I've always been an early riser, my 'previous' profession requiring a start to the day before the sun rose too far over the horizon. Although there were no windows or any sort of opening in my room whatsoever, I could tell without a doubt that it was far too early for most others to be moving around. I couldn't hear movement outside my door, meaning not even the Innkeeper caring too much to open his doors quite yet. More importantly, though, there were no noises coming from outside like with what I went to sleep with as my background noise. The Afterdark Society did their deed for the night but all I cared about was that I was not harmed. I didn't find anyone else I could protect yet except for Ria but she didn't need protecting, as she was only a spirit that attached herself to me to get Tharn off the throne.

It was certainly an uncomfortable night, the bed being only slightly more comfortable than the stone alcoves in the dungeons. The only advantage the Inn had was that there was a cover to keep warm. I wasn't sure how much I moved while sleeping though since when I was up, the cover was not entirely over me like when I had fallen asleep.

I sat on the edge of the bed with the light illuminating what area of the room a candle could brighten. I wasn't sure what my next move would be especially since I wasn't one to plan forward without knowing exactly what would happen. That would never happen on this quest, no matter what is said or given to me. All I could do was plan the day the best I could and hope nothing too bad happened.

The bar had no patrons but both the Innkeeper and his assistant Sader were at attention to my surprise. Either they were especially quiet or I was very deep in thought but that was common no matter the time or place. The Innkeeper waved me when I came into the main room and Sader gave a simple nod. That Redguard was plainly not around the Inn for conversation but was meant to be the muscle in case things got out of hand.

"Good Morning! Even with regulars, you are up much earlier than anyone else. I hope you slept at least a little well, your face not really giving me much hope." The Innkeeper was writing in a book, probably a ledger of some sort when he beckoned me over. I put a hand on my pants pocket, holding what was in it in place while I walked over to him. The purpose of the conversation was not an entirely pleasant subject, that was for sure.

"It wasn't bad. I wasn't expecting exquisite linen sheets or gold chandeliers, that's for sure. This isn't an Imperial City Inn, after all." I didn't want to sound condescending but the way the speech came out, it probably sounded that way. I couldn't see the Innkeeper's face but his writing slowed down for a moment.

"You know what the high-end Inn's look like but those are extremely expensive and I couldn't imagine running something that flashy." The Innkeeper closed his book and turned to face me. He didn't have a smile anymore but he also didn't have a frown either.

"This is about my payment, isn't it? I didn't forget, if that is what this is about." I wasn't going to wait for him to bring it up, instead starting off with my own question before he was about to speak.

"I'm sorry to say that this is about that exact thing. Do you have anything? I'll see what I can do with anything you can give me." I reached into my pocket and the Innkeeper's eyes bolted straight to my hand. He could keep his cool when it came to speaking but his financial greed betrayed him instantly. He was knowing I was going to pull out coin or some sort of extremely valuable item. If the mage was telling the truth, what he gave me was valuable enough to someone like the Innkeeper. I presented the bottled blue liquid to the man, who didn't seem entirely pleased.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful or sound ungrateful but…is that it?" The Innkeeper took the bottle from me, inspecting it on his own but his face grew less and less interested. His last inspection of it came when he uncorked the bottle and took a whiff of the liquid's odor. His eyes grew wide and he immediately sealed the bottle again and got a big smile.

"What is that? I didn't get an answer from the original owner, either." The Innkeeper beckoned Sader to his side and handed the bottle over. There wasn't a need for the two to exchange words but Sader hustled outside the Inn's doors with the potion securely held in his palm.

"It is something that will guarantee a healthy profit from this gamble I made with keeping you here overnight. I must say, I wasn't expecting something like this from that old wizard but whoever you left with yesterday must have been a special person indeed." It was apparent I wasn't getting an answer from the Innkeeper either about what exactly was no doubt being traded as we spoke.

"I see. If that is the case, what is the new deal between us?" I was only slightly interested in what the liquid was but after a day, the thought would be lost anyway. The potion was gone and the deal it would make know would be much more important.

"Hm…that is a good question. I doubt I must worry about your expenses while you are here for a little while, so how about I give you another five days. When you are ready to leave after that, I will give you a small sum of coin to help you on your way. Sound like a deal?" The Innkeeper spoke quickly but the conditions were far better than I thought would come up. I didn't expect more than a day or two. This potion really must have had a large value to itself after all.

"I have a request, though. Can I be in a room that doesn't have just a bed and maybe more than one candle. I do need to plan if I am to leave at any time." This would be stretching the consideration of the Innkeeper but his smile didn't falter.

"Of course, of course. I'll give you one of the better rooms, no doubt. I didn't think I needed to say that is all. Do you want to move now?" I didn't take a second to think about the answer, already knowing that if he didn't mention it, I would have.

"That would be great."

The Innkeeper and I made the switch of rooms and I moved into a much more comfortable and larger space. The new room was located in the middle of the available rooms but was one that had much better upkeep over the years. It still had the problem of flaking walls but it was minimal compared to other places. It also included a larger bed but more importantly, a convenient table that was perfect for my situation. The Innkeeper didn't seem bothered to be giving me a room for no payment that was no doubt one of the better selections.

"Are you sure about this? This isn't asking for too much?" I was worried that this was some ploy made up on the spot by the Innkeeper but he didn't seem like the person to do that when given something that was on his mind still.

"Don't bother yourself with the details. In fact, this is not the nicest room we have but it certainly is one almost exclusively is saved for only the most special of patrons." The Inn's doors opened and Sader came in with a quite large sum of coin in a leather sack as well as a scroll. Sader passed the sack to the Innkeeper who eagerly looked inside and passed the scroll to me. He didn't stay long enough for me to ask about the details. The Innkeeper as well left, holding the leather sack closed tightly and leaving me to stand in the doorway of my new room facing the hall.

The scroll was blank on both sides and was no bigger than a traditional magic imbued scroll. The boarder of the scroll was recently fixed with only small tears that could be seen but didn't pose any problems with causing problems or more damage. The problem was that it didn't have anything on it but that couldn't be true. With magic as evolved as much as it was, something had to trigger it to activate. The problem was that I had no such clues to start from.

"Why in oblivion would I need a blank scroll. It had to be delivered to me for a reason, wouldn't it?" I was alone in the room but speaking aloud to myself helped clear my head and think clearer. I would apparently need all the knowledge I possessed for whatever this thing was. The burned edges served to give no clues to what role this scroll served or how I could figure out what it meant.

"This means nothing to me right now, then." Without the coin to get the item appraised, my only alternative was to continue with my plan to get started on my major quest. I knew if I was to go anywhere dangerous, it would take genuine equipment and not things I had found on the ground in a dungeon only fit for the creatures of the night. Also, the fact that my room was being covered by the mysterious potion for five days meant I had a head start on getting myself situated immediately.

The sun outside reflected on the freshly laid snow, my first glimpses of the busy outside only being a blinding white screen. The day had officially started a couple of hours earlier but I knew what I had to get done. First and foremost, my equipment had to be replaced with better things that could take some damage without starting to break. My inspection of the sad excuses for what I used made my situation clear and I was lucky to get out of the dungeon with my life. My target was the local Equipment Shop.

I questioned citizens about the closest shop and eventually ended up at the entrance to a building that was a short distance away from where I was staying. Apparently, my luck wasn't all bad since the most important places were around the Crimson Chasm. Said luck wouldn't last forever but all I needed was a way to get a foothold somewhere that I could use as support. An oval sign with diagonally crossed weaponry was the only sign I needed to verify I was in the right location.

The shop looked to be ages old, weathered wood used to support the frame on the outside and sturdy brickwork made up the walls. It was not something that was updated with the times, not necessarily needing to look new. The reputation of any Equipment Store was enough to keep the owner happy. This owner certainly had a large enough store to show how much he was earning, having a single floor roof in places but a two-floor roof near the center rear. That was most likely where the forge was at and the craftsman worked. There was not a lack of shutters as well, no doubt to keep the smoke from filling up the store but were shaped to keep the snow from entering easily.

The inside of the shop was unsurprisingly warm, even warmer than the Inn. The little bit of snow that was laying on me from the outside was melted in seconds with just standing in the entrance. The inside of the shop started with a short walk forward, large braziers lighting the way and weapons and armor mounted on their respective stands on display lining the wall. The large central room had a lot of supplies scattered in the corners and unnecessary sections of the shop. Display cases and ornate wooden tables were front and center, housing potions or scrolls or a multitude of other adventuring items. Wood and glass display cases, clearly locked and made with only the strongest of material, had their own alcoves along the side of the shop as well, no doubt holding the rarest or most sought after items. They looked normal to someone who was just browsing but if one looked close enough, a tinge of colors could be seen that eluded to the fact they were indeed imbued with magic. That sort of merchandise was out of the scope of any craftsman, no matter their innate skill. Enchanting weapons or items took masters of the magical arts and they were worth well beyond what they were sold for, if used correctly. The craftsman himself was working near the back of the shop, as expected, taking his spot between his anvil and forge, working but looking to be enjoying it nonetheless.

"Hello, sir. May I distract you from your work for a moment?" I walked casually towards the working man, the years of his passion on display. This man worked without a shirt, no doubt because of the heat but he was not shy of anyone seeing him. A native Redguard worked this forge as well, not a surprise seeing as this wasn't a town on the border of Hammerfell. That was where most foreigners would keep themselves unless they had good reason to venture more inwards. The man stopped his work and looked over to me, surprised. He was clearly deep into doing his own work too much to notice someone simply walking in right now.

"Of course, of course! Give me one moment!" The man finished the work he was doing and put his tools on the now empty anvil, turning his attention to me. "What is it you need?"

"I just wanted to know if I could use your forge? I know it is a bold request but I don't have nearly enough gold to pay for your services but I figured using your forge wouldn't be too much trouble?" The man stood much taller than me, his size no doubt intimidating for anyone who wanted to do something he disapproved of. Of course, the very muscular frame helped as well.

"That is a big request. I'm not sure if that is a good idea…I will make you a deal, then. You may use my forge but ONLY if you can give me your word that if anything happens to whatever you are repairing, it is not any fault of mine." It was to be expected that if anyone were to be able to use anything that wasn't their property, it would mean agreeing to a very one-sided compromise. This man must have dealt with people who asked things like this before and had a bad experience with at least one.

"I promise nothing will be expected of you to replace." The man crossed his arms and simply stood. He was probably debating himself on whether he should agree or not. Most people would have denied such an agreement with it not benefitting themselves at all.

"Fine but don't take too long." The man took a couple steps away from the anvil, keeping his eyes on me the whole time. It wasn't going to be long since the only thing I had to try and fix up was the broadsword. Though it wasn't in bad shape, it could do with some improving. The buckler was going to be impossible because it wasn't entirely made of metal and what was metal wasn't even the most important parts.

"I will not." I stepped forward and started my work. Although I wasn't as skilled as any true master craftsman, all trained Knights were required to be able to have basic upkeep of their equipment at all times. That was the one thing our instructors drilled into us after the basic combat training. Though it was clear that the years of not needing to entirely work on my own items had weakened my hammering arm and I didn't work like I did when I was younger. It was passable but not what I personally expected of myself.

After about half an hour, an amount of time that I was very surprised I got seeing as the craftsman still had his own work to do, the broadsword was sharpened and looked a lot more presentable than when I had first gotten it. I ran my fingers along the straight edge of the blade and instinctively moved to sheath the blade but only figured out my mistake when the blade fell from my hand and fell to the floor.

"Damn, that's right." I sighed and picked up the hopefully undamaged weapon but the craftsman put a hand on my shoulder. I had forgotten he was there with how absorbed I got into my own work and caught myself blushing a bit at the embarrassment when I looked at him with a surprised look.

"Do you not have a holster for that?" It was an obvious question but I don't think he was asking for an obvious yes but an explanation on why I was missing it.

"I didn't buy this weapon, I…found it outside the walls." This was not at all a lie and it was doubtful the craftsman would find this unusual.

"An adventurer like the rest of my customers, huh? You seem to be able to work that anvil better than them, though. Do you have training of any sort with it?" The man's hand was still on my shoulder. He was drilling me for information and he probably wouldn't let me go until he was satisfied. It could have been because of suspicion or general curiosity.

"I do have some, yes. It has been years and I am no master but I didn't lose all of my skill." I kept my answers general, not wanting to give away anything that would cause distrust after the blessing I was given lately. The answers seemed to have sufficed as the man released his grip on my shoulder.

"I see…You said you didn't have much gold, right? Where are you staying and how are you staying there?"

"At the Crimson Chasm. I got a run of good luck and I have a few nights of free room."

"I see. Well, how would you like to help me? I could pay you for the help and I wouldn't mind a little bit of company during those times." This was not what I was expecting first and it confused me on why he asked such a thing.

"You just met me and all I did was sharpen a blade. Why would you think I would be able to help you?" Faulty deals weren't something I was too comfortable with since my area of expertise wasn't a negotiator while young or old. It was either fighting on the battlefield while young or keeping my own people safe before this whole ordeal with Tharn.

"It's not a permanent position by any means but I could use someone to fill in for me while I am busy with different work or making this shop stand out. Do you know where you are, by chance?" The man crossed his arms and looked hopeful down at me.

"I have to admit, I am not exactly familiar with all the shops in every province, so not in the slightest." Although this faked amnesia wasn't something I was expecting to have to use all the time, it helped at times. Even then, it wasn't always me lying about what I did or didn't know at those times.

"This is Maker's Tool Shop! One of the best when it comes to both quality and quantity!" The man puffed his chest out while speaking, no doubt loving to announce his own shop and give it as much of an impact as possible.

"I see…I ask again, why would you want someone like me who you don't know helping you in your own shop?" I didn't want the topic to be changed too much if I had the chance for another foothold in getting back to my old life, even if it were something that required hard work. It would probably feel good to do honest hard work for a little.

"Oh, right. You don't seem to be like the other 'brave' adventurers that buy my stuff. I haven't seen more than a couple come back in my lifetime, which happens to be a large portion of my life. I've been running this shop for a very long time. What do you say to my offer?!" It was a hard chance to pass up indeed, impossible in fact. Although this man wasn't a trained diplomat, he clearly spoke true without showing off any sign of doubt or deceit. This man's profession was not a dishonorable one, working with straight numbers and merchandise rather than empty promises and pure profit.

"I'm not denying it in the slightest but I am just a wary person about these sorts of things. I've had my fair share of bad happenings with scenarios similar to this one." The life I had as a representative of Redguards came with its own share of dangers and some did involve deals that might have went badly at some point. The most recent events were a prime example, of course.

"Good, then let's get started!"