Creativity: Happy Sunday, everybody! Hope you've had a pleasant week! Oh, forgot to mention, the author's out at the moment, so I have express permission to handle all the intro stuff today! Oh, I can't wait to abuse this power...
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I ah... I can't think of a way to abuse it. Oh god, I can't think of a way to abuse it... Okay, I'm gonna rush through this before the crisis fully kicks in! Luckily, there's no reviews yet, so that speeds things up a bit! First up, Season Order!
So, while this is not final, right now we're looking having two, maybe two-and-a-half seasons for this story, each consisting of about 20 chapters. All in all, that's suspected to handle the whole of the story we're trying to tell. That also means that season 1 is going to end somewhere in the middle of May, and we probably won't start publishing season 2 until 2024 (again, nothing fixed, just the plan we're looking at now). That having been said, we are working on some short side-projects related to this one that we plan to release in between seasons, so if the 32-week wait in between seasons is too much for you, you'll have that to tide you over.
And... Actually, we don't have anything else to say! Well, aside from the Discord plug: 5RRcGwh
Oh, and a big thanks to CeleneTheAngel for helping to edit this chapter and otherwise consult on content!
Now then, allow us to proudly present chapter 3 of Before Kingdom Hearts: Shadows
"Let's see… That's…"
"75 munny. Don't even think of trying to stiff me in front of the new kid."
"Am I being insulted? I feel like I'm being insulted."
Ryo watched as the man handing Veris the munny just laughed as he dropped the specified 75 munny into Veris's awaiting palm, which she shrewdly began counting while occasionally shooting a look at the man.
"Ah, it's just a little tradition at this point. No need to worry…" The man started to say before Veris interrupted.
"He likes to see how long he can get away with underpaying people for jobs. He sets the unpaid aside to give to those who discover it later, but since you've already got debts to pay, I'm not letting this wannabe clown get his kicks this time." Veris informed him. Ryo looked at the man with no small amount of confusion
"…Why? If you're gonna pay everyone the full amount anyway, why bother?" Ryo questioned.
"Because he's a weirdo who finds it funny. Don't bother questioning it, just count your munny from this guy." Veris grumbled in response before she slipped it into a pouch that was hidden in her tunic.
"Come on, let's get back to the wood pile. Oh, and again, make sure you have a sharp rock handy. There's been plenty of time for sabotage…" Veris muttered as she began dragging the sledge used to haul wood back to into the woods outside the village borders. Ryo huffed in exasperation as he followed along behind her.
"Alright, this is getting ridiculous. You keep going on about the wood pile being sabotaged, but you haven't even bother to explain who'd be sabotaging it, how they'd sabotage it or why they'd even bother." Ryo ground out as he trailed along in Veris's wake.
"You'll see when we get there. Hopefully, there aren't any snares this time. I swear, if I end up dangling from a tree again, I am going to borrow your sword so I can carve him like a turkey." Veris growled under her breath. Ryo's eyes widened a bit.
"Okay, setting aside the threat of murder, that literally didn't explain anything. Seriously, why are we walking into an ambush if you have an idea of what kind of traps are already laid for us?" Ryo questioned.
"One, we still need to get the rest of the firewood. Two, it's honestly probably a good idea for you to get an idea of what you're in for around here. It's practically a tradition." Veris replied, still having failed to really inform him of anything.
I'm starting to reconsider my initial plan to make a run for it. Ryo thought to himself as they continued back to the apparent ambush site, with Ryo wishing more and more that he had his sword on him, even if this was likely to be just a prank by what very little Veris had given him to go on. Any prank that Veris considered sharp objects to counter would not be a pleasant one for him, especially following three days being bedridden. Still, Veris seemed perfectly willing to walk into… whatever it was they were about to walk into, so it couldn't be that harmful, could it?
"Alright guys, I know you're watching! If you decided you were gonna pull out all the stops for me and the new guy for his first ambush, let me be the first to tell you that if either of us ends up dangling from a tree, I will personally make sure you both suffer for it! So, if there are any snares set up to have us dangling from trees, now's the time to come out and disarm them and save yourselves a hundred moons' worth of pain and despair!" Veris shouted out into the clearing. There was silence. She took a hesitant step, all the while thumbing the pommel of a knife worn at her waist.
Once again, where's the sword when you need it? Ryo thought as he slowly followed Veris forward. As they kept going though, Ryo heard a sudden snap below them. Veris swore loudly before the ground suddenly lifted up, taking her and Ryo with it!
The pair were disoriented for a moment before they realized that, true to Veris's grumblings, the two of them were indeed suspended from a tree, trapped in a large net. Ryo didn't need to see or hear Veris to know that she was absolutely fuming at the moment. Not a moment later, cackling laughter broke out in the forest before two figures, both male, emerged from it, both howling in amusement. The contrast between them was night and day.
One boy towered over the other and was definitely a couple inches taller than Ryo. He was dressed in a dark brown tunic, black pants and old, beat up boots. He had shoulder-length blonde hair and gray eyes and a couple of tiny white scars on his cheek.
The other boy was short, at least an inch below Ryo. He was dressed in a beige tunic, brown pants and boots and a light brown cloak.
"WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" Veris roared, which only got more cackles from the saboteurs.
"GET US DOWN BEFORE I RUIN THIS PERFECTLY GOOD NET!" Veris threatened, drawing the knife she'd been thumbing earlier to make her point. The two were very quick to set about getting the entrapped pair down from the tree and save the net that was apparently so precious. The moment Ryo and Veris's feet touched the ground, the incensed girl spin her knife around and gave the tall boy a hard thump on the forehead with the pommel of the weapon. The boy yelped and backpedaled, rub his now sore head.
"Hey, what was…" the other boy started to say before raised her knife in a warning.
"What did I say I was going to do if we ended up dangling from a tree?" Veris asked rhetorically. The boy held up a finger.
"Ah, ah, but we used a net. We didn't use snares that'd leave you dangling by your ankle." The boy pointed out. Veris's eyes narrowed.
"At what point did I specify ankles?" Veris asked the boy, never once breaking eye contact with him. The boy stepped back nervously. Clearly, this reaction had not been the expected outcome of this prank.
"There is going to be repercussions for this." Veris promised in a low voice. The boy swallowed before he held up his hands in a placating manner.
"Could repercussions be removed from the table if we were to assist in your final deliveries?" The boy offered. Veris considered the offer for a moment before putting away the knife.
"It'll at least go a ways to reducing the severity of the repercussions." Veris replied, though she maintained the glare before turning to the other boy. Ryo watched all of this unfold in silence, wondering if this was normal around here. That, and if he'd have to step in before things got messy. Thankfully, it seemed that things had worked out.
"Oh, that reminds me. You gonna introduce us to the new guy?" The shorter boy asked. Veris paused for a moment.
"Right, forgot about that. This is Ryo. He's gonna be living with me and my dad for a while. Ryo, this is Garren and Barkos. Garren's the tall one, Barkos is the short one." Veris quickly introduced them before she grabbed her sledge and hauled it back over to the remains of the firewood pile and began piling it onto the aforementioned sledge. Barkos hurried to assist her while Garren went and grabbed Ryo's sledge before striding up alongside Ryo as he went to collect the rest of the wood.
"So… does the net thing happen around here often?" Ryo asked Garren as they approached Veris and Barkos.
"Not the net specifically, no, but typically if one finds an unattended pile of freshly cut firewood laying about, then it's practically mandatory to arrange a prank of some kind." Garren replied.
"How did that start?" Ryo asked in deadpan as they reached the wood pile and started helping to load up Veris's sledge.
"Apparently it was started by someone's grandparent. The story goes that someone was hoarding firewood and it was becoming detrimental to the village. So, they set about making the person's life miserable via small pranks and inconveniences until they stopped hoarding all the firewood for themselves." Barkos replied, apparently having been listening in on Ryo and Garren's very brief conversation.
"And then the tradition just stuck after that, got it." Ryo muttered before he started loading up his sledge, now that Veris's sledge had reached capacity. Between the four of them it didn't take long for the last piece of firewood to be loaded up, and soon enough they were walking back to the village. Garren and Barkos were the ones hauling the sledges per their offer to assist Ryo and Veris in completing their jobs, lest they suffer whatever retribution Veris had been planning for them.
"So, how are you liking it here in Woodfell, where nothing ever happens?" Garren asked Ryo, who glanced at the boy with a bit of a confused look in his eye.
"Well, I've only really been able to walk around in it for less than two days, so I can't say I have proper thoughts on it yet. Maybe you can ask me again in a couple of weeks." Ryo replied as they continued on towards Woodfell.
"Actually, I don't think I saw you doing jobs while we were in town, and I can't imagine you spent the day waiting at the woodpile for a prank opportunity. What were you doing before you set up that prank?" Ryo asked Garren in turn.
"Oh, my dad's the local carpenter. I help around the shop as well as assist in cutting down trees for new buildings, firewood or whatever else they need trees for." Garren replied. Ryo then turned to Barkos, who noticed this and started talking before Ryo could even ask.
"I'm currently apprenticing under the local hunter and do mostly foraging jobs from the board. I'm trying to build up enough funds to eventually study at a university in one of the larger cities." Barkos replied before he noticed Ryo's look of confusion when he said the word 'University'.
"Universities are institutions where people go for higher learning. Law, arts, so on and so forth." Barkos quickly explained. Ryo nodded in recognition before proceeding on to his next question.
"What exactly do you intend to study if you get there?" Ryo asked, to which Barkos seemed to freeze up at.
"I actually haven't decided that yet…" He mumbled. Ryo cocked his head in confusion.
"Wait… But if you have no idea what you want to study, why do you want to go in the first place?" Ryo questioned. Barkos huffed.
"I just want to do something with my life other than living in this village in the middle of nowhere." Barkos muttered. Garren nodded, a look of sympathy on his face.
"Yeah, I hear you there. I'd love to get out there and learn swordsmanship or something like that, but dad's pretty intent on me staying here if he can help it. As if he thinks spending the rest of my life chopping logs is any way to live." Garren agreed before turning to Ryo.
"You were travelling when Veris's dad found you, right? What's it like?" The larger boy inquired. Ryo felt a brief moment of panic before he collected himself enough to respond.
"It's hard, especially after a run of bad luck." Ryo replied bluntly. The other teens eyed him, waiting for him to continue but seemed destined for disappointment.
"Care to elaborate on that one?" Veris encouraged, getting a resigned sigh out of Ryo.
"I got careless and had everything stolen in the middle of the night while I was on the road, save the clothes on my back. After that, I got stopped by a travelling group of soldiers, based on the uniforms they were wearing, just in time for a bandit raid. I escaped in the chaos and passed out on the road. Veris's father found me not long after that." Ryo elaborated per Veris's request. Veris raised an eyebrow in confusion while Garren suddenly looked much more interested in the conversation.
"Wait, if you were robbed, what's with the sword we left at Victor's? Why didn't they take that?" Veris questioned. Ryo nodded.
"They did take my sword. I grabbed that one out of the dirt when the bandits attacked those soldiers. I panicked and grabbed what was nearest to me before I ran for my damn fool life." Ryo explained. Veris smacked her forehead and grunted in exasperation.
"Right, no sheath. Should've remembered." Veris muttered to herself. By now they were just about back at the village. There wasn't much chatter as they navigated to the first house and dropped the firewood off and collected their payment, at which point Ryo realized that it was probably only a couple hours past midday.
"So, what happens now? Do we go out on more jobs, or is there something else that needs to get done?" Ryo inquired. Veris opened her mouth to answer before she paused.
"Actually, not sure in this case. There's not enough time left in the day to do a job that would pay out meaningfully between two people, but it'll still be a while before dinner…" Veris realized before she started thinking.
"Why don't we go find your father and see if he needs help with anything?" Ryo suggested and was subsequently surprised to have Veris make a face at the suggestion.
"Definitely not. I've had more than enough 'character building' from helping him on construction for one lifetime." Veris groaned.
"Well, we've got that, and more jobs ruled out. Any other suggestions?" Ryo asked, not really caring for an answer. He just wanted to have something to do. If he had his sword handy he'd have gone into the woods to train on his own, but Victor had been pretty explicit on needing to have it until the scabbard was finished.
"Well, while we think, why don't we swing by the square and browse the shops?" Barkos suggested. Ryo thought about it for a moment and shrugged. He didn't see why not. It wasn't like there was anything better to do and the greater he knew the layout of Woodfell, the better.
"On a related note, you should probably give Ryo his cut if he's going to be buying anything." Garren pointed out.
"First, I'm going to need somewhere to put my cut. I don't have anywhere to store money on my person after I was robbed, remember?" Ryo reminded him, causing Garren to look quite sheepish.
"Right… Well, at least we know what your first purchase will be." Garren attempted to joke. Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears.
"I suppose that's true. I probably won't be able to make many purchases for a while, considering I'm already ten thousand munny in debt, but being able to carry munny on my person will be a must." Ryo agreed, either having missed or ignored the joke entirely. Meanwhile, Barkos was balking at the amount of money that Ryo had just revealed he was in debt.
"You've been here for less than a week! How do you rack up a ten thousand munny debt that fast?!" Barkos exclaimed in shock and disbelief. Ryo looked at him pointedly.
"Remember the sword? No scabbard? Apparently, they aren't just a few munny." Ryo reminded him yet again. Barkos still didn't look convinced.
"I mean, sure, but ten thousand? Are you sure you aren't getting ripped off?" Barkos asked skeptically. Ryo shrugged.
"I think it's fair. Besides, if Veris is right about the amount of money that can be made via the job board, it shouldn't take too long to pay off. Whatever I don't put towards paying Victor back will go towards essentials and getting ready to travel again." Ryo replied before the four of them began strolling off towards the market.
"So, you're gonna leave when you can?" Barkos inquired. Ryo frowned.
"I'm not sure. I feel like I should, but I don't have any destination in mind. I don't just want to wander aimlessly." Ryo answered. It was true after all. Despite his feeling that he needed to keep moving, even if he had supplies, he didn't have any idea where he was actually going. Needless to say, travelling without any kind of plan was a terrible idea.
"Well, seeing as you have that debt to pay off, you'll have plenty of time to think about it. Plus, who knows how long it'll take you to save up for all the supplies you'll need." Barkos mused as they reached the Trade Hall. As the four of them browsed, Ryo kept an eye out for anything that would be of use to a traveller. He did see a few items of note, such as sturdier boots, a good cloak and a map, but he didn't want to dip into what little munny he'd earned until he had a pouch or coin purse. Speaking of, he hadn't seen one of those yet, which was irking him. It was a relatively easy and inexpensive to make them, so he didn't understand why no one at the trade hall would be selling one, but that was the reality he was living in. He hadn't been to all of the vendors yet, but he was beginning to lose hope that he would find one by the time he reached the last vendor.
"I guess I can just keep the munny I earned at Veruk's house. I don't think I have to worry about him or Veris taking any while I'm away, but I still don't like the idea of just leaving all of it lying around, hidden or otherwise." Ryo thought to himself as he finished checking another vendor and began moving on to the next. As he did, he came across Garren, who was also doing some light browsing. The larger boy turned to Ryo and motioned for him to come take a look at something.
"I need an opinion." Garren told him before he picked up two cloaks and held them up.
"Which one of these looks more… I dunno… Heroic to you?" He asked. Ryo blinked at him.
"Heroic?" He asked, not exactly sure what Garren was going for. Garren looked a bit stunned at Ryo's response for a moment before he quickly began elaborating.
"If you were to see someone approaching you wearing one of these two cloaks, which do you think would look more heroic?" He tried again, only to deflate when Ryo's deadpan stare did not change.
"I don't think any answer I give will be satisfactory to you." Ryo stated bluntly. Garren deflated even more.
"Not even a glimmer of heroic quality?" Garren asked half-heartedly, only to get an apologetic shrug from Ryo. Garren looked pretty down for a moment before he handed them back to the vendor.
"Well, it's not like I could have justified the purchase. Dad's always harping on that I need to save every bit of munny I can for the future. I don't get it with him. I mean, it's not like we're rich or anything, but between the regular traders and carpentry being in pretty regular demand, we've usually got enough to put away for savings. I mean, sure, there's the tax on wood we take from the forest, but that doesn't hurt us all that bad." Garren lamented as he went to examine some of the wares at another vendor. Ryo quickly scanned the items for sale at the vendor that Garren had just left but was annoyed to find that this one too wasn't selling a munny pouch.
"At this point, I might as well try to make one myself…" Ryo grumbled to himself as he moved on to the next vendor before he noticed Barkos shaking hands with one of the vendors before he moved on to talk to another one. Ryo peered closer, trying to see what Barkos was possibly purchasing. It looked like the vendor in question sold knives. All of the vendors that Ryo had spoken to so far had specialized in items for traveling or general wares; small items that were simple enough to make that people regularly needed and replaced. He could browse the other vendors when he had some means of carrying munny around and didn't want to waste time or risk temptation of an ill-advised purchase until then. That, and he didn't currently have any munny on him. That was also a problem.
Before he could continue lamenting his predicament and frustration, Garren sidled up to him again. Ryo wasn't sure why, but the action made him suspicious.
"So, any thoughts on what you'd like to do here? Assuming you decide to stick around, of course." Garren asked as followed Ryo to the next vendor. Ryo frowned.
"No clue. I honestly hadn't thought about what I'd do if I did decide to live here… Say, what does Veruk do around here? I've only seen him at the house and he's never mentioned it before." Ryo asked in turn.
"Really? Kinda surprised he didn't tell you before. Well, he's a martial artist. According to my mom and dad, he showed up in the village with Veris when she was just a baby with barely enough munny to purchase the house they still live in. He helped with construction and repairs, earning munny so that he could build a dojo. The mayor is really excited about it. He hopes that having Veruk establishing himself here to teach martial arts will attract more people, and munny, to the village." Garren revealed. Ryo cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"Dojo?" He repeated, unfamiliar with the word.
"It's a school for martial arts. I didn't know what it was either until Barkos explained it to me. Anyway, he's been building that thing for years, just outside of town. Apparently he's got the central hall done except for some stuff in the interior and is now working on housing for the students. I only know as much as I do because he's regularly getting material from my dad's shop. Sometimes I help load it up for transportation, but it's mostly Veruk and a few of the other construction guys from one of the neighboring villages that take care of that stuff. They have horses and wagons, which really speed up the work." Garren continued, going on a bit longer than Ryo would have liked. However, he at least had an idea of how he could earn a living outside of doing jobs and possibly learn something to continue making munny if he chose to stay in the village.
"Can I ask you something?" Garren suddenly blurted out, causing Ryo to jump a tiny bit before turning to the larger teen.
"Go ahead." Ryo replied with thinly veiled caution. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that Garren was up to something, but he couldn't figure out what.
"So, you mentioned earlier that you have a sword, right?" Garren began, to which Ryo nodded slowly.
"Yes, I have a sword…" He replied as he scrutinized Garren's face, trying to figure out what Garren was up to.
"Well… you see… Would you be willing to… teach me?" Garren asked meekly. Ryo's eyes widened a bit. That was it? It was kind of anticlimactic, actually.
"I mean, I could, but I don't think I'd be a good teacher for you." Ryo answered, to which Garren tripped a bit before recovering.
"Wait, what? Why not?!" He exclaimed in surprise, with notes of disappointment. Ryo sighed and turned to face Garren head on.
"First off, take a look at you and me. What are the major differences between you and me?" Ryo asked rhetorically, though he still expected a response. He had a point to make after all.
"Well, I'm taller and bulkier…" Garren started to say, to which Ryo nodded.
"Exactly. Both the sword and my natural fighting style are oriented around speed. I hit fast, hit lots and get away before an opponent can retaliate. Needless to say with your size and bulk, you'd never be able to fight like me. Your bulk makes you better suited to brute-forcing your way through your opponents. That's not to say you couldn't teach yourself while I give you pointers or call out mistakes, but it'd still be mostly trial and error. I'm not nearly advanced enough as a swordsman to try teaching someone else." Ryo explained. Garren was obviously not happy with the explanation, but he didn't try to argue with Ryo about it. At least, not yet he didn't. Still, that little conversation had cleared some stuff up for Ryo.
"So, when you were asking me about those cloaks and how heroic they look…" Ryo started, only for Garren to groan and let his face fall into his hand.
"Please don't, it's kind of embarrassing." He moaned into his hand. Ryo frowned in confusion.
"Wait, why would you even ask if it was so embarrassing?" Ryo questioned. Garren just glared at Ryo from behind his figures in response.
"Alright, I'll leave it alone." Ryo said, holding up his hands to placate the larger teen. Garren still had some tinges of pink on his face as he lowered his hand, but he at least looked mollified for the time being. However, now that there was a spare moment, Ryo couldn't help but notice the absence of half the group.
"Hey, where did Veris and Barkos go?" Ryo wondered aloud as he started looking around for the teens in question. Garren started looking as well.
"Hmm… I don't see… Wait, there they are!" He exclaimed before pointing them out. They were both standing just outside the Trading Hall. They were talking with each other and seemed to be waiting for something.
"Let's head over there. We probably have an hour left before Veruk gets back from the construction site, so we can walk and talk until then." Garren suggested before he began striding over to his friends, Ryo in tow. Veris and Barkos kept chatting until they noticed Garren and Ryo approaching and turned to greet them.
"Any luck?" Barkos asked, only to be met with a frustrated grumble from Ryo, leading the brown-haired boy to shake his head.
"Well, we can't have you collecting munny without a munny pouch of some kind." He declared, which drew a confused and suspicious look from Ryo. Reaching behind his back, Barkos produced two items before holding them out to Ryo, who blinked in surprise when he saw them. Being offered to him were a small pouch and a sheathed knife.
"You didn't…" Ryo murmured as he picked them up gingerly. Barkos and Garren both grinned.
"We all pitched in. Considering these are practically essential for living in Woodfell, it didn't feel right to leave you as the only one without them." Barkos told him as Ryo examined the pouch and discovered via weight that it already contained a small amount of munny. He glanced at Veris, who seemed caught off-guard for a moment before she recomposed herself.
"I already put your cut in there." She explained. Ryo nodded at her.
"Thanks. Seriously, thanks to all of you." Ryo told them in gratitude as he tied the pouch to his belt and before he began inspecting the knife. It was simple in design; no guard of any kind and a simple wooden handle wrapped in twine. Still, it was of good make and it was sharp. The blade was only a few inches long, but it was perfectly serviceable for utility purposes. The sheath was made of simple leather and had some leather cords attached to it that were for attaching to ones belt. After securing the knife to his own belt Ryo started on another round of gratitude, only to get stopped by Garren.
"You would have done the same for us if any of our positions were the other way around. Besides, you can pay us back by showing us your sword skills some time!" Garren replied, though his enthusiasm for witnessing a display of swordsmanship wasn't met with quite the same enthusiasm from the others, and only a small amount of dread from Ryo. All things considered though, he didn't mind taking such a request. Just, not for a little while. He had to see how bad the damage was first.
"So, what should we do next?" Barkos asked. Veris looked up at the sky and frowned.
"Go home, probably. There isn't really enough time left for us to do anything interesting before dinner time and I don't really feel like wandering around town for an hour or so." Veris said. Ryo shrugged.
"Sounds fine to me. Until I get the sword back from Victor, I don't have much else to do." Ryo replied. Garren and Barkos seemed a little put out by this but didn't pose an alternative. Besides, while Ryo hadn't said it earlier, the exertion from cutting and hauling the logs earlier was starting to catch up with him. He was really tired and simply didn't want to do anything more today.
"Well, I guess that's it for today then. See you tomorrow?" Garren asked. Ryo shrugged.
"I don't see how that's possible. I might be new here, but Woodfell is pretty small. I don't know how I missed seeing you today until you caught us in that net." Ryo replied. Garren and Barkos snickered a bit at Ryo's apparent joke, though noted that he didn't seem to be laughing.
"Wait, were you joking?" Barkos asked. Ryo shrugged again.
"Was I?" He asked back, leaving Garren and Barkos even more confused. And with that, Veris and Ryo bade the two boys farewell and started on their way back to Veruk and Veris's home.
As Veris opened the door and they stepped inside, Ryo couldn't help but think back on the gifts he'd been given a scant few minutes ago. In retrospect it was a rather small kindness, but it felt much bigger than that. He was practically a stranger to them at this point! And yet, they'd gone out of their way to get him two essential items at their own expense.
In fact, it was just now hitting him the welcoming kindness he was being shown with little incentive for it. Veruk had gone out of his way to shelter Ryo and nurse him back to health, despite his apparent suspicions that Ryo could be a danger to him, Veris and even the whole village. And even after learning fragments of Ryo's secret and his potential connection to whatever this 'Dread King' was, he'd made no move to force him into leaving.
"Hey…" Ryo suddenly said in a quiet voice, causing Veris to pause.
"I just want to say thanks. Not just for the knife and pouch, but for helping me get my footing today." Ryo thanked Veris once more.
"Don't mention it. Like Garren said, you'd have done the same." Veris replied before hurrying to her room. Ryo was a bit confused by her rush but decided to pay it no mind as he went to his own room to deposit the munny pouch and knife by his bedding. The more he thought about it, the more he was moved by the generosity he'd been shown in the few short days he'd been in Woodfell. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting when he'd woken up in this small structure a few days ago, but it sure hadn't been this.
Ryo knew he had to leave, eventually. Much as he might want to, he couldn't stay in this village forever. However, he knew that he wouldn't be able to leave in good conscience without repaying the kindness he'd received from Veris, Veruk, Garren and Barkos. Only then would he allow himself to leave Woodfell.
Author: Well, I'm back! How's everything going?
Creativity: I AM A FAILURE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!
Author: Okay... I'll deal with that later.
So, we're two weeks and three chapters in! How's everyone feeling with the story so far? A bit slow-going, but it'll be worth it in the end! Really glad I got so much pre-written this time, though having stuff to revise rather than write from scratch definitely made it easier.
Well, not much else to say right now! Thank you all for reading, please review, hope to see you on Discord, and we'll see you next week!