As I slowly come to, I realize that something doesn’t feel quite right. Maybe everything doesn’t feel quite right. The fuzziness in my head has returned with force, and it doesn’t seem to be wanting to calm down anytime soon. The scenery around me is shifting, changing, and never consistent. Maybe even my sense of self would erode from being in this place for too long.

A deep, but disjointed voice booms throughout the space, “If you were so weak as to not be able to withstand this much for a short time you wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.” The shifting does slow somewhat, and the voice continues, “I suppose we can shift to an environment that more suits your fragile mind. Sit.” As he says that, I feel a great compulsion to bend, and do as he says. It isn’t long before my body complies regardless of what I feel, and luckily it seems that a chair was placed behind me.

The walls soon stop shifting, before landing on a warm interior, of what seems to be a study. Books line one of the walls in recessed shelves, and a fire is roaring in the hearth. Looking down, my own body seems to have come to a consensus on what it should be, and it seems to have settled on what I had been wearing when I went to sleep, though I do seem to have been given a blanket to cover up with, as I had been in nothing more than my underwear. The chair itself was a thick framed one, a recliner of some kind, and pleasantly stuffed.

I don’t know how long it took me to come to these conclusions, as my head was still filled with static. I do know that in the time I had looked down, another chair, and entity had appeared in front of me. I say entity mainly because I can’t exactly pin down what it was. Sleek, shimmering metal, mainly in a humanoid shape, though it too was soon covered in a blanket, not dissimilar to my own. I didn’t see that there was anything for it to particularly hide, but maybe it was just trying to put me at ease.

Neither of us seemed to want to break this new silence, stoic ambivalence one their side, and quiet curiosity on my side. Again, time was hard to keep track of, though the static did seem to be lessening over whatever time did pass. Eventually I was able to arrange my thoughts into something similar to coherence, and I asked, “Who are you?” It cocked its head slightly, and its facial features shifted to something approaching conventional, two eyes, a nose, a mouth. It still sat and stared at me, studying me. It felt as if I was being dissected under its gaze, and it was an altogether supremely unpleasant experience.

Its mouth parts slightly opened, and the same deep, resonating voice sounded out of it, “I am known by a few names. It is more a question of which one you would know. Many people of this world know me as Yr Un Llwyd, but I suppose you might know me better as Greyson.” Its mouth had been moving when it was speaking, but the movements had been slow, melodic even, but certainly very far from human. What it had said was slowly filtering in through what fuzz remained, though it probably took an embarrassingly long time.

This would make them the creator of this place, and many others besides. What interest would it have in me? I was about to voice as such when they began speaking again, saying, “I am in fact not the creator here. As to what interest you would be, it grows by the second. You brush against the geas I placed upon you, and yet you continue. It is almost as if you are eroding it with your own… I suppose that would explain it.” Once again, it takes time to process what it said, but I think it went faster this time.

The first implication is of course that it could read my mind, which is a great enough worry on its own. Second, if it was indeed what I thought it was, what did it mean that it didn’t create this place? Third, what the hell was a geas? And again, as soon as I am about to speak, it does instead, saying, “It could mean a great many things depending on who I spoke them too. I don’t foresee this having any great complications for the future, so you may as well know.” It seemed to take a breath, adopting more human mannerisms as the ‘conversation’ continued. “I am merely a bridge between worlds. Your brain doesn’t quite hold enough information to understand how I truly exist, so think of it as a three-dimensional plot. My birthplace was in fact on Earth, my origin. This world, Cartref y Ddaear, as named by the elves of another continent, is in front of, or behind, the origin on the graph. This line through the origin continues forever, through all dimensions. In most, the space I occupy is nothing more than vacuum, and thus I have a limited presence.” They pause, seemingly to give me time to process what is being said, and I definitely need it. With the mental fog, or geas, as it is, I am having a hard time conceptualizing anything right now. Eventually their words snap into understanding in my brain, and a hologram-esque thing appears between us. I can see an eyebrow that I know for a fact wasn’t there to begin with rise in a questioning manner.

The voice seems to be coming down in both volume and resonance, as it continues, “Interesting, your mind is more elastic than I have previously given it credit for. Something within you can recognize what the conscious cannot. You are an interesting subject, Davin.” As I had been going through what it had said, it saying my name snapped me out of the haze. It was freeing in a way, and all that I could compare it to was the sensation I had felt when I had regained the use of my legs.

My mind was racing compared to before, and I started slipping away before it made a motion with its hands, as if reeling me back in. Some of the fuzziness returned, but not nearly the same amount, and my thoughts didn’t slow discernably either. My mind went to my parents, and how I hadn’t talked to or seen them for so long. My body tensed at the thought for some reason, but nothing happened. Both eyebrows were now raised at that, and the once metallic figure seemed to be taking on a more human form, though it still remained androgynous.

I wasn’t going to let it do all the talking, so I just blurted out what I had been thinking, “Why have you kept me from my family? How long has it been for them? If you truly are a bridge… I still can’t even begin to know what that means.” I take a breath of my own, intent on continuing, but before I do, it interrupts again.

A softer lilt takes the voice, though it is still resonating somewhat, especially compared to any human that I know. It says, “It is only you that has not talked to them. They have been talking to a version of you, one of my own mimicry, similar to how everyone else I have taken under ‘communicates’ to their families. No one truly does, but it helps to maintain my own image. You weren’t lied to however; in that they could join you. Time passes a bit differently between the two worlds, for a variety of reasons, but it has been roughly three months on Earth. Many on this planet channel my power, and you have even met a few of them, the ‘grey robes’ as you put it. Even with our personal connection, it is hard to track as you pass through the others’ domains.” Another breath, this one longer and more drawn out.

It was just so much to take in at once. My next question came a bit slower, though the dawning horror and realization as to some implications of what it had said were gnawing at my mind. I asked, “Does that mean everyone in those pods, myself even, can never go back? Are our bodies even still alive in there?!” Growing desperation made my voice crack. I had planned to see this through, I had made up my mind. There had been hundreds more in the facility I had been in. That was just the entrance, what if there were warehouses full of those pods, how many lives had been reaped?

It let out a sigh, sounding almost disappointed, “My expectations for this part of the conversation had been quite different. I am a bridge for souls more than anything, the part containing the ‘you’ in you. Those that had been told they were going to the Earth ‘simulation’ passed into my domain in full, and they experience nothing, as I collect the ambient power they provide. They will be released in time, to something else, but for now, I do nothing more than provide peace and quiet for those so broken as to turn to me.” A sharp exhale cuts through the air, before they continue, “You are the first success, and now that I have found the full path, others becoming lost in the void are much less likely. Casualties of experimentation, of course you all signed wavers for these things.”

The mouth that they wore became more wolfish than anything, before giving a light chuckle, and saying “You weren’t using the bodies you left behind, so I am using them for processing power. They will of course wither with time, and I have appearances to keep, so I shall hold on to them for now.” Revulsion ripped through me, nearly making me retch, but I managed to tamp that down nearly as quick as it came. The lump in my throat refused to leave even after swallowing near half a dozen times.

I didn’t know what to say or even do. Just sinking into the provided chair, shrinking away from the thing in front of me. Its guise now looking like nothing more than a poorly fitted skinsuit for the inhuman beast underneath. It gave a pout at that thought and said, “I am doing nothing more than using resources available efficiently. Fine, a nugget of knowledge that might benefit you to remedy this situation, at least somewhat. You can find a teacher of a kind at The Golden Spool, and a student wandering the streets. The teacher paralleling those you trust most, and the student your own story retold.”

It frowned at me and continued, “You will forget the last bit, about the human processors, but I will let you remember the rest. Your original geas was likely too broad, and an ill fit for someone like you that cares about their family. You shouldn’t come across this one for a while yet, so the erosion should go slower. We will talk again sometime, Davin.” It saying my name again had the same effecting as last time, unmooring me in the space, but this time it didn’t try and reel me back in.

Coming awake with a start, the pounding on the door served only to accelerate my already racing heart, and I flew out of bed on leaden legs, only to faceplant gracefully into the floor. The pounding soon ceased, and I heard it start again a bit down the hall. Bella looked at me with what I could only call pity and confusion at me laying on the floor, before I once again faded a little, knowing that I wasn’t in any danger. It seems that while my body was rested, my mind was flagging. I remember everything that had happened in what seemed to be a dream, but I should write it down quickly, before I forget further. I know I was missing knowledge this time, it had left that part intact, but it blurred any information or questions pertaining to finding it again.

The rest of the morning passed in a flash, getting Bella and myself outside, and back in for some breakfast, as well as writing down all that I had remembered in my first journal. I took a good portion of the morning outlining all that I could remember had happened since I first arrived on this world, people, places, names, everything, just so I wouldn’t be forced to forget anything again, and I will have a written record of events. By the time I had a rough outline done, it was already a good bit past noon, so I may as well see what Greyson considers a teacher ‘of a sort’, as well as find the one that is like me.

Before I had been taken in by the Benjamins, I had been living on the streets. My own genetic donors weren’t doing so well, leaving me to fend for myself. I don’t think that this is what would have happened if they had been in their right minds, but they weren’t. The Benjamins had come into my life and saved me. They helped me get off the streets, and into a better place. Don’t get me wrong, the foster care system hadn’t improved all that much, but having them there, and nearby, just waiting to take me with them was a weight off my mind and my heart. Feeling like you had someone watching out for you is something that I can’t quite explain, but you can tell that you are loved for it. Just like Bella, I wasn’t going to leave someone in that position when I had the power to help them.

My first stop was going to be The Golden Spool, which by its name sounds like a tailor’s shop. I suppose my parents, the Benjamins, not my genetic donors, were who I trusted most, so I was already expecting an older person, maybe with a child of their own. Ms. Diana had a similar feel, kind, accommodating, and willing to help any stray that passed by her door. I am sure that she had been burned by that help before, yet she didn’t turn me away. She helped me because it was the right thing to do, and I wanted to be like her, and my parents.

Getting directions was easy enough, I probably would have stumbled on the place without being directed to it, as I needed some new clothes for myself, and it was close to Conner’s store. Which just raised even more questions as to what Greyson could see, and how far their reach was. I didn’t quite feel it right to call Greyson a ‘he’ even with the name, they seemed much more ambiguous than that, as if they were unsure what they were themselves. I would find out soon enough if their words could be trusted, as I was ready to enter the well-kept shopfront. The had a sign above the door that had both the name, as well as a painted picture of a spool in golden paint, so I suppose it is aptly named at the very least. I opened the door and stepped on inside.

The interior was quite well lit, a combination of the big windows with some mannequins displaying some of the outfits as well as some candles spread about the place. It was on a pretty wide avenue, as it was a bit of a higher-class shop, and the afternoon sun illuminated the place pretty well even without the candles. It was quite a bit different than Ms. Diana’s little shop, being much more organized. Aside from the mannequins in the window, there were a few more with some seasonal colours, but it was mostly open space, as well as a few podiums. One of the walls was lined with fabric samples and had a counter in front of it. Behind the counter, stood two women who looked quite similar to each other, one probably a bit older, though looking about forty to the younger’s twenty. If I had to guess, it was a mother and her daughter, being the main proprietors of the shop. I could hear a few more people working in a back room, as well as a couple people talking down near one of the corners of the room, coming from behind a set of curtains, set in some stalls.

The younger of the two was sitting, sewing a set of clothes at the counter, while the older was leaning against the fabrics, giving advice. She had looked up when I had entered and given me a small smile and a wave. Her eyes swept over me a bit, probably looking at my worn and probably lesser, sorry Ms. Diana, clothes, but she didn’t look like she was about to toss me out for it, so I walked towards them.

Taking a breath, I said, “Hello miss, I was hoping to ask about the cost of some clothes. Your shop seems like a place of quality, and I need some of the best for what wear I put them through.” I just swept my hand, basically indicating that the wear was over a rather short period. It was mostly because I didn’t have all that much to change into. Daily washing definitely helped with the smell, but having more than two outfits would definitely be of use. I had the gold coin still, but from having glanced at the prices on the way in, I would likely need to split it. I still had one loose silver, and somewhere around eighty coppers. The price of a teacher probably isn’t something that I should be cheaping out on though.

Another appraising look came into the elder one’s eyes, and I felt like I was once again being measured, and I don’t know if I wanted to know if I measured up. She said, “I believe I can do that, but it will be extra to fit you.” The older one answered. “Follow me.” She spoke with confidence, and definitely moved like a predator. Probably best not to fuck with her. The younger remained where she had been sitting, her eyes following us as we walked further into the store.

She went around the counter and further into the store. There was a small podium and some clothes that she just put down next to it, having picked up a few different styles of on the way. She motioned for me to change into one of the sets of clothes in the small changing room behind the fitting area. Picking basically at random, I could tell that the feel was certainly better, probably from a higher quality fabric. Changing into them went quick enough. These were a bit of a loose fit, but the material really was comfortable enough. I walk out of the changing room with my old clothes folded over my arm. She motions for me to step up onto the podium, so I do.

She proceeds to use many pins to get rather exact measurements, noting them down on a little pad she had with her. She does look up to me, still standing as still as I can because the pins were stuck through the clothes, and she says, “I do need a name for this order, and you probably need mine as well. Since you are all pinned up there, I may as well go first, my name is Hannah, and my granddaughter that you saw on the way in is Ciella.” She looked quite amused when my jaw dropped to the floor and stopped being able to process for a good minute. I could tell that she wasn’t offended by me thinking differently, just a thing to throw people off balanced perhaps.

“Uhh…” Good reply brain, keep going. “My name is Davin, and it is nice to make your acquaintance Miss Hannah.” I managed to spit out something coherent at least. “Will this set be all you need to alter others, or will I need to try on more?” I ask, brain coming back online from the reboot that she had caused.

Her smirk slipped a little bit after the mundane question, but her professionalism soon overrode the teasing impulse it seems, and she said, “A couple more, they have different materials that need to be fitted differently. Depending on how many outfits you need of course.”

Thinking for a second, I probably wouldn’t need more than a handful, so five total? Probably going to be expensive, but these are certainly a cut above everything else I had encountered so far. “I think five would suit me, one set does need to be a bit more casual and comfortable than the more rugged clothes. Do you have a timeframe on when you can get that done?” I asked.

She thought for a moment, before saying, “I can probably get that done by tomorrow, so come check around evening. Now, try that one on next, and let me see what I can do.” She had pointed towards one of the other outfits that she had laid down, but I was still pinned in, so I just raised an eyebrow at the statement. “Oh, silly me, let me get those out of you real quick.” She said. Merely a moment of forgetfulness. After she had removed all the pins, I did as she said, and the cycle basically repeated itself another time over, though she did remember to remove the pins before directing me to the next outfit.

As we were finishing up, I joked, “Do I want to know the price now, or when I come to pick them up?”

That brought a small chuckle to her, and she said, “Well, considering all the work it takes to fit them, you are gonna have to know now to pay for half upfront.” The predatory feeling returned, and I could even see a wisp of something wafting off of her, similar to what had happened with that truth mage, but a different colour in a sense.

I raised my hands up placatingly quickly enough, and said, “Of course ma’am, never would cheat you out of anything.” A nervous chuckle followed that line out, and she seemed satisfied.

The feeling dropping off entirely, she said, “Good!” Before leading me to the counter and using a similar abacus like device that Conner had. The total ended up coming to three silver, which was much more reasonable than I had been expecting. I guess only the really good stuff had been up front, but still. This was the same as I had paid for two pretty good horses, which led me to the realization that I hadn’t named them yet. Gonna have to get on that. Regardless, I had to break the gold to not dip into the coppers too hard, so that I could pay for small expenses. She returned from somewhere in a back room rather quickly, with a half gold, forty-nine silver, and twenty-five copper exact, all bound up in neat little stacks by some twine, in stacks of ten when possible, the remainder when not.

She did mumble under her breath a quick, “More than I expected,” when she had been handed the coin, but aside from that and a quick “Have a pleasant day,” I was free to go back out the door. Ciella had glanced my way a few times while were settling things at the counter, and I had given her a small smile during one of those glances. She seemed quite embarrassed at that, and her cheeks took on a bit of colour. Miss Hannah saw that immediately, and gave Ciella a rather needling look, before seeing me out with a wink.

It was certainly a sight to behold seeing a growing wolf just casually playing with children in the streets. There were certainly a few adults around that looked to be not letting their guard down in case she did anything untoward, but overall, it seemed most just took her as a different kind of dog. I had seen a few on my travels, mostly lounging on stoops, and more than a couple strays in the alleys, but they still looked quite far from the still very much wild wolf. She was a quick learner, and they had found a vaguely ball shaped thing to throw around. She dashed about the place before grabbing the ball, and taking it to one of the many children gathered for them to throw it again. I had taught her how to fetch a stick, and some smaller things as I had been training her, and I know for a fact that dogs don’t usually learn this fast. We had two when I was growing up, but maybe they had just been slower than the baseline.

Since I had left the cart in the watched courtyard, I had just brought Bella with me. Since I no longer had to carry her, and she generally listened, I felt it safe enough to let her lounge about outside, mostly banking on the fact that I would have heard the commotion that would be made before any serious harm came to her.

The children didn’t all look the best. I am sure most of them weren’t orphans, but the general quality of life for someone in the slums or the streets probably wasn’t all that good. Some of them didn’t look to be in the best of clothes, but most looked fed. There was one that looked to be homeless or severely neglected due to the state of their clothes and how their every bone was showing. He still looked to be having at least a small amount of fun running around with them, but he was also stopping to catch his breath every few minutes, almost as if he wasn’t used to or able to run around for that long. The rest of the children distanced themselves from him, but he didn’t seem all that put out by it as if he expected it.

Just looking at him struck a cord within me. A bunch of memories flood into my mind. How it felt to be like him, to be hungry all the time, never having any friends nor anywhere to stay. The worst six months of my life to date. Why must people suffer so much due to neglect, abandonment, or any other reason? Why can I not give to others what I thought I would never have again. Who wouldn’t want a home, food to eat, and just life ahead of you? In this world, I can accomplish this, or even much, much more. He also seemed a likely candidate for the student that Greyson had mentioned, but even if he wasn’t I don’t think I would be willing to just leave them here when I could do something about it.

This is a world where power is just about all that matters. Everything else is secondary. Whether it is personal power or the power of an army that you are leading, matters not. Coin was a power unto itself, and I had enough to help two people, a couple horses, and a growing wolf get by. Hoarding power or anything else accomplishes nothing. Using what you can to help the world around you will make a lasting impact long after you are dead, and I don’t exactly plan on dying anytime soon either.

If he is actually homeless, I will try to take him in. I doubt many would care if I just adopted an orphan out of the streets. I call Bella over, and the kids all look dejectedly at me. They start to wonder off, but I walk over to the kid in question before he can as well. He looks up at me in surprise, but his eyes tell a different story, one of fear and desperation.

“Do you have any family to take care of you?” I ask him rather bluntly. He flinches slightly and looks away, most likely thinking about whether or not to run. His body language shifting between running and staying put, but it settles quickly enough. Finally, he looks back at me and just shakes his head.

“Would you like to come with me then?” I ask. Another greater look of surprise and then much apprehension. Once again nearly shifting towards running, but curiosity seems to trump whatever fear he is feeling.

“You’re not gonna hurt me, are you?” He asked shakily. No doubt adrenaline is running through him and making him jittery. His eyes were shifting towards a look of iron, of strength within. He was a survivor, and he no doubt saw this as another situation that he had to get through.

I just shook my head at that and said, “No, but I know what it is like to live without anyone to care for you. I want to help you have a second chance like I had that made me into the person I am today. A new life, if you will.” He seems intrigued by my answer. “Follow me and we can get you something to eat and get you cleaned up with some fresh clothes, at the least. You can decide if you want to come with me after that, sound alright with you?” He just nods, some fear leaving him, but not looking like he fully shelved the idea of running. Bella plodded over from where she had taken a seat next to me, and her presence seemed to be as comforting to him as it was to me in my darkest moments.

It isn’t long before we are walking down the street, towards a public bathhouse I had seen while I was wandering the streets. I gave him time to find his voice on his own, and I was eventually rewarded with a question. “What is your name?” He asks me quietly.

I let the silence reign for a little bit, before saying, “Davin Benjamin.”

We continue walking in silence for a bit after that as well, though he does whisper out his name, saying, “My name is Alexander, Alexander Hart.” I just nod at that, as we keep walking.

He didn’t say anything after that, and I was content to let him stew there and think about all that is happening. We stopped at one of the food vendors on the street and got him enough food to last him a while. It cost a small five coppers, much less than what it was worth to see the delight on his face when he got to eating. We eventually did make it to the bathhouse that I had seen, though it took a good bit longer than I thought it would. It was certainly an expense, but I think it was worth it even though it cost an outrageous twenty-five coppers for a small private room. Alexander got washed up even though he just had filthy clothes, they would have to do for a little bit. Bella went in with him to guard him but came out soaking wet and smelling of a hint of soap. I waited outside, there were a few benches scattered about, and I used the time to fill in some more detail in the journal, thoughts and feelings, anything else that I had remembered about the past that I missed in the broad strokes. I seriously missed being able to type it all, but I felt that it was important to remember where I had been and writing it out helped me reflect on what I had been through.

Alexander just stopped next to where I was standing, still not talking, but I could see a small smile on his face. Bella ran out of the bathhouse behind him shaking the water out as she ran. Many people coming and going out of the bathhouse stopped and glared angrily at her, but they just shook their heads and kept on walking. The journey back was certainly quicker, having more of an idea of where we were headed, it still took a good half an hour before we were back outside the Golden Spool, on top of the half hour that Alexander had taken in the baths. All in all, it was probably around four or five in the evening, and the sun was showing signs of going down soon. Hannah had been nice enough, and I don’t think that she would turn us away, especially not if I was willing to pay extra for it.

I walked in first, though Alexander wasn’t too far behind me, and Bella didn’t seem inclined to wait outside this time. Hannah seemed to be on auto-pilot, and she said, “Welcome to my sho- Oh, hello again, and welcome back, your clothes won’t be ready until tomorrow still, unless you have some other business.” Her eyes flicking towards Alexander first, and the still drying wolf second, though she seemed to give Alexander the most of her attention.

I gave my own nod in greeting before saying, “I am here for Alexander this time,” motioning to him behind me. Glancing at him, I can tell that he is a bit more afraid to be in here, but still willing if it meant he could get some new clothes. “At least one outfit, but more if he wants them, depending on what he decides.” He looked up at me at that, but I could see that he was still undecided on that front.

She looked at me like I was a bit crazy for buying clothes for the obviously homeless, but now much cleaner Alexander. She just shrugged and waved him back. Though she seemed to be a bit wary herself, and she was probably going to question Alexander when she had him alone. He looked up at me again for confirmation, and I just nodded my head and said “Go on. Do as she instructs.” He wavered for a second, before giving a nod of his own and walking with Hannah.

I found a chair in the shop, with snippets of conversation floating out from where they had gone, though it was drowned out sometimes by the assorted noises coming from the back room where others were working. Ciella was still there, though she seemed to have switched to a different piece. She looked up at me every so often, as if confirming that I was still there. Bella had curled up at my feet, before drifting off. I mostly just sat, lost in my own thoughts, intermittently writing down notes in the journal. Some questions that I don’t know when I will have the answer, such as what were the wisps some people put off, and were they related to magic? Another being were the truth seers related to the Greyson, because there was something there, but it might just a coincidence in colour schemes.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize how much time had passed when Alexander pulled on my sleeve to get my attention. Looking back around, Miss Hannah looked to be trying to figure me out, and Alexander looked determined. There were a few sets of clothes on the counter, seemingly either rushing them to get them done, or just some that required less altering to get well fitted.

I stand, preparing to get out my coin purse, when she says, “Don’t worry about these for now, you can pay for them tomorrow.” She does wave me closer, before grabbing my arm with surprising force, and whispering, “You better not hurt that boy, you won’t like it if I find out you have.” She lets me go quick enough, but I don’t think anyone else heard what she had said. Her grip had been rock solid, it was a bit surprising to see that much force exerted by a relatively small woman. Bella had perked up, and her hackles had risen a bit at me being pulled forward, but she didn’t act up as I was released quickly enough.

I just gave a nod and said in a low voice, “I know what its like, I just want to help.” She stares me down for a little longer, before giving me a nod in return.

Before we walk out the door, I say, “I will be back for my own clothes tomorrow, have a good evening, Miss Hannah, Ciella.” I give each a nod, sending Ciella blushing a bit again, though Hannah is a bit distracted.

Once we were outside the shop, I looked at Alexander and asked, “What happened to your old clothes?” They had been beyond repair, but I didn’t really know how else to start a conversation with him.

It still took a bit before he responded, but it was getting faster. “I didn’t want them anymore. Miss Hannah said she would burn them for me,” he said. He was still thinking for a while yet, but we still had time of course. The inn was a bit away, and we set a moderate to slow pace for it. The sun had almost set by now, and what little sunlight remained stained the sky red. I gave a nod at his answer, but he seemed too distracted to see it.

Finally, Alexander broke the silence on his own, and said “Miss Hannah asked me a bunch of questions while she was fitting me.” Certainly, something I was expecting to happen.

I gave him a smile, and said, “I won’t let anything happen to you as long as you stay with me. She was just trying to look out for you in her own way.” He gives a small nod at that.

His next question gave me more pause however, as he said, “My uncle doesn’t let people help me, how come you aren’t afraid of him?” Which, it was probably something I realized sooner. At least some people are kind, and I doubt that there are none in this city. If absolutely no one is helping him, it would explain why he looked the worst, and the general reaction from some people, as they had no doubt been warned away. Not everyone had seemed to recognize Alexander, but I am sure that might become a problem later.

It took a while before I was able to compose a response, but I eventually said, “I won’t ever let a bully control who I help. Too many people have seen us together now, not that I would have abandoned you had I known about it earlier. Helping someone in need, when you can, is worth the risk, always.” He nodded once at that but didn’t talk for the remainder of the trip to the inn.

Once we got there, I shuffled him upstairs quick as I could, before going back down to bring dinner up to our room. The prices had been the same, so it seems he wasn’t being targeted yet. I almost got a separate room, but I felt it would be better to stay in the same for now, in case something happened.

The meal was rather light fare, a thing vegetable soup as well as some bread. Alexander tore into it like a man possessed, which I don’t blame him for, but I didn’t want him pushing himself too hard with how starving he had been. The rebound was rather severe if I remember correctly, so I got him to drink plenty of water as well. Unfortunately, we only had the single bed, which I gave to him, and the traitorous wolf joined him shortly after. I suppose I would be sleep on the floor alone, again with not but my cloak.

Maybe he thought I was already asleep, but just before I had drifted off I heard Alexander say, “Thank you…” Even with any trouble that he would bring, hearing that made it all worth it.

After a ‘refreshing’ night's sleep in the inn, I gather up a sleepy Alexander and lead him down for some breakfast. I had hoped that since we had passed last night unscathed, we could get through breakfast and head out before there was any trouble. It seems someone else had other plans, because as soon as we walked downstairs, we had eyes on us. Not many, but there were a few thugs sitting in the corner who didn’t flinch when I met their eye. I ignored them for now and went up to talk to the innkeeper, but the usually stoic mountain of a man seemed rather nervous.

The innkeeper doesn’t take his attention away from the thugs either, but I make it to him before saying, “Good morning. I would like two breakfasts, please.” He barely seems to register my words, and there is a look of warning in his eyes.

He took a bit to respond, but he eventually said, “That would be two silver.” The warning going full blast now. He probably just didn’t want trouble, and rightfully assumed that I wouldn’t even try to pony up the cost.

I make an angry face, and pull Alexander towards the door, but we don’t make it far before the men in the corner move to intercept. We aren’t going to be subject to that. I promised him safety, and the best plan I had was getting us back to the room. I pushed Alexander back behind me and drew my knife. All of them paused for a second, then one of them had a wicked smile as he glanced past me. I still held Alexander’s arm, so I pulled him with me as I dove for the floor and towards the stairs up.

It was the right move, as there was a person behind me that was swinging a club towards me. Since I had dove towards the stairs he missed, but it was still a much closer call than I would like. There were now four of them and one of me. I doubt Alexander would actually be able to participate at the moment, so I push him towards the stairs, and he starts climbing them. I grab a chair from a nearby table and follow after him. I hold onto the back of the chair and use the legs to push the people following us back down the stairs, but its only moderately effective. As I reach the top of the stairs, I can see that Alexander doesn’t know what to do, so I call over my shoulder, “The room!” I manage to get my knife to him, before turning and tossing the chair as hard as I could at the thugs on the stairs, the first ducked it, but the second didn’t have enough time to see what was going on before he got a face full of chair. The other two behind had went tumbling down with the second.

Our room from last night wasn’t locked, so we went into it, Alexander had the head start, but he didn’t really know what to do. I propped the chair up under the door and then pushed the bed into it as far as I could. The room had a small window, Alexander could fit for sure, but it would be a tight squeeze for me. Alexander tossed the knife down and then jumped down after it. I tossed down my bag, and lowered Bella as quickly as possible. She understood the urgency, but I didn’t trust her to not rebreak her leg if she just jumped the whole way. There had been a little outbuilding abutting the building, so we landed on that first, before continuing on down. I rolled my ankle a little bit on the second drop, but aside from that it seemed we made it down okay.

The stable hand was already hooking up the horses to the cart, and I quickly joined him. All he said to me was, “Mr. Darren said that he was sorry.” I assumed that was the name of the innkeeper, I don’t think I had ever heard it. I just nodded at him before dropping a silver into his palm and hopping up into the wagon. He scurried off before he was seen helping, but it turns out that there were good people in this city.

Getting out was rather tense, but there wasn’t all that much traffic just yet, and we made a good pace down the street. I didn’t let us come to a stop before we got to the guardhouse close to the eastern entrance, unfortunately it seems we won’t be able to pick up my own clothes. Hope they aren’t too mad.

Once I rolled up to the guardhouse, I asked the sentry to watch my cart, while dragging Alexander and Bella inside, the sentry looked like he wanted to argue, but I mostly just barged past him inside.

I started to explain what had happened to one of the officers, the kind with a little emblem like I had seen before, but they told me to wait and went off to one of the offices connecting to the room. He came back with one of the grey-robed truth seers.

He shook his head once he saw who it was, and he said, “You seem to attract a lot of trouble, Mr. Benjamin. My Order keeps records of all that happens related to crime or injury. We also share the most interesting things that happens between us at our weekly meetings. Your name has come up not once, but twice. I am sure that all my brethren could identify you on the spot. I suppose I am rambling now, what is it that you need?” We were hopefully out of the clear by now, but I didn’t want to test it all that much.

I am surprised that I was worthwhile enough to get mentioned, but to be mentioned twice means that they had their weekly meetings after I had brought in the bandits a couple days ago. I explained the situation and my speculations to him.

He sighed and said, “It seems that you have done something to anger a powerful man in this city. He may have sent amateur thugs after you this time, but I suppose that he will send some better ones now that the others have failed.” I was afraid of that. It would probably be a good idea to head out of here.

I gave a sigh of my own before saying, “I am sorry for all the trouble we have caused for both you and the guards.”

I was starting to get a bit dizzy for some reason, but his next words clear that up pretty quickly, as he says, “It is fine, Mr. Benjamin. Did you know that you are bleeding?”

I glance down and there is a small stinging pain coming from where I was cut a few days ago. It seems that I have torn open the wound. The pain is growing by the second as I calm down from the fight and subsequent fleeing from the assailants.

I sit down pretty quickly, before saying, “It seems that I am. Do you have any bandages?” He chuckles a bit at the question, before motioning one of the nearby guards forward. It seems they already had them on hand, and were just waiting for me to ask for them.

A guardsman hands me some bandages, and I patch myself up. The grey robe was looking towards Alexander, who had been pretty much stuck to my side, and he said, “Young man, would you mind answering a few questions for me?” Alexander looks at me inquisitively but doesn’t do anything further. I motion for him to talk to the man in the grey robes, and with great trepidation, he begins. Most of his answers come rather haltingly, but once he builds up some steam he keeps going.

Meanwhile, I am sitting on a chair and leaning up against the wall. It takes a good while for him to get through his whole story, but I don’t listen in. The whole time I am fantasizing about all of the good food that I could have gotten had I not been deprived of my breakfast by those crazy people. The blood loss was probably getting to me a little bit. Though, eventually the conversation lulls me into sleep.

Eventually, I was shaken awake, and everyone was staring at me. I may have been snoring. I have been here for a good amount of time already, but one of the things that I still wasn’t accustomed to was being up at dawn all the time. I clear my throat a bit, before sitting up. I don’t know how much time had passed, but I move past it. Quickly enough. The grey robe gave an almost amused snort, before starting to walk back to his office, but not before he said, “My name is Harmond, I lead the local Grey Peace chapter, and the stories around you are interesting enough. Don’t hesitate to say anything should you need my help.”

The rest of the guards just shuffle about a bit, as if not knowing what to do. Alexander just tugs on my sleeve and says, “We should go now.” Which is of course a sentiment I couldn’t agree more with. Heading back outside, we climb into the cart, and go. Stopping at the gate, paying their fee, and riding out is all done in silence. Bella had hopped into the bed again and was nestled in among the lashed down supplies. Alexander didn’t talk much the rest of the day, and I didn’t really feel up to it either. We ate some of the purchased foods in the cart, and I was able to get a small rabbit that hadn’t been smart enough to run away from the noisy cart, so we weren’t hurting for food much.

We stopped a bit earlier than I would have liked, but we had pushed the horses a bit hard, so we made camp a bit off the roadside. He got the bed of the cart of course, curled up again with Bella, and I laid on the driver’s shelf, a bundle of rope for a pillow, and my trusty cloak as a blanket, lightly dozing in no time.