Chapter Ten

Jay woke to the bustle of people moving through the hall. Blinking twice, he tried to sit up, but found himself pinned under a massive head. How he had not woken up when Kara somehow managed to crawl into bed with him, Jay would never know, but now he needed to get up and visit Talli in order to help her with the girl, Katie. Jay managed to wiggle an arm free before rubbing Kara’s head, gently massaging her awake. If Kara had been human he would have just poked her in the face, but razor sharp claws hovering around his waist and legs made a man extra cautious. One accidental flex and suddenly he’s known as Swiss Jay, the Eunuch. He may not have used that part of his anatomy in several years, but he still preferred having the possibility.

After a few minutes of gentle poking and prodding, Kara finally opened the eye facing Jay as she raised her head and yawned before licking his face and replacing her head on his chest.

“Oh no you don’t, you big beast!” Jay thumped her gently on the head. “Get off of me! I have a meeting!” Kara was slightly taken aback by the sudden thump to the head, causing her to rise up in surprise and give Jay a chance to escape. He looked back over the big cat sprawled out on his bed who, in Jay’s eyes, had adopted an abashed expression mixed with what he believed to be pleasure. Bane was a pushover when it came to children and Kara might be a masochist. The premonition that flashed through his mind caused Jay to shudder slightly.

After throwing on a set of clothes and handling his basic hygiene, Jay left his room. He had not been able to figure out how Kara had managed to fit through his door, but he also didn’t have time to think about it now as the morning sun was already cresting the horizon. Jay swept into the backyard of the inn, finding Bane sprawled on his back with two of the children nestled at his sides. Jay shuddered once again before scaling the back wall and dropping into the back alleys where he made his way to Talli’s shop.

Jay arrived to find a groggy Talli still in her pajamas making tea. Turns out the elf was not much of a morning person, it was little wonder she wanted Jay to help. Katie had yet to wake, so Jay set about making breakfast for the girls. He had purchased a couple sweet bread pastries that reminded him of delicious old fashion donuts and a couple pieces of fruit on his way over. It was another half hour before a small pile of lightly seasoned scrambled eggs, bacon, sliced fruit and a couple bowls of porridge were set at Talli’s table. Jay went in and woke Katie, carrying her out to the table where he proceeded to slowly feed her milky porridge and mashed, soft fruit. It had to have been at least a few days before Jay had rescued her, on top of the days she spent unconscious, as she was still incredibly weak.

After her third glass of tea, Talli finally perked up and engaged the other two in conversation, which only Jay responded to. Both complimented his cooking skills as Talli devoured the eggs and other things Katie was currently unable to eat, never the less, Katie murmured to Jay that the slight cinnamon flavored porridge mixed with the fruit was delicious. What could he say? All those years of paying attention to cereal boxes finally paid off. The few cooking classes he took during moments of supreme boredom probably helped as well.

After the bowl of porridge and a few slices of fruit, Katie seemed tired once more, so Jay moved her back to the bed, tucking her in, telling her he would be back that night as she dozed, before returning to the kitchen/dining area. Finishing what Talli had started, Jay polished off the remaining eggs and bacon, then cleaned the dishes and utensils as Talli prepared to open her shop.

Jay still had a few hours to spare before meeting the governor, so he assisted Talli around her shop for the majority of the remaining time, learning what he could about the things she was making and the plants used. Another family had recently come down with the flu, so Talli had set about making additional doses of various medicines. With an hour left until his afternoon meeting, Jay left Talli and Katie to go wash up and make himself slightly more presentable. The clothes he currently wore were his only garments, but he figured he could at least make an attempt at respectability before meeting the man who practically ruled the city.

It wasn’t long after he finished when Andrews arrived at Drenz Rest, which also now had appropriately painted signs. The guard captain whistled in appreciation at the transformation the old battered inn had undergone. They were still two days away from officially opening, but the inn itself was in a far superior state. Jay took the opportunity to introduce the guard captain to his own personal right hand who had whipped his inn into shape before they both headed to the large estate seated at the center of the city.

It was Jay’s first time within the inner city walls and other than the sizes of the houses and mansions, Jay found the place to be rather similar to the outer city. Those they encountered wore slightly more refined clothing and nicer jewelry, but beyond a few status symbols, one would not normally guess this was considered the upper class of the city. It was a pleasant change of pace. Many greeted the well-known guard captain as they passed, casting curious looks at the man following him, but none were particularly rude or overbearing.

Two guards greeted them as they made their way through the main gate of the governor’s estate. The grounds were lush, well maintained with many beautiful trees and plants scattered throughout the lawn. Sculpted bushes lined the walkway as they progressed further into the estate. The mansion itself was respectably large, but was not the largest within the upper city. An ancient and large bronze statue of a man hoisting a sword in the air with a battle cry on his lips sat in front of the building. The plaque at the base read:

Ger Valdun, Hero of Drask, Dragonslayer

The Battle of Dusk

Year 348 of the Second Cycle

Jay pondered for a brief moment. He had not heard of Ger Valdun, but the current year was four hundred twenty-two of the Fourth Cycle. He did not have the slightest idea of the duration of a cycle, but the fact that the last time a bunch of various people got together and started killing each other happened to be around the same time as the beginning of this cycle was rather telling. If he made a considerably uninformed assumption of around five hundred years a cycle; that meant this statue was at least over a thousand years old. It also gave credence to fantastical beings, since the man was titled Dragonslayer.

His train of thought was interrupted as they entered the main hall. The true splendor of the governor’s mansion assaulted Jay’s eyes. The room was well lit from a crystal chandelier hanging high above, allowing Jay to see the various beautiful paintings that covered nearly every spare inch of the walls. Small machines and trinkets were lined in glass cases spread throughout the massive entry way, some of which looked remarkably advanced for what was supposed to be a technologically inferior world. It reminded Jay more of a museum than a person’s home. Andrews chuckled at Jay’s excitement remembering the first time he had seen the hall so many years ago.

Jay’s eyes moved constantly as he attempted to take in everything he passed. Various swords and pieces of different types of foreign armor primarily dominated the cases, however there were many technological gizmos and gadgets that made Jay pause. He saw what he was sure was a cell phone (not his own, as he had buried it back in the dark forest after the battery died), a digital watch, what looked like a box of condoms… and was that a rail gun? These were only the few things Jay recognized from the quick glimpses he caught as he passed, with many more items scattered throughout the various cases.

Jay was immensely troubled. Either dragging people from other worlds was a common occurrence, or this world had seen some very advanced time periods, which in turn threw his already unstable hypothesis surrounding cycle duration out the window. Jay brooded in silence as he mechanically followed Andrews through the mansion, lost in thought. He nearly ran into the man, startling Jay from his own inner arguments, when the guard captain suddenly stopped in front of a set of thick oak doors before knocking and entering into what appeared to be a private study.

The walls were lined with bookshelves, which in turn were completely filled with books of various shapes, sizes and colors. A large mahogany desk sat at the far end of the room with a man similar in stature to the guard captain perched in a well cushioned chair. Eye glasses sat on the man’s chiseled nose as he read through what appeared to be a thick stack of parchment which was stacked on the desk. The man looked up briefly and gestured for his guests to be seated as he resumed reading the report in front of him. He had to have been slightly older than the guard captain, as his long hair and full beard were completely white. His rugged features and built, healthy body spoke of many active days. Dark brown eyes continued scanning back and forth across the parchment as Jay studied the governor.

He removed and neatly folded his reading glasses, setting them in a drawer, before he addressed the two men in front of him. A deep, sonorous voice escaped the man’s chest, and spoke with assured authority only obtained through a lifetime of giving orders and expecting them to be followed.

“Walter, thank you for bringing him. I’ve ensured the other things we discussed yesterday would be taken care of.” Andrews nodded before standing once more and, with thanks, departed the study.

“Jay Trinity, the most recent addition to my city. A scholarly man of unknown background to all, including himself.” Jay simply sat as he was inspected and judged by the city’s most powerful man. “Walter informs me that you’re looking for work as a scribe, and from what I’ve heard from fact and rumor says you do good work. However, I’m curious as to why a newly established innkeeper would wish to find other work, as well as to why an educated man would be so interested in combat?” So begins the interview, Jay laughed in his head.

“As you seem to be well informed, I’ll skip most of the details.” Jay began. “The women and children I’m employing will be taking care of the inn. I plan to retain ownership per the gender restrictions of the kingdom on land and business, but the women will work the business and the majority of the profits will be theirs.” Jay stuck to his cover of amnesia as he continued. “After mastering several forms of fighting and weaponry, I plan to travel the land and seek my fortune as an adventurer, hopefully rediscovering who I am in the process.” Both men sat silent for a moment, each inspecting the other. The governor broke the silence first.

“There is much more to your story than you are telling, however I will not begrudge a man his secrets, as they do not seem to directly conflict with the good of my city or my country. Allow me to officially introduce myself, as I’ve had you at a disadvantage all this time. I am Ray Jering, Governor of the city of Shren and Weapon Master to the previous three kings before retiring. I am also your new employer and trainer.” Jay hid his surprise but nearly reeled in shock. This man was way more than Jay had previously been informed. “Your meals and additional clothing more appropriate to your new station will be provided.”

Governor Jering stood and had Jay follow him to the mansion’s massive library. Books lined every wall for three floors, with multiple standalone shelves housing more on the bottom floor. Jay guessed that a third of the mansion alone belonged solely to this collection of knowledge.

“Your job will be creating a catalogue of every book in this library, and organizing them accordingly. You will be paid five silver a week. The additional five silver I would have normally paid will go towards training expenses. Any questions?” Jay shook his head in silence. The sheer number of books excited him. So much knowledge readily available and now at his disposal. The fact he had managed to acquire a martial instructor at the same time only compounded his loss of words.

“Good. Your schedule from now on will be as follows: Starting next week, an hour before dawn you will wake and meet me behind this mansion for training. You will exercise until midmorning before taking a brief respite for breakfast. You will continue training until the noon meal, after which you will learn court etiquette among other necessary topics if you are to be in my employ. Once you have mastered these lessons, that time will be yours to do with as you please. After the evening meal, you will work in the library, cataloguing my books for several hours. At week’s end, you will have one day to yourself.” Jay had followed the governor out of the library and back to the entrance of the mansion as he explained Jay’s days for the foreseeable future. It was a demanding schedule, but Jay was sure he was up to the task.

They parted ways with a firm handshake and Jay made his way back to Talli’s. Once he began working and studying under Governor Jering, his time would be severely limited for the foreseeable future, as such, Jay needed to wrap up all of his unfinished business. First and foremost, he would be unable to visit beginning in a few days’ time and needed to ensure Katie and Talli would make do without his presence. If she could recover enough to move to the inn, that would be ideal so as not to unnecessarily burden the elf.

Jay’s faith in Heidi and the women of the inn was near unshakable, and he was quite comfortable leaving the management of the establishment in their capable hands. He would still be living with them, but he would rise before them in the mornings and return after the majority had retired for the night. He would have to inform Dennis, Nial and Carl of his new arrangements before they were all separated once more. Despite the short time he had known all the men, he did not doubt they were all friends. They had worked and fought alongside each other, and those were bonds not easily broken.

Jay worried about his beast companions. Kara and Bane were not meant to live within the confines of a city, and their excursions into the surrounding countryside would only keep them satisfied for so long. It may be best for them to return to the Dark Forest where they would be most comfortable. Jay shook his head attempting to dislodge the worry. He would discuss it with them and they would make a decision, it was their choice after all, not his. Jay strode into Talli’s shop, his face still reflecting his inner thoughts as he shared the news with both women.