Alarm and panic surged in me as I searched the crowd, listening intently for any muffled screams or angry shouts by either of the Dark Elves I was accompanied by.
"OLGA! CHLOE!" I cried out again, hoping for some answer over the sea of people. Unfortunately for me, I heard nothing back, either because the crowd was too loud or it blended into the background noise like the rest of these people did.
They were shouting over themselves; some yelling to get in, others complaining about some stolen cloaks or something, but I was more focused on listening for the Dark Queen and her retainer's voices to really pay attention. I had pushed myself out the back of the crowd, and gave a quick scan of the area around the gates.
So far, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, no dark-skinned Elves being taken away or anyone carrying suspiciously large bags. I couldn't help but wonder if I was simply not seeing it, or if they had possibly gone deeper into the Fortress City. Somehow, the thought of them having gone further in was more daunting than if they had been carried away from it.
"Sir! Sir!" The Guardswoman from before came rushing over to me. "Is everything alright?!"
I shook my head. "No. No, it's not." I couldn't keep the anger from leaking into my tone. "I came to this fortress expecting safety for myself and my companions." My fist clenched Chloe's glove hard. If I wasn't for the glove in my hand, I think my nails might have drawn blood. "And what happens when we arrive? They are suddenly missing with all of my belongings!"
The woman held a hand to her chin. "Do you think they stole from you?"
"No, it'd be out of character for them to steal from me. Someone must have abducted them, otherwise I don't understand how they could have gotten away from me." I gestured to the surrounding area. "I thought they might have been taken back out of the crowd, but I didn't see anything there."
The guard noticed the glove and sleeve in my hands. "Do those belong to them?" she asked, and all I could do was nod. "Well, then we may still have a chance to track them down. The hounds in Feoh are great at tracking scents. If you'll hand those over, I might be able to use one to find out where they went," she offered.
As much as I hated the idea of leaving the search to someone else, I unfortunately had bigger things to worry about, and that was getting Alicia warned and prepared for what might be the first big siege of this new war.
"They're two Elves. I managed to save them from monsters and thought I could bring them here to be safe. Sure show's what I know," I remarked bitterly. I handed over the two pieces of clothing, and the guardswoman took them carefully.
"I'll get right on searching for them. In the meantime, though, I'll let you into Feoh for now. We can skip the entry fee this time, since it was under our watch that two people have been abducted," she kindly informed me as she escorted me back to the gate.
I gave her a nod. "Alright, but if you find anything, I want to know."
The guard nodded. "I understand, I'll let you know when we have something. Enjoy your stay at Feoh," she told me as she dropped me off in the town square and left to conduct her investigation. I hope that wherever Olga and Chloe are, they aren't suffering right now.
Like it or not, I can't afford to look, not when Vault's army might be getting ready to attack right now. Maybe they won't attack today, but tomorrow? The day after? Any of those are fair game for that man. And if Feoh falls, then whatever is going on right now will be so much worse.
But… where do I start?
Getting to Alicia is going to be difficult: She's a Princess, and I am, for all intents and purposes, a commoner. I don't even have the benefit of any definitive proof that Vault has turned, other than my own word. Setting up a meeting will be challenging enough, and convincing her will be even harder than that. The frown on my face grew as I thought about my options. None seemed particularly ideal at the moment, given the situation.
If I somehow managed to sneak in, she would brand me an intruder and have me imprisoned, which isn't the greatest place to be in during a siege. I could try to talk my way in, but without any real way to prove that Vault is a traitor to the nation, it's something that's difficult to sell.
Hmm…
That actually gives me an idea. If I recall correctly, the Prime Minister is the traitor. Beardsley…. Or was it Bearsly? I can't remember, but if I can get into his office somehow, I think I might be able to prove that Feoh's going to be attacked. First things first, though, I needed to get inside the castle without breaking any laws. A castle's security is supposed to be top-notch, so sneaking in was out of the picture.
As I pondered how to do this, my thoughts were interrupted when I heard a bit of commotion a small ways away.
"Did you hear? Another star was added to the sky last night."
"They say this is a sign from the Goddess, that the end of the Dark Queen is near."
I couldn't help but frown. If anything, that was a sign things were going to get worse, much worse.
"Yeah, I heard about that. Princess Arcturus is holding an announcement tomorrow with Princess Fiorire to address the situation."
She was, was she?
"Yeah, you think Lady Arcturus received news from Lady Celestine about it? Two of those things have appeared already, and we still haven't been told what they are yet."
I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow. She hadn't told them about it yet?
"Who knows? With how treacherous the roads are becoming, I wouldn't be surprised if Her Holiness never got the message. It's a dangerous time to be a Courier, after all."
The other man raised an eyebrow at his friend's statement. "Really? I've been able to send and receive messages from my sister in Rad, and we haven't had any problems."
I thought about what I had heard for a moment…
Were the Black Dogs hunting couriers? After all, that would explain how they got those letters I had found in the war tent back when I was with them. But if that were the case, then how could that other guy get messages to his sister? Were they targeting royal couriers or something? It kind of makes sense. And if they don't know about it, it might just seem like monsters or bandits are intercepting their messages.
But that isn't the case, and they're just feeding information to Vault and his armies.
I needed to get a message to Celestine. If I can get her and the other Shields to stop using so openly valuable couriers, maybe we can keep Vault from learning valuable information on the Alliance and their defenses. A standard, low-class Courier might be able to deliver a message without getting intercepted.
"Hey, mind if I ask something?" I asked, approaching the two men.
They both turned to face me at the same time, before recoiling, scrunching up their noses.
"Yeah? What do you need, stranger?" they asked, backing up a few paces.
I glared at them. "Directions. I'm looking for-"
"A bath?" one asked, followed by the other saying, "Or maybe somewhere to get new clothes?"
Glancing down at myself, I couldn't help but feel a little offended. My clothes were dirty, and my armor was a bit stained, but it wasn't that bad. "I'm looking for a courier. Where can I find them?"
They glanced at each other, confused for a moment, before the other one pointed at a building across the way. "You can find them over there, the place with the big wooden letters."
When I followed his finger, I expected to see some kind of storefront; but no, it was a literal building with a bunch of large, wood-carved letters. Like actual letters; not the alphabet, but envelopes.
"Ah, I see," I said slowly, realizing that I ought to pay a bit more attention to my surroundings right now. "Thank you for the help."
As I walked away, I heard them mutter some unkind words about my lack of attention, but right now I didn't care so much about what other people were saying to me. Too much on my mind right now to really give more than half a shit.
I entered the building, and found it… remarkably barren.
"Ummm, Hello?" I asked. "Anyone in here?"
At my question, I saw a strange little man pop his head out from behind a self. He had large eyes, a handlebar mustache, glasses, and a messy head of hair.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't do handouts," he informed me, and like the other two men I met, I felt a bit offended. Drumming my fingers on the counter for a moment, I waited for him to look back at me, and a flash of realization crossed his face.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had business here. I was…" He trailed off before coughing into his fist and clearing his throat, marching over to the counter with a newfound pep in his step. "Welcome! My name is Carl, how can we at the Eostia Mail and Courier Service help you today?!"
"Eostia Mail and Courier Service?" I parroted back at him, a bit surprised at how happy he seemed.
"Yes sir! The one and only! I know the place might look a bit understaffed, what with the whole being sent around the kingdom, but I swear to you sir, we'll get your package where it needs to be!" he announced, as if he was trying to sell me on the idea of sending a letter… which was odd.
"I appreciate it, but I'm a bit short on cash at the moment. I was just wondering what it takes to hire you to get a message to Lady Celestine in Geofu."
The man's already wide eyes widened even more. "A message for Lady Celestine?! That'd be… Hmm… Give me a moment."
He raised a finger and held it up while he ducked under the counter and grabbed a… thing. He slammed it down on the wooden surface with a loud *thud* and began fiddling with it.
"Let's see, a trip to Geofu would take approximately a day's travel. Work hazard are Orcs, Goblins, and various other monsters in the area, in addition to bandits," he muttered to himself. "And then there is getting it to Lady Celestine, and that means getting into the White, a difficult thing for a non-royal courier…" he kept mumbling quietly, before he finally looked up at me.
From his face, I could tell it was bad. "So, what's the price?"
"Approximately, for delivering to such a person of place and stature, I'll have to charge five hundred coins," he informed me.
If I had my satchel, that wouldn't be an issue, but since I don't and am therefore broke, I could only hang my head in silent frustration. "Of course it is."
"Is everything alright, sir?" Carl asked inquisitively.
All I could do was shake my head. "No, I got robbed on the way in. If I had the money to send a message, I'd write a letter for you to send right now, so it looks like I'll need money and fast."
Carl nodded. "I see. Well, I haven't gotten any other mail to send, so I'm sure I'll still be here by the time you get back!"
"I appreciate that, Carl." Actually, that was a good question. "Why is it so empty here, anyway?" I would have figured a post office would be bustling with activity: people coming by and sending messages, packages, and whatever other mail there is to be sent.
The Courier laughed nervously. "Ha… That's because the Prime Minister has recently ordered a suspension of all non-essential correspondence. Many of our messengers have been hired to serve as royal couriers as well, so I'm the only one willing to take and send letters and other mail."
Of course he did. The bastard's trying to cripple Feoh in every way he can for the Back Dogs to take over…. Wait a minute.
"If he's banned non-essential communication, then why are you still here?"
Carl stood straighter, and slapped a hand over his right shoulder as if he was about to recite-
"Neither rain, nor sleet, nor hail, nor monsters, nor bandits shall keep this courier from making his deliveries!" he damn near shouted. "I swore an oath, sir! If you have a message to send, I will ensure it is delivered, be it a romantic letter to a lover, a package for a friend, or a simple insulting note! Everything that's given to these hands WILL reach its intended destination, or I will die trying!"
The post office was silent for a moment, and I was sitting there a bit dumbstruck. "You would go against his orders to do your job?"
"Yes sir! One of the many principles that Feoh and Eostia as a whole was founded on was freedom of communication! I'm humbled to be part of the glorious system that connects this Alliance together, and no one, not the Prime Minister nor the Goddess herself, could tell me otherwise! Even if I'm arrested for the act of simply delivering a letter, then I will be imprisoned knowing I fulfilled my duty as a courier!"
Carl, buddy, I appreciate your dedication, but please tone it down a notch or two?
"Thank you, Carl, but before I can send anything, I'm going to need to actually pay for it, right?" I asked, and he simply nodded. "Alright, I'll be back when I got the money, don't go anywhere."
"Don't worry, sir, even if someone else wanted to send a letter, I would be sure to wait for yours." I narrowed my eyes a bit, unsure what he meant by that, exactly, but I simply turned to leave. So let's see…
I'll need a pen… I mean a quill and ink, some paper, and some money to send it. But, how am I going to get money right now? It's not like there's just a bounty board for me to pick and choose from, or like an Adventurers' Guild.
If I still had my bag, I wouldn't have to waste precious time looking for an odd job. If Olga and Chloe were still here, I could just use them to see Alicia right away, as shitty as it is for me to think like that.
For now, though, I should probably get my bearings on the city itself. If I have to fight here, I might as well familiarize myself with this place at least a little.
One of the first things I noticed was different was that there was a lot less religious imagery here, compared to Geofu. Which makes sense, I suppose, considering that was the place of residence for the Goddess Reborn, while here is just a Princess.
Feoh was somewhat plain in looks, or as plain as you can get for a fantasy city. The buildings were high, about three or four stories on average, with some taller than others, but never any less than three stories high.
Looking up at the buildings of the fortress was something of a mistake, as I accidentally bumped into someone while I was walking down the street towards the castle proper.
"Watch where you're going!" the old man angrily told me, as he jabbed at me with his stick.
He was hunched over, leaning heavily on a simple wooden cane. His face and hair easily told me that he was probably in his seventies or maybe even his eighties, with gray hair flowing straight down from his head, matched with a gray goatee and mustache. His coat was a dull maroon with gold detailing, which told me one thing: This man must be a noble, or something close to it.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying much attention." My apology was half-hearted, since to be honest, I wasn't really.
The road was mostly empty, save for a few people out and about, but he had plenty of time to avoid me if he was paying attention. The fact we both bumped into each other told me he wasn't paying any more attention than I was at the moment.
"You had better be, do you even know who I am?" he asked, jabbing at me with his cane again. I was already on edge due to losing Olga and Chloe on the way in, and now with his prodding, I'm starting to get a little pissed.
"No, and to be honest, I don't give a rat's ass," I replied disinterestedly. "I'm sure you're very important to whatever people care, but not to me." I backhanded his cane away from my torso before he could poke me again, and brushed past him.
"Have a good day, you old fucker," I waved off as I pushed past him.
As I was passing, he reached out and grabbed my shoulder. "Now hold on just a minute there, boy!" He forcefully tried to turn me around, but it was nothing more than an attempt. "I will not be ignored and pushed aside like trash! I am-"
"An old man who's well on his way to a box if he continues to irritate me!" I warned. Under better circumstances, I might have been more polite, might have cared more about what to say; especially to a man so old, I ought to be more concerned with not giving him a heart attack. But right now?
Right now, I was in a bad mood. And I mean a really bad mood.
He stared at me for a moment, too surprised by the sudden threat to respond right away.
"I'm going now. If I hear you try to talk down to me again, I WILL feed you the last of your own teeth."
With that, I left the old guy and a few stunned onlookers in shock as I walked away from the encounter. The rational part of my head knew that was a poor way to handle the situation. I have no idea who that guy is, or what he does. He could be a vital ally in the future for all I know, since he's so old that I doubt he'd be able to participate in Vault's Sex Empire even if he wanted to.
I couldn't help but let an irritated sigh escape my mouth as I thought about it. I wish I could relax for a second and think things through right now, but at the moment? I just want something to go right, for a change.
Is that so much to ask for? That for once things go easy for once?
Of course that's too much to ask for, me, you're the one who got yourself into this mess because you're an idiot.
Shut up, inner me, I'm trying to calm down.
If you had told Celestine the truth, maybe this all could have been avoided.
No, that's not right… It would have been worse. If they really are taking stuff from couriers, if I had told her the truth, he would have altered his plans… He might have had me killed the moment I got into his camp.
I rubbed my face with a hand as I let out a groan. I can try to rationalize it all I want, but the fact of the matter is, I got myself into this situation, and now I've got to figure out where to go from here.
… Where do I go from here?
I hadn't realized it, but it seemed I had gotten lost. It didn't help that I didn't have a map of the city, but with the buildings as high as they are, and so close together, I hadn't realized I was more or less stuck in a maze. I stood in the middle of an intersection and found myself just looking around.
Which way did I come in from?
I glanced around, trying to find any landmarks that could point me in the direction of the castle, but everything sort of blends together, and to a resident they might figure out exactly where they are. But for me, a newcomer?
"Huh, so is this what it feels like to be a rat in a maze?" I remarked as I looked around.
"Umm… Excuse me, sir?" I heard a quiet voice speak up next to me. It caught me a bit by surprise, since I didn't hear the girl approach. Then again, I hadn't been paying attention to the people around me at the moment.
The girl was… kind of cute, honestly, but that's par for the course in this world, I suppose. She had short blonde hair, a nun attire that left little to the imagination, light blue eyes… Wait a minute.
Recognition flashed across my face as I realized who this was, or at least who I thought this was. She was the blonde nun that gets raped by those Ghouls when the fortress is attacked!
"Sir?" she asked again, snapping me out of my stupor. "Is everything alright?"
No, but I can't exactly say that now, can I?
"No. To put it lightly, my day took a very bad turn the instant I set foot in Feoh." My voice failed to hide the frustration I was feeling. "Today started fine enough, learned some interesting news, and decided to come to Feoh with…" My captives? Prisoners? Acquaintances? "A few people I managed to pull from a bad situation, and before we even got into Feoh, someone must have kidnapped them."
The woman put her hands to her mouth. "Oh no, that's terrible!"
"You're telling me. The worst part is that I can't even go looking for them, since I have no idea where they were taken. All I can do is hope they're alright while the city's guards do an 'investigation'." I couldn't resist throwing up the air quotes. "Three guesses to the amount of faith I have in them, and the first two don't count," I muttered bitterly.
The blonde nun frowned, clasping her hands and shutting her eyes. "May the Goddess watch over them, wherever they may be."
"I hope your prayer works, Sister. They'll need it."
"I will ask the others at the church to pray as well," she informed me. "I'm sorry, it occurs to me that I haven't asked for your name."
I couldn't help but sigh. "James Hind. You?"
"I'm known as Sister Marie," she introduced herself. "While I cannot offer you anything that will truly bring you peace of mind, I would like to know if there is anything I can do to perhaps help you relax," she offered. I opened my mouth to decline, but couldn't finish before she continued. "I can tell just from one look that you haven't had a chance to. Your armor and clothes are filthy, your skin has dirt and dried blood sticking to you, and your hair has not been washed for what I can only assume has been a week."
I sighed. That was the third person to comment on my appearance. I took a moment to examine what she had pointed out, and she was right. I already knew I was pretty dirty, but in my defense, I have had a bit of a stressful few days.
"I don't know, I've got a lot on my mind right now. Besides, I don't even have enough money for a bath, I got robbed on the way in."
"I did not suggest you pay for it. I will make the arrangements for you to stay at a tavern for a day. Unfortunately, due to the amount of people in the city at the moment, a day is all I can provide."
"I have a lot of things that I need to do right now, and resting is low on the list, but I appreciate the offer."
"If you don't mind me asking, what could be so important that you would decline?" she asked curiously.
"You want to know?" I asked rhetorically. "Fine. I need to warn the Princess of this fort she has been betrayed, and that there is an invasion coming, one bigger and badder than anything she had to deal with in the past." Sister Marie put her hands over her mouth in shock. "I can't sit on my ass about this, and I can't even tell the guards, hoping it reaches the Princess' ears before the traitors."
If I told them, then Beardsly may be able to hide any evidence of his treachery. "As such, I am under a lot of stress right now, and if I don't do something about it soon, then we're all going to be knee-deep in semen figuratively, and for some very literally."
The blonde nun held her hands over her mouth for a few moments. "Are you sure of this? Do you have any proof?" she asked quietly.
I nodded. "I am sure, I heard it myself, after all. As for proof, I didn't have much, but what I did have was stolen on my way in. I'm hoping that if I can get into the traitor's office, I could find some incriminating evidence to prove his guilt," I continued, crossing my arms and pinching the bridge of my nose. "Sorry, I know I probably sound angry, but I'm just frustrated, is all."
"No, I…" She paused for a moment. "I understand. It seems like a lot of stress to be under," she tried to calm me. "However, you won't be able to warn Princess Arcturus today. She and Princess Fiorire have left for Ur to discuss some personal matters regarding the latter."
"They're not here?" I asked hollowly as I backed up a step, "Of course they aren't. Why the fuck would they be?!" My voice was growing louder as I spoke. "Nothing can be that easy, there is always someone pushing the goal posts away from me, like some sort of cosmic joke!"
"Please, mister Hind, calm down!" Sister Marie begged.
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" I yelled out, before realizing I had just shouted at a nun. With a deep breath, I tried to calm down. "Sorry… I need to go," I told her, letting my shoulders drop as I turned and tried to leave.
When I turned to walk away, she reached out and grabbed my arm. "Mister Hind, I understand you are going through a lot right now, but please, allow me to help you." I glared down at her, ready to deny her, only for her to look in her eyes and find any resistance I had crumbled away.
"I beg of you, sir, allow yourself to take a moment to rest and recover."
A part of me knew I shouldn't try to unwind a bit, that I had critical stuff that needed to be done as soon as possible.
On the other hand, though, I was working myself up too much. I snapped at that old man before, without really caring about what I said. People act stupid when they are stressed and angry, and even though I know I need to deliver this warning, I ought to make sure I have a clear head going forward.
"Alright," I finally relented. I needed to get clean anyway, so I might as well do that now.
"Alright, follow me," the blonde nun said as she began leading me down the streets and through the maze that was this fortress. "The Amber Elixir Inn is one of the few places in Feoh that allows overnight visitors. You should be able to clear your head here," she informed me as we entered.
The place was, for lack of a better term, very run down. The Innkeeper was an old woman behind the bar, while a younger lady was sweeping up broken shards of glass and dust. The wooden fixtures, tables, and chairs all had clear signs of wear and tear.
"Ah, welcome to the Amber Elixir, is there anything I can get for you today?" the old woman asked.
Sister Marie approached the counter and began talking with the older woman, while I was left to look around. I took three steps deeper into the building and accidentally scared myself when I heard a sudden cracking sound, only to look down and see a stray piece of glass shattered under my boot.
"Oh dear, I'll get that in a moment, sir!" the young lady said as she hurried over and began picking up the shattered glass shards.
"This place looks like it's seen better days," I commented, deciding to take a seat in a nearby chair.
Only to end up falling through it as it fell apart under the weight of me and my armor.
"Oh, nononono!" the same young woman repeated as she began picking up the scattered pieces of wood.
"DAMN IT, GIRL! QUIT MAKING A MESS BEFORE I THROW YOU BACK ONTO THE STREETS WHERE I FOUND YOU!" the Innkeeper shouted, briefly breaking her conversation with Sister Marie, before resuming it in the same polite tone she had before.
I sighed, slowly bringing myself back to my feet and picking up parts of the chair that had broken. "Here, let me help with that," I told her as I began grabbing the legs and seat.
"Please don't," the girl uttered in barely a whisper. "I'm in enough trouble already, anymore and…" She trailed off, looking at the innkeeper out of the corner of her eyes.
As she said this, Sister Marie clapped her hands and bowed. "Thank you very much, Miss Florence. I will have payment delivered by tonight," she said, before walking over to us. "Miss Florence has agreed to let you stay the night, and to allow you to use the bath."
"Thanks Sister, I appreciate the help." I gave her my thanks and watched as she left the inn.
Once she was gone, I was approached by the Innkeeper. "Hello sir, my name is Florence Braith. Welcome to the Amber Elixir Inn. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your room." She told me, slowly leading me to a door in the back of the main bar area and up a set of stairs.
In the other rooms we passed, I suddenly realized why this place rented overnight stays. This place was decrepit. I was half sure it was supposed to be condemned because of the sheer level of decay, but the fact that people were struggling to fit into the fortress meant they couldn't afford to waste what might still be livable space.
"This place isn't going to fall on our heads, is it?" I half-joked, genuinely concerned that it very well might.
"Oh, don't you worry, this place has held strong for years," Florence dismissed casually. "I've been running this inn for decades and never once had anything break on me," she tried to reassure me, only for me to take a step and damn near fall through the stairs. "Oh yes, that step needs replacing, but everything else is fine." As she said that, I noticed a rat run down the handrail. "Fine, there might be a slight rodent problem."
I looked up at her and simply shook my head before I continued following.
She took me to the top floor. "Here we are, our finest room," she announced with pride, but I was remarkably unimpressed by it. It was okay at best, and that was being very lenient with it as a whole. I was almost glad this was only for a night, 'cause I cannot imagine staying in this room any longer than that.
"I appreciate it," I told her as I entered and sat down on the bed, which made an especially loud creaking noise in protest.
The old Innkeeper nodded. "I'll go get a bath drawn for you. Is there anything else I can do for you while you're here?"
"Yeah, actually, could you tell me if you hear of any odd jobs around town? I need to start earning some cash soon…"
"Normally I'd charge you extra for that, but it's been a while since a handsome man has spent the night here. I'll start asking around for you," she informed me, turning to leave me alone in the damn near decrepit room. "Oh, and when your bath is ready, I'll send Lira up to get you," she added before shutting the door.
With the innkeeper gone, I was left alone with my thoughts.
So, to recap the situation: I somehow lost Olga and Chloe on the way in, which is haunting my mind like a ghost. My satchel and all my money is gone, and I'm in a rather unfavorable spot because of it. Alicia and Prim are NOT here, so even if I wanted to talk to them, I would need to go to another fortress, the location of which I wasn't even sure about. Evidently, Vault might be intercepting royal or noble communications, and that makes getting a warning out to the other fortresses a risky affair.
And to make matters worse, I don't even know how long until Vault will attack this fortress and everyone in it. It could be tomorrow, the day after, or hell, even an hour or two from now.
I discarded my armor, letting it land loudly on the wooden floor, and laid my body on the old mattress.
In a way, I should have expected problems like this. In the original timeline, this kingdom was doomed because of so many factors that it was impossible for the Shield Princesses to counter them. As much as I hated to admit it, Vault is a more cunning leader than I had given him credit for.
If I was ever going to beat him… I needed to be more. I needed to be better.
I needed more power.
… Huh… that felt strange.
Anyway, I need to start looking for more of those stones… Unlike the Standing Stones of Skyrim, these ones seem to be one-time use, but each has a different Skill on it. The first one I found had the image of a one-handed sword, the other one had the Destruction School's symbol on it… As stupid as it probably sounds, I am inclined to think they are similar to the Perks in Skyrim. After all, when you got one in the game, a star was highlighted and glowed brighter, and those stones shot stars into the sky.
*Knock**Knock*
"Hello? Your bath is drawn, sir." I heard the voice of the servant girl from the other side of the door.
"I'll be there in a second," I told her through the door as I stood up, "So, Lira, right?" I asked for clarification as I opened the door, and saw the girl take a step back away from it.
"Er, yes Sir?"
I shook my head, "Well, first please drop the sir, it's just James," I calmly corrected, "Second, if you don't mind me asking, what's the deal with this place?"
Lira looked confused for a moment. "I'm sorry?"
I gestured to the building. "This place doesn't seem to get a lot of attention, and yet everything looks so abused and old that I wonder how your boss can afford to keep it running."
The Servant girl looked down for a moment. "Truth be told, there's only one reason people come here, and it's not normally to spend the night or relax."
If it wasn't to spend the night, then what would- oh.
So this place was basically a love hotel?
"And a Nun brought me here?" I asked, almost unbelieving.
Honestly? This is something I should have expected.
"It's not like it's advertised like that, she couldn't have known unless someone told her about it."
Be that as it may, I still expect people to be less naive about things like this.
"Here, your bath is inside." She opened the wooden door and pushed me inside the small room. In the center of it was a wooden tub, filled with bubbles and steaming water, with a small side table with what I can only guess are cleaning products. "I'll have a new set of clothes in your room for you to wear."
I made sure to lock the door., since I didn't want any unexpected visitors while I did this. I carefully removed my shirts, pants, and everything that I had been wearing for the past few days… Shit, look at them now, I can see why people thought they were dirty. Bloodstains, dirt, and a myriad of other blemishes on the cloth made this less a shirt and more just a rag.
After inspecting the old shirt, I got a good look at myself for the first time in a while. And as much as I hated to admit it, they were right: I was absolutely filthy.
Well, only one thing for it, I suppose. I carefully dipped a foot in the tub before its brother joined it, and slowly let myself melt into the warm water. After spending a good few days without it, it felt god-damn heavenly.
"Ahhh…"
You know, I prefer showers myself, but something about a bath just hits different when you haven't washed yourself in a while. I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy the feeling of it, savoring the warmth, the water, hell even the bubbles. If I said I wanted to stay here forever, do you think people would hold it against me?
Eh, probably. But at least I can enjoy the feeling of being clean for a moment.
I slowly let myself sink in, letting my hair get wet, and join the rest of me. God, when was the last time I felt like this? Probably before coming to this crapsack world that I got myself stuck in. Still, though, I need to try harder to relax a bit more. Isn't there a saying about that? 'Too much stress breaks even the strongest chains', or something like that?
That isn't to say I should completely relax. I've a job to do, after all, and I'm the only one able to do it. I can't forget that, even if I tried to. Hopefully when I get out, I'll get some good news. Maybe the innkeeper found a job for me, or maybe the city guards have a lead on Olga and Chloe. Or, optimistically, Princess Alicia came back, and I can try to deliver my warning to her before it's too late, but I doubt I'm that lucky.
But right now I needed to relax a bit, so with a few minor adjustments I just let myself soak. No moving, no talking, no life-threatening attacks, just me, the tub, the water, and the bubbles.
However, like all good things in my life now, it was cut short by the sound of a fist pounding on the door.
"What is it?"
"Just making sure you hadn't drowned." The Innkeeper's voice came through the wooden door. "I've asked around a bit for you, got a few jobs that need doing. When you come out, you can take your pick of them."
That was faster than I thought. "I'll be right out," I told her, quickly reaching out, grabbing a sponge, and scrubbing myself clean. I was thankful the concoctions on the table were helpfully labeled for me to use. Once I was done scrubbing the remaining dirt off, I grabbed the bottle labeled 'hair' and poured some of the thick…shampoo-like substance onto my hands and rubbed it into my hair.
After I was all finished cleaning the basics, I stepped out of the tub and grabbed the nearby towel to dry myself off with. That was when I caught myself in the mirror, and for the first time in a while got to see myself, but also see the scars that Vault left after he beat me. My skin was covered in dozens of small cuts that, while healed, left some pale scar tissue. Barely noticeable compared to the rest of me, but I couldn't help but spot them all over.
I couldn't help but stare at myself, partly in pride and shame. Muscle had been built over the brief time I had been with the Black Dogs, more noticeable than I had before, more defined. I wasn't fat, skinny, or muscular by any means, perfectly in the middle of the road there, but now? I could notice the faint outline of muscles beginning to show themselves. I couldn't help but admire it a bit, but hated that I had to thank the Dogs for it.
While we traveled, I had been forced to participate in training with other recruits, with an odd lesson from Vault every once in a while. It was the most exercise I had had in a while. Don't get me wrong. I do a light workout every now and again to keep my strength up, but they worked me like a horse.
As I examined myself, I couldn't help but notice that I had begun getting the beginnings of a beard. I guess it has been a while since I last shaved, but I have had other things on my mind than personal hygiene.
Closer inspection of myself almost made me laugh: I was starting to look a bit like my latest character. The hair was a little on the short end, but growing out, and my skin tone was, while still light, a bit paler than my character, not for long though if I kept adventuring.
Leaning in a bit closer, I considered shaving while I could. "Eh, fuck it. My dad has one, I might as well try growing one myself," I dismissed the thought before I realized what I had just said.
Dad, Mom, everyone back home…
I hadn't really thought about them in a long time. We don't… or didn't talk as much as we used to, and now I doubt I'll ever get the chance to talk to any of them again. A sad smile broke out across my face as I remembered our last conversation…
Ironically, it was just before I made my last character…
I sat on the couch in my small apartment, a controller in my hands and a character creation screen in front of me. I stared at it for a long moment, simply wondering what my next character should be. Maybe a fists only Khajit Warrior? An Argonian Shaman? Maybe a Nord One-Punch Man?
While I was deciding, I heard my phone start to ring on the opposite arm of the chock. I lazily reached over, leaning as far as I could, but it was just out of reach. A single scoot to the left, and I managed to grab it, giving a single look at the caller ID: Dad.
Swiping the answer button, I raised the phone to my ear.
"Yello?"
"Hey buddy boy, you doing anything right now?" My dad asked on the other end of the line.
I leaned back and set the controller aside. "Not at the moment, what's up?"
"I just had to call to tell you about the dumbest thing that just happened to me." He sounded extremely amused, so naturally I was intrigued.
Putting my feet up on the coffee table, I asked, "Oh, really? Well, don't keep me in suspense, tell me what happened."
And so he began his story. "Well, today I had to go to the butchers to pick up some deer for the stew I'm making. I pulled out and drove there, but guess who was sitting outside the shop with a sign this time."
I couldn't help but smile and say, "Ms. South had a sign this time? Damn, I wonder how bad the fight must have been this time."
This wasn't the first time my Dad had called about the local crazy vegan. Don't misunderstand, being a vegan is fine, but Ms. South? She tried to jam it down everyone else's throats. Honestly, if you looked up crazy in the dictionary, I'm almost certain her picture would be next to the definition. That woman will just say shit to try and shame people into being vegan, even if it is incorrect.
She also had a personal issue with her ex-boyfriend, my dad's best friend, Andy, who was the town butcher. I met him only a few times, never learned his last name though, but he was a good guy. Gave me a bag of some extra deer jerky he had made because he just had extra to give out.
"It said in bright yellow neon, 'Meat Eaters? More like Murderers!'."
Well, no surprise there. "Oh boy." Amusement leaked into my voice. "I take it she jumped you when you got out of the car?"
I could hear his nod on the other end of the line. "Yes, sir, she did," he said. "She began yelling at me, like she always does when she's in this mood, but it's what she said that got me laughing."
Shaking my head, the grin on my face turned into a full smile. "Hold on, let me guess… " I interrupted, "… She told you you were a Nazi?" I guessed.
"Ha!" I heard him laugh. "No, she started listing off all this bullshit about how veganism is better for you from a nutritional and ethical point, listing off a bunch of sites and practically forcing me to look at them. You wanna know what one of those sites was?"
Blowing air out my mouth, I wasn't going to try and guess that. "Umm… I give up?"
"Are you near your computer? You gotta see it for yourself."
This is gonna be good. I stood up and walked over to my computer, and opened the browser… only for me to be reminded in the worst way that I hadn't closed my last window.
"AH! AH! AH!" A certain animated High Elf moaned on the screen.
My eyes widened, and panic flooded my veins as I closed the window faster than I ever thought I could. Unfortunately, I just knew my dad had heard that.
"What was that?" he asked, as if he didn't already know.
"Nothing, what's the site?" I quickly asked.
My dad thankfully didn't press further. "Okay then. Type in 'TrueFacts for me."
Just the name alone already told me this was gonna be good. Typing in the address, I clicked the first result and…
Hoo, boy.
This was a total clusterfuck: ads everywhere, misinformation, and mentions of Dihydrogen Monoxide being used in restaurants to cook some animals.
"What the hell am I looking at?"
"You found it?"
"I found something," I replied. I'd call this a joke, but this was just too confusing to look at.
From the tone my dad took, I could tell this must have been the site Ms. South showed him. "You see the 'dangerous chemical' they cook animals in?"
Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not always the sharpest knife in the drawer, or the brightest bulb in the box, but even I could tell this was either a very bad taste in satire or an intentional hoax. "Yeah, I see it," I told him, eyeing the 'chemical'. "Dihydrogen Monoxide… Isn't that just water?"
My dad laughed. "It sure is." He couldn't keep his smile from reaching me, even though we were on a call and not a video chat. "When I saw that, I couldn't believe it. Never in my life did I think I'd meet anyone so gullible to believe a prank like that, but now I can scratch that off the bucket list."
"Every day I'm more and more surprised by the stupidity of people."
"You want to know what she did when I pointed it out?"
I rolled my eyes, amused, of course there was more. "What then?"
"Well, Andy came out to bring me the meat, but also handed me a bit of the fatty bits of jerky he made." I couldn't help but imagine those pieces. I don't know what that man does with that stuff, but goddamn, does it taste good. Especially the fat that gets dehydrated with the meat… makes me regret moving away.
"Naturally, I thanked him, paid for the deer, and took a bite of jerky; and she just lost it. She started shouting and screaming at me how I am a misogynist and a murderer."
"No surprise there."
"Not done yet," he told me. "She then started calling ANDY things, like how he's a monster for cutting up innocent animals and eating them."
Oh, no. If there is ever a better way to figuratively stomp on a landmine, shouting at Andy is it. He's a sweet guy most of the time, good at his job, and enjoys what he does. He's a guy with a heart as big as he is, but whenever Ms. South shouts at him, he always embraces what she tells him.
My dad continued his story. "Andy goes 'Of course, you're right', goes back into his shop, brings out one of the carcasses he hadn't gotten to cutting up yet, and tells her that if she wants to spend hours of her day shouting at him and his business, the least she can do is help him carve it up."
"What'd she do then?"
"She did what she always does when she gets into a situation she doesn't like, and left while yelling about how cruel, and barbaric it is to do that to animals."
That's not surprising, but considering who my dad was talking about, I suppose I should have expected she'd leave at the first sign of trouble. Ms. South wasn't exactly what I would call a coward; you can't be one if you've done stuff like making signs and yelling at other people for their choices. She did, however, have a weak constitution when it came to grisly stuff, like seeing something like a carcass being carved up into various cuts and slabs.
"You know, I kinda feel bad for her… except she usually brings that stuff on herself."
"Mhm," my dad hummed in agreement. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you about that, since I thought it was worth sharing."
I nodded. "Yeah, it's always nice to hear what happens back home." I sighed… Ah, home. Been a while since I was back out to Tennessee, been too long since I last visited. Nevada is where fate took me. It's not the prettiest place, but… well, I live here.
"So, how've you and mom been?"
"We've been fine. Your mother has been getting on my nerves because I forgot to get her some soda while I was out, but we've been pretty alright here. How's Vegas?"
Well, there is only one real way to answer that question, isn't there? "Well… it's not good. It's also hot pretty much all year round, and I pray every night that my AC still works because it can get up to 80 degrees and potentially higher."
"I told you, it gets hotter than hell over there," he reminded me, and I just rolled my eyes. "But did you listen to me when I told you that you should just find another job here?"
A sigh escaped my lips. "Yeah, I should have… but I didn't know I'd get laid off like that. It blindsided me!"
"I know it did," he calmly said. "You know, if you ever wanna come back, you can just say so. We can figure something out for you, you know that, right?"
Again, I nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I wanna try the whole… being an adult thing on my own for a bit. I don't want to rely on you all the time."
"I understand, but just know that if you ever need it, my door is always open, kiddo."
"Thanks, dad, I'll keep it in mind."
"Okay, well, I'll talk to you later. Love you bud."
"Love you too, dad."
I lowered the phone away from my ear and stared at it to confirm he hung up. Once I saw the call ended screen, I tossed it lazily onto the couch and leaned back in my chair. I wanted to go home so badly it hurt, to just drop everything here and live there again, but… I don't know, I guess I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't have to rely on them to take care of me.
On the bright side, I had an idea for the character I would make.
I walked over to the couch, grabbed the controller and made a Nord: a light skin tone, long brown hair like my dad, sky blue eyes like my mom, and a light stubble.
This character? He was based on me, or at least what I would want to look like in Skyrim. A young man leaving home to find his own path, whatever it may be.
You know, I hadn't really thought about it before, but I am glad our last conversation wasn't a bad one. Too many stories have some form of parental drama, but I'm glad mine isn't one of them.
Wrapping the towel around my waist, I grabbed my old clothes, brought them up to my room and deposited them next to the bed, before examining the new set left for me. A simple sleeveless tan shirt and brown pants; I guess I didn't really need the black boots they brought, since they wouldn't fit.
After putting everything on, I traveled downstairs. "Alright, so what've you got for me?" I asked the Innkeeper as I re-entered the main room. I could see from the windows that it was dark out… fuck, did I fall asleep or just didn't realize how much time had passed?
"Ah, there you are." She grabbed a plate and placed it on the counter. It had a baked potato and a small side of something that looked like a steak. "Well, first, here. You get one free meal for the overnight stay," she informed me, handing over a fork and a knife.
"Oh," I hadn't expected a free meal… not that I was going to turn it down. "Awesome." I couldn't wait to dig in… only to immediately frown at the meal before me. I cut off a piece of the steak and saw a sight that no one should ever have to see. I
It was well done.
My eyes simply couldn't leave it. It was just sitting there… taunting me. I was hungry, I wanted to eat something, but this… this is like some kind of twisted joke. Steaks are supposed to be pink, juicy, succulent, and this… thing is damn near ruined, and all I can do is sit here and take it, because I can't exactly tell them to take it back now.
I don't know if they were going to make another one if I do, and I really didn't want to lose a free meal, even if it is this… overcooked steak.
"Did you find any jobs for me?" I asked, trying not to focus on the chewy meat in my mouth.
Ms. Braith nodded. "Yes sir. I've heard a rumor going around that young men are being recruited into a mercenary company. I don't know why, but I got a bad feeling about that one."
Can't imagine why.
"Anything else?"
"Well, I might have learned that the Prime Minister has a thing for the Princess. Not a normal job per se, but you might be able to squeeze some coin out of him when he gets back."
Yeah, too bad I already know about that little secret.
… Wait.
"He's not in Feoh?"
"Nope, he's on a week's vacation to visit family in Aurelia. Left just last night, actually."
I placed a hand on my chin. Damn, if that bastard has already ditched, then the attack could happen any day of the week. However, on the flipside I don't have to worry about him being able to hide evidence, but what if he has other allies here to cover for him? Damn it. I'll worry about it later, "Well, that's good to know, but a bit worthless to me right now. I need something that I can get paid for quickly."
"I understand…" She placed a hand on her own chin. "The only thing I can think of is that someone called S.G Rath wants a cave cleared of giant rats. Pays a thousand coins upon completion of the task, and the cave isn't too far. I think he wants to start a mine."
A thousand coins?
"Say less, I'll take it. Where do I meet the guy?"
The old woman frowned. "No one knows. He had a couple of his guys a few days back asking for people to check it out, not that anyone did, but they all simply vanished with notes like this plastered on some buildings." She grabbed a note from under the counter and handed it to me, and… wow, this handwriting was hard to look at.
To the one it will concern.
These rats are bothersome, too big for their own good, and eating too much of my cheese!
Whoever is willing to be my violent mousetrap, then a reward of a thousand cheese coins are waiting for you… No wait, gold coins… People like gold, right? I don't recall.
This world is a crazy place, isn't it?
But be careful, one of those rats is bigger and meaner than the rest, so big he could swallow you in one gulp, and its breath stinks so bad it burns the nostrils.
Also, a wheel of cheese will be awarded to the person who can find the hip of a friend of mine. They won't stop crying about how much they miss it.
If you're interested, head over to Rat's Nest Cave and kill everything inside. Whatever is in there is yours to take, I just want the cave.
Signed: S.G. Rath, Fancy and Impressive titles.
[PS. Don't forget to write fancy and impressive titles by my name. If you do, then you are re-uninvited to my hot leaf juice party]
I stared at the note for a good, long moment… "Is this some kind of joke?" I couldn't help but ask.
Florence rolled her eyes. "Well, as far as I am aware? No, some people have gone, but none have returned. It's not even a day's journey away from Feoh, you can go there and be back in a jiffy."
I narrowed my eyes as I looked back at the note. "Is there anything else I could do?"
I hoped for something in the city at least. Unfortunately, she just shook her head. "Nothing that isn't already being done, I'm afraid."
I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Great, just fantastic. 'Cause I can't have an easy time getting things done, that's just too much to fucking ask for. I folded the note and stuffed it into my pocket.
"You'll be doing it, then?"
"Like I got a choice. I need money, and everything I had was stolen on the way in. Like it or not, I have to do this, otherwise I won't be able to eat or have a bed to sleep in." I took my plate with me back up to my room. "Thank you for the food."
Traveling back up to the room was surprisingly tiring… It wasn't longer than before, but now that I had a moment to actually rest, I'm starting to feel the fatigue of the last few days. Today has probably been the worst one I've had in a while.
Eating what was left thoughtlessly, I left the plate on the small table in the room and looked outside the window. There were people walking the street and going about their business, blissfully unaware of just how little time they had left before their entire world came crashing around them.
I glanced across the street to the other buildings, and for a moment I thought I saw Chloe… but that was probably my mind playing tricks on me.
I didn't know what time it was, but I just wanted to lay down and fast-forward to morning. Right now, I couldn't do much, and I didn't want to go exploring some cave at nighttime, even if it's supposed to be only rats. Taking out the note in my pocket, I looked and read it over again.
One thousand coins… I could send my message with that and still have some to spare. Maybe the guard would even have a lead on Olga and Chloe for me, and since Alicia is coming back tomorrow, I might be able to warn her about the Prime Minister's betrayal.
But unfortunately, those are things I could only do the next day. So I laid down on the bed, and tried my best to get some good sleep this time. Tomorrow, I had a lot of things to do, and not a lot of time to do it.
Special thanks to LittleWhiteMouse for helping me with this chapter. I cannot understate how grateful I am for their help.
AN: Welp… we've hit it. Unlucky number 13. Probably one of my least favorite numbers, and least favorite chapters to write, simply because I realized as I started writing that in order to make things make sense later down the like a lot of this chapter had to be boring and not really accomplish much.
So, sorry, this chapter doesn't really accomplish much in terms of plot. Setting up future events is important, especially when the important stuff kind of happens all at once, you know? With this chapter I hope I conveyed that, and I hope I managed to clear up some things because I have to give context to Feoh's fall in canon. Things that people unless they knew what was going to happen wouldn't really think about.
A bunch of little things happened in this chapter that while taken individually don't seem like much, but later down the line they will have parts to play.
For those of you wondering about Olga and Chloe, I didn't just drop that plot point, but James, while worried about them, has to focus on doing what he can to keep Vault from conquering Feoh, which means as much as I hate it, he had to leave them be. I kind of need them gone, so James can get his first non-Princess companion. (Not a member of the harem, but a useful buddy) We'll be seeing them again in the future, don't any of you worry.
However, I do have to admit that when I saw that I got 600 favorites, and almost 775 follows, I could hardly believe it. Every time I hit a milestone like this I am just amazed by the amount of people that like this story. It is truly humbling, and I hope you'll be with me to the end, whenever that may be.
Also, since I missed wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Thanksgiving.
And in case I miss it, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.
One more thing, isn't real it was just meant to be a parody site name to use as a placeholder.
Leave a Follow, Favorite, review if you'd like and feel free to send me a PM with any Questions you might have about this chapter or the story in general.
