《Fairy Tale Assassin》


 Chapter 1 - Nightmare in a New World

    God, help me!


    My lungs burned as I blindly turned down another dark alley. Groaning at the pain in my throat, I put my hand up by my neck and felt the slick wetness.


    Did they stab me?


    Immediately, the thought exploded into another area of agony that filled my shin. Clamping down with my teeth to suppress the howl inside me, I realized that my leg struck something in the darkness. My momentum dropped me against a heavy table. While I¡¯m on my knees in the muck, I discovered a piece of wood. Instinctively, I grabbed it. It slipped from my mud-covered hand. Shouts from behind me force me to grab the wood piece again. That¡¯s when I realized the wooden shaft is about a foot long and has a weighted curved blade at the end. Light from the street showed me it¡¯s a tool of some sort. A sickle, I think.


    Still, it¡¯s a weapon, I decided while I stumbled along. A flicker of light coming from the partial moon shows me the barest outline as I come to the end of the building. Rounding the next corner, I nearly fell over when I bounced off boards in front of me. The foul smell of manure overpowered my senses. My hand quickly determined a fence of rough wood covered in bark stands in my way.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± my unfamiliar voice growled.


    Following the railing, I heard a nearby snort. The outline of a large animal remains hidden in the shadows, and it looked like an overly muscled cow. Momentarily, I considered going into the place as the sounds of my pursuers come closer. Then I shook my head. A big-ass bull would kill me just as quickly as the bastards coming for me. Panic filled me as the crowd noise as get closed in.


    ¡°Findeth yond Covan, putteth a stake through his undead heart!¡±


    They¡¯re talking in English but it¡¯s hard to decipher. It reminded me of listening to a Shakespeare play. Still, a stake through the heart comment motivated my tiring legs. I remembered the anger in their wild eyes when I first encountered the growing mob. It almost made me pee my pants.


    Forgetting about the animal in the pen, I pushed myself away from the fence. Hurrying to the darker area behind the closest structure I can make out, I slow my pace when I could no longer see. Then, I use one end of the wood shaft I¡¯m holding to probe the area. Then I stepped into the darkness. While I¡¯m catching my breath, my hearing tries to follow the sounds of the people hunting for me. However, my ragged breathing isn¡¯t helping me. The ache in my shoulder grows worse and my legs are shaking from my escape.


    Still, I don¡¯t understand why they won¡¯t give up. They¡¯re acting like I killed someone. No, that¡¯s not correct. Their pale faces under the torchlight looked afraid for some reason. They acted like they think I¡¯m a damn vampire or something.


    While I considered the behavior, the noise and shouts fade for a moment. However, the stench of the place is getting to me. When I move to the end of the building, I realize I¡¯m about to walk into a small pond and the smell immediately makes me puke. As I backed away, my retching nearly dropped me to my knees. Then I heard a shout.


    Damn it!


    Immediately, I ran around the shack. I¡¯m not sure if they saw me, but the guy¡¯s voice seemed close. As I blindly kept moving, my brain insisted the place was some type of rendering plant. However, I don¡¯t care. Working my way around the dead remains, my feet keep kicking around bones and partially rotten animal skeletons. Then I fell into a massive pile of bones. Actually, as I¡¯m struggling to get out of the place, I realized it¡¯s the carcasses of various animals. The nausea swept over me, along with the terror of corpses all around me, threatened what¡¯s left of my sanity. Tumbling off the rancid pile, I got to my feet. Finally, I noticed an open area ahead of me.


    A glance back showed me two men with lanterns coming my way. The light appeared too far away for them to see me. Still, I kept moving forward as my aching legs desperately want me to stop. My ragged breathing sounded like a freight train, which I¡¯m sure the mob would hear.


    Coming out on an open area of grass, I can see a dark outline in front of me. It extends from my left to right as far as I can see. Getting closer, I realize it¡¯s a wall. A damn tall wall stands in front of me.


    This sucks!


    Well, I¡¯m too old to quit and too scared to give up. I told myself to just figure it out. My initial confidence quickly waned as the wall seemed to grow taller when I finally reached it. My heart dropped when I saw my obstacle to climbing over. Even in the dim light, I recognized the wall consisted of tall shafts of foot-wide wooden spikes. They¡¯re stuck in the ground and extend up at least ten feet above me. A basketball player would have trouble touching the tops of the spikes even with a good jump. My quick glance back showed me the lanterns continue my way. I followed the rows of spikes, but I noticed more lanterns coming from the way I¡¯m heading. The wall extended all the way around the town. It¡¯s a situation which confirmed the worst of my fears. The poles remain tightly bound between each other, so I have only one hope. I must go up and over the top.


    Who the hell has a wall around their town?


    Obviously, this isn¡¯t the Earth I¡¯m used to! Or, at least not since before the Renaissance age. A town with spiked walls tells me I¡¯m in the past. Just don¡¯t ask how I got there. My brain fed me snippets of ideas as I stumbled along. However, I¡¯m also grunted out my frustration because my mind continues to ask confusing questions. Logically, I want to know the reason people want to kill me. Where the hell am I? But such questions don¡¯t matter, since I must escape from this danger.


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    Coming to a stop, I scan the figures holding lanterns, which seem to grow in number every time I look. I know what that means if they get me. Icy fear filled me when I saw the strange rooftop outlines of the village buildings. Since I can¡¯t hide from the coming mob, I need to focus on going over the wall.


    Finally, realizing I still held the sickle in my hand, an idea formed in my head. Since the end has a thick metal curved piece that runs out from the shaft, the design might be more useful than I thought. Using my hand to inspect the bound poles dug into the ground, I realized they¡¯re connected by a crossbeam. I used my tool to probe above me and felt for another crossbeam. Then, I sank the sickle¡¯s metal end into the top wooden crossbeam. Pulling myself up with the weapon, I floundered around until I got my feet on the lowest beam. With one hand on the next crossbeam, pull out the sickle and slide it between the pools just below the spikes. As I got to the top, shouts erupted from below.


    ¡°Make hast, the undead escapes!¡±


    Now, I¡¯m sure I heard curses as well. It only made me move faster. Carefully swinging over my leg to avoid my junk getting impaled on the spike, I see the first man to reach my location. He held up his oil lantern, and I saw his ugly face filled with pockmarks. On top of his head is a three-cornered hat, and he wore a frock coat, like I remembered in those paintings from the American Revolution. The man hurriedly pulls out a sword and swings it at me. As I get my body over to the other side, I pulled the metal blade up and away.


    Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived as my foot slipped on the wood piece. Before I had a chance to think about it, I fell to the ground with the metal blade still in my hand. When I landed smack on my back, I heard the air leaving my lungs.


    In a stupor, the pain filled me as I couldn¡¯t breathe. Somehow, I turned myself over. A gathering crowd on the other side of the fence struggled to climb it. Struggling to my feet, I felt like my palm was on fire. It¡¯s also slick from blood. The weapon nearly fell from my hand. Shaking my head at my injury, I let my legs carry me away. Darkness soon covered me as I stumbled along. As the sounds of the mob faded, my lungs burned for air, but fear kept me moving.


    Soon, my jog becomes a swaying trot. Finally, it turned into a wobbly walk. But ahead in the shadowed night, I saw the line of trees. When I got past the first few trees, relief filled me since the brush getting denser.


    Cops with dogs would have a hard time finding me here! Wait, why would I think that?


    The thoughts immediately faded as my energy dropped like a rock as I pushed through the tangle of vines and brush. Finally, I stopped and listened for my pursuers. While my ragged breathing make it hard to hear anything, no human voices came to me. As I recount my terrifying time inside the village in my head, I slid down next to the trunk of a tree. Placing the metal tool across my thighs, I leaned back against a tree trunk. My stomach grumbled in hunger while my throat begged for water.


    Maybe I¡¯ll survive now.


    My mind returned to the weird things that happened. Memories came across in fragments. I know I¡¯m not in the right place. But I don¡¯t understand how I arrived. The strange clothing, language, and a village with no paved streets definitely showed me I¡¯m not in¡ªwhere¡ªwell, whatever place I used to call home. Strangely, I¡¯m calmer than I expected, considering I didn¡¯t remember my name or home.


    Covan!


    That¡¯s what one of the people trying to kill me called me. But it¡¯s not enough. I don¡¯t carry memories of much and those images that remain don¡¯t come from this place. That much I¡¯m sure of.


    It¡¯s a delayed shock!


    That¡¯s what I told myself, even though my instinct screamed I¡¯m wrong. However, the adrenaline slowly subsided. That brought back the pain from the injuries on my body. My neck and palm carry a deep ache while my legs remain wobbly. Worse, I can¡¯t see anything around me, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m building a fire. Listening to the sounds of the surrounding forest, my fear slowly faded when I finally caught my breath. Still, the villagers who wanted me dead remained too close for my comfort.


    Looking up through the trees, I caught sight of a few stars. However, they didn¡¯t look familiar. Despite that, I focus on the brightest star, which is lowest on the horizon. For some reason, a piece of memory told me to follow it so I didn¡¯t wander in circles. Struggling, I rose from my position and started to follow the star.


    Slowly, the forest sounds came to me as I pushed on. After what seemed like miles of walking, I stumbled into a clearing. Before I stepped into the open area, the scent of smoke grew. Bent over with my hands on my thighs, I struggled to remain on my feet. Realizing the smoke would probably lead to people, I debated my next steps. Finally, I noticed the faint trace of an animal path amid the starlight. Since the trail heads toward the star, I followed.


    The growing scent of cooked food mixed with the smoke caused my stomach to growl again. Slowing my pace, I eventually caught the faint yellow flicker of a fire amid the dark forest around me. Quickly, I crouched down and listened. Carefully, I followed the path which led me to the fire. Eventually, I overheard muffled and indistinct voices. After halting, I moved off the path between two trees where I can partially see the campfire. Crawling along, I finally heard his voice.


    ¡°Come, my dear. Thee should eat. This meat keeps thee strength up,¡± a gruff voice came from the camp. ¡°You¡¯ll needth it for the next few nights before the full moon.¡±


    The man¡¯s tone gave me the creeps. Aside from the damn Shakespeare lines, his voice carries an eerie, menacing vibe.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± a female voice replied in a near whisper.


    Fear filled her tone despite the defiance. The man¡¯s sinister chuckle came over the brush to me. Their exchange made me curious, so I decided to get a better look. After silently crawling closer, I frowned at the man¡¯s lewd comments. Not that I have delicate ears, but this guy acts like the woman wants to hear his raunchy bullshit.


    When I finally got a good view of the camp, I stopped. Even though their still several dozen paces away from me, it¡¯s easy to observe the man who¡¯s dressed in green smock and brown pants. His face is angular with a heavy beard. He stared at the girl with dark, almost black eyes while he sat on a log. His expression reminds me of a wolf ready to pounce on his prey. While he munched on the leg of a cooked animal, I saw the rest of it impaled on a stick by the campfire. My hunger came back, but I prayed my stomach stayed silent. The man¡¯s longbow and quiver filled with arrows leaned next to him. He¡¯s probably a hunter, so I know my odds of surviving get really low if he attacked me.


    As for the girl, I couldn¡¯t see much since she had her back to me. Her red cape had the hood pushed back, and I noticed her red hair simmering in the campfire¡¯s glow. She visibly shivered, even though it wasn¡¯t cold. Her head kept dropping to avoid his lecherous gaze.


    ¡°Well, thee won¡¯t consume my food. Yet, thee body breeds excitement.¡± The man licked his lips. ¡°Your grandma gave thee to me until we get to the city.¡±


    The man threw the gnawed bone in his hand as he stood with a smile. He pulled off his shirt. Thick hair, like a beast, covered his powerful upper body.


    ¡°Come, my little Red! Off yond riding hood. I¡¯ll useth thee liketh the girls in the brothel. You know well such things!¡±


    The statement made my jaw go slack while I watched the woman slowly stand. She reluctantly pulled her red cape off.


    Red Riding Hood?

 Chapter 2 Two Strangers in a Forest

    A young red-hair woman stood in front of a hairy, bare-chested guy in the middle of a dark forest. I watched this scene, trying to figure out what¡¯s really happening while hearing a name from a fairy tale. A memory of a book came to me.


    She can¡¯t be Red Riding Hood. In what type of twisted place am I?


    A brief urge inside me wanted to stand up and let loose a maniac scream at the insanity. However, that idea stopped when the man dropped his pants while reaching for the woman. I glanced away to avoid the sight since I¡¯m not into seeing another guy¡¯s junk. The snap of a twig, followed by his yell, made me look back.


    ¡°Get back h¡¯re!¡±


    The guy tried to pull up his pants while he stumbled forward, then fell to his knees. Her red cape fluttered behind her as she ran away. I would laugh, but I¡¯m extremely confused. That¡¯s because I panicked when I noticed her sudden turn.


    She¡¯s coming this way!


    When I recognized her desperate attempt, I internally rooted in her escape. Just from her terrified expression, the tug of wanting to help dug into me. As I crouched there, my thoughts fought each other for control. Coming so close to getting killed earlier, I don¡¯t want to get involved.


    As she dodged the limbs in her way, the man finally got his pants up enough to sprint after her. I¡¯m damn sure the guy is a low-life scum who deserves heavy kicks in his balls for this. Unfortunately, he¡¯s also built like one of those action stars from the 80s. Anyone who saw my scrawny arms understood I can¡¯t do much standing against him. I crouched lower while hating myself.


    The red-hair woman followed the path I was on earlier. Nothing good is coming out of this encounter, but I cannot lift myself to help. Still, the footsteps and the cursing coming from the man are closing in on my position.


    At the last minute, I remembered stumbling on a dead limb near me. Grabbing the broken branch the size of my arm, I pushed it through the brush to intercept them. I stopped between two trees, hidden in the darkness by the animal trail. After the woman passed by me, I planned to shove the limb out in front of the woman¡¯s pursuer. The plan is he¡¯ll hit the ground. While pull back into the thicket, the woman will disappear.


    However, fate screwed with me. As the woman came along when she suddenly turned between the trees where I crouched. Her knee struck me square in the face. We tumbled away from each other. Stunned, I turned over to my side, then glimpse a dark boot next to my face. A hand grabbed me and lifted me from my spot. The crazy man¡¯s eyes are red like a demon as his spittle splashed my face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll killeth thee!¡±


    He struck me with his backhand. The blow made my teeth rattle while I fell next to a tree. My back fell on top of the sickle. As the bearded man leaned over while I struggled to pull the weapon from behind my back. Pressure struck my shoulder. It burned like fire, and I yelled out in pain as the bastard laughed. Until I swung the sickle at him.


    ¡°Ahhggh¡­¡±


    His shriek erupted as he staggered back. When I got to my knees, I noticed the gleam of his knife between us. The man held his bleeding hand with missing fingers. He cursed at me with his face contorted in a mix of agony and fury.


    ¡°I¡¯ll run througheth thee bastard!¡±


    As I stared in a strange trance, the hunter lunged down to get his knife with his good hand. My delayed reaction made me miss when I swiped the sickle at him. But the effort caused my attacker to back away briefly. However, I was past the point of no return. I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s either him or me!


    Frantically, I swung the deadly instrument again when he attacked. This time I got him in the leg. His scream turned to agony. Not waiting, I slammed the blade into his shoulder. The damage wasn¡¯t enough since the hunter sliced at me with his knife. Fortunately for me, he missed. However, the opening let me swing my weapon at his chest and my hand felt the impact. As I backed up, a grunting, gurgling noise confused me. In the shadows, I watched as the man fell over. His body seemed to tremble, and I heard a drawn-out gasp.


    Then, it¡¯s quiet! Deathly quiet filled the area except for my ragged breathing.


    Crawling away with my bloody weapon still in one hand, I pushed into the thicket. I¡¯m running on pure adrenaline since my brain is past reason. Even amid the pain from my knife wound, I forced myself to think about one thing. I must get away!


    They¡¯ll find the body and come for me!


    Even in self-defense, I¡¯m a murderer without power during this time. It¡¯s strange that I suddenly recall a bit of history. Laws are for nobles to control commoners. For the same inexplicable reason, I know I¡¯m a commoner.


    Pushing through, deeper and deeper into the darkness, I can¡¯t determine my direction. Instinct filled me while I kept moving away from the scene. I don¡¯t know how far I¡¯ve gone, but exhaustion filled my body. After coming to a small clearing, I looked up through the trees. Eventually, my eyes caught sight of the star I¡¯m following. After finally seeing it, I used the sickle to cut a notch in the tree trunk next to me. It¡¯s pointing in the right direction for me to follow in daylight. As the night fills my vision, I wonder if I¡¯ll wake up since I can¡¯t feel the pain like before. Even my breathing slows while the aches The soothing darkness of vines and bushes surrounded me next to the tree. As I lay there with the blackness overcoming me, I think I hear a voice calling out. Briefly, I wonder if it¡¯s the girl.


    Run away, you fool!


    I can¡¯t call out to her. My exhaustion won¡¯t allow it. My mind reminds me I¡¯m a murderer with my weapon in hand. This dream world requires survival. I¡¯ve seen that already. As grogginess filled my mind, I remember a story about a woman with a red hood somewhere, but only her name comes to mind.


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    Little Red Riding Hood was my grandchild¡¯s favorite story!


    Closing my eyes, I tried to capture the memory and hold it. It¡¯s too difficult. A brief memory comes back when I must survive in the woods. A fleeting image of people in camouflage uniforms. My mind slowly blanked as my heavy eyelids closed. If I wake up and realize what I just went through was fake, I¡¯ll be angry. This can¡¯t be a dream. My body hurts too much.


    It must be a nightmare.


    ~~~


    A panicked voice and sounds woke me with a start. I grabbed the wood shaft in my hand and looked around in fear. The morning dawn is just arriving, filling the sky with beautiful colors amid the dark shadows around me. After a moment, I finally calmed down and my stomach started again. It¡¯s getting pissed off with the lack of food.


    The image that woke me comes back to my mind. It¡¯s like a jumbled series of flashes filling my head. All of them show me I¡¯ve fallen to a familiar floor. People stand over me, then I see the inside of an ambulance. The strange thing is I noticed my arm when the EMT is inserting an IV. I observe my arm, which is lacking muscle and has wrinkled, splotchy skin. I remember the last image is a small child running into a room. Her eyes are frightened and excited.


    ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    Curious, I looked around for the voice. It¡¯s a memory. When I stare at my grimy, bloodied hands and forearms, they reveal thin limbs with no signs of a wrinkle. I turned over my hand and saw the wound on one palm from the blade of the sickle. Dried blood crusts the jagged wound. It also covers my hand and some of my clothing.


    ¡°Damn, can I get tetanus here?¡± I mumbled.


    My voice is still unrecognizable to my ears, but that¡¯s the least of my problems. Looking over my clothing, I¡¯m shocked.


    Damn, I¡¯m wearing leather pants like a rock band from the 80s.


    The joke immediately disappeared from my thoughts.


    How do I remember such things now?


    Before I fell asleep from exhaustion, I went mostly by instinct. Now, my memories overnight have convinced me of the truth. I died as an old man and now I¡¯m back inside a new body.


    Well, of sorts, I thought.


    My body odor reached me as I eased my aching body to a fully upright position. Slowly, I looked over the filthy woolen cloak I¡¯m wearing which show a large, dried patch of blood coming down from the collar to my chest. It immediately reminded me of my injury in the town when I first woke. Lifting my arm, I groaned from the knife wound in my shoulder.


    Using my other hand, I feel around my throat, which carried a line of crust across it. Without a mirror, I couldn¡¯t tell much. The strange part is I didn¡¯t recall anyone attacking me while I was in the village. All I remembered was getting up from the ground and the people who stared at me. Someone screamed, and all hell broke loose after that.


    As I guessed my faulty memories were to blame, I tenderly felt the line across my throat again. I¡¯m hoping it doesn¡¯t go into a bacterial infection. For a moment, I wondered if someone had cut my throat. Then I shook my head.


    No, I¡¯d be dead!


    When I pulled back the fabric of the cloak to check my other wound, there¡¯s blood on the outside of my leather shirt. I frowned, growing angry when I saw the long slit from the hunter¡¯s knife blade left in my shirt. Frustrated, I carefully lift off my cloak, then my shirt. The pain made it difficult, but I needed to see the gash in my shoulder. It¡¯s several inches above my heart. My skin is pasty pale, like it¡¯s never seen sunlight.


    ¡°That bearded bastard tried to kill me,¡± I mumbled to myself. ¡°Well, fuck him! He should be dead.¡±


    That¡¯s when an epiphany came to me. Assuming my thoughts about the time frame of this world, I realized I needed to clean my wounds. Most people died from infections and disease.


    ¡°Yeah, I remember watching that program with my son!¡±


    My brain locked up at the information.


    ¡°Wait, my son is Timothy. We watched a show about the medieval world together when he was young.¡±


    Shaking my head with my head in my hands, my son¡¯s smile came back to me. I teared up as more memories rolled across my brain like a freight train. My wife Betty held my hand on our first date, then I held hers as we cut the wedding cake. Tim¡¯s wife, Amber, showed us our first grandchild, Tiffany. Tears fell across my cheeks as I sobbed. It took a while but, finally, I calmed down. After taking a couple of deep breaths, I nodded to myself as I realized my long life had a loving wife and child.


    I¡¯ve lived a good life!


    ¡°So, what the hell am I doing here?¡± I yelled up at the sky.


    A dozen paces away from the strange man yelling into the sky, Blanchette woke with a start. She immediately held out the bloody dagger in her hand, only to relax when she realized no one threatened her. The woman scurried to her knees and lifted her head carefully to where she heard the man¡¯s voice. She saw her rescuer.


    The thin young man with brown hair stared into the sky with tears in his eyes. Blanchette stifled a gasp when she noticed the closed gash across his throat. Dried blood covered his neck and the front of his clothing.


    How is he alive?


    She was confident that the hunter didn¡¯t cut the stranger¡¯s throat, but the sight led her to other questions. As she observed him, Blanchette wondered at the reason behind the man¡¯s breakdown. Then she stared down at the dagger that she had retrieved from the fight. The small stranger took on Larry the Huntsman. She watched the fight from a few paces away, wanting to help but too afraid to join in the fight unarmed. When Larry finally stopped moving, Blanchette finally felt a sense of freedom wash over her. She escaped from the horror of Emerald City. Nobody would be wiser. Her grandmother could take the backlash from failing to live up to the agreement.


    The old hag deserved it! She was supposed to save me, not use me!


    When the fight finished, for some odd reason, the strange man who saved her crawled away. The grateful woman followed him into the dense brush while she called out to him. Hearing no reply, Blanchette hurried back to the place where the two men fought. Shocked, the body of the huntsman was not there. Fear filled the woman as she felt around the dirt and leaves until she came upon the dagger. She ran away, determined to find the man who saved her.


    It didn¡¯t take long to follow his path since he occasionally groaned in pain and mumbled to himself. Finally, she found him leaning against a tree. At first, Blanchette thought her savior had died from his efforts. The woman slowly crept closer to discover he was breathing. However, her extreme wariness about men remained. The fact he could overcome the much larger hunter both intrigued and terrified her. She wondered if he had held some type of dark magic power. As much as she wanted to check his injuries, she was afraid of his reaction if he woke. Instead, Blanchette convinced herself to remain nearby, where she could observe his actions.


    After seeing his tearful cry out to the sky, the woman tried to gather the courage to call out to him. However, the raging conflict inside her kept her silent. She learned men were the natural enemy of women. Her experiences in a brothel confirmed the worst of men.


    Blanchette peeked over the foliage as she watched the man, who observed a notch in the trunk of a tree. After a while of lifting her head occasionally to watch her rescuer working, the woman found herself intrigued by his actions. The man took a piece of bark from a tree, carving another piece, which he eventually used to create a tool. She wondered why he kept looking at the piece of wood, only to stare up at the sun, then back at the notch in the tree.


    When the stranger finally left, he appeared confident as he moved. He pushed through the undergrowth and entered an open field. Blanchette hurriedly slid on her red cape and cautiously followed the man.

 Chapter 3 - Becoming Covan Brown-Haired

    By late afternoon, I found a stream. My thirst and hunger drove me forward, and I wanted to thank the heavens when I finally found the cool water. The water was clear, and I just hoped there were no dead animals nearby to get me sick. Still, my thirst overpowered my concerns and drank my fill despite the inside of my throat feeling so sore. The water knocked off the hunger for a bit.


    While I sat on the bank, I thought about the crazy world around me. Maybe I lived a lifetime before. The memories tell me that, but I¡¯m back in a youthful body. It means I plan on having another long life. My suspicion told me I needed to forget my past and focus on survival.


    Fortunately, I had some survival skills which I already used. After coming back to my senses when I woke, I found my mark on the tree. It gave me my starting course as I made a rough sun compass using a piece of bark and a stick. Using the shadow of the sun and its path, I could follow the same direction I took overnight. Even though the sickle¡¯s blade was too large for delicate work, the compass worked reasonably well. My direction appeared to follow a northeasterly route. That was assuming the world here followed the same directions as Earth. For a moment, I could only follow the assumption. Briefly, I entertained the idea of climbing a tree to look for villages. But I disregarded the idea after remembering something in survival school. A broken leg makes you easier to capture and more likely to die.


    No need to take unnecessary risks.


    After stripping down, I cleaned myself as well as possible in the stream. I put in my clothing and the sickle as well. Removing the blood covering me would help when I eventually got to a town. After I finished, I hung the clothes up to dry while I went over to an open area to assess my direction against a nearby trail. It appeared to be heading in the same direction, so I considered my next steps. Sitting naked inside a forest is weird enough, but I had the feeling someone was watching me. While I kept looking over my shoulder, I decided the slight noises I heard came from animals moving around in the brush. Leaning back against a fallen log, I let the late afternoon sun warm me while I organized my memories.


    Conceding to myself this was my reality now, I noticed a sense of calm washed over me. Since I never considered myself high-strung, this new world now intrigued me. Sure, being hunted in the middle of a town scared the hell out of me, I now found a sense of wonder about this place. After all, the trees and animals look like those on Earth.


    While I thought about it, the path through the forest and the making of a sun compass brought back my past. It was reminiscent of SERE training while I was in the Navy. Even though I was a photographer¡¯s mate, the military sent me to survival school to become an aircrewman. Now, I¡¯m glad it happened. Discovering food was my first goal and I was successful in finding breakfast. Discovering wild berries along the way, they matched my memories of edible food. After carefully tasting one, then waiting for a while with no adverse effects, I decided they weren¡¯t poisonous to me. I eventually gathered all I could carry. Still, I needed to make a trap or fish to get meat, as eating berries won¡¯t last long on an empty stomach. It was something I planned to do when I found a place to camp.


    Well, time to get moving!


    When I rose from my spot, I heard a sudden inhale. My glance in that direction spotted a movement coming from a nearby bush. Grabbing my sickle, I pulled behind a tree. Then, I circled around to the area where I saw movement. As I got closer, I heard the snap of a twig. I raised my weapon and spotted red clothing.


    ¡°Alright, come out into the open!¡± I decided my order did not sound menacing enough.


    The figure I could barely see inside the foliage suddenly froze.


    ¡°I said, come out. I¡¯ll only count to three, then I¡¯ll come in after you.¡±


    Now, I said it before I realized I¡¯m still naked and pushing into a thorn bush wouldn¡¯t do my junk any good. Still, I started counting.


    Fortunately for me, two hands rose in the air. Soon, the face of the woman I saw in the night came into view.


    ¡°I cullionly nay harmeth!¡± She sputtered out while her eyes focused below my waistline.


    Curiously, I seemed more embarrassed than the girl. Well, I¡¯m happy in a strange way.


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    Maybe size does matter.


    However, I kept my guard up.


    ¡°Huh? What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Nay weapons, I carryeth. I bring offering.¡± The woman extended both hands to show me the weapon that nearly ended my life. Dried blood coated the dagger she held out to me.


    ¡°Alright, I can see that,¡± I sighed.


    Carefully, I stepped closer and took the dagger before I lowered my sickle and backed away. I looked at the knife, then her, and finally accepted it as a gift. Going to my clothes, I eyed her as she came out of the brush.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you¡ªI mean thee!¡± I told her, while frowning at the thought of wearing damp clothing.


    Scanning the area for anyone watching us, I slid on my pants. Well, I tried to slip them on. Getting leather pants while they¡¯re still damp is tougher than you can imagine. The woman¡¯s expression broke into a cute grin as she saw me hopping around on one leg. When I finished, I slid the dagger and the sickle in between the crude belt that kept my pants up. By the way, in this world, there¡¯re no zippers for pants which is damn inconvenient for taking a piss.


    When I reached my cape, I noticed the red hair girl was picking leaves from a bright flowering plant.


    ¡°Wh¡¯re art thee going?¡± She asked.


    Shrugging, I pointed to the northeast. Well, I¡¯m still assuming that¡¯s a northerly direction since I don¡¯t have a map of this place.


    ¡°To Morum? Tis a valorous road,¡± she said. ¡°Alloweth me healeth thy injury!¡±


    The woman came towards me with the handful of leaves, which she showed me. I couldn¡¯t stop staring at her hypnotic pale blue eyes. Even her dirty, round face carried the adorable hint of a cherub. But I was unclear to her age. Being a grandpa for so long, I found it difficult to guess the ages of young people. Now, I¡¯m unsure how to even ask the question. Her frown at my hesitation broke me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°What are these leaves for?¡± I finally asked.


    ¡°Thee must crusheth¡¯t,¡± she pointed to my knife wound in the chest and my throat. ¡°Putteth¡¯t ther¡¯th as well!¡±


    Immediately, the woman lifted her red hooded cape over her shoulders. Her undergarment tunic was thin, and I beheld her substantial breasts momentarily as she crouched down. Then, she asked for the dagger. I cocked my head slightly and pulled it from my belt. As the woman cut a strip from the edge of her red cape, she asked me to find her a large, flat stone.


    Keeping a careful eye on her activity, I pulled up a piece of black slat from the stream and brought it over. She placed the leaves on the stone and used the pommel to grind the leaves into a pulp.


    While, at first, I hesitated to accept her offer. However, I realized she had tracked me since the early morning. Guessing her intention with the dagger showed good faith. So, I decided to use her knowledge to understand this place. The woman helped me apply her concoction over my wounds, her eyes sympathetic to my painful reaction. She carefully rubbed the compound that reopened the wounds. She explained it was necessary to get the poultice into the scab. My guess was she knew little about infections. But I went with it, since it was probably a native concoction to provide an antibiotic effect. It was something I remembered from SERE school. However, I couldn¡¯t identify the plants if you put a pistol to my face.


    I asked her questions as she worked, and I got the gist of the world. From her view, the four kingdoms of the lands contained the greatest cities, along with powerful kings and nobility. She was a commoner, taken in by her grandmother after her family died. When I asked her name, she smiled.


    ¡°Mine own nameth is Blanchette. Mine own calleth me Red Riding Hood because of mine own hair and clothing,¡± she said.


    Damn, a fairy tale! What are the odds?


    As she tied off a strip of cloth around my cut hand after rubbing in the poultice to my wound, I debated her name. She confirmed the name of a fairy tale character. Still, I refused to believe I¡¯m stuck in a fairy tale. This is reality, not something the kids call a manga. After all, I didn¡¯t see any wolf, just a damn rapist last night.


    ¡°What¡¯s thy nameth?¡±


    Her question brought me out of my thoughts. I wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Then, I remembered what my attackers called me.


    ¡°Covan,¡± I replied.


    She stared at me for a moment, then asked me if I was a commoner. For some reason, I shook my head. Sure, it¡¯s a lie, but I don¡¯t feel like a damn peasant.


    ¡°Then, thee might not but has¡¯t two names,¡± she stated.


    Now, there¡¯s no way I can subject her to trying to pronounce Postlethwaite. I fought that embarrassment all my life. So, I just shrugged.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say it here since I¡¯ve cometh from far way lands called America,¡± I explained. ¡°A storm brought me here and my king might search for me.¡±


    Her brows knotted in thought, then she nodded agreement.


    ¡°Covan Brown-haired,¡± she told me.


    ¡°Simple and to the point, I like it!¡± I replied.


    Yes, I couldn''t hide my surprise at learning I had brown hair.


    Guess I should have looked at the water reflection before dunking my head in it.


    The look of brief triumph on her face made me want to laugh. Blanchette turned serious and quickly explained I must hide my wound. I smiled while I put the strip of red wool around my neck. Apparently, a recent injury will lead to thugs coming after me or suspicious guards putting me in a dungeon for being a bandit. Nobles don¡¯t have such scars unless they are the king¡¯s warriors. She even mentioned ghouls, but immediately laughed at my shocked look. It seems justice doesn¡¯t exist in the world, just black and white judgement.


    Is that why I had a mob after me? They thought I was a ghoul.

 Chapter 4 - Cursed Like Me

    ¡°How about letting me call you Ruby?¡± I asked suddenly.


    Blanchette looked confused at my question. It was the morning of the next day when I finally tired of calling her by her given name. As she thought about it, I told her it was my nickname for only her after I reminded her of the problems during the night. Then, I laid on the charm. Well, what little I had.


    ¡°Thou are too pretty for such a long, cumbersome name. Thou hair shines red like the setting sun. Thou lookth like a gem. So, I giveth thee a name for only me to useth. It¡¯ll be best for a new identity since you¡¯re running away from that man.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face went red from embarrassment while I awkwardly smiled at the fake Shakespeare lines I was throwing around.


    Young girls are so fun to tease!


    The reason for my push was more than my ego talking. This pretty woman didn¡¯t look like a Blanchette. In my mind, such a name goes to an elderly widow with too many cats. Plus, forget about the idea that Red Riding Hood was a decent name. Way too much of a fairy tale story for me to consider. Beyond that, I remembered the hunter saying others wanted her. She needed a unique, new identity.


    As she considered my idea, I fell back into my own thoughts. According to Blanchette, Larry the Huntsman survived. Yeah, I did not know Larry was his name. And I couldn¡¯t believe he got up again. She told me that her attacker hurried back to the camp once she started following me. Worse, I found out the huntsman worked for a guild with a contract to deliver Blanchette to a place called Emerald City. My jaw nearly hit the ground at the information.


    Yes, the same Emerald City where the Wizard of Oz lives. Blanchette insisted he was a real wizard.


    It was at this time; I finally stopped disregarding the idea I was in a world somehow based on fairy tales. They were wicked enough with Grimm¡¯s heavy hand. As a grandpa, I told plenty of these stories to my kid and grandchildren, so I knew them well enough.


    However, as Blanchette explained the world and herself, I realized the fairy tales and myths we all grew up with are nothing like I read. Instead, the people were worse than described in the Grimm stories. For example, Blanchette¡¯s grandmother runs a brothel outside a tavern on the main road to Alsfeld. Worse, she sold the services of her granddaughter. How sick is that?


    Yeah, the picture of a sweet old lady getting eaten by a wolf is a load of manure. Well, I wish it was true for Little Red Riding Hood¡¯s sake; I guess. Her grandmother hired Larry as an escort for Blanchette to complete her deal with Emerald City. Ruby knew the brothel well. She grew up supporting the prostitutes working for her grandma after her mother died. Recently, the old hag started selling the services of Blanchette. While the woman hid the pain well, I could see the bitterness and hurt in Blanchette¡¯s expression the more she talked about her ordeal. The look on her face made me angry at her situation. I guess the old grandpa inside hated the injustice of it all.


    Larry the Hunter¡¯s guild had a contract with brothels in Emerald City. Blanchette¡¯s grandmother sold her to pay off a substantial debt. That someone would force Red Riding Hood to work in a whorehouse inside the same city where the Wizard of Oz lives shattered what brief illusions I had left. If she is correct, this world is rotten to the core. I had no doubt about it when I thought about my own run-ins with people so far. Therefore, I decided I would fix Ruby¡¯s problem. That¡¯s the reason I pushed for a name change as her first step.


    ¡°Covan, I accepteth the nameth!¡±


    Her words brought me back to the present. With a smile, I thanked my new partner. The funny part was how happy she appeared. As we walked along, she started humming and making a song with her name. I got a sense that Blanchette followed me, then guided me because she carries a strong sense of gratitude for my help against Larry.


    We walked along a wide path to Morum. She convinced me to go to the capital city after I learned it was in the general direction I was going. Plus, there are opportunities for us to join guilds who control everything related to economic activity.


    As we walked along, I kept going over ways to survive in my head. It¡¯s the primary reason I insist I¡¯m not a commoner. Nobles, like the uberwealthy technology CEOs of my time, have the first right to grab and control anything good coming along. So, I intend to find a guild where I can put my twenty-first century skills to work. If I¡¯m going to survive, I need money and power.


    What are those skills? Well, I spent twenty years in a machine shop so I can make a hell of a lot of things from almost any type of metal, including weapons. Beyond that, my experience with design and tinkering came with me. If my guess is correct, this world is going to get an upgrade once I establish a place to call home.


    The more we talked about things, I could see Ruby found my lack of knowledge strange. It forced me to come up with a backstory. Continuing with the theme I¡¯m a lost noble, I simply told her I invented things which got me into trouble. Furthermore, I explained my escape took me across a vast distance from this unknown land, so I had no means of returning home. Strangely, the story somewhat mirrored my current situation.


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    Over most of the afternoon, the hunger pangs kept the two of us silent aside from finding the odd berry bush. Ruby knew how to forage from her time with her mother, so her wisdom came in handy when I tried to pick what I thought were blueberries. Instead, I found out bluish red berries contained a poison useful for witches to create a sleeping potion. From the description, I immediately thought about the tale of Sleeping Beauty. A nearby bush carried small black berries, which Ruby strongly discouraged me from touching.


    ¡°Tis death if the juice touchth thee blood,¡± she whispered.


    From the reaction, I knew they reminded her of something painful. So, I silently pocketed a handful of the berries along with the sleeping type. Later, I added a handful of the belladonna berries I recognized from my survival training. The dark blue belladonna berries were one of the most toxic in my world. It¡¯s not that I wanted poison berries for my diet. However, I figured they would come in handy if I needed poison for hunting. Eventually, I needed to use a bow, and I knew a poisoned arrow would save me a long walk. It reminded me of a show about Aboriginal hunters using poisons on their arrows and spears to kill their prey quickly.


    As I thought about it, I naturally wondered about developing black powder and guns if they didn¡¯t exist yet. When I asked Ruby about guns, I initially frowned since she told me they exist, but only a few nobles owned them. From the description, they appeared to use matchlocks for firing, which were nearly useless in the rain. Soon, a grin came to my face. I realized there was an opportunity to make inventions to get rich. Ruby asked me what I was smiling about. I shrugged, then cocked my head at the sound of running water. Moments later, we came to a creek. The clear water showed fish swimming below the narrow bridge.


    ¡°Time for dinner,¡± I told her.


    After a feast of small fish strips cooked over the fire, along with berries and water, I finally found a comfortable place next to a large tree hollow. We caught the fish by using my cape. Letting it settle to the bottom of the creek, I slowly lifted it up to gather the fish that came swimming by. It wasn¡¯t easy since we lost almost as many fish as we caught. But it is faster than trying to build a trap for them.


    Making sure that our campsite was off the main trail a fair distance. I showed Ruby how to build a Dakota fire hole to keep the flames from being seen by travelers along the trail. The ground was soft, and my sickle worked well enough to make the hole. A survival instinct continuously stayed with me since both of us were basically unarmed with nothing more than a dagger and a sickle.


    As night fell, my exhaustion came on fast. I pulled out the silver dagger that Ruby gave me with a question.


    ¡°Why did the hunter have this? It seems too expensive for his trade.¡±


    The woman dropped her eyes.


    ¡°My grandmother gave me that before he took me away. She said it¡¯s cursed like me.¡±


    ¡°And you gave it to me!¡± My voice went up a notch.


    ¡°Nay, it¡¯s not liketh you thinkth,¡± her expression turned fearful. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I hadst of value. I didn¡¯t believeth you¡¯d wanteth this body.¡±


    Obviously, she¡¯s got trust issues with how men have treated her. I tried to stop rolling my eyes and failed.


    ¡°First, you are a beautiful woman. So, of course, I¡¯d want your body. But this is important. You¡¯re more than a toy for a man. Never put yourself down like that. I just don¡¯t jump a woman because I see her. Do you understand?¡±


    Ruby blushed slightly before she nodded.


    ¡°Now, more importantly, what type of curse are you talking about?¡±


    I kept trying to feel some type of magic on the weapon as I balanced it in my hand. Of course, I felt nothing but weight.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sureth,¡± she replied. ¡°Grandmother hath said t only works in the timeth of the moon. The huntsman tooketh from mine own container. He did look unsure about it but said he taketh as payment.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a bastard that deserved what he got,¡± I growled.


    The chuckle from Ruby made me look up, and she appeared pleased at my comment. Rolling over the dagger in my hand, I looked at the symbols in the pommel, but it didn¡¯t make sense to me.


    What curse during the moon?


    Finally, I sighed and handed it to her. She looked hurt.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not as you think,¡± I quickly explained. ¡°I¡¯m giving to you because I want you to be protected if someone sneaks up on you and I¡¯m not around. I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s cursed. You saw how it stabbed me, so it works. Do you understand? It means I trust you.¡±


    After much hesitation, Ruby finally took the dagger. She stared at it while I laid down partially in the tree¡¯s hollow. As my eyes closed and sleep overwhelmed me, I felt the woman snuggle against my back. An icy fear hit me at the thought she might use the dagger on me before quickly retreating.


    Well, I¡¯ve got to start somewhere!


    ~~~


    As Ruby fell asleep, she considered the man in front of her. Covan didn¡¯t treat her as she expected. Other men would take her, even beat her if left unsatisfied by their rape, before rolling over to sleep. That was the reason she offered him the dagger instead of her body. He was a noble. She was a commoner and a whore. The kingdoms carried no laws to keep a noble from doing as he wanted with a commoner unattached to the land or a guild.


    His green eyes watched her carefully, always observing, like he carried a tremendous weight on his shoulders. His story of coming from a land called America intrigued her. Of course, any commoner would find the idea of traveling with a noble hero remarkable and fascinating. At first, she thought he¡¯d throw her away when he discovered her background and prostitution. Instead, Covan explained his obvious anger came from her mistreatment by her family.


    I guess nobles could never understand selling everything for scraps of food.


    While Ruby despised her grandmother for selling her to pay off a debt, she understood the practicality of the transaction. Commoners did what they could to survive. Maybe a noble could never understand, but she hoped Covan would keep her as a servant. His trust in handing the expensive dagger back to her gave her hope. Even if she¡¯s as cursed at the weapon, Ruby vowed to help the thin man who trusted her. Even if it meant her life.

 Chapter 5 - At the Gates

    A few days later, Ruby and I are standing in a meadow outside the walls of Morum. To arrive at the capital of the Glennot Kingdom, we followed a merchant convey who overtook us along the main road. The occupants of the wagons eyed us suspiciously at first. My initial thoughts about the column leader and adventurer, Aermus, was he¡¯s a good man even if he¡¯s brutally honest and aggressive as hell. He and another man held their pikes on me while Ruby mostly answered the questions. We easily persuaded the group we weren¡¯t bandits when they saw how lightly armed we were. Judging from their expressions, I¡¯m pretty sure they thought we were crazy for traveling a desolate stretch of road with no money, weapons, or armor.


    Eventually, they allowed us to stay reasonably close to their wagons for protection. Since there were seven adventurers with the caravan, we enjoyed the idea of protection. According to the Aermus, packs of wolves attacked travelers. However, my eyes remained on the adventurers who carried lust filled expressions when they watched Ruby. Since some men spoke different languages, I wasn¡¯t even sure of what they said. Still, if they wanted to take her, there¡¯s not much I could do about it. Given the differences in weapons and fighting skills, I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think I could win.


    Fortunately, Aermus wasn¡¯t one to give his men opportunities to abuse women. My lips curled into a grin when I saw him smack a couple of larger men with the broadside of his sword while giving them warnings. As the days progressed, the stares at Ruby remained, but their expressions fell into more of wishful thinking category.


    Ruby¡¯s natural charm got more and more information from our fellow travelers. When she came to me each night, I asked her questions to get up to speed about this world and the news. As I learned more, I grew more nervous. Rumors of war coming, rogue wizards, and supernatural creatures stirring filled in our conversations. It¡¯s bad enough I have no magic understanding, but I¡¯m not very good with these weapons. Going up with modern weapons meant I had no experience with something like a sword and shield. On top of that, I can¡¯t even understand some of the language which is supposed to be English.


    Damn, I need a translator!


    As I stood there, I thought about our new kingdom. The Glennot Kingdom, ruled by King Conm¨¢el, was a name vaguely familiar to me, like one of those obscure trivia names in history. It seems the king is an undefeated champion knight whose never lost a battle. The merchants spoke about his fair rule and his beautiful Queen Findabair. According to the story Ruby gave me, the queen is so beautiful that hundreds of men died to woe her as a bride. Now, that¡¯s just screwed up, in my opinion.


    Listening to the conversations among the merchants and Aermus, I slowly figured out more about this world. It confirmed the obvious differences in my thoughts and the reality of this world. The fairy tales I grew up with were incorrect, but still a central part of these lands. The strongest wizard and witches match the descriptions of the myths I knew. However, while Merlin exists, but he goes by the name Myrddin Wyllt. My rudimentary knowledge of history makes me think it¡¯s a Welsh version. Or maybe he sounds more noble with two names. Still, he¡¯s still got a feud going with the enchantress Morgan le Fay. Their feud seemed to cause a lot of problems for the kingdoms, with various conspiracies and political intrigue. It appears the kingdoms go to war as part of stopping some curse or plague caused by a witch or sorcerer. There are quite a few bad people causing problems.


    Of course, I told Ruby to lie about our past. Our story is we¡¯re commoners seeking a better life in a good kingdom. I guess the merchants assumed we were married since they treated us that way. For my part, I tried to keep from speaking much and listened in on the conversations.


    For money, we considered trading in her cursed dagger. However, we decided against it since neither of us knew about the curse. All I knew was the blade maintained a fine edge, even though it looked made of silver. To me, that meant the underlying metal was top notch, thus expensive, if I guessed right. Selling it for some food made little sense at the moment. The berry bushes and creeks with fish got us by without undo hunger. I even upgraded to crude fishing gear using a hook I found on a creek bed and uncurling some of the yarn used in my cape¡¯s construction. Bigger fish seem to like worms just fine, and the cursed dagger gutted them like a filet knife.


    Also, I discovered more about the kingdom that Ruby and I escaped from. The Joteland Kingdom which appeared somewhat like Vikings of old with the names like King Fornj¨®t and Queen Grimhilde. Also, I escaped from a village called Draugr. The rumor going around was that a plague of undead creatures attacked the village. My guess is they thought I was a zombie when they saw my neck. Since I did not know where the wound came from, I can only surmise someone tried to kill me. Perhaps they were leading the mob. Either way, I kept my healing scar hidden. It also woke me up to the fact that I needed to find a way to become much stronger in fighting or get a sponsor of some sort until I could get the money I expected to earn.


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    As to the question, why am I standing in the meadow with Ruby?


    First, there¡¯s a toll to enter the city. It¡¯s a simple mechanism to keep out the rift-raft commoners like me and Ruby traveling between kingdoms. The toll for most cities is a half-silver coin. During our journey, Ruby explained that the merchants, the clerics, and the nobility mostly used silver and gold coins. A serf or commoner will seldom carry anything valuable beyond pfendings, a coin made of copper. In fact, commoners or slaves found carrying gold or silver coins makes you very suspicious in the eyes of the guards. Not that it mattered to us, since we didn¡¯t have enough of any coins to pass through the gate.


    Fortunately, I learned about our obstacles before we arrived. With an understanding about the general layout of the city, I hatched a plan for the day. After I explained my idea to Ruby, I mentioned our need for rope and another sickle. However, what Ruby offered next infuriated me.


    ¡°Then, I shalt lie with the men to receiveth our supplies!¡±


    Her degrading offer to help really set me off. Alright, I¡¯m getting possessive about Ruby during our time together. She¡¯s pretty and I can tell she wants to hang around with me. Ruby¡¯s eyes widened when I pulled her out of earshot of the caravan to really lay it on the line.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever offer to do such a thing again!¡± I gripped her shoulder with one hand, pushing my face into hers.


    ¡°When you do that, you belittle yourself. You¡¯re not a prostitute. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°But how shall we consume and liveth in the city?¡±


    I let out a sigh and moved back as I thought. Her confused expression told me she wanted to help, and her body was her vehicle to survive. As I thought about it, she¡¯s dealt with growing up in a caste system. I haven¡¯t. So, I released the grip on her shoulder and changed my argument.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re with me, you hurt my status as a noble by doing such a foolish thing. You are never¡ªI mean never¡ªoffer your body to another person.¡± I poked my finger into her forehead for emphasis.


    ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass me like that!¡±


    My strange reasoning caused tears welled up in her eyes. Shocked at the woman¡¯s reaction, I took her into a hug. I learned long ago how often that helped in dealing with a woman. She stiffened for a moment, then loosened up while promising not to embarrass me. After I released her, Ruby kept glancing at me as we walked back to the caravan. However, I paid little attention as an idea came to me.


    Before dawn, I went to one of the merchant¡¯s wagons. After I borrowed¡ªwell, I mean I stole a large rope coil. I added another sickle to my collection as well. Now, this is risky since they¡¯ll string me up by my neck with the same rope if I¡¯m caught. Aermus told me they hung thieves when we first met. But with the wagons so close to the city, I figured the merchants wouldn¡¯t discover the theft until they got inside gates. Which leads me to the second reason that Ruby and I are so far behind the merchant caravan.


    After I stole the materials from the convoy of wagons, we hid them. Acting out our ruse that morning, we followed the wagons for a while before Ruby gave a wonderful performance. She faked like she tripped and hurt her ankle. We waved them the wagons on as I put her arm over mine. When the wagons finally got out of sight, we hurried back to retrieve our stolen items. Near midday, we made it to the outskirts of Morum just as the merchants entered the city.


    Now we waited for the darkness to fall while I went to work on my invention, the grappling hook. Alright, it¡¯s not my invention, since the grappling hook dates back to the Roman era for boarding ships. I used to read a lot about naval warfare as a kid, so I¡¯m sure that enticed me to join the Navy in the first place. However, I have a special use for my homemade version, which involves scaling a medieval wall. First, I cut out a small piece of the rope I stole, then unbraided the strands to wrap around the two sickles. I put them together with the blades facing opposite each other before I wrapped the small strands around the handles. Then, I took one end of the rope and spliced in the twisted strands with the cord, finally wrapping the handles again with more of the strands. When I finished, I had a crude grappling hook.


    ¡°Thou art most wondrous,¡± my pretty companion marveled at the device.


    When a beautiful woman gives you such a compliment, trust me, it goes to your head. Full of myself, I tested the device out on a tree. It worked just fine for the first time; the hook wrapping itself over the limb. However, I forgot the sharp blades cutting into the rope. When I crawled about halfway up the tree, the rope snapped, and I ended up on my butt. Luckily, the two sickles fell out. However, I looked like a damn fool trying to avoid the sickles trying to impale me on their way down. My bruised ego joined my bruised backside while I remade my grappling hook.


    After I finished grappling hook 2.0 (yes, I¡¯m a grandpa who¡¯s played computer games), I coiled up the rope. The sun was close to setting. We waited until darkness was almost complete before we went across the open field and circled around to one side of the walled city. The merchant¡¯s descriptions of the walls were pretty accurate. About three people high, they told Ruby, which came out about fifteen to twenty feet by my guess.


    From our position, we watched the men holding lanterns, making their rounds across the battlements on the top. It did not take long to spot a pattern. After I explained what I wanted to do, Ruby and I laid back and waited until the sounds of the city slowly faded away.

 Chapter 6 - An Old Soul

    Late into the night, Ruby and I walked to the wall surrounding Morum. The so-called moot was nothing more than a foul-smelling ditch, which I think they used as a toilet. We already knew only a gate closed at the entrance of the main road at night.


    As we walked along the side of the fortifications, they did not impress me. After all, I¡¯ve seen plenty of actual castles when I traveled in my past life. Throughout Europe, such defensive walls were massive, redundant, and well thought out. However, this fairy tale capital city didn¡¯t have such a wall. The fairly low barrier, along with the lack of a strong moot, convinced me Morum would not last long in a war. It also got me to wonder about the rumors of encroaching war.


    Getting through the muck was gut-retching but doable. We found a level place to unwind my coiled rope. After I backed Ruby away, I wound up my grappling hook, which I covered with my cape to deaden the noise. My first attempt only managed to hit the bottom of the battlement, landing back near my feet. Scanning the top of the wall, we could only see lanterns far away. From the lack of movement throughout the night, I rightly guessed the guards were not on high alert.


    Another windup and I got my hook over the battlement. We barely heard the thud. Pulling back on the rope, I tested the device several times using all my weight. It seemed stable enough, so I started climbing. When I got to the top, I was so winded I swore the guards would hear my gasping. My arms shook from the burning muscles I hadn¡¯t used like that before. Finally, I shook the rope several times. It was Ruby¡¯s signal to tie the rope around her waist. She quickly climbed up while I pulled on the rope to help.


    ¡°Tis exciting!¡± she whispered.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be if we¡¯re caught,¡± I whispered back. ¡°Hold my shirt as we walk. I¡¯ll find us a place to get down from here.¡±


    My idea was harder to implement than I thought. First, the area below the wall inside the city was pitch black in most places. The lanterns near the corner tower remained unmoved, but we couldn¡¯t approach the area for fear of waking the guards. So, I made my way along the top of the wall until I stumbled upon a solution. Actually, I nearly tripped over a wooden case. When I went to my knee, my hand realized there was an open area where I thought the low stone wall stood. Soon, I found the rickety wooden stairs leading down.


    A few minutes later, I had my cape back on with the hood over my head. The rope coil hung over my shoulder and my grappling hook hanging from my belt. I let Ruby guide us, since I figured she had more sense about where we could find a place to stay out of sight until sunrise. According to my partner, the night watch will ask questions when they don¡¯t know you and see you walking the streets at night.


    We took several twists and turns through various back alleys which smelled as bad as the ditch outside the wall. Ruby stopped us once when she heard men coming out of a building. Fortunately, they passed by without noticing our position in the shadows. She told me we should find stables soon. As soon as we turned into another alley, I nearly ran her over when she halted.


    ¡°My, an old soul. It¡¯s been years since I felt such a presence,¡± a gruff voice spoke up.


    A flicker of light flashed on a man¡¯s fingertip, revealing a white bearded man with a hawk-like face as he lit his pipe. He casually sat on a crate, puffing on the pipe for a moment, while I gawked at him.


    ¡°The question is, should I kill you now, or later?¡± he asked himself as he blew the tobacco smoke into the air.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to kill anyone.¡± I felt a chill run down my back as I replied.


    Stepping in front of Ruby, I felt her tugging on my cape to run away. However, I knew such an action would do us now good. The man in front of us never fully looked our way. It was his way of showing how minuscule we were to him.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve done nothing to you, mister. Hell, we don¡¯t even know who you are! We¡¯ll leave quietly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce myself, Covan,¡± he chuckled, then snapped his finger.


    My blood froze and I couldn¡¯t move. I heard Ruby¡¯s sudden intake of breath at feeling the same sensation.


    ¡°I¡¯m known as Myrddin Wyllt. They call me by many names in other realms. Here I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you!¡± Surprisingly, my mouth still worked, which made me happy.


    ¡°You¡¯re also called Merlin, the Magician who helped King Aurther? Seriously, you¡¯re the greatest of sorcerers. What the hell are you hanging in a back alley at night?¡±


    He tilted his head at my reaction before he gave a hearty laugh. Still, the man¡¯s laughter was unsettling.


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    ¡°As I thought, an old soul who knows too much. You¡¯ve already taken the young lass on a different destination. It¡¯s not good to meddle in the future.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. Ruby doesn¡¯t deserve such a fate. She¡¯s a perfect example of someone who needed help. She¡¯s with me now and there¡¯s no wolf after her. I will fight for her!¡±


    While I know my bravado doesn¡¯t scare him, I continue my rambling. It felt like an urgent need to plead my case before the executioner.


    ¡°Come on, this place is so screwed up,¡± I continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. I¡¯m certainly unable to change this place. So far, there¡¯s nothing here that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably true, but you¡¯re dangerous,¡± he calmly blew out a puff of smoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s not even a funny joke. Nobody knows me. I¡¯m not superpowered with weapons and magic. All I want to do is survive. If I get a little business going, I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll hang out in my corner of the world and keep out of everyone¡¯s way.¡±


    For the first time, Myrddin looked over at me. He pulled a staff from out of nowhere. The yellow orb at the top of the staff changed colors.


    ¡°Humm, your words appear true. But you don¡¯t belong here. Changing situations affect other realms. Your realm calls it a butterfly effect. Still, such changes occur across time and space in this realm. It¡¯s too bad for you. But what¡¯s a guy to do? I¡¯ll make your death painless.¡±


    His resigned voice made my fear factor go through the roof. Still, the nonchalant attitude about killing us got me angry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me your bullshit rationalization,¡± I growled out the words. ¡°There¡¯s no way that I affect a place with stories about Prince Charming. Are there three little pigs getting two of their houses blown down before they kill and eat the wolf? If so, that¡¯s fucked up and you know it! I don¡¯t know how a myth like that becomes a kid¡¯s story.¡±


    My attitude got his attention, but it seemed my story definitely changed his expression. The glow of his pipe showed his dark eyes light up with interest.


    ¡°Phhfff! That¡¯s the tale? Totally incorrect, which shows ignorance accompanies you. What other strange stories do you know from your world?¡±


    ¡°Plenty of them. I haven¡¯t met Cinderella, but I¡¯m guessing her sisters didn¡¯t cut off their toes to fit in the glass slipper to marry the prince.¡±


    He chuckled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the lover of Empress Boju worrying about such things. After all, she killed them to marry Prince Ravana at the orders of the empress.¡±


    ¡°See! That¡¯s what I¡¯m telling you. There¡¯s no butterfly effect. Hell, I¡¯ve had villagers trying to kill me for being a zombie. Grimm never wrote about the undead like that. Nothing I¡¯ve read fits this place.¡±


    Nodding back at the woman behind me, I continued my rant.


    ¡°Ruby knows nothing about Snow White. Emerald City doesn¡¯t have a yellow brick road. Besides, I know from the book that the Wizard of Oz came out a hundred years after Grimm¡¯s tales. I¡¯ll bet there¡¯s no Dorothy or Toto there since I hear it¡¯s full of brothels.¡±


    He laughed at my reply.


    ¡°It seems your dimension carries far different tales. Tis not unexpected. While I¡¯m a godlike being, I cannot know every variation of timelines. You mentioned Grimm. As in the brothers?¡±


    I hesitated while digesting his oversized ego before answering.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Who else are there?¡±


    After a puff of smoke let loose, he took a deep breath.


    ¡°Many others, I¡¯m afraid. Myths abound throughout time. Even a fool knows space bends and warps with time constantly. Still¡­¡± the wizard furrowed his brow in thought.


    Finally, he nodded to himself.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a reprieve for the moment. I need to ponder upon what you¡¯ve told me. The brothers caused me problems in the past.¡± He looked at Ruby. ¡°I give you a fair warning, young lady. Miss Riding Hood cannot stop the story once it starts. It is your fate.¡±


    Myrddin Wyllt disappeared. I stood there with the strange sensation filling my body after he released us.


    ¡°Covan, what just hath happened? Doth thee knoweth yond terrible wizard?¡± Ruby¡¯s words finally got me to turn around.


    ¡°I know of him,¡± I explained while trying to keep from buckling to the ground.


    After a couple of breaths, I brought my arm around her shoulders.


    ¡°He¡¯s a troublemaker, but don¡¯t worry about it right now. Let¡¯s find a place to rest and we can talk about it more.¡±


    Ruby stared at me for a moment, then she led us out of the alley. When we finally found a place to bed down, it was the hayloft over a stinking stable. Fortunately, the rodents didn¡¯t bother us as we lay on the soft bedding of hay. I explained as much as I could while maintaining my lie. My previous life was off the table. Seriously, who¡¯s going to believe I suddenly died and woke up with people trying to kill me? So I just told her we had myths in America that seem similar to some things in this land. She told me how much fear overwhelmed her from the spell he cast on us.


    My story appeared to work, since Ruby remains convinced that I¡¯m a noble. I think the encounter with Merlin or Myrddin reinforced the idea. As we talked, it was the first time I asked questions about magic. Before meeting the sorcerer, of course, I knew such a thing could not exist in reality. Sure, fairy tales talk a lot about it, but I¡¯m still stuck in a mindset developed over seventy years in another world.


    ¡°What shall befall to me? The wizard warned me, but I understand not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I confessed to her. ¡°But it¡¯s not something to worry too much about. He probably just wanted to frighten you.¡±


    I gave her a reassuring smile.


    What did the bastard mean by her fate?


    Unfortunately, Ruby knew little about magic other than she held a great fear of it. Fortunately, they are rare and keep to themselves, mostly. She told me that witches and sorcerers live their lives mostly hidden from the public. She described some tales of nobles using them to punish or help them. Ruby pulled her dagger and pointed out the curse from her grandmother was magical.


    Yes, I obviously didn¡¯t consider that part of it. My twenty-first century thinking disregarded an important part of fairy tales. From Sleeping Beauty to Rapunzel, curses and magic made up a huge chunk of the stories and how they ended.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get sleep and we¡¯ll figure it out in the morning.¡±


    I brought her close, and she laid her head on my shoulder. As I tried to rest, my tired mind kept coming back to the important things I needed to accomplish. Now that magic came into my thoughts, the need to find something to defend against such a thing suddenly rose to the top of the list. Survival against an unknown danger like Myrddin required defenses and knowledge, which I didn¡¯t have.

 Chapter 7 A Noble Bastard

    The morning for Ruby and I came before the sunrise. A stable hand working with the horses below woke us. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t see us as he pulled down some of the hay. After he left, we quickly left the building and headed out to find food for breakfast. Our edible berry collection was down to nothing. As we wandered the narrow streets, the citizens stirred from their homes. By the time the sun broke through the early clouds on the horizon, we found ourselves among crowded streets, bustling with people, animals and carts. I asked Ruby to look for a place where we could sell off some of the heavy coil of rope I carried. It wasn¡¯t long before I got rid of half of the rope, and we had a few pfendings to get breakfast. Another stall got us to food. I¡¯m not a fan of old rye bread, cracked open with a greasy, half cooked egg inside, but starving people will eat anything.


    I noticed a few people eyeing my makeshift grappling hook, so I spent a few minutes separating the sickles before sliding them into my belt. We continued on in our search for a magic shop. I expected something like a large alley filled with magic shops, like in those wizard books my kid liked to read. However, we failed to find anything close to a place which sold spells inside that part of the city. We found a potion shop, but it was mostly items that reminded me of those stores selling various exotic herbs for your health. It reminded me of those stores in my past world where you can buy pills to lose weight or grow your hair back.


    ¡°I guesseth yond¡¯s not unexpected,¡± Ruby said with a frown. ¡°I knoweth commoners seldom receiveth a chance to seeth magical things. Our priest warned thee from such things.¡±


    Putting my arm over her shoulder, I told her not to worry.


    ¡°Look on the bright side,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m having a great time seeing this new city. Let¡¯s find the adventurer¡¯s guild. We need to earn money.¡±


    During our time with the merchants, I overheard them talk about adventurers and the other guilds. Here, the adventurers aren¡¯t like the portal fantasy novels my son used to read as a kid. According to the merchants, adventurers typically work for the businesses. They end up doing odd jobs from finding material and guarding. There are no monsters or dungeons to worry about in this world, much to the disappointment of my young son when he read manga stories in the past.


    We found the building housing the guild among several on the main road through the city. It wasn¡¯t like anything I expected. First, there was a line of people waiting outside the small building that didn¡¯t look large enough to hold them all. After waiting in line and speaking with some others, we determined it would be tough to become a guild member. According to the others in front of us, those who can fight and have proven hunter skills get priority. After that, it¡¯s the luck of the draw for those who might become trainees. That was the reason for the line.


    When we finally got to the building, a brutish-looking woman in leather armor stood by a smaller man who appeared to be a scholar. He held a scroll, on which he penciled in the names of those wishing to join the guild. He asked several questions, just our names and skills, which I had Ruby answer. She already had my thoughts about what to tell them. I got a glance from the large woman when she overheard Ruby say my name.


    ¡°Is the lady thy servant?¡± the scholarly-looking man asked.


    ¡°Nay, the lady¡¯s mine own partner,¡± I replied in my best attempt at this strange language.


    The man hesitated, then lightly shrugged and wrote something down before they pointed to the next one in line. As we walked away, they told us to return in a week to see if they had picked our names.


    ¡°Well, on to a magic shop,¡± I tried to keep my hopes up with a smile to Ruby.


    As we went into another section of Morum, the streets became cleaner, and the merchant shops were classier. Passing one shop, we noticed something through the windows which looked like magical items. To my surprise, everything looked focused on children¡¯s toys and gadgets. A type of airplane whizzed around the room, swooping down at a row of toy soldiers that shot at the plane with their rifles using blasts of air. I could feel the small blasts of air from a couple of feet away.


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    Damn, kids would love this stuff!


    The lady behind the counter frowned at us before putting on a fake smile. I let Ruby take the lead, asking about a place to find more information about the magic appraisal. She told the woman I carried an item from my lands which might have value.


    After a sigh, she replied.


    ¡°Obviously, we art not the right lodging. Thee can tryeth speaking with the wizard Mardoh down the street. I warneth thee he is difficult.¡±


    ¡°Great! Another wizard,¡± I thought.


    Nodding, Ruby thanked her and turned to leave. That¡¯s when I noticed a wood blowgun on the table by the toy soldiers having their magical war. It looked like a child¡¯s toy but was hand carved and varnished. Since I had one as a kid, I picked it up and looked it over. The memories came back, including the pain of a dart striking your flesh at close range.


    ¡°How much for this?¡± I asked.


    Since it was only one copper coin, I bought it. Ruby glared at me, but I smirked and put it in my pocket.


    ¡°Now, I just need a translator spell so I can quit talking like a Shakespeare character.¡±


    The woman who took my money looked at me oddly, then told me about a child¡¯s spell as she pointed to a dusty shelf. It only cost two pfendings and I immediately grabbed it.


    The glare from Ruby became too intense for me to ignore as we left the shop with a scroll in hand.


    ¡°Yeah, I realize it¡¯s the price of a meal. But we¡¯ve already run into people we can¡¯t understand,¡± I quickly explained when I opened the scroll.


    A flash of light struck me and I felt a way of indistinct voices filling my head. The growing headache made me stop as Ruby took my arm.


    ¡°Covan, are you alright?¡± She asked.


    I stared at her as my headache immediately retreated.


    ¡°Say that again,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I asked if you are feeling well,¡± her expression betrayed her growing concern.


    I felt the smile on my face at her words.


    ¡°This is great! No more Shakespeare!¡± I announced, then diverted back to our plan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find this Mardoh guy!¡±


    With an annoyed look, Ruby slowly nodded, and we headed along the street. A carriage passed us with armed guards on horseback escorting it. We didn¡¯t pay any attention to them as we continued along the street. After we reached the building showing a sign with a magical symbol, we tried to enter but an invisible wall kept away. I tried to push my arm through to pull the rope hanging with a bell attached, but the barrier was too strong.


    As I grew frustrated, I didn¡¯t notice the men approaching. Only when Ruby said something, I turned around to see several men in uniforms with swords attached to their leather belts. A punch came from out of nowhere, and I fell back against the invisible barrier. Two men grabbed my arms while the bastard who punched me did it again. Ruby yelled for help, but someone held her.


    ¡°Our lord Gilbert now employs this wench as his servant,¡± the man holding Ruby announced.


    ¡°Like hell!¡±


    One of my arms broke free from a guard¡¯s grasp and I slammed my fist into the guy who hit me. I paid for it with a shot from another guard into my ribs. Dropping like a wet noodle, I heard Ruby scream. She escaped from the man holding her. When she wrapped her arms around me, I felt her slide the dagger into my hand. As I struggled to breathe, the men pulled Ruby away, for which I received another punch in the belly.


    ¡°When this wench carries the lord¡¯s bastard child, she¡¯ll return.¡± The noble¡¯s guard smirked when he threw a few pfendings on the ground at my feet.


    When I tried to get to my feet, one of them kicked me in the back. I collapsed, and they marched away with Ruby between them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you bastards!¡± My growling threat came out as a wheeze since I couldn¡¯t take a breath.


    Stumbling to my feet, my feet couldn¡¯t walk a straight line. I saw Ruby¡¯s desperate expression as she¡¯s dragged to the carriage. One thug smiled at the chance to hit me again.


    ¡°No, Covan. Leave me!¡± she yelled out.


    Of course, my wild swing just glanced off the guard¡¯s leather breast plate. The guard¡¯s counter punch sent me down. Stars cascaded across my brain as I took another couple of punches to my face. Finally, the guard kicked me as I lay there. The sound of the carriage leaving, along with the mocking laughter of the other men, washed over me. The guards got back on their horses and rode away.


    It took me a while to get my senses back. A small crowd gathered around me, no doubt gawking at my bloody face as I rolled around on the ground in pain. Finally sitting up, I did a quick review of injuries. I¡¯m guessing I had a probable broken nose which still bled. But there were no other broken bones. Squinting my eyes because of the headache, I guessed some type of head trauma or a concussion. Still, I got to my feet before I stumbled over to a building. As I leaned against the building to keep me on my feet, I noticed a young girl as she pushed through the muttering crowd. She held out the coins the guards threw at my feet. A woman wearing a brown merchant¡¯s cape behind her spoke to me.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry for your loss. The lord takes pretty commoners to his estate.¡±


    Nodding, I spit out the blood gathered in my mouth. The action made me realize how much my busted lip hurt. I took the money with a shaky hand. Then, I handed one coin back to the girl. Her eyes widened in fear. No doubt, she felt the rage in me despite my battered appearance.


    ¡°Just tell me where he lives!¡±

 Chapter 8 - Going into the Lion鈥檚 Den

    The capital of Morum continued its daily routine while a king and queen remained safely guarded inside their castle. They remained content while their nobles went about their days with impunity over the commoners. Petty people acting as tyrants over the rabble, who kept the city vibrant and alive. Those who did most of the living and dying had to deal with these oppressors daily. Powerful people ruling the weak because of a name or status meant everything. Anything else was a hoax designed to smooth over the masses. While I knew this from the history of my world, the lesson became engrained in my heart when I experienced it firsthand in this realm.


    Some might think that getting older leads a person to become softer, gentler, and more understanding. That¡¯s not the truth. People don¡¯t forget revenge and payback just because they¡¯re older. Certainly, I could walk away from Ruby¡¯s kidnapping. The realist in me thought that way for a moment. I¡¯m only one person upset with a noble who has guards protecting him. However, the bastard stole a friend and planned on raping her. The honest side of me wanted to see Gilbert and his cronies die painfully and slowly. God fearin¡¯ was never in my nature.


    So much for being a kind grandfather.


    While I waited for the night to fall, I sat on a rooftop across the road from Gilbert the Bastard¡¯s mansion. Many thoughts from the day ran through my mind. Angst about Ruby¡¯s situation and my limited ability rose to the top of the list.


    After I recovered enough, I walked the streets to discover more about Gilbert, specifically his strengths and weaknesses. The good news was I could understand people now with the conversation spell I carried in my money pouch. He¡¯s from a high-ranking noble house and carries the taste for pretty woman who are powerless. A true bastard of the family who already fathered plenty of children, only to throw them back out on the street. He deserved death long before I arrived. Unfortunately, his estate had plenty of guards and servants for me to worry about. I was going into the lion¡¯s den.


    Obviously, I¡¯m not a superhero. Even if I¡¯m like those manga characters my son used to read about, there¡¯s no system to upgrade me. Plus, I¡¯m not an overpowered ex-military who can hold a .30 Cal in one arm and wipe out a platoon by myself. That only happens in the movies and there are no machine guns in this world. At least not yet. So, without an army or a king on my side, I can only do something as a single individual. There are not a lot of options when you stop to think about it.


    But I am an old soul, according to Myrddin Wyllt. He¡¯s correct. I¡¯ve seen many things. Worse for Gilbert, I know how to improvise to get by. But the first thing I realized after my beating today is I must throw away the morals I grew up with. My habits come from a land where the law generally protected the innocent, and the police typically fought on the side of the weak. Throwing out such engrained morals is easier said than done, but I went into a rage when I thought about Ruby¡¯s treatment, along with other people like her. My beliefs from another world made me similar to the weakest commoner, a peasant condemned to bow to lesser people. To protect good people like Ruby, something must change. And that change started with me.


    Coldly analyzing the situation as I carefully surveyed the estate while walking around the large manor house. I came up with an idea that certainly threw any past concepts of good and evil out the window. You can¡¯t be a knight in shining armor unless there is some supernatural force helping you. Well, I don¡¯t have anyone to help me, so I need to get dirty, like the villain. My options became clear when I decided to take the only path available. Sure, the strong risk of capture and death remained for me. But the anger and humiliation of letting Gilbert harm Ruby burned inside of me. I would be nothing more than a servile peasant if I walked away! Either I forget about Ruby, or I take the route which came to me. Naturally, the plan came from fairy tales.


    One of the many things about nobles in the stories was constant references to poisons. The reason for that is simple. Such methods worked. No doubt, the fear factor from the possibility runs strong in the nobility. Some tales I recalled from the Grimm brothers have huntsmen asked by their rulers to become an assassin for them. Loyalty to a king or queen required those people to murder someone. Well, my plan combined both options. The strange part for me was my lack of concern about dying. In fact, I felt eager for my revenge.


    While watching the estate, I became familiar with all the entrances and windows at Gilbert¡¯s home. One of the first things I noticed was the broad expanse of garden, which held plenty of shadowed areas. It gave me an idea for moving through the estate come nightfall. Realizing I couldn¡¯t hang out in the area for too long, I went back to the commoner side of town.


    After finding a blacksmith, I used some of the blood money the guards threw at me. My first step was to have a blacksmith forge me half a dozen tiny arrow shapes. My claim to the puzzled smithy was the need for tips to attach to fishing spears. He gave me a price, which I immediately accepted if he finished while I waited. The large man frowned before he started making the arrows. While I waited, we talked about his family and children. I guess he found my presence tolerable since he let me sharpen the arrows on his sharpening stone.


    With a thankful wave, I left and headed to the nearest alley to assemble the rest of my weapon. Using the small strands of twine from my rope, I attached feathers on the back of the arrows. The same desolate alley gave me a place to test my new weapon when I pulled out my wood blowgun that I purchased on a whim.


    It took a while to get the hang of how to use a blowgun again. But I had time, and my frustration lifted as I got better with practice. By the time I left my hiding spot, I could accurately strike a target about fifteen feet away. As a last test of my skill, I even shot a rat in the side when it came around me. The creature ran off squealing in pain with one of my arrows embedded in the side. Despite my anger about losing the arrow tip, I felt confident enough for my next step.


    To test my theory about the lethal nature of my child¡¯s toy, I hurriedly crafted a liquid paste from the three types of poisonous berries I still carried in my pouch. After smearing the blue-black concoction on an arrow tip, I waited in the alley for a while. Finally, another rat came waddling by as it headed to the market down the street. Carefully, I aimed, and my shot nailed the rat in the rump. The creature made it about five feet before falling over and quivering. When I got to it, it was already dead.


    Perfect!


    To finish out the day, I carefully went back to the noble area. Blending in behind the servants as they walked, I tried to avoid talking to people. Even with my hood over my head, I noticed people looking at my bruised face. To avoid more suspicion, I simply turned down an alley where I waited for a while, only to reappear behind another couple of servants. Finally, I found an isolated spot between buildings near the estate.


    After climbing up to the rooftop, I hurried across the buildings while keeping out of sight from the street. Finally, I took up a perch directly across from Gilbert¡¯s estate. That¡¯s when my wait became especially difficult. I guessed Rudy already suffered from the bastard who kidnapped her. However, I knew I¡¯d just get myself caught and killed if I tried entering during the day. Still, time seemed to go even slower as I waited. The mounting frustration only lifted when I focused on the guards who walked around the mansion. They acted just like the guards around the city walls, predictable in their patterns.


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    While I waited, I memorized each window and door I saw on the outside of Gilbert¡¯s home. Counting the number of steps a servant took from each door to the main gate, or their way to the back, gave me information on the number of paces I needed to take. During that time, I memorized the routes between buildings across the road which I intended to use.


    As night finally fell over the city, I slid down from the roof. The street lanterns slowly came on as an old man with a lantern torch worked his way down the street. The nobles occasionally wandered by in their carriages, but I could hear them long before they came into sight. Mimicking the careful, upright walk of a servant, I moved across the street to a nearby alley. After taking twenty-nine steps through the darkness, I turned into a narrow passage between two houses. When I came out of the shadows, I stood in an open area next to the fence that ran around the Gilbert estate.


    While I waited there, I made sure my hood was over my head. Earlier, I cut some of my cape into a length of cloth. I wrapped the strip around my face to make it difficult to identify myself. As I waited, my nose picked up the smell of cooked food coming from the building behind me. The smaller structure was a kitchen for the main house next to the road. Inside the main house, I listened to the conversation through the open windows above me. Since the voices told me nothing of interest, I focused on the estate while remaining unmoving in the corner¡¯s shadow.


    Gilbert¡¯s two-story building was a type of timber and frame construction I remembered seeing in old towns in Europe. The upper floor hung out over a foot or so from the lower story and it had a long-thatched roof with a steep pitch. A narrow balcony was on both sides next to the massive chimneys. While I never saw the inside of this place, I figured the chimneys were for the main rooms. From a noble¡¯s perspective, servants didn¡¯t need heating.


    Climbing over the fence wasn¡¯t difficult since it was mostly decorative. My cover under the shadows of the trees and tall bushes of the garden allowed me to follow a path to the back of the manor. Stopping at each unknown sound, I scanned the area. Occasionally, I noticed shadowed movements coming from inside the windows of the house. As I reached an open area, I crouched down behind the well-manicured bushes. While I was observing the area, I saw servants working at a dining table on the first floor. The sound of approaching footsteps sent a chill down my spine. I quickly spotted the guard following his routine as he strolled down the path. As he passed me, I could see his face lit up from the pale flickers coming through the nearby window.


    It was the goon who threw the coins at my feet!


    Instantly, my hand guided the blowgun to my lips as the guard continued his walk. Calmly, I blew a puff of air through the wooden tube. The guard reacted, slapping at the back of his neck. After he looked at his hand, he took another couple of steps, then stopped. As he shook his head, I thought he might call out. Instead, the guard turned back my way before he stumbled. Immediately, the goon¡¯s face paled, and he fell face first into a row of flowering plants.


    While I waited for him to cry out, my mind went blank for a moment. Shock filled me at the rapid reaction to the poison. The thought of killing someone threatened my heart¡¯s explosion. Taking several deep breaths, I calmed myself while I kept glancing around.


    Before long, I hurried over to the guard. I wasn¡¯t completely sure if he was dead, since his arms and legs trembled. Fortunately, I couldn¡¯t see his face under the dim light coming from the nearby window. I carefully pulled out another arrow from the makeshift holder. I stuck it in his arm. Soon, his convulsions stopped. Finally, I dragged his body deeper into the bushes until he was out of sight. With trembling hands, I loaded another poison arrow into my blowgun while praying I didn¡¯t accidentally stab myself. Then I slid it into a pocket I made in my cape that afternoon.


    Stepping closer to the manor but remaining out of sight from the window, I brought out my trusty grappling hook, which I rebuilt. Whipping the hook around several times, I launched it up and over the balcony railing on the second floor. The loud wooden thud above made me drop to my knee.


    Releasing a long breath, I found myself reassured by the dull murmurs of conversation inside the house, which continued unabated. Slowly, I rose and noticed the dinner looked like it was finishing up. I didn¡¯t see much, not even my target from the angle I had. Realizing I needed to move, I climbed the rope as fast as I could. When I nearly got to the top, my body ached, and I realized how weak my arms were since they burned from the exercise. Still, I pushed through and got over the banister.


    Carefully, I walked to the door. Each creaking step threatened my exposure. Breathing a sigh of relief after I found the door unlocked, I slowly opened it. There was a dim candle burning from a silver candlestick on a dresser by the bed. The four-poster bed itself had red velvet-looking open curtains around it and a red cover across the top. Another larger dresser stood on the opposite side of the room. Desperately, I looked around for a place to hide, but I forgot they didn¡¯t have closets back in that era. There was a small antechamber next to the room, which showed two chairs and a tall dresser. Disappointed, I went back to the door to the balcony to wait outside. Then, an unsettling thought occurred.


    What if this isn¡¯t the room?


    On the other side of the manor, Ruby sat inside a small room without windows. Women servants already forced her into a copper bathtub in the afternoon and scrubbed her using a scented laurel oil soap. One woman with a large hook nose and missing her front teeth told her what to expect that night.


    ¡°Beest thankful for the lord doest not last longeth in the sleep chamber,¡± she stated with a smirk. ¡°Still, our lord will wanteth thee everynight for a while. Bareth with it until bred.¡±


    ¡°Still, this is wrong. I¡¯m not his servant,¡± Ruby protested. ¡°I¡¯m a free mistress. Nay, a righteous king wouldst alloweth such things to befall me.¡±


    The two women gave her a blank look.


    ¡°King advisor and gentleman Gilbert gets what he wanteth,¡± the older woman stated flatly. ¡°It keeps that gent hence from other noble family. Doth well, and the gentlemen will pay thee before thee goes back to the street. Heed my warning or perish.¡±


    When they finished, the women took Ruby to the room with no windows and made her put on an elegant linen undergarment about the length of a dress. It fit tightly around her breasts, and they stated Gilbert enjoyed such sights. Afterward, they made her put on two stockings that came up over her knees, held up with a garter.


    ¡°Yond¡¯s all thee needeth tonight,¡± stated the missing teeth woman. She paused, giving Ruby a final warning.


    ¡°Maketh sure a manservant doesn¡¯t help breed thee, for Gilbert shall killeth thee for the slight.¡±


    They left Ruby to her bitter thoughts. As she sat on the narrow, hard bed, the woman thought about her time as a prostitute. She lost her virginity months ago, so she knew what to expect. Her grandmother taught her the ways of men and their lust, and she experienced it daily before being sold.


    Still, a yearning for freedom welled inside of her. The few days with Covan brought the idea to a head. She saw his caring attitude, even while trying to hide his strange ways. Ruby recognized he hated injustice. She wanted a world where he could flourish, where she could walk with Covan as one of his servants, even a concubine. The woman knew better than to believe she could equal him, for that was an impossibility. He would marry a noblewoman one day. During their trip, Ruby dreamed she could guide him to a good match and help him build a truly noble house.


    ¡®Tis an impossible dream!


    Ruby sniffed as she lay there. Emotions she believed long buried surfaced when she thought of Covan. She felt terrible at the beating he took trying to stop her capture. While the scene broke her heart, the woman felt an underlying warmth at the impossible gesture. The fact that Covan tried to help her still meant more than she could tell him. However, even a noble from another kingdom held no authority over houses under this land¡¯s king. Her only hope was for him to remember her with the dagger she slipped to him that morning. Hopefully, he can escape the city. As her life turned bleak again, Ruby wished for the best for her savior. Then she sighed.


    I guess I can¡¯t expect such a valorous fortune in this world!

 Chapter 9 Death of a Noble

    Footsteps coming up the stairs told me I had no time to worry about my questions while I waited on the balcony. I pulled out my dagger and crouched down with my ear next to the door. The voices I heard appeared to be servants. Another door opened and the light coming through the cracks of the door frame next to me grew brighter.


    ¡°Our master has another common wench tonight. It¡¯s a shame we¡¯ll need to teach her how to be a proper servant,¡± a male voice said.


    ¡°Well, only until the lord grows tired of her. I swear, how many ladies the master need?¡± A female servant sighed. ¡°He should find a good noblewoman and rid himself of such lowly women.¡±


    The man chuckled.


    ¡°Yes, on that we can agree.¡±


    My anger grew as I listened to them. Finally, they left the room and before long, I heard more footsteps, this time heavier. A voice bellowed out.


    ¡°Damn king keeping me away. I¡¯ve waited all day for my bite into that tasty wench I saw this morning. Bring me the woman along with more wine. Your lord shall enjoy another virgin this night.¡±


    At this point, it took every ounce of control to keep me from rushing into the room. But my rational mind kept reminding me to get Ruby out of the manor quietly. Once the servants left her alone with the bastard, I intended to make my presence known.


    Damn right, this son of a bitch will remember me!


    After a while, the footsteps slowly grew stronger. A door opened, and I listened expectantly. I could make out the man talking to his servant before sending him away.


    ¡°Come, fair maiden, show me what I¡¯ve paid for,¡± the male voice said.


    The whispering I couldn¡¯t make out. I wasn¡¯t even sure it was Ruby¡¯s voice. Then, I heard a slap and the tearing of clothing.


    ¡°Bitch, let me see what I¡¯ll despoil tonight!¡±


    After a moment, I heard his voice again. My hand squeezed the latch while I recognized I had only one shot. If it¡¯s not Ruby in there and I kill him, I probably won¡¯t get another chance. Still, I pulled out my blowgun and ensured it was ready.


    ¡°That¡¯s better. You¡¯re a true red hair!¡± the man chuckled.


    You¡¯re a dead man!


    Immediately, I squeezed through the door and saw the fat bastard with his pants partially dropped. Rage filled me while I forced myself to keep from charging. I see the bastard forcibly kissing her while groping her breast. A couple of paces away, I brought the dagger out of my cape with my other hand. When I thought about the poison covering the blade, I almost let out a triumphant chuckle.


    Then I sent an arrow into his exposed, hairy butt. He flinched, slapping his hand behind him.


    ¡°Ah, damn bugs!¡± The bastard yelped.


    When I moved forward, I glimpsed Ruby staring at the ceiling. She refused to acknowledge the worthless creep on top of her.


    Gilbert shook his head suddenly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Unfortunately, the floorboard creaked under my foot. Gilbert glanced back, and I saw his eyes grow wide. There was no hesitation when I drove the dagger into his back. His gargled yell muffled immediately when I forced my hand over his mouth. He bit down, crushing my finger into the blowgun I held. I grunted in pain while I stabbed him again with the dagger. The man frantically elbowed me with his arm while he tried to roll away.


    While the two men wrestled, Rudy fell to the floor. She looked back in confusion, unsure about Gilbert¡¯s attacker. The assassin¡¯s face remained hidden from a scarf. Then, Ruby saw the man¡¯s hood pushed away amid the fight. Her eyes widened with recognition. A sudden surge of hope combined with fear filled her.


    Covan!


    Gilbert¡¯s teeth cut into my fingers, which nearly drove a scream out of me. Desperately, I forced the fingers of my other hand between his jaws and pulled back on his lower jaw. He tried to yell out, only getting out a strange, gasping animal grunt which grew louder as we struggled. Suddenly, Ruby grabbed the edge of the bedsheet. She landed by my side and stuffed the cloth over the shocked nobleman¡¯s mouth and face. The nobleman¡¯s strength quickly weakened while I painfully extracted out my fingers from his jaws. With a determined expression, Ruby kept the pressure on the cloth over his face. I pulled back the bedsheet covering Gilbert¡¯s unfocused eyes. I pulled out one more arrow point while I lowered the scarf covering my face. Then, I slapped him. The noble¡¯s eyes widened when he recognized my battered-up face.


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    ¡°Payback is a motherfucker, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I pushed the tip of poison into Gilbert¡¯s neck to ensure his death. As the noble convulsed, his head shook in disbelief. Finally, white foam emerged next to the cloth jammed in his mouth and his stare into the abyss told us he was dead.


    Lifting his heavy body by his coat, I struggled to pull Gilbert fully onto the bed. The fat bastard required Ruby¡¯s help. She stared at me while I noticed her torn clothing. There were scratches on her exposed breast, which made me want to kill Gilbert again.


    ¡°Find anything you can use as clothes in those drawers!¡± My ragged whisper sent Ruby toward the nearby chest.


    Glancing over the body, I realized my stabs didn¡¯t go deep into the man¡¯s back. It reminded me of how weak I was. But a grin came to my face when I noticed his money bag still attached to his belt. My hurt fingers made me gasp in pain when I used the dagger to cut off the bag. After I pocketed the coins in my cape, I covered Gilbert¡¯s body with the bedcovering. Arranging another lump in the bed using a pillow, my work was complete. A quick peek inside the door should fool the servants into believing he was sleeping with Ruby in the bed. It should give us a chance to escape from the city.


    Going over to Ruby, I could tell she wanted to say something. However, I shook my head and whispered for her to dress. The linen dressing ground was too large, but it would have to do. She pulled a brown woolen cape from the dresser. It carried the noble¡¯s seal. After I turned it inside out, I glanced over while she dressed. Ruby¡¯s body still trembled from her treatment. My sudden urge to burn the house, along with the servants who allowed her to suffer, came to mind. But my senses came back to me as I put the cape over her. Then I kissed her on the cheek.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this place!¡± I whispered.


    After helping her down from the balcony using the rope to slide down, I removed the improvised grappling hook and dropped it to the ground. Then I went over the banister and let myself fall from the lowest part of the balcony. A couple of my fingers still hurt from the crushing bite, but happily I didn¡¯t do any damage to my body. I quickly gathered up the rope and led Ruby into the garden.


    We exited the estate using the same alley which led us to an empty street. Quickly, we crossed over to the other side. As we followed the road, I felt like eyes were watching us. Ruby sensed it as well. She whispered about her concerns, and we slunk into a dark corner by a building.


    ¡°Something is wrong,¡± I mumbled.


    After a long moment of watching over the darkened street, I didn¡¯t see any movement. However, I heard the marching sound of boots coming down the street toward us.


    Damn!


    Taking Ruby¡¯s hand, I led us into another alley. While we watched and waited for the guards to pass, instead, they came to a stop a few buildings away. Each of them had lanterns and the officer of the watch told them to split up and make their rounds.


    One guard came toward us and we hurriedly went deeper into the alley. Without light, Ruby and I groped along the wall, trying to keep quiet. I ran into a water barrel, but it only caused rats to squeal as they hurried away. The pain in my aching knee almost made me let out a groan. The man with the lantern heard the rat¡¯s movement and slowly came toward us. Fortunately, he stopped occasionally to check the doors before he came closer. His light only lit up a few feet in front of him, so hoped we could find a spot to hide.


    After pushing deeper into the blackness, my heart stopped when we came against a wooden structure in the way. I felt around the area and realized it was a tall fence of some type. But I couldn¡¯t see how far up it went. Worse, the guard continued to come our way.


    ¡°Over here!¡± Ruby whispered.


    She discovered a door to one side that seemed to enter the building next to us. We struggled to find a handle, but it appeared to be latched from the inside. In growing desperation, I pushed one of my sickle blades through the edge of the door and tried to use it as a lever.


    Suddenly, we heard a latch click behind us. In the shadows, a figure dressed in black held a lantern under his cape. The sliver of light coming out showed us a gate in the fence. It stood open. The figure waved us toward the gate. Sliding out the sickle blade, I sighed.


    ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have an option.¡±


    We carefully stepped toward the figure as it backed into the darkness behind the open gate. A quick glance down the other end of the alley showed the guard steadily getting closer. With a sigh, I went through the gate with Ruby following. A voice whispered for us to close the gate. After Ruby did, we heard the click of a latch locking.


    ¡°Follow me!¡± the male voice ordered.


    As we followed, we could barely make out the path. The light from under the person¡¯s cape in front of us only showed the moss-covered stones and our guide¡¯s pair of boots occasionally. We came to a building with an open entranceway and followed a flight of stairs down. We continued on for a while until we came out into a dark, open space. A moment later, I found us walking between rows of headstones. After going into the cemetery further, we came to a small type of stone building.


    Inside, we found several benches near a type of altar. Our guide told us to wait and left through a dark passage by the altar. The temperature of the room felt cooler, and the blackness played with my mind as I heard noises all around us. Sliding out the dagger, I kept it hidden under my cloak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this place,¡± Ruby breathed with a shiver.


    A smile came to my face at her words. No longer did she sound like a Shakespear actress. But I agreed with her caution. A light suddenly flared behind us. I turned in time to see a long rapier blade pointed at my throat. At the other end of the sword, a handsome young man stared at me with cold blue eyes. A pretty woman with an old-fashioned handgun pointed at us stood next to him. Her eyes glittered with amusement while she held up a lantern.


    ¡°You stole our contract!¡±

 Chapter 10 - Meeting Hansel and Gretel

    ¡°How in the hell did you sneak up on us like that?¡±


    The words came out from my shock at the couple¡¯s silent ability to get behind us. The man¡¯s expression turned puzzled as Ruby grabbed my arm and pulled me back.


    ¡°Listen, we don¡¯t want to fight,¡± I said. ¡°So just relax the weapons. I just got Ruby away from that bastard Gilbert. I appreciate you helping us get away from the guard.¡±


    ¡°Did you really kill Lord Gilbert?¡± the pretty girl asked as she kept her match lock pistol pointed at me.


    My attention focused on the ancient gun since it was so slow to fire, I could probably move out of the way. However, the rapier blade point at my throat made me snap out of my thoughts. I frowned, since I¡¯m not sure if the wrong answer gets me killed or not. Instead, I tried to fudge it.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± I lied. ¡°We got out of there as fast as possible. I got him in the back with my dagger.¡±


    The man glanced over at the woman with the gun.


    ¡°He¡¯s lying. I watched him grinding down poison berries this afternoon. It¡¯s a fresh poison he uses with small arrows which he shoots from a blowgun. It¡¯s a clever weapon we¡¯ve not seen. He also killed a guard who patrolled the grounds.¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression changed at the news. I pulled my dagger since I figured we¡¯d have a fight, which I wouldn¡¯t win. My hope was Ruby could escape.


    The woman holding the gun nodded at the dagger I held in my injured hand as she questioned the man with the rapier.


    ¡°It looks like we have a hidden noble with the looks of that dagger. Hansel, can we use him?¡±


    The man¡¯s face scrunched up at the idea. I glanced at Ruby, who¡¯s watching the conversation with wide eyes. I expect my expression showed the same look since the name sounded familiar.


    Yoo, I¡¯m here listening to you!


    ¡°What about the contract?¡± the swordman asked with a growl. ¡°We¡¯re out of gold if Gilbert died by their hand. We should remove them since they work for someone else.¡±


    ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t work for anyone, so how about a deal?¡± I interrupted. ¡°We don¡¯t know about this contract you¡¯re talking about. Hell, you want credit, you got it. Since Gilbert is dead, we have to leave since people might come looking for us. You can leave us out of your problems.¡±


    They looked at me like I suddenly grew a horn through my forehead. Finally, the blond woman¡¯s expression broke into a smirk.


    ¡°So simple and dishonorable,¡± she giggled. ¡°Eva will want us to make use of a noble with such wickedness! You say your life is in jeopardy, then explain.¡±


    Nodding, I described my encounter with Gilbert¡¯s men early that day. The two strangers glanced at each other as I recounted my story.


    ¡°You got angry and came up with a way to assassinate a lord in a day,¡± the girl mused. ¡°Tell me about the sickles you have wrapped around your shoulders.¡±


    After I explained the modification to the two sickles, she immediately understood.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen grappling hooks used for ships, but the noise of hitting the stone or wood would give one¡¯s position away.¡±


    ¡°I wrapped cloth around it so it doesn¡¯t make a not a lot of noise. Besides, the guards are lazy around here. They are looking for a place to sleep at night.¡±


    The woman agreed with a laugh as she turned to the young man with the sword.


    ¡°He could be useful. What say you, brother?¡±


    The young man gave out a loud sigh while he drew back his sword. His easy movements convinced me of his highly trained skill with such a weapon. I certainly wouldn¡¯t last long in a fight with him.


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    ¡°Gretel, you know I hate nobles. He¡¯s too smooth with lies, if you ask me.¡± He paused, then gave me another glance. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go along. But I swear you¡¯re going to be the death of me with your mercenary heart!¡±


    The woman patted him on the shoulder while she gave me an uncanny grin. As I watched her, I felt something off with her personality. She carried a kind of innocent cuteness. However, those icy irises of hers told me she¡¯d kill in a heartbeat, probably with a grin on her face. The woman¡¯s attention turned to Ruby.


    ¡°This is strange. A gentleman saving a common wench. Do you follow him, red hair?¡±


    ¡°To the end of this world and into the next,¡± Ruby firmly stated.


    ¡°Well, learn to fight, so a man does not need to rescue you.¡± Gretel¡¯s voice said evenly. ¡°Join our guild and you can learn such things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do so if Covan does,¡± Ruby quickly agreed.


    Of course, her loyalty made me feel good, but I remained quiet. My silence came from trying to handle the fact I met two more fairy tale characters.


    Freaking Hansel and Gretel stand in front of me!


    In my world, the story told of a witch who kidnapped Hansel and Gretel. Gretel saved them by pushing the witch into an oven. Another morbid story for the children that twisted into something else in this world.


    ¡°Fine, then what about you? Where are you from?¡± Gretel¡¯s questions brought me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m from America and hiding from our king.¡±


    The woman paused at my words.


    ¡°It¡¯s a kingdom far beyond the seas, as you can tell from my words,¡± I continued my lie. ¡°The ship grounded, and I barely survived.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll come with us,¡± Gretel finally announced.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked while remaining cautious.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. But if you swear we took care of the contract on Gilbert, my brother and I will ensure you can become part of our guild and receive protection,¡± she explained. ¡°You already knew the king will seek to hunt down the person who killed the bastard noble. Tis a favor for a favor.¡±


    ¡°As long as Ruby is part of this, I guess that¡¯ll work.¡±


    I started to give the dagger to Ruby, then remembered she had no belt and barely anything under the robe she wore.


    ¡°She needs clothing as well,¡± I said. ¡°Can you help with that? I think I can pay a few coins.¡±


    I¡¯m playing dumb about the money in my cape. No reason to give them knowledge that I robbed Gilbert. Hansel was staring at Ruby, and I frowned at his obvious gaze. He noticed, then looked away.


    ¡°Both of you will need clothing,¡± he said. ¡°The guild master will have some ideas. Come on!¡±


    Ruby and I followed the brother and sister. Hansel stood a few inches taller than me, and he had a wiry frame and a squared off face. His long blond hair dropped over his shoulder after he pushed back his hood. He shared similar facial features with his sister, enough for me to think they were twins, despite the difference in height.


    Both moved with grace and ease amid the dark shadows along the twisting route through alleys. Gretel only pulled out the lantern she held occasionally to light our way. By the time we reached a two-story building in the middle of a quiet street, I found myself lost. A series of specific knocks allowed us entry into the building where an elderly lady with a white headscarf stood underneath the stairs.


    As we walked into the hallway of what appeared to be a family townhome, the women pushed open a panel beneath a stair and stood back. Ruby and I followed Gretel through the entrance and followed the stairs down to a cellar. Hansel locked the panel behind us, and his sister pulled open back a door partially buried under the dirt floor. Another staircase, this time built of stone, brought us to a long passage that remained partially filled with water. Lights of some type of crystal lit the way.


    ¡°This is one route to the entrance of our guild,¡± Gretel said as we walked along with the rats that moved out of our way. ¡°You cannot enter the guild building directly.¡±


    ¡°Then you have multiple passageways under the city from various points to reach your guild? That¡¯s a lot of work. I guess it keeps the wrong people from finding your guild. That means your guild has a lot of money, which means power.¡±


    My observation caused Gretel to glance back at me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound surprised by what I¡¯ve told you,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Well, you mentioned contract,¡± I shrugged. ¡°A noble¡¯s killing can¡¯t be cheap, so someone must put up a gold. In my experience, gold equals power. The fact we¡¯re taking such a long winding road means it¡¯s difficult for new people to trace back to your secret guild.¡±


    Then I grinned at her.


    ¡°Plus, you never gave us a name to this guild.¡±


    Certainly, I thought that was strange since I never heard of such a guild without a public face in those mangas my kids read. It led me to believe what was coming would be dangerous. My glance at Ruby showed me the concern and the excitement in her eyes as she held on to my sleeve. We finally came to another cellar and took the stairs up to another building. As we entered the huge open area, we saw tables nestled around the massive fireplace in the center of the room. Sitting at a few tables were people, mostly dressed in black, who drank from mugs or were playing cards. On one side of the room, we found a few rows of cots with people sleeping. Gretel turned to me with a Cheshire grin on her face.


    ¡°Those who make it this far can finally discover the guild called The Six Servants,¡± she said. ¡°Now, you¡¯ll need to pass the test to stay here.¡±


    As I looked around, uneasiness enveloped me from the expressions on the brother¡¯s and sister¡¯s faces.


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t pass the test?¡± I was pretty sure I knew the answer, but I asked anyway.


    ¡°Nobody will discover your bodies!¡±

 Chapter 11 - Going Through Hell

    The atmosphere in the assassin¡¯s guild reminded me a bit of a fraternity as I watched the few people in the main hall and their interactions. Well, it was a fraternity with a sinister ¡®you¡¯ll die, and no one will even know where the body went¡¯ problem. I guess secrecy is one thing they won¡¯t let up on within this guild. The thought certainly didn¡¯t calm my fears.


    During our brief journey to this place, my mind kept wondering if we made the right decision. Killing people for money went against much of my beliefs. Yes, I killed Gilbert, who deserved even worse than death. Still, I considered myself a decent person. Aside from any beliefs in karma or a spiritual afterlife, I never thought of myself as a psychopath. After all, I care about people. I don¡¯t want to see innocent people harmed.


    But I also noticed my hypocrisy. I just proved I had no problems with removing a life who I felt deserved such punishment. Plus, I felt bad since I gave Ruby no opportunity to remove herself from this decision.


    We waited to meet with the guild master who would put us through our paces from what Gretel told us. As I quietly spoke with Ruby, we came to the same conclusion. We needed strength and protection while getting stronger. She made it clear others would no longer use her. Gretel listened in on the conversation and promised to teach Ruby how to become a fierce assassin who could put the fear in nobles. I knew there was a backstory around the passion that Gretel brought to her conviction, but I left it alone. There were enough things on my plate.


    ¡°If these are our new recruits, I¡¯m not impressed,¡± a female voice coldly stated behind us.


    We turned to see a tall, lean woman stepping close with Hansel in tow. At first glance, I thought she was a banshee with her ghostly white skin, tight black dress, black hair, black lips, and almost raven black eyes. When I got a better view, I decided she truly looked like Morticia Addams from the 60s television show. What a perfect guild master to a bunch of assassins, I thought as I joined Ruby after we got to our feet.


    ¡°Eva Sauvet is the name!¡± she said, while resting her fists on her hips.


    ¡°Your face is a mess. I hear you know something about poison, and you¡¯ve killed before,¡± the woman directed her attention to me. ¡°A misplaced noble won¡¯t last long here if you can¡¯t take orders. Let¡¯s see if you have the strength to learn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve escaped a debt contract, Blanchette,¡± she turned her notice to Ruby, who gasped aloud.


    How in the hell did she know about that?


    As if answering my thought, Eva continued.


    ¡°Yes, we keep up on events with other guilds. However, keep in mind, we¡¯ll never interfere with a guild should they discover you and take you back to your whore life. I think you¡¯re too soft to be here, so prove me wrong.¡±


    While I contemplated the full extent of Eva¡¯s knowledge concerning Ruby¡¯s past, I noticed a grin come to the guild master¡¯s black covered lips.


    ¡°Now, only a few can pass my test. If you have reservations, it¡¯s already too late. You¡¯ve given your soul to me by coming to my place. Should you survive, we have ways to keep identities secret along with giving you a new background. And, as a guild member, you¡¯ll always have our protection. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Ruby and I followed her. Hansel and Gretel stayed behind while two people dressed in all black followed us. One definitely had a female form since her breasts caught my attention. The other person was taller, but thin. They wore short black robes, tied off at the waist with a black belt which held up their black leather long pants. Each had a bandoleer over their shoulder and running down their chest to the belt around their waist. Black masks covered their hair and face except for the eyes. My first instinct was to believe they were strange cousins to ninjas by their looks. They looked unarmed, but I wasn¡¯t betting my life on it.


    I sighed, realizing there was no way out of this one. We needed to make it through whatever the hell was waiting for us. I whispered to Ruby to remain strong and never hesitate to fight. The determined look on her face came with a nod, made me feel slightly better.


    At the end of a hallway, we turned into an area I thought might be a dungeon. With straw covering the ground and embedded chains hooked to manacles embedded into the wall, the place looked creepy enough. Along the other wall were a series of targets, including standing dummies. The end of the room had a curtain covering the wall, which is the place where Eva led us. When she reached the curtain, she nodded to one of the black covered assistants. The assistant came before us and brought out two daggers with their long, narrow blades covered by a leather sheath.


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    ¡°Take them,¡± the guild master ordered.


    After we got our weapons, Eva pulled back the curtain. I gulped at what we saw. Immediately, I looked over at the assassin leader, who had a bemused grin on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she saw my expression. ¡°You will kill two of them. Take your pick.¡±


    Nausea filled the back of my throat. I decided I was now in hell. Morality meant nothing to me after seeing what stood in front of us. With the manacles clamped around their ankles and wrists, four people stared at us with gags stuffed in their mouths. However, my eyes couldn¡¯t get past the first one I noticed. A sickly pale-faced girl, maybe ten years old, with fear in her eyes and dressed in rags. Next to her was a robust looking male about my age with long dark hair and scarring on his chest. His expression appeared defiant. The woman next to him was slightly overweight, with fair hair and pretty, teary eyes. Her torn clothing appeared of noble quality. The last person in the line was an old man in a black robe. A toothless resigned grimace came to his lips when he looked at me.


    When I glanced over at Ruby, my stomach turned to knots when I saw her ghastly expression. I believed I understood Ruby¡¯s kind character. It¡¯s one thing to survive in a brothel. It¡¯s another to just kill a defenseless person who can¡¯t even strike back. She seemed overwhelmed by what the devil in the black dress required of us. In hindsight, we should have hesitated, asked more questions before just following them into this place.


    Nobody will discover your bodies!


    ¡°Ruby, let me make me pick them. It¡¯ll be easier for you,¡± I whispered.


    The guild master cackled when she overheard my statement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind,¡± she announced coldly. ¡°I order Blanchette to kill the noblewoman and the old man. A hero like you gets the young ones.¡±


    In growing anger at the heartless order, I pulled the dagger from the sheath while I gazed at Eva.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly my plan,¡± I growled.


    For a moment, I considered the suicidal idea of going after Eva. Two of her assistants in the room meant I probably wouldn¡¯t even get to the guild master. Steeling myself with the knowledge I had no choice, I stepped over to the little girl, who started sobbing. My hands shivered as my mind kept going back to the grandchild I remember.


    No choice! Fucking no choice! Damn me to hell!


    The words kept going through my head, and I brought my hand over the child¡¯s eyes. Then, I hesitated before taking a deep breath and begged forgiveness from whatever gods put me in this place. I shoved the blade just under the girl¡¯s rib cage. She let out a long, gurgling breath.


    After that, I remember very little. I felt someone nudge me over until I stood in front of the man, who suddenly laughed in my face. Tears were falling down my cheeks as I grinned at him for making me angry.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as I plunged the dagger into his neck.


    While backing away, I paid no attention to the lack of blood I half-expected to be covering me. Eva closed the curtain part way. Still staring at the closed curtain in front of me, I heard the guild master order Ruby to kill. As I glanced over, I found myself startled at her stony expression. Part of me wanted to reach over and tell her no, but I realized it was a foolish, useless gesture.


    My friend went to the old man first, and I heard her murmur something as she leaned close. She killed him the same way that I took care of the child. When she got to the noblewoman, Ruby hesitated as the woman suddenly reacted like a crazy person. Screaming and spitting, the victim threatened Ruby with a curse, promising she¡¯d come back to haunt her forever. To my surprise, the threat actually caused Ruby to chuckle.


    ¡°Life already cursed me,¡± Ruby replied before pushing the blade into the woman.


    The kill wasn¡¯t clean, so Ruby had to stab her victim another time before silence fell across the room.


    A slow clap came from behind us, and we turned to see Eva standing there with a smug expression.


    ¡°What other crap have you got for us now?¡± I muttered.


    The smile faltered and her gaze turned to ice. However, I was already past caring about her feelings.


    ¡°You hold that venomous tongue, or I¡¯ll cut it out,¡± she snapped. ¡°It was a test. I can¡¯t rely on your assurance, only to have you hesitate when you need to kill. People die harshly every night in some back alley or on a road somewhere. You¡¯re no longer a protected noble.¡±


    Even if she was correct, I wasn¡¯t willing to concede the point. Fortunately for my health, Ruby interrupted.


    ¡°What more do we have to do?¡± she asked.


    Eva looked at her.


    ¡°Much, I¡¯m afraid. Neither of you is capable of anything more than the easiest mission. For now, you¡¯ve joined us, and the guild will train you. Go to the registration desk.¡±


    She turned and walked away, with one of her silent assistants following.


    ¡°You should look back at your victims now!¡± The cheerful smirk in the guild master¡¯s tone made me sick to my stomach.


    Ruby and I heard the curtains pull back, and the assistant called out to us. I glanced at Ruby, and she nodded. We turned back as the other assistant in black came to us. We looked past to see the empty manacles hanging along the wall.


    ¡°Wha¡ªwhere are they?¡± Ruby¡¯s voice went up a notch.


    ¡°Illusion?¡± I asked. I tried to make sense of the mounds of sand and clothing where the bodies once stood.


    ¡°The guild master creates the most realistic golems,¡± the male voice chuckled as he stood next to us.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t see much blood,¡± the words came out automatically as I recalled each horrifying event. ¡°It was a trick!¡±


    ¡°Magic in the right hands can create the illusions of paradise or the underworld. We all went through this test. Only an insane person could kill a prisoner without showing emotion.¡±


    The stranger stood close to Ruby, making her uncomfortable.


    ¡°Just like our little noble boy here, I cried like a baby. But I¡¯m strong now. If you ask nicely, I¡¯ll help you pretty lady.¡±


    He walked away. My numbed mind didn¡¯t pay any attention to his flirtation with Ruby.


    ¡°Still, be proud!¡± his voice came back to me. ¡°You get to keep your daggers since you got past the first test. You¡¯re now part of the Six Servants.¡±

 Chapter 12 - Promise and Plans

    It took a while for Ruby and me to leave the training area. The waves of emotion left me mentally shot. My murder of Gilbert and the psychological torture that Eva put us through made me want to find a corner and shut my eyes. On top of that, my face hurt, and my bruised body wanted to collapse.


    I glanced over at Ruby and assumed she must carry the same exhaustion. After all, she dealt with more than I handled after her kidnapping. The weight of the dagger in my hand finally caught my attention. It carried the emblem of 6 bent legs making up a circle on the pommel. Automatically, I stuffed the sheathed weapon into my belt as we pushed through the doors into an open area.


    ¡°Go over there!¡± Hansel called out as he pointed at a counter on the other side of the room.


    Like zombies, Ruby and I looked over and made our way to the old man sitting behind the counter. His dark eyes looked up when we arrived. I barely paid attention to his scarred face, partially hidden by his thin, white beard, as the man pulled out two pieces of parchment. He laid them on the counter in front of us.


    ¡°Take your guild daggers to prick your thumb and make your mark on the page,¡± he ordered.


    We did as he told us, and the drops of blood immediately flowed across the parchment, turning them into binding agreements with the guild. I barely remember the words of the contract. Only the warmth filling the dagger caught my attention.


    ¡°Your dagger is the marker for entering and leaving the guild. The wards control the entrances, which will know of your status. It¡¯s also a way for us to find you. More likely, it¡¯ll be the way we find your killer and return the favor.¡±


    His chuckle at the last part didn¡¯t amuse me as I stared at him. Apparently, I looked in terrible shape enough for him point out of the cots across the room.


    ¡°Sleep there and you can start training tomorrow. No one will bother you or the girl.¡±


    The rest of the time was a blur.


    ~~~


    Ruby watched Covan fall face first on the first cot they came to. When she asked him if he was alright, she grew concerned at his nonresponse. She kneeled by the side of the cot and realized Covan was asleep. A patient smile came to her face as she got comfortable next to him. She stared at his dirty, bruised face, then a frown came to her lips.


    ¡°I thanketh thee for coming for me,¡± the lady whispered. ¡°You¡¯re a foolish sir who deserves so much more than mine own life but I¡¯ll doth whatever it takes to repay thee. I promise this upon mine own dying breath.¡±


    Ruby laid her head next to the sleeping man. The weariness fell over her and her tattered, stolen clothing barely kept her warm, but she couldn¡¯t find sleep. The questions in her mind kept rolling around. She wanted to wake him for answers. However, Ruby knew she couldn¡¯t even ask about several things on her mind. She remembered the rage in his eyes when he attacked Gilbert. Her heart skipped a beat now that she could reflect on the scene. Her feelings of gratitude mixed with a heartfelt reassessment flooding inside.


    The guild master was correct. She carried a weak body with no fighting experience. Ruby followed where people like her grandmother ordered, even at the expense of her self-worth. Only when she tried to escape the huntsman did her world suddenly change. Still, she knew only too well if Covan hadn¡¯t intervened twice, she would have no chance to change. He risked his life for her, and she needed to give him more than her body. The woman took a deep breath and glanced at the man again.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll work hard and becometh thy tool for a better future,¡± Ruby promised as she closed her eyes.


    ~~~


    Hansel and Gretel entered Eva¡¯s office behind the registration desk. The familiar room always looked the same. The woman sat behind a large oak desk covered with open parchments and maps. On one wall was a map of the kingdom, which held small black dots that drifted on the outline of streets. A closer inspection would find each dot showed a member of her guild as they traveled on a mission or to their favorite tavern.


    On another wall, bookshelves containing magical scrolls, many covered with dust. They knew Eva remembered every scroll and path in the capital because of her eidetic memory. The guild master was a walking encyclopedia. Her magic ability didn¡¯t carry the strength of the sorcerer Myrddin Wyllt, or his disciple, Morgan le Fay. However, neither wizard held Eva¡¯s breadth of knowledge. Her skills came from using her magic to put her guild into the best position to weather the storms of kingdom politics and intrigue. Her golems mixed among the nobles as servants for those inside the royal court.


    After working for the guild master for so long, the twins knew Eva cared only for her guild and its members. She had no ambition to grow the guild into other lands or to involve herself in the affairs of the nobles. For her, it was better to reap the rewards while watching nobility cut their own throats in their pursuit of power.


    ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯ll train the new people you brought,¡± Eva told them while reading Covan¡¯s contract.


    She smirked without looking up, since she knew neither of the twins wanted the work. Training was boring and cost them money by missing lucrative contracts.


    ¡°Is this girl worth it?¡± Gretel asked, as Eva expected. ¡°She¡¯s a follower.¡±


    ¡°She killed the two golems after a brief hesitation. Her hatred for nobles is clear. Gilbert kidnapped her to sleep with them.¡± The guild master looked at Hansel. ¡°You¡¯ll use that knowledge to train her. Also, I want you to seduce Ruby.¡±


    The woman paused in thought for a moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re a pretty lad,¡± she reminded him. ¡°Get her nice clothing. That will make her feel special.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to sleep with her,¡± he gladly agreed, then paused. ¡°But what¡¯s the reason?¡±


    ¡°First, your sister is correct. Ruby is a follower and attached to Covan. I want them separated. That¡¯s all you need to know,¡± Eva stated.


    Hansel nodded while thinking about what the guild master hid from them. His glance at Gretel confirmed her suspicion as well. Then the man grinned when an idea came to him.


    ¡°Say, he¡¯s a noble. Why don¡¯t you just let me kill him?¡± Hansel held a grin. ¡°I can force him into a duel over her and we make bets. It¡¯s a tradition of the guild. Then I¡¯ll soothe the poor Ruby when he¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯ll stay away from him,¡± Eva scowled.


    Gretel felt the atmosphere grow tense and asked why. The guild master shook her head when she got up from her chair. She looked at the map on her wall.


    I want to know more about this land called America and what secrets he carries.


    ¡°My instinct tells me Covan¡¯s tougher than you give him credit for. Even you should realize he¡¯s a walking contradiction,¡± the woman¡¯s indifferent tone came through. ¡°He¡¯s inexperienced with swords. Yet he knows anatomy enough to execute a golem by striking the vulnerable spots. He created a grappling hook, then a weapon from a child¡¯s toy. He¡¯s hiding knowledge. It¡¯s useful to me.¡±


    ¡°Then why not use magic to get those secrets from him?¡± Gretel interceded for her twin. ¡°A potion in his glass will get what you want.¡±


    Eva pondered the thought momentarily, then shook her head.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t betray the trust of a new guild member. Those inside the guild must believe in my fairness. Hurting the guild is not my goal.¡±


    Plus, I can¡¯t risk having the Pied Piper or the Queen of Hearts know I did something like that.


    Gretel glanced at Hansel. While his expression remained unconvinced, they nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Should I seduce Covan as well?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you,¡± Eva shrugged. ¡°We can discuss a special bonus if you can get me more information about him.¡±


    ¡°Of course, guild master,¡± Gretel smiled while an electric shiver went down her back as she noticed Eva lick her lips.


    Hansel frowned at the talk. Their lust showed up at times like this. While he didn¡¯t care that his sister liked to bed men and women, he resented being treated as a third wheel.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all you need, we will leave,¡± he offered.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more item for Gretel. Show Covan to our armory, then have him meet the smith. Tell him he can make a personal weapon.¡±


    ¡°A personal weapon for a new member?¡± The twin looked confused.


    The guild master leaned back in her chair with a smug expression.


    ¡°His use of a children¡¯s toy and poison darts makes me believe he¡¯ll come up with an interesting personal weapon.¡±


    Besides, the guild can profit from him.

 Chapter 13 - Becoming a Member

    The following days galloped by me. The training schedule put together by Gretel kept me fighting, or more accurately, getting beat up most of the time. Hansel trained Ruby in another part of the guild, which made me uneasy. However, I realized she was better off with one-on-one training. Either way, staying inside the guild was the best for us, since the capital remained in an uproar with my murder of a prominent noble.


    On the first day, I got to know Gretel better. I¡¯d never trust her, but she gave me information. Gilbert¡¯s murder caught the king¡¯s attention, and his guards swept through the streets looking for the murderer. Apparently, the servants and others inside the manor house scattered like roaches. The ones they gathered added to the dungeon cell population. Rumors filled the taverns about Gilbert¡¯s past. Talk among the nobles forced the royal court into an uncomfortable, if silent, acknowledgement of Gilbert¡¯s crimes against commoners. However, the king and his nobles required someone to pay in order to save face.


    ¡°With so many enemies, it¡¯s easier for the king¡¯s guards to find someone who didn¡¯t want him dead,¡± she told me. ¡°They¡¯ll find someone to hang for the crime. That¡¯s what nobility does best.¡±


    With a nod to her sarcastic statement, I asked about the person who put out the contract. She shook her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably never know,¡± the pretty girl explained. ¡°My guess is another noble who wanted his manor. That¡¯s how petty they are. Contracts seldom tell you who ordered the work. Still, I¡¯m happy to take the gold for your kill.¡±


    Her smug words pissed me off a bit as she took me to the training area. Gretel smirked at my anger while she led me to the training area. Then she surprised me by suddenly asking about my past. After giving a somewhat honest but entirely vague answer, I quickly diverted the conversation. I carried plenty of questions about the guild and operations.


    It¡¯s surprising to discover that most of the assassin¡¯s guild¡¯s work had nothing to do with assassinating people. Instead, the members typically worked as spies gathering intelligence for certain houses or rich merchants. Also, a fair number of contracts focused on developing unique poisons or special onetime magic spells. Other contracts included finding the right ingredients for such poisons in various corners of the kingdom or beyond if the price was right.


    When we entered the training room, I found an enormous creature waiting for us. At first glance, the thing looked like a bizarre cross between an ogre and Frankenstein¡¯s monster. Before I had a chance to ask, Gretel gave me the answer.


    ¡°The guild master has plans for you. This is one of her creations.¡± She tossed me a training spear.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be so emotional destroying this,¡± she smirked while heading to the side of the room.


    The spear was nothing more than a pole about my height, with a dull point at the end. I looked it over, then shot her a glare. On the table was a sand clock, which she turned over.


    ¡°You must destroy this golem before the sand runs out!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure of the process, but somehow the golem activated automatically. Before I could understand the threat, the damn creature hit me in the belly and sent me tumbling across the sandy floor.


    ¡°You might want to get up! It won¡¯t stop until you destroy it or it kills you!¡±


    I heard her words while trying to keep from puking up my breakfast. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the golem coming again.


    Screw you, bitch!


    My body took one hell of a beating on the first day. After finally destroying the creature, Gretel sent me against two more golems with nothing more than an iron bar. By mid-morning, the golems came close to ending me. I was sure I was no more than an inch away from death when my training partner came over and gave me an elixir of some type. That¡¯s when she pointed out how to defeat the golems more effectively. I needed to stab them in vital spots, similar to how you kill a human.


    ¡°It would have been nice if they told me that sooner!¡± I sneered at her.


    ¡°Well, sometimes you need to learn the hard way.¡±


    Her response made me seriously consider cutting her throat that night. Fortunately, the elixir brought me back to life. The bad news was I had to fight on during the afternoon. By the time I found my cot, my aching muscles told me my revenge would need to wait. Then I passed out without even thinking about eating dinner.


    A few days later, black-and-blue bruises covered my face and body. Still, I considered it a win since I noticeably improved my swordsmanship and my throwing dagger capability. While I had too little strength to keep going for long attacks, I could at least defend myself up close using my weapons. Defeating golems became somewhat easier. Then the morning schedule changed to focus on my getting beaten by three golems while using only my daggers. In the afternoon, I had the added treat of having Gretel beating me down using her superior skills with a wooden sword. In her defense, we also worked on tactics, hiding, and other useful techniques for infiltration and escape.


    During one session, both of us slid down the wall, heaving from the exertion. Sweat covered us from several rounds of hand-to-hand sword and dagger training. Gretal slipped out of the tunic she wore. Her fine body held my eyes for a moment. I¡¯m a guy after all.


    ¡°It¡¯s too hot,¡± she complained. ¡°I work better at night.¡±


    ¡°Well, get the management to put in air conditioning,¡± I huffed out before taking a swig of lukewarm water from the leather flask we shared.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she looked over with interest.


    ¡°Just an idea,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°Anyway, this training is getting boring.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting better,¡± Gretel said. ¡°Since you¡¯re bored, I¡¯ll give you a prize to shoot for now. If you can disarm me, I¡¯ll let you bed me!¡±


    My reaction caused her to smile.


    ¡°What? Too much for you?¡±


    Her tone caused me to scoff.


    ¡°Tempting, but I don¡¯t trust you enough to put my pole into you.¡±


    She threw her wet shirt into my face.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my scent for you to dream about tonight,¡± she replied as she stole the flask and took a drink.


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    ¡°Doubtful,¡± I sneered.


    Ruby and I found time to hook up each night for quiet sex time amid the snores around our cots. Even if you¡¯re worn out, such fun keeps the motivation going during these days of intense training.


    By the end of the first week, Gretel informed me I was done with the basic knife and sword skills. While I failed to stop both golems completely while she attacked me at the same time, I guess she thought I was close enough. Still, I believed she had an alternative motive. My conversations with Ruby confirmed our suspicions about the brother and sister. You¡¯d have to be a blind man to not see that was coming soon. Somehow, Hansel and I would come into conflict. I realized she wanted her brother to hold the advantage in our upcoming conflict. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, but I had no idea when our showdown would occur.


    Gretel asked me to settle on a key weapon. To her surprise, I chose the longbow which I had basic knowledge of how to use from my past. I¡¯d kept my eye on several bows hanging from the walls in the training area.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting choice,¡± she told me. ¡°Are you trying to become skilled in multiple weapons?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not me. I just prefer to stand off to do the damage. Besides, I¡¯ve used a bow before.¡±


    It was a white lie since I¡¯ve not picked up a bow since grade school. Still, my experience with the child golem remained fresh in my mind. The brutal initiation Eva gave us terrified me about up-close encounters. The rage which filled me enough to kill Gilbert now felt foreign to me. His death did not bother me. However, the act of cold-blooded killing of an innocent-looking person so close made me adjust my thoughts and goals. Yes, I knew I lived in a dangerous world and my encounters showed me I needed to be tough as well. But I had no intention of becoming a psychopath who wanted to enjoy killing up close and personal.


    Unfortunately, I¡¯m stuck in a guild which includes assassinations, which means I¡¯m going to kill someone because of an upcoming contract. My weapons needed to focus on remaining outside the fray as much as possible. If I needed to murder, I would prefer to make it more like a hunt. Coming in close required poison to make the odds swing my way. That was one rationalization I carried. I hoped it would save my sanity. Beyond that, using the sword would take much more time than I will accept. Long range and deadly were my goals to survive the guild¡¯s jobs.


    After closing out one day, Gretel led me to meet with the blacksmith of the guild. It was a perfect time to bring up a weapon design that came to me when Ruby and I spoke about my difficulty in killing Gilbert quietly. Plus, I realized something about my future with the guild master. Giving just enough information to help the guild would aid me and, by extension, Ruby. The guild master might dislike us, but I was sure she would give us some protection as long as we showed our usefulness.


    On the way over, Gretel told me to avoid talking about the smith¡¯s curse. According to her story, the guild¡¯s blacksmith sold his soul to a demon to create a weapon of the gods. As she told me the story, it reminded me of ¡°The Smith and the Devil¡± tale that was in a book I read to my grandchild. In the version I recalled, the smith could get out of the curse by chaining the devil to a magic anvil that no one else could move. Yet, in this new world, the smith still carries the curse. So, another fairy tale I knew did not follow the plots of my past.


    We found the smith working on a sword blade that was longer than my height. The man stood over me by at least a foot, and his massive chest and arms nearly burst out of the woolen gray undershirt he wore. The long leather apron covered his belly and the black leather pants he had on. After the introductions, Smithy groused at the interruption.


    Yes, his name was actually Smithy. After the man¡¯s complaint, Gretel sweet-talked to him for a while and the giant soon turned into our obedient guide. He showed me the various weapons he specialized in making inside the shop. From small daggers to massive two-headed axes, the guy could do it all. When I asked about making small arrows for my blowgun and another project I had in mind, Smithy looked insulted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± I quickly tried to get back on his good side. ¡°The one arrow is easy to make, and I only need a few. The other type I require must be stronger than iron and have a particular shape, so it¡¯ll fly accurately. Plus, it must cut through leather or thin metal armor. I¡¯ll poison the tips so I can remove guards in the way of my target.¡±


    ¡°We have musket balls,¡± he sniffed. ¡°The musket is a kid¡¯s toy like that blowgun I heard you use. A real man fights with a sword or ax.¡±


    Apparently, my killing toy became the talk of the guild. I shrugged at the news and focused on a counter argument.


    ¡°A musket is loud and single shot. It¡¯s designed for armies and hunting. Plus, it takes a while to reload. An assassin needs something light and silent,¡± I answered with confidence. ¡°Someone must get close to their target quietly, but once you get too close, the enemy can sense you or you might tip them off with a sound. Let me show you the design of a quiet weapon we can build which will kill like a ghost.¡±


    They watched me with obvious skepticism as I drew out a rough sketch of the pellet and the air pistol. While I worked, I went back to my encounter with Gilbert. My ability to kill him required sneaking up while he remained distracted. Worse, the blowgun had little range, maybe several feet, and the accuracy wasn¡¯t the best. As for the air rifle, I remembered it accurately shot the paper targets while standing at the other end of the yard. My estimate was a range of about fifty feet. Of course, I need to come up with a design for an air compressor, but I have ideas for that as well.


    After I designed the pellet, well, I actually copied the design I remembered, then I drew out the pistol. This weapon would have a removable stock to make it useful as a rifle as needed. I added in a type of narrow holding clip for the small arrow-like pellets, but I wasn¡¯t sure how well a blacksmith could do the work. In this world, I doubt they have machines with precise cutting capability that would bend and slice away the thin metal sheets and form the parts of an air gun. Even making a chamber to hold the air will be a challenge without modern plastics and rubber. I figured a lever action pump would compress the air like I remembered.


    Or maybe I could find a magic scroll that would work?


    ¡°Well, mages and witches control magic.¡± Gretal shrugged at my question on scrolls. ¡°They make the scrolls to fund their work, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll help you unless you have gold. Why not learn a spell from Eva to do this?¡±


    ¡°First, like most people, I know nothing about magic,¡± I said. ¡°I certainly can¡¯t figure it out soon enough to complete this.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mention I wanted to build things outside of the guild. Certainly, Eva would try to control my upcoming creations.


    ¡°Besides, the idea is for anyone to use this weapon. I can get someone with basic skills to become deadly from about 40 paces away. The poisoned pellet will feel like a wasp sting right before the victim dies. My guess is I can even get a type of poison which could delay death if we wanted.¡±


    Damn, I¡¯m talking cold and calloused killing here!


    Her surprised expression made me grin. From the tilt of her head and the twinkle in her eyes, Gretel seized a renewed interest in my design. Smithy remained skeptical, but he agreed the needs of the guild came first. I got a promise from the blacksmith to work on the pellets while I completed the design and spoke with the guild master about the pistol. My attitude with her was one of extreme caution and distrust. There was no way I would let her dictate my ideas about getting wealthy. Still, I needed permission from Eva to make a test model of the pistol.


    Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll sell others back to the guild!


    When I spoke to Ruby that morning, I asked about some of the terms of the contract we signed the night before. The two main points with joining the guild were a minimum of five years in their service and no one held rights to my wealth but me after my fees to the guild were deducted. The guild acted as a bank as well. Of course, if I died, any wealth in my account went back to the guild so my ideas required me to survive for five years. I explained my first idea to Ruby after I told her she could become my partner.


    ¡°Why would you want me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re my friend, so why not be my partner in a business? Once I get the design perfected, we can make more gold from my ideas,¡± I explained. ¡°We¡¯ll sell them to other kingdoms, so I¡¯ll need help. I can¡¯t trust anyone more than you. You are my lover.¡±


    She blushed at my words.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to read and write,¡± Ruby resisted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. You want to be free, then it takes money. Who has the money? Nobles and merchants, right? So why not an inventor like me? We¡¯ll be the only ones with plans and the ability to create these weapons. We¡¯ll charge them plenty for using such knowledge.¡±


    Her open mouth slowly closed while she thought about my words. Finally, she agreed.

 Chapter 14 - Determining Our Enemies

    At the end of the week, it became obvious the twins were trying to keep Ruby and me apart. Gretel left me to eat by myself at a table. I wasn¡¯t paying any attention until I heard her talking with Ruby. Her sudden need to act like a buddy was so obvious that I noticed others watching the scene with interest. Finally, Ruby broke away from Gretel and came over to me with a mug of wine. Yeah, I didn¡¯t mention the trainees get the first two weeks of meals and drinks from the guild before they must pay out of their earnings.


    During the silence, I could tell Ruby was upset. She complained about hard work but told me she was getting better. I smiled and told her it¡¯s better than starving in a forest. She smiled at my lame joke while I told her about my time with Smithy. Ruby was excited to see the design. When she asked about my training partner, I shrugged.


    ¡°She¡¯s tough, but fair so far. Gretel¡¯s pretty easy to read.¡±


    ¡°So¡¯s her brother,¡± Ruby grumbled.


    I was about to ask about the problem when Hansel suddenly showed up and joined us. The bastard gave me a triumphant glance before starting into a long-winded explanation of his day. Ruby stared daggers at him across the table.


    ¡°You interrupted a private conversation,¡± she finally interjected.


    The man didn¡¯t take a hint. Instead, he told her about the next day¡¯s training he planned for them. It was an unnecessary conversation. When the man finally finished, I watched as Ruby nodded her acknowledgement.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± I smirked at him. ¡°Since you can¡¯t take a hint, I¡¯ll spell it out for you. You¡¯re not welcome to listen to our conversation. Get your ass out of here.¡±


    The round of soft chuckles coming from other tables told me I was loud enough to get my point across to Hansel. His redden face pleased me.


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a time when your tongue gets severed,¡± he growled as he stood.


    ¡°Maybe, but it won¡¯t be you doing it,¡± Ruby suddenly spoke up as she slammed her mug down on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you try to harm Covan.¡±


    The icy tone coming from the woman next to me caught everyone¡¯s attention. Hansel¡¯s eyes widened at the outburst. I wasn¡¯t sure what he was saying to Ruby when I wasn¡¯t around, but I knew when she was angry.


    ¡°Calm down. We¡¯re all guild mates here,¡± Gretel¡¯s voice carried over the silence as she conveniently arrived at the table behind me.


    ¡°Then you can train me tomorrow,¡± Ruby said. ¡°Keep your brother away from me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who makes that call,¡± Eva¡¯s stone-cold voice came from out of nowhere.


    <blockquote>


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    </blockquote>


    We turned to see her standing right next to Gretel.


    ¡°Then, tell pretty boy to quit laying his hands on me,¡± Ruby calmly stated. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll cut them off. I¡¯ve dealt with his mouth for a week. Trying to separate me from Covan will not happen. Hansel is not half the man as the one sitting beside me. He¡¯s wasting my time, and that means he¡¯s wasting yours as well, guild master.¡±


    Ruby took another sip of her wine while watching the rage fill Hansel¡¯s face. Eva wasn¡¯t doing much better after being called out in public. I winked at Hansel and smiled at the guild master. I could tell they both wanted my head at that point, so I kept my hand on my dagger. Still, it¡¯s easy to act like a jerk when you know the score and a public fight was unlikely to break out.


    ¡°One other thing,¡± Ruby interrupted the silence of looks. ¡°We got through your test, and I¡¯ve spoken with many in the guild to learn my rightful place. As I understand it, the guild master requires the support of a majority of the guild members. Those I¡¯ve spoken with despise nobles who look down at others. Also, they also hate those who stand in shadows to push their people into things just like nobles. It¡¯s something you should remember.¡±


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    Ruby kept her fake smile on her face. I heard an undercurrent of agreement with Ruby¡¯s words rise from the nearby benches. Eva¡¯s bitter expression gave us our signal. Ruby rose from the bench, and, for the first time, I noticed her shaking hands. Happy at the amount of courage she displayed to confront the guild master, I stood with her as well.


    Well, something¡¯s going to come out of this!


    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s time for rest. I know those golems will be tougher tomorrow,¡± I stated wryly.


    Nodding to the silent guild master, I walked by her with Ruby at my side. As we headed to the cots, we felt the eyes of the other guild members on us. I looked at those who held my gaze. Letting out a breath of relief when I noticed a few expressions of support. Apparently, the guild master¡¯s manipulative ways didn¡¯t please everyone.


    Yes, Ruby made things more difficult, potentially even more dangerous. However, jerking us around for a petty game of control made me angry. We¡¯ll handle the backlash; I told myself without a shred of proof.


    ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t a smart move, but that felt good,¡± Ruby whispered to me.


    ¡°Yeah, but I loved it,¡± I whispered back.


    After a moment of thinking it over, I noticed she appeared to have second thoughts. I patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any other way to play it,¡± I said. ¡°We have each other¡¯s backs.¡±


    She leaned against me with a frown, and I put my arm around her shoulder. As we talked, I hunted for items inside the guild which we could use to protect us. Unexpected accidents or encounters could become a problem for both of us. It¡¯s not paranoia when people are probably going to target you.


    ¡°First, we¡¯ll start sleeping in shifts. One of us will sleep while the other one remains awake. I don¡¯t trust the twins as far as I can throw them. We¡¯ll need to keep an eye on Eva as well,¡± my thoughts came out as we reached our cots.


    ¡°Though, since this was very public, the guild master will remain careful. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll try anything obvious.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ruby¡¯s voice became hopeful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a crystal ball,¡± I replied carefully. Then I gave her a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get through training, then find a place to live together.¡±


    ~~~


    As Eva walked past Hansel, she chuckled to herself for her mistake of pushing too quickly. Ruby definitely carried more brains than the guild master expected. However, Eva wouldn¡¯t forget the exchange. She always remembered her slights.


    The guild master recognized Hansel¡¯s anger coming from his foul stare at the couple on the other side of the room.


    ¡°No retaliation,¡± she told Hansel. ¡°The guild must remain calm. In a few weeks, you can challenge him to a duel. But be careful. He¡¯s not an easy kill.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± Hansel scoffed.


    Eva smiled bitterly as she looked at the long-term advantage over petty thoughts of instant revenge. She held the guild together through her manipulation. She could play off one group against the other with practiced ease. However, Ruby¡¯s announcement of the guild master¡¯s need for support by the guild members was an unexpected reminder to everyone in the room. It told Eva to adjust her plans for Ruby and Covan. If they became useful, as she expected, she would find another way to isolate them.


    The leader of the guild didn¡¯t care about lovers. Romance and sex happened all the time in the guild between members. However, she knew the look in Ruby¡¯s eyes. The guild master also recognized Covan was the same way. Committed relationships made things difficult for her to manipulate and control. Eva needed Covan to rely upon the guild, not Ruby. She knew about the design of the weapon Covan showed Smithy. Instantly, the guild master recognized the value of this thing he called an air pistol. The Queen of Hearts made it clear. She wanted Covan¡¯s knowledge. But Ruby could make that go away. The weakest partner got the stronger one killed since heroes wanted to protect their lover.


    ¡°It¡¯s never good to have two opponents,¡± Eva reminded Hansel. ¡°Ruby will have your head. She¡¯s made it clear she doesn¡¯t take prisoners, and her temper won¡¯t stop until she has her revenge.¡±


    The man visibly pressed his lips together.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make the bitch pay as well,¡± he growled.


    Suddenly, Eva was behind him, and a chill filled the man¡¯s spine where the tip of a blade rested against his skin.


    ¡°You don¡¯t talk about a woman who humiliated you because you¡¯re inept. You proved unable to complete the task given. Worse, they placed the blame on you in front of everyone. How many other guild members will trust you in a party now? There are plenty of contracts you will lose with your stupidity. Learn and become stronger from today¡¯s experience. Otherwise, your sister will no longer have a twin brother.¡±


    Then, the guild master disappeared.


    Gretel came over to her twin, who remained shaken by the threat. Eva dueled against three of the strongest assassins in the guild before and won. Her magic prowess and speed made her a threat that few in the kingdom could handle.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Hansel. Forget about the red-hair bitch. It was something Eva wanted, and she threw us into the mix. You know how she is. They¡¯ll pay after they shamed Eva in front of the guild. That¡¯s why she gave you the next instructions.¡±


    Gretel knew her brother. He was hard-headed and vain at the wrong times. Plus, he carried grudges. He nodded shakily, then looked at her.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about me, sister. There are plenty of opportunities for them to die after taking a contract.¡±


    His sister smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear.¡±

 Chapter 15 - Rampion and Sorrel

    During my third week at the guild, I finally destroyed two golems with headshots using only my bow skills. Much to my surprise, the next day, I finally disarmed Gretel with a short sword during our sparring session. While she pushed me hard in training, I didn¡¯t receive the petty treatment from her I expected. As a trainer goes, she¡¯s pretty good at helping me get better. Spending hours and hours shooting arrows from various places and angles got me to a point of hitting the mark most of the time. My muscle development went along with that since every morning I woke up in pain. Still, I¡¯m convinced she¡¯s nuts, and I don¡¯t trust her as a partner.


    Eva¡¯s attitude toward me remained frosty, but she still did not intercede against me publicly. It appeared she¡¯s willing to work with me as long as I¡¯m useful. It fits her personality. However, I also realized I needed to keep a working relationship with her. Knowledge and resources made the guild vital to my future as well.


    When I walked out of her office after inquiring about poisons, I overheard the rumors about Hansel¡¯s upcoming challenge. No doubt, he¡¯ll want to duel soon, probably as soon as I¡¯m done with the training. I knew I couldn¡¯t match his rapier skills, so my thoughts centered on methods to overcome his advantage. One idea which gained traction in my mind was based upon movies I remembered from the other world. With some luck, Ruby can help me work on how to implement my ideas.


    In the meantime, all I could do was get stronger physically and increase my proficiency with my weapons. So far, the hard training, along with the amount of quality food I received, helped build my body. Another few months and I might actually have some decent power. Ruby commented on my muscle development during our occasional sexual interludes. Finding an out-of-the-way place to enjoy ourselves without interruptions was difficult. However, Rudy learned from the other women in the guild for the best places for our rendezvous.


    For the present, I focused on training and creating new weapon designs, which I stealthily made on parchment paper I ¡®borrowed¡¯ from the guild. Luckily, I found an out of the way spot next to Smithy¡¯s shop where I hide my designs in a hole cut into the wall. Once I got some freedom, I planned to find a couple of competing blacksmiths to complete the parts of weapons, which I would finish into their ultimate form.


    Fortunately, I needed little else from the guild in the way of resources. They supplied me with my one set of clothing, which comprised cotton and linen black trousers and a black tunic. Ruby wore a similar type of outfit. According to the guild master, once we started accepting contract work, we could receive the guild¡¯s distinctive long black cape. The oversized hood and accompanying mask provided anonymity when used. Still, the pressure to finish the training to leave the guild tunnels and get regular pay kept me motivated.


    Ruby found a replacement for Hansel the day after our public confrontation. A man named Iron John, who looked like his name implied, accepted the role as Ruby¡¯s trainer. According to my red-haired lover, John disliked the twins, so it wasn¡¯t hard for her to convince him. Large and rugged, John was nearly the size of Smithy. Plus, the man specialized in combat as a former king¡¯s soldier. His sheer bulk made him unsuitable for most contracts that required stealth. But Iron John happily worked as leader for the guild. His security group wore plate armor, and they all looked imposing when they came through the tunnels.


    A few days after Ruby started working with John, I watched Ruby¡¯s development. She could never copy his style of fighting based on his size and strength. Still, he taught her well. Her skills emphasized stealth, speed and unconventional tactics. From what I saw, Ruby was turning deadly with a short sword and her dagger, which she used in combination. When I left, I promised myself not to get on the wrong side of my partner.


    Several days later, the guild master called for me. When I arrived at her office, she made me stand there for quite a while as she finished the paperwork. It didn¡¯t take a genius to understand she was doing this as a petty retribution for my public support of Ruby. Still, I needed to deal with it to get what I wanted. My previous life taught me all about petty and vengeful people in charge. Corporate shills filled the cubicles inside the offices of the companies I worked for. Plenty of the white-collar jerks enjoyed the sense of power they held over others.


    Petty bitch!


    In all honesty, I heard stories from the other guild members, so I kept my guard up around Eva even as I stood there. Not only was the guild master vindictive, but she remained a powerhouse beyond her magic skills. Pushing her too far would cause me to end up in a world of pain, or worse, so I remained quiet.


    When she finally finished, the door opened behind me, and a short tubby woman entered. Her pleasant smile, with a round face and sharp gray eyes, reminded me of a grandmother. However, there are such things as crazy grandmas which forced me to keep my guard up.


    ¡°This is Rosemary,¡± Eva said with a nod to the woman.


    I looked over at the grandmother and felt a shiver when the woman¡¯s gaze went from icy to warm in a split second.


    ¡°Her nickname is the Queen of Hearts,¡± the guild master continued. ¡°She¡¯s an expert at alchemy, especially poisons, so she¡¯ll train you in poisons well as show you the types of plants you¡¯ll encounter. While I doubt you have the brain for it, she might teach you some alchemy as well. A majority of our contracts come from alchemists and others who wish for certain species of plants to make their potions and elixirs. For the rest of your time, you¡¯ll focus on this training along with getting better at fighting. After that, you¡¯ll take a trip to the nearby forest. If you can¡¯t handle her last test, you¡¯ll probably die.¡±


    Rosemary¡¯s frosty stare turned into a sly grin after glancing at Eva. The action told me to expect another surprise. However, I wasn¡¯t paying attention to that when I nodded to the grandmother type. The complete story of Alice in Wonderland came back to me with the woman¡¯s handle. In the story, the Queen of Hearts always wanted to cut off her enemy¡¯s heads. For some reason, I figured that bit of knowledge might bite me in the future.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    After we left the guild master¡¯s office, Rosemary led me down a tunnel with an off-limit sign hanging from the rock walls. She talked non-stop about her passion for using various plants to create elixirs, poisons and medicinal potions. Rosemary described some basics about mixing plants, controlling temperature, and using magic scrolls. However, most of what she said was beyond me. Still, the knowledge of alchemy she carried implied she knew everything from curing cancer to creating a poison capable of dropping a griffin in two seconds. While I had a hard time believing in such a creature, she assured me the legendary creature, with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, exists.


    When I asked how she ended up in the guild, she went quiet for a moment. But we turned into an area filled with tables of flasks and bundles of plants, letting her change the subject back to my training. As we walked down the twenty tables covered in various types and colors of flora, it finally hit me how difficult this next stage would become.


    By the end of the second week learning from the Queen of Hearts, I was ready to back out. My degrees in history and literature were useless when trying to identify plants by various parts of their leaves, stems and flowers. Worse, the enormous book used by my teacher came with a language I couldn¡¯t read. Because of that, I felt like nothing more than a grinding assistant much of the time. I spent a lot of time grinding down the dried plants into dust. Still, the pictures in the book allowed me to identify plants and make up my own notes on their identity and the processes Rosemary used. She remained patient while she explained her steps to create the various elixirs used by the guild. I slowly learned the basic processes and the types of herbs and plants. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t ask about the unfamiliar letters I used in my notes.


    Otherwise, I continued training on the sword and bow shooting, which made the days go quickly. Ruby and I spent our off hours together, and she introduced me to some of her new friends. It appeared our blow up with the guild master put a few people on our side. Ruby saw this as an opportunity. She brought out her charm in full force, which I soon discovered when another couple came over to our table.


    After they introduced themselves, they took a seat at our table. Rampion and Sorrel weren¡¯t identical twins, but they looked alike with matching clothes and shared sad green eyes and a round nose. Rampion, the male, stood a few inches taller than his sister and sported a massive chest and biceps. However, Sorrel had a thin frame with a straight figure and a flat chest.


    ¡°Thank thee. We overheard some rumors and grew curious about you.¡±


    Sorrel appeared as the leader, and she scrutinized me after she pulled next to Ruby. Her brother remained silent, sitting next to his sister. For me, I remained thankful that the translating spell I purchased from the toy store made my life easier to understand the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure many things are coming from people who don¡¯t like our attitude,¡± my reply came as I glanced around the area.


    Knowing smiles appeared on the twin¡¯s faces at the comment.


    ¡°Aye, you and Ruby have made enemies. But I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re building a new weapon. Ruby says you¡¯re a nobleman. Still, you killed a powerful man in the kingdom before coming here.¡± I caught her glance at her brother. ¡°You have our thanks.¡±


    My puzzled expression looked the same as Ruby¡¯s.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the reason for the gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Gilbert the Bastard was the man who kidnapped our mother, Rapunzel.¡±


    Her statement made me choke on the mead I was drinking. After I finally recovered, I apologized. Later, I learned the reason behind their hatred of Gilbert. Their story also told me that another fairy tale didn¡¯t match my original world. I knew the tale of Rapunzel stuck in a tower with her long blond hair, which allowed the prince to climb into the tower.


    According to the tale I knew, the prince married Rapunzel, and they had unnamed twins while living happily ever after. Apparently, the reality inside this world was that Rapunzel found herself in the same situation as Ruby. kidnapped her off the streets. The bastard held on to Rapunzel in the second story of his house until she was pregnant. Since the twins¡¯ mother was so beautiful, Gilbert liked to have her sit on the balcony facing the street for everyone to see her. Eventually, when she became pregnant, he released her. She and the twins never knew a happily ever-after life.


    ¡°That¡¯s tough. I understand why you thanked me,¡± I said. ¡°You have my sympathy, since no one bothered to kill him earlier. However, I¡¯m curious why you came to the guild.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Rampion declared in his deep voice.


    Sorrell reached over and patted him on the arm. The man looked ashamed at his sudden outburst.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say we needed to hide from Gilbert,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°However, I¡¯m not so sure now. You¡¯ve taken our place as enemies of his family.¡±


    Understanding the deeper meaning, I rolled my eyes at her words. Even I understood they carried a blood relation with one of Glennot¡¯s noble houses. While birth from a commoner woman didn¡¯t guarantee a claim to the dead man¡¯s estate, it would throw a monkey wrench into the other heirs. Worse, there were other bastard children out there.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure of the law here, but it appears an enterprising noble might sponsor Gilbert¡¯s bastard children to claim inheritance. At least to get some money out of it.¡±


    I glanced over at Ruby, who appeared confused at the idea. In her mind, the strict separation between commoner and noble always remained. Sorrell grinned at me.


    ¡°I see you have some larceny in your, Covan. Those were my thoughts as well.¡± Her expression faded.


    ¡°However, we¡¯re now attached to the guild. Worse, we have no ties to a rival noble house.¡±


    With several taps of my fingers, I considered the problem.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, wealthy merchants might benefit you to make such a connection. Perhaps that¡¯s something we can work on together. Ruby and I are looking for partners to join us in our coming venture. We should keep in touch with each other about the future. We have some ideas which should do us well. If you and your brother become part of our team, you might create those connections you seek. There¡¯s no guarantee, of course.¡±


    ¡°Partners with someone you¡¯ve just met. That seems a strange offer,¡± she replied in genuine surprise. ¡°How can you trust us?¡±


    ¡°I trust Ruby¡¯s judgement,¡± I told them with a shrug.


    My partner¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment, but my comment wasn¡¯t just for show. Ruby had a knack for picking out good people. I¡¯d be stupid not to use her ability to help me survive in this place. Plus, we needed the support of others within the guild.


    ¡®One step at a time¡¯, I told myself.


    While nothing more came out of our conversation, when we finished, I believed we could eventually find the twins a supporter for us. Since Ruby was my only friend, I will welcome others if we found them trustworthy.