Daire wanted to cry.

His parents were the kindest people out there, but they had the cruelest sense of humor. They didn't go far enough to make his entire name explicit, just far enough to make someone wonder.

It was probably mom...

Maybe the reason they're so kind is that they're trying to make up for their horrible naming decision...

Daire was wondering if he should change his name. It was a new world, after all. Whispering to himself, he continued that line of thought.

"No one from back home is present, and I am not officially a person here. I have no birth certificate, registration, or paperwork that would be valid here. I technically don't exist."

Although there are probably many wanderers with similar circumstances. People who never settled down or have lost histories. Daire would likely just be another one of them.

A wanderer.

The more Daire thought about it, the more he realized he was trying to convince himself. Daire knew he couldn't change his name. First of all, he introduced himself to both Violet and now Brom and Charlie. Changing it would just confuse things.

Being called a different name would just feel... wrong.

Daire tried thinking up new names for himself, but none of them stuck. Some sounded cool and some were silly, but none of them were him.

"Daire is me. A collection; A bundle of memories that makes up my identity. Throwing it all away is impossible without losing a huge part of myself."

Names were unique. It is a mild cliche where parents spend eternities arguing over baby names. They look for special symbolism in flowers or great people they want their baby to take after. Coming up with unique spelling, never-heard-before names, adding weird characters or numbers just to make their baby special from the start.

It was all hogwash.

A name is a blank slate. Eventually, the more it's used, the more it is colored to that specific person. That was why nicknames existed. They're tailored to an individual, becoming who they are.

A soul is not given a name; A name is given a soul.

He shook his head violently.

Why am I acting all philosophical?

Daire finished up the calligraphy on the back of the cart.

Violet Spark Trading

It had meaning to it. Violet was Violet. It referred to lightning that contained shades of purple. Purple is a royal color, supposedly giving their company more esteem. Spark was a reference to both Daire's and Violet's magic. It also signified that this was just the beginning, that all things start with a spark.

"..."

Daire realized he just did exactly what he was criticizing.

"It is better than Willy Light."

Daire winced.

That name couldn't be used. Daire could never take the name seriously, and they would be the butt of all jokes.

Wiping his hands on his jeans, he saw Violet peak out from her book but quickly retreat back into it. Pebbles was on her head, staring blankly.

Moving his eyes away from the miniature hypno-toad, he locked eyes with Trinket, waving him over. Trinket complied, prancing over like a cub. Smiling again, Daire scratched behind the bear's ears, already in a significantly better mood as Trinket let low a low purring noise.

"Are you really a bear?"

Trinket nudged Daire, nearly knocking him over. Directing Trinket to one of the water barrels, the creature found a new target to attack. The adorable fuzzball started slurping down the liquid, splashing it everywhere. The barrel barely large enough for his head not to get stuck.

While it would be comical, Daire didn't want to risk Trinket panicking like he did with the bees.

Continuing to pet Trinket as he slurped, Daire spoke to the bear.

"We will have to make a choice, Trinket."

More drinking.

"I am not sure how bear-friendly the towns will be. If it turns out that Milton doesn't accommodate bears, we may need to part ways."

Trinket lifted his head from the barrel, looking up at Daire while he tried to catch the falling drops of water with his tongue.

A black bear with dark blue stripes marking his fur. There were two right angles on his head above his eyes that faced away from each other. It made him look like he always had his eyebrows raised.

"Do you want to continue to pull the cart or go back to the forest? I can pull it from here using magic or find a buy a horse to pull it. It's up to you; it''s not like you have to stay just because-"

The words cut off as Trinket stood up on his hind legs. Roaring while looking down to Daire, Trinket hit Daire's chest with his claws. The beast followed him to the ground.

"Daire!"

Violet cried out, but her concern was unwarranted. Trinket was pinning him down, covering his face in wet saliva.

"Gah. Stop! You're too heavy. Trinket. Stop it."

Trinket's coarse tongue went in Daire's mouth.

"Guh. Uh. Uck. Good LORD! Your breath is horrendous."

Trinket had apparently been learning from the wolves.

=

After the bear attack, Violet watched Daire extricate himself from Trinket and yell at him to go back to the front of the cart. Daire hooked the barrel back up to the cart and used the water from his canteen to wash his face.

Violet could hear the grin in his voice as he muttered expletives. She was wondering if she should try to get back into her book but decided against it. She would just be interrupted again. Instead, for the next fifty or so minutes, she played tag with Pebbles.

Pebbles' accuracy was phenomonal, hitting the mark every time despite her flying abilities. Violet looked at it as a type of training, trying to dodge the sticky tongue.

She managed to dodge twice for the entire duration.

And those times were only managed by using her electric dash move. By the end of it, Violet was panting for breath, wiping her brow and staring down at Pebbles, vowing she would win next time. Pebbles looked back with a blank stare, but Violet could have sworn he looked smug.

"We're here."

=

Violet scooped pebbles up and flew to the top of the cage to get a good view.

A twenty-foot wooden palisade stretched out, spanning a few miles. Outside of the walls, there was only the flat ground, grassland, and road. There wasn't any farmland. No stalls. No line outside the gate either. The sun glinted off a pair of solitary guards outside the East gate.

They were still a short walk away. Violet decided to ask the obvious question.

"Why isn't there anything on the outside of the gates?"

Daire answered without looking back.

"I don't know."

Concerned, Violet asked another question.

"Shouldn't there be something outside the gates? There is nothing around."

Daire gave her a small smile.

"Maybe everything fits comfortable inside? Who knows. "

Two guards of middling age were standing on either side of the gate. Both human. They wore leather armor with capped helms. Each held a spear while also carrying a sword on their waist. The glints Violet saw earlier were from the weapons, not shiny metal armor. So they were just shy of roasting alive.

Daire spoke up before the guards could, waving while there was still a little distance.

"Greetings! Is this the town of Milton?"

The guard on the left glanced at the other before answering.

"This is Milton. What is your business?"

The voice was gruff and orderly. Daire ordered for Trinket to sit. Approaching closer, Violet flew next to Daire's head to show her presence.

"My name is Daire, and this is my partner, Violet."

Daire gave a slight bow at the waist. Violet smirked and almost rolled her eyes, deciding to curtsy once again.

The guards stiffened and looked slightly uncomfortable, the reason indeterminable at the moment...

"We are called Violet Spark Trading. It's been a while since we've seen the inside of civilization. We're carrying caught-game for sale."

The guard on the right spoke up first, a woman, but her voice held a deeper tone.

"Is that a bear?"

She pointed to Trinket, who was sitting on his rear, six feet tall, flapping one of his paws up and down in a wave.

"That is Trinket, our pack animal. He isn't the one for sale. What I meant was that we caught a large collection of rabbits. They are all in the cage there."

The guard had a slightly sour expression looking at the huge bear, struggling to come to a decision.

"He can come inside, but any damage or harm he causes will be your responsibility. If you are selling meat, there is a need for it. You can try either the butcher's shop along the West wall or your luck in the open market. I wouldn't recommend the market; you will be swarmed."

Violet tilted her head a bit but listened without voicing her question.

"If you are staying only for a few days, there is an inn on the Northside called the Rusty Bucket. They are the only ones with enough stable space to house your bear."

The guard seemed to taste the last word.

Daire nodded.

"Thank you for the help. Does there happen to be an Adventurer Guild branch in this town?"

The other guard answered him.

"Yup. It's small, but it is situated just inside the gate. You won't miss it."

"Thanks. Here is something for your troubles."

Daire handed a small coin to each of them. The guards turned them over in their hands, examining them.

"There is no entry fee."

"Those aren't for the fee. Those are gifts from my home. They are unique to this area, and if you sell them to a collector, you should get a pretty penny."

"A... penny?"

"I mean... It could either sell for a copper or up to several gold pieces if you are lucky. Back home, they serve as good luck charms more than anything."

Daire laughed awkwardly for a moment but brushed it off and bid them farewell, walking in.

The guards looked at each other, puzzled.

Violet whispered to Daire.

"Aren't those coins special? Is it a good idea to hand them out to random guards?"

Daire beamed at this question. Whispering back.

"Plans, Violet. Plans... I will explain it later."

Speaking up again in a normal voice.

"Let's go check in to the inn and then find some lunch."

Together, they strode through the main thoroughfare. It was around noon, so there was a lunchtime crowd. They all parted for the enormous bear.

The crowds consisted of mostly humans. Several moved away, scared off by the giant bear. A group of scaled lizardfolk didn't even glance at Trinket as they passed, carrying something similar to briefcases. There were beastkin covered in fur, most of them carrying sacks or carting wares around. A few Beastkin were 90% human, just with an extra animal feature or two attached. Passing by a forge where an anvil was being hit, Violet saw a single dwarf with a beard as red as fire.

The storefronts were as tall as Willow. Wooden doors, wooden shutters, masoned buildings, bricks, and even a rare glass storefront. Smoke billowed from the chimneys overhead. Families and businesses cooking lunch over a fire. The road they walked on was paved with stone, instead of the pure dirt road outside.

Once they reached the center of town, they skirted a small Bazar with stalls and tents set up to hawk wares. Violet's eyes boggled as she saw a tall woman roaming the bizarre. She was barely wearing anything. But what bothered her more was her torso ended in a giant spider carapace. Her total height at around 8ft; she was human only from the waist up, her bottom half transforming into a black abdomen and chitinous legs.

A little ways away was a pair of men taller than the woman-spider. Nearly 10ft tall and rippling with muscle, they were bull-headed. Literally.

They each had enormous axes attached to their backs.

"We must be farther North than I thought..."

Violet barely heard Daire's words as she was reeling from intense culture shock.

They quickly moved away from the Bazar and headed North for about ten minutes before stepping off the main street. Searching for another five, they easily spotted the Rusty Bucket. It was a two-story building with an awning attached to its side. Smoke rose from a chimney near the rear.

"Violet, can you wait with Trinket while I go inside and negotiate prices?

Violet nodded absently, still slightly shaken.

=

Daire entering through a door. It, unfortunately, wasn't a pair of hinged doors like it an old western film. The floor didn't squeak when he entered, and all the patrons didn't turn to glare at him. There wasn't a barkeep absently rubbing a cleaned mug either.

How disappointing...

Daire frowned as he looked around. In front of him was a short counter. Along the back wall a rack of keys. Stairs to his left, a hall past the counter led further into the building, and there was another pair of doors to his right. A short, old woman stood at the counter, looking at him with a tired expression.

Daire worked up his courage, adopting his merchant falsetto.

"Greetings. I was told of this establishment by the East gate guards. Do you have rooms available and spare stable space?"

The old woman took a puff from a long pipe. Her eyes were thinned from suspicion or old age or both. She had wrinkled skin, and her thinning white hair was combed back. The hunched, 4ft granny figure took a second puff before answering.

Daire wondered if this was supposed to be intimidating.

"How many rooms do you need, and what sort of creature are you putting in my stable?"

She picked up a small hair that must have floated off Daire's person.

"Just one room is fine, and I have a large black bear as a pack animal/guardian."

The old woman's eyes definitely thinned this time.

Or maybe they closed...

She was silent for a minute, taking puffs from her pipe. Examining Daire, who still wore strange clothes and carried a strange pack.

"I feel obligated to inform you I will need to pay in something other than coin."

Daire swung the backpack off his shoulder, opening it and reaching unerringly for two packs of packaged honey roasted peanuts.

Setting one on the counter for her to examine, he started explaining.

"These are packaged trail rations from my home. I don't have many left, and I know for a fact there are none like them for leagues around. They are still sealed perfectly, fresh and salted. I think one for my room and one to use the stables is a fair deal."

The old lady opened her eyes, looking down at the package on the table before seeming to disregard them. She spoke in a croaked voice.

"What makes you think I have a use for these?"

"They have a unique taste that any would love to try. Even if you don't eat them, you can sell them to an adventurer or business for up to a gold coin."

"Why haven't you sold it to someone for tangible currency; instead, you sell me words."

"I figured someone with connections in the city would be able to get a better price than a traveler."

"Now you aren't looking for a room; you want a middle man. I won't sell your drugs."

"These are peanuts. You can see that. Salt. Tasty. Mhmm..."

"And what makes you think I would be able to sell these for enough coin to cover your lodging?"

"A lady as cultured and refined as you undoubtedly has connections to at least one good acquaintance who would know how to get the best price for these. Since I arrived at your establishment by recommendation, it shows you are an upstanding individual who holds a respectable position."

"How flattering. I am nothing but old bones; why should I risk my health and go out for something like this."

The woman's voice was less reserved now, becoming flippant.

"You would not be able to run this business if you didn't have others to work for you. Cleaning rooms, cooking, buying supplies and the like. You either need to be able to do these things or have enough staff to go out on errands and complete chores."

Daire rubbed his finger across the counter, which was spotless.

"I can practically see my reflection in this counter. The floor and walls are similarly dusted and cleaned. The outside of the Rusty Bucket is well maintained, and the sign was just painted. Either you are able to do all these things yourself, or you have someone who can perform them for you. Meaning you also have someone you trust that can complete your work. Sending this person out to sell this in your stead would be simple."

Daire felt like he might have gone with a bit of a roundabout answer but was thoroughly enjoying himself.

The innkeeper tapped her pipe against an ashtray.

"True. But you got one thing wrong."

Daire's heart skipped. What was it? Was the cleaning done by magic? Was she not the innkeeper and just an old grandma sitting out front?

He wracked his brain trying to identify what he got wrong and how he failed the test.

"I am a man."

"Wha-"

Floored. Daire tried to come to grips.

A man?

The old man was wearing large baggy clothes. He was hunched over, his hair thinning. The wrinkles making his face neither feminine nor masculine. His voice was high. The pipe was a long and straight churchwarden pipe that was colored with reds and browns.

Daire had only seen this kind of pipe used by courtesans. His mental image of men using pipes was always wearing a top hat, sitting in a rocking chair, drinking a glass of bourbon. He pictured bent pipes with men and straight pipes with women. If it was curved pipe, the old man could have been mistaken for a hobbit.

His preconception had knocked him out at the starting line.

Daire was silent for a while, trying to get back on track.

The old man chuckled lightly.

"Don't let it bother you, kid. I'll trade you three days' lodging for both packages. It doesn't come with meals. That wouldn't make much sense. You will have to feed the bear yourself and pay in coin if you wish to stay longer than three days. Here's your key."

Daire dazedly handed over the other package and accepted the key. Thanking the old man, he turned to leave. He heard the man's voice behind him.

"Name's Gunther."

Daire spoke over his shoulder. Nodding.

"Daire."

Walking back out the door, he saw Trinket and Violet still waiting for him.

"Everything okay?"

Violet stared at him quizzically.

Schooling his face, he responded.

"Yeah. The old man in the front was pleasant."