I can feel the veins in my head throbbing as I try and maintain my calm. The fingers on my left hand keep tapping out a random rhythm on the hilt of the dagger at my waist. I keep tipping the hilt with my index finger as I tap, making it slide a fraction of an inch out of the sheath each time.

Don't fucking do it, Jim. It's not fucking worth it. Thea keeps glancing at me, and I know she can feel my anger and annoyance through the bridge. She looks a little different than usual, then again so do I.

I reach up and scratch at the beard on my face, not the scraggly scruff from missing a few days shaving. This is a full beard; curly, bright red, and nearly down to my chest. Thea used some spell that caused healthy growth to make it grow in a matter of minutes. Then she had somehow dyed her hair a deep brown before braiding it. I have to admit, neither of us look like we did when we first met.

"Are you listening to me? I'm telling you I'm willing to pay top coin for your Goliath!" There, that's the reason behind my rising blood pressure.

I'm going to fucking stab the bastard. I'm going to slide the blade in right between his ribs. I turn on my heels, glaring at the man behind me. He is wearing gaudy robes, dyed a vibrant purple and gold. Long chains of gold and silver are dangling around his neck, gleaming and reflecting the sunlight as he moves. His hair is thick with oil, and he is practically choking me with the amount of perfume he is wearing.

Fuck the ribs. I'm going to shred his fucking kidneys and let him bleed out. Better yet, his liver. It'll make him bleed out quick, but make it hurt while he does. My fingers stop tapping on the hilt of my dagger as they wrap around it. The blade is halfway drawn when I feel Thea's hand stop mine. Her lips press against my ear as she starts to whisper.

"If you kill him now, we will have to run." With a long sigh, I turn back around and try to ignore the man behind me. Vaunea glances over at me. She nods slowly before staring back in front of her again.

"Look, I don't know what you are thinking, but I'm not wanting her for any unseemly reason. She appears to be of good stock, and in great health. I want her for a breeder, she has to have at least twenty good children in her. She wouldn't be mistreated. In fact, she would live better than most free citizens." The merchant moves closer, his hand coming down firmly on my shoulder, like he is greeting an old friend.

I see Thea try and stop me as I start to move, but she is too slow. The merchant's hand goes flying back, and I see his eyes open wide in shock. My right hand stabs forward in a brutal punch, slipping past his flailing hands. My fist connects with the merchant's throat, sliding just under his chin.

He lets out a choking sound and his arms grasp for mine. I push him off as his hands come up to wrap around his throat. As he hits the ground, I drive the toe of my boot up between his legs, feeling a crunch under my boot. The merchant lets out a gasping groan as he rolls over in the dirt of the road to try and protect himself.

"Touch me again, and I'll cut off your hand. Talk to me again, and I'll rip out your fucking tongue, understand?" When he doesn't answer, I kick him again. I feel something crack under my boot. "I said do you understand me!"

The merchant continues to gasp, but he manages to nod his head. As I turn back around, I see Thea watching the crowd carefully. No one seems to care about the assault on the merchant. She gives me a look as she moves in close to me, and I know she is going to yell at me later. I just shrug, and scan the line ahead of us for Jacob and Shiva.

The pair ran off as soon as we reached the line, going to meet her contact and secure our way through. Even though I trust both of them, I don't like how long they have been gone so far. As the two disappeared, Vixi had as well, down Vaunea's breastplate. The quiet giggle I heard as she dived out of view just convinced me I needed to stay out of it. At least Vaunea didn't seem to mind, the Goliath nearly shrugged and asked if she was ok.

"That was very well handled, but it does prove that you are not a noble born." I feel my back stiffen as I turn to face the person who spoke to the left of me. He's a fairly tall man, just an inch or so shorter than me. His body is lean and clothed in dusty but well made brown and black clothes. His dark hair is pulled back into what I would call a man bun back home, and his brown eyes are practically glowing with laughter.

"He a friend of yours?" I nod my head back to where the merchant is just now struggling to his feet. The man raises his hands in a mock surrender as he starts to chuckle.

"No friend of mine, but I know his type." He drops his hands, extending his right out to shake mine. "My name is Tobias." His eyes flick down to the Beretta on my chest. He seems to recognize it as a weapon, even if he doesn't recognize what it is.

"Silas." I take his hand, feeling his surprisingly strong grip as I introduce myself.

"Nice to meet you, Silas. What brings you to Shevel?" I let his hand fall as I turn back around, facing the same way as the line.

"My own reasons, and they are private." I'm not sure why Tobias decided to speak to me, and honestly I don't want to. I hear him shift quietly as he starts to chuckle again.

"Fair enough. I just wanted to introduce myself, and to let you know that kind of behavior won't work inside the city." I tilt my head at his words, turning slightly to look at him from the corner of my vision.

"And why would you care?" Tobias laughs quietly as he starts to walk forward, ignoring the line. He turns his head and yells back over his shoulder to me.

"Because my father runs the damned place, and he doesn't allow violence within its walls." He disappears through the crowd, a few seconds later, two men in plate mail pass through the crowd behind him.

“You sure do manage to run into the most interesting people don't you, Jim.” I turn my head to my right where Shiva and Jacob are standing watching me. Shiva’s hands are resting on her hips, and her tail is swishing back and forth. Somehow she seems annoyed at me, and I’m mostly sure I haven't done anything this time to make her mad.

“What do you mean. I was just minding my own business?” Shiva chuckles at my words, then crosses the short distance between us to wrap her arms around me. On instinct, I wrap her up in a hug and pull her close to me.

“Attracting the attention of the Barron's son is not the way to maintain a low profile. Knowing you, you probably did something stupid, didn't you?” Vanuea laughs, causing Shiva to turn her head to look at her.

“A merchant was annoying him, trying to get him to sell me. He gave him multiple chances to quit, even warned him a few times. Then he put him on the ground and I’m fairly sure he broke some bones.” Shiva tilts her head up to look at me, raising an eyebrow.

“That true, Jim. You put a merchant in the dirt for bothering you? Broke some bones too?” I slowly nod at Shiva, seeing her pupils expand as she stares at me.

"He was doing a little more than bothering me, but yeah, I'm pretty sure I broke him." I lean in close, hearing her breath turn into a heavy panting. "Judging by your reaction, I think you like that, don't you kitten?" Shiva's hands come up, pulling me in for a hard kiss.

"Don't call me kitten, ever!" She kisses me again, nearly biting through my lower lip as she pulls back with it still in her teeth. "Yes it makes me excited, and she knows why." Shiva points at Thea, who is watching us with a smile as she pushes us gently along with the crowd.

"Oh yes, poor little cat gets all excited by strength and displays of manliness. Can't even keep track of the line moving without someone pushing her." Her tone is very annoyed, but the smile let's me know she is just teasing.

Shiva buries her face in my chest and Thea continues to push us along. After a few stumbling steps, I can't help but laugh. I pick Shiva up. I keep walking as I lift her from under her ass, holding her close. She wraps her legs around my waist as she buries her face in my neck. I can hear her mumble something, but I can't quite make it out.

"What was that?" In response, she buries her head farther into my neck. Cuddly Shiva is kinda adorable, better not tell her that.

"She said she isn't coming out till Thea promises not to tease her anymore." Jacob slaps me on the back as he walks past to stand beside Vaunea.

"Ok, how the hell did you hear her when I couldn't?" He shrugs, looking over his shoulder as he continues to walk slowly.

"I can't. I just grew up with her so I know what she's going to say." Shiva's response is to flip Jacob off without moving her face from my neck.

"She can't help what makes her excited, it's in her blood. Beastkin have a very nomadic lifestyle most of the time. They travel most of their lives in caravans unless they break off for some reason." Thea starts to lightly stroke Shiva's back as we continue to walk.

"So, what? You're done teasing her now?" I arch my eyebrow as Thea smiles at me.

"Not nearly done teasing, but I have to admit it's sexy seeing you carry her like this. Plus Shiva's pants are very tight when she wraps her legs around you like that." Shiva yelps, and I see Thea's hands moving aways from her ass.

"Seriously though, beastkin are very physical people. If we ever come across more of them, odds are you will have to fight at least one of them to prove you are worthy of Shiva." I gently turn my head so as not to disturb Shiva?

"Really?" I feel Shiva nod gently into my neck as Thea starts to laugh.

"Yes, why? Don't you think she's worth fighting over?" I feel Shiva shift against me, and I know without turning that she is staring at me the same way Thea is.

"Oh, I know she's worth fighting over. I'm just curious as to how far the fight would go. We talking to the death, or till one can't stand up or what?" I feel Shiva bury her face back in my neck, so I shift her a little higher in my arms.

"Not to the death, just until you proved you were strong enough to protect her. Odds are she would have to fight too. Fight off other beastkin that would want to muscle in on her man. The good news is if that happens, I'll be there to help her fight them off." Thea smiles at me, then strokes Shiva's hair gently. I feel Shiva shift in my arms, turning her head to face Thea.

"Promise?" She unwraps one of her hands from around my neck, reaching it out towards Thea. Thea laughs, taking Shiva's hand and intertwining their fingers.

"Yes, I promise. As long as you are there to help me fight off elves. I'll be there to help you fight off beastkin. Deal?" Shiva shifts in my arms, dropping on to the ground. She stares at Thea for a second, then wraps her in a hug.

"Deal." For a second, I feel like I'm missing something, but I have no idea what.

"Almost to the gate. You all want to break it up now." At Jacob's words, I realize how close we actually are. There are less than twenty people between us and the gates. The guards are checking every few people, most however are simply waved through.

"So how does your contact get us past the rest of the guards?" Shiva slides in beside me, pulling Thea to my other side.

"Just keep your mouth shut. If we have to do any talking, let me handle it and we will be fine." One of the guards seems to stare at Shiva, giving her a small nod. The guard turns to the others, drawing their attention in a loud voice. While the guards are distracted, the line moves quickly past them. The one guard still standing waves people through as he half listens to the loud one.

"That's him I'm guessing." I nod to the man as we walk past and enter the city. He smiles and returns it before continuing his story.

"Yeah, that's Lucas. He's an annoying little shit, but he is useful at times." Jacob motions us into an alley as he starts looking around.

"What are we stopping here for?" As I look back through the crowd, I see that no one seems to be paying attention to us. The road through town is fairly crowded with vendors yelling out prices for their wares. No one seems to notice, or even care about us as they go about their day.

"Now that we are in the city, we need to make some kind of a plan." Jacob looks up and down the alley quickly, confirming that we are alone.

"We need someplace to sleep tonight, and to meet our contact." Shiva pulls me backwards suddenly, causing me to slam into the wall. I raise an eyebrow at her, without saying anything she leans against me. I turn to Thea confused. She covers her mouth in a silent laugh as she motions me to hold Shiva.

"So any plans on where to sleep then?" I wrap my arms around Shiva as she wiggles against me. Jacob opens his mouth to say something, then closes it as Shiva begins to speak again.

"The Lost Gem. It's always a good place to sleep. The price is reasonable and the rooms lock." Jacob rolls his eyes at her suggestion.

"Yeah, but they also are on the eastern side of the city. If we stay there, we will spend half the day traveling from one place to the next." He seems to take in my confusion at Shiva's action and the conversation. "Shevel is a big city, so we need to find a place close to where we are going to need to be. Also give her a few hours, she will calm down and settle in. Large groups of people can get her worked up, especially when she is fairly sure you are stronger than most everyone."

"So she thinks I'm stronger than most of the people here, huh?" I can't help but smile as Shiva presses against me harder. Jacob shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking up at me.

"You took down a fucking stone troll by yourself, and you did it with a sword, not a hammer! Yeah, if she didn't think it then she would be the only one here who didn't. Now think, Shiva, we need a place to stay!" He claps his hands in front of her face making her jump.

"Right…. Shit. Uh, what about the Painted Princess? It's close and private." Jacob seems to be considering it when I open my mouth.

"What's wrong with the Broken Blade Tavern? It's where we are meeting our contact anyway?" Shiva laughs at my question while Jacob just looks done again.

"The Broken Blade doesn't have rooms, it's just a straight bar. Well a bar and ring, but no rooms for rent."

"I thought calling it a tavern meant that it has rooms too?" I can literally feel everyone's eyes turn to look at me. "Yeah, I don't know shit about this world, do I?" Thea laughs, then she starts to speak.

"It's fine, you will figure it out soon enough. For now all you need to remember is, most places you can get a room have a tavern downstairs. But not every tavern rents rooms. Except for brothels, but if I catch you in one of those, we are going to have problems." Shiva turns to look at me, nodding her head slowly as she does.

"Don't worry, I have no plans on going into a brothel. I have more than I can handle right now." I give Shiva a squeeze while I lean down and kiss the top of her head.

"Better not." Shiva drives her elbow into my gut as she speaks. I flinch out of habit before I realize that it doesn't hurt. The plates in my armor spread the force of the blow, making it feel like I was gently shoved in the chest. Shiva starts to rub her elbow, giving me an evil look as she does. "No fair, you're wearing armor!" I can't help but laugh at her antics.

"I'm not the one who decided to hit an armor plate, that's all you."

"If you all are done flirting now, can we please get back to making a plan." Jacob sighs as he starts to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Jim needs to find a new sword, one that will hold up to the abuse he puts it through." I turn to look at Thea, she has a thoughtful look on her face.

"I do alright with a sword, not sure why I need to replace it so quickly. I mean, I tend to fall back on what I know first. Then use magic and blades."

"You stand out too much already. If you don't have a recognizable weapon, you will continue to stand out." I'm a little surprised that Shiva is the one explaining it to me. She hadn't seemed to be paying much attention as we talked.

"Shiva, you should come with me to find a set of rooms. Then we can meet up and go see the contact together. While we do that, Jim can find a new weapon, or at least one to hide the fact he doesn't have one." Jacob is looking back out of the alley as he speaks, his eyes scanning over the crowd.

"Yeah, how am I supposed to make my way around town? I'm not exactly able to read street signs or maps of town." When Jacob suggested us splitting up, I could feel Shiva stiffen in my arms. I'm not exactly fond of the idea of splitting up either. Every time we do it seems like something happens. Maybe not always bad, but something always seems to happen.

"I know the town, or at least the west and south end of Shevel." I turn my head to face Vaunea, surprised at her volunteering that information.

"How do you know the town?" Jacob seems to be thinking as he digest the information he just received.

"I was bought in Shevel, before he left and headed towards the dungeon. He didn't want to waste money feeding slaves longer than he had to. So he picked all of us up here. I might not know everything, but I can guide Jim to a decent weapons and armor shop." A small voice rises up from Vaunea's breastplate. The Goliath shushes it as she turns to face Shiva.

"Great, so Vaunea can go with Jacob and Thea and I will go with Jim." I can practically feel Shiva smirking as she leans against me. As I look over, Thea is smiling and shaking her head gently.

She really doesn't fit as a brunette. I can't wait to leave this town. Jacob seems to be uncomfortable at Shiva's words. He is looking around and kicking the dirt at his feet.

"Shiva, please." At Jacob's words, Shiva lets out a loud sigh.

"Come on, Jacob. If I go with you that leaves Thea going with Jim. I want to spend time with him too!" Somehow I feel like I've been placed in the middle of something I don't understand again.

"I can go with the two of you while Vaunea goes with Jim." I'm surprised at Thea's words, and I feel my head turning to face her before I realize I'm moving. "I know Jim has a habit of getting in trouble, but no one is going to mess with him while he's with a Goliath."

"Shiva…. Please?" Jacob is starring back into the street now, looking almost afraid. Now I'm sure I'm missing something, before I can ask what it is Shiva answers.

"Ok Jacob, I'll go with you." Thea pulls Shiva forward, wrapping her arms around the now angry woman.

"It will be great. Besides, we still have a lot to talk about." She turns to me, letting go of Shiva to raise herself up on her toes to kiss me. "Seriously though, be careful and don't draw any attention to yourself. We can't afford to get ran out of here, or to have to fight our way out."

"I'll be careful. I promise, babe." I chuckle at her confused face for a second. "It's a term of endearment in my world, like sweetie or honey." Thea tilts her head to the side, as if she is in deep thought.

"Babe, I don't know if I like it or not, but I'm willing to give it a shot for now." She leans up, giving me another kiss before turning to Jacob.

"If you two are done can we try and figure out a plan. I'd like to get off the street as quick as we can." Jacob is definitely twitching now. He seems either nervous or scared and I really can't tell which.

"You all get our rooms figured out, I'll find a weapon shop. Then we meet up in a couple hours somewhere. Preferably somewhere close to our contact and the rooms." I shrug not seeing what all we really need to plan.

"Do you know where the Fallen Square is?" Shiva turns to Vaunea as she speaks. Vaunea thinks for a second before nodding.

"We passed through there on our way west. I still remember the way there." She taps her index finger on her temple. "I don't forget easily, and I can't forget that day." Shiva winces at her words, and once again I feel like I'm missing something. No one tries to fill me in on what it is though, so I push it aside in my mind.

"I'll go with them, boss. If we have any trouble, I'll let you know." Sarge steps out of my shadow, shaking himself before crossing the short distance to Shiva. "Shadow walk!"

"Apparently Sarge is going with you." I have to admit, I'm feeling a little more at ease since he will be there. Shiva and Jacob aren't lightweights, but I'm not a fan of when we split up.

"That feels fucking weird!" Shiva is spinning around, trying to peer around her at the shadow Sarge disappeared into. Thea seems to find the situation amusing, quietly laughing at her antics.

"Don't worry, you get used to it quickly." I pull Thea into a quick hug, pressing my lips to hers. As I pull away I whisper to her, my lips so close they still brush against hers. "Be careful, ok? I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to any of you." I feel Thea's lips pull up into a smile against mine.

"Even Jacob?" I press my forehead against hers, breathing in her smell of vanilla and cinnamon.

"Yes, even Jacob, though not in the way I worry about you and Shiva." Thea shoves me gently.

"Better not. I'm ok with sharing with Shiva. I don't want to add anyone else for a while, not until we know how well we are going to be together first." I start to laugh giving her a final squeeze as she steps to the mouth of the alley.

"When you go looking for a weapon try and find something that can actually handle your magical energy. It will be a little more expensive, but you won't have to replace it every time you use it." Jacob starts to follow Thea as he tosses the words of advice over his shoulder. Shiva pauses turning to face me and wrapping her arms around me.

"Be careful. Shevel is a big city, so it's easy to get in trouble." She pulls my head down to give her a kiss then she's gone. I watch the three of them disappear into the crowd before turning towards Vaunea.

"So I guess you are leading the way?" Vaunea nods once, then starts out of the alley herself. Adjusting the sling of my rifle one more time, I start to follow her.

It doesn't take me long at all to be completely lost in the crowd. If it wasn't for Vaunea's standing chest and shoulders being above the crowd, I'm sure I would have lost her. Even though we are walking just a few feet apart.

"Too many fucking people." I catch myself nearly growling as we make our way through the ocean of people.

"Yeah, Shevel is always busy." Vaunea is examining a street sign as she speaks. Before I can reply, someone runs into my shoulder, nearly knocking me into the wall.

"He grabbed your purse!" Alexis's voice is shrill as she yells at me.

"Piss off!" The man who ran into me starts to move past me when I grab his arm.

"That was smooth, now give it back." My words are a literal growl as I start to squeeze his wrist.

"The fuck are you talking about!? Let go of me!" We are starting to attract attention, and I know I need to move along quickly. Before he can react, I drive my boot into his knee. It forces him to the ground and I twist his arm behind him. He starts to curse loudly as I twist his wrist viciously.

"Hey what the hell are you doing!?" A voice from the crowd reminds me I need to hurry. I turn to face the crowd, still keeping the cursing man's arm pinned behind him.

"This man tried to steal my coin purse. I'm just reminding him that it's mine, not his." I see several of the people watching the man cautiously, while others are looking at me instead.

"Out of the way, move it!" Someone is pushing their way through the crowd as I turn my focus back to the man in front of me.

"Now, my purse. Or do I need to break your arm to make you understand?" The kneeling man looks behind me for a moment, then thrust the purse back into my open hand.

"There, now let me go before they get here dammit!" I glance over my shoulder seeing a shining helm pushing forward through the crowd.

"If he's still here when the watch gets closer, you will have to explain what happened. There will also be a report, and it's going to take time." Vaunea's eyes are following the helm as the crowd starts to part in front of it.

"Get out of here!" I let go of the man's hand and push him forward with a brutal kick. He scrambles in the dirt for a second, then dives through the crowd. As he disappears into the sea of people, the man in the shining helm reaches us.

"You there, what is all the commotion about!?" I turn slightly to see the guard slightly huffing as he comes to a stop next to me. He's young, honestly he looks like he can't be more than sixteen at most. For a moment, I'm impressed at how tall he is. Most of the people I've seen seem to be of a shorter stature than me. However, he stands almost eye level to me. His brown eyes staring into mine. His uniform is a light blue, neatly cleaned and pressed. The metal of his armor is practically gleaming in the sunlight. It makes me wonder how much time he has spent polishing it when he isn't on duty.

"Had a thief, but it's all good now." I turn my focus back to my purse, seeing the leather strings that held it to my belt have been cut.

Good thing he didn't try and use the knife on me. That could have been a bit trickier to handle. I realize that there isn't enough of the strings to tie it back on my belt.

"Where is the thief now!?" The guard is scanning the crowd now. His hand half pulls the short sword on his belt.

"Gone, that way I think." I wave my hand vaguely in the direction the thief went.

"Don't worry, I'll find him!" The guard starts to race through the crowd when a loud gravely voice yells out above the noise of the crowd.

"HOLD IT!" The young guard freezes, and I see his shoulders sag as he lets out a sigh. He turns and comes to attention as a shorter man pushes through the crowd, grumbling the whole way.

The new guard is the polar opposite of his younger counterpart. He's barely over five feet tall with salt and pepper gray hair poking out from under a dented helm. A few days worth of stubble cover his face, the gray whiskers making him look even older somehow. His uniform is a darker blue, with multiple stains covering the front. The metal of his armor is dented and dull, but I don't see any signs of rust or neglect. It makes me think he maintains it, but he isn't interested in standing out.

"Now rook, what is going on?" As the younger man starts to speak, the older one pulls out a pouch of tobacco and fills a pipe.

"Sir, when I came on the scene I was informed of an attempted robbery. I was informed that the thief ran in that direction, and was attempting to pursue when you stopped me." I can see the young man shifting his weight from foot to foot like he is anxious as the older man calmly smokes. "Sir, are we not going to pursue the thief?"

"Tell you what, we can go chase him as much as you want if you can answer one question. What does the thief look like?" The older guard tilts his head to the side as he draws in another lungful off his pipe. I see the back of the young guards neck flush a deep crimson.

"Uhhh." He starts to stammer as the older man interrupts.

"That's what I thought." Turning to me, he extends a hand outward. "Sorry about the ruckus, my name is Vance." Taking his hand, I give it a firm shake.

"Silas, Silas Strongarm." Vance nods to me, releasing my hand as he looks me over quickly.

"Damn rookies are all the same, you know. The academy gets them all in the rush, rush, rush, run, run, run mentality. Then us beat walkers have to teach them how to do the damned job right." I nod slowly. It seems like this world trains their people the same way my old one did. Or at least every job I ever had at least.

"He does seem to be full of energy. Must not have been on the job too long yet." Vance chuckles at my joke, letting me relax just a little bit.

"So, I heard the book's report. How about you fill in the gaps." The crowd seems to be parting around us as the guards stand beside us. Vance leans against the wall the thief knocked me into, but the rookie stands almost at attention as he watches me.

"Not much to tell really." I give a small shrug, trying to look as non threatening as I can. "We were on our way to a weapon's shop. I broke my blade just outside of town. While my guide here," I motion to Vaunea who nods to Vance. " was reading the sign I was shoved into that wall. I realized that the man had lifted my purse, so I grabbed him. When he saw you coming, he gave it back so I cut him loose."

"You get a good look at 'em?" I shake my head, shrugging my shoulders again.

"Not really, mid sized, dark hair, dirty clothes. Didn't really care so I wasn't paying close attention." Vance starts to knock out his pipe when I hear an old woman yell from the window above us.

"It was that waste of space, Dougal, what done it!" Tilting my head up, I see an older woman half hanging out the window.

"You sure about that Mrs. Glasgow?" The woman starts to nod quickly.

"I may be old as dirt, but my eyes are still sharp. I was watering my pricker plants when I heard the commotion going on. I got to the window just as Dougal started running." Vance nods to Mrs. Glasgow before turning back to me.

"Well now it comes down to how you want to handle this. We can try to track him down, and we would find him eventually. That is if you want to swear out a warrant against him. If not, we will still keep an eye out for him, and just gently persuade him that thieving might not be the best choice. So how do you want to handle this matter?" I give Vance another shrug, jingling my coin purse carefully.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's all settled. If he somehow managed to grab a few coins before I took it back, then oh well. I'll just chalk that up to bad luck and a learning experience for me." Vance gives me a nod as I toss the coin purse to Vaunea. She weighs the pouch in her hand for a moment, then tucks it under her breastplate.

"You would trust a slave with that much coin!?" The rookie seems shocked at my casual attitude towards my money.

"Sorry, I don't think I caught your name?" I half turn myself to face him better as he starts to speak.

"Its Rook. Rook Stien." I barely manage to hold back a laugh.

"Rook the rookie, yeah, I bet you catch hell on that one." I see him start to flush, but I can't tell if it's anger or embarrassment. I start to speak again quickly. "To answer your question though, I trust her with my life, so I can trust her with my wallet. Besides, you know anyone who would try and steal from a Goliath?" Vance starts to laugh at my explanation, a deep raspy smoker's laugh.

"He's got a point there, Rook!" He slaps Rook on the back, half turning him. "Now come on, we have a lot of street left to walk." Looking back over his shoulder, he nods to me. "You two try and stay out of trouble. I'd rather not see you in a professional setting again." The two disappear into the crowd before I can reply.

Probably for the best. The longer they stuck around, the better the odds I'd fuck up. I turn back to Vaunea who is once again studying the street sign.

"So was that exciting enough for you?" Vaunea grunts before she starts to walk again.

"I could do with a little less excitement. Could have also done without having to deal with the watch." She pauses at an intersection, then moves between two carriages that are stopped.

"I'm guessing that you've had to deal with the watch before?" Vaunea shrugs pausing to look over the crowd. I see a small smile tug at the corner of her face as she starts to walk again.

"Didn't have a problem with the watch here, but I've had trouble with them in other towns."

"Yeah, I've had a run in with police back in my world. Nothing ever too major, but enough I was on a first name basis with the sheriff in my home town." Vaunea looks down at me as we continue to walk.

"A sheriff is like a law keeper?" I nod as I step around a young couple, obviously on a date. From the look on the young woman's face, it's going very well.

"Yeah, they are voted in, then appoint deputies as needed." Vaunea nods her head slowly, then starts to chuckle. At my confused look, she starts to explain.

"Now your comment in the dungeon makes more sense. The one about leaving quick like her husband just got home from his shift at the sheriff's department." I chuckle as we continue walking.

"So glad you get the reference now. How far are we from the weapons shop anyway? It seems like we have been walking a long time." Vaunea stops, pointing at a building just across the narrow street.

"We are here, Assad and Sons armaments. One of the finest weapons shops in Shevel if you need something out of the ordinary. Like a sword that will stand up to having an incredible amount of mana forced through it."

I carefully examine the building closely as we wait on the carts and carriages to slow as they move down the street. The building itself is surprisingly tall, three stories with a dark red roof on top. The windows on the top floor are all shut tight with their curtains drawn tight. The second floor has a narrow walkway the length of the building and a narrow set of stairs leading up to it. A sign I can't read hangs from underneath the walkway, swaying gently as the breeze blows.

The ground floor is busy with people walking in and out of the wide doors in the front. Most of the ones walking in only seem to be inside for a few minutes before they come out again. Packages tucked under their arms, or new weapons strapped onto their waist. About every fifth or sixth customer seems to be inside longer than a couple minutes. The whole thing makes me wonder just how they run their shop.

Even over the sound of the crowd around us, I can still clearly hear hammers ringing on anvils. I'm pretty far from an expert blacksmith, but I remember shoeing horses with the farrier back home. It sounds to me like there is at least five or six hammers working at the same time. That's not even counting the steady thump, thump, thump that reminds me of a slow moving power hammer.

"This may be our best shot." Vaunea starts to move across the road while a merchant on a covered wagon yells at a young man on a horse. Not seeing where another break in traffic will happen anytime soon, I'm right on Vaunea's heels. We don't seem to be the only ones crossing as people shove and jostle me as we walk.

Fucking keep it together, Jim. Not much longer now. Fucking breath, one, two three. In, four five six, out.

"You ok?" Vaunea is looking down at me with a worried expression on her face.

"I'm fine, I just don't do the greatest with crowds." I try and smile at her, but even to me it feels fake. God I fucking hate people!

"Don't worry about it too much. The streets are only this crowded at certain times of day. We just have some bad luck to be on them at the worst of it." She tries to smile at me reassuringly, and I'm grateful for her effort. Even though her reassurance doesn't actually make me feel any better.

"Dad always said, if it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all." Vaunea gives a knot of people in front of us a shove to clear our path. One of the men starts to complain, until he turns around and sees Vaunea behind him. With a gulp, the man grabs his friends and starts to move quickly away from us.

"You're pretty good at clearing a crowd, ain't ya." Vaune shrugs as she reaches the door to the shop and lays a hand on it, not quite opening it.

"Most people move when they see my size. The few that don't soon learn they should have. Goliath's aren't known for their patience, and most people are easily intimidated by us." She stops me from entering with one hand. As I look up at her slightly confused, she starts to explain.

"This shop works mostly on commissioned pieces. They may not have what you need premade. But they will have it done quick if you order it. Also be aware, Assad has a bit of a temper. He also likes to throw things when he's mad, usually whatevers at hand. So watch out for anything flying through the air."

"Got it, watch out for flying office supplies." I ease myself past her carefully, pushing open the door and stepping inside. I'm blinking to try and adjust my eyes to the lighting of the inside of the building when I hear Vaunea start to speak.

"Assad's sons take care of the office, he works in the forge." I start to chuckle as I half turn to face her giving her a small nod.

"I'll keep that in mind." As I'm turning back into the room, my eyes finally adjust. Just in time to see a heavy headed hammer come flying through the air. "Wha!" Before I can move, the hammer slams into my face. I feel myself start to fall, as Vaunea reaches out to catch me. From somewhere deep in the shop, I hear a loud yell. Then the world seems to go black as a pair of strong arms catch me.

Thea's point of view

As we make our way through the city, I can feel Jim getting more and more tense. At first, I thought it was the feeling of being followed finally getting to him. Then I remembered Jim had said something about not liking cities at one point.

"Boss doesn't like crowds. His scent changes almost like he's scared when he's around them." Sarge can apparently speak while in Shiva's shadow, I wonder if he can hear.

"Sacren didn't seem to bother him too much though." Shiva turns her head to look at me, but I wave her off. I'll explain to her later, for now it's not a big deal.

"Sacren wasn't crowded, just a few people here and there. The most crowded place was the bar. Plus, think about how little time he really spent there. Trust me, crowds bother boss, but he can push through it."

I feel Jim almost relax for a second. Then there is a flash of fear that turns into surprise. A sharp flash of pain, then an almost calmness from Jim. For a second, I'm worried that something bad happened. Then I feel Jim getting angry, that anger takes no time turning into an almost blinding rage.

"Oh shit!" Shiva turns to look at me, followed by Jacob.

"What now?" Jacob is looking pissed, and more than a little worried.

"I ahhh, I think Jim just found himself some trouble." Shiva sighs turning to look at Jacob before turning back to me.

"Like we need to run trouble, or we might need coins to bail him out trouble?" I pause, feeling Jim's anger dropping from rage to something near just an annoyance.

"Ummm, I'm not sure. I think he might be working it out himself?" Shiva looks at me concerned, her eyes start to scan the crowd as she looks away.

"Are you sure?" She sounds like she is ready to run off to find him and leave me here with Jacob.

"Boss is ok. He got hit with a hammer in the face on accident. He says not to worry and he will be heading to where we are supposed to meet up soon. He also wants to know if you got our rooms already and where. I told him where we are staying. He asked what your room looks like." I feel myself start to relax. Shiva, however, is starting to get annoyed.

"Jim is fine, Sarge just spoke to him. He said they would be on their way to where we are meeting them soon. It's fine Shiva, I might have to heal him a little bit. Apparently, he caught a hammer to the face, but he is ok."

"How does he always find trouble?" Jacob starts to walk again, forcing Shiva and I to follow.

"I think it's because he just has a lot of bad luck. Like he has huge chunks of good luck in small doses. Then small amounts of bad luck almost constantly." Shiva laughs at my joke, wrapping her arm around my waist.

"I'm going to tell him you said that you know." I laugh as we walk, slipping my own arm around Shiva's waist. Ever since she finally came to terms with what she wanted and went for it, she's been a lot friendlier to me.

"If you don't, Sarge will. Besides, I don't think he would disagree." It doesn't take long for us to catch up with Jacob. For some reason even with our arms locked around each others waist, we can move through the crowd faster than him.