The adventurer calmed shook her head. "No, we can't go around that way."
"Why-y why not?" the little child muttered.
They heard the fluttering of wings, and then a thud.
"Tithe," said a husky, scratchy voice. "Now."
The adventurer pulled her charge back toward her. "That's why," she whispered.
The child's eyes went wide as he peeked out from their hiding spot and saw a Vyrewatch.
The adventurer took the bag of gold with a giant smile. "It wasn't that tough, really. All it took was some thinking."
The old man bowed and thanked her again, and then the adventurer left, the boy waving goodbye at her from behind.
As the adventurer walked down the dusty road, with forest on all sides of her, she sighed.
"Now what am I going to do?" She'd been on that quest for days, and traveled a great many miles. But now that her mission was finished, she was sort of at a loss.
"Maybe I should go make some money." She looked down at her road-worn boots and dented armor. It was charred by fire on one side, and had a hole gashed in it on the other from a monster's claw.
The claw, by the way, was in her bag.
"I've got to fix this," she said, trying to wipe off some of the ash on her platebody.
"Excuse me, miss?"
The Adventurer, standing in the middle of the road, looked around.
"Hello, who goes there?" she called. She didn't see anyone in the bushes or trees, or on the road in front or back of her.
"I'm up here."
The Adventurer looked up. It was a fairy.
"I've never seen you before," the Adventurer said cautiously. After all, fairies were fickle creatures. "Who are you?"
"I am Prince Corinth of the fairy. I require your assistance, Tora. I need you to help me reclaim my throne."
Tora the Warrior crossed her arms. "Alright. As long as the pay's good."