looked around at each of their smiling faces for a moment before bursting into tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she said.

 Chapter 112

    Barika pulled her into a tight hug. Anna pushed her face into Barika¡¯s shoulder and sobbed. Barika gently stroked the back of Anna¡¯s head.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s going to be alright,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want me anymore!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, child, why would you ever say a thing like that?¡± Barika asked.

    She looked up at the older woman¡¯s face.

    Why did I think that? I know they all care about me, so why did I think they didn¡¯t for so long? Is there something wrong with me? Is this another mistake The Dreamer made when it created me? Do I feel things the wrong way? Am I broken?

    She let go of Barika, stepped back, and took a deep breath.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just, it¡¯s not important. So, uh, anyway, I thought that portals could only open between two gateways, so how¡¯d one open up in the middle of an alley?¡± Anna replied.

    The old man who pulled her through the portal and brought her to the room cleared his throat and walked over.

    ¡°We used a gate spell. It can open a portal anywhere in the world and a few of the nearby plains that the caster has knowledge of,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay, but how did you know where to open it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We were looking for your mana with a scrying mirror, so when you charged up that crystal, we knew exactly where to find you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d you know what my mana looked like?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We examined your spell rings,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna said.

    The old man looked at her friends.

    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s clear that this is the woman you all asked us to find and retrieve, so I suppose our business is finally concluded,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye, that it is, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    He shook the old man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°It was a pleasure. Just let us know if you need anything else,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    The old man left the room and closed the door behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the inn and get her something to wear,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°No need. I got a blanket,¡± Anna replied.

    She took off her pack and fished out her newly purchased hide blanket and wrapped it around herself, tying it off to make a makeshift dress before putting her pack back on.

    ¡°Well, that works,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Yeah, now let''s get out of here before they find something to charge us for,¡± Elaine replied.

    Her friends all agreed. It was clear they held the mages that had rescued her in low regard, at least when it came to greed, and they left the room she¡¯d been reunited with them in and went back into the hallway where they walked through a door and into a large open room.

    The room was filled with blue robed mages who were standing in small groups chatting with each other. They paid no attention to the party as they walked towards a door on the far side of the room. Voekeer pulled the door open, and the bright light of the midday sun streamed through.

    What a minute, it was the middle of the night in the trade city. How is it daytime here?

    She followed her friends out of the building and into the bright sunlight. She found herself standing on a busy street in what was clearly a large city. The buildings that lined the street were all two or three stories tall and covered in off-white plaster that had murals painted on it. They had roofs that were made from a kind of curved brick that was dark red in color. She noticed a few of the buildings had chips and cracks in their plaster, and that underneath was stonework.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The imperial capital, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Imperial capital? As in the empire?!¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°But, why are we here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°This was the only place we could find a mage¡¯s association that had a scrying mirror and could cast the gate spell that would take the job,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, where were you anyway?¡± Lyreen asked.

    I can¡¯t tell them that! They¡¯ll hate me if they find out I¡¯m bad now!

    She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± she said.

    ¡°What? After everything we went through to get you back, you won¡¯t even tell us¡­¡± Lyreen replied.

    Voekeer put his hand on Lyreen¡¯s arm and squeezed. When she looked over at him, he shook his head no.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anna said.

    Barika patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Just tell us when you¡¯re ready, child,¡± she said.

    Anna just nodded. She didn¡¯t want to say anything else.

    They walked away from the mage¡¯s building. She wasn¡¯t sure where her friends were leading her, nor did she particularly care. As they walked down the street, she looked around, curious as to what kind of place the capital of the most powerful human nation she¡¯d ever heard of was.

    As expected of a human city, the vast majority of the people surrounding her were human with a few beast people, elves, and dwarves mixed in. The humans had similar features to Rose, with dark brown skin, brown eyes, and black hair. They were dressed in light-colored loose-fitting clothing. As they walked down the street, she could almost feel the eyes of the people around them on her.

    I¡¯m going to have to get used to getting stared at wherever I go again.

    After a few minutes of walking, they reached an inn. She could tell by the sign with a bed on it that hung above the door. Voekeer opened the door, and they all made their way inside the cozy main room of the inn. It was a pretty typical place consisting of a large open room filled with tables and chairs where guests were seated so that they could eat their meals. The moment the smell of cooking food reached her nose, her mouth started to water.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to my room. I have your things there. You can get dressed, and then we¡¯ll eat lunch,¡± Elaine said.

    She took Anna¡¯s hand and led her away from the door towards the stairs. The others went, sat at one of the large tables, and waved a server over.

    Elaine led her up the stairs and to one of the rooms that she unlocked with a key she took from one of her belt pouches. Elaine pushed the door to her room open, revealing a small space that was furnished with a bed, a writing table, and a dresser. A small window sat on the wall across from the door. It was closed, though the glass let in a great deal of light.

    Anna spotted her trusty old pack sitting next to Elaine¡¯s off in a corner. She walked over to her pack and picked it up. It was shockingly light. She opened it up and noticed that the only things it contained were a few dresses and her adventuring belt, along with her favorite knife. She looked up at Elaine who just sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We had to sell most of your things to afford the mage¡¯s fee and the journey here,¡± she said.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just use the gold I had in the guild vault?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We did, and all our gold as well, and it still wasn¡¯t enough. We ended up having to sell your house and all your furniture too, and it just barely covered the cost,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°But you all needed that gold. Why would you spend it all to get me back? I¡¯m not worth it!¡± Anna said.

    Elaine crossed her arms and gave Anna a stern look.

    ¡°You¡¯re worth it to me, and I¡¯m not the only one. The others didn¡¯t even hesitate when we found out how much it would cost to try and get you back,¡± she replied.

    Anna looked down at the floor and sighed before she placed her pack on the ground. She shrugged off the pack she¡¯d bought at the night market and took off the hide blanket as well as her lizard skin belt, placing them off to the side before taking a dress from her old pack and putting it on. She put on her adventuring belt as well. She took the gem purse from her lizard skin belt and stuffed it into one of her many belt pouches before standing up and looking back at Elaine. The necromancer smiled at her.

    ¡°Ready to eat now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    They left Elaine¡¯s room and returned to the main room of the inn where they joined the others at a large table. One of the servers came over and placed a large mug filled with frothy ale in front of her as soon as she sat down.

    ¡°We have stew, roast meat, bread and cheese, or salad. What would you like?¡± the server asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the salad,¡± Anna replied.

    The server nodded and placed a mug in front of Elaine.

    ¡°And you, miss,¡± she asked.

    ¡°Roast meat for me,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right out,¡± the server said.

    She turned and walked away from the table.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you order a salad before,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°The place I was at was filled with people that don¡¯t cook their food, so I ate nothing but raw or dried meat, and I just wanted something different,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why would you eat raw meat? I know you don¡¯t like it, and you don¡¯t need to eat,¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I was trying to fit in, but it turned out to be impossible. They were just too different,¡± Anna replied.

    She picked up her mug and took a drink, the familiar taste of ale filling her mouth. She swallowed it down and set the mug back on the table before sighing.

    I really missed this.

    ¡°Elaine told me what you all did for me, and all I can say is thank you, and I promise you all I¡¯ll make it up to you,¡± she said.

    ¡°Bah! You don¡¯t owe us a thing, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    The rest of her friends agreed.

    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m still going to, and I¡¯ll start with this,¡± she said.

    She took the gem purse from her belt pouch and handed it to Thokri.

    ¡°Can you tell if they¡¯re worth anything?¡± she asked.

    Thokri took the pouch and opened it up. He eyed the gems for a moment before taking one out and licking it. He shook his head no.

    ¡°Just quartz. They are nicely colored though, so we might be able to get a few silver for them,¡± he said.

    ¡°There¡¯s another crystal in there. It¡¯s bigger and supposably rare,¡± Anna added.

    Thokri fished out the spirit stone she¡¯d won from the first festival game and licked it.

    ¡°Just glass,¡± he said.

    Anna scoffed.

    ¡°Of course it is,¡± she said.

    Everything about that trade city was bullshit!

    Thokri put the fake gem back into the gem purse and handed it back to her. She stuffed it back into her belt pouch.

    ¡°I also have a fist-sized crystal that¡¯s something like a focus. It glowed when I pushed mana into it, so it¡¯s probably worth something,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We can worry about that later,¡± Voekeer replied.

    She nodded and took another drink.

    ¡°I know this might sound kind of weird, but how long was I gone? I sort of lost track of time,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Fourteen months,¡± Elaine replied.

    Okay, so I¡¯m six still, at least for a few more months.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°How did you manage to lose track of time?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I fell asleep,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That must have been some nap,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    The server brought their food out and placed their meals in front of them before heading back out. Anna took a fork and stabbed a bright red cherry tomato before bringing it up to her mouth and popping it inside. While this wasn¡¯t the first tomato she¡¯d ever eaten, it seemed to taste better than any of the ones she¡¯d had in the past.

    ¡°So, what happened to all of you after I was washed overboard?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We spent the rest of the storm in the hold where you left us. After that, it took everyone onboard to keep the ship from sinking while it limped to the nearest port. We waited there for a few weeks, hoping you¡¯d show up before we took another ship to Fishport, hoping that¡¯s where you were. We ended up spending the winter there and then took another ship back to Eagle¡¯s Bay before heading back to Oldforge. When we got back and you weren¡¯t there and there were no letters from you, we realized something bad must have happened, and we decided to find a way to get you back,¡± Voekeer replied.

    She nodded.

    ¡°Thanks again for this by the way,¡± she said.

    ¡°I think I speak for all of us when I say it¡¯s good to have you back,¡± Voekeer replied.

    The rest of her friends all agreed, and she smiled.

    I never should have doubted them.

 Chapter 113

    She put her fork down on her plate and leaned back, putting her hand on her now full belly.

    ¡°Oh, that was good!¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked it. Now then, since you¡¯re full, how about we get your nasty ass a bath!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Am I really that bad?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Lass, you smell like you passed out in the trash behind a brothel, and the whores took a piss on you,¡± Thokri replied.

    Well, I did sleep at that sex inn with Qrixit, so he¡¯s not far off.

    ¡°So, is there a bath here, or is there a bathhouse nearby?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a public bath that everyone uses. It¡¯s not exactly close, but it¡¯s cheap,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Aye, and after that, we can head over to the guild and let them know the lass isn¡¯t missing anymore,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°You told them I was missing?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We had to,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°So, what did they say?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The guild master about killed us when she found out,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Lass, you¡¯re the only adventurer in Oldforge that could take skull contracts alone. Of course the guild master was pissed you disappeared,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I always thought she didn¡¯t like me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°She¡¯s an orc. That¡¯s just the way they are,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°She also said to tell you she¡¯s going to wring your neck the next time she sees you,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°Really, well she¡¯s more than welcome to try,¡± Anna replied.

    Her friends laughed for a moment before getting up one by one.

    They headed out of the inn, and she followed, heading back out into the city. It was a few hours past noon as they made their way down the busy streets heading to the public baths. As Voekeer had said, the baths weren¡¯t near the inn though they weren¡¯t terribly far away either.

    The bathhouse was a massive building with huge glass windows that sat twenty or so feet off the ground on either side of the main entrance. They walked through the open double doors and into a huge room with white marble floors with columns located around the open space to hold up the ceiling. People of all shapes and sizes could be found scattered around the room, huddled together into groups, talking about all manner of things. They walked to a large counter at the back of the room where a group of young women waited.

    ¡°Welcome to the baths! How can I help you?¡± a cheerful young woman asked.

    ¡°We¡¯d just like to take a bath, that¡¯s all,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Alright, that will be one copper each, and if you change your mind and want to use the saunas or a private bath, just come back and let me know,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°We will,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He smiled at the woman, and she blushed.

    Someone¡¯s the same as always, I see.

    They paid, Thokri paid for her, and then walked into the back of the baths. Unlike the bathhouses she¡¯d been to in Oldforge and the other human cities she¡¯d been to in Therondale, this one had multiple changing rooms, and oddly, it seemed to be a mixed bath which was something she¡¯d never seen in a public bath before.

    She followed the others into one of the changing rooms where dozens of people were either dressing or undressing. Like most bathhouses, the changing room was lined with shelves where a person could leave their things and know they would be safe under the watchful eye of an attendant, which was a young human woman in this case. The party walked over to an open spot on one of the shelves where they started to undress.

    Anna, having only her dress and belt on, was the first one naked, quickly pulling off her clothing and stuffing it onto the shelf. She turned to the others who were still undressing. Rose walked over to her when she was finished, took Anna¡¯s hair in her fingers, and rubbed it. She scrunched up her face at the nasty mess, grabbed Anna by the hand, and pulled her into the adjacent washroom. She was led to one of the fountains where Rose shoved her down onto a stool and then dumped a bucket of water on her head.

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    ¡°I can wash myself!¡± Anna said.

    Rose responded by dumping another bucket of water over Anna¡¯s head and then grabbing a chuck of soap where she proceeded to scrub Anna¡¯s hair. Deciding that arguing with Rose was going to be Impossible, she reached over and took another chunk of soap, and began to wash the rest of her body. The rest of her friends joined them. She looked them over as they washed.

    I think everyone is a little thinner now.

    Rose dumped a bucket of water over Anna¡¯s head again, and the water that ran off was a dark red color like the soil from the wasteland and grasslands she¡¯d spent the last year traveling across.

    ¡°How did you get so filthy, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a bath in a few weeks,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You got that dirty in a few weeks?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    Rose started to scrub her hair again, and it took three more times to get all the grime out of her thick curly hair. Anna helped Rose wash in return for helping her with her hair. She soaped up Rose¡¯s back and ran her fingers along the crisscrossed scars that covered it as she did.

    She¡¯s lived such a hard life, and she still gave up everything she¡¯d worked for just to help me. I have to pay her back! I have to pay them all back!

    Once Rose rinsed off, they headed out of the washroom and into the main bath.

    The bath was huge, looking more like a lake than a bath. The water was a dark blue color, and steam rose from its surface into the humid air. Thousands of people were already in the baths, soaking and splashing around.

    They walked to a less crowded part of the bath and got in. By the way her friend reacted, the water was most likely very hot. Not that the temperature had any effect on her. She simply dove in and swam around some before returning to them.

    She sat next to Rose who was seated next to Thokri and leaned back against the wall. Rose put her arm around Anna¡¯s waist and pulled her close, smiling at her. Anna wrapped her arm around Rose and laid her head on the woman¡¯s shoulder. Rose leaned her head onto Anna¡¯s, and they sat there for a few moments before letting each other go.

    No one talked as they soaked in the baths, being it was quite crowded with noisy children squealing and splashing each other nearby. After a few minutes of soaking, Lyreen got up and headed back to the changing room. The rest of the party followed her shortly after.

    Anna grabbed a towel from a basket when she returned to the changing room and dried herself off before tossing it into a basket filled with wet ones. They all got dressed and left the bathhouse. Thokri pulled something from his pocket and tossed it to her when they stepped outside. She caught the object, looked down at her hand, and found her guild badge glinting in the sunlight.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need that, lass,¡± he said.

    She hugged him.

    ¡°Thanks for keeping it safe,¡± she replied.

    He patted her on the back.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said.

    From the baths, they set off towards the adventurer¡¯s guild hall that was located near the center of the city.

    As they made their way to the guild hall, they came to a bridge that spanned a large river. It was an impressive structure made from thick stone and wide enough for two large wagons to pass each other side by side. She paused halfway across and walked over to the railing where she leaned against it and looked out over the water.

    ¡°Pretty impressive how they split the river, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°They did?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Instead of just building part of the city on each bank of the river like they did at Eagle¡¯s Bay, they dug canals that divide the city into rings with a large island at the center,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Really? Why¡¯d they do that?¡± Anna asked.

    Lyreen shrugged.

    ¡°Who knows why humans do the things they do,¡± she replied.

    Elaine sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s how the city is divided into districts. The outer ring is where commoners live and work, the inner ring is where nobles live, and the island in the center is where the imperial palace is,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh, I get it. So instead of using walls, they use canals here,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Elaine said.

    They continued over the bridge and into the inner ring of the city. The road widened some, the crowds of people dispersed a bit, and there were far more carriages than in the outer ring.

    The wealth of the inner ring was apparent everywhere she looked. The buildings were all well-kept with bright paint, and colorful murals, most even had hanging flower gardens. There was even a distinct lack of rude graffiti, which she found a little disappointing. She¡¯d never been to a human city that didn¡¯t have graffiti all over it. There¡¯d even been a few stray phalluses painted on the walls of the queen¡¯s palace in Therondale¡¯s capital.

    It''s just not the same without all the peckers.

    After a short walk, they reached the main street that looped around the center of the inner ring. Most of the buildings in the inner ring seemed to be homes with a few businesses selling luxury goods mixed in.

    ¡°Uh, is this a short cut or something?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, the adventurer¡¯s guild is in the inner ring,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Why would the nobles let a bunch of adventurers hang out in their district?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because most of the adventurers in the empire are the younger sons of nobility,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they usually join the army?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Commissions in the imperial army cost a lot more than ones in Therondale or other smaller kingdoms do, so only the wealthiest families can afford them, and even then, most of them only buy them for the second or third sons. The rest have to figure it out for themselves,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°And they¡¯re alright with being adventurers? I mean, the guild doesn¡¯t have the best reputation when it comes to its members, uh, morals,¡± Anna asked.

    Thokri laughed and clapped her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s one way to put it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°The guild here isn¡¯t the same as the one back in Therondale. They don¡¯t tolerate unseemly behavior,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, child. Remember every guild hall can make up its own rules so long as they don¡¯t go against any of the guild¡¯s charter or break any of the local laws where the hall is located,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I know, I just didn¡¯t think the guild cared what we did as long as we didn¡¯t break any laws and completed the contracts we took to the client¡¯s satisfaction,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Honestly, I think that the guild hall in Oldforge was the exception more than the rule because it was out on the frontier and didn¡¯t have a lot of members,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°You think so?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I mean, the guild hall in Therondale¡¯s capital didn¡¯t have the drunken tavern feel that Oldforge¡¯s did,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like at the guild hall here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe, but we¡¯re almost there, so you¡¯ll see for yourself soon enough,¡± Elaine replied.

 Chapter 114

    The adventurer¡¯s guild hall in the imperial capital was an impressive structure to say the least. It was three stories tall and painted with a huge mural of an adventuring party facing off against a massive black dragon.

    Voekeer being in the lead, as usual, pushed open the door and walked inside. The rest of the party followed close behind.

    Inside was an open space with a counter along the rear wall where guild attendants were helping other adventurers. To the right of the entrance was another wall where multiple boards were hung, each one had different contracts pinned to it. To the left of the entrance was the dining area which was surprisingly empty considering that it was late in the afternoon.

    They walked to the rear of the building and waited in line to get to the counter. Anna looked over at the boards trying to make out the kind of quests that were available as they waited, but even her eyes weren¡¯t sharp enough to read the small text on the other side of the room.

    It was their turn at the counter a few minutes later, and a tall thin woman walked over and smiled at Voekeer brightly.

    ¡°How can I help you today?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The mages found our missing party member, and we¡¯d like to get her off the missing list,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Voekeer put his hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder, and the attendant turned to look at her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need your guild badge, miss,¡± the attendant said.

    Anna took her guild badge out and handed it to the attendant.

    ¡°Here,¡± she said.

    The attendant took her badge and went into the back room. She returned after a few minutes and handed Anna back her guild badge.

    ¡°All done,¡± she said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± the attendant asked.

    ¡°Not at the moment,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He smiled at the attendant, and she smiled back before biting her lip and looking him over. Lyreen huffed and grabbed Voekeer by the arm, pulling him away from the counter, and heading towards one of the empty tables. Thokri chuckled and winked at the attendant before the rest of the party followed the elves.

    They¡¯re the same as always, I see.

    They all sat down sat down at the table.

    ¡°Now that that¡¯s over with, I suppose we should decide what to do next?¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going back to Oldforge?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Eventually, but we have two problems. First, it¡¯s the middle of winter, and the roads aren¡¯t passable up north, and second, we don¡¯t have enough money for such a long trip,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Oh, well, I guess we need to take some jobs then,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what we were planning on doing until we found out that social status determines what contracts you can take and that commoners like us can only take the worst and lowest-paying jobs,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Easy, lass. I agree with you, but arguing with the guild won¡¯t get us anywhere,¡± Thokri replied.

    Anna sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that Elaine being a noble doesn¡¯t matter?¡± she asked.

    Elaine shook her head no.

    ¡°My family is minor nobility, and I¡¯m the fourth daughter. As far as the nobles around here are concerned, I¡¯m barely better than a commoner,¡± she replied.

    ¡°So, we either take shit jobs or leave the imperial capital. Is that about right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°And I take it the closest city with a guild we could go to is weeks away, right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Months and there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯d have the same rules for contracts as here,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Welp, I guess we¡¯re killing giant rats,¡± Anna said.

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    Lyreen groaned.

    ¡°I feel the same, child, but just remember, the baths are cheap,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Speaking of washing, did you sell my cleaning ring?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, I got it right here,¡± Elaine replied.

    She pulled the ring from one of her belt pouches and tossed it to Anna who deftly caught it and stuffed it into her own belt pouch.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Honestly, it was the one you used the most, so I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to sell it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I appreciate it. So, do we have enough to get me a club, or am I going to be killing these critters with my bare hands?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No need to buy any weapons. I still have your sword,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t you sell it? I mean, it¡¯s solid adamantine. It¡¯s worth a fortune,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We tried to, but as it turned out, everyone was afraid to buy a sword that used to belong to one of the ten dark generals,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Right, well at least I have a weapon,¡± Anna said.

    Thokri stood up.

    ¡°Might as well go and grab a contract,¡± he said.

    The rest of the party got up and followed the sullen dwarf over to the boards where they looked through the contracts commoners were allowed to take. Voekeer snatched one of the contracts from the board, and they walked back over to the attendants.

    After waiting for a few minutes, they found themselves standing at the counter once again. The tall attendant walked over, smiling when she saw Voekeer.

    ¡°So, what can I do for you now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We¡¯d like to take this contract,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He slid the contract over to the attendant who took it and looked it over.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just need the name of the party and the guild badge of the party leader,¡± she said.

    Voekeer took out his badge and handed it to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m the closest thing we have to a leader, but we don¡¯t have a name,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Well, I need to put something down, so can you think of anything?¡± the attendant asked.

    They looked at each other for a moment. It was clear that no one could think of anything until Anna snapped her fingers.

    ¡°Deoraithe,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s perfect!¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s an old dwarvish word that means wanderers,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That is rather fitting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°It really is,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll go with it then,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Great! So, uh, how do you spell that?¡± the attendant replied.

    Thokri chuckled and then told the attendant the proper spelling in common. She wrote the information down in a ledger and then stamped the contract and handed it to Voekeer.

    ¡°Just remember, there¡¯s a minimum number of vermin you have to exterminate to consider the contract complete, and you¡¯ll need to bring back proof of each kill. Not the whole corpse of course, just a piece will do like a tail, an antenna, or a slime core, that sort of thing. Oh, and if you kill more than the required amount, just bring proof of those back as well, and you¡¯ll get a bounty,¡± she added.

    ¡°Thanks, we¡¯ll see you tomorrow then,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Sounds good. Be careful though. The sewers can be dangerous,¡± the attendant said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They left the guild hall and walked back to the inn. It took them over an hour to get there, and when they arrived, they found that dinner was being served, so they sat down at a table.

    The moment they were settled, the server zipped over and took their orders before buzzing away to get their drinks.

    ¡°You know, the ale here is pretty good,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Bah! It¡¯s horse piss, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°You think so? Maybe it just tastes good to me because it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had any ale,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you remember everything perfectly, though? Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but just because I know what something tastes like doesn¡¯t mean I never want to eat it again,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I get that. I just don¡¯t get how cheap ale could taste good to you all of a sudden. I mean, you¡¯re practically a dwarf, so it¡¯s kind of strange,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna just shrugged. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure why the ale tasted so good to her, or the salad she¡¯d had earlier that day, but she wasn¡¯t going to complain about it either.

    It¡¯s like I get to try everything for the first time again, and it all tastes better now!

    She took another drink of the ale and smiled.

    I can¡¯t wait to have a mug of black ale!

    The food arrived soon after, and she happily devoured the steaming bowl of stew. Just as it had been with the salad and the ale, the stew tasted wonderful. As soon as she finished, she waved the server over and ordered another bowl.

    ¡°Easy, child. No one¡¯s going to take it from you,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna replied.

    She sipped her ale as she waited for her next bowl of stew. The server arrived with another bowl, and she dug in. She ate this one slowly, savoring each bite. The stew was filled with a generous amount of beef along with several root vegetables and a few greens she¡¯d never had before. It was seasoned with salt and dragon pepper along with a few spices and herbs that she was unfamiliar with. By the time she finished her second bowl, her friends had finished their first. The server walked over and started to collect their bowls.

    ¡°Excuse me, miss, but we are going to need another room,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ll bring you back a key after I drop these off in the kitchen,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± the server replied.

    She finished collecting the bowls and walked away from the table. Her friends each took a few copper coins and tossed them on the table. The server returned and scooped up the coins, stuffing them into her apron before fishing out an iron key and holding it out. Anna took the key and thanked the woman before putting it in one of her belt pouches. The server walked away, and they finished up their ales before heading up the stairs.

    She followed Elaine into her room and retrieved her packs before heading out and finding her own room which happened to be on the other end of the hallway from her friends. She unlocked the room with the key and went inside.  Unsurprisingly, it was nearly identical to the room Elaine was staying in. She walked over to the bed and unpacked both packs, laying her belongings out across its surface.

    Okay, so I have three extra adventuring dresses and my yellow dress as well as my cleaning ring and, according to Voekeer, my sword. I also have all the supplies I bought in the Trade City, so I¡¯m not really that bad off.

    She folded everything back up and stashed it in her old pack before setting it aside. She looked at the new pack she¡¯d just bought in the trade city and sighed.

    It¡¯s not as good as my old pack, but I guess it¡¯s worth keeping as a spare.

    She rolled the pack up and placed it next to her old one before she undressed and got into bed.

 Chapter 115

    Anna rested her hand on the pommel of her sword and watched as the guard unlocked the gate that led down to the sewer.

    ¡°Alright, here you go,¡± he said.

    He pulled the gate open. The hinges let out a loud pop followed by a squeal as the corrosion that held them shut broke free. The party walked inside, and the guard closed and locked the gate behind them.

    ¡°Good luck down there!¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They headed deeper into the sewer, traveling down a long flight of stairs before reaching another opening which led to one of the many large drainage tunnels that carried waste out of the city above. Elaine waved her hand over a lantern she had hanging from her belt, and it started to glow with a sickly green light.

    Foul water flowed down a trench in the center of the tunnel, and pathways were built on either side so that workers, or adventurers, could safely navigate the underground passageways.

    ¡°So, how far until we reach the area we need to clear?¡± Elaine asked.

    Voekeer took out the map they had just purchased from a local map maker and looked it over.

    ¡°It¡¯s about ten minutes unless we start running,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not running anywhere. I¡¯d rather not breathe this stink in any faster than I already am,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad down here,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Child, what in the world have you been smelling if you think this stench isn¡¯t that bad?¡± Barika asked.

    Anna smirked and then shifted to the side and lifted her leg slightly before unleashing flatulence so loud that the sound echoed off the walls. The smell wafted past her friends a moment later, and they started to gag and cough. Even Thokri scrunched up his nose and waved his hand in front of his face.

    ¡°Stone One¡¯s hairy asshole! What have you been eating, lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Stew with lots of potatoes, ale, and strange critter meat, raw,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be disgusted or impressed,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°You should be disgusted! Now come on, it¡¯s lingering!¡± Lyreen replied

    The elf stormed off, with the rest of the party following close behind her.

    A few minutes later, they reached an intersection in the sewer system and took the path to the left. After traveling for a few minutes, she heard the soft squeaking of rats in the distance.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting close,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know. I hear them, too,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°How are we doing this?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re normal adventurers in this city,¡± he replied.

    She drew her sword.

    ¡°Gotcha,¡± she said.

    The rest of the party readied their weapons before they continued on down the path. She spotted the giant rat soon after. The beast was the size of a large dog and was currently gnawing away on some piece of filth it dredged out of the vile sewer water. She pointed her sword at it.

    ¡°There¡¯s one,¡± she said.

    Her friends paused and looked into the gloom for a moment before spotting the rat themselves.

    ¡°So, who wants to get it?¡± Voekeer asked.

    Rose held up her bow and Voekeer nodded. She took a step forward and pulled an arrow from the quiver at her hip. It was a simple arrow with a plain iron head on a cheap shaft that used goose feathers for fletching. They weren¡¯t the usual arrows she carried, though using dwarven-made arrows to kill rats, even giant ones, in a sewer was a bit of a waste.

    Rose notched the arrow and then drew her bow, lining up the shot for a moment before letting the missile fly. It streaked across the sewer and slammed into the rat, punching right through its chest. The rat let out a pained squeak and then fell over, flopping around for a moment before going still.

    They walked over to the corpse, and Anna poked it a few times with her sword to make sure it was dead. Once they were satisfied that it was indeed dead, Rose yanked her arrow out and Thokri hacked off its tail, stuffing the floppy appendage into a roughly woven sack before they pushed the dead rat into the sewage. She watched as it floated away before they walked away.

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    They encountered another three rats in the next few minutes with Elaine and Lyreen making quick work of them with their spells. Next, they encountered a swarm of giant cockroaches. Elaine blasted them with a cone of green flames, and then Anna snapped off their antennae and tossed them in the sack with the giant rat tails.

    Suddenly the water seemed to move, and a sharp smell filled the air. A large slime oozed out of the water and onto the walkway, heading right for them. Anna darted forward, shoved her sword into the slime¡¯s thick membrane, and drove the tip of her sword into its core.

    The moment the sword penetrated the core, the slime stopped moving and started to go slack. She slowly pulled her sword out, using the blade to cut a larger hole in the membrane in the hopes of getting the core out without it falling off the blade.

    After some careful maneuvering, she managed to extract the core still on the sword and held it up like some kind of bizarre kabob. She waved it back and forth to dry off the slime that clung to it before taking it off the blade and dropping it into the sack with the other vermin parts. She pushed the slime¡¯s carcass into the water with her foot, watching it sink down beneath the surface.

    ¡°Those things are so nasty!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I kind of like them. They¡¯re all squishy and jiggly,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Gross!¡± Lyreen said.

    They continued their hunt, spending the next few hours clearing out the area of the sewer marked on the contract. They ended up filling four sacks with vermin parts which was far more than the amount required to complete the contract. They left the sewer.

    Heading back to the entrance, Voekeer rapped on the gate when they reached it, and the guard sauntered over, unlocked the gate for them, and pulled it open. They filed out, and he closed and locked it behind them.

    They walked away from the sewer entrance and headed back to the main street that looped around the outer ring of the city. People scurried out of the way as they walked, giving the party a wide berth as they made their way down the street.

    I guess there¡¯s one good thing about smelling so bad.

    They arrived at the adventurer¡¯s guild just after noon and walked inside. It was busy with well-dressed adventurers seated at the many tables, standing in front of the contract boards, or waiting in line to see an attendant.

    As the party made their way to the rear of the building, the other adventurers scattered just as the people in the streets had, allowing them to walk right up to the counter.

    Anna and Thokri placed the sacks on the counter, and vile fluids oozed out of the bottoms onto the polished wooden surface. With a look of utter disgust on her face, one of the guild attendants opened the sacks and began to remove the contents, placing them on the counter next to the sacks in neat piles based on species.

    As the piles grew larger, curiosity overtook their disgust, and the other adventurers started to gather around. Once the attendant finished, she wiped her hands off on one of the sacks before taking the contract from Voekeer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go to the back to get your reward. We don¡¯t keep that much silver up front,¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Voekeer replied.

    She turned to walk away, nodding at some of the other attendants who walked over and started to stuff the piles of vermin parts back into the sacks before tying them closed and carrying them away.

    Anna took out her cleaning ring, put it on before walking over to the counter, and held her hand out. She gently pushed mana into the ring, activating its complex spell. A soft light flowed out, and the filth started to disappear.

    Once the counter was cleaned off, she took her ring back off and put it back into her belt pouch. She winked at the attendants who were watching, causing them to grin. The attendant returned carrying a large bag of silver coins and placed it on the counter.

    ¡°There you go. Is there anything else I can do for you today?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s all,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Have a nice day,¡± she said.

    ¡°You, too,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Voekeer picked up the bag of silver, and they walked away from the counter. They went to one of the tables and sat down. Voekeer dumped the bag of silver onto the table and started to count it out.

    She glanced at the coins as he carefully placed them into stacks of ten. On one side was the profile of a man with a strong jaw and a hooklike nose. On the other side was the stylized image of the sun with the words ¡®May the light guide our way¡¯ in old imperial. Voekeer finished quickly and then pushed a few stacks towards each of them.

    ¡°Honestly, we made more than I thought we would,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye, there were a lot more critters down there than I expected,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because no one takes the extermination quests on a regular basis. I mean, just look around, you think any of these cream puffs are going to slogging around in a sewer hunting vermin for a few silvers?¡± Anna said.

    Her friends looked around at the well-dressed men that filled the adventurer¡¯s guild for a moment.

    ¡°Aye, you got a point there, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Well, whatever the reason, it means more easy work for us,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°It might be easy, but it still stinks!¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna grinned at her.

    ¡°I swear by the Tree¡¯s leaves, if you do it again, I¡¯ll stuff a cork in your ass!¡± Lyreen snapped.

    ¡°You promise?¡± Anna asked.

    Lyreen got a disgusted look on her face, causing Anna to burst into laughter. Her friends started to laugh a moment later, and even Lyreen managed to crack a smile.

    ¡°You really haven¡¯t changed, have you?¡± Lyreen asked.

    The smile fell from Anna¡¯s face, and she sighed. She took the stacks of coins from the table and put them in her belt pouch before standing up.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go get washed up,¡± she said.

    Her friends were shocked by her sudden change in mood. They stopped laughing, a concerned look on their faces. She pushed the chair back under the table and walked away, heading for the door. Thokri jumped up and rushed over, grabbing her by the arm and spinning her around to face him.

    ¡°What¡¯s got into you, lass?¡± he asked.

    How am I supposed to tell him I¡¯m different now? How do I even explain everything I saw and did? How can I explain that there might be something wrong with the way I feel? I just can¡¯t do it right now.

    ¡°Nothing, I just really want to get washed,¡± Anna replied.

    She fully expected him to press her about her outburst, so when he just let go of her arm and gave her a pat on the shoulder, she wasn¡¯t sure what to do.

    ¡°Aye, let¡¯s go get cleaned up,¡± he said.

    The rest of the party joined them a moment later, and then they left the adventurer¡¯s guild.

 Chapter 116

    ¡°We can go and get some sweets after the baths if you want,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah, there are all kinds of sweets shops in the city. They even have one that just sells baked treats,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Even cupcakes?!¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Even cupcakes,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°We have to go now!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Not before we get washed, child,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna said.

    Her friends smiled at her sudden excitement, unbeknownst to them though, it was all just an act.

    While she was looking forward to eating sweets again, especially cupcakes, the anxious feeling kept growing inside her since she¡¯d been pulled through the portal and reunited with her friends. The feeling had gotten so bad after Lyreen¡¯s simple statement about Anna not changing that she wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to scream, cry, or run away and hide in a hole somewhere. It was all she could do to keep smiling in the hopes that the others wouldn¡¯t notice her inner turmoil.

    I should be happy now, so why do I feel worse than I did in the Trade City?

    They made their way to the baths, each of them paying the fee when they arrived before heading to the changing room. After they undressed, she used her cleaning ring to take care of the smell that had clung to their clothing and equipment.

    Once finished, they went to get washed up and then went to the bath to soak. It was less crowded than the day before, though there were still quite a few people. The party found a spot away from the others and got into the steaming water, sitting close to one another.

    ¡°You know, hunting in the sewers isn¡¯t so bad if it gives us an excuse to come here every day,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I was just thinking the same thing,¡± Elaine replied.

    They left the baths a few minutes later and went to the changing room. Anna went to the shelf her things were on, took her dress from the shelf, and pulled it over her head. Once it was on, she looked around and noticed that every man in the room was staring at her. They all looked away when they noticed she¡¯d caught them and went back about their business as if they hadn¡¯t been gawking a moment before.

    She turned back to the shelf and put her belt back on before taking her sword from the shelf and sliding the baldric strap over her shoulder. She adjusted it until the scabbard hung at her hip. She waited for her friends to get dressed, and then once they had, the party left the changing room and then headed out of the building.

    Once they were back on the street, they headed off towards the sweets shop that Lyreen had mentioned previously. The sweets shop was located in a nicer part of the outer ring. She assumed it was where the more well-to-do commoners lived, and while it didn¡¯t hold a candle to anywhere on the inner ring, that wasn¡¯t really a fair comparison considering the vast difference in wealth between commoners and nobles.

    Anna smelled the sweets shop long before they arrived, and the anticipation managed to drive back her anxiety, for the moment anyway. The front of the shop was different from the buildings that surrounded it. There was a large lattice window to the right of the entrance with a flower garden below it. Despite being so late in the year, there were still a multitude of colorful flowers blooming, their sweet scent mixing in with the aroma of the treats that lay behind the brightly painted door.

    Voekeer pushed the door open, and a bell chimed. They walked into the sweets shop, and she looked around. The walls were lined with shelves that contained clear glass jars, each full of candy or some other confectionery. There was a large counter along the back wall that had a glass front built into part of it. On the other side of the glass were the larger treats, which included a large selection of cupcakes. The sight of her favorite treat caused her to shiver with excitement. Thokri chuckled and patted her on the back.

    ¡°Come on, lass. Let¡¯s get you a few,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aye!¡± Anna replied.

    The others chuckled at her response as they walked up to the counter. A young man, or older teen, she couldn¡¯t tell, was standing behind it. He watched them as they walked up.

    ¡°I¡¯d like one of the cupcakes with the pink frosting,¡± she said.

    ¡°Sure thing. Do any of you want something while I have the case open?¡± he replied.

    ¡°Aye, I¡¯ll take a pink one, too,¡± Thokri added.

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    The rest of her friends picked out treats from the case. She took out a silver coin and handed it to the young man.

    ¡°I got it,¡± she said.

    ¡°Thanks, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    Her other friends thanked her as well. The young man got a few coppers and handed them to her to make change for the silver coin. Once she stuffed the copper into her belt pouch, she took a bite of the cupcake. The frosting was sweet and flavored with berry juice which complimented the light and fluffy cake that it sat upon perfectly.

    This is soooo good! I think this is the best cupcake I¡¯ve ever had! Well, that or my taste is still off. Either way, I like it!

    She nibbled at the cupcake as they walked out of the sweets shop.

    I¡¯ll have to go back there for some candy later.

    They started back towards the inn. She finished her cupcake as they walked down the main street and started to look at the shops as they walked past. There was a wide variety of businesses with everything ranging from clothing shops to places that sold magical tools.

    ¡°Mind if we look in there?¡± she asked, pointing at the magical tool shop.

    Her friends all shrugged, and they walked over to the shop. It had a large glass window like the sweets shop but lacked the windowsill garden as well as the bright paint on the door that the other establishment had.

    She pushed the door open and went inside to find a space that was laid in a similar fashion to the sweets shop with shelves lining the walls and a counter along the rear wall. The shelves in this particular establishment were filled with all manner of magical doodads and thingamajigs with the more expensive-looking ones locked inside the glass case built into the rear counter.

    Sparks of mana floated around the room being emitted from some of the tools and sucked into others. A straggly-looking young woman with while hair and thick glasses stood behind the counter. She was currently examining the inner workings of a mana lamp while another woman looked on.

    ¡°Looks like the focus crystal was cracked when it fell,¡± the woman behind the counter said.

    ¡°Dammit! Can you fix it?¡± the other woman replied.

    ¡°Sure, no problem. It will only take a few minutes,¡± the woman behind the counter said.

    ¡°Great! So, how much will it cost?¡± the other woman asked.

    ¡°Two silver,¡± the woman behind the counter replied.

    The other woman sighed, took two silver coins from her coin purse, and handed them to the woman behind the counter. The woman behind the counter took the coins and pocketed them.

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long. You can wait here if you like,¡± she said.

    ¡°Great! Say, do you have anything that can help with mice?¡±  the other woman asked.

    ¡°Sure do, they are right over there,¡± the woman behind the counter replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the other woman said.

    The other woman walked over to the shelf the woman behind the counter pointed to and started to look at the magic tools sitting there.

    Anna started to walk around the shop, looking at the items for sale. She found a dizzying array of magical items, more than she¡¯d ever seen in one place, and many of which she¡¯d never seen before.

    She wandered over to one of the shelves, picked up a box, and looked it over. It was made from thin metal and had a tight-fitting lid covering the top. She took off the lid and looked inside. Finding nothing more than empty space, she put the lid back on, flipped it upside down, and discovered a complex spell engraved into the bottom with a tiny bead-sized focus crystal embedded into the center of the spell.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting one of those,¡± the other woman said.

    ¡°What does it do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, it preserves food,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Really, for how long?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It depends on what you put in it. I¡¯ve heard that even fresh meat can last a few months in one,¡± the woman replied.

    That sounds really useful. I wonder how much they want for this thing?

    She looked around and noticed a paper tag attached to the shelf just below the box. On it was what she assumed was the price for the preservation box. After reading it, she carefully put the box back on the shelf.

    Yikes! It¡¯s not worth that much.

    The woman laughed.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I did when I first saw the cost! Still, the thought of eating fresh strawberries in the wintertime does make it tempting,¡± she added.

    ¡°It would probably get old after the first year. I mean, if you had them all the time, they¡¯d just be normal after a while,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I never thought of it that way, but I still I don¡¯t see how fresh strawberries could get old,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°It would for me. That¡¯s all I was saying,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, everyone is different,¡± the woman said.

    That¡¯s the understatement of the century there.

    ¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go and check to see if my lamp is done. Have a good day, miss,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°You, too,¡± Anna replied.

    The woman walked away, and Anna went back to looking over the shelves before finally reaching the display case at the back of the room. She crouched down and examined the contents through the thick glass.

    Fancy, but I don¡¯t really need anything here.

    She got back up and walked over to Elaine who was fiddling with a small metal rod.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Supposably it makes hot tea,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s like Thokri¡¯s flask?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s similar,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, why¡¯s it a rod and not a tea pot or something?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s easier to carry this around than a tea pot,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Anna said.

    Elaine grabbed her by the jaw and squeezed her cheeks.

    ¡°Open up!¡± she said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I want to know what it tastes like, but I have no idea how hot it¡¯s going to be, and I don¡¯t want to burn my mouth,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Fine, but just be gentle. It¡¯s my first time,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just put the tip in,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s what they all say,¡± Anna said.

    Elaine chuckled and then tilted Anna¡¯s head back. Anna opened her mouth, and Elaine stuck the tea rod in and activated it. Hot tea gushed out, filling Anna¡¯s mouth. She swallowed it down quickly and then pulled away from Elaine making a face.

    ¡°That bad?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s actually pretty good. It¡¯s just not sweet at all!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ah, well, that¡¯s not a problem. I can always pack a little sugar,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°So, are you going to get it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be nice to have some tea whenever I want,¡± Elaine replied.

    They walked to the counter at the back of the building where Elaine paid for her tea rod. None of the others had found anything they wanted, so the party left the shop and headed back to the inn.

 Chapter 117

    They walked up to the gate to the old cemetery. Anna glanced at the statues that were carved into the tall stone wall that surrounded it. The statue on the left depicted a youthful man, one clearly in the prime of his life. The statue on the right depicted a skeletal figure, it resembled a corpse that had been entombed for many years, though not long enough for all the flesh to disintegrate.

    The two statues were reaching for one another with their hands meeting above the gate. Below their arms was an inscription in old imperial. It read, ¡®Remember that you must die¡¯. She pondered the phrase for a moment before turning her gaze to the gate itself.

    Like most ancient gates built by humans, it was made from solid bronze. The image of the black god had been cast into the surface. He was holding his arms out in a welcoming fashion.

    Voekeer held out his guild badge to the mortuary guard standing just to the right of the gate. The guard was a grim-looking man to say the least and was wearing a black robe that covered him completely. She heard the sound of metal clinking when he moved to get a closer look at Voekeer¡¯s badge, indicating that he was probably wearing armor under the robe.

    ¡°What is your business here?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to investigate a disturbance at the Reinhart family crypt,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°May I take a look at the contract?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He handed the contract to the guard who looked it over.

    ¡°How¡¯s the lad see through that hood?¡± Anna asked in dwarven, leaning close to Thokri.

    The dwarf shrugged, and the guard looked up at her.

    ¡°In the future, you should refrain from talking about others in languages not commonly spoken in the region. It¡¯s not polite,¡± he said.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No need to apologize. I¡¯m not upset. It was just something you should consider in the future, and to answer your question, the hood doesn¡¯t obscure my vision in the slightest,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay, thanks,¡± she replied.

    The guard handed the contract back to Voekeer who rolled it up and stuffed it back into one of his belt pouches.

    ¡°I would also like to remind you that necromancy is strictly forbidden in the cemetery,¡± the guard added, glancing at Elaine before turning his gaze back to Voekeer.

    ¡°We understand,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Good, then you may enter,¡± the guard said.

    He gestured at the other guard, who had thus far remained motionless, and they both moved to the gate and pushed the heavy doors open. The party walked into the cemetery, and the gate started to close behind them. There were two more guards on this side of the gate. They nodded at the party as they passed by.

    The cemetery was a somber place filled with ancient marble buildings. It felt as if she¡¯d stepped into another world when compared to the busy city on the other side of the gate.

    They walked down the long stone path that led to the heart of the cemetery. The buildings grew larger and more elaborate the deeper they walked, changing from small structures the size of a simple tool shed to ones that resemble the grand homes of the elite located in the inner ring of the city. Voekeer stopped in front of one of the grand crypts and took out the contract, looking it over before looking at the crypt again.

    ¡°This is the one,¡± he said.

    ¡°How many people are buried here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Thousands upon thousands, child. The Reinharts are an ancient family. They can trace their roots to the founding of the empire,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    Voekeer took a key from his belt pouch, walked over to the crypt door, and unlocked it. He pushed it open. They walked into the crypt, and Voekeer closed and locked the door behind them, putting the key back into his belt pouch.

    The entry way to the crypt was a short hallway that led to a large round room. In the center of the room lay a sarcophagus made from white marble with the figure of a man wearing armor carved into the lid as if he were lying down. On the side of the sarcophagus there was a well-worn inscription in old imperial that read, ¡®Here lies Richard Reinhart. He was a great man, and now he is dead¡¯.

    You don¡¯t say.

    They walked further into the room, and she looked around. The walls were lined with alcoves that contained more sarcophagi. Each one had another figure carved into the lid and simple epitaphs etched into the sides. There were three doors that led to the various sections of the crypt, one to the left, one to the right, and one on the rear wall. The party walked to the door located at the rear of the main chamber, and Voekeer took the key back out of his belt pouch.

    ¡°Alright, according to the client, we can access the lower level from the rear chamber. There''s supposed to be a gate on the stairs, but the servant who heard something coming from the lower level wasn¡¯t sure what it was. He only said he heard chewing, so we should get ready in case whatever it was figured out how to get through the gate,¡± Voekeer said.

    She drew her sword and walked up to the door.

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    ¡°Open it. I¡¯ll go first,¡± she replied.

    The rest of her friends readied their weapons, and Voekeer unlocked the door and pulled it open quickly.

    A gust of foul air hit her as she rushed through the opening into another hallway. Nothing but fetid air awaited them on the other side, so they closed and locked the door behind them before making their way into the rear chamber.

    It was much smaller than the main chamber, though its walls were still lined with alcoves. They were smaller than the ones in the main chamber, and so were the sarcophagi which were plain and lacked the figures carved into the lids. They did have epitaphs carved into them, and when she read a few, she realized they were all women.

    The gate that led to the lower level was in the center of the room, covering the stairs that led downward. She walked over to the gate, discovering it to be the source of the foul smell.

    ¡°Phew! That stinks!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°At least it¡¯s better than the sewers,¡± Elaine replied

    ¡°I know, right? Now, if someone had just told the guild she was a noble last month, maybe we wouldn¡¯t have had to spend so much time in them!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Well, maybe you should have told them you were a princess then!¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not a princess!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°You could have fooled me!¡± Elaine replied.

    I really am the only one that changed in the last year.

    She went back to investigating the gate, ignoring her friends¡¯ bickering. It was a massive iron structure lying over the opening to the stairwell. It seemed oddly out of place, almost as if it had been added in the millennia since the crypt¡¯s construction. The fact that it was made from iron and not bronze gave credence to this idea, however its origins weren¡¯t her foremost concern at the moment. The fact that it was damaged was.

    ¡°Uh, Elaine, are zombies stronger than whatever race they were made from?¡± Anna asked.

    Elaine turned to look at her and frowned.

    ¡°No, why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, then something else is down there, and whatever it is can bend three-inch-thick iron bars,¡± Anna replied.

    She gestured at the damaged gate with the tip of her sword, and the rest of the party looked down at it. Thokri stroked his beard a few times and then spat on the ground next to the gate.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this thing open, lad,¡± he said.

    Voekeer nodded and then used the key to unlock the gate. Anna stood at the head of the staircase with her sword at the ready as the men opened the gate, preparing to defend them if whatever was lurking down there decided to attack. They flipped the gate open and carefully set it on the ground, making sure not to damage the marble as they did. Once they finished, the party lined up behind her, and she started down the stairs.

    The marble steps were cool beneath her bare feet, and a slight cool breeze rushed past her face, carrying the stench of death. She reached the bottom of the long staircase and paused to look around. The stairs led to a long hallway that reached back to where the front of the crypt was located a floor above. The walls of the hallway were filled with alcoves that contained sarcophagi along with multiple passageways that led to other parts of the lower crypt.

    Dim mana lamps were mounted to the walls every few yards. They gave off a soft blue-white light. The entire area was in a shambles with sarcophagi torn open. The corpses they contained were ripped apart and gnawed upon before what remained was strewn around.

    ¡°Well, that explains the chewing sound the servant heard,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°What could have done this?!¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°My best guess would be ghouls, probably a pack of them,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°How do ghouls differ from zombies?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re tougher and faster, lad. Got long claws and sharp teeth, too,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°They¡¯re also intelligent, at least compared to zombies,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°Great, smarter faster undead,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I wonder how they got here? There isn¡¯t that much death mana, at least not that I can see anyway,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Really? But there are so many bodies,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Everyone buried here was purified before they were put in their tombs, and the whole crypt was consecrated by the black god. I¡¯d be surprised if there was death mana,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Okay, so if there¡¯s no death mana, then why are there undead running around?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re here to find out, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    With that, they started off into the lower level of the crypt, making their way past the torn corpses and debris. They paused at the first of the passageways, and she poked her head around the corner, peering down both paths before turning back to her friends.

    ¡°The gates are still intact. It doesn¡¯t look like the ghouls, or whatever they are, got into any of the side chambers,¡± she said.

    ¡°Good, we¡¯ll still have to check them on the way just to make sure, but at least we don¡¯t have to worry about something sneaking up and biting us in the ass now,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They moved on, pausing at any passageways they found and checking to make sure their gates were still intact, before finally reaching a large chamber at the end of the hallway. She paused at the opening and glanced around the room, searching for potential threats before stepping inside.

    The chamber was in worse condition than the hallway with entire sarcophagi pulled from their resting places and smashed. She took a few steps into the room before the sound of enraged screams filled the air.

    The ghouls burst out of their hiding places and came rushing at her. They were a hideous sight, with thin mottled skin pulled tightly over taught muscles. Sharp claws jutted from elongated fingers and black needle-like teeth could be seen in snarling maws.

    When the closest one reached her, it hesitated for a moment, its rage seemingly replaced by terror. Before it could flee, she cleaved its head from its shoulders and kicked its body into the ghouls. They crashed to the floor, struggling to get out from under their fallen comrade. One managed to work its way free and jump up only to have an arrow sprout out of its eye. It fell back to the floor limply. A moment later, the struggling ghouls were pelted with force bolts.

    After the barrage, the undead lay still. A deep growl came from behind the central sarcophagi, and a huge undead stalked out. It bore a strong resemblance to the ghouls, though it was much larger and had a foot-long tongue dangling out of its mouth. A horrid stench wafted past as the creature came into view. Suddenly Barika stepped forward and leveled her staff at the monster.

    ¡°BEGONE!!!¡± she shouted.

    A ball of golden flame the size of an apple shot out of her staff and struck the undead square in the chest. The monster was engulfed in holy flames and let out an unearthly wail before collapsing to the ground and burning to ash in moments.

    ¡°What the fuck! What was that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That was a ghast. They are a more dangerous type of ghoul,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°No, not that! I mean the fireball. I didn¡¯t know you could cast spells!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That was not a fireball, child. It was a holy bolt, and it¡¯s not a spell,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna said.

    She walked away from the party and over to the pile of dead ghouls which she poked at with her sword to make sure they were all dead, or rather deader, before walking over to the pile of ash that once was the ghast.

    Something glinted in the light, and she leaned down and brushed the ash away from what turned out to be a ring. She picked up the ring and looked it over. The ring was solid gold and had the Reinhart family crest etched into the top.

    Bet it ate someone that had this on. I¡¯ll give it to the client when we go and see them.

    She stuffed the ring into her belt pouch and walked away from the ashes, heading towards the central sarcophagus. The smell of decay grew as she approached, becoming so bad she simply stopped breathing.

    Once she reached the sarcophagus, she walked around it to where the ghast had been hiding and discovered that it had been pushed to the side and that there was a large opening underneath it, leading further underground.

    ¡°Hey! I think I found where they came from!¡± she said.

 Chapter 118

    The others gathered around the opening Anna discovered, each one staring into the darkness for a moment before looking back up.

    ¡°Can you see anything?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s another set of stairs, but they look rough,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Rough?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Like it was quickly carved out and not dressed or anything,¡± Anna replied.

    Voekeer gave her a look.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing, just move the sarcophagus,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Anna said.

    She sheathed her sword, stepped to the edge of the opening, curled her toes over the opening, crouched down and put her hands on the side of the sarcophagus, and gave it a hard shove. It slid about ten feet away from the opening and revealed the staircase beneath.

    ¡°Lass, ya overdid it,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°It was lighter than I expected,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Did you just say the giant stone box was light?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No, I said it was lighter than I expected,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen just shook her head and looked down into the opening in the floor.

    ¡°I take it back. This is worse than the sewer,¡± she said.

    ¡°Pay¡¯s better though,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Not by much,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Bah!¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out myself if you all want to stay up here,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No way! Stink or no stink, I¡¯m not letting you out of my sight again!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°But you already have. I mean, you don¡¯t follow me to the shitter or anything,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t want to die,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Hey, that cleared up after a few days of eating good food,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not worth the risk, child,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Can we just go into the stinking hole already?!¡± Lyreen asked.

    Anna smirked at the flustered mage and drew her sword before starting down the steps.

    The stone was rough and cool beneath her feet. As she descended, death mana grew thick in the air, and once she reached the bottom of the stairs, it was as thick as morning fog. The stench was as thick as the fog, so much so she could taste the corruption in the air. She stopped breathing and spat to spare herself and then stepped into the small room that lay at the foot of the stairs.

    Directly ahead of her was an altar. It was covered with a black cloth and had a statue of a skeletal figure holding a broken set of scales in the center. Towards the rear, in front of the statue, was an offering bowl that was filled with unidentifiable lumps of decomposing flesh.

    On either side of the bowl were candlesticks that were made from darkened bone and covered in a pale waxy substance. The bowl was the source of the death mana. It billowed out like smoke from a censer. Sickly green light from Elaine¡¯s lantern suddenly filled the small space as her friends walked up behind her.

    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°If you think it¡¯s an alter to Uxlon, then you¡¯d be right,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Uxlon? I¡¯ve never heard that name before,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. He¡¯s the god of the undead, and his worship is banned in the empire and most other places,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°God of the undead? That sounds creepy as fuck,¡± Anna said.

    Barika laughed.

    ¡°Oh child, that¡¯s an understatement,¡± she replied.

    She walked over to the altar and looked it over.

    ¡°Anna, crush this statue to dust. Lyreen, burn the altar with the hottest fire you can conjure, and Elaine, draw off as much of the death mana as you can so that I can purify it,¡± she said.

    Anna picked up the statue and snapped it in half. An otherworldly wailing erupted from the broken halves, and a black mist poured out and swirled around her head.

    ¡°OH, GREAT GODDESS! I BESEECH THEE! BLESS THIS PLACE AND DRIVE THE EVIL BACK TO WHENCE IT CAME!¡± Barika shouted.

    She slammed her staff into the ground, and a pulse of golden light shot out, filling the room. The broken statue in her hands evaporated, as did the altar, the offering bowl, and its vile contents. The light faded, and Barika sagged down, leaning heavily on her staff. Elaine threw her arm around the older woman¡¯s waist to steady her.

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    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yes, child, thank you,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That statue was cursed, and had anyone else broken it, their soul would have been carried away straight to the undead god¡¯s domain,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay. So, why did everything disappear like that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I asked the goddess to consecrate this place, and because she is far more powerful than Uxlon and opposes everything he stands for, anything blessed by him was destroyed,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna glanced around the room. It was now spotless and warm with a slight floral scent hanging in the air.

    ¡°He blessed the crud?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Uxlon is also the god of corruption and decay, so yes, he blessed the crud,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°So, he¡¯s the god of nasty shit then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s one way to put it,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna looked around the room one more time before heading for the stairs. Her friends followed after, and they climbed back up to the upper level where they finished searching the large chamber.

    ¡°Hey, come look at this!¡± Lyreen said.

    The rest of the party walked over to see what she had found. The elf was crouched behind one of the ruined sarcophagi. She gestured to a pile of refuse that contained all manner of broken useless junk. Lyreen reached down, picked up a large emerald, and held it up for everyone to see.

    ¡°This pile is filled with all kinds of broken jewelry and other stuff!¡± she said.

    Elaine snorted.

    ¡°What?¡± Lyreen asked.

    Elaine pointed at the pile.

    ¡°That¡¯s where the ghouls were taking a shit,¡± she said.

    Lyreen got a horrified look on her face and dropped the emerald. The rest of the party broke into laughter, causing Lyreen to flush red.

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡± she said.

    This only caused everyone to laugh even harder, much to the elf¡¯s annoyance. Their laughter didn¡¯t last long, and soon they went back to searching. Anna lingered at the pile for a moment before taking the ring she¡¯d found in the ashes of the ghast out of her belt pouch and tossing it onto the pile and walking away.

    There. The family will find it there, and I don¡¯t have to talk to them.

    She joined up with her friends at the entrance of the room before they walked back into the hallway and made their way to the stairs, stopping to check each of the locked chambers. After making sure they were undisturbed, the party headed back up the stairs and closed and locked the gate to the lower level before walking out of the crypt and back into the old cemetery.

    The sun was high in the sky, or rather, as high as it got in what passed for the middle of winter in this part of the world. Its position indicated that it was just past noon, meaning they had spent the entire morning in the crypt.

    I bet everyone is hungry. Too bad we have to take the key back to the Reinharts and tell them what we found before we can go back to the guild. Oh well, at least we¡¯re just meeting with the steward and not the lord himself. That would take forever!

    The mortuary guards let them pass without question when they reached the gate, and they headed towards the nearest bridge that led to the inner ring.

    I still want to know why a cemetery filled with nobles'' crypts is in the part of the city where commoners live.

    Unfortunately, no one had been able to answer that particular question, so she assumed it was just going to be another thing she¡¯d have to wonder about.

    They crossed over the bridge and into the inner ring where they made their way to the northeastern section where the Reinhart manor was located.

    There wasn¡¯t much in the way of foot traffic anywhere in the inner ring, so they made it to the northeastern section quickly. They turned down one of the side streets that led towards the inner canal which separated the inner ring from the central island.

    The imperial capital was like most human cities she¡¯d visited with the homes growing more extravagant the closer to the center. The finest homes were right next to the canal which happened to be where the Reinhart manor was located.

    A tall fence made from spiked iron bars surrounded the property. They walked up to the gate where two guards in gleaming armor stood at attention.

    ¡°Afternoon. We are here to give Mr. Yolm back the crypt key and make our report,¡± Voekeer said.

    He took out his guild badge and held it out for the guards to see. The man took a look at it and nodded.

    ¡°He¡¯s expecting you,¡± the guard said.

    He turned around, opened the gate, and then gestured for them to enter. They walked past the gate and down the short path that led to the door. Voekeer knocked. A young man answered the door and gestured for them to come inside. They walked inside, and he closed the door and then led them to a small waiting room next to the entrance.

    ¡°Mr. Yolm will be with you shortly,¡± he said before leaving.

    It was the same room where they had met with the steward that morning. The room was well furnished and filled with chairs as well as a large table in the center. They walked over to the table and sat down. They didn¡¯t have to wait long before the door opened again and Mr. Yolm walked in.

    He was an older man with graying hair and dark eyes that swept the room. He had a stern look on his face, the same one he¡¯d had when they¡¯d met him. It was almost as if he was disgusted by their presence though she couldn¡¯t be sure. They stood up, and he walked over to the table and shook Voekeer¡¯s hand before gesturing for them to sit back down. They did, and then he joined them, sitting in the chair closest to Voekeer.

    ¡°Now then, what did you find down there?¡± he asked.

    ¡°A pack of ghouls being led by a ghast,¡± Voekeer replied.

    The steward lost his composure and a look that was somewhere between shock and fear grew on his face.

    ¡°But, that¡¯s not possible! The crypt is cleansed and blessed twice a year!¡± he said.

    ¡°There is a chamber underneath the far room on the lower level. It was covered by the central sarcophagus. We found an altar to Uxlon that had an offering on it. We believe that¡¯s where the undead came from,¡± Voekeer replied.

    The steward paled.

    ¡°Did you destroy it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, our priestess called on the great goddess who cleansed the entire chamber,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Thank the goddess for her mercy. I¡¯ll make sure and send an appropriate offering to her temple,¡± he said.

    He glanced over at Barika who nodded before looking back towards Voekeer.

    ¡°Now then, what was the state of the lower level?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s in poor shape. Most of the sarcophagi have been damaged, and the remains were consumed by the undead,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°By the gods!¡± Mr. Yolm said.

    He pursed his lips and then sighed.

    ¡°If news of this were to get out, it would cause quite a scandal,¡± he added.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Good, now then, may I have the contract?¡± Mr. Yolm asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He took the contract from his belt pouch and handed it to the steward who pulled a strange pointed rod from his pocket. He pressed a gem embedded in the side of the rod and it sparkled with mana. Ink welled up on the point.

    A magic quill! I want one!

    Mr. Yolm wrote a few things on the contract and then signed it before pushing it back to Voekeer.

    ¡°I¡¯ve increased the payout. Think of it as an incentive to remain discreet,¡± he said.

    Voekeer took the contract and looked it over. His eyes went wide for a moment before he rolled it up and put it back in his belt pouch.

    ¡°We won¡¯t tell a soul,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Good, now then, let me show you out,¡± Mr. Yolm said.

    He stood up and so did they before following him out of the waiting room and to the entry door. He opened it and gestured for them to leave, so they walked out of the manor, and he closed the door behind them.

    ¡°So, how much more did we get, lad?¡± Thokri asked as they walked to the gate.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, we¡¯re going to be drinking the good stuff tonight,¡± Voekeer replied.

 Chapter 119

    ¡°Cheers!¡± Voekeer said.

    The rest of the party tapped mugs together and repeated the word before each one took a drink.

    ¡°And with that, we have enough to make it back to Oldforge,¡± Voekeer added.

    ¡°Does that mean no more sewer contracts?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No more sewers or any other contract. We can just relax the rest of the winter,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Oh, thank the tree!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I guess that means we¡¯re free for the winter festival,¡± Elaine added.

    Anna flinched.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, child?¡± Barika asked.

    She looked around the table and realized that she had put off telling her friends about what had happened for long enough.

    ¡°I murdered eight people the last time I went to a festival,¡± she replied.

    Her friends were utterly shocked. They just stared at her for a long while.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I was visiting a trade city with a traveling merchant named Qrixit. It was just before the rainy season there, and they were having a big festival before the rains started. While we were out, I saw a festival game that had a prize I liked. It was that cut glass, so I played it. After I won, Qrixit asked me how I did it ¡®cause the game was rigged, and I told him I always win games, so he wanted me to play more, and I said yes.

    We went to a part of the city that was filled with games, and I played a bunch of them and won them all. Finally, I ended up doing a rock-lifting contest, and I won of course, but when I tried to get my prize, it was a chest full of trade gems which they use instead of coins, the game master said I cheated and wouldn¡¯t give them to me. I got mad and started to argue with him.

    Then some enforcers showed up, they are like the city guards there. Well, I kept arguing, and one of the enforcers got rough with me. I just hit him, and, well, he died. The other enforcers attacked me, so I killed them as well, and then after that, I killed the game master and his guard.

    I didn¡¯t realize what I¡¯d done until I went to pick up the chest, but there was nothing I could do by then. Qrixit grabbed me and pulled me away. He told me that no one would care if I killed anyone in the city if I stayed out of sight for a few weeks, so he brought me to a friend of his where we sold the prizes I¡¯d won, and then we went to a sex inn because they didn¡¯t ask questions, and we spent the night.

    The next day, we went to a smoke den, and I saw someone die. That¡¯s when I found out that people eat other people in the city, and then Qrixit told me that the enforcers were going to sell me to a meat stall if I didn¡¯t have enough gems to pay them off. I didn¡¯t want to leave Qrixit, but I couldn¡¯t stay in a city full of people that eat other people, so I decided to leave. Qrixit brought me to a night market later, and I bought stuff I¡¯d need for the road. That¡¯s where I found the stone that absorbs mana, the one that the mages used to find me.

    Once I was done buying supplies, Qrixit took me to see the big monster skulls in the city, and then we got found by the enforcers again, and we ran. The enforcers cornered us, but before anything happened, the portal opened. Qrixit ran away with the enforcers, and then I got pulled through the portal, and that¡¯s what I didn¡¯t want to talk about,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Damn, that sounds like it was rough, but honestly, I don¡¯t think you murdered anyone,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°But I killed them for some trade gems!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, you killed them because they attacked you,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°But I started it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, I¡¯d say the game master started it. I mean, it¡¯s pretty much impossible to cheat at stone lifting, so I bet he was just trying to make a commotion to get those enforcers to come over,¡± Elaine said.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Oh no, he was really scared when they grabbed him,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Bah! I bet the lad was working with them,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s an old trick. See, some lad running games will pay off the local guards. That way, if he starts losing too much, he¡¯ll cause a scene, and the guards will come over and drag the unlucky winner away, all while roughing up the lad just so anyone watching doesn¡¯t catch on that they¡¯re working together,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Humans do that kind of thing?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Lad, every kind of folk will try and run a scam on ya if ya let ¡®em,¡± Thokri replied.

    Voekeer looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

    ¡°I wonder why Qrixit didn¡¯t say anything about scams like that,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lad might not have known,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°How¡¯d you know about it?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°I ran with a group of caravan guards for a while. One of the lads always blew all his coin on games every time we stopped. It got so bad he¡¯d wander back into camp naked as the day he was born and beg us for some coin so he could buy some clothes. We ended up finding him dead in an alley one day. Someone cut off his head and hands,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Sounds like he ran afoul of the local criminal gangs. As disturbing as it is, that¡¯s a pretty common occurrence,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before, and I¡¯ve been living in human cities for years,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°That kind of stuff happens in the bad parts of town, and you don¡¯t spend much time in places like that,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Fair enough. All the more reason to stay away from them I suppose,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°So, what did you do?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Carried what was left of him to the temple and paid for a proper burial,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Did you go after the people that killed him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Na, I didn¡¯t like the lad well enough to risk my neck,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Really? But you were working with him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, but just cause you work with someone doesn¡¯t mean you have to be friends or even close,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°But I thought parties had to be friends!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Na, I can see why you¡¯d think that with the way we all act, but all a good party needs to do is work together,¡± Thokri replied.

    She nodded.

    ¡°Lass, there are more bad folks than good ones in this line of work, and if ya keep treating everyone like ya treat us, yer gonna get taken for a ride,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°She already did,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°As soon as that traveling merchant you were with found out you could do something that could earn some money, he dragged you off to do it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s, I mean, he wouldn¡¯t!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying he did to hurt you. He probably just thought he could make some coin quickly and jumped at the chance without thinking,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna looked down into her mug.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Qrixit would do that to me. I thought we were friends,¡± she said.

    ¡°I have no doubt that he was your friend, child. He just let his greed get the better of him,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t have trusted him,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No, child, trusting him was fine. Going along with his scheme to swindle the festival games was the mistake,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, anyway, where was this trade city anyway?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°On the other side of the world,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What do you mean the other side of the world?¡± Lyreen asked.

    Anna sighed.

    Might as well tell them everything.

    ¡°After I got washed overboard that night, I couldn¡¯t find the ship, and I ended up swimming towards a light I saw thinking it was the ship, but it wasn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t sure where I was anymore, so I waited there hoping someone would find me, but no one did, and I ended up falling asleep two days later. When I woke up, I was on the eastern shore of the great inland sea. At least, that¡¯s where I think I was,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What was it like?!¡± Voekeer asked excitedly.

    ¡°Nothing but desert, and the shore was covered in bones and shipwrecks. I walked for weeks before I came across some nomads being attacked by bandits and helped them. They ended up chasing me off for some reason.

    After that, I just kind of wandered around until I met some snake men who tried to sell me as a slave at a village, but no one there wanted me, so they let me go. After that, one of the villagers fed me and gave me a place to sleep for the night before giving me some supplies and sending me off.

    The village was on the edge of the wastelands which are kind of crazy. They are filled with rocks and mean lizards that spit, and there are lakes of acid instead of water. I met up with a caravan while I was heading to a town that was on a map the villager gave me and rode with them to the town.

    I learned the trade language and even got a few gems from the caravan master before we parted ways. After that, I met up with Qrixit and traveled with him out of the wasteland and into the grassland where the trade city is,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, what exactly is the trade language?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Well, there are hundreds of different kinds of people in that part of the world, so instead of learning hundreds of different languages, pretty much everyone just learns the trade language so they can talk to each other,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I wonder why we don¡¯t have a trade language,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°We kind of do,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Just about everyone speaks common,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°You know, the trade language might have been someone¡¯s language to start out with and just spread,¡± Elaine added.

    Her friends started to discuss the possible origins of the trade language while asking her questions about her time away.

    They really don¡¯t care what I did, I guess I didn¡¯t have to worry after all.

 Chapter 120

    Voekeer pushed the door to the adventurer¡¯s guild open, and they walked inside. The smell of roasted meat and wine filled the air, and the room was packed with adventurers all wearing their finest clothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fucking sausage fest in here,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It usually is when adventurers get together,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°No, this is worse,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s because most of this guild is nobles and noble women get married off when they¡¯re young, so they don¡¯t have to worry about finding work,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and get some food before all the good stuff gets eaten,¡¯ Thokri added.

    They headed for the feasting tables that had been set up on the left-hand side of the room. There were three of them set up. Each one was covered in a large white cloth that had the guild emblem embroidered on the side.

    The feast that was laid out was one of the most impressive ones she¡¯d ever seen, rivaling even the ones the dwarves had at the gem festival, though only in quality and variety. The gem festival put it to shame when it came to quantity.

    Her friends picked up plates that had been placed in tall stacks at the end of the table and began to pile food onto them. She forewent the plate and simply tore the leg from a large roast bird that had been placed near the center of the table.

    With leg in hand, she walked to the barrels of wine lined up against the lefthand wall. The guild attendants were filling cups and passing them out. The tall thin guild attendant smiled at her when she noticed her approaching.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while,¡± she said.

    ¡°We saved up enough to make it home, so we¡¯re taking a break,¡± Anna replied.

    The attendant frowned.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to be leaving then?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, the only reason my party is here is because I went missing, and they hired some mages to get me back,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to miss you,¡± the attendant said.

    ¡°Really? I thought no one wanted us around here,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± the attendant asked.

    ¡°None of the other adventurers talk to us. They also say rude things about us when they think we can¡¯t hear. All of you are nice, but you have to be cause it¡¯s your job.¡±

    ¡°Is that really what you think of us?¡± another attendant asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    The attendants looked shocked. It was clear that they were upset.

    I said too much again, didn¡¯t I? Oh well. It¡¯s not like it matters. This is probably going to be the last time I see any of them anyway.

    She walked away taking a bite from the bird leg. The meat was tender and juicy and had a smoky flavor to it.

    Not bad. Guess it was worthing coming here after all.

    ¡°Wonderful, the trash decided to join us,¡± a man said.

    ¡°What did you expect? Commoners will always mooch from their betters given the chance,¡± another replied.

    Assholes.

    The men were speaking to each other in hushed tones and standing a good distance from her. She knew they were talking about her by the way they were glancing in her direction, but it was also clear they hadn¡¯t intended on her overhearing them.

    I doubt even Lyreen or Voekeer could have heard them whispering.

    She took a sip of her wine. It was a rather dry red wine, and while it was clearly a good vintage, she didn¡¯t enjoy it all that much.

    She made her way past the groups of adventurers to a quiet corner of the guild hall and waited for her friends. She tore another chunk of meat from the bird leg with her teeth and chewed it slowly while looking out on the crowd of people gathered there.

    What¡¯s the point of talking shit behind someone¡¯s back like that? I mean, what do they get out of it? Does it make them feel good or something, or is it just to show the others they think like them?

    She took a sip of the wine to wash down her mouthful and spotted Voekeer looking around the room. She waved the bird leg over her head until he noticed her and walked over. The rest of the party was with him, and they gathered around when they reached her.

    ¡°You were right about the feast,¡± Voekeer said.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Say what you will about nobles, but they know how to eat,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Is that all you¡¯re going to eat?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I ate a lot on the way here,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I told you, you would spoil your appetite, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I know, but I just couldn¡¯t help it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Hopefully you didn¡¯t fill yourself up too much to dance,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Good, because we¡¯re going to be dancing the Thornvalian waltz together,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Are you up for that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I have the world¡¯s best dance partner, so yes,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the best, but thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Wait, is she being modest?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°It sure sounds that way,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. It¡¯s just that Madam Clarise told me that I dance like a mimic bird, that I have no passion, and passion is what makes a good dancer,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Who the fuck is Madam Clarise?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Oh, she was one of the noble ladies that was teaching the popular dances to the younger ladies before that ball I went to with Elaine, the one her brother invited us too,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine furrowed her brows for a moment and then snorted.

    ¡°Oh, that old bag! Don¡¯t worry about what she said. She was just bitter because she¡¯s old, and no one wants her anymore,¡± she said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah, she was probably just jealous of all the attention you were getting, so she found a reason to put you down,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°People do that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°All the time,¡± Elaine replied.

    I wonder if that¡¯s why the adventurers here talk behind our backs? But what would they have to be jealous of? I mean, we don¡¯t do anything special around here or anything.

    ¡°So, are you going to lead like usual?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Of course, I am still taller than you,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What does that have to do with leading a dance?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°The Thornvalian waltz is different depending on who your partner is. Basically, if a man and a woman are dancing, then the man always leads, but if two men or two women are dancing, then it¡¯s whoever is taller,¡± Elaine replied.

    Lyreen laughed.

    ¡°The only way Anna¡¯s ever going to lead is if she¡¯s dancing with a gnome!¡± she said.

    ¡°Shut up, you!¡± Anna replied.

    The rest of her friends started laughing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, child. You¡¯re the perfect size,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah, to fit in your pocket!¡± Lyreen added.

    Anna stuck her tongue out at Lyreen and then started to eat the bird leg again. The others chuckled a bit longer before they began to eat.

    She finished her food and drink and went over to the table to toss the bone into one of the waste baskets that were placed on the floor at the end of each table near the wall. She then walked over to the guild attendants who were still serving wine. She held out her cup, and the tall attendant filled it after eyeing her for a moment.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    She walked away from the attendants and went back to her friends who were still gathered in the quiet corner of the room. She sipped her wine while the others ate their food. They joked with each other, smiling and having a good time. She smiled as well, making sure to laugh at the jokes and even made a few of her own.

    Why don¡¯t I feel better yet? It¡¯s been weeks since I told everyone what happened, and they all still like me, so why am I nervous all the time?

    The night wore on, and after several hours and everyone had eaten their fill, the attendants cleared the tables, and the adventurers, including Anna and her party, moved the tables off to the side of the room. Once that was finished, a few of the adventurers retrieved instruments and started to play.

    The other adventurers congregated around the guild attendants, each one asking one to dance with them. As Anna had noticed earlier that evening, the number of men far exceeded the number of women, and while nearly all of the attendants agreed to dance, most of the other adventurers were still partnerless.

    And they still don¡¯t want to come over and ask any of us for some reason.

    The men who¡¯d managed to find a partner led them to the middle of the floor where they began to dance. The partnerless men gathered around and watched, no doubt waiting for their own turns with the women. Lyreen and Voekeer took each other¡¯s hands and walked out to join the dance, leaving the rest of the party to look on.

    ¡°When are we going to go out there?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Later. The waltz is fifteen minutes long, so it¡¯s best to save it for the end,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said.

    The couples danced for a few minutes before the men switched off with one of the waiting crowd, except for Lyreen and Voekeer. After a few rounds, Elaine took Anna by the hand and pulled her over to the men playing instruments.

    ¡°Would you fine gentlemen happen to know the Thornvalian waltz?¡± Elaine asked.

    The men looked at each other, and each one nodded.

    ¡°We do,¡± one of them replied.

    ¡°Would be so kind as to play it for us?¡± Elaine asked.

    She dipped down gracefully as she did so and inclined her head slightly.

    ¡°We¡¯d love to, my lady,¡± the man replied warmly.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Elaine said.

    She led Anna to the middle of the makeshift dance floor and wrapped her arms around her. The moment the men started to play, they began their dance.

    This waltz was the most complicated dance that she knew by far with every note of the accompanying music having a step or move associated with it. She, of course, knew every step by heart and was able to execute them with unnatural grace.

    I really am just a mimic bird, and not only when it comes to dancing. All I ever do is follow other people around and copy them. The one time in my life I was on my own, and all I did was follow Qrixit around and do whatever he wanted, even if I knew better. So, what am I supposed to do with myself? I know I can stay with my friends for a while, but not forever, so what happens when I can¡¯t? Do I just find new people to follow around? Is that how I spend eternity?

    Despite her inner turmoil, she kept dancing and smiling. This wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d had these thoughts. They seemed to be part of the strange nervousness that had been plaguing her for months, making her question everything she did. She¡¯d kept her feelings to herself, not wanting to worry her friends, though she was starting to wonder if that was the best option.

    I¡¯ll give it another month, and if I don¡¯t feel better, I¡¯ll tell them.

    When the music finally stopped, the men crowded around them broke into cheers and started to clap. Elaine and Anna turned to the crowd and curtsied before walking away hand in hand. When they neared the rest of the party, Thokri handed her a full cup of wine, and Barika handed one to Elaine.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to teach us that!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but Anna will have to teach Voekeer the men¡¯s steps. I don¡¯t remember them,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I can,¡± Anna added.

    Lyreen beamed at them.

    ¡°Excuse me, miss,¡± a man said.

    Anna turned to see one of the adventurers standing next to them. He held out his hand to her and bowed slightly.

    ¡°Might I have the next dance?¡± he asked.

    Anna turned to the others, and Elaine nodded. She turned back to the man and took his hand.

    ¡°You may,¡± she replied.

    He led her back to the dance floor where he put his arm around her waist and took her hand.

    ¡°Do you know the upland minuet?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Shall we then?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± she replied.

    They began to dance, and she saw a genuine smile on his face and smiled just a little herself.

    It¡¯s going to get better. It has too.

 Chapter 121

    Anna picked up her pack and slung it over her shoulders before looking around the room one last time.

    And that¡¯s everything.

    She walked out of her room and into the hallway, closing the door behind her, and then waited for the others.

    I wonder what¡¯s taking them all so long?

    She started to pace back and forth until Barika¡¯s door opened, and the older woman walked out.

    ¡°Ready and Raring to go as usual I see,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t wait to get on the road again,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I feel the same, child. There¡¯s something about this city that makes me uneasy,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s all the people. It feels more crowded here than anywhere else I¡¯ve ever been,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Even the dwarven mountain didn¡¯t feel as closed in as this place,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you can see over everyone¡¯s head there,¡± Voekeer said as he walked out of his room.

    Barika laughed.

    ¡°Could be,¡± she replied.

    The rest of the party walked out of their respective rooms one by one with Elaine being the last of them to exit her room. She looked like she¡¯d slept in her dress once again and yawned as she walked over to join the others.

    ¡°Are we eating here or getting something on the way out of the city?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°We can eat on the way. I¡¯d like to get as far away from the city as possible before nightfall,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Works for me,¡± Elaine said.

    They walked down the stairs and then found the innkeeper who was busy getting ready for the day. They gave him their keys and said their goodbyes before leaving the inn.

    It was just after sunrise, and while it was still on the cool side, it was definitely warmer than it had been a few weeks before hand.

    It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s already spring, although, it¡¯s not like they really have winter around here.

    She trotted along after her friends as they headed to the city¡¯s northern gate. The fastest route to Therondale was to take the great road north until they reached the city of light, and from there, headed to the east to the wastelands and then to the border. From there, the plan was to travel to Therondale¡¯s capital where they¡¯d take some contracts to replenish their funds before finally heading back to Oldforge.

    At least, that¡¯s the plan.

    As they neared the northern gate, they stopped at one of the many food shops that could be found on the main street. The imperial capital was like most other human cities when it came to food. It had everything from a lowly street vender selling meat roasted on a portable grill to the finest dining establishments one could image, all open and ready to serve, so long as a person had the right amount of coin that is.

    The food shop they were currently patronizing was known as a thermopolium. It was a loan word from old imperial that means a place that sells something hot. The thermopolium had an open front with a large counter that contained huge pots of steaming food.

    Behind the counter were a dozen or so young women wearing plain dresses and collars around their necks. The lead tags indicated that the women were slaves, owned by this particular thermopolium, and their sole responsibility was to dish up food for the customers.

    The food that the slave women served varied with everything from bread and soup to fruits and even seafood. The party opted for chopped meats and vegetables with a yogurt sauce served on flatbread so they could eat it on the move.

    Anna walked up to the counter, handed the slave woman a copper, and told her what she wanted. The woman nodded and then tossed the copper into a large jar that sat behind the counter. She then took one of the large pieces of flat bread from a stack and began to pile generous amounts of meat and vegetables onto it before slathering the yogurt sauce on and handing it over.

    ¡°Here you are, miss,¡± the woman said.

    She had a smile on her face, but it was clear that it wasn¡¯t genuine.

    Her eyes look empty like Rose¡¯s did when we first met.

    Anna took the flatbread.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied.

    Once the rest of the party got their food, they left the thermopolium and continued on to the gate. She took a bite of her food as she walked, savoring the wonderful flavor as she chewed.

    This would be even better if they didn¡¯t force those poor women to make it. The slaves have got to be the worst part about this city. I mean, I know they have slaves in Therondale, but at least there they work at farms so I don¡¯t have to see them. Here, everyone seems to own a slave or two, they make them do everything, and they¡¯re really mean to them, even in public.

    She gobbled down her food before licking her fingers clean and wiping them off on her dress. They reached the northern gate an hour later and paused at a shrine to the traveling god that had been set up nearby. After making an offering and saying a prayer, they made their way through the gate and onto the huge road that lay on the other side.

    You know, after visiting Boulderfist Mountain and the great trade city, walls and gates built by humans don¡¯t seem all that impressive to me anymore.

    She glanced around at the scenery outside of the walls. This was the first time she¡¯d been outside of the city, and while the others had described the landscape as best as they could, nothing compared to her own eyes.

    The area surrounding the city had been cleared for what looked to be at least half a mile in every direction. Beyond that were fields that had been recently plowed and most likely been sown with the seeds that would yield this year¡¯s harvest.

    You know, this place kind of looks like the grasslands, sort of. I mean, it will, when the crops go in, it will.

    She glanced over her shoulder for a moment, looking at the city behind her, before turning back to the road.

    Though the imperial capital doesn¡¯t look anything like the trade city, and the road is way nicer here than the one there, and there are more rivers and streams and¡­ you know what? I guess it¡¯s not really like the grasslands after all.

    As they made their way north, the city slowly faded into the distance. By the time the sun had reached its zenith, it was little more than a vague blur on the horizon. They stepped off the road, and she took off her pack, opening it.

    ¡°Alright, I got smoked sausage, jerky, and dried fruit. So, who wants what?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a sausage!¡± Lyreen replied.

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    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°You always want the smoked sausages when I have them. So does everyone else. That¡¯s why I filled my pack with them. Honestly, the only reason I brought the other stuff is because I know we all like to change things up every once in a while,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna handed her one of the sausages. The elf took it with a sheepish look on her face.

    ¡°What did you think I meant?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Nothing. I was just asking,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Bah! She thought you were giving her shit for liking cock so much,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! I don¡¯t like cocks any more than normal or anything! I just thought you were being rude!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Why would you think I was being rude?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re always making nasty sex jokes!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°What else is there? It¡¯s not like I can change what happened. All I can do is tell you I¡¯m sorry and that I won¡¯t tease you anymore,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You do that!¡± Lyreen said.

    She turned and walked away a few steps before she began devouring the sausage she¡¯d received. Voekeer walked up next with an apologetic look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯d like a sausage too, please,¡± he said.

    She handed him one.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said.

    He went to join Lyreen. Elaine walked up to her, glaring at the elves for a moment before turning her attention to Anna.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to put up with her shit,¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I feel the same as I always do,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You seem kind of off,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°How so?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet lately, and, I don¡¯t know, agreeable I guess,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve just had a lot on my mind,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Want to talk about it?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Not particularly,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied.

    She handed Elaine a sausage, and the necromancer stepped to the side allowing Thokri to walk up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have some jerky, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Anna replied.

    Anna opened the jerky bag and a pungent smell wafted out.

    ¡°What kind of jerky is that?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s beef, but it¡¯s been seasoned with dwarven spices,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well that explains the smell,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°I¡¯d like a piece of that as well, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    She passed Thokri and Barika some of the jerky. Rose walked up and pointed at the sausage Elaine was eating.

    ¡°You want one?¡± Anna asked.

    Rose nodded. Anna handed her a sausage which she took and held up in thanks.

    Once her friends had their lunch, she took a few pieces of dried fruit from her pack before closing it up and putting it back over her shoulders. She ate the dried fruit and watched as other travelers passed by.

    I wonder where they¡¯re going, and what they¡¯ll do when they get there?

    She finished her makeshift lunch and then took a drink from her canteen, one of the few pieces of gear she¡¯d decided to replace. It was warm and had a vaguely metallic taste to it.

    Gross! I wish normal people didn¡¯t have to drink so much of this stuff.

    She took another sip and then put the canteen back in its pouch. The others finished soon after, and they got back on the road.

    They continued walking until nightfall before they stopped at one of the many roadside inns along the route. This one was different than most, looking as if it had been built right along with the road with the path leading to it being made from the same stone.

    The inn was clearly ancient, at least part of it was. Numerous additions had been made to the structure over the centuries with at least a few of them being within the last few years. The front door was made from thick planks of weathered wood, she assumed it was oak, that was held together by broad iron strips. The handle was made from iron as well and had been worn smooth from decades of use.

    Voekeer put his hand on the polished metal and turned it. The mechanism was so worn that that handle wiggled up and down as it rotated though it didn¡¯t stop the bar on the other side of the door from lifting out of the way allowing Voekeer to pull it open.

    The smell of smoke and unwashed bodies rolled past them as they walked into the inn. The inside was plain and undecorated with bare stone floors, white plaster walls, and simple iron lamps hanging from the roughly hewn beams that held up the ceiling. Despite the humbleness of the place, it was filled with travelers, though there wasn¡¯t anywhere else to stay for miles so that probably had something to do with it.

    Servers of both genders wearing brown clothing made from a cloth that looked as if it had been intended for use in vegetable sacks were rushing around the room carrying trays filled with food and drink to the many tables. One of the servers noticed the party and gestured to an empty table. They walked to the table and sat down.

    The moment they¡¯d taken their seats, a thin young man walked over. He was average-looking with short hair and was wearing the same poor-quality clothing as the other servers. He also wore a leather cord around his neck with a lead tag attached to it like the slaves in the capital often did.

    Well, that explains the shitty cloth.

    ¡°The rooms are five copper a night. You get one meal and a boot in the ass first thing in the morning. So, how many do you want?¡± he asked.

    They looked at each other for a moment before looking back at the server.

    ¡°Six,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Great, now then, I¡¯d suggest you get the stew, not that it¡¯s any good. It¡¯s just the only thing we have,¡± the server replied.

    The party looked at each other again. She could see the growing confusion on her friends¡¯ faces.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have the stew,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Excellent! Now then, you have a choice of sour watered-down wine and a yellow piss-like substance that the owner claims is ale, though I¡¯m fairly sure he¡¯s just filling the barrels in the barn,¡± the server replied.

    She smirked for a moment and then burst into laughter. She laughed and laughed, nearly falling out of her chair. Thokri grabbed onto her arm and pulled her upright.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that funny,¡± the server said.

    She sat up and took a breath.

    ¡°First time I¡¯ve ever heard a place admit to serving horse piss,¡± she replied.

    He grinned at her.

    ¡°I never said it was horse piss,¡± he said.

    She laughed again and then took five copper coins from her coin pouch and held them out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the stew and the wine,¡± she said.

    He took the coins.

    ¡°A fine choice. Now then, what will the rest of you be having?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the same thing, lad,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Same for me,¡± Barika said.

    The rest of the party ordered wine and stew as well, each paying the server. He pocketed the coins and turned to walk away.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Anna said.

    He turned to face the table again.

    ¡°What¡¯s you¡¯re name?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Gregory,¡± he replied.

    She pulled another coin from her coin pouch and flicked it to him, he caught the coin mid-air and looked down at it, clearly surprised by what he saw.

    ¡°Well Gregry, how about you make sure I get a big chunk of meat in my bowl,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re stuffed full of meat tonight,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You promise?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Anything for a lady,¡± he replied.

    He bowed and then turned and walked away.

    ¡°Anna, what are you doing?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°He made me laugh,¡± she replied.

    ¡°And that was worth a silver?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I really laughed, so yes, it was,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°But you laugh all the time!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t pay attention to me, do you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Of course I do! Why would you ask that?¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Really, so when¡¯s the last time I laughed?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Not everyone can remember everything that happens like you!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Fine, then can you at least tell me when the last time I said something rude to you was? I mean, it was worth biting my head off at lunch over, so you have to remember that!¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen hesitated.

    ¡°Uh, well, you do it all the time, alright?¡± she replied.

    ¡°The last time was when I told you your butt looked huge when you were bent over the rail of The Potent Puffin,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen frowned.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you said something since then,¡± she replied.

    Anna shook her head no.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t joked around with anyone since I got back,¡± she said.

    A flash of confusion crossed Lyreen¡¯s face.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nope, not once. In fact, everyone else has asked me if I¡¯m alright a few times already,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°They did?¡± Lyreen asked.

    She looked around the table, and the rest of the party nodded one by one.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?!¡± she asked.

    ¡°I thought you knew,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Lyreen said.

    She looked down at the table for a moment and then up at Anna.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t! I should have noticed! I¡¯m your friend!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Even if you did, I would have just blown you off like I did with everyone else, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen nodded and then smiled.

    ¡°So, does this mean you¡¯re feeling better?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, I mean I don¡¯t feel bad anymore. Now, I just don¡¯t feel anything,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t feel anything?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Well, I used to feel happy and excited all the time, but after I got lost, I felt like everyone hated me, and then when I got back, I felt nervous and worried all the time. And now, well, I don¡¯t feel anything. I¡¯m just here,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us sooner, child?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry everyone. I mean, it¡¯s not like anyone can change the way I feel,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Perhaps, but we could have helped ease your mind, even if it was only a little,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I know, but I was right. All I needed was time. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be back to my old self in a few more months,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°If you find yourself feeling anxious or any other way you¡¯re not sure about, just tell one of us,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika smiled at her, and she smiled back. After a moment, she looked away and glanced around the room, searching for Gregory.

    He should have been back by now.

 Chapter 122

    A barmaid walked over to the table carrying a tray filled with food and drinks.

    ¡°Sorry for the wait. A big caravan pulled in, and the master sent all the men out to help,¡± she said.

    ¡°Did you happen to get our room keys?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes, and it was just in time. There are so many people out there that I¡¯m sure the master is going to start asking people to double up,¡± the barmaid replied.

    ¡°He¡¯d do that?¡± Anna asked.

    The woman laughed.

    ¡°He sure would, and he¡¯d keep the coin you gave him for separate rooms too,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Why would he do that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because he keeps the strings on his coin purse tighter than a noble woman¡¯s corset after the winter festival,¡± the barmaid replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Anyway, if I were all of you, I¡¯d jam this slop down my throat and get up to my room before the horde gets here. Unless you want to share a table that is,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Aye, sounds like a plan to me. That¡¯s for the advice, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    He passed her a few copper coins, which she stuffed into her dress, before thanking him and then passing out the food, drink, and keys. As soon as she finished, she scurried away, heading for another table.

    Anna picked up the rough wooden spoon that was sticking out of the bowl, dipped it into the thick stew, and stirred it around before taking a bite.

    It¡¯s mostly vegetables with a few small chunks of meat and hardly any seasonings. The owner is definitely a cheap bastard.

    She took a sip from her cup and found the wine to be as sour and watered down as Gregory had described it to be, so with one mighty gulp, she downed the whole cup.

    ¡°That bad?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Anna replied.

    He eyed his cup for a moment before taking a drink. He made a face and set the cup back down.

    ¡°It should be illegal to call this stuff wine,¡± he said.

    ¡°It probably is,¡± Elaine replied after taking a sip herself.

    Anna started to shovel the bland stew into her mouth, swallowing it without chewing. Her friends started to wolf theirs down as well, though they were chewing, and within a few minutes, each member of the party had finished their meal and drank their wine. They gathered their belongings and headed for the stairs.

    The moment they stepped away from their table, another group of travelers swooped in to claim it.

    That barmaid wasn¡¯t kidding, was she?

    They walked up the ancient stairs, which creaked in a most concerning fashion, reaching the second floor and then splitting up, heading to their rooms. Hers was at the very end of the hallway and on the back side of the building.

    She used the cheap iron key to unlock the equally cheap iron lock before turning the handle and pushing the door open. The room was smaller than she¡¯d expected it to be and only contained a bed, table, and chair.

    She closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed where she took off her pack and set it next to the bed. She undressed, placing her things onto her pack, before flopping on the bed and rolling over to look out the window at the night sky.

    Today was better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today. I just know it.

    She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

    A woman¡¯s frantic screaming woke her sometime later. She opened her eyes and looked back at the window. The stars still twinkled in the night sky. The woman¡¯s panicked screams were suddenly cut off.

    It¡¯s none of my business, and even if I tried to help, I¡¯d just make it worse.

    She rolled over and closed her eyes again. An odd feeling grew in her chest as she lay there trying to fall asleep again. Her eyes flicked open, and she sat up on the bed.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± she said.

    She got up and picked up her dress, pulling it over her head, before grabbing her belt and putting that on as well. She moved towards the door but then hesitated and went back to her pack.

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    Better take my sword.

    As she put her arm through the baldric, she thought back to the few times she¡¯d attempted to intimidate people in the past and sighed.

    Unless I use my tentacles, everyone just calls me cute and tries to flirt with me.

    With her sword at her hip, she left her room and headed down the stairs. The main room was empty save for the nightman who was sleeping in a chair near the door. He only stirred a little when she lifted the thick wooden bar from the door and set it aside. She exited the inn and walked around the side, heading towards the rear of the building.

    Alright, it sounded like it came from right behind my window, but I doubt it really did.

    The first thing she noticed when she walked around the back of the building was that a large number of wagons had been parked there.

    Wow, she wasn¡¯t kidding. This is a big caravan.

    She walked over to the wagons and started to look around, searching for the woman who had screamed.

    I wonder where the guards are. I mean, there are usually people guarding wagons full of goods, so where¡¯d they go?

    After wandering between the wagons for a few moments, she caught the scent of fresh blood in the air and followed it to its source. She walked away from the wagons and found an uncovered well with a wooden shoulder yoke and two buckets lying on the ground nearby. She walked over to the yoke and knelt down, putting her hands on the damp grass for a moment as she examined the area before standing back up.

    So, a woman was getting water when three people, probably men, came up to her. It looks like she tried to walk away, but one of them grabbed her. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s when she screamed, and then he punched her, knocking her out. She was dragged a few feet before being picked up and carried off that way.

    She followed the tracks that led her to the edge of a copse of trees that was nestled between two freshly plowed fields. A soft orange glow filtered through the budding foliage. She slipped into the thicket, heading for the source of the glow. She found three men standing over the still form of a slender woman.

    Well, that explains why there weren¡¯t any guards.

    All three men were wearing similar workman¡¯s clothing, were carrying small lanterns, and had clubs hanging from their belts.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± one of the men asked.

    ¡°Now we bury her,¡± another replied.

    ¡°How? We don¡¯t got any shovels!¡± the first man said.

    ¡°Then go get ¡®em from the wagons!¡± the second man replied.

    ¡°How abouts you go and get them? You¡¯re the one that wacked her!¡± the first man said.

    ¡°What was I supposed to do? She started scream¡¯n!¡± the second man replied.

    ¡°You should have just let her go,¡± Anna said.

    The men jumped and turned to face her, shining their lanterns on her.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± the second man asked.

    ¡°Anna,¡± she replied.

    She casually walked out of the brush and over to the woman where she crouched down and put fingers on the woman¡¯s neck, checking for a pulse.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the third man asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What? How?¡± the second man asked.

    ¡°Are you simple or something?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Fuck you, bitch!¡± he replied.

    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m not into livestock,¡± Anna said.

    His face twisted in rage, and he lunged at her.

    Good boy. Now I have a reason!

    She pulled her sword and stabbed him through the heart with one fluid motion. The man dropped his lantern and reached for the sword blade sticking out of his chest before going limp. The other men froze, gawking at the corpse of their friend. She stared in shock as well. Not because he was dead. She¡¯d intended for that to happen. No, she was shocked by the trail of blood that was flowing up her blade.

    She watched as it flowed up the hilt and into the cracked black gem embedded there. As the blood disappeared into the gem, smokey black shadows started to form around it. The man¡¯s body began to wither and darken as the sword drank his lifeblood. A few moments later, it resembled a corpse that had been left in the hot dry sun for months.

    ¡°Blood,¡± a voice rasped.

    She pulled her sword from the desiccated body and let it fall to the ground before holding it up and looking it over.

    ¡°Did you just talk?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Blood!¡± the sword replied.

    The remaining men tried to flee but were caught by her tentacles after a few steps. The eldritch appendages coiled around them before pushing into the men¡¯s mouths to muffle their cries.

    ¡°You know, I was going to let you jackasses live, but I¡¯ve changed my mind. I mean, what kind of people decide to bury an innocent woman alive because their friend tells them to?¡± she asked.

    The men squirmed and tried to plead with her, but it was to no avail. She stabbed one of the men in the heart with her sword and watched as it drained the blood from his body, pulling it free when nothing but a lifeless husk remained.

    The final man squirmed and let out a muffled scream. She looked into his eyes for a moment before plunging her blade into his chest. The sword sucked him dry in a matter of seconds. She pulled it free of his corpse and looked down at the blade, surprised to find that it was whole again.

    Hold the fuck on! It can fix itself?!

    She marveled at the blemish-free sword for a moment before sheathing it.

    ¡°Blood!¡± the sword said.

    ¡°Hush now!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Blood!¡± the sword said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough! Now be quiet! I don¡¯t want to explain you to everyone yet!¡± she replied.

    The sword fell silent.

    So, it can understand me then.

    She gently picked the woman up and started to walk towards the inn. Her tentacles cleared a spot on the ground and then dug deeply into the ground, tossing the men¡¯s bodies into the hole before covering them up. Then they started to disturb the ground all around the grave in an attempt to conceal it.

    They¡¯ll have to dig up half the thicket to find them.

    She walked back to the well, placed the woman on the ground near the fallen yoke and buckets, and then turned back to the inn.

    ¡°HELP! SHE¡¯S HURT! SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!¡± she shouted.

    Less than a minute later, the rear door to the inn swung open, and a man with a lantern rushed out. He swung the lantern around, searching the area before it settled on her. He came running over and crouched down near the woman, putting his free hand on her chest.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard a scream, came out to see what it was, and I found her lying here,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the nightman?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sleeping in a chair,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Fucking whoreson!¡± the man said.

    He stood back up and rushed back to the inn, turning before he entered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back! Stay with her!¡± he said.

    ¡°I will!¡± she replied.

    He rushed inside and slammed the door behind him.

 Chapter 123

    ¡°Who am I?¡± the sword asked.

    Anna looked down at the sword to find wisps of black smoke coming from the gemstone on its hilt.

    ¡°You¡¯re my sword,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, so who are you?¡± it asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Do I have a name?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know you could talk before now, so I didn¡¯t give you one,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How long have you had me?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°About five years, but I got lost last year and didn¡¯t have you then, so I guess you could say four,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Where were you?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°On the other side of the world,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. That¡¯s kind of why I said I was lost,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± the sword replied.

    ¡°Could you always talk?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the sword replied.

    ¡°How can you not know?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything from before I heard you calling for help,¡± it replied.

    ¡°Okay, I guess I¡¯ll just call you Ted,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Ted?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the name of someone who was kind to me when I was new, so it¡¯s a good name,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Okay, my name is Ted then,¡± the sword said.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m going to need you to keep quiet around other people,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Why?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°Because talking swords are rare, and I don¡¯t want people asking me about you,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, should I stop talking now?¡± it asked.

    ¡°You can talk until the man from the inn gets back,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What about her?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s knocked out, so it¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, did you knock her out?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°No. I heard her scream, so I came out to help and found her like this,¡± Anna replied.

    If it doesn¡¯t remember what happened, better if I don¡¯t tell it. It¡¯s like Thokri says, the less people know something, the less likely others will find out.

    ¡°So, you heard someone scream, and you came to see what was happening?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°I came to help,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Okay, does that mean you like to help?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Do you help often?¡± the sword asked.

    ¡°I try to,¡± Anna replied.

    She heard the door open and looked over to find a large group of men exiting the inn and heading towards her.

    ¡°Time to be quiet,¡± she said.

    Ted the sword didn¡¯t reply, and the men rushed over, holding their lanterns up to cast light on her and the unconscious woman. The majority of them were wearing the rough clothing she¡¯d seen the servers wearing at dinner. A stern-looking older man wearing workman¡¯s clothing was with them. He looked at her and scowled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to get a reward for this!¡± he said.

    ¡°Well fuck you, too!¡± Anna replied.

    She spat and then stormed off towards the inn, walking in through the back door and passing through the kitchen before finding herself in the main room again. The lamps had been lit and a few men stood near the center, surrounding the nightman who was now sporting a black eye and wore a bleak expression.

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    She passed by them without a word and stomped up the stairs to her room where she threw open the door, walked inside, and then slammed it behind her hard enough to cause a loud crack to come from the frame. She took off her sword and placed it on her pack before flopping onto the bed.

    ¡°Anna, are you alright?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± she replied.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± it asked.

    ¡°I just need sleep!¡± she replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± it said.

    Stupid bastard! Not everyone is a coin hording dragon like you!

    She closed her eyes and fell asleep as quickly as she usually did. She heard a knock on her door and opened her eyes, finding that the morning had come.

    ¡°Stop playing with yourself and get a move on!¡± Elaine said.

    She hopped out of bed and went to her pack where she strapped Ted to the side and covered it up.

    ¡°Remember, no talking,¡± she said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Ted replied.

    Once finished, she slung her pack over her shoulder and rushed out of her room.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Yeah, even you sleep in every now and again,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Anna replied.

    They walked down the stairs, out of the inn, and found a large group of men standing in the front. They were surrounding the stern-looking man, and a few of the men dressed in rough clothing were clearly upset with him. The stern man was looking around frantically when he spotted the party.

    ¡°She¡¯s right there! That¡¯s the woman who found my slave! Ask her what happened!¡± he said.

    ¡°Slave? What slave?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Mary! The one you found by the well last night!¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s lying! She was there!¡± the stern man said.

    ¡°Yeah, I saw her!¡± one of the men in rough clothes added.

    A large man pushed through the rough-dressed men and grabbed the stern man by his shirt.

    ¡°Listen here you little shit. I¡¯m going to ask you one more time where my boys are, or imma knock your teeth in!¡± he said.

    ¡°I ALREADY TOLD YOU! I DON¡¯T KNOW YOU GODS DAMNED WHORESON! NOW LET ME¡­¡± the stern man replied.

    He was cut off by the big man¡¯s fist hitting him square in the face. The rest of the angry men rushed in and started attacking the roughly dressed men who fought back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice!¡± Elaine replied.

    The party scurried way from the inn and ran down the road to the north, keeping up a good pace for a few minutes until slowing down to catch their breath.

    ¡°What the fuck was that about?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°The men watching the wagons attacked one of the slave women last night and carried her off into the forest to bury her there. I heard her scream, tracked them down, and killed them before they could and then brought her back to where she¡¯d been attacked and pretended that I found her there. Oh, and my sword drinks blood and can talk now,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°If you knew what happened, why didn¡¯t you tell them?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°One, I didn¡¯t want to explain to a mob of angry men that I killed their friends with my blood-drinking talking sword and buried them in the thicket, and two, that jerk deserved to get his teeth knocked!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask about my sword?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Does it do anything other than drink blood and talk now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It fixed itself, too,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty useful actually,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought. You know, I thought everyone would be more surprised by the sword,¡± Anna replied.

    Voekeer put his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Anna, we have you with us, and compared to you, a talking sword is perfectly normal,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she replied.

    She paused for a moment before frowning.

    ¡°Hey!¡± she added.

    Her friends burst into laughter.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going before they send someone after us,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°You think they will?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t want to find out,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Lad¡¯s right. That lot might come looking for you when they get through with the pricks at the inn,¡± Thokri added.

    The others seemed to agree with the dwarf¡¯s statement, and after a few more moments of rest, they started off again.

    ¡°Did I really drink blood?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Have I done that before?¡± it asked.

    ¡°No, but that was the first time I used you to kill a person,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, what do you normally kill with me?¡± it asked.

    ¡°Dangerous beasts and monsters,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± it asked.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m an adventurer. It¡¯s my job,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You know, I thought one of the dark one¡¯s black blades would be, I don¡¯t know, more menacing,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Ted doesn¡¯t remember anything before last night,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ted?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s its name,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You named a sword Ted?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yeah, you got a problem with that?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just, well, that¡¯s not a normal name for a magic sword,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°So what¡¯s a normal name for a magic sword then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Heartseeker, Foebane, that sort of thing,¡± he replied.

    Anna snorted.

    ¡°Those are stupid!¡± she said.

    ¡°Says the one who named her sword Ted!¡± Voekeer replied.

    She stuck out her tongue at him, causing him to shake his head.

    They continued north for the rest of the day, taking breaks every few hours to eat and drink before reaching another inn where they stopped for the night.

    This inn was far different from the one they¡¯d stayed at the night before, being far newer and constructed of mostly wood. The inside was much nicer than the other inn as well, being brightly lit and filled with higher-quality furniture. The barmaids, all the servers seemed to be women, were wearing the same sort of clothing you¡¯d expect a commoner to be wearing in this part of the world.

    I think this is the first place I¡¯ve been to in the empire that wasn¡¯t full of slaves!

    They took a seat at one of the open tables, and a barmaid came over and stood next to their table.

    ¡°How many rooms will you need, and do you want a bowl of stew?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Six rooms and yes,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Got any ale, lass?¡± Thorki asked.

    ¡°Sure do. It comes with the stew,¡± the barmaid replied.

    ¡°Is it any good?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it good, but it¡¯s not bad or anything,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said nodding.

    They paid for their rooms and the meal, and the barmaid swished away, heading for the back. She returned a few minutes later carrying a tray with their food and drink, passing out a bowl and mug to each of them before rushing away again. Anna took a bite of the stew and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. She took a drink of the ale to wash it down.

    She¡¯s right. It¡¯s not that good, but it¡¯s not that bad either.

    She ate her food and listened as the others talked about this and that. A few minutes after they started, the door to the inn burst open and armed men poured inside. Every one of them was covered in road dust and drenched in sweat, making it clear they¡¯d ridden hard to get there. The lead man looked around the room. His eyes locked onto hers.

    ¡°There she is! That¡¯s the bitch we¡¯re looking for! The one with rainbow hair!¡± he said.

    She sighed and took a drink from her ale.

    It¡¯s always something.

 Chapter 124

    As the armed men headed for Anna¡¯s table, a barmaid stepped in front of them.

    ¡°Please, just¡­¡± she said.

    The lead man shoved her aside roughly, sending her crashing into the chair of a huge man, spilling his drink all over his chest. The big man roared in pure rage and jumped to his feet, tossing his mug aside and lunging at the lead man. The big man slammed into him and knocked him to the floor where he started pounding his face with a meaty fist. The other armed men rushed over to help their leader, pulling the big man off him.

    They started beating the big man, and their leader joined in as soon as he was back on his feet. The other men who had been sitting at the big man¡¯s table saw this and leapt up, lifting the chairs they¡¯d been sitting in from the ground and swinging them at the armed men as makeshift weapons.

    The situation devolved into an all-out brawl with the travelers seated at nearby tables either getting up and running away or joining in. A barmaid screamed when a man had his face bashed in by a table leg. A young man on the other side of the room stood up and took off his cloak, tossing it aside. One of the men with him grabbed his arm but he pulled away and strode towards the bedlam.

    ¡°STOP THIS AT ONCE!¡± he shouted.

    A golden pulse flashed out across the room, and he started to glow with a brilliant golden light. The brawl stopped immediately. It was as if someone had tossed a bucket of ice water on the men.

    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get this place cleaned up,¡± the young man added.

    He leaned over, picked up a fallen chair, and set it upright. The other men started to help, save for one of the armed men whose face twisted in rage. He pulled his short sword and lunged at the young man. Anna snatched her mug from the table and threw it at the armed man. It struck his hand with such force that it shattered every bone in his forearm, wrist, and hand. His sword went flying, and he clutched his ruined appendage and howled in pain.

    The young man¡¯s companions seized his would-be assailant and twisted his arms behind his back to restrain him. He squirmed in their grasp, spitting curses at them as they pulled him away. Anna got up and walked over to the mess where she pulled a table upright. The young man walked over to her and held out his hand. She took it, and they shook.

    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How did you manage that throw anyway? I didn¡¯t even have time to react,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m an adventurer, and I usually hunt monsters. People are slow compared to them,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I see, so why were those men after you anyway?¡± he asked.

    She shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them before in my life, so they were probably looking for someone else who happens to dye her hair like a rainbow, too,¡± she replied.

    He frowned.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s possible,¡± he said.

    It was clear he didn¡¯t believe her, but there wasn¡¯t any way he could prove she was lying either. Thokri walked up beside her and gestured towards the mess with his thumb.

    ¡°Yer the one that was bellowing about cleaning up, so get to cleaning up, lad!¡± he said.

    The young man flinched and then looked around.

    ¡°Uh, right!¡± he said.

    He rushed off towards his companions as the rest of her friends walked up.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be paladin candidates staying in a place like this,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°How do you know they¡¯re paladin candidates?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°He used divine power when he stopped the brawl,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ah, so what makes you think they¡¯re just candidates?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re age, and the fact they don¡¯t have holy swords,¡± Barika replied.

    Voekeer nodded.

    ¡°Hope the lad makes it. He seems like he¡¯d make a good paladin,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°I have no doubt that he will, honestly, with as much power as that boy already has, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he were commanding an order one day,¡± Barika replied.

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    ¡°Makes me feel kind of bad that I blew smoke up his ass,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, child. What happened was none of his business,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said.

    Barika walked away, heading for the nearest injured person whom she healed, and the rest of the party join Anna as she cleaned up. The armed men left the inn soon after, unwilling to lend a hand despite being the cause of the destruction.

    ¡°Hey, Elaine! Can I have some of your hair dye?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°What color do you want?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Black if you have it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I do,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Why do you want hair dye?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°To dye my hair,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why would you want to do that?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Because those men are looking for a woman with rainbow hair,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Will it even work?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. I mean, my hair smells for weeks after we go into the sewers, so stuff definitely soaks in,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t last very long, she can just keep dying it,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°Need any help?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to use all of me to do it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Lyreen said.

    They finished cleaning up soon after and went to help Barika with the injured. Once everyone was healed, they got their room keys from the barmaid and went upstairs. Elaine tossed Anna a bottle from her pack before disappearing into her room.

    Anna went to her own room where she tossed her pack by the bed and undressed. Tentacles filled the room transforming the space into something out of her dreams. One reached out and took the bottle of hair dye from her hand, and another picked up the jug of water and began to pour it over her head. Several others wrapped around her hair and made sure that the water saturated it completely before the one holding the bottle pulled out the cork and dumped it onto her head. Her eldritch appendages worked the dye into her hair, making sure that every strand was thoroughly covered. They even put some on her eyebrows and lashes.

    Good thing stuff doesn¡¯t soak into my skin. Otherwise, I¡¯d have black splotches all over my head and face!

    Once they finished, the tentacles held her hair up, fanning it to dry it faster. Once dry, she used her tentacles to clean up, flinging any excess water and dye out of the window before sending them back to her dreams. She summoned an eye and looked at herself. She was shocked by what she saw.

    I look so different now!

    She marveled at the change for a few minutes before sending her eye away and heading to bed.

    She woke up the next morning when the first rays of the sun touched her face and sat up in bed, looking around for a moment before getting up.

    At least nothing else happened.

    She got dressed and put her pack on before leaving her room where she waited for the others. One of the doors opened, and a paladin candidate walked out. He looked over and smiled in a friendly way.

    ¡°Morning,¡± he said.

    ¡°Morning,¡± Anna replied.

    He nodded at her and then went down the stairs. A moment later, another door opened, and another candidate walked out. He greeted her in a similar fashion as the first before heading down as well. The paladin candidate who spoke up the night before was the next one out of his room. He paused when he saw her and furrowed his brows.

    ¡°You dyed your hair?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. Well, sort of. Black is my natural hair color, so I guess I just dyed it back,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, if it means anything, I think you look better like this,¡± he said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied.

    She smiled.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    He smiled and nodded before heading down the stairs to join the other candidates. Barika walked out of her room a few minutes later and stopped in her tracks when she noticed Anna.

    ¡°Goddess above! I almost didn¡¯t recognize you!¡± she said.

    ¡°I know, right?!¡± Anna replied.

    She walked over and took a lock of Anna¡¯s hair between in finger and her thumb and rubbed it.

    ¡°I suppose now we¡¯ll just have to see how long it lasts,¡± she said.

    ¡°Well, it only lasts about two months in Elaine¡¯s hair, so I¡¯m guessing a month in mine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I had no idea that she¡¯d started doing that,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s feeling bad about getting old,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Old! She¡¯s barely thirty! That woman is in her prime!¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I said, but Lyreen keeps messing with her, and I think it finally got to her,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika sighed.

    ¡°Those two are impossible,¡± she said.

    Anna chuckled.

    ¡°Lyreen actually started eating more because Elaine keeps calling her skinny,¡± she replied.

    Barika laughed as well.

    ¡°She does look like she¡¯s filled out a little,¡± she said.

    ¡°She has, and Voekeer likes it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Does he now?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yep. See, the thing is, he actually prefers human women, but he never told Lyreen that, so please don¡¯t tell her, or Elaine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say a word, but I¡¯m kind of surprised. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met an elf man who preferred human women over elf women,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°His first time was with a human woman, so that¡¯s probably why he likes them so much,¡± Anna replied.

    A door opened and Thokri walked out into the hallway.

    ¡°We should probably stop talking about this, child,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    Thokri looked at her and rubbed his eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯d ya do to yer hair, lass?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I dyed it just like I said I was going to,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye, that you did. Can¡¯t say I like it, though,¡± he said.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be forever,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri said.

    Next out of their room was Rose who rushed over and started to run her fingers through Anna¡¯s hair, smiling as she did so.

    ¡°I guess you like it?¡± Anna asked.

    Rose nodded yes.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep it like this until we get to the city of light, just in case those men are still looking for me,¡± Anna added.

    Rose smiled at her and kept stroking her hair. Lyreen squealed when she walked into the hallway and spotted them, rushing over and taking a handful of Anna¡¯s hair next to Rose.

    ¡°By the Tree, it worked!¡± she said.

    ¡°It did and really well, too!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It looks good,¡± Voekeer added.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    Last out of her room was Elaine, as usual. She walked over casually and looked Anna over.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Yeah, she just dyed her hair. It¡¯s not that big of a deal,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°But she looks completely different!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°No, she looks like Anna with black hair. Now come on. I¡¯m hungry,¡± Elaine said.

    She started walking towards the stairs, and the rest of the party followed.

 Chapter 125

    A tired-looking barmaid placed a bowl filled with porridge in front of her.

    ¡°Rough night?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah, the owner had us clear the room and scrub the floor after everyone went to their rooms,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Why¡¯d he do that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He wanted to make sure no one could tell there was a brawl here last night. An inn can get a reputation for fighting, and then we¡¯d only get the bad sort,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Even out here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how far word can spread,¡± the barmaid replied.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Anyway, if you all need anything else, just wave me over,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said.

    The barmaid finished passing out the bowls of porridge and then walked away. Anna scooped up a mouthful of porridge with her spoon and ate it. It was salty with a tangy flavor that she assumed came from the pickled pork mixed in with the oats.

    I wish it was a sweet porridge, but with how cheap this place is, there was no way they¡¯d serve sugar or honey.

    The food wasn¡¯t bad, but it wasn¡¯t what she wanted, so she let her mind wander while she ate, her thoughts going back to the events of the last year.

    ¡°I wonder how Qrixit¡¯s doing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about Qrixit. I wonder how he¡¯s doing,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ah, well, you were speaking the trade language,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I was?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No need to apologize. I was just wondering what was going on. Most of the time when you mumble to yourself, you speak common or dwarven. It was just different, that¡¯s all,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Well, I did spend the last year speaking it, so I guess I¡¯m just used to it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Lyreen replied.

    They went back to eating, and Anna looked around the room as she finished her breakfast. She noticed one of the paladin candidates staring at her. He quickly looked away when their eyes met.

    Scrawny little shit, isn¡¯t he? And what kind of paladin wears glasses?

    She finished her food and pushed her bowl away. The others finished a few minutes later. They got up from the table and left the inn, tossing their keys into a basket near the door.

    Once outside, they got back on the road and continued their trek north. A few minutes later, the paladin candidates walked up next to them, and the outspoken one from the night before moved over to Voekeer.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re heading the same way,¡± he said.

    ¡°Seems like,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Mind if we join you?¡± the paladin candidate asked.

    Voekeer shrugged.

    ¡°Sure, why not,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Great! I¡¯m Arthur by the way,¡± the paladin candidate replied.

    ¡°Voekeer,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Good to meet you,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°Good to meet you, too,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Once the two of them finished shaking hands, the other paladin candidates walked closer to the party, each one nearing a different member. The skinny man headed her way. She suppressed the urge to sigh, fully expecting it after she caught him staring that morning.

    Thanks, Voekeer. Now I get to listen to this prick chat me up for the next couple of hours.

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    He walked right past her to Elaine and held out his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m Issac,¡± he said.

    Elaine looked even more baffled by this development than Anna, though she recovered much quicker.

    ¡°Elaine,¡± she replied.

    She took his hand and shook it.

    ¡°Tell me, are your tattoos based on the Vedol people by any chance?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They are! You know, most people don¡¯t even know about the desert nomads let alone the names of the tribes,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I thought so, though they appear to have been heavily modified,¡± he said.

    ¡°They have. Instead of simply converting my mana to death mana, they also amplify it and work like a focus,¡± she replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! How did you manage it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I used the works of an arc lich along with a few spells from the pearl tower,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°How in the world do you get life spells to work with necromancy?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I just used the amplification portion of the spell,¡± Elaine replied.

    She went on to describe exactly how she¡¯d modified the spell, as well as how they worked, all while pointing out the various symbols on her skin.

    ¡°What about the amplification tattoos?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Those are on my chest,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Is that so? Well now, that gives me even more of a reason to want to examine them,¡± he said.

    Elaine grinned at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I could arrange that,¡± she said.

    Anna sighed and quickened her pace. She had no desire to listen to them flirt with one and other. She walked up to the front of the group and next to Voekeer who was currently in a deep conversation with Arthur.

    ¡°Say, Anna, you¡¯re a swordswoman, too, so maybe you can settle something for us,¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure, what is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We are trying to figure out if a long sword is superior to an arming sword,¡± he said.

    ¡°Neither. They¡¯re different weapons. It¡¯s like trying to compare a club to a spear,¡± she replied.

    Both men grew quiet as they thought it over.

    ¡°Fair enough, but if you could only choose one sword to use for the rest of your life, what would that be?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. I¡¯d pick Ted,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ted?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s got a magic sword she named Ted,¡± Voekeer replied.

    Arthur¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°You have a magic sword?!¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s made from adamantine, it can fix itself, and it talks, too!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°May I see it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    She stopped and took off her pack. The others crowded around her as she opened it. She drew her sword from its sheath and held it out for everyone to see.

    ¡°BACK AWAY, MY LORD! IT¡¯S ONE OF THE BLADES OF DESPAIR!¡± Issac shouted.

    ¡°It¡¯s a what now?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°A black blade of despair! Only minions of the dark one can wield them!¡± Issac replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not anyone¡¯s minion!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Then why do you have that sword?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Because I beat up the dark one¡¯s fifth general and took it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible! No human could defeat one of the ten dark generals!¡± Issac said.

    ¡°She¡¯s not human,¡± Barika replied.

    The priestess walked up next to her and put her hand on Anna¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Then what is she?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s the offspring of a powerful extraplanar entity that was accidentally summoned to our world,¡± Elaine replied.

    She walked up beside Anna and held out her hand.

    ¡°Give me the sword,¡± she said.

    Anna passed Ted to Elaine who held it up for the men to see.

    ¡°Ted isn¡¯t one of the black blades anymore. It was severely damaged during her fight with the general and didn¡¯t restore itself until she used it to kill three men she caught trying to murder a woman!¡± she said.

    She passed Anna back the sword.

    ¡°Put it away and let¡¯s get going,¡± she added.

    Anna put Ted back in its sheath, and they strapped it to her pack again and slung it over her shoulders.

    The party turned and walked away, leaving the young men standing there. They continued on until the sun was high in the sky. They stepped off the road, and she took off her pack and passed out the smoked sausages.

    ¡°Why did you tell them what I am?¡± she asked.

    Elaine sighed.

    ¡°Sorry about that. I just didn¡¯t want them to start spreading rumors that you were a darkling or something,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t! You help people wherever we go! It¡¯s not right that everyone¡¯s suspicious of you like this!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°People don¡¯t know that I help, and even if they did, they¡¯d still be scared of me just like those farmers,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Farmers? What farmers?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°When I first left Fishport, we stopped at a small farmstead. I helped Barika heal a boy whose leg had healed wrong. I was able to break it with my thumbs and she healed it right. When his mother asked why I was so strong, I told her I was part fairy. That¡¯s what I told people at the time. After they found out I was different, they treated me like shit, even though I¡¯d just helped them,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Fuck them!¡± Elaine said.

    Anna laughed.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve told you that story before, and that was pretty much what you said the first time,¡± she replied.

    Elaine frowned.

    ¡°You did?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    Elaine furrowed her brows.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t remember. It was right after we met,¡± Anna added.

    Elaine nodded.

    ¡°We might want to eat on the road. I don¡¯t know about all of you, but I¡¯d rather not run into them again,¡± she said.

    The others agreed, so after she¡¯d passed the food out, they started off again.

    ¡°Hey! Wait up!¡± Arthur said.

    They turned around to see the paladin candidates running up the road.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°To apologize. We shouldn¡¯t have judged you like that,¡± he replied.

    He looked at her with pleading eyes.

    ¡°Why bother? We¡¯re never going to see each other again after today,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well, uh, actually, I wanted to know if you¡¯d aid us on our quest?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Do what now?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re on a quest to find a way to lift the curse placed on our kingdom!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Why the fuck would anyone send a bunch of paladin candidates on a quest like that?¡± Anna asked.

    The young men looked at each other for a moment before turning their gaze towards the party again.

    ¡°We¡¯re not paladin candidates,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Then who the fuck are you, and why can you use divine power?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°How did you know that?!¡± he asked.

    ¡°Answer my fucking question, and I might tell you!¡± Anna replied.

    Arthur sighed and then nodded.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m Arthur Wyrmbane, second prince of Thornvald,¡± he replied.

    Anna blinked twice at his response.

    ¡°You have got to be shitting me!¡± she said.

 Chapter 126

    ¡°I can prove it!¡± Arthur said.

    He took a small golden medallion from his belt pouch and held it up. On it was the image of a stag rearing up on its hind legs, sparks of silvery magic floated from the surface.

    ¡°It¡¯s a deer,¡± Anna replied.

    Arthur looked at the medallion for a moment before looking back at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually a stag,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay, but how does a picture of a stag prove you¡¯re a prince?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It...it¡¯s a royal seal!¡± he replied.

    Elaine sighed.

    ¡°Anna, is it enchanted by any chance?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, with silver mana,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then he¡¯s probably telling the truth,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Oh, well, why the fuck is a prince dressed like a commoner and sleeping at roadside inns?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because the sorceress who laid the curse on our kingdom would try and stop us if she found out, so we left in secret and have kept our true identities secret, until now,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, I guess that makes sense, but it doesn¡¯t explain why you have divine power,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°The royal family in Thornvald is known for their divine magic,¡± Issaic added.

    ¡°Seeing as I¡¯ve never heard of Thornvald until today, how was I supposed to know that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of Thornvald?¡± Arthur asked.

    He almost looked hurt.

    ¡°No, should I have?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, yes,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Okay then, tell me about it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Uh, let¡¯s see, it¡¯s deep in the mountains to the northwest of the empire in a fertile valley¡­¡± he replied.

    ¡°Lad, why don¡¯t you tell us what you want before you start giving us a lesson?¡± Thokri asked, interrupting Arthur.

    ¡°Right, I want you to join us on our quest,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Bah!¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Bah? What does that mean?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°It means no, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°But why?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Ya said yer quest was to lift a curse. We can¡¯t help ya with that,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°But she was able to defeat one of the dark generals! Surely you could do something,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°I punched him until he quit moving. I don¡¯t think that would work on a curse,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°No, but if you were to slay the sorceress, it may break the spell,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not possible for a curse that covers an entire kingdom to be an active spell, so killing her wouldn¡¯t do you any good,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°But there has to be a way!¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°Oh, there are plenty of ways. It¡¯s just killing her isn¡¯t one of them,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, what would you suggest?¡± Issac asked.

    ¡°The simplest way to lift the curse would be to get the one who cast it to do so. But I''m guessing that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Elaine replied.

    Arthur shook his head no.

    ¡°It¡¯s not. We¡¯ve tried to reason with her, but she just kills our messengers and sends their dismembered corpses back with mocking letters,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well then, I''d suggest you go and find a mage¡¯s association that specializes in curses and hire them,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°We can¡¯t afford them,¡± Arthur said.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t afford them? I thought you were a prince?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The curse had bankrupted us! The crops failed causing a famine to spread, and to top it off, the plague had wiped out most of the smaller villages!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°If things keep going like this, the kingdom will fall,¡± Arthur added.

    ¡°Have you asked the temples for aid?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°We were told they couldn¡¯t spare anyone because of the looming threat the dark one poses,¡± Arthur replied.

    Both parties were quiet as they digested Arthur¡¯s words.

    ¡°I want to help them,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I wish we could, but we don¡¯t have an expert on curses in our party,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Uh, actually, we kind of do,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Who?¡± Voekeer asked.

    Lyreen pointed at Anna.

    ¡°ME! I can¡¯t even do magic!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Maybe not, but you can break any spell by touching it!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Well yeah, but I can¡¯t touch the whole kingdom, now can I?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to if we can find the origin stone!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°The what now?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The origin stone is the focal point of a passive spell, kind of like the gem in the hilt of your sword,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°So, if we find that stone and I smash it, that should lift the curse?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not quite. See, smashing it wouldn¡¯t work. You¡¯d have to push some of that weird power you have into it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°So long as the origin stone is the source of the curse¡¯s mana, that might work,¡± Elaine said.

    Lyreen shook her head no.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way a spell that covers an entire kingdom has a single mana source. It¡¯s got to be distributed,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Then what good does destroying the origin stone do?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Like I told Anna, I don¡¯t want her to smash it. I want her to push that weird power of hers into it. Basically, she¡¯s going to poison the curse,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not following you here,¡± Elaine said.

    Lyreen sighed.

    ¡°As far as I know, the only way to create a passive spell that covers such a large area is to use secondary stones,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Oh, I get it. So, we use Anna¡¯s power to damage the connections between the stones which would cause a chaining failure!¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°So, you can lift the curse?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°So long as that sorceress isn¡¯t using an exotic magic, yes,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°And if she is?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, Anna¡¯s power can disrupt anything, so it would just be a matter of figuring out where to use it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Then will you help us?¡± Arthur asked.

    Anna looked at the rest of the party who all glanced at each other before Voekeer took a step towards the prince.

    ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank us till we do something, lad,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already done more than anyone else we¡¯ve talked to,¡± Arthur replied.

    Elaine gestured down the road.

    ¡°Tell us about the curse,¡± she said.

    Arthur nodded, and both groups started off again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget the day that curse fell upon us. It was just before midday, and I was on the training grounds when there was a crackling sound, and a foul odor filled the air. Suddenly the world was plunged into darkness,¡± he said.

    ¡°Darkness?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Twilight, as if the sun had just gone down,¡± Issac replied.

    ¡°Sounds like a miasma,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°It does, and it narrows down the types of magic we could be facing,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°So, did the crops die from some strange malady, or was it just the lack of light?¡± Elaine asked.

    Arthur and Issac looked at each other. It was clear that neither knew the answer.

    ¡°It was the lack of light, ma¡¯am,¡± one of the other men replied.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s probably shadow magic,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°That or corruption,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°You know, corruption sounds more likely considering foul smell,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Does it matter what kind of magic she¡¯s using?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need protection from the curse until we can dispel it, and knowing what kind of magic was used helps,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°How?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Specialized magic is usually weak to its opposing type, so in the case of corruption, purification magic would work best,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I get it. So light magic would work against shadow then, right?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I should be able to bless some talismans to drive away the curse if it¡¯s based on either of those magics,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°That would be perfect!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to come up with something for myself,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°At least wear one while you sleep,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± Elaine replied.

    Thokri walked over next to Voekeer.

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna need some horses, lad,¡± he said.

    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Mountains are at least a year¡¯s walk, lass. Good horses will cut that down to three or four months,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°But good horses are expensive. Do we have enough?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I have more than enough to buy all of us good mounts,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°We¡¯d appreciate that,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a large town about a week north of here. We should be able to find a horse market there, sir,¡± one of the other young men said.

    They began discussing horses, a topic which held little interest for Anna, causing her to drift away. She ended up walking next to Rose who seemed to be keeping as much distance between herself and the young men as she could without being too conspicuous about it.

    ¡°They still make you nervous, don¡¯t they?¡± Anna asked.

    Rose nodded yes.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Anna said.

    Rose shook her head no and gestured down the road, indicating she was willing to continue.

    ¡°Well, just let me know if you change your mind,¡± Anna said.

    Rose nodded again.

    ¡°And if they give you any trouble, I¡¯ll toss them for you if you¡¯d like,¡± Anna added.

    Rose gave her a playful shove and shook her head while smiling.

    They walked next to each other quietly while the others chatted about horses and magic until they reached an inn later that evening where they stopped for the night. The prince and his men joined them as they ate dinner, and despite the fact they¡¯d just met that morning, both groups seemed to be getting along like old friends.

    The door burst open, and armed men poured into the inn as they had the night before. One of the men¡¯s gaze fell on her, and they locked eyes for a moment. He searched her face before looking away. After a few minutes, they turned and left the inn.

    ¡°Looks like that hair dye worked,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Miss Elaine, those three men you mentioned earlier, did they happen to be acquaintances of those ruffians?¡± Issac asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I see,¡± he said.

    With that, they all went back to eating their meals.

 Chapter 127

    They approached a small walled village that lay at the crossroads between the major route north and one of the many smaller routes that ran east to west.

    The walls were short and had been repaired many times over the years. Whether this was due to warfare or simply time, Anna really couldn¡¯t say. Aesthetics aside, it was clear that the wall was structurally sound, and by the appearance of the guards posted at the gate, it was well-defended.

    Each member of the party took out their guild badge and held it up for the guards to see when they arrived at the gate. They waved the party through but stopped Prince Arthur and his men at the gate.

    ¡°We¡¯re with them,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°Unless you¡¯re an adventurer, merchant, or nobleman, you got to pay the toll,¡± the guard replied.

    Arthur sighed.

    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no getting around it then. Very well, how much do I owe you for me and my men?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ten coppers each,¡± the guard replied.

    Arthur paid the guards, and they waved him and the others through. They rejoined the party and headed into the town.

    ¡°So, why didn¡¯t you just tell them you¡¯re a prince?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°A foreign royal traveling in secret through the empire would cause a scandal, which is the last thing my homeland needs right now,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Why would it cause a scandal?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meeting in secret with various powerful groups. It would be easy to assume I¡¯m up to no good,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Why? I mean, have you done stuff before that makes it so people don¡¯t trust you or something?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, I would never! It¡¯s just that other royals and high-ranking nobles have done so in the past, and often enough, that¡¯s just what people expect,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Wealth, power, a better position in court, or in the case of royals, a younger son could even gain enough power to usurp his older brother as the heir, or the crown prince might even be able to force his father into abdication,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s just plain old greed then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s what it boils down to,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You know, greed isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. It¡¯s just that sometimes people take it too far and let it turn them into monsters,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard someone say greed isn¡¯t bad before,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Well, greed is usually what makes people do the kind of things they wouldn¡¯t normally do, so if you want adventurers to hunt monsters, explorers to explore, miners to mine deeper, or merchants to sell their goods in distant lands, you need them to be a little greedy,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Ambition drives men to do such things, not greed,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same thing,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Issac asked.

    ¡°Well, they are the same thing if you think about it. Both words just mean you want something you don¡¯t have. I guess you could say ambition is the good version of greed, but I don¡¯t think it really matters,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Words do matter. Calling someone ambitious is usually a compliment, but calling someone greedy is always an insult,¡± Issac said.

    ¡°Okay, but if you just explain that you didn¡¯t mean it as an insult, then it¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Simply explaining yourself might not be enough. The insulted party might want some form of compensation for the slight,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, well, they can suck my ass,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You know, some men might find that aggregable,¡± Issac said.

    ¡°Until she eats pickled eggs,¡± Voekeer added.

    ¡°Or cabbage,¡± Lyreen said.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Or monster meat,¡± Elaine said.

    Her friends collectively shuddered.

    ¡°You forgot unfiltered ale,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t cause the problem, child. It just adds fuel to the fire,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°But that¡¯s the fun part!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What are you all talking about?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°And may the goddess preserve you when you do,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Arthur asked.

    The party just chuckled and walked off with Arthur and his men scurrying along after them.

    They headed further into town, selected an inn at random, and went inside. It wasn¡¯t anything special, though the food did smell good.

    Voekeer and Arthur secured rooms for three days for their respective parties before everyone went upstairs and placed their belongings into their rooms. Anna summoned an eye and a tentacle to guard her things before leaving her room and meeting back up with the others downstairs.

    Once everyone had gathered there, they left the inn and searched for the town market. As with most smaller towns, it was located near the center and was filled with merchants hawking their wares. They walked around awhile before Thokri paused at a leather goods stall run by a dwarf.

    ¡°Know where we might find some horses, lad?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Aye, there¡¯s a good place just outside of two to the east,¡± the dwarf replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°If ya get yerselves some horses, come on back and I¡¯ll get ya saddles and tack,¡± the dwarf added.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    They walked away from the market heading for the eastern gate.

    ¡°Are we actually going to go back to that dwarf for saddles?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    They walked out of the eastern gate and a few miles down the road where a huge pasture was fenced off. Dozens of horses could be seen in the pasture, most of them happily chomping away at the grass while others galloped around, playing some sort of horse tag with one another.

    They walked along the fence line until they reached a path that led to a large barn-like building. A few men were working out front. One of them noticed the party and walked over to greet them.

    ¡°How can we help you, folks?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We need good horses for a long journey,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Any horse here can do that for you. Come on. I¡¯ll show you a few,¡± the man said.

    They followed the man into the building and over to a large row of stable stalls. The man then started to tell them about each horse.

    Anna looked around the room while he was talking to the others. An old man was leaning up against a post chewing a blade of grass.

    I bet he knows more than the young man we¡¯re talking too.

    She walked over to the old man who tipped his hat when she neared.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± he said.

    ¡°Uh, which horse would you pick if you were going up into the barrier mountains and maybe into the wildlands where you couldn¡¯t get feed and such?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t get no horse. I¡¯d get me a mule,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yep, mules are more sure-footed than a horse. Got more stamina, too,¡± he replied.

    ¡°If they¡¯re so good, then why do people use horses at all?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Cause horses are easier to train. In fact, you can train a horse so well he¡¯ll ride right off a cliff if you tell ¡®em to. Makes ¡®em perfect for fighting. Mules on the other hand ain¡¯t gonna do nothing that he thinks might hurt him no matter what you want,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, I get it. Well, I don¡¯t fight from horseback, so I guess a mule would be good for me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll take you to ¡®em,¡± the old man said.

    He pushed himself from the wall and started to saunter out of the building. She walked with him, heading to another fenced-in pasture a few hundred feet from the rear of the building. Twenty or so mules stood in the pasture. As soon as they spotted the old man, they trotted up to the fence. The old man started to pet the heads of the mules when they arrived.

    ¡°So, which one is the strongest and has the most stamina?¡± Anna asked

    ¡°This feller here,¡± the old man replied.

    He gave the side of a large gray mule¡¯s neck a pat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take him then. Uh, how much is a mule?¡± she asked.

    The old man laughed.

    ¡°Just twenty silver,¡± he replied.

    She started to pull the coins from her pouch.

    ¡°Whoa there. I can¡¯t take your silver. We got to go back to the barn and fill out some paperwork,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.

    They returned to the barn, and the others were missing.

    ¡°I wonder where they got off to?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Out giving some of the horses a ride I¡¯d guess,¡± the old man replied.

    ¡°We can do that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Course you can. Wanna ride that grey before you buy ¡®em?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, I trust you,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I appreciate that, ma¡¯am,¡± the old man said.

    The old man knocked on one of the doors that was across from the stalls, and a man inside the room told them to enter. The old man opened the door and gestured for her to walk inside. She did and found a balding man seated behind a desk that was covered in papers.

    ¡°She¡¯s gonna be buying the big gray mule,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°Good choice,¡± the bald man replied.

    He gestured for her to sit down, so she walked over and sat in a chair in front of his messy desk.

    ¡°Imma go bring him around,¡± the old man said.

    The old man walked way, closing the door behind him. She turned back to the bald man who was writing up a receipt for the mule.

    ¡°There we are now. I just need payment, and he¡¯s all yours,¡± the bald man said.

    She passed him the silver coins.

    ¡°Thank you, and here you go,¡± he said.

    She took the receipt from the man. He stood up, walked over to the door, and opened it for her. She walked out of the room and waited for the old man to return. She didn¡¯t have long to wait. He walked in through the back of the building holding onto her mule¡¯s reins.

    ¡°Figured you¡¯d want to ride around with your friends, so I put a saddle on ¡®em,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Need a hand getting on?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    She walked over to the side of the mule, and the old man gave her a boost. She threw her leg over the mule and sat down on the saddle, turning to thank the old man. He had a wry smile on his face, and she puzzled over the look until she realized that her dress had flipped up when he¡¯d given her a boost. She grinned at the old man who grinned back.

    ¡°Thank you kindly,¡± he said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she replied.

    His grin grew even wider.

    ¡°If you head out the back and take a right, you¡¯ll get to the pasture where your friends are riding,¡± he said.

    She nodded and spun the mule around before riding it outside.

 Chapter 128

    Anna rode the mule up to the gate that led to the pasture where the others were riding horses that had caught their eye, and a man who was standing just inside the pasture walked over and opened it for her.  She rode through and looked around, spotting Thokri who was riding with Rose and Barika, and headed over to him.

    ¡°So that¡¯s where you were,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah, I found an old man who worked here and asked him what the best kind of horse for what we were doing was, and he said it was a mule,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call them the best, but they are a good choice though they can be stubborn at times,¡± Barika said.

    Anna shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± she replied.

    Barika laughed.

    ¡°I know that, child. I was just letting you know what to expect before you spend any coin,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh, I already bought him,¡± Anna said.

    Barika gave her a stern look.

    ¡°What have I told you about making rash decisions, child?¡± she replied.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t rash! I asked someone who knew more about horses than I did and took his advice!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I can assume that the man you asked worked here which means he has a vested interest in selling these animals, so of course he¡¯s going to talk them up to you,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna glanced away, thinking back on her conversation with the old man.

    Did he really trick me?

    ¡°How much did that critter cost ya, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Twenty silver,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then the lad was square with ya,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°If he was trying to take ya for a ride, he¡¯d have tried to sell you one of them,¡± Thokri replied.

    He gestured to where Arthur and his knights were riding powerful-looking steeds with glossy coats and long shiny manes.

    ¡°How much are those?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Thirty gold a piece,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°That much!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Aye, even this one costs a few gold,¡± he replied.

    He gave his mount a pat on the neck.

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s twice as much as my old horse cost,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s more expensive here, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna said.

    Barika let out a long sigh.

    ¡°It worked out for you this time, child, but it might not next time, so please try to be careful,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I will, but I could always just take my coin back from someone if I wanted to,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Yes, child, but an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. It¡¯s better to not let things get that far,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    They rode over to where Artur and his knights were riding. Lyreen and Voekeer were with them as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t get one of the miniature ponies,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that short,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Why are you riding a mule, Miss Anna?¡± Sir Buford asked.

    Sir Buford was one of the four knights who had accompanied Prince Arthur and Lord Issac on their quest.

    ¡°Because I bought it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I was under the impression we came here to buy horses, and that I¡¯d be paying for them,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°Well, I bought a mule, and I paid for it, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Anna replied.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Arthur looked at her for a moment, clearly wanting to respond, but then just shook his head clearly wanting to avoid an argument with the stubborn eldritch entity.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve all made our choice by this point, so who¡¯s going to get the love birds?¡± Arthur asked.

    He nodded towards Elaine and Issac who had become inseparable over the last week. Thokri whistled loudly causing the ears of every horse there to twitch. When their wayward companions looked over, Thokri waved for them to join the group. The two of them rode over with Elaine smirking when she looked over at Anna.

    ¡°Nice ass,¡± she said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Are those mounts to your liking?¡± Arthur asked.

    Elaine and Issac nodded.

    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s be off,¡± Arthur added.

    They rode out of the pasture and back to the large building. She got off her mule so that some of the hands could take off the loaner saddle. Lyreen grabbed her by the arm and pulled her aside a few moments later.

    ¡°We¡¯re taking you to get some pants as soon as we get back to town,¡± she said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because everyone just saw your ass, and I¡¯m not talking about the mule,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°So?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°So, you may not care, but the rest of us do!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t sound so sad. I bet you¡¯ll end up liking them,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Sure, you will. I mean, pants have pockets, so that means more places for you to stuff treats,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I never thought of that!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°See, I knew you¡¯d come around. Now, if we could just get you to wear some underclothes,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Not going to happen,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you properly dressed one of these days,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes, I will,¡± Lyreen replied.

    They started to bicker in a friendly way while the horses had their saddles removed and simple leads replaced their bridles. Once Arthur paid for the others¡¯ horses, they left the farm and headed back to the crossroads town.

    The walk back to the town went by quickly. When they reached the town, they found a small stable near their inn and dropped off their mounts, renting stalls for a few days. Lyreen grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the others.

    ¡°Come on, I saw a tailor on the way in,¡± Lyreen said.

    Anna nodded, having seen the tailor as well. Lyreen turned to the others for a moment.

    ¡°We¡¯ll meet back up at the inn,¡± she said.

    ¡°Try to keep out of trouble,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Anna asked.

    Barika gave her a stern look.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be good,¡± Anna said.

    Barika sighed and then waved them off.

    ¡°Go have fun,¡± she replied.

    With that, they walked away from the rest of the party and headed back towards the main street. They walked past a few enclosed wagons that reminded her of the one she¡¯d rescued Rose from all those years ago.

    ¡°There¡¯s something really wrong with humans,¡± Lyreen said.

    Lyreen gave the wagons a disgusted look.

    ¡°Yeah, and the ones here in the empire are worse,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Tell me about it. I swear everywhere I look a see one of those damned collars,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°A third of the people here are slaves,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen stared at her for a moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah, it was only about an eighth back in Therondale,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I had no idea there were that many,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a little harder to tell back home. They don¡¯t wear collars like here as often, so you have to look at their clothes and their hair,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I get their clothes, but why their hair?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s always short, men and women, unless they were bought cause they were pretty,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Cause they were pretty?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Like Rose,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Lyreen said.

    They walked in silence for a while, making it back to the main street.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s been a while since it was just the two of us like this,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It has. The last time was when we went to that bakery and got those strudels,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Those were so good!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and get something sweet after the tailor?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That would be amazing!¡± Lyreen replied.

    They found their way to the tailor and walked into the shop. An old man sat behind the counter sitting on a stool. He looked up from his work and smiled at them.

    ¡°How can I help you ladies today?¡± he asked.

    ¡°My friend needs some riding clothes,¡± Lyreen replied.

    The old man looked her over.

    ¡°I suppose such a short dress would be rather inconvenient to wear while riding,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not really. She just doesn¡¯t want everyone to see my butt when I get on and off my mule,¡± Anna replied.

    The old man laughed.

    ¡°Well, come here girl and let me get your measurements,¡± he said.

    Anna walked behind the counter. The old man picked up a measuring tape and started to take her measurements. Riding clothes were looser than normal attire which meant the that measurements didn¡¯t have to be as exact as a dress, so she was able to keep her clothing on.

    He moved quickly, measuring her from top to bottom, lingering on her bust for a bit longer than other parts.

    I don¡¯t really blame him. I mean, they are fun to look at.

    When he finished, he stood back up and went over to the counter where he got a sheet of paper and a quill.

    ¡°Any preferences on color or fabric?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not really. Just something that hides stains well and is tough,¡± Anna replied.

    The old man wrote something on the paper.

    ¡°How many sets would you like?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Three,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That will cost thirty-five copper,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    She counted out the coins and placed them on the counter next to the paper.

    ¡°When will you need these by?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving in three days, so anytime before then,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Come back the day after tomorrow. I should have them ready by then,¡± he said.

    ¡°See you then,¡± Anna replied.

    She walked out of the tailor¡¯s shop with Lyreen.

    ¡°You know, I should probably get some shoes or something. I¡¯d look kind of silly going barefoot in pants,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen put her hand on Anna¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± she asked.

    Anna pushed her friend¡¯s hand away.

    ¡°Of course, I am. I can¡¯t get sick, remember?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I remember, but I also remember how much you whine whenever you have to put anything on your feet, so why are you willing to all a sudden?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re traveling with Arthur and his men, I want to act a little more normal,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see a shoemaker on the way here, so we should probably head to the market,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing one in the market when we were there earlier, but I might have just missed it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t find one there, we can just explore. This town has to have a shoemaker,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°And if we happen to find a place that sells treats on the way, all the better,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Lyreen said.

    They walked away from the tailor¡¯s shop smiling.

 Chapter 129

    They walked out of a bakery munching on sweetened cheese bread.

    ¡°This is so good!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I know right! We should bring everyone here tomorrow,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± Lyreen said.

    They started back for the inn. Her new shoes squeaked as she walked, the tight leather pulling against the stitching.

    I wish that jerk of a shoemaker hadn¡¯t told Lyreen he made these for children. She¡¯s going to tease me about it for weeks! It¡¯s not my fault my feet are small!

    She took a bite from her treat and chewed it.

    I could tease her back, but about what? Messing with her about her butt getting big or her flat chest is getting kind of old.  Maybe I¡¯ll just ignore her like Barika keeps telling me to do.

    They reached the inn a few minutes later, and she finished the last few bites of her snack before pushing the door open.

    The inn was relatively empty with only a few people scattered around the main room.

    ¡°Guess we made it back before the others,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Looks like,¡± Anna replied.

    They walked over to one of the empty tables and sat down, waving one of the serving women over. A thin rather short woman walked over and smiled at them.

    ¡°What can I get you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Ales please,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± the server said.

    She walked away, heading into the back of the inn.

    ¡°She kind of looks like Rose,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah, but her boobs are way smaller,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Of course you¡¯d notice that,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It means you stare at tits harder than most men,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°So?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°So, for a woman who says she isn¡¯t interested in sex, you sure seem to like ogling women,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not, and even if I was, what does it matter?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really. I¡¯m just trying to figure out what¡¯s going on in that head of yours, that¡¯s all,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°If you ever do, let me know,¡± Anna said.

    Lyreen laughed.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± she replied.

    The server returned with their ales and placed them on the table.

    ¡°Let me know if you need anything else,¡± she said.

    ¡°We will,¡± Lyreen replied.

    They sipped their ales and chatted while they waited for the rest of the party to arrive.

    About an hour later, Voekeer walked through the door followed by the rest of the party, along with Arthur and his men. They walked over to the table and sat down, waving the server over.

    ¡°So, did you get what you needed?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yep, I got to pick everything up the day after tomorrow,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That works out,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°She also got the cutest pair of children¡¯s shoes to wear,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°You did?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Miss Anna, why did you get children¡¯s shoes?¡± Sir Buford asked.

    ¡°Because I have tiny feet, and they were the only ones that fit! That¡¯s why!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. I just wanted to know,¡± he said.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Anna sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not you,¡± she said.

    She turned and gave Lyreen a look. The elf just smirked at her. She shook her head and turned to Arthur.

    ¡°So how much do I owe you for the saddle?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing. I said I was paying for the horses, and you can¡¯t ride without a saddle, so I covered that too,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stock up on food. Is there anything you all want?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not particularly, but do you mind if I join you?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Great!¡± Arthur said.

    Wow, he¡¯s really happy about this. He must love the smoked sausage more than I thought he did.

    The server stepped over and smiled at everyone.

    ¡°What can I get for you all today?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have an ale,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Same here,¡± Voekeer added.

    The rest of the group ordered ales as well.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have those right now. Dinner is done by the way. Would you like to eat now, or will you wait until later?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye, I could eat. What do you got, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Roast meat with garlic sauce and mashed potatoes. If you don¡¯t want that, we have stew as well,¡± the server replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the meat!¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± the server replied.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Anna said.

    The rest of the party ordered the roast meat. Anna assumed this was because every inn they had stayed at for the last week had only served stew.

    Once she had taken everyone¡¯s order, the server rushed away, heading to the back of the inn to retrieve their food and drinks.

    ¡°So, did you two find anything interesting while you were out?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yes! There was a bakery with really good, sweetened cheese bread!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, that sounds wonderful! Was it expensive?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go tomorrow,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°We were planning on inviting everyone to come with us when we went back, so that works out,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well then, I suppose we¡¯ll have to meet back up here in the afternoon after we finish our errands,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Works for me,¡± Anna replied.

    Several servers walked over carrying trays filled with plates and mugs. They placed a plate and mug in front of each of them before leaving. Anna picked up the fork provided with the meal and used it to stab the meat before twisting off a chunk. Steam rose from the torn meat as she put the morsel into her mouth. It was tender with a strong salty flavor, and the sauce was incredibly potent.

    Hmm, must be using fresh garlic and salt pork.

    She swallowed down her bite and then took another. As she chewed, she glanced around the table at the others. Her friends seemed to be enjoying their meal, with the exception of Lyreen whose eyes were watering from the strong taste.

    She never did like strong tastes.

    Anna took a drink of her ale and then took a bite of the mashed potatoes.

    Oh, wow! They used real cream to make these!

    She munched away at the mashed potatoes until she finished them before taking another drink of her ale and starting on the meat.

    ¡°Looks like someone likes strong flavors,¡± Sir Ulric said.

    Anna swallowed down her bite.

    ¡°Yep,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you can eat it that fast,¡± Sir Lars added.

    ¡°I once watched her eat an entire platter of meat at a dwarven feast. This stuff might as well be plain bread compared to that,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°An entire platter?! Where did she put it?¡± Sir Lars asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s one of the great mysteries of the world, son,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m right here?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, uh, sorry about that,¡± Sir Lars replied.

    ¡°You know, you all sure say you¡¯re sorry a lot. Well, except for Ulric. He doesn¡¯t talk,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I speak,¡± Sir Ulric replied.

    Anna looked up at the quiet man clearly surprised.

    ¡°Holy shit you got a deep voice!¡± Anna said.

    Sir Ulric chuckled at her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before,¡± he said.

    All four of the knights that had accompanied Prince Arthur on his quest were average-looking men with average builds, so the fact that his voice was nearly as deep as an ogre¡¯s was quite the shock.

    ¡°I bet,¡± Anna replied.

    She went back to devouring her meal, finishing it quickly before downing her entire ale and then let out a belch that echoed throughout the room.

    ¡°Good one,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    She wiped her mouth off on her sleeve and then noticed that Prince Arthur and his men were staring at her.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Miss Anna, you aren¡¯t like any woman I¡¯ve met before,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m weird, I know it,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I was just saying that you¡¯re unique, that¡¯s all,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice way of putting it,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Shut up you,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen smirked at her.

    I¡¯m going to have to start messing with her again, but not today. I don¡¯t feel like it right now.

    She pushed her chair out and stretched before standing up.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on Ted. I¡¯ll see you all in the morning,¡± she said.

    ¡°Tell the lad I said hi,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°You think Ted¡¯s a man?¡± Anna asked.

    Thokri stroked his beard for a moment.

    ¡°Aye, he sounds like one anyway,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I guess so, anyway, I¡¯ll let him know you said hi. Later everyone,¡± she said.

    The others wished her a good night, and she went upstairs to her room. She sent the eye and tentacle away as she pushed the door open and walked inside.

    ¡°Master! You came back!¡± Ted said.

    ¡°Of course I did, and why did you just call me master?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because you are my master, master,¡± Ted replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. It makes it seem like I own you or something,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°But you do own me. I am your sword after all,¡± Ted replied.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, but it still feels weird owning something that can talk,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all, so don¡¯t let it bother you, master,¡± Ted replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to,¡± Anna said.

    She started to undress, placing her clothing and belt on the table before going over to the bed and sitting down. There she undid her shoes and removed them, setting them by the foot of her bed.

    ¡°How was your day, master?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°It was fine. I bought a mule instead of a horse, and then everyone saw my butt, so Lyreen made me buy some pants. I got shoes too. How about you? How as your day?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It was lonely. I didn¡¯t get to listen to anyone talk,¡± Ted replied.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I should have brought you with me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just a sword. I know I can¡¯t go everywhere with you,¡± Ted replied.

    ¡°That doesn''t mean you should have to stay in a room all by yourself! I¡¯ll bring you with me when I can from now on,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Do you mean it?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°I do. In fact, I¡¯m going out tomorrow, and you can come to!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± Ted said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Anna replied.

    She laid down on the bed and rolled onto her back, looking up at the ceiling for a few moments before closing her eyes and falling fast asleep.

 Chapter 130

    When the first rays of the morning¡¯s light touched her face, Anna opened her eyes and sat up. She swung her feet over the side of the bed and reached down, picking up her shoes and putting them on before standing up and walking over to the table where she put on her dress and belt. After she was dressed, she went to her pack and unstrapped Ted, sliding the strap of the baldric over her shoulder, allowing him to come to rest at her hip.

    ¡°Remember, no talking,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Ted replied.

    She walked out of her room and turned to lock the door with the large iron key that had been provided by the innkeeper. Once it was locked, she walked over to Arthur¡¯s room and knocked on the door. After a few moments, the door cracked open and a sleepy-looking prince blinked at her.

    ¡°Get dressed and meet me downstairs. We need to get to the market early to get the best meat,¡± Anna said.

    Arthur grunted and closed the door. She shrugged and walked away, heading down the stairs where she stood by the front door.

    I¡¯ll give him ten minutes.

    The main room was empty save for a few of the serving women who were sitting at one of the tables chatting. She made sure not to make eye contact with any of them, unwilling to be dragged into their discussion. She studied the wall for a few minutes until she heard a door open and close upstairs. Prince Arthur walked down the stairs wearing his usual clothing and looking far more regal than a man staying in a cheap inn has any right to.

    ¡°Why are you armed?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ted got lonely, so I¡¯m bringing him with me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I see. Well, we should be going,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    She opened the door and walked out into the crisp morning air. They set out for the marketplace, passing a few people as they walked.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know more about you,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, where are you from?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°A little fishing village called Fishport. It¡¯s at the mouth of the great river that marks the border of Therondale¡¯s frontier,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re a long way from home,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Do you have any family, brothers or sisters?¡± he asked.

    She shook her head no.

    ¡°I¡¯m an orphan. I was abandoned as a baby,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyway, what about you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, I have an older brother and a younger brother as well as a younger sister,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°What are they like?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, my older brother is the stern type, though that¡¯s to be expected being the crown prince. My younger brother is a bit frivolous, but he¡¯s still a teenager, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll grow out of it, and my little sister is a sweet girl but a little spoiled,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal for the youngest. At least, that¡¯s what Elaine told me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lady Elaine has siblings?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. She¡¯s got seven of them,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Goodness, that¡¯s quite a family,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, her parents love each other very much and very often,¡± Anna replied.

    Arthur laughed.

    ¡°It sounds like it,¡± he said.

    They chatted as they made their way into the market. Arthur told her about his family, his home, and his kingdom. She told him of her crazy adventures and her dear friends. By the time they reached the meat vendor, they were both in a fit of laughter.

    ¡°You seriously handed Miss Lyreen a troll¡¯s parts?!¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Yep, and she took them and stared at them while I went over to check on Thokri,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I had no idea adventuring could be so colorful,¡± Arthur said.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°It can be, though most of the time, we are just traveling from one contract to another,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yes, well, it still sounds exciting,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°Like I said, it can be,¡± Anna replied.

    She walked up to the meat vendor and started to pick out various sausages and jerky, paying the vendor for a small portion of each.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Tasting them. That¡¯s how you find the best ones,¡± Anna replied.

    She broke one of the sausages in half and handed a portion to the prince. They both took a bite and chewed.

    ¡°This is quite good,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s got too much fennel in it, so Lyreen won¡¯t eat it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You know your party well, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    She gobbled down the rest of the sausage and then selected another from the pile. She snapped this one in half as well and sniffed it.

    ¡°It¡¯s spicy,¡± she said.

    He nodded and took the chunk. Taking a bite, his face turned bright red, and he started to cough. She patted him on the back.

    ¡°I told you it was spicy,¡± she said.

    ¡°What was in that?!¡± he asked.

    ¡°Dwarven spices. Got some kick, don¡¯t they?¡± the meat vendor replied.

    Arthur coughed a few more times, trying to catch his breath.

    ¡°Do dwarves really eat that kind of thing?¡± he asked.

    Anna took a bite of the sausage and chewed it slowly before swallowing it.

    ¡°Actually, this is kind of mild compared to most dwarven food,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Remind me never to eat dwarven food,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    She ate the rest of her half of the spicy sausage.

    ¡°You gonna finish that?¡± she asked.

    Arthur shook his head and handed her the rest of the sausage. She wolfed it down and then picked up another from the pile of samples and broke it in half.

    ¡°No thanks. I fear I¡¯ve lost my sense of taste,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Oh yeah, I heard that can happen. You should be fine in a few minutes,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Do you have anything to drink?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°No, sir, I don¡¯t,¡± the meat vendor replied.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get something after here,¡± Anna said.

    Arthur nodded. He was sweating profusely, and his face was still flushed red.

    He must be from one of those places that don¡¯t have spicy food at all.

    She quickly nibbled each of the sausages and types of jerky she¡¯d bought to try out before picking out the ones she knew her friends would like most and bought a few sack fulls of each. Once she paid, she slung the sacks over her shoulder, and they set off, looking for something to quench the fire in Arthur¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Would you like some help with those?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Na, I¡¯m fine,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, this is nothing for me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Alright. Well, if you change your mind, let me know,¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    They searched the market for a few minutes before finding a dairy merchant.

    ¡°Looks like they still have plenty of milk,¡± she said.

    ¡°Thank the gods!¡± Arthur replied.

    They bought two of the smallest jars of milk they had available and started to drink from them.

    Nice and sweet, and it¡¯s still warm from the cow.

    Arthur finished the milk quickly and handed the jar back to the dairy merchant.

    ¡°Better?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Much, thank you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I wish you would have told me you didn¡¯t like spicy food,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I like spicy food. I just don¡¯t like that amount of spice,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to try different spicy food, so I know what you like,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, but thank you anyway,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Anna said.

    She drank the rest of the milk, handed her jar back to the merchant, and they walked away from the stall.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you ate that thing like it was a piece of plain bread,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that surprising. Barika and Thokri could have done the same no problem,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I can see Thokri being a dwarf as he is, but Sister Barika being able to eat something like that¡¯s a bit surprising,¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s from the western part of the empire originally, and humans eat food almost as spicy as the dwarves out there,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ah, well, that makes sense. I had heard the food in that part of the empire was heavily spiced,¡± he said.

    ¡°I think the lizard men have spicy food too, but I¡¯ve never tried any. They¡¯re kind of jerks,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met one, so I couldn¡¯t say,¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. They don¡¯t like the cold, and your kingdom is pretty far north,¡± Anna said.

    Arthur nodded, and they walked around the market for a few hours, looking at all of the things for sale before returning to the inn. The others were already back and waiting for them at a table.

    ¡°Did you two have a nice date?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t on a date. Were we?¡± Anna asked.

    She turned to look at Arthur who was bright red.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a date! I just wanted to go to the market with her!¡± he replied.

    ¡°See, it wasn¡¯t a date,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Uh huh, sure it wasn¡¯t. Now go and put that stuff away so we can get going,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Anna said.

    She walked away from the table and up to her room where she dropped the sacks of meat next to her pack.

    ¡°Hey Ted, do you think that was a date?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what a date is, master,¡± Ted replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s when a couple goes out to spend time together,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Are you and the prince a couple?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°No, at least, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t a date,¡± Ted said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Thanks, Ted,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Anything for you, master,¡± Ted said.

    She went back down the stairs and walked over to the table her friends were seated at. Everyone seemed to be smirking at Arthur who was even redder than he¡¯d been after eating the sausage.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Okay, well, are you all ready to go?¡± Anna asked.

    The others looked at each other before getting up.

    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then,¡± Anna said.

    They walked out of the inn and headed for the bakery that Anna and Lyreen had found the day before. The streets were crowded at this time of day, and there were dozens of carts and wagons making their way through the town. She watched them as they went by idly, wondering what they might be hauling and where they were going.

    ¡°HEY, BOSS! THAT WOMAN HAS PURPLE EYES!!!¡± a man shouted.

    She looked over and froze when she saw one of the men who¡¯d stormed into the inn a week before pointing right at her.

    ¡°GET HER!¡± the wagon master shouted.

    Several horsemen wheeled around and started to push through the crowd. She glanced around at her friends.

    Oh, fuck! They won¡¯t be able to get away!

    She grabbed Ted¡¯s hilt and yanked him out of his sheath. The sound of adamantine scraping against iron caused people nearby to panic and rush away. She held her sword out in front of her. The black blade seemed to drink the light from the air around it.

    ¡°Are you going to stab them, master?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re damned right we are!¡± she replied.

 Chapter 131

    Strong arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the ground.

    ¡°What¡¯s got into you, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Put me down!¡± Anna replied.

    Voekeer rushed over and grabbed her sword arm.

    ¡°Drop it!¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not dropping Ted!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then give him to me!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°No, I have to stop them!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Ya can¡¯t hack ¡®em apart in the streets, lass!¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°But they¡¯re going to hurt you all!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Calm down, child. No one¡¯s going to hurt us,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°But at the inn, they¡­¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, child,¡± Barika said.

    Anna looked at her for a moment before she relaxed. Voekeer took Ted from her, and Thokri set her back on the ground.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    She turned back to the wagon men and found them glaring daggers at her. Prince Arthur and his knights were standing in front of them.

    ¡°Tell me what you want with her and be quick about it!¡±  Arthur said.

    ¡°Get out of my way, boy!¡± the caravan master replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen!¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°MOVE DAMMIT!!!¡± the caravan master shouted.

    He spurred his horse forward, and the knights drew their swords. Suddenly a shrill whistle pierced the air, causing everyone to turn. A troop of town guards armed with spears rushed over and surrounded them.

    ¡°What in the name of the gods is going on here?!¡± the lead guard asked

    He stepped over to Arthur and the wagon men.

    ¡°Sheath those swords,¡± he said.

    The knights looked at Arthur. He nodded, and they sheathed their swords.

    ¡°Now then, what¡¯s all this about?¡± the lead guard asked.

    ¡°A few of my boys went missing, and that woman knows what happened!¡± the caravan master replied.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Liar! Tell me what happened now!¡± the caravan master replied.

    ¡°Enough! Either move along, or I¡¯m taking you all in!¡± the lead guard said.

    Arthur and his men looked at the party for a moment before they all started to walk away.

    ¡°I¡¯M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!¡± the caravan master shouted.

    He turned his horse to come after her, but the town guards surrounded him and his men, pointing their spears at them menacingly.

    ¡°TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BOYS, YOU BITCH!¡± the caravan master shouted.

    Anna flipped him a rude gesture and slapped herself on the rear as they walked away.

    The man started to swear and shout at her, threatening to do all kinds of awful things. He got so aggressive that the guards ended up pulling him off his horse and arresting him. He kept shouting as they dragged him away. With their leader gone, the rest of the caravan guards didn¡¯t seem to want to pursue her and went back to their wagons.

    ¡°Uh, can I have Ted back now?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± Voekeer replied.

    She took Ted from Voekeer and looked at the glossy black blade for a moment before returning him to his sheath.

    ¡°Thanks for stopping me you two,¡± Anna said.

    Thokri patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Yer welcome, lass,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, I mean, I did say I¡¯d look out for you,¡± Voekeer added.

    She smiled at both of them.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Would you mind telling us why you got so upset?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Those men attacked that woman back at the inn, and then their friends beat up the innkeeper, even after he told them what he knew cause they didn¡¯t like what he said, and then they tracked me down and started a brawl in the first inn, and when Arthur broke it up, one of them tried to stab him in the back! So, when they found me again and started after me, I thought they might hurt one of you, and I can¡¯t let that happen!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Whoa there, calm down, it¡¯s alright,¡± Elaine replied.

    Anna took a breath and nodded.

    ¡°Child, I appreciate that you were willing to defend us, but I would prefer if you didn¡¯t resort to killing unless absolutely necessary,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Now then, I believe we have some sweet bread to get,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika put her arm around Anna, and they made their way to the bakery.

    What¡¯s wrong with me? I could have handled that in so many better ways than yanking Ted out and waving him around. I mean, even using my tentacles to grab them would have been better. Barika¡¯s right. I was going to kill them without giving it a second thought.

    They arrived at the bakery and went inside. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. People crowded around the back counter. The baker was passing out baked goods, smiling as he did. They got in line and waited for their turn.

    ¡°We should probably do something about those men,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Bah! We won¡¯t see those lads again,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that for sure! I mean, we¡¯ve already bumped into them three times since we left the capital!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°That¡¯s cause we¡¯re walking. After we start riding, we¡¯ll leave them in our dust,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, right. Well, I suppose we just need to avoid them for the rest of the time we¡¯re here then,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be hard. The caravan master¡¯s probably in a lot of trouble for fighting the guards,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°Pricks like that usually weasel their way out of trouble, so I wouldn¡¯t count on him being locked up for very long,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°You know, while they were arresting him, he said something about working for the Drusus imperial trading company,¡± Anna said.

    Thokri frowned and scratched his beard.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of those lads. They¡¯re an old company with a lot of coin and connections,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Do we have to worry about them?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Aye, that lad¡¯s a caravan master, and you don¡¯t get that job without connections,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Tell the guild when we get to the city,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s probably best if we let them deal with this,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°I still want to know what the point of all of this is. I mean, why go after her this hard? All he has to connect her to those missing men is the word of an innkeeper he beat the shit out of,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°I doubt he¡¯s even thinking about that at this point. I¡¯m betting he¡¯s the kind of man who has to be in control wherever he goes, and the fact that three of his men went missing on the first night, he took it as a challenge to his authority, and the one person who might know what really happened to them keep slipping through his fingers,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Do you think if I went and talked to him, it would help?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, child. At this point, all he wants to do is get back at you for hurting his pride,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid reason for wanting to get back at someone,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It is, child, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s true,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it, Miss Anna. Mister Thokri is right. There¡¯s no way a caravan will catch up to us on horseback,¡± Sir Buford said.

    She sighed.

    ¡°I know,¡± she replied.

    They walked up to the counter a few moments later, and everyone picked out whatever treat they wanted before they paid and left the bakery.

    ¡°So, when are we supposed to pick up the saddles anyway?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Tomorrow morning,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s the same time I¡¯m supposed to get my clothes,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll grab yours,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Would you mind picking mine up? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting her walk alone after this,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Sure, I do,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Seriously, nothing can happen to me. I¡¯ll be fine on my own,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going with you, so get over it,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna said.

    With nothing else planned, they made their way to the market and started to wander around, browsing the many stalls.

    After walking for a few minutes, Lyreen¡¯s eyes went wide, and she rushed over to a merchant selling jewelry, pulling Voekeer along with her. The rest of the group walked over as well, and everyone started to look at the bauble on display.

    ¡°Is there anything that catches your eye, Miss Anna?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°That hairpin is cute,¡± Anna replied.

    She pointed at a silver hairpin that had an iridescent shell affixed to the end.

    It¡¯s like my hair, or well, what my hair used to look like. Damn, now I miss my colorful hair¡­

    She sighed and looked away, examining the rest of the jewelry on display. Arthur reached over, picked up the hairpin, and held it out.

    ¡°How much for this one?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That one is one gold sir,¡± the merchant replied.

    Arthur took a gold coin from his coin pouch and then handed it to the man. He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him before reaching behind her head, gathering up her hair, and using the hairpin to hold it in place. Once her hair was secured with the pin, he pulled his hands away and then smiled at her.

    ¡°There, it looks perfect,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Anna replied.

    She turned to the others and found her friends, along with Arthur¡¯s companions, leering at them.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Voekeer replied.

    She rolled her eyes at them before turning back to Arthur and smiling brightly.

    After a moment, she looked away and went back to examining the jewelry. After a few minutes, they walked away from the stall and went back to walking around the market.

    After a few hours, they went back to the inn for the night. The main room was busy, but there were a few of the large tables still open, so they took one and sat down. One of the serving women walked over once they had settled in.

    ¡°Are you ready for dinner?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We are,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°We have roast duck with bread or stew,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the duck,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d like that as well,¡± Arthur added.

    ¡°Oh, me too!¡± Anna said.

    The server smiled at her and then looked around the table.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing the rest of you want the duck as well?¡± she asked.

    The others ordered the roast duck as well, which didn¡¯t surprise her in the least, and the server walked away from the table.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had roast duck since we left home,¡± Issac said.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t something you normally find at roadside inns, so that¡¯s not surprising,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s back to stew after tonight,¡± Issac said.

    ¡°Stew isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yes, I know, but it does get old after a while,¡± Issac said.

    ¡°Well, we should be in the city of light in a couple of weeks. I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be all kinds of good things to eat there,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Fair enough. You know, eating all that bland stew on the way will probably make the food there taste all the better,¡± Issac said.

    ¡°It will,¡± Anna replied.

 Chapter 132

    A loud knock on her door woke her up. Anna sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and slid off before walking to the door and pulling it open just a crack. Lyreen and Voekeer stood on the other side.

    ¡°Hurry up and get dressed!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Anna replied.

    She shut the door and then went to the table where she¡¯d tossed her dress the night before. She put the dress on as well as her belt before returning to her bed to put on her shoes and retrieve her pack. After giving the room a once over to make sure she wasn¡¯t forgetting anything, she left, joining the elves in the hallway.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get how you can get ready that fast,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It helps when you don¡¯t have to brush your hair,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Lyreen said.

    The three of them walked to the stairs where the elves kissed.

    ¡°See you later,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Have fun,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°We will,¡± Lyreen said.

    Voekeer turned to Anna and held out his hand.

    ¡°Let me get your room key. I¡¯ll turn it in for you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    She took her room key from her belt pouch and handed it to him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll meet you at the stables,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°See you then,¡± Voekeer replied.

    They parted ways with Voekeer returning to his and Lyreen¡¯s room and Anna and Lyreen heading down the stairs. The main room of the inn was empty, and the chairs were still upside down on the tables.

    ¡°Wow, you got up early,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I was excited,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°About what?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°About your new outfit,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get you to wear pants for years! So yes, it is a big deal,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Anna said.

    They left the inn. It was still dark outside with the first light of predawn just starting over the horizon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the tailor¡¯s going to be open yet,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It will be light by the time we get there,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Maybe if we walk slow,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be hard for you as short as your legs are,¡± Lyreen replied.

    Anna started to walk faster, causing Lyreen to have to rush to catch up.

    ¡°Slow down you little monster!¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Guess those long legs of yours aren¡¯t all that great after all,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, shut it!¡± Lyreen said.

    She smirked at the elf who just rolled her eyes. The two of them started walking again, this time at a leisurely pace. They arrived at the tailor¡¯s shop just after the first rays of the morning light peaked up over the city walls.

    Anna pushed the door open, and they walked inside the shop. The old tailor was sitting behind the counter and looked up at them as they entered.

    ¡°You two are here early,¡± he said.

    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, miss, not at all. In fact, I have your clothes ready for you,¡± he replied.

    He got off his stool, walked to a shelf located just behind the counter, took a bundle from it, and placed it on the counter.

    ¡°You can try them on over there,¡± he said.

    He pointed at a small door near the rear of the shop. She took off her pack, handed it to Lyreen, and then walked over to the counter and picked up the bundle.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied.

    With bundle in hand, she went to the room and opened the door. It was a small closet-like space with a bench and a small table. She walked inside and closed the door behind her, placing the bundle on the table and untying the cord that was wrapped around it.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Inside was the clothing she¡¯d had made which consisted of three shirts and three pairs of pants. The pants were all the same light brown color and made from a thick canvas-like cloth. The shirts were made from a lighter cloth, and each one was a different color. After looking each article of clothing over for any damage, she placed them in a neat pile and undressed.

    She tossed her old clothing into a pile and picked up one of the shirts. It was off-white, with the other two colors being light brown and dark brown. She pulled the shirt over her head and then freed her hair from the collar before giving herself a once-over.

    The sleeves seemed to be a little long though they had buttons on the cuffs, so they could be tightened to keep them from sliding over her hands. She adjusted the sleeves and then fastened the buttons to keep them in place.

    She picked up a pair of pants and put them on, bouncing some to get them over her rear before fastening the buttons that made up the fly. She looked herself over again.

    Wow! My butt looks bigger in these! I guess it¡¯s because of the reinforced seat.

    She sat on the bench and put her shoes on before standing back up and stretching, moving her body through a series of motions to make sure that her new clothing didn¡¯t inhibit any normal movements. Once she was satisfied that everything was properly fitted, she put her belt back on and then folded up her old clothing and tied it up in the bundle with her new clothes. She left the fitting room and walked out into the main part of the shop, heading back to Lyreen.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking a little bouncy there,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah, well, this shirt doesn¡¯t have anything to hold them up, so they¡¯re going to go all over the place,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you need to wear a wrap,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Not going to happen,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s going to stare at them,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Anna replied.

    Lyreen sighed.

    ¡°You know what? I got you in pants and shoes. I¡¯ll just call it a win,¡± she said.

    ¡°You do that,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, miss, how do they fit?¡± the old tailor asked.

    ¡°Great thank you!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Good, good, well, if you¡¯re ever in town again and need something, come back and see me,¡± he said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied.

    She put the clothing bundle into her pack and then slung it over her shoulders before leaving the tailor¡¯s shop. They made their way to the stables where they had left their horses.

    ¡°You know, you should probably change the way you walk,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the way I walk?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You strut around like a man,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a man,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s pretty obvious,¡± Anna said.

    Except for Qrixit. He totally thought I was a man for most of the time I knew him, but to be fair, women don¡¯t really look much different than men in that part of the world.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get sassy with me. I¡¯m just trying to help you fit in better,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I get it, but I really don¡¯t feel like changing the way I walk right now,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Just think about it, alright?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°I will,¡± Anna replied.

    They arrived at the stables soon after and found the others already there and the horses, her mule included, already saddled and ready to go.

    As they approached their friends, she could see the eyes of the prince and his men glued to her chest, subtly moving up and down with the motion of her breasts.

    They are kind of bouncy, aren¡¯t they?

    Elaine noticed and frowned before elbowing Issac in the side. The young man quickly looked away as did the others. All of them had a sheepish look on their faces after being caught.

    ¡°Fits good, lass,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°Aye, though I think I need some proper dwarven work boots instead of these shoes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri replied.

    She walked over to her mule and examined the saddle along with the rest of the harness.

    ¡°You got me saddlebags?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aye, can¡¯t have a mule that ya can¡¯t load up with shit,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Right,¡± Anna said.

    She took off her pack and started to empty it into the saddle bags, leaving only her clothing and her valuables. She didn¡¯t trust stable boys not to rob her, so she intended to bring the pack into the inn with her each night.

    Once she finished, she strapped the much lighter pack to the mule¡¯s harness just behind the saddle and then walked over to the rail that his reins were tied to and untied them. She then mounted the mule and turned it towards the exit.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. I want to get as far away from here as we can today,¡± she said.

    ¡°The lass is right. Let¡¯s get out of this shithole,¡± Thokri replied.

    He walked over to his horse and untied it as well before climbing onto the saddle. The others scurried over to their mounts, got on them quickly, and then they all rode out of the stables.

    Once they were out on the street, she looked around, marveling at how much different everything seemed from her new higher vantage point.

    Oh, wow! So this is what being tall must feel like!

    Arthur rode his horse next to her.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize for staring earlier,¡± he said.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t mind, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Anna replied.

    They rode along for a while, and Arthur stole glances at her as they did.

    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Would you mind telling me the story of how you got Ted?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s see, it was about six years ago now. We were wintering over in Therondale¡¯s capital, and I was hanging around in a dwarven tavern when one of the lads claimed to have a treasure map. Well, I took a look at it, but I decided not to buy it cause he wanted too much for it, but I did tell the others about it, and we all decided to go and check it out, mostly out of boredom. Anyway, I can remember everything I see, so I drew us another copy of the map, and we went to the cities underground and searched for the treasure. We ended up finding it after fighting our way through some monsters, but the room was protected by a barrier. I used my power to break the barrier, but there wasn¡¯t any treasure, just the Scepter of Octavius,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Hold on, you were the one that found the scepter?!¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Yep, anyway, we decided to give it to the temple, figuring they¡¯d give us a reward for finding it, and just when we were about to leave, the fifth general walks in and casts a fear spell. Now, it didn¡¯t work on me cause magic doesn¡¯t work on me, so I overpowered him and tied him up. After that, we dragged him and the scepter to the temple of light and turned them over. Once we got there, he killed a few paladins and took his sword back from me using magic. He tried to escape, but I chased him down and kicked his ass. While we were fighting, he kept talking shit, and I got really mad, so when I got ahold of his sword again, I used my powers on it and ended up burning out all of its enchantments. Ted here looked like an iron sword that somebody used to fight a few too many slimes with. After that, the general passed out from the beating, and they took him away. We ended up getting lots of treasure for that, and I got a magic sword, so it all worked out,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You beat one of the dark generals into submission with your bare hands while he was armed? Who in the abyss taught you to fight?¡± Arthur asked.

    Anna pointed at Thokri.

    ¡°He did,¡± she replied.

    Arthur looked over at Thokri who had the smuggest look possible on his face.

    ¡°If you ask nicely, I might give you lads a lesson or two,¡± Thokri said.

    Anna and the other members of the party chuckled.

    ¡°I think we should take him up on that, my lord,¡± Sir Buford added.

    ¡°I think you might be right,¡± Arthur replied.

    They rode out of the gate and onto the road heading towards the City of Light a few minutes later.

 Chapter 133

    ¡°Hey, Barika, is the city supposed to be glowing?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re seeing the ward placed over the city by the temple to keep evil beings out,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s pretty,¡± Anna said.

    Barika sighed.

    ¡°I do wish I could see the world through your eyes just once,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not the same, but I could draw you a picture if you like,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That would be wonderful, child,¡± Barika replied.

    They rode up to the massive gate. The guards stationed there didn¡¯t so much as look in their direction as they passed through.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a fee to get in?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°This is one of the three holy cities. People from all over come here on pilgrimage, so entry is free,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± Anna said.

    On the other side of the gate was a clean and well-ordered city with architecture similar to that of the empire¡¯s capital, all be it more subdued. The streets were crowded with people going about their business. She looked around as they rode.

    ¡°Hey, where are all the women and children?¡± she asked.

    ¡°This city is dedicated to the god of light, and a majority of the population are his followers, which means mostly men,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Ah, that makes sense. So, does that mean that most of them prefer men?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°One would assume,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I guess that explains all the cock sculptures and carvings,¡± Anna said.

    Barika laughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, child. The phallus is considered a good luck charm by the god of light¡¯s worshippers, so they tend to put it on just about everything,¡± she replied.

    ¡°So, does it work?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say,¡± Barika replied.

    Thokri rode ahead of the others.

    ¡°This way, lads,¡± he said.

    They started to follow the dwarf as he led them deeper into the city. Anna rode up next to him.

    ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯ve been here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Bout thirty years,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Are you sure the guild hall is still in the same place?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve never heard of one moving before either,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    The dwarf led them through the twisting streets of the holy city and to the adventurer¡¯s guild hall where they stopped. Thokri and Anna slid off their mounts and passed the reins off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come and get you after we find a place to stay,¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°Thanks, lad,¡± Thokri replied.

    The rest of the party rode off, leading their horses away. She and Thokri walked towards the guild hall. It was a large nondescript building that was unadorned save for a small sign above that door that bore the guild¡¯s crest.

    ¡°You really think this is going to take a long time?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Always does, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    She sighed, and they walked into the guild hall.

    The inside was as plain as the exterior with a few tables scattered around an open space and a large counter along the rear wall. There were a few adventurers sitting at the tables, and like the imperial capital, they were all well-dressed young men. They walked to the counter where one of the attendants walked over to greet them.Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°How can I help you today?¡± the attendant asked.

    ¡°I had a run-in with a Drusus Imperial Trading Company caravan, and the caravan master has been after me ever since,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite a pickle. So, I take it you¡¯re a member of the guild?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure am,¡± Anna replied.

    She took out her guild badge and held it out for the attendant to see.

    ¡°Alright, well, let me get something to write with, and I¡¯ll take your statement,¡± he said.

    He got a sheet of paper and a quill with an ink well and placed them on the counter in front of him.

    ¡°Now, tell me what happened, and don¡¯t leave anything out. Trading companies will usually accuse you of all kinds of things when we go to them with a complaint,¡± he said.

    She sighed.

    It¡¯s just like Thokri said it would be. Well, I can¡¯t lie to the guild, so here it goes.

    ¡°It all started when we left the imperial capital a few weeks back. The caravan from the trading company stopped at the same inn we did, which wasn¡¯t a problem until after we all went to bed that night. Sometime after midnight, I heard a woman scream, left my room to investigate, and found that the caravan¡¯s night watch was missing and there was blood on the ground. I followed the blood trail to the small patch of trees where I found the three night watchmen arguing over an unconscious woman. They were trying to figure out who was going to get a shovel so they could bury her alive. I confronted them, and the one that had attacked the woman attacked me, so I killed him. The magic in my sword activated for the first time since I got it and drained out all his blood. The other two men ran to get help, and I killed them as well. Then I buried them and brought the woman back to the inn. I didn¡¯t want to tell everyone about my sword, so I called for help and pretended that I just found the woman lying there, and the innkeeper and a few men came out. The innkeeper was a jerk and told me to buzz off, so I went back to my room. The next day when we left the inn, we found the innkeeper arguing with the caravan master. The innkeeper told the caravan master he didn¡¯t know what happened to his people and then told them I might know. I pretended to not know what he was talking about, and they all got in a fight. We left the inn to stay out of the fight, but when we got to the next inn, some of the men from the caravan came looking for me. They ended up starting a brawl which got broken up by another group of travelers and left without saying anything to me. After that, I dyed my hair a different color to make it harder to find me, but they ended up spotting me again a week later in a town we stopped at to buy some horses. When they spotted me, they confronted us in the streets. It got bad enough that the town guards broke it up and arrested the caravan master. That was the last time we saw them though,¡± She replied.

    The attendant wrote down her statement and then looked back up at her.

    ¡°Tell me, did you ever mention your name to this caravan master or anyone that could have told him, like that innkeeper or one of his men?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Is there any chance he or his men know you¡¯re an adventurer?¡± the attendant asked.

    ¡°No, probably not,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then I think it¡¯s for the best if we just sweep this under the rug,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying what you did was wrong. Honestly, I would have helped that woman too, but if the trading company ever found out what you just told me, they could have you charged with murder,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What should I do?!¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Easy, lass. The lad already said we just need to keep this quiet,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m going to get rid of this statement and then pretend this never happened,¡± the attendant said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    The attendant took the statement he¡¯d written, walked out from behind the counter and over to the nearby fireplace where he tossed it in. The paper burned to nothing in moments, and he returned to his spot behind the counter.

    ¡°Now then, let me give you some advice. Get that magic sword of yours appraised so you know exactly what it can and can¡¯t do so there aren¡¯t any more nasty surprises,¡± he said.

    ¡°Where could I go to get that done?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We have an appraiser on staff. I could schedule a meeting with him if you like,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Never heard of a guild hall with an appraiser before,¡± Thokri said.

    ¡°This is the City of Light. We have the largest library in the empire here as well as more scholars than anywhere else. People drag weird junk from all over the world here to find out what it is, so the guild master decided to hire an appraiser to make sure guild members weren¡¯t getting ripped off,¡± the attendant replied.

    Thokri nodded.

    ¡°How much will it cost?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°A silver for a quick appraisal. Ten for a detailed one,¡± the attendant replied.

    ¡°Put me down for a detailed one,¡± Anna said.

    Maybe I¡¯ll learn what else Ted can do!

    ¡°Good choice,¡± the attendant replied.

    He walked over to the bookshelf and removed one of the books, opening it and flipping through the pages for a moment before putting his finger on the open page.

    ¡°How does the day after tomorrow at tenth bell sound?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Works for me,¡± Anna replied.

    He took the book over to the counter and set it down.

    ¡°Name?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Anna,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Guild number?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Seven, zero, zero, five, nine, seven,¡± she replied.

    He wrote her information in the book and then leaned forward.

    ¡°If anyone asks, tell them you came in to get your sword appraised and that was it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thokri added.

    ¡°Good, now, is there anything else I can help you with?¡± the attendant asked.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s all,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then I hope you have a wonderful day,¡± the attendant said.

    ¡°You, too,¡± Anna replied.

    They walked away from the counter and took a seat at one of the tables. They started to chat and tell each other ever cruder jokes as they waited for Voekeer to return.

    The adventurers in the guild hall were of the same ilk as the ones in the capital and didn¡¯t seem to appreciate their particular brand of humor, casting dirty glances in their direction every time they heard the punch line of one of the jokes. Anna and Thokri paid them no mind. They weren¡¯t planning on taking any work in the city, so they didn¡¯t care what the local adventurers thought of them.

    They continued until Voekeer walked into the guild hall and over to their table.

    ¡°Did you get everything handled?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Aye, we¡¯ll tell you about it on the way back to the inn,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Works for me,¡± Voekeer said.

    They got up from the table and followed Voekeer out of the guild hall and onto the busy street.

 Chapter 134

    The inn Voekeer led them to was a huge three-story building with its own built-in stables.

    ¡°How much did this place cost?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Too much, but Arthur wanted to stay here, and he¡¯s paying, so I¡¯m not going to argue,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Free rooms are like free food, right,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Voekeer replied.

    He pulled the door open, and they walked inside.

    The main room of the inn was huge, though it wasn¡¯t laid out like any inn she¡¯d been to before. Instead of tables, there were couches set up on either side of a long carpet that led to the counter at the rear wall. There were stairs leading up to the next level near the rear of the room and doorways leading to other parts of the inn centered on the left and right walls. The others were seated on a few of the couches near the door on the left-hand side of the room. The three of them walked over and sat down on one of the couches.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d it go?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°They told me to keep my mouth shut and to tell everyone that I visited the guild to get my sword appraised,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That sounds about right. So, are you going to get Ted appraised?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Yeah, the attendant brought up a good point about knowing what my sword can do so I don¡¯t get surprised again,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame the enchantments are so strange; otherwise, me or Lyreen could have done that for you,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Ted was made by the Dark One a thousand years ago. You don¡¯t know what kind of enchantments were used,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You do know that whoever you¡¯re getting to appraise the sword might not know either,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s worth a try,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika stood up and stretched, rubbing her back some.

    ¡°I need to get to the market and start looking for the materials I¡¯ll need to craft those talismans. It will take me some time to make all of them, so I need to get started,¡± she said.

    ¡°Mind if I tag along?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go, too,¡± Lyreen said.

    Everyone else got up one by one with Anna being the last to stand.

    ¡°Can I get my room key? I¡¯d rather just get a bath,¡± she said.

    Elaine fished a key from her belt pouch and handed it over.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to let the attendant know you want a bath,¡± Arthur said.

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to use a public bath. I want to soak for a while, and the water gets cold too fast in small tubs,¡± she replied.

    Actually, I just want to bathe with other people, but I¡¯m not supposed to say that.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to a public bath?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Yeah, wanna come, too?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No!¡± Arthur replied.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have public baths in my kingdom. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable with the idea of bathing around strangers,¡± he replied.

    Anna shrugged.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± she said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll meet you back here this evening,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Try not to get lost,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    She glanced at the key and took note of the number embossed on it before walking away from the group and heading for the stairs.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Her friends walked out of the inn as she made her way there. She walked up to the third floor and turned to the right where she went to the very end of the hallway and found her room on the right-hand side, fourth from the far wall. She unlocked it and pushed it open to find a large well-furnished room.

    Wow! This is the biggest room I¡¯ve ever had at an inn.

    ¡°Master! How did everything go?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°They told me not to tell anyone what happened,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What happens if that man finds you again?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just let the others handle it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you, master,¡± Ted replied.

    She went over to her pack, which Elaine had placed on her bed and took out a change of clothes.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go get a bath, and I can¡¯t take you with me, so I¡¯ll come and get you later,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright, master,¡± Ted replied.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± she said.

    ¡°Goodbye, master,¡± Ted replied.

    She walked out of the room, change of clothes in hand, and locked the door behind her before heading back down the stairs to the main room where she went to the attendant.

    ¡°Could you tell me where the nearest public bathhouse is?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Go right when you leave the inn and turn left after you pass three streets. From there, walk another four streets, and it will be on the right,¡± the attendant replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, miss,¡± he replied.

    She left the inn and started to follow the directions she¡¯d been given, heading towards the bathhouse.

    Wow, this city is really clean. I wonder if it¡¯s because it¡¯s a holy city, or if there¡¯s some other reason?

    She turned left three streets later as instructed, and the crowds grew thick as she walked. It took her twenty minutes to reach the bathhouse. It was a massive building and the only one she¡¯d seen with a mural painted on the side. It depicted the God of Light sitting on his throne with a brilliant radiance shining from behind his head. He had one of his hands held out palm open. At the foot of his throne were a multitude of figures depicting different methods that one could worship the god. She examined the mural closely as she passed by.

    All the figures are men.

    She walked into the bathhouse. The main room was massive with polished marble floors, walls, and ceilings. Huge marble columns held up the ceiling and were placed in wide-spaced rows around the room. The air was humid from the baths and had a sweet smell to it.

    Men crowded the open space, congregating into groups where they were having conversations on topics ranging from politics to the weather. As she made her way to the counter at the rear of the room, a large number of men turned to watch her. She didn¡¯t pay any mind and walked up to the rear counter.

    ¡°Three copper,¡± the attendant said.

    She passed him the coins.

    ¡°Just so you know, you¡¯ll be the only woman in the baths at the moment. Is that a problem?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Alright, then enjoy your bath,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks, I will,¡± she replied.

    She walked through the door that led into the back room, pushing the curtain that divided the spaces. On the other side, she found a changing room. She walked over to the shelves that lined the wall and started to undress.

    As she took off her clothing, she could almost feel the eyes of the men in the room on her.

    So much for most of them preferring men.

    She placed her shoes and belt on the shelf before folding her pants and shirt and placing them on top.

    I¡¯ll clean them with my ring when I get back to my room. Last time I used my ring in the baths, everyone pestered me to clean their things, and I was stuck for hours!

    She started to walk for the exit to the baths, eyeing the men as she went.

    Most of them looked away the moment their eyes met, and a few even moved to cover up their crotches. She smirked at them as she walked by, leaving the changing room and heading into the baths.

    A huge pool of steaming water lay before her. It was filled with hundreds of men, all lounging and chatting with each other. She looked around, found the wash area, and walked over, taking one of the buckets and dipping it into the basin of water and dumping it over her head. She did this a few times to allow her thick hair to become saturated before setting the bucket down and taking one of the many chunks of soap from the stand and started to wash herself.

    She scrubbed off quickly and then rinsed off, dumping the bucket over her head a few more times to get all of the soap off. She placed the bucket next to the basin where it belonged before walking over to the bath and stepping into the water.

    She waded over to the center of the pool and dunked herself under the surface for a moment before standing back up and wiping her face off. She then waded to the far side of the bath and sat on one of the submerged benches. She looked out across the bath at the men, watching them as they soaked in the water.

    They should change the name of this city to Peckerville or the City of Cocks or something.

    She noticed a group of men looking at her, and when she made eye contact with one of them, they started to walk over.

    Dammit!

    ¡°You know, we don¡¯t see women in here that often,¡± one of the men said.

    ¡°Yeah, I kind of figured that,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, why did you come?¡± another one of the men asked.

    ¡°I wanted a bath. I was dirty,¡± Anna replied.

    The other men chuckled, and the one who had asked turned red.

    ¡°No, I meant, why did you come to the city?!¡± he blurted out.

    ¡°I¡¯m just passing through,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Where you headed?¡± another man asked.

    ¡°Got a job up north,¡± she replied.

    ¡°What kind of job?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Lifting a curse and probably fighting an evil sorceress. You know, adventurer work,¡± she replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little small to be an adventurer?¡± he asked.

    She glanced at his crotch and smirked before looking back up at his face.

    ¡°You¡¯d know about small things, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    The other men started to laugh and slap him on the back.

    ¡°Gods above man, do you need a healer for that?¡± one asked.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up! It¡¯s not funny!¡± the one she¡¯d insulted snapped.

    The other men started to laugh even harder, and the man stormed away. His companions followed him, and by the look on his face, they were ribbing him hard about her teasing. She let out a relieved sigh and then went back to relaxing in the water.

    After a half hour or so, she got out of the bath and went back to the changing room. She dried herself off with a towel and then got dressed in her clean clothing before leaving the bathhouse.

    Hmm, it¡¯s still early. I think I¡¯m going to explore before I head back.

    She picked a direction at random and started to walk away.

 Chapter 135

    Anna walked into the dining room on the other side of one of the doors in the main room of the inn. It was a large open space and well-lit by the mana lamps that were hung from the ceiling by long chains. As one would expect, it was filled with tables, though they were neatly laid out into rows instead of the usual haphazard fashion one usually found at small inns.

    She glanced around the room and found most of her friends sitting at one of the tables near the far corner of the room. Everyone in her party, save Elaine, was sitting at the table. The necromancer was with Arthur and his men. She assumed this was due to the fact that the tables weren¡¯t big enough for the entire group to sit at, and that Elaine had a thing for Issac, who definitely had a thing for her. Anna waved at them as she walked over to the table where the rest of the party sat, and they waved back.

    ¡°There you are, child. I was wondering if you were going to come back tonight,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Sorry for keeping you all waiting. I went exploring after my bath and got distracted,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Find anything interesting?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Oh yeah, all kinds of stuff,¡± Anna replied.

    She sat down at the table and scooted her chair in.

    ¡°Like what?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Well, I went to see the huge temple at the center of the city, and I watched the divine power coming out of it float up into the ward. It was sparkly,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That does sound nice,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It was, but I still got bored pretty quick, so I walked around until I found a big group of men who were dancing in the street for whatever reason. I watched them for a while before I smelled something good and went to go see what it was,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Meat on a stick!¡± Anna replied.

    The others laughed.

    ¡°Got any room left for dinner, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°You know it,¡± Anna replied.

    He grinned at her.

    ¡°Anyway, I saw the fluffiest cat ever, and I just had to pet him, so I followed him into an alley and then lured him over with some of the meat. He was so soft and friendly, but that was just cause he wanted the meat. Once it was gone, he ran away. But it was fine. Anyway, I walked around in the alley for a while, and I found a dead man. I didn¡¯t know he was dead at the time. I thought he was just sleeping, so I tried to wake him up by nudging him with my foot, but all that did was make something gross leak out. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do, so I left him there all dead and stuff and walked back here ''cause it was getting late,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of alleys, child?!¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anna said.

    Barika sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to make things hard for you, child. I just don¡¯t want you to get yourself into any more trouble,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well, anyway, I¡¯m glad you had a good time,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Thanks, so, did you get what you needed from the market?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Mostly. There were a few things I still need to find,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Like what?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Blessed silver and a few kinds of holy oils,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Are they hard to find?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not really. You just have to buy them from a temple,¡± Barika replied.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°I wish you would have said something sooner. I could have got those while I was there!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I need to pick it out myself,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome to join us tomorrow,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯d better get the server over here again,¡± Voekeer said.

    He raised his hand and snapped his fingers a few times to get the attention of one of the many servers. Soon after, one of them walked over to the table.

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°My friend here just arrived, and she needs to put in her order,¡± Voekeer replied.

    ¡°Of course,¡± the server said.

    He listed the multitude of things that they had available for dinner as well as a large selection of drinks.

    ¡°Uh, I guess I¡¯ll have a steak medium well, with mashed potatoes, and roast vegetables. I¡¯d also like a glass of sweet red wine to go with it,¡± she replied.

    ¡°An excellent choice, miss. I will let the kitchen know and have it out as soon as it¡¯s ready,¡± the server said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anna replied.

    He nodded at her and walked away from the table.

    ¡°Somebody¡¯s eating fancy tonight,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I had a good steak, and this place seems like they¡¯d be able to cook a decent one,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You do know that you have to pay for the meals separately here, right?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I kind of figured that when he was telling me all the stuff they served,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t spend all of your money on food, alright?¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    They chatted for a while, and the others told her about their trip to the market and all the interesting things they had seen. The server returned with a tray and started to pass out plates of food and drink.

    ¡°Let me know if you need anything,¡± he said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Voekeer replied.

    The server walked away, leaving them to their meal.

    Anna picked up the fork and knife, sliced a small piece from the rather large steak, and popped it into her mouth. The meat was well seasoned and tender with a hint of smoky flavor from the wood that had been used to build the cooking fire.

    She swallowed her first bite and then scooped up some of the mashed potatoes with her fork. She stuffed the fork in her mouth. The potatoes were light and fluffy and tasted of fresh cream and butter. They had been seasoned with salt and dragon pepper which made for a wonderful flavor.

    Once she finished with that mouthful, she stabbed some of the roast vegetables next and took a bite. The vegetables were soft and tasted of salted butter which she found to be quite agreeable.

    After tasting each portion of her meal, she sipped some of the wine, which was very sweet, just how she liked it. She licked her lips when finished and then picked her tableware back up and began to cut up the steak. She ate it piece by piece, making sure to savor each bite.

    This is as good as the one I had at the necromancer¡¯s guild.

    ¡°So, is it any good?¡± Voekeer asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    She kept eating at a slow pace, sipping her wine in between every few bites. She finished her meal after a few minutes and then sipped her wine as she waited for the others.

    The server came over holding a bottle of wine. He gestured towards her glass, so she downed what was left and held it out for him to refill. He poured the bright red wine into her glass, filling it all the way to the brim before nodding at her and walking away.

    I wonder how he knew I was almost done with my glass? He must have been watching us, but from where? I didn¡¯t see him.

    By the time she finished her second glass of wine, her friends had finished their meals. They got up from the table and headed for the exit. The table where Elaine had been sitting with Arthur and his men was empty.

    They must have eaten fast for some reason.

    She walked out of the dining room with her friends and then up the stairs to the third level where all of their rooms were located. She walked to the end of the hallway where her room was located and unlocked her door before going inside.

    ¡°Hello, master. Did you have a good bath?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°I did! The bathhouse was huge and full of people, which is nice,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Ted said.

    ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯m going to have to leave you here again tomorrow. We¡¯re going to the temple, and I don¡¯t think bringing you there would be a good idea. But I¡¯m going to bring you to see an appraiser the day after tomorrow,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Is that necessary, master?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°No, but I would like to know if you can do anything else,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I want to know what I can do, master. I used to belong to someone so evil that everyone is afraid of me,¡± Ted said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Ted. You¡¯re just a sword. Anything that the fifth general did with you is on him,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the way people feel about me,¡± Ted said.

    ¡°One day, the chosen one will kill the Dark One, and then people will forget about all the awful things he and his followers did, and then everyone will just think you¡¯re a spooky magic sword,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Do you really think so, master?¡± Ted asked.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what Thokri told me, and I believe him,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then I believe it too, master!¡± Ted said.

    She tossed her dirty clothing into a pile on the floor and then took off her belt, placing it on the large table in the center of the room. Then she went over to the bed and sat down, taking off her shoes before getting back up to finish getting undressed.

    Once her clothing was off, she folded it up neatly and placed it on the table next to her belt. She went back over to her bed but paused for a moment before turning to the full-length mirror standing in the far corner of the room. On a whim, she walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.

    ¡°Same old me,¡± she said.

    She looked at her hair and frowned, lifting a lock of it up to examine it closely.

    I¡¯m going to have to dye you again, aren¡¯t I? Oh, well. There¡¯s some left in the bottle I got from Elaine.

    A tentacle appeared and reached into her pack, pulling out the bottle of dye.

    ¡°Better get started,¡± she said.

 Chapter 136

    They walked out of the inn and onto the street, heading towards the center of the city.

    It was still early in the morning, though later than Anna usually liked to leave, and the streets were already full of people. The first few streets they walked down were new for her, so she looked around as they went, peering into windows to see what was inside each building when she could.

    After walking for a few minutes, they reached one of the streets she¡¯d used the day before to get to the central cathedral, and she stopped gawking in the windows. She spent the rest of their walk staying close to the others, making sure she didn¡¯t lose track of the others in the crowd.

    Unlike other cities she¡¯d visited, this one didn¡¯t seem to have separate boundaries for the rich and the poor. It was as if the city had been built by dwarves instead of humans.

    They reached the cathedral at the center of the city an hour later, and the party just stared up at it in awe.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a fortress and a temple at the same time!¡± Voekeer said.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it is, or rather, it was. This was a fortress-monastery before the mage wars, and during the wars, they took in as many refugees as they could. That¡¯s actually how this place became a city,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I thought that most temples were destroyed during the mage wars. Why was this one left alone?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because you could break an army on this place, lass,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°You think so?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Aye, the lads in here are all holy warriors, wearing blessed armor, and waving around blessed weapons. Even an army of mages wouldn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Thokri replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    They walked up to the gate. The guards looked them over and then waved them inside without so much as a second glance.

    Inside the walls of the fortress, a few fortified structures were scattered around the courtyard. The structures were dwarfed by the grand cathedral that sat directly in the center of the grounds. Its spires seemed to pierce the very heavens, and a golden radiance shot out from the peak of the tallest one.

    Wow! It looks even prettier on this side of the wall!

    The whole party stared up at the cathedral for a few moments before looking away.

    ¡°I believe that is where they sell blessed items,¡± Barika said.

    She started to walk towards one of the outbuildings, and the rest of the party followed.

    It doesn¡¯t look like somewhere you buy stuff to me. Barika must know something I don¡¯t which wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising.

    The building was a squat fortified structure that clearly predated the cathedral by several thousand years. They walked up to the already open entryway and stepped into the ancient structure. The air was thick with incense, and the chanting of men could be heard. A priest in a white and gold robe walked over to them and bowed.

    ¡°How can we help you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m in need of a good quantity of holy silver as well as blessed oils,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Might I inquire as to what you plan to use them for?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m crafting amulets to protect against dark sorcery,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Ah, well, if that¡¯s the case, then would you be interested in having us craft them for you?¡± the priest asked.

    Barika rubbed her chin for a moment.

    ¡°Would you be able to get sixteen of them finished in two weeks?¡± she asked.

    The priest thought it over and then nodded.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Then I think we¡¯ll take you up on that offer,¡± Barika said.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Excellent, please follow me so we can work out the details,¡± he replied.

    They followed the priest farther into the building, passing various workspaces until they reached a small office. There wasn¡¯t enough room for the whole party, so Barika, Lyreen, Elaine, and Arthur joined the priest inside, leaving the rest of their companions in the hallway. Anna looked around while they waited and noticed a large amount of divine power flowing out of one of the rooms.

    I wonder what¡¯s going on in there?

    She walked over to the room and peeked inside. Several men were pounding a large sheet of metal into shape while a priest poured divine power into it. She watched as they worked the metal, transforming it into the backplate of a cuirass.

    Oh, this must be where they make the holy armor for paladins! I wonder if that means Lucus¡¯s armor was made here?

    She wondered for a moment what had become of him and the other paladins she¡¯d met when she¡¯d first arrived in Oldforge.

    I wonder if they ever found the chosen one? You know, I haven¡¯t heard any rumors about anyone finding him. I wonder if he¡¯s still missing, or if they¡¯re keeping him hidden from the Dark One. I just don¡¯t get why they would have to, though. I mean, I understand the Dark One is supposed to be really dangerous, but the chosen one was sent by the gods, so why would he be scared? If he¡¯s anything like Barika or the paladins I¡¯ve met, he should have no problem dealing with him.

    ¡°Come on, lass!¡± Thokri said.

    She looked over to see the dwarf waving for her to follow. The others had finished with the priest and were now gathered in the hallway. She walked over to join her friends, and they all walked out of the workshop together.

    ¡°I know this might sound kind of strange coming from me, but I¡¯d like to check out the cathedral,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I never thought I¡¯d hear,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s not something I¡¯d usually say, but that isn¡¯t just any temple. It¡¯s one of the oldest human temples in existence! It predates the mage wars by a few thousand years!¡± Elaine said.

    Barika laughed.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s as good a reason as any I suppose,¡± she replied.

    The older woman put her arm around the necromancer¡¯s shoulder, and they started off for the cathedral.

    It¡¯s hard to believe that those two hated each other when we first met.

    They followed the pair through the massive entrance. A pair of huge bronze doors lay open on each side and had half of a stylized sun cast into the center of each one. The inside of the cathedral was constructed of solid marble with gold inlaid into the stone.

    At the far end of the room sat a statue depicting the god of light sitting on his throne. The wall behind the statues was painted to look like the divine realms. Her eyes followed the painting which spread all the way to the ceiling. The painting there was mostly obscured by a massive cloud of divine power that swirled around above their heads. In the center of the cloud, she noticed some kind of disturbance but couldn¡¯t quite make out what it was.

    You know, this kind of reminds me of when I saw those men in the invisibility cloaks.

    Her curiosity got the better of her, and she summoned one of her eyes.

    ¡°What are you doing, lass?¡± Thokri asked.

    ¡°Put that thing away, child!¡± Barika said.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Arthur asked.

    All around her, people gasped and murmured, but she paid them no mind. Instead, she gazed up at the disturbance with her eldritch eye.

    ¡°Uh, has anyone ever seen something that looks like a bunch of burning wheels inside of other burning wheels that has six wings that are covered in eyes before?¡± Anna asked.

    The being turned and looked down at her, suddenly becoming visible to the naked eye. Everyone in the cathedral suddenly fell to their knees and bowed their heads, leaving her staring up at it alone.

    It floated down from the ceiling and hovered a few feet off the ground right in front of her.

    ¡°Greeting, strange one. I am the Archangel Zerachiel, servant of the lord of light. Who might you be?¡± it asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Well, Anna, what brings you to this holy place today?¡± Zerachiel asked.

    ¡°Oh, well, we came to get some holy silver for amulets, but we ended up just having the craftsman in the workshop make them for us. After that, my friend wanted to see the inside of the cathedral because it¡¯s so old, and here we are,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°For what reason do you need holy amulets?¡± Zerachiel asked.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to lift a curse over a whole kingdom, and the curse caused miasma to appear all over the place,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°A worthy reason if I ever heard one. I wish you luck on your quest,¡± it said.

    ¡°Thanks, so what are you doing up there anyway?¡± she asked.

    ¡°My lord commanded me to maintain the barrier around this holy city,¡± Zerachiel replied.

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s you! I was wondering where all of the divine power was coming from,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Indeed, so then, I have to get back to my task,¡± it replied.

    ¡°Okay, It was nice talking to you,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It was a pleasure to speak with you as well,¡± Zerachiel replied.

    It floated back up to the ceiling and then vanished. Everyone in the temple started to stand back up and look around confused. She sent her eye away quickly and then helped Barika to her feet.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I met an Archangel,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika gave her a look and then nodded.

    ¡°Well, that would explain why I can¡¯t remember the last few minutes,¡± she said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, child. The words of an angel can only be remembered by those they were meant for, so anyone else that might overhear them will forget instantly, and an Archangel¡¯s very presence is so powerful that they can make mortals forget they even saw them,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°So, what do you remember?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I remember walking into the temple, and that¡¯s about it,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s about all I remember, too,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Same with me,¡± Voekeer added.

    It was the same for the others. No one recalled anything after stepping through the doorway.

    ¡°You know, I think I¡¯ve seen enough of this cathedral,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Aye, let¡¯s get out of here before something else happens,¡± Thokri replied.

    The rest of the party voiced their agreement and walked out of the cathedral.

 Chapter 137

    Anna pushed the door to the adventurer¡¯s guild open and stepped inside. She walked towards the rear counter, glancing around the room as she made her way there.

    Sheesh, it¡¯s empty in here. I must be the only adventurer that likes getting up in the morning.

    She walked up to the counter, and the same attendant she¡¯d spoken to walked over, a bored look on his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± he said.

    ¡°I usually am,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, I guess I won¡¯t have to listen to old Agustus complain about having his time wasted,¡± the attendant said.

    ¡°Is that the appraiser¡¯s name?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It is,¡± the attendant replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone named Agustus before,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s odd. It¡¯s a fairly common name,¡± the attendant replied.

    ¡°Maybe around here it is, but not where I¡¯m from,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Where are you from, anyway?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Therondale,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re a long way from home,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, are there a lot of lady adventurers in Therondale?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, not really,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d you end up joining the guild then?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Honestly, it just kind of happened,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°How does joining a guild just kind of happen?¡± the attendant asked.

    ¡°Well, I was working as a barmaid when a party of adventurers showed up in my village. They told me I had magic and invited me to join them, and I¡¯ve been with them ever since, mostly anyway,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a mage then?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not exactly. Something is wrong with me, so I can¡¯t cast spells, but I can power magical items,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, that explains the magic sword I suppose,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Well, he should be here soon, so you can wait at one of the tables,¡± the attendant said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    She walked over to the nearest table and sat down, kicking her feet on the chair as she waited for the appraiser to arrive.

    People began to stream into the guild hall. Most were adventurers either turning in contracts or taking new ones, though she did see a few clients making requests. A young boy walked into the guild hall and looked around nervously before heading for the rear counter. When he reached it, the attendant looked down at him and scowled.

    ¡°Beat it! I already told you, go to the guards! This isn¡¯t a charity!¡± he said.

    ¡°I can pay, you see!¡± the boy replied.

    He held up his hand and opened his palm, showing the attendant a few grimy copper coins.

    ¡°That¡¯s not even enough for the guild fee, let alone the payout for the contract!¡± the attendant said.

    ¡°Please help me find my big brother! He¡¯s the only family I have left!¡± the boy replied.

    She felt something wiggle in her chest, so she slid out of her chair and walked over to the boy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± she said.

    He looked up at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°You will?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.

    She took his hand and led him back to the table where she¡¯d been sitting.

    ¡°So, tell me what happened,¡± she said.

    They sat down, and the boy took a deep breath.

    ¡°My brother found a job, and he went to work, but he never came back!¡± the boy replied.

    ¡°How long has he been gone?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Two weeks!¡± the boy replied.

    Shit! Thokri said the longer someone¡¯s missing, the harder it is to find them!

    ¡°Do you know where he went to work?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes! And I went there, and they told me they hadn¡¯t seen him, but they¡¯re lying!¡± the boy replied.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go and talk with them after I¡¯m done here,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he replied.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    His voice was soft, and he looked down at the table. It was clear that the guild hall, or perhaps her presence, was making him nervous. Unsure of how to comfort the boy, she just smiled at him and waited patiently for the appraiser to arrive.

    Sometime later, she heard the bell ring ten times in the distance. An old man with a bushy white beard walked out of the back room and over to the counter. He said something to the attendant, and the younger man pointed directly at her. The old man walked over to her table and bowed slightly.

    ¡°I am Master Agustus, at your service,¡± he said.

    She stood up and held out her hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± she replied.

    He shook her hand.

    ¡°The pleasure is all mine. Now, where¡¯s this magic sword of yours?¡± he asked.

    She patted Ted¡¯s hilt.

    ¡°Right here,¡± she replied.

    He eyed the sword for a moment before nodding.

    ¡°Well, come along. Let¡¯s get started,¡± he said.

    He turned and started to head for the back of the guild hall. She turned to the boy and held her hand out.

    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes¡¯m,¡± the boy replied.

    She smiled at him again before turning and following Agustus into the back of the guild hall. They passed by a few rooms before entering one.

    The room was disorganized and smelled of old parchment and perhaps a bit of mold. A large table sat in the center of the room. It was covered in a variety of strange implements that sparkled with magic. Agustus walked over to the table and tapped it with his finger.

    ¡°Please place the sword here,¡± he said.

    She drew her sword, walked over to the table, and placed it next to the tool. Agustus¡¯s eyes went wide when he saw the blade, and he took a step back.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the black blades!¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, it was, but I beat up the fifth general and took it from him. It got broken when I did that, but then when I stabbed a man who was trying to force himself on a woman, it sucked out all his blood, fixed itself, and it started talking,¡± she replied.

    He gave her an incredulous look.

    ¡°It speaks?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Ted replied.

    Agustus looked down at Ted and raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°None of the black blades can speak,¡± he said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, every one of them has been captured at least once throughout the ages, and when they were in humanity¡¯s possession, they were studied carefully,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not common knowledge,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Okay, so why does Ted talk if the black blades can¡¯t?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I have no idea, so let¡¯s see if we can figure it out,¡± Agustus replied.

    He picked up what looked like a jeweler¡¯s loop and put it over his right eye before leaning over the sword. The loop started to sparkle with magic, and he began to look the sword over, humming as he did so. After a few moments, he flipped Ted over and examined the other side before standing up straight and taking off the loop.

    ¡°Just how broken was this sword?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It looked like an old iron sword that someone stuck in slime for a week,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Might I ask exactly how it ended up in such a state? I was under the impression the black blades were nigh on indestructible,¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯d rather not talk about it,¡± Anna replied.

    He sighed.

    ¡°I understand. Anyway, back to the sword,¡± he said.

    He gestured at the blade.

    ¡°From what I can tell, it was basically destroyed. Even the spell gem in the hilt was shattered. So, when it was exposed to blood, it wasn¡¯t able to repair itself properly,¡± he added.

    ¡°What do you mean? It looks just fine to me,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yes, the sword itself was repaired just fine, but the enchantments are haphazard at best. Honestly, it looks almost organic, including the repairs done to the spell gem itself, which explains why it can speak now,¡± he said.

    ¡°It does?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, you see, spell gems are highly complex and control the flow of mana, or in this case darkness, through the various enchantments on whatever magical device they are embedded in. Now, because of the extent of the damage done to this spell gem when it repaired itself, it reconnected the severed pathways incorrectly which ended up creating an artificial mind of sorts,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, Ted¡¯s a person by accident?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Basically, yes,¡± Agustus replied.

    Anna grinned.

    ¡°Well, that makes two of us,¡± she said.

    He raised his eyebrow again and gave her an odd look before coughing into his hand.

    ¡°Anyway, because of the way the spell gem repaired itself, most of the enchantments won¡¯t work, but there are a few you might find useful,¡± he said.

    ¡°How am I supposed to use them? I don¡¯t have darkling power,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need it anymore. The enchantment had prevented mana from powering it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why did it need an enchantment like that? I thought the darklings¡¯ power was too different from mana to work,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, they are very different, but they interact with the world in a similar way which means enchantments for one type of power will often work with another, though it will require about ten times the amount. The same actually goes for divine artifacts as well,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. So, what can Ted do then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°As far as I can tell, there are three usable enchantments. First is the repair spell. That can be activated by exposing the sword to fresh human blood or by cycling your mana inside of the spell gem,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, I don¡¯t have to kill someone to fix him. Well, that¡¯s good to know,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I can imagine. Now, the repair spell will also make the blade more durable and sharper if you activate it while the sword is whole,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Seriously? Ted¡¯s already made from adamantine. How much stronger can he get?¡± She asked.

    ¡°According to the old stories, the black blades were able to go edge to edge with the hero¡¯s weapons, and those are strong enough to cleave through dragon¡¯s scale,¡± he replied.

    ¡°No shit!¡± she said.

    ¡°I shit you not,¡± he replied.

    They both chuckled at the bad joke.

    ¡°So, what are the other enchantments?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, one of them allows you to call the sword to your hand as long as it''s nearby,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, I saw that one!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Ah, good. Well, you activate it by pushing your mana through the spell gem and then down into the grip. After it has absorbed a good amount of it, all you have to do is hold your hand out and push a little mana into the air, and the sword will come to you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! So what¡¯s the last enchantment?¡± she asked.

    He frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m hesitant to even mention it, but it¡¯s better that you know so you don¡¯t accidentally activate it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a curse, a nasty one,¡± he replied.

    ¡°A curse! What kind of curse?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The kind that makes any wound inflicted by the sword never heal, even if it¡¯s treated with a divine blessing,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s horrible! Who would make something like that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The Dark One,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s active by pushing mana into the spell gem and then around the edge of the blade,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m never going to do that,¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, is there anything else I should know?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, that covers the enchantments. Though, I am going to give you a document that states that this sword is not one of the black blades but a wholly new weapon created from the remnants of one. Just in case you run into any trouble with the authorities,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± she said.

    He walked over to a messy desk and rifled through the papers before finding a blank sheet. He then pulled a magic quill from his pocket and scribbled on the paper before signing it. He returned and handed her the paper. She thanked him and then folded the messy letter up and stuffed it in her pocket before taking out the silver she owed and handing it to him.

    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Oh, and one more thing,¡± he said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nice tits,¡± he replied.

    He smirked at her.

    ¡°Yeah, they are great. Well, you have a nice day,¡± she said.

    She turned and walked out of the room, heading back to the front of the guild hall where the boy was still waiting.

    ¡°You ready to go?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes¡¯m,¡± he replied.

    He stood up, and they walked out of the guild hall together.

 Chapter 138

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your name anyway?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Charlie,¡± the boy replied.

    ¡°So, how old are you, Charlie?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m eight. How old are you?¡± he replied.

    ¡°Eighteen,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You¡¯re younger than my big brother!¡± Charlie replied.

    ¡°Really? How old is he?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s twenty!¡± Charlie replied.

    ¡°Okay, so, what else can you tell me about him? I mean, I kind of need to know what he looks like if I¡¯m going to find him,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s taller than you,¡± Charlie replied.

    ¡°Most people are taller than me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh, uh, well, he¡¯s really nice, and he¡¯s strong, and he¡¯s handsome! At least, that¡¯s what the girls in the village used to say,¡± he replied.

    She sighed.

    Yeah, that¡¯s helpful.

    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Kevin,¡± Charlie replied.

    ¡°Are his eyes and hair the same color as yours?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Alright, that should be enough to start, so let¡¯s get over to the place he was supposed to be working at,¡± she said.

    He nodded, and she took his hand, leading him off down the street.

    Thokri told me to always keep hold of wee ones, or they¡¯ll run in front of a wagon the second you look away.

    The smell of roasting meat filled the air, causing her mouth to water. She sniffed a few times and pulled Charlie off the main road and down into one of the alleys.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked.

    ¡°To get some food!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What about my brother?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long,¡± Anna replied.

    She pulled the boy through the alleyway and onto an adjacent street where she found a food vendor set up. The merchant was selling flatbread along with various toppings, including the roast meat she¡¯d smelled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take two,¡± she said.

    She handed a couple of copper coins to the merchant. He tossed them into a large jar and started to load two pieces of flat bread up with meat and vegetables.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to get me one!¡± Charlie added.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, yes, but I hired you, so you shouldn¡¯t be paying for my food,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hire me. I¡¯m helping you because I want to, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting a kid pay for my food,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Can you grow a beard?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No!¡± he replied.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re a kid,¡± she said.

    ¡°What does a beard have to do with being grown?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s how the dwarves tell,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± Charlie asked.

    ¡°Yep, a dwarf lad isn¡¯t considered a man until his beard reaches the middle of his chest,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to grow a beard that long!¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re a human and not a dwarf. All you have to do is wait until you¡¯re eighteen to grow up,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± he said.

    The food merchant finished piling toppings onto the flatbread and handed them to her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    She handed one to Charlie who started to devour it. She frowned as she watched him wolf it down.

    I¡¯m going to have to find someone to take care of him if I can¡¯t find his brother. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s been eating, and he¡¯s kind of smelly, so he hasn¡¯t been washing. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    She started to eat her own food, gobbling down the flatbread quickly. Once they both had finished eating, she took his hand again, and they set off.

    The place that Charie¡¯s older brother had gone to work at was on the other side of the city, of course. When they arrived, it was just past noon. The building was a massive warehouse filled with men loading and unloading wagons. She gave Charie¡¯s hand a squeeze.

    ¡°Stay close,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes¡¯m,¡± he replied.

    She walked inside through the open barn-style doors and looked around, finding an older man holding a document in his hand and directing the other men. She walked over to him with Charlie in tow.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, miss?¡± he replied.

    ¡°Does a man named Kevin work here? He should have started about a week ago,¡± she asked.

    ¡°Who wants to know?¡± the man asked.

    Anna pulled Charlie forward.

    ¡°This is his little brother, and he hasn¡¯t been home to see him for a week,¡± Anna replied.

    The man looked down at the boy and frowned.

    ¡°A young man by that name started here last week, but he isn¡¯t working today,¡± he said.

    ¡°Do you know where we can find him?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, but some of the boys might,¡± he replied.

    He turned to a group of men working.

    ¡°YO, EARL!¡± he shouted.

    A big man looked over, and the man they had been talking to waved him over. The big man strode over to where they were standing. Towering over her, he looked down at her and Charlie for a moment before turning to the man.

    ¡°What do you need, boss?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You know where the new guy might be?¡± the boss asked.

    The big man rubbed the back of his neck.

    ¡°I think I heard him say something about staying with some woman at a place called The Dew Drop,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Can you tell me how to get there?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Never been there myself, but I think it¡¯s over by the old distillery,¡± the big man replied.

    ¡°And where is that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, right, guess you¡¯re not from around here. Well, just take a right when you leave here, head down five streets, and then turn right again. Then head down three streets, then turn left and go down another street, and you¡¯ll find the old distillery on your left. Now, I¡¯m not sure where the Dew Drop is, but it should be around there somewhere,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Best of luck,¡± the big man replied.

    She smiled at him and then turned to walk out of the warehouse.

    I wonder why Kevin didn¡¯t come and get his brother? I mean, I get if he wanted to move somewhere closer to his work, but that doesn¡¯t explain leaving Charlie behind.

    She smelled the old distillery long before they reached it. The pungent smell of boiling mash and raw spirits filled the air. The distillery was a rather striking building made from marble and trimmed with gold.

    I wonder if it used to be a temple or something?

    They stopped in front of the large bronze doors, and she looked around for a moment before setting off again.

    This would be so much faster if I could just use my eyes, but then everyone would freak out, and people would run away screaming, and guards would show up, and, well, it would be bad probably.

    She sighed.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Charlie asked.

    ¡°No, just thinking,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What about?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing important. Hey, look! There it is!¡± she replied.

    She pointed at a sign that hung in front of a building just up the road. The words ¡®Dew Drop¡¯ were carved into it and painted white with a stylized drop of water, which was painted light blue, in between them. They quickly walked to the building, and she pushed open the door.

    She was greeted by the smell of smoke and sour ale as they stepped inside. She glanced around the dingy barroom, searching for any signs of Kevin, but none of the rough-looking men seated at the tables bore any resemblance to the description Charlie had given her. She led the boy past the gawking men and made her way to the rear of the room to the bar and sat down. Charlie climbed into the seat next to her and looked around with wide eyes.

    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve never been to a tavern before?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, Ma¡¯am,¡± Charlie replied.

    ¡°I guess you are kind of young to be hanging around a place like this,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s Kevin doing here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There are rooms upstairs. I¡¯m guessing he stays here so he doesn¡¯t have so far to walk to get to work,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yeah, our room is pretty far from here,¡± Charlie said.

    The barkeep walked over. He was a large man who was quite bald and missing his left eye.

    ¡°What¡¯ll you have?¡± he asked.

    Anna took a copper from her belt pouch and placed it on the bar.

    ¡°An ale for me, and a small ale for him,¡± she replied.

    The barkeep walked away, and Charlie tugged on her sleeve.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask him?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I will. This is just how you do things in a place like this. Trust me,¡± Anna replied.

    The barkeep returned with two mugs filled with frothy ale and placed them on the bar.

    ¡°So, what brings you two in here today?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a young man named Kevin. He¡¯s tall and easy on the eyes with black hair and dark eyes,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Who¡¯s he to you?¡± the barkeep asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s my big brother! He went to work at a new job last week, and he never came home!¡± Charlie blurted out.

    The barkeeper looked at the boy and frowned before his gaze moved towards the door.

    ¡°Yo Vinny! Go and get the lovebirds and make sure they¡¯re decent!¡± he said.

    A mountain of a man stood up from his seat next to the door and started up the stairs. The barkeep turned back to look at her, giving her a once over.

    ¡°So, who are you then?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Just someone who wanted to help a lost kid,¡± Anna replied.

    He nodded and smiled at her before patting her on the shoulder with his meaty hand.

    Once he finished, she picked up her mug and took a drink. Charlie watched her for a moment before picking his own mug up with both hands and sipping it. He made a face upon tasting the ale and quickly put the mug down. She smirked at him, remembering her own first experience with ale.

    There was a commotion upstairs, and a moment later, a man and a woman walked down the stairs followed closely by the massive man.

    ¡°KEVIN!¡± Charlie shouted.

    He jumped up from the barstool and rushed over to where his brother stood next to the stairs. He threw himself at his brother and wrapped his arms around the man¡¯s waist, squeezing him tight.

    ¡°Where were you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I, uh, I was going to come and get you,¡± Kevin replied.

    Charlie looked up at him.

    ¡°You were?¡± he asked.

    Kevin nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± he replied.

    The woman who was with Kevin stepped forward.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, uh, this is my little brother, Charles,¡± Kevin replied.

    ¡°I thought you said your family died of fever,¡± she said.

    ¡°They did, except for him,¡± Kevin replied.

    Anna looked away from them and back to the barkeep who was frowning at the whole scene.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± the barkeep asked.

    ¡°Charlie spent the last week begging for someone to help him find his brother. He even scraped together a few copper coins to pay when everyone turned him down. He didn¡¯t deserve this,¡± Anna replied.

    The barkeep¡¯s frown turned into a scowl.

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be in the city for very long, and I might never come back, so it would be nice if someone would look after him,¡± Anna replied.

    The barkeep nodded.

    ¡°He will, you have my word,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna replied.

    She downed her ale and then slid off the barstool and walked out of the tavern, leaving the brothers to sort things out for themselves.

 Chapter 139

    She sighed as she walked away from the tavern.

    Well, that could have gone better, but at least I helped him find his brother. Still though, I wonder if it was really okay to just leave him with that shitbird like that? I mean, he ran off on the kid once before, so he¡¯ll probably do it again. Maybe I should go back, get him, and bring him to an orphanage or something?

    She shook her head.

    No, no, it¡¯s not my business. I was just helping out, and he belongs with his family!

    She picked up the pace, wanting to put some distance between herself and the tavern. After a few minutes, the smell of the distillery filled the air again, and she paused.

    I know! I should get a few bottles! Everyone would love a strong drink when we¡¯re out on the road!

    With her new task in mind, she rushed to the old distillery and pushed open the large bronze doors. Heat, along with an even more pungent aroma, rushed past her as she stepped inside. The space she found herself in was completely open with large brewing vessels lining the walls and a huge copper distiller in the rear of the room. Dozens of men were there doing a variety of things. One of them noticed her and walked over.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy a few bottles of whiskey!¡± she replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t sell to the public,¡± he said

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± she replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, happens all the time. Let me go and get you a list of places that sell our goods,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.

    He walked away, heading into a small room nestled in between several of the brewing vessels before returning a few moments later carrying a small piece of paper. He handed it to her, and she looked it over.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.

    ¡°No problem,¡± he replied.

    She walked out of the distillery and then looked down at the paper again.

    I¡¯ve never heard of a Provisionorium before. Sounds kind of funny, so I think I¡¯ll go there.

    The paper she¡¯d received from the brewery worker had the addresses of each business on it as well. Usually having the address to a place did her no good in a new place, but as luck would have it, she¡¯d passed over the street the Provisionorium was located on, albeit on the far end, so she knew approximately where she was going.

    At least, I think I do, but it wouldn¡¯t be the first time two streets had the same name in a city I visited.

    Unfortunately for her, the street was on the other side of the city, so she started off.

    As crowded as the city was, she had no trouble slipping past the throngs of humanity.

    It always had been easier to just do things on my own, but it does get lonely.

    She reached the street and then began to search for the Provisionorium. It wasn¡¯t hard to find having a large brightly colored sign hanging over the door depicting the sort of goods one would take with them on a long journey, and a penis.

    I really hope that¡¯s for good luck.

    She pushed open the door and a bell chimed. The inside of the shop smelled of new leather and spices and was filled with shelves that were stuffed to the brim with everything one could possibly want if they were going on any sort of expedition.

    She started to peruse the shelves, looking at all the doodads and whatnots before finding a shelf filled with odd cloth-covered squares. She picked one up and sniffed it. It smelled of wax paper and perhaps a hint of meat. She turned it over a few times and found the word ¡®Pemmican¡¯ stenciled onto the cloth on one of the sides.

    She turned to the shopkeeper who was sitting on a stool behind a short counter near the back of the shop and held up the bundle.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Rations. It¡¯s made from dried meat that¡¯s ground up and mixed with rendered fat. The stuff keeps for years, but it¡¯s pretty tasteless,¡± he replied.

    She glanced at the Pemmican for a moment and then took a few more of the bundles before moving on. She picked through the rest of the shop but didn¡¯t find anything of any interest, so she went to the counter at the back and set the ration bricks down.

    ¡°I heard you sell spirits here,¡± she said.

    ¡°We do,¡± The shopkeeper replied.

    ¡°I want something strong and cheap,¡± she said.

    He laughed.

    ¡°How strong we talking?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m drinking with a dwarf,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I have just the thing,¡± he said.

    He walked to a shelf behind the counter that was covered in glass bottles and grabbed one before walking back over and placing it next to her rations.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked.

    She looked around for a moment and spotted a display filled with charms and necklaces. She gave it a quick once over and smirked when she spotted one that was shaped like an erect phallus. It had been cast out of bronze and was, at least by her own limited experience, an incredibly accurate representation of the real thing.

    Well, except for the wings!

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that, too!¡± she said.

    ¡°In need of some luck, eh?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Who isn¡¯t,¡± she replied.

    ¡°True,¡± he said.

    He took the pendant from the display and handed it to her. It was large and made from solid bronze with a bronze chain threaded through a loop that had been cast into the phallus in between the wings. She undid the simple clasp and put it around her neck before fastening it and allowing the pendant to fall between her breasts.

    Guess I got a hard cock between my boobs now.

    ¡°How much do I owe you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Four silver,¡± he replied.

    She took out the coins and handed them to him.

    ¡°Would you like a bag?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna replied.

    He took a burlap sack from under the counter and stuffed her rations and the bottle of booze into the sack before handing it to her. She took the bag and thanked him before leaving the shop.

    Everyone else is probably out doing stuff still, so there¡¯s no point in going back to the inn, so I guess it¡¯s time to explore more!

    She slipped back into the crowd and headed in the direction she hadn¡¯t been before. She reached the city wall and turned to the east, walking around the street that ran parallel to the inside of the wall.

    When she reached the eastern gate, she turned down the main road and headed towards the center of the city. When she was around halfway there, the crowd thickened, and the sound of music and cheering could be heard.

    I wonder what¡¯s happening over there?

    She followed the sound of music into the crowd and pushed her way to the front where she found a large group of people in frilly dresses dancing and singing while playing instruments.

    Uh, are those men or women? I mean, they¡¯re wearing dresses, and they¡¯re kind of thin with long hair, but they don¡¯t really look like women, and their all kind of flat.

    She watched for a while, enjoying the music while trying to determine the gender of the performers.

    After a few minutes, they finished their performance. Oddly, instead of clapping, the crowd rushed forward, carrying her along with them.

    When they neared the performers, people in the crowd started to toss copper coins at them and then held out their hands. The performers would then utter a prayer and kiss their hand. The people behind her were reaching over her shoulders trying to get to the performers, and when she tried to push past them, they didn¡¯t budge.

    She ended up just pulling a coin out herself and tossing it, holding her own hand out in the hopes that when the performers came over to her, they would also pray for and kiss the people behind her which would mean they would leave, allowing her to escape without having to use force.

    One of the performers came over to her. They were young with long black hair, dark eyes, and fine features, though she still wasn¡¯t quite sure what gender this person was.

    This has got to be a woman, right?

    They started to pray in a soft voice before reaching out and taking her hand. They brought her hand up to their lips and kissed the back of it before letting go. She nodded with her head towards the arms reaching over her shoulders and then gave the performer a pleading look. They seemed to understand and started to pray for the people crowding her, causing them to leave one by one eventually freeing her. She smiled thankfully at the performer who gave her a wink before she slipped away.

    Alright, that¡¯s the last time I push to the front of a crowd by myself. If the others had been there, I wouldn¡¯t have had to spend a copper on a blessing that won¡¯t work.

    She sighed and then started off towards the center of town again. When she was around three-quarters of the way there, she turned down one of the side roads and started to look around.

    She noticed her reflection in a rather large window and gave herself a once over, her gaze drawn to the phallic pendant that hung between her breasts. She smirked at it and then looked down. Her eyes went wide when she saw that it was glowing with a soft golden light.

    What the fuck?! When did you get a blessing?

    She froze and turned around, rushing back towards the crossroads where the performers had been.

    It had to be that!

    When she arrived, she found that the crowd had dispersed, and the performers were nowhere to be seen. She buzzed around the crossroads looking for any sign of them but coming up empty-handed. She ended up spotting someone who¡¯d she¡¯d seen in the crowd and walked over to him.

    ¡°Excuse me, could you tell me where the street performers who were here went?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Street performers? Oh, you must mean the followers of Thisos,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Were they wearing dresses and praying for people?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s them,¡± he replied.

    ¡°So, do you know where they went?¡± Anna asked.

    He shook his head no.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Well, thanks anyway,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Wish I could have been more help,¡± he replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said.

    They parted ways, and she started to head back to the inn.

    Barika should be able to tell me what kind of blessing this thing has if she¡¯s not too busy.

 Chapter 140

    Anna knocked on Barika¡¯s door, hoping the woman was in her room, and was relieved when she heard shuffling coming from the other side. The door swung open revealing the stern-faced priestess, though the moment the older woman saw who her visitor was, she smiled warmly.

    ¡°So, what did the appraiser have to say?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That when Ted repaired himself, he ended up becoming a new sword and isn¡¯t one of the black blades anymore, and that I can use my magic to power the enchantments he has left,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good news! So, did you happen to find out what enchantments Ted has?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s got three left. First is his self-repair which I can use with my magic, and if he¡¯s not damaged and I activate it, then he gets stronger and sharper,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That sounds useful,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought! Anyway, the return enchantment that the general used in the temple when he pulled it out of my pack still works too,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a curse too, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be using it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What sort of curse?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Well, if I activate it, any wound it makes won¡¯t heal,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What a wicked thing,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m never going to use it,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That would be for the best, child,¡± Barika said.

    Anna nodded in agreement.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your question?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°How did you know I had a question?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°If you just wanted to talk about your sword, you¡¯d have waited for dinner,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I take it something happened after the appraisal?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Right again, but it wasn¡¯t anything bad. See, there was this boy at the guild hall, and he was asking for help finding his older brother who¡¯d gone missing, so I helped him, and then afterwards I went to a distillery I passed on the way to buy some booze, but they didn¡¯t sell to the public. One of the workers gave me a paper that had a bunch of places that did sell their stuff, so I went to the one with a funny-sounding name and got the booze along with some new kind of rations and this thing,¡± Anna replied.

    She grabbed her pendant and held it out for Barika to see. The priestess smirked at the sight of it.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d end up with one of those,¡± she said.

    ¡°Of course, I mean, why wouldn¡¯t I want a hard cock between my boobs?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting all day to say that haven¡¯t you?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yes, yes I have,¡± Anna replied.

    They both laughed.

    ¡°So, is there more to this story, or did you just want to know about your charm?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s more. See, I had time before dinner, so I decided to explore the city, and I found a group of people putting on a show. I stayed to watch, and when they finished, everyone crowded around them, and I couldn¡¯t get out. They were giving out blessings, so I ended up paying for one, so I didn¡¯t end up tossing people to get away, and it worked. I kept exploring, but then I noticed that my pendant was glowing, so I went back to see what kind of blessing they put on it, but they were gone, so I asked around and a man told me they were the followers of Thisos, but he didn¡¯t know where they went, so I figured you might be able to tell me what they did,¡± Anna replied.

    Barika rubbed her chin.

    ¡°Thisos is one of the God of Light¡¯s lovers, so I¡¯d say that it¡¯s probably a blessing to help with romance,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I can cleanse it if you¡¯d like,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°That would be great,¡± Anna replied.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Barika held out her hand, and Anna took off her necklace and handed it to the priestess who took it and then held her free hand over it and started to pray. Her hands began to glow with a golden light. After a moment, the light faded. Barika handed her the pendant which was no longer blessed.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It was no trouble,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna put the necklace back on.

    ¡°Tell me, child, do you have anything planned for the night?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Just dinner with everyone,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I was planning on going to a restaurant I heard about years ago but never got the chance to visit. Would you like to join me?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d love too!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°Let me go and put my stuff away,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Would you mind leaving Ted behind too? This isn¡¯t the kind of place you bring a sword to,¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Anna replied.

    She left Barika¡¯s room and went to her own, placing her sack of goods on the table and then taking Ted off and leaning him next to the bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°See you later, master,¡± Ted replied.

    Anna walked out of her room and joined Barika who was waiting in the hallway. They walked down the stairs together and found Rose of all people sitting on one of the couches with Sir Buford. Sir Buford was telling a story in an animated way, and Rose was smiling at him as he did so. She looked over, noticed Anna and Barika standing there, and waved them over.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going out for dinner. Would you let the others know not to wait for us?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Sir Buford replied.

    Rose gave a thumbs-up as well.

    ¡°We¡¯ll catch you two later,¡± Anna said.

    They bid their friends farewell and then left the inn, heading for the northern part of the city.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see Rose is getting along with the men. I was worried at first,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. They¡¯re all fine young men,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess they are,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°So, how are you doing?¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Fine I guess,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I mean, I still feel bad about everything that happened last year, but not as much,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I told you time would help,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°You were right,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I usually am,¡± Barika said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Anna replied.

    They continued to chat as they walked, and the sun slowly set by the time they reached the restaurant.

    When they rounded a corner, Anna stopped and stared at a strange building. It was unlike anything she¡¯d ever seen before, consisting of a massive column that was taller than every other building in the city, save the grand cathedral.

    Iron girders jutted out from the column. They were around the column in a way that reminded her of the spokes of a wagon wheel. There were multiple rows of these girders all the way up to the top of the column where a platform sat. A massive basket hung from each girder and was filled with lush foliage causing the entire structure to resemble a massive man-made tree.

    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the terrace of light, and it¡¯s where we¡¯re going for dinner,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes, child. The terrace is up at the top,¡± Barika replied.

    She gestured to the platform at the top of the structure.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    They walked up to the structure, and at the base was an opening. Inside of the column was a spiral staircase that led up to the platform. They climbed the staircase, reaching the top a few minutes later, before stepping out onto the platform.

    The platform was covered in tables and chairs with a kitchen of sorts out in the open where the food was being prepared. Well-dressed men took the food from the open-air kitchen to the many tables that were scattered around the platform. One of the well-dressed men noticed them and walked over.

    ¡°Will it just be the two of you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Would you like a table near the edge or not?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The edge would be lovely,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Right this way,¡± he said.

    They followed him to the edge of the platform where a small two-person table had been set up. They sat down and the well-dressed man took out a small tablet and a magic quill.

    ¡°Would you like to start with a fruit salad?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I would like one as well,¡± Barika added.

    ¡°Very good. What would you like to drink? We have a selection of ales, wines, and spirits?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have some white wine,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Sweet red for me,¡± Anna added.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have it right out,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Anna said.

    He nodded and walked away, heading for the open-air kitchen. Barika looked out at the city below and sighed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, nothing. Just an old memory,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°About what?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The woman who told me about this place,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Who was she?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°A dear friend,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Anna asked.

    Barika laughed.

    ¡°No, not that, but we were lovers for a while,¡± she replied.

    ¡°What was she like?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Sweet, caring, shy, but she had a smile that could light up the room,¡± Barika replied.

    The server returned and placed a large plate of chopped fruit between them as well as their wine.

    ¡°Just let me know when you are ready to order your meal,¡± he said.

    ¡°We will,¡± Anna replied.

    He walked away again.

    ¡°So, what happened to her?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°She was a priestess as well, and she was assigned to work at an orphanage. I didn¡¯t want to settle down, so we parted ways,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I get that,¡± Anna said.

    They started to eat the fruit and sip their wine. The sun finally set, and the city began to light up.

    ¡°Oh, pretty,¡± Anna said.

    Barika smiled.

    ¡°It really is,¡± she replied.

    ¡°So what was her name?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Mary,¡± Barika replied.

    Anna picked up her glass.

    ¡°To Mary,¡± she said.

    Barika lift her glass as well.

    ¡°To Mary,¡± she replied.

    They tapped glasses and took a drink.

    ¡°So, is there something going on between you and Arthur?¡± Barika asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, you two have been spending a lot of time together lately,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s happy I¡¯m helping,¡± Anna said.

    Barika laughed.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s more than that,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s clearly smitten with you,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Oh, uh, what should I do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. Just keep it in mind, that¡¯s all,¡± Barika replied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    She looked out over the city again. The lights below sparkled like a field filled with fireflies on a warm summer night.

    I guess that means that was a date.

 Chapter 141

    Anna¡¯s door burst open, and Lyreen rushed into the room.

    ¡°Get up!¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Nothing. We just need you to come with us today,¡± Elaine replied.

    She stepped into the room behind Lyreen and closed the door.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Anna asked.

    She got out of bed and went over to her table where her clothes were laid out.

    ¡°We got permission to enter the restricted part of the library, so we can research curses, but only for a day, so we need you to come and memorize the books we find,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anna said.

    She finished getting dressed and then went to retrieve Ted.

    ¡°You can¡¯t bring your sword to a library,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Now come on!¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Anna said.

    They left her room, and she locked up behind her.

    ¡°So, why only a day?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Honestly, they were being generous because Elaine is a member of the necromancer¡¯s guild,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make them less likely to let her in?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The necromancer¡¯s guild is a well-respected organization with a vast library of its own which they loan out to other institutions around the world. I¡¯m guessing they were worried the guild would take their books back if they found out one of their members was turned away,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°So, they don¡¯t want us there, but they can¡¯t turn us away?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°You got it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°No wonder you wanted me,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You were coming with us either way,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I was?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Okay, well, let¡¯s go,¡± Anna said.

    They hurried down the stairs and out of the inn where they kept a rushed pace until they reached the library.

    Oh, wow! This place is huge! Just look at all the glass windows! It must have cost a fortune to build it!

    She openly gawked at the architecture as they walked to the entrance. The library was several stories tall and constructed using the same stone covered in plaster as the rest of the city with the only real difference being the large number of glass windows built.

    They walked up to the main entrance, and Elaine pushed the massive wooden doors open with ease. The interior of the library smelled of old leather and paper with a hint of mildew. Everywhere she looked, there were enormous shelves that were filled to the brim with books and scrolls.

    A large round desk sat in the center of the room, and her friends headed toward it. She scurried along after them, sliding between them when they reached the desk. One of the men glanced over at them before walking over to them with a sour look on his face.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We have a pass for the restricted section,¡± Elaine replied.

    She took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him. He looked it over, his frown growing deeper.

    ¡°Very well, follow me,¡± he said.

    He handed Elaine the paper, stepped out from inside the desk, and walked briskly towards the back of the library. They followed the grumpy man past the many shelves and towards a long hallway.

    ¡°Hey, did you know Arthur liked me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I take it you just figured it out?¡± Elaine asked.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°You know, it was pretty obvious,¡± Lyreen added.

    ¡°Not to me it wasn¡¯t,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s cause you¡¯re slow,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°I am not!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I actually agree with the elf here. You¡¯ve been acting pretty dense lately,¡± Elaine added.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Normally when men start sniffing around, you bop them on the nose and send them on their way,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to upset him,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Since when do you care about that? I mean, I remember when you told one man to stretch because the only way he was getting his dick sucked was if he did it himself,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be traveling together for months. I really don¡¯t want to do that. Besides, he¡¯s not being rude about it like that guy was,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Just tell him you¡¯re not into men,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Do you think that would work?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t tell him you¡¯re not into women either it will,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He¡¯d probably just think you haven¡¯t met the right person and keep trying,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said.

    The man stopped at a door and unlocked it, pulling it open and gesturing for them to go inside.

    ¡°The index is on the table in the center of the room. Leave any books you read there and just walk out when you¡¯re finished. The door locks itself,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Elaine replied.

    They walked into the room, and the man closed the door behind them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he liked us very much,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I doubt he likes anyone very much,¡± Elaine replied.

    The room was very much like the rest of the library with bookshelves lining the walls and a table in the center of the room that had a large dresser covered in small drawers. They walked to the table, and Elaine pulled out a seat.

    ¡°Get comfortable,¡± she said.

    Anna sat down and the mages started to pull the drawers out looking through the little cards they contained. After a few minutes, they walked off in separate directions leaving her alone at the table.

    I could probably read every book in this place if I just used my eyes and tentacles, but that¡¯s probably not a good idea.

    She sighed.

    I¡¯m getting tired of hiding everything about me, and I miss my hair!

    Lyreen returned a few moments later and placed a stack of books next to her.

    ¡°There are a few in dark elvish. I know you don¡¯t know that language yet, but you can learn it later,¡± she said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna replied.

    She took the first book from the stack and started to read it.

    Lyreen looked at the cards again before heading back to the shelves. Elaine placed her armful of books on the table and then went back to the shelves, leaving Anna with a large pile to get through.

    She finished the first book in a few minutes and then moved on to the next. The two mages piled the books up next to her so fast that even she couldn¡¯t keep up, and within a few minutes, most of the table was covered.

    ¡°Are you going to make me read all of the books?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just the ones on curses,¡± Lyreen replied.

    She went back to reading, picking up the pace in the hopes of finishing the pile before their time ran out.

    Once they finished collecting every book they thought might contain helpful knowledge, they sat down at the table next to her and started to pick through the pile of books she¡¯d already finished.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s a little disturbing to think that there are this many different kinds of curses,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°If something exists, people will find a way to make each other miserable with it,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Some of these seem more like bad jokes than actual curses,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°I read about one that makes a person meow like a cat after every sentence,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That is kind of funny,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I wonder why that book ended up in the forbidden tome section?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°There was one in it that could make someone¡¯s skin fall off,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯ll do it,¡± Elaine said.

    She went back to reading, going through book after book before finally finishing several hours later.

    ¡°All done,¡± she said.

    ¡°We still have some time. Want to read about anything else?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Not even a little bit,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame you there. How about we go get some food?¡± Elaine asked.

    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Let''s get out of here before someone comes to check on us and finds this pile,¡± Lyreen said.

    ¡°Yeah, I doubt they¡¯ll let me back in here when they see this,¡± Elaine replied.

    They left quickly, heading out of the library.

    It was early afternoon, so they made their way to one of the many markets scattered throughout the city. Anna sniffed the air and then started off towards one of the many tantalizing smells.

    They reached the food stall where the aroma originated. The stall was selling flatbread wraps similar to the ones she¡¯d eaten with Charlie. They each bought one and then walked away.

    ¡°So, you think Arthur¡¯s kingdom is still there?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°What do you mean? Where would it go?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s been years since the curse started. If they can¡¯t grow food, people can¡¯t live there, and without people, there is no kingdom,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°If no one¡¯s there, what¡¯s the point of lifting the curse?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Then why does Arthur want to?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but I¡¯m guessing he still hopes they¡¯re holding on somehow,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going to happen if the kingdom is gone?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Knowing Arthur, I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s going to want to go after the sorceress to avenge the kingdom,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind fighting someone if they¡¯re hurting people, but I don¡¯t really want to go after someone just for revenge,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Neither do I, and I don¡¯t think the guild lets us take hit contracts anyway, so we won¡¯t be able to help him if that¡¯s what it comes to,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°Well, I hope it doesn¡¯t come to that,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It probably won¡¯t. I mean, since when has anything gone the way we thought it would?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Elaine replied.

    ¡°Yeah, life has been kind of weird for me so far,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s just because you¡¯re weird,¡± Lyreen replied.

    ¡°I really can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Anna said.

    They all laughed.

    ¡°Hey, since we¡¯re out, why don¡¯t we try and find you some boots that match your outfit?¡± Lyreen asked.

    ¡°That would be great!¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°I think I saw a shoemaker on the way here,¡± Elaine said.

    ¡°Well, lead the way,¡± Lyreen replied.

    She gestured towards the crowded market, and Elaine gave her a mocking bow before rushing off.