Richard Adams

The city of Eclipse, the kingdom I stayed in for three years in total now. Half of that time was spent exiled. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but it certainly does feel like that out there. A city with a crazy king, that some people call a demon. A place that could house the entire population of the world. Its use of space magic truly was insane. You could walk from street to street, and as long as you knew where you were going. Well, you'd end up close enough to it, without seeing anything between.

I won't pretend to know how it all works, it's just important to remember how much of the city you miss out on when you aren't paying attention. Mimi has been exploring since the last day. She's returned for dinner, and eaten breakfast before going off again. I shook my head, finishing the last of my checks on the wagons. This was our last day in this city, and she didn't even think to take me along with her.

I laughed to myself, making certain the axels were well oiled. I checked to make sure the wood was sturdy, both of them secured to each other. The front wagon was a soft blue thing with violet vines painted on it. Nothing too crazy, but it did stick out. It was the wagon meant to carry all our stuff. I peeked through the curtain in the front double-checking everything inside. It was still there, of course, but it didn't hurt to be too careful. Enough food for a few months of travel, and the same in water. Silk lined the walls of the inside, insulating the thing and keeping it nice and dry. I did one last check on all six wheels before moving on to the other.

Mimi's wagon had been falling apart when she first bought it. Her bugs had spent days effectively gluing it back together with spit and wax. Honestly, the thing was almost a little foreboding. The dark wood didn't have any paint on it, but with how it was put back together it was one solid piece. It was glossy, reflecting the sun's light thanks to the clear wax spread all over the thing. There were even spikes on the top since the bugs were living within the walls and on the ceiling of the thing. The only other thing inside it was our bed.

It was strange, ever since I bonded to Mimi, I could feel her bugs now. I could feel them moving inside the walls, working on the wagon still. I could feel the larvae hidden in different places by the workers. They could feel my presence as well, a few of them clacking their mandibles towards me in what almost felt like pride. They wanted me to join them, to become a part of their mind. Just another personality within the Hive. I could feel the power offered, the compassion, the promise of everything they are.

I shivered, pulling away from the wagon. Mim's offer was always open, her Hive would welcome me. We were bound together, and all it would take was a moment of weakness. Then I would be a part of her, as she would be a part of me. She understood it wasn't what I wanted, but that didn't stop her from keeping the offer open.

I slapped my cheeks to knock myself out of that line of thought. The supplies were fine, the wagons were ready, and tomorrow morning we'd be leaving this city. I rubbed the back of my neck looking over the stock we had one last time. We were missing something... ah, it was gear. We didn't have enough rope and a few tools were missing. I had a backpack with my alchemy kit, but some things already made would be extremely useful.

A quick check of my coin pouch revealed Mimi had already put a few more pieces in there. I smiled to myself, before heading towards the inner walls. I needed to visit Emery, he usually had everything I'd need on these kinds of trips. I ignored the prisoners in the fields, as they toiled away. The shack we'd been living in for the past couple of weeks wasn't too far from the inner wall itself.

I took a second to admire the wall's beauty. Standing at twenty meters in height (roughly 65 ft). It was the middle of the outer walls that stood roughly fifteen meters (50 ft exactly) and the innermost walls that stood twenty-five meters high (roughly 80 ft). The other two walls were perfect circles, with only this inner wall stretching like a long egg, with dips in its height that never sank below the outer wall. It was unique, with hidden runes stretching along the corridors inside it. The true wall that protected the population of the kingdom.

I felt incredibly sentimental today. These tiny details and facts just coming to be, probably because I knew I'd be leaving this place longer than I ever had before. I kind of wanted to do this shopping with Mimi, and it just left me in a mood. I saw the gates were busy with a caravan of wagons. It looked like the guards had their hands full with some bickering merchants.

I looked to the side path, smiling to myself. If I was feeling sentimental over some walls, then I might as well indulge in the feeling. I walked the side path used by tamers. The one that kept the beasts, and monsters away from the merchants with easily spooked creatures. It was nostalgic, the exact same path I brought Mimi through half a year ago. She was so quiet back then, and I hadn't known why. There was still so much we didn't know about each other.

The bushes lined either side of the path, framing the large door that led right into the tamer quarters. Two tamers stood in front of it, looking bored. They perked up when they saw me. One of them taking a few steps towards me, "Greetings. Are you here to bring in any creatures?"

I shook my head, smiling at the guy. "Not today, but I wouldn't mind taking a peek at some of your stock." I had time after all.

I could see the man smile underneath his helmet. "You came at the right time then. The pens are full right now. Have you been here before? You seem familiar."

I bobbed my head, "Yeah, been here once. I spoke to Grim, is he in?"

The tamer's eyes went wide, as he connected the dots. "You're the one that brought that creature in the Winter!" He started to go on, but the other tamer put his hand on the man's shoulder.

"My apologies sir, he's new to this. Grim is inside, just ask around and you'll find him."

I nodded walking past the two, while the first tamer kept talking. "Micheal, he's the one that brought the daughter of Bo'Chi." I heard a thump as the doors closed behind me, followed by a quick shushing.

The tamer quarters were just as I remembered. Wood covering the stone walls of the inner wall. The whole thing stretching into the wall itself, before going out with thick wooden gates. A few rooms off to either side, while I could both hear and smell the creatures kept here. A few tamers looked up from their chores, before returning to them. One guy was using a sponge to gently clean a smug-looking razor mouth toad. I approached him first. "Where's Grim?"

The man looked back at me, his eyes taking me in. "Don't know who you are, but he's busy." He went back to cleaning the toad easily his size and twice his girth.

There were other tamers nearby, but I had a good feeling about this particular tamer. I reached into my coin pouch, pulling out a few copper. "I'm a customer." He looked me over again, catching the shine of what I offered him. I knew I had him from the glint in his eyes. He took the coin without a word, pointing me in the right direction. I walked down the smaller hallway, opening a few doors before I found the man in question.

Grim was a bald man, with a thick beard. The scar over his scalp was new, but it seemed to have healed nicely. He was dressed in typical tamer attire, which was furs over the shoulders with leathers and thick cloth underneath. He looked a little intimidating with the candles around him flickering on his dark skin. Papers spread out on his desk, as he cracked his neck when he saw his door cracked open. He squinted, before raising a brow after I opened it fully.

Grim cracked a smile, his yellow teeth glinting from the candlelight. "If it isn't the kid." He stretched his arms, before signing off on one final document. "I'm busy, but I was told to tell you something."

I smiled back at him, "Oh? Should I invite myself in, or did you want to walk and talk?"

Grim tilted his head back, "Come in, close the door behind ya." I did as much, walking to the side of his desk while he rested his eyes. "This paperwork is going to be the death of me. Though we aren't that close, are we?"

I shrugged, "Could be, though you were nice enough to offer me a place to stay with my monster when we first met."

Grim slowly nodded his head, "I really should have offered you coin back then, but she was so silent and out of it. Just to clear the air, would you prefer Ace or Richard?"

I furrowed my brow, caught a little off guard by his question. I only went by Ace during the arena in the Underground. It made me question how much he knew. Who he was actually working for, and where this was going. I kept my tone casual, as I leaned forward, "Depends on who's asking."

Grim grinned, "The Minotaur. Though what happens in the Underground, stays in the Underground. I was asked to do a bit of digging, and let's just say that you're lucky Oswald isn't around anymore."

Hearing his name made me wince a little. Oswald was out there somewhere, even with his lab burned down. He used me at the ball, to sell his death. It hurt, but that didn't matter right now. Grim just admitted to being a part of the Minotaur's gang, one of the two biggest in the Underground at the moment. I collected myself, raising a brow back at Grim, "Why am I lucky exactly?"

Grim let out a small sigh, "Kobe likes you, and there's no reason for you to be a spy for the king. You're a very interesting case to work with. On one hand, you lied about being a pyromancer in the arena, but on the other, your pet got rid of the Fiend's Eye for us. It's clear you're in this for yourself, but you're also being exiled. The minotaur has to take some kind of action against you, to prove our network is still on top of things. Plus, it sends a bad message to let you just walk away. Which is why we're putting a bounty on you and your pet."

I blinked, staring at the man. "Well shit, and here I came to ask if you had anything unique to buy. Who's the bounty on exactly?"

Grim laughed, "Firefist Ace, the daughter of Bo'Chi known as Mimi, and Richard Adams; a former apprentice to Oswald. Mainly to tell anyone else that we figured you out. It isn't a big bounty, but some desperate fools might try their luck. We sent it out roughly a couple of days ago. As for unique creatures for your monster to eat. We won't be selling you anything until you come back from exile. A real shame, since we got a good haul from the smaller gangs in the Southside."

I clicked my tongue, bobbing my head. That was just how things worked in the Underground. We made Kobe look bad, now he has to make a half-hearted attempt to kill us. "How big is the bounty?"

Grim shrugged, "Twenty silver, and we're sending it towards the kingdom of fire."

I nodded, that wasn't a whole lot for a bounty. Maybe a couple months of food and drink at an inn. Enough for decent armor, or a good sword. Though Grim seemed to imply it was a per head thing. Which was definitely enough to get some people motivated. I got up with a sigh, "Well, you aren't going to sell me anything. Mind if I head through the wall from here?"

Grim looked back over his paperwork, "Sure, anything you want to tell Kobe?"

I put my hand on the door handle, "Yeah, tell him I look forward to sliding a blade between his ribs. We'll be sending heads his way so he better pay us for dealing with this."

Grim chuckled, "Careful he might up the bounty if you give him enough presents."

I closed the door behind me, leaving the tamer quarters. Getting mad at the situation wouldn't help it, and at least I knew what was up. I was frustrated I couldn't get Mimi a nice surprise, but there would be chances later. Walking past a few alleys, I managed to calm down a bit. I was in the slums, and the thugs wouldn't make any moves during the day. I retraced those steps we took so long ago, rekindling that sense of nostalgia.

I could see the Harper webs hanging between the buildings above. The cat-sized spiders plucking a few strings to give the alleys a sense of safety during the day. I smiled to myself, remembering when I was still a kid. Those adorable little guys were always ready to jump on the face of any adult dumb enough to chase a kid into the slums.

Making my way through the slums, I found the orphanage that I stayed at for maybe half a year. It all blurred together, after so long. This was the place I learned to read and write, sweet mother Oak taking in any child as her own. I could see her through the window, cooking some lunch for whoever was still inside. The kids looked well-fed, so I left it at that.

A few more steps and I saw the burned-down church that had been there forever. A memorial to some event I didn't know about. The place Mimi had her breakdown. The flowers were still fresh, with some of the kids placing wreaths of them there. A small doll sitting in the center of them. Mimi told me it was the grave her brother Wyatt made for her. That dark elves would make a doll in the likeness of the one they lost if there was no body to be found.

Mimi told me how their relationship wasn't going too well right now. I could only imagine how hard it had to be for the guy to grieve his sister, to only find out she's been living out in the wilderness for decades as a monster. Then there was the fact that he is captain of the Guard, and it just made everything complicated for them. It might be for the best that we're leaving. It'll at least give the guy time to internalize it all.

Shaking my head, I continued towards Emery's shop. I wasn't ready to see the lab yet, and it was on the way to the church. I'd have to go there last, just to complete this walk. Even though I was starting to regret it. Still, I had to press on. It was something that had to be done. Something I had to do.

Emery's shop stood where it always did. A general good store that sold whatever the market stalls didn't feel like selling. The man himself was a fence for stolen goods, and he always knew where to find anything someone might look for. I would have pegged him as an information broker, if not for the fact that he gave me the wrong information or bad rumors from time to time. The man was damn good at business with a talent for haggling. His mind was sharp, and even while he was cursed to speak in rhymes he did it with dignity. I opened the door, the bell ringing my arrival.

Which is why it was so hard to look at him. To put it bluntly, the man looked like shit. His face had a terrible underbite, making crooked top teeth jut out. His nose was small with a point that went upwards. He had patches of thick hair on his scalp that almost made him look like he had rat ears. Even his eyes were slanted in such a way that it seemed inhuman. The icing on the cake was the mole he had on his chin that had a forest of hair making it look like a goatee. Emery was the ugliest son of a bitch I had ever met.

The man perked up, his beady eyes staring holes at me, as his smile revealed even more of his teeth. "Greetings, and meetings! Welcome to my shop, so kind of you to stop."

My heart sank a little, as I heard him speak. His voice was rough, but not unpleasant. I had hoped we set him free from his curse with the destruction of the Fiend's Eye and their curses. I managed a smile, "Hey, you rat-faced bastard! I'm going to be exiled again, don't stiff me on the repellent this time!"

Emery laughed, "Indeed! I have what you need. Let me ask my slave, for the road you shall pave." He went into the back, coming out a moment later. "Alright, she left to get you a map."

I blinked, "What?"

Emery tilted his head, "My slave has gone to get you a map. I heard you're being exiled, believe it or not, the nobles have been talking about how the butcher of the ball is being kicked out. My contacts are reliable most of the time."

"No... I mean, what about your curse?" I smiled more at the guy.

Emery laughed, "Ah, I do that for her. He gestured towards the back with his thumb. "She likes me speaking like a damn poet. Crazy thing is that the curse was lifted. I started talking normally, and well she started to cry." He tapped his noggin, "Good thing I'm smart enough to pull it off and know what battles I have to fight. Anyway, enough about my love life. From what I heard you're leaving tomorrow morning. Should have come sooner, but I got things prepared since I knew you'd come."

"Nice, how much is this going to cost? What did you get for me exactly?" I moved up to the counter while Emery pulled out a map.

He swatted my hand when I reached for it, "I told you she's getting you a map, this is the one for the store." He gestured to the crude map of the world. "Which direction are you heading?"

"South, towards the Kingdom of Fire. Why does that matter to you?"

Emery rolled his eyes, "Because there is a war technically going on down there. Rumor has it that the Count died to a dragon. While another says that our Captain of the Guard managed to chase it off by tearing an arm off it. This means that the war could still be going on, and the Count is fine, or there really was a dragon. None of the soothsayers have reported the Count showing his presence on the front."

"About that, I can confirm that a dragon was outside the walls. Mimi kind of lost to it before Wyatt showed up."

Emery's eyes narrowed, "Who's Mimi?"

I blinked in surprise, "You're really out of the loop then. Mimi's the Daughter of Bo'Chi, and she knows the Captain of the Guard personally. You might need new sources since I'm pretty sure people are starting to put two and two together."

Emery covered his face with his hand, "The average person doesn't pay attention to a lot of shit. Look, you can't just come in here and reveal information people would die to sell an information broker." He bent behind the counter, "For fucks sake, I'm going to make the most of it, I know I will. I don't want you thinking I sold you out." He got back up, slamming a medallion on the counter. It was embedded with gemstones, runes carved along the edges, with a silver spider in the center.

I looked it over, "What... is this?"

Emery threaded a sturdy chain through the top, "It's something meant to protect you while you're out there. Trust me when I say you'll be glad you're wearing it." He slid the finished thing to me. He grabbed a bag, plopping it on the counter as well, "This will cost you though. I have the Claws of Eclipse, the Quilt of Nightfall, and a few components for making some potions while you're out there. You do have supplies for the trip, right?"

I nodded slowly, "What are the Claws of Eclipse? What's the Quilt? What components are we talking about here? How much?"

Emery smirked, "The claws are basically metal boot slippers meant to help you climb and spread out your weight so you don't sink in any mud. The Quilt is a purple silken armor that a lot of Wings wear. Wings as in the fucking Heralds. It's top-quality shit that would sell for gold coins, but it has a few holes in it and the arms were torn off. As for the components, it's standard stuff to make repellent and a few other things. Certainly not the stuff I've been trying to get rid of as well. All of it can be yours for fifty silver."

I grit my teeth, "Fifty!? You want half a gold for damaged goods, shit you can't pawn off on an alchemist, and some boot slippers? You'll be lucky if I give you five silver for this shit."

Emery tsked, "Forty-five, and I'll tell you some of the forests I know about outside."

"Ten, since what good is a map when half the villages on it are probably gone, half the towns might have been abandoned or destroyed during the war, and the forests change by the fucking season! You're selling me outdated information, you fucker!" Emery smiled, he adored this kind of haggling. He especially liked being called out.

Emery was sick in the head, a masochist through and through. He licked his lips, making me shudder. "Forty, I have a business to run after all. I heard rumors about a certain gang taking interest in you."

I gave him the bird, "Yeah, twenty silver bounties. I'm glad you aren't a fucking broker, everyone would be pissed finding out everyone else already knew what you told them."

Emery's eye twitched, as he chuckled a little. "You try running a shop and keeping tabs on everything going on in the city. Thirty-five, and I'll throw in an ax and a mace."

I forgot weapons! I planned on just using explosives to solve any problems, but that wouldn't be the most subtle thing. I coughed a little, "Fifteen."

Emery's smirk grew, his gums showing. "Thirty, take it or leave it."

I pulled out my coin pouch, just as the door in the back slammed shut. I smirked back, "Twenty-five, that's all I got on me." Not counting the single gold coin, and some copper.

Emery quickly rolled up the map, "Fuck you, deal." He quickly put it under the counter while the blonde elf smiled and put the map she brought on the counter. She headed into the back after rubbing Emery's shoulder which made him jolt. I don't think I'll forget the disturbing moan the guy made, or the blush on his face as he wiped away the drool. He counted the coin, before opening the map.

After nodding, he pulled out a quill and circled a few spots. "The deal is set, and villages may lay here I bet." He drew lines through the forest, "Vampires and war, always such a bore. Territories change, depending on the range." He wrote the basic idea of what I might expect, from the dark woods to the icy forest. I watched while grabbing the medallion and putting it on. He circled a few more spots and put an x through them. "Towns that offer trade, or perhaps their blade. Spread word of this shop, everywhere you must stop." He put a dash by a few villages and towns, writing contacts.

"Thanks, Emery." I grabbed the bag, as he pulled out a worn mace and a honed ax. I put them on my back with the straps he offered.

Finally, he rolled up the map, "Begone, for our deal is done. Until next we meet, good news you shall greet."

I smiled, leaving the shop. Hopefully, the merchants were done taking up the gate. I'll just drop this stuff off before heading to the church.