Thanks for reading and don't forget to tip if you enjoy the story. For your convenience, you can start at Chapter 1 here. 

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 had slung over my shoulder. 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 eying my makeshift grappling hook, so I spent a few minutes separating the sickles and sliding them into my belt. We continued on to find a magic shop. I expected something like an alley filled with magic shops, like in those wizard books. However, we failed to find anything close to magic inside that part of the city. None of the commoners we spoke with knew about such things. 

“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 us 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 merchants, doing odd jobs in finding material and guarding. There are no monsters or dungeons to worry about in this world.

We found 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 a weekly drawing 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 to write 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 their 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, one 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 turned cleaner, and the merchant shops were classier. I guided us to a building that appeared to have 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 shots of air from a couple of feet away.

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. It only cost two pfendings. 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 explained, then diverted.

“Let’s find this Mardoh guy!”

With an annoyed look, Ruby nodded as 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 to the rope hanging with a bell attached, but I couldn’t get through.

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 employs this commoner 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.

“Our knight returneth her at which hour the lady carries his bastard issue.” The noble’s guard 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 as 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.

“Nay leaveth me,” she yelled out.

“I’ll fuck you up!”

My mouth overloaded my ability. My wild swing just glanced off the guard, and his punch sent me down. Stars cascade across my sight as I take one punch after another into my face from the bigger man. He kicked me as I lay there, then walked away as I tried to lift myself from the street. The sound of the carriage leaving, and the mocking laughter of the guards, washed over me. The guard 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. A quick review of my aching body revealed a probable broken nose which still bled. But there were no other broken bones. Since I could barely see because of the headache, I guess I’ve got head trauma or a concussion. Somehow, I got to my feet and went over to lean back against the building. A young girl pushed through the crowd. She held out the coins the guards threw at my feet as a woman wearing a brown merchant’s cape behind her spoke to me.

“Gilbert, the bastard doth take pretty commoners to his mansion. There’s nothing we can doth. We’re sorry for thy loss.”

Nodding, I spit out the blood gathered in my mouth. The action made me realize how badly my lips hurt as 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 anger underlying my battered appearance.

“Just tell me where his mansion is!”

Have a great weekend everyone!