That brat smacked him. That little bastard not only hit him but also interrupted him. Raylas released the table, splinters cracking off from his grip. He looked down in confusion at the damage from his grip.

When had he ever been this strong?

He took in a breath then released. Then he repeated that. Soon he felt himself regaining his self control. If it wasn’t for that guard, Sim, orders he would have beat down the punk.

“What in heaven's name is going on,” the lady asked as she rushed in.

“Darling! Come watch the kitchen,” a plump balding man waddled in. He looked between the Raylas and Sapphire. “What in the Twelve is going on?” He demanded.

“That son is making a commotion to a couple of travelers… again,” Raylas replied.

“That son?” Dave paused. The shouting of the man echoed down the street and he sighed. “Sir Vodianus’ boy?”

“The same one that tried to kidnap some lady merchants from the caravan two days ago,” Raylas clarified. “I was part of that mess.”

“Damn boy,” Dave grumbled. “His father has to put him straight.”

“What a rude thing to do to a fresh marriage,” Darling sighed. “An obedient wife is no slave. What rubbish.”

“Woman, breakfast is going to burn if you don’t watch the kitchen,” Dave shouted.

“You’re kitchen duty in the morning, I am at dinner,” Darling sniffed before turning and heading into the kitchen.

“I’m going to get double duty tomorrow for this, I know it,” Dave grumbled as he took off his apron and went outside.

“New marriage?” Raylas asked, looking at Sapphire.

“I only told her I am sworn to give you your every desire,” she said innocently.

Raylas groaned and slammed his head onto the table. Of course she did. They had just arrived in a new town and she had to go and spread that.

Though the idea of being a newlywed couple would be fun, he would never be able to pull it off. Not only did he barely know who this girl was but she had zero common sense. Not only is she found outside in the middle of a monster’s forest, but she constantly prattled off nightmarish things like…

Mana-touched.

It was the only explanation.

The door burst open despite the protests of Dave. A number of guards charged inside, their weapons drawn and ready to fight. Most appeared confused when they saw the empty tavern, and their gaze fell onto the two sitting calmly near the far wall.

“You couldn’t even go an hour without causing a scene,” Sim roared as he strode inside. “I said no fights, no chance of getting killed, and here you are claiming to own a slave in the Empire?”

Raylas threw up his hands in defeat.

“I said she was my companion, not my slave,” he defended. Even to his ears his voice sounded annoyed. Then again, this was a small town, and small towns had more trust in each other than toward any stranger. Even the boys who cried wolf would be trusted more than him.

“Silence,” A booming voice erupted.

Raylas instinctively snapped his mouth closed and turned to the man who just entered. His hair was short and peppered, nearly gray. His step was confident in his shining full plate armor with a worn scabbard at his side. Raylas gave him a curious glance.

That was a Knight’s armor?

He had a powerful presence about him, a man who commanded authority. Raylas wondered again what someone like him was doing here? Everyone’s attention was toward him, but the man’s face was a mask of fury.

“Aymar,” the Knight called.

The young man in nice clothes popped his head into the tavern.

“Yes father?” he asked, timidly.

“Is this the slave you’ve been crying out about?” He gestured to Sapphire.

“Yes grandfather,” the man sneered, giving Raylas a hateful look.

“Very well,” the Knight said. He turned to Raylas and gave him a firm examination. “A bit young to be a slave owner, but you don’t look native to Kasan. Know that the laws in the Empire are different from whatever country you arrived from. Please come with us and we’ll sort out this mess.

“Sim, take him to the jail for questioning,” the Knight gave a sweeping glance of the room, but after not seeing anything noteworthy he turned to a random knight. “Heldric, take the girl to see the Old Lady. She’ll know how to take care of her.”

Raylas let the men take a hold of his arms and shove them behind his back. He knew resisting would just lead to pain, it sure did the last visit here.

He really wanted to wake up in a bed that wasn’t in a cell for once.

The men shoved him forward and he walked confidently. He already knew where the jail was, after all.

“Master?” Sapphire called out. Raylas glanced back to see her struggling against another guard, trying to get to him. A fist then smacked him and he was facing forward again, stars spinning around him.

“Don’t you hit my Master!” Sapphire shrieked. There was a burst of mist in the room and shouts of surprise. A clank resounded and Raylas looked back again to see the shimmering chain lying on the floor where the girl was. The next moment the mist condensed next to him and Sapphire tried to push the guard off.

“Will you be still, girl!” Raylas roared. She froze and gave him a panicked look. “They only wish to question me. Please listen to their orders and we’ll get through this. Now be calm.”

“I won’t leave you, Master,” she pleaded as a guard placed his hands on her shoulders. She struggled against them to move closer to Raylas. “I don’t want to wait for a new Master to come. Please don’t leave me.”

“I’m not leaving–”

“Everyone shut up!” the Knight roared.

Raylas sighed then looked around at the guards escorting him.

“Please avoid hitting me again,” he warned. “We just returned from being attacked by undead, so there is a chance we are tainted.”

The guard who punched Raylas paled and looked at his fist, but was relieved to see his armor didn’t have any blood on it. The man at the door, though, paled and looked at his fist in panic.

“Noted,” the Knight said and signaled for the rest of the guards to continue their duties. “Do not resist or–”

“I’m not leaving you, Master!” Sapphire cried and dissipated again. The mist flew through the air toward Raylas but disappeared once it reached him.

“Again…” the Knight muttered. The guards around him were looking around in confusion.

“She is mana-touched,” Raylas explained. “We met during our journey and she believes I am a master of hers from a made up kingdom.”

“She is a mage?” the Knight thought out loud.

“At least a magling,” Raylas lied. “I have been trying to help her find a way to remove whatever addled her mind, but for now we travel together. While she says she serves me I do not abuse that power, trust me.”

The Knight peered at him. He looked at Raylas directly in the eyes as he spoke, then waited a few moments. He nodded then waved at the other guards to release him.

“I trust you, warrior,” he proclaimed.

“Grandfather!”

“Men, take that idiot and lock him in the cage until I’m ready to talk to him.” The Knight sighed and started to rub his temples.

The guards happily complied, the objections of the stupid man echoing down the street as they pushed him away. The Knight apologized to Dave for the commotion, then moved over to the table Raylas was sitting at earlier and sat in one of the chairs.

“How could my grandson turn out in such a way,” he moaned.

Raylas saw Dave start to say something, but he stopped and quickly left to join his wife in the kitchen. Raylas gave the abandoned chain a disgusted look before he went to join the Knight, who was expectantly waiting for him.

“Sir Vodianus of Denn,” he introduced himself as Raylas sat down. “Who may I call you?”

“Raylas of Eilire.” Raylas gave a breath of relief. It seems he won’t be spending the night in a jail cell.

“Well met, Raylas of Eilire. I heard from Sim you and the lady have just arrived. I wish to know your story.”

“Before that I have to ask, why did you believe me?”

The situation was hot, people were moving to arrest him yet suddenly he was released? The more Raylas thought of it the less it made sense.

“It is because I have decided to give you my trust,” Vodianus stated. “Either you are a professional liar or you were telling the truth. In the end, even if you were lying, you wouldn’t be able to contain that girl even if you tried.”

“If only things were so easy a few days ago,” Raylas grumbled.

The Knight folded his arms and gave him another look. “You were part of the caravan? You know Kester?”

“Kester?” Raylas tilted his head. “I never heard of the man before, but I was working as a mercenary under the Captain.”

“Ah!” the Knight snapped his fingers. “You called Kester the Patron. Brilliant merchant, if a bit rough around the edges in his personal relations. The man knew his way around a logbook and helped me out a number of times before I retired from the Guard.”

The knight chuckled at the last bit then gave him another glance.

“Sim told me there was trouble on the road. If you were there, please, tell me what happened.”