After I thanked the guard for his help, I walked through the gate and got my first look at the town.

A wide dirt road was flanked by brick houses as it extended towards the docks off in the distance. Walking down the road exposed dark alleys in the nooks between the houses, with the occasional shifty-eyed thief darting into the darkness as they noticed my curious gaze. After buying a peach-like fruit from a closing-vendor, I reached the docks.

The docks weren’t like any I had seen before, even if you count my last life. They were massive and expansive, houses and shops filled my view as I walked aimlessly around. As I explored the area, looking for that ex-strip club, I quickly found a staircase leading down below the docks only to find MORE DOCKS. There were even more shops and houses beneath the top layer as the wooden pathways I followed weaved above and below. I had been walking around the docks for twenty minutes, seeing new buildings crammed in where-ever they would fit, yet I still hadn’t seen any water, much less ships.

God damn how big are these docks?

I’d been walking around for what felt like an hour. The sun had long since set and the only source of light were dim lanterns littered all over the place. Since I got curious, I decided to take a look at one of them. They were powered by a simple lighting circuit that connected to a long cable that ran to a box on the underside of the docks along with about ten other lanturn cables.

Honestly I wasn’t really impressed with it, but it wasn’t bad. I mean I’ve seen worse.

After a few more minutes of looking around and taking peaks at things, I finally found Cherries and Berries.

The storefront was simple and inconspicuous. The wood was the same color as everything around it, wood brown. The sign was plain text that read ‘Cherries and Berries. Bar’ The word ‘Bar’ looked like it was added to the sign years after it was made. There was no foot-traffic at the entrance.

It really isn’t the kind of place a kid should be staying the night at.

Whatever, I’m packing heat.

The door opened rather soundlessly and as I walked inside the smell of alcohol threatened to intoxicate me all on its own. Despite all the circular tables placed all over the room, only a single seat at the bar was taken. The Valkyrie sitting there was deep into what looked like her eleventh drink and the bartender acted like this was the most natural thing in the world.

I walked up to the opposite side of the bar and hopped on a stool. The bartender, a bulky old looking man walked over while cleaning a glass.

“What’s a lass of your age doing here?”

“I need a room for the night, I heard that royalty was coming and I’d prefer not to be in the same building as them.”

“...Now I know where you’re coming from lass, but what’d the royal family ever do to you?”

“They-”

A loud *BANG* rang throughout the room as the Valkyrie slammed her mug onto the bar.

“BARTENDER! ANOTHER DRINK!”

“I just fucking gave you that one you waste of space! I doubt you could even pay for another!”

“Put it on my tab fatass!”

“The point of a tab is that you’re supposed to pay it later, you still haven’t paid for the drinks you got three months ago!”

“Just give me another drink!”

“Pay for it.”

“Fucking…”

The Valkyrie fished through her pockets and slammed a single coin on the counter. The coin was dirty and slightly bent.

“You know you’re one short.”

“It’s dwarven. I expect change.”

The bartender raised an eyebrow in suspicion as he picked up and weighed the coin. After a second, the bartender made a satisfied look and put the coin under the counter. Then he poured a new mug and gave it to the valkyrie.

“Where's my change?”

“Its busy paying your tab.”

“Tch, what a shithole.”

“You fit right in.”

The Valkyrie went back to drinking with renewed angst and the bartender went back to cleaning glasses, satisfied that his customer finally paid for something.

“So… can I get my room now?”

I’m getting kind of uncomfortable here.

“Can you pay for it?”

“Yeah, how much?”

“Twenty for the night.”

Hold on a second.

“That seems marked up.”

“You think you’re the only person in town who doesn’t have a place to stay and doesn’t like the monarchy? I’ve only got one room not occupied.”

“I’ll be honest, it doesn’t look like it.”

It wasn’t that late, but the three of us were the only people in the entire dining room. The fact that we were all clustered around the bar only made it seem more empty.

“Who’s fault do you think that is?”

The bartender gestured to the drunk across the bar.

“Twenty, take it or leave it.”

“...You at least clean the sheets right?”

“Only on the busy nights.”

“...When’s the last time you cleaned them?”

“Do you want the room or not?”

“...Fine.”

I looked through my bags and gave the swindler twenty coins. Honestly, I’d probably get a better deal with the town inn, but I don’t want to deal with a princess, especially if she’s a Second.

-Wait, what if she is a Second?

That would be absolutely terrible for me, but then again, there are only five others. I mean, what are the odds that she’s a Second?

“Hey, just a random question, but how old is the Princess?”

“A little over nine years old, why do you ask?”

The bartender said that as he handed me my room key.

Shit. That's the same as me. Assuming that we were all born around the same time, then there's a big chance she’s a Second. At least she doesn’t know I exist.

“No reason.”

I walk up the stairs in the corner of the building to go to my room. The room itself was small and had very little in it. There was only a single window, nightstand and a queen sized bed. I threw my bags on the floor and tried not to think about the room’s previous purpose as I got in to go to sleep.

Tomorrow, I need to go to the docks, and find someone willing to get me out of here. Hopefully it’s easier than I think it’ll be.

The sunlight blasting through the window forced me to wake up.

God I hate the sun, why does it exist? We can just heat ourselves with heat lamps? We don’t need that big ball of fusion that hides magic sucking worms.

Glancing out the window, I realize that the sun is high in the sky and I totally overslept.

Shit, I need to find a ship before sundown, I really don’t want to spend another night around that Princess.

I got out of bed and prepared myself for the morning. After I ran a comb through my hair, washed my face, and brushed my teeth, I looked towards my bag with my rock in it.

There is a chance that the Princess is a Second. I don’t have much evidence to support this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she was one. The Othium Empire worships Vulkria as their goddess, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that Vulkria gave her Second the honor of royalty. The fact that we were born around the same time supports this line of thinking.

However, that also assumes that Vulkria and the other Gods that the story told me about are the ones playing Caboose’s game. There’s no guarantee that Vulkria is one of Caboose’s siblings. The fact that Caboose isn’t worshiped on Lesotis supports this line of thinking and undermines the other.

But regardless of the truth of the situation, I should take precautions as there is a chance she’s a Second.

I fish out my rock and a knife I ‘borrowed’ from the Griffin’s hoard, and take off my right boot. My shiny, semi-transparent green rock was smaller in my hands then it was five years ago, now only filling my palm.

I compare the size of my boot to the size of my rock. The rock is slightly smaller than the heel of my boot. Good.

I brandish my knife and take it to the inside of my boot. I spend the next half-hour carving a rock shaped hole into the heel of my boot. Once the hole is finished, I insert my green rock and it fits snuggly in it’s new home.

I put the boot back on my right foot and try walking around a bit. Thanks to the smooth surface of my rock, it doesn’t feel too uncomfortable… This will do. Now if my bags get searched for any reason, then I won’t have to worry about being outed as a Second.

With that taken care of, I pick up my bags and go downstairs.

When I arrived at the dining room, I looked around and saw that the room was much more lively than it was last night.

To be fair, there were only like twenty people in the room all eating quietly, but anything is more lively than three people. I walk towards the bar and sit down in the same seat I did last night. Looking to my left I see the Valkyrie from last night passed out and reeking of alcohol. Did she sleep here?

“Well if it isn’t the little missy who hates the monarchy.”

The same old bartender from last night walks over and leans onto the counter.

“Do you want anything for breakfast ‘Princess’?”

“Will it be as marked up as the room?”

“Depends on how I’m feeling, we have cooked fish for breakfast if you’re interested.”

“Why ask me what I want if you’re only going to offer fish?”

“That’s not all I’m offering, but since you paid for the room it’s probably all you can afford.”

“Whatever, I’ll take the fish. How much?”

“Four coins for the fish and a mug of water.”

“Here.”

I hand him the coins and he brings me my food.

“By the way, you wouldn’t happen to know of any ships sailing to Isera would you?”

“Not for free, but there is one that might be willing to take ya.”

“Really? When is it leaving?”

“Not anytime soon I hear, apparently the inner-circuitry of the ship gave out and the local engineer can’t fix it. Well, fix it cheap at the very least.”

Inner-circuitry? Do they have turbines or something?

“But if someone were to fix their circuitry, then they would sail?”

“Probably, but where are you gonna get someone to fix their ship?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

I finished up my fish and got up to leave the bar, grabbing some of the free Talco berries on the way out. The Valkyrie was still drunk and asleep.

I swear these Talco berries look familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on it… Oh well, I’m sure I would remember it if it was important.

As I left the building and made my way to the top floor of the docks, I heard a small commotion behind me. I turn around and see a small Valkyrie followed by… an elf coming down to the lower level.

I’ve never seen an elf before. This one is rather nice looking.

The tall, blond-haired elf with a calm and disarming face was wearing what looked like a slim maid uniform and the white-haired Valkyrie with a stern ‘would-totally-kill-you’ face was wearing a dress and...

Oh shit.

I turn around and run up to the top level trying my best not to be seen.

I don’t stop running until I’m a good distance away from the bar.

The small Valkyrie, she was wearing a necklace with a rock in it. Not just any rock, her rock. She was a Second.

Of fucking course the other Seconds would be royalty! I mean, I’m only the daughter of a well-known and deceased fugative but they get a whole fucking country at their whim?! THATS NOT FUCKING FAIR!

I need to get off this continent now. Maybe find a Second in a worse position than me to deal with. Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Let's be honest here, they were all probably born into positions of power.

While mumbling to myself, swearing vengeance on Caboose for not making me a princess, and with overwhelming spite in general, I asked for directions to the docks. The sooner I fix that ship, the sooner I get out of here.