\u201cCheckmate.\u201d<\/p>\n
At last, Erin slid her last rook into position. Olesm stared at the board and then tipped over his king with a trembling claw.<\/p>\n
A sigh ran through the audience surrounding the chessboard. It sounded like disbelief. The choking noise coming from Lism\u2019s mouth was like a lawnmower engine failing to rev up. But the rest of the crowd exhaled in pure amazement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tall Gnoll woman\u2019s arms were slightly uncrossed, and she was eying Erin with a look of amazement. Relc\u2014pure incredulity as he peered at the board. Klbkch was counting how many pieces Erin had left. Then, his head rose, and he looked at Erin, surprised. Nodding to himself, as if he\u2019d suddenly seen something obvious that had been hidden by the clouds.<\/p>\n
Erin cracked her fingers and grinned. It wasn\u2019t her best game, but she\u2019d gone for drama over efficiency. Her opponent had a single king left in the middle of her pieces, and she had a small army surrounding him. She smiled up at Olesm, who\u2019d turned pale. Her audience was gaping at her and the chess board.<\/p>\n
Two rooks, one knight, a bishop, her queen, and a few pawns. Olesm had one king. Technically, he\u2019d been in check for a long time, but Erin had hunted down the last pawns before putting him into a final checkmate.<\/p>\n
She would have been ashamed of herself, doing this to any other rookie player. It was rude, bullying, and any chess tourney in the world would have probably had some things to say to her in private or called her out on the spot.<\/p>\n
But she wasn\u2019t home, on Earth, and she had never taken a game as personally as this one. Erin stared up at unfamiliar skies and the open ramps and sprawling architecture of a city unknown to her. Drakes and Gnolls, gazing at her with faces full of scales and fur.<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t even read the signs. But the game? Erin Solstice\u2019s eyes tingled slightly. The game had never left her. Chess. Her game.<\/em> The pieces looked different, but it played the exact same way, and she knew that board more than she knew the back of her hand or her own room. She had sat on both ends of the board ever since she was five years old.\u00a0<\/p>\n The blue Drake, Olesm, was still in a state of shock. He was staring at his lone king, tipped over, like he didn\u2019t know what had hit him. And to be fair\u2014Erin had to admit she didn\u2019t look like a chess expert. Who did, though?\u00a0<\/p>\n She was no grandmaster, anyways. She\u2019d quit, come back\u2014it was a long story. But it was enough to say that if chess was a few years old in this world, Olesm, who might have\u2026four years? She had forgotten how long the game was out.\u00a0<\/p>\n Call it a four-year-old chess player going up against someone with at least four times his career. She\u2019d played grandmasters\u2014and sometimes won. And that had been when she was a girl.<\/p>\n \u201cGood game. Let\u2019s play again sometime, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin reached over and patted Olesm on the shoulder. The Drake looked slightly shell-shocked and made no reply. Erin waited, then shrugged and stood.<\/p>\n Klbkch and Relc made their way through the crowd to her. Relc was still pointing at the board and gobbling.<\/p>\n \u201cYou won. But how did\u2014but he\u2019s\u2014you won!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations on your victory, Miss Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy thank you, Klbkch.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin grinned at Klbkch. The ant man nodded back.<\/p>\n \u201cMay I ask how you managed such an incredible display? I would not have thought it possible, nor deemed it prudent to bet against Olesm in a game of chess until this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shrugged. There was no harm in telling. Besides, both the shopkeeper and his nephew were still staring at the board.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said he\u2019s played for a few years, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Klbkch nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he is a Level 22 [Tactician]. There are few higher-level [Tacticians] even within the Liscorian army. Although that is largely because most consolidate to [Strategist].\u201d<\/p>\n Erin had no idea what that meant, but she nodded as if she understood.<\/p>\n \u201cGood for him. But I\u2019ve been playing chess for\u2026at least fifteen years, now. I stopped playing for a while until recently, but I used to play at least three games before I went to sleep each night. He might have a fancy Skill, but a rookie\u2019s still a rookie.\u201d<\/p>\n This time, it was Klbkch\u2019s turn to do the staring with Relc. Erin smiled at both of them and then tapped the shopkeeper on the shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cI want my money back. All of it, thank you. And while you\u2019re at it, I\u2019ll buy the chess board and pieces too.\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake gaped at her. Then the color returned to the scales in his face, and he backed away.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014that game was\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin interrupted him.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re about to say it was rigged, don\u2019t bother. And if you want a rematch, I\u2019ll gladly play again if you double how much you owe me. Which is a bad idea because I\u2019ll win. I want my money.\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake blanched, and his scales turned pale. Erin smiled at him. His tail was twitching hard in agitation.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mind is\u2026slightly hazy. I\u2019m afraid I have no recollection of how much you spent. Unless of course you could tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin gave him a winning smile.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo gold pieces, seven silver, and four copper exactly. I don\u2019t have a receipt, but I\u2019m sure Klbkch and Relc could help you find out.\u201d<\/p>\n Lism stared at Erin as if doubting her memory, but it was just numbers. Like chess moves\u2014Erin couldn\u2019t remember the Pythagorean Theorem to save her life, but she could remember entire chess games. At her words, Klbkch nodded seriously and bowed in his direction.<\/p>\n \u201cAs Senior Guardsmen, we would be happy to provide assistance in assessing all financial income for your business, as well as any unpaid taxes that may be extant. For now, we will have to order your shop closed while we begin a thorough investigation of your wares and inventory.\u201d<\/p>\n Relc grinned evilly.<\/p>\n \u201cRight. Let\u2019s start flipping over tables until we find a receipt.\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake shopkeeper made a strangled shrieking sound. He tried to block Relc, but the Drake [Guardsman] was already happily trashing his store. Erin hid a grin.<\/p>\n Only now did Lism\u2019s nephew seem to come out of his stupor. He jerked, looked at the chess board, then stood slowly. Olesm walked up to her, his tail dragging low on the ground. But he did hold out a clawed hand to shake.<\/p>\n \u201cI must congratulate you, Miss Solstice. I have been truly humbled by your skill. Please, accept my sincerest apologies for questioning your ability.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin fidgeted awkwardly. She hated this bit. At least he was taking it better than some. There was no shame in losing. Sometimes you got frustrated, but when pride was on the line or you refused to admit you\u2019d lost to a girl\u2014<\/em>she took his hand and shook it gently, looking into his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, you were a good player too. I really shouldn\u2019t have played like that as well against a rooki\u2014another player.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are too kind. But I know when I\u2019m outclassed. I have to ask\u2014are you a [Tactician] by any chance?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe? No. I\u2019m not. Sorry?\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm drooped further. Erin could practically feel him kicking himself. She tried to cheer him up.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t feel bad. I\u2019m not a professional player, but I\u2019ve won a chess tournament or two in my time. I\u2019ve even played a grandmaster and won. One of the few female ones, which was really cool. But I was so nervous at the time I totally forgot to castle, and I lost my rook to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin broke off and cleared her throat, blushing. It was a bad memory, but at least Olesm stopped looking like a kicked puppy-lizard. Indeed, he was staring at her with vivid interest.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this \u2018grandmaster\u2019 you speak of a class? Is it possible\u2014could I take such a class myself?\u201d<\/p>\n An alarm bell went off in Erin\u2019s head. She tried to think fast and failed.<\/p>\n \u201cUm. Maybe? It\u2019s more like a title where I come from. Besides, grandmasters only play chess. I\u2019m not sure if that\u2019s a class.\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm nodded. Erin could practically see him taking notes in his head.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps it\u2019s a class only obtainable at high levels in the [Strategist] class line. If ever I have the opportunity, I shall take that class at once.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can do that?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin blurted it out. Olesm nodded again.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. I am merely a lowly [Tactician], the first of the [Strategist] class line. But should I advance in level and learn more skills, I might qualify for the [Strategist] class. And perhaps after that I might one day become a [Grandmaster]\u2026? It makes my scales shiver to imagine such a class.\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm stared dreamily off into the air. Erin edged away from him a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cRight, well good luck with that.\u201d<\/p>\n She wanted to go back and get her money, which the Drake shopkeeper was practically begging Relc to take as the other Drake frolicked in the destruction of his shop. But Olesm had her cornered, and now Klbkch was on her tail.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Solstice. I believe this is your wager.\u201d<\/p>\n He offered her the exact lost sum she\u2019d quoted. Erin took the coins gratefully.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Klbkch.\u201d<\/p>\n He raised his mandibles and opened them in a\u2026smile? Olesm edged back from Klbkch at once, but not far. The Antinium nodded politely.<\/p>\n \u201cI am merely fulfilling my duty as a member of the Watch. And once again, may I congratulate you on your victory? I would greatly enjoy playing a game against you once I am off-duty.\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm nodded in fervent agreement. Erin smiled and wondered whether they\u2019d follow her back to the inn.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother game? Sure, sure. After I finish my shopping\u2014well, one or two more games won\u2019t hurt, but I don\u2019t have time today.\u201d<\/p>\n Klbkch nodded while Olesm visibly drooped. Erin felt bad, but she also knew his type. As in the type of player who would challenge her to another game day and night unless she said no.<\/p>\n \u201cTell you what, next time, we can play a bunch of games. Not just chess\u2014if you guys have got other strategy games, I\u2019d love to play them too.\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm\u2019s face lit up.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you like these kinds of games, Miss Solstice? Gnollstones? Magical cards? I\u2019m sure you must be quite good at any game you play.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin grinned and waved a hand self-deprecatingly, but her ears perked up at the fascinating names. She noticed Klbkch glancing at Olesm silently, but then the ant man returned his attention to her.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I love all kinds of strategy games. I always surfed YouTube for\u2014uh, what I mean is, I used to watch and play tons of chess games. And not just chess; I learned how to play Shogi, Go, and even a few card games. But I couldn\u2019t gamble, so there was that.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shrugged. Olesm stared at her blankly.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, but I am unfamiliar with these games. Is \u2018shogi\u2019 another game of strategy as chess is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no. Shogi is a game that originated in Japan. And, uh, Japan is\u2026and\u2026um\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Erin trailed off. Klbkch and Olesm stared at her intently. She could practically see the Drake\u2019s eyes lighting up in eager interest.<\/p>\n It occurred to Erin that trying to explain a game that originated in a country in a world that no one had heard of that used a language based off of a culture which also didn\u2019t exist would probably be a bad idea. But they were both staring at her. It was Klbkch who saved her.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Of course, these games are quite rare outside of your home nation, Miss Solstice. I doubt they would have permeated to Izril yet. I have heard of and observed Shogi before.\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm glanced at him and hurriedly nodded before shaking his head.<\/p>\n \u201cOh! Yes! Sorry, it\u2019s my mistake for not recognizing\u2014hah, I suppose there are a lot of games I should look into. Forgive me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all. Um\u2014maybe we should save that guy\u2019s shop?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin relaxed and pointed at Relc. Olesm turned, distracted, and Erin mouthed a silent \u2018thank you\u2019 at Klbkch. She could have sworn he twitched one antenna at her, like a wink.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Liscor had several markets that were open at any given time during the day. It also had many streets. So it had more than one Market Street too. But only one had a Human walking down the street and admiring the displays.<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s feet hurt. She felt that was ridiculous. After all, she\u2019d been playing chess while sitting down for nearly an hour. Yet, she hadn\u2019t stopped smiling as she played first Olesm, then Klbkch in a series of quick games.<\/p>\n Which she\u2019d won. All of them. A rare thing among chess players, but while they were good\u2026Erin had enjoyed herself so much she\u2019d been on fire, metaphorically speaking, and played her best.<\/p>\n Not only that, she had her money back!<\/p>\n Erin jingled the money pouch at her belt. Klbkch had helped her buy one to carry all the money she now had. It was wonderfully heavy and made lovely chinking<\/em> sounds as Erin walked, but she was also worried someone would steal it.<\/p>\n That was why she had to spend all of it fast. Erin hesitated and then walked a few stores down from where the Drake shopkeeper was screaming over his destroyed shop and cursing Relc and Humans in general. She approached another stall, filled to bursting with all kinds of goods. It looked nice.\u00a0<\/p>\n Each wooden stall was, simultaneously, identical and unique if that made sense. Identical because they were carbon-copy frames of wood, a counter and semi-enclosed space that each [Shopkeeper] could place their goods in and sell from. Erin had seen similar things at farmers\u2019 markets back home.<\/p>\n What made them unique was that the canvas roofs were all hand-stitched and of different colors. So a blue tarpaulin covering might have tiny little golden Dragons on the edges, or another stall would just have a plain white cloth covering. And the goods were obviously different for each.<\/p>\n A Drake was selling what looked like\u2026armor?<\/em> Made out of eerily black chitin. In fact, he even had a sword sheath shaped like a giant\u2026leg. An insect\u2019s leg. Erin wondered if Klbkch found it offensive, but she was reminded less of the Antinium\u2019s beetle-ish forms and more of a spider.<\/p>\n A big<\/em> spider if that was the leg. She shuddered and hurried on, but the Drake was still calling out.<\/p>\n \u201cShield Spider gear! Cheaper than Pallassian steel and almost as good! Anyone fancy some adventurer\u2019s equipment? No? Please?\u201d<\/p>\n Not many people wanted to wear spider-based armor, it seemed. Another Gnoll was just selling pots and making a killing, from the looks of it. He had cheap cooking pots, cups, storage vessels\u2014anything you could want. Erin was curious, but what she needed was food.<\/em><\/p>\n While there were a number of produce-selling shops, only a few had a myriad of goods, which Erin guessed were [Shopkeepers] like the terrible Lism, who had a bunch of items on display. One caught her eye, and it was a stall with a rich violet covering. Violet\u2014with a silver-threaded fang in the center. Striking, attractive, and simple.<\/p>\n Erin had been too harried the other day to appreciate the shop, but she recognized the owner. And this time, she slowed down and really looked at the owner.<\/p>\n It was that tall Gnoll woman who\u2019d warned her about Olesm! She, like many of her people, wasn\u2019t wearing a full-body dress, but a kind of decorated breastband and waistcloth. It worked because, well, she was covered in fur.<\/p>\n A light mahogany color. Or\u2026walnut? Erin wasn\u2019t sure how many colors of brown she actually knew, but the fur covered the Gnoll from head-to-toe. Like the other Gnolls, she had a vaguely\u2026hyena-shaped head? A mane of darker hair running down her neck, like Drakes had neck-spines, and her \u2018fingers\u2019 and \u2018toes\u2019 that Erin could see in her sandals were furry paws, although fully flexible.<\/p>\n She seemed well-known by a lot of the shoppers here and called out greetings to a few who passed. When she caught sight of Erin, the Gnoll woman sniffed.<\/p>\n Unlike the first time they\u2019d met, the Gnoll [Shopkeeper] did not greet Erin or wave her over. She folded her arms and waited.<\/p>\n Erin winced inside, but there was nothing for it. She stepped closer and waved at the tall Gnoll.<\/p>\n \u201cUm. Hi. Are you open for business?\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll looked down at Erin. She wasn\u2019t smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cI am, and I see you\u2019ve wrestled some coin out of Lism\u2019s claws, that greedy hoarder. Good for you, Human. But if you are here to look down your nose again at my goods, I would prefer not to waste my time, no?\u201d<\/p>\n She seemed offended, and Erin recalled that she\u2019d run off straight to Lism and snubbed the Gnoll\u2019s friendly greetings. Erin blushed and ducked her head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? No, no. I\u2019m actually here to, uh, apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin tried to gauge the Gnoll shopkeeper\u2019s reaction. It was hard to read her face. Like Relc and Klbkch, a Gnoll\u2019s face didn\u2019t display the same expressions as a Human one. But Erin didn\u2019t detect the same amount of hostility in her features.<\/p>\n \u201cOh? What do you have to say then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm. Sorry?\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll raised one eyebrow, and her ears twitched back. That<\/em> was a Human reaction, so Erin went on quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just that I was having a bad day, and I met this other Gnoll who really<\/em> didn\u2019t like me. So, uh, I was kinda afraid you would get growly at me too. But I\u2019m sorry about that. I shouldn\u2019t judge by, uh, species.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll looked at her. Erin still couldn\u2019t read her face. But\u2014weren\u2019t Gnolls kind of like hyenas? They looked like them. And hyenas were cats. Or maybe they were dogs. Either way, Erin peeked at the Gnoll\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n They were twitching. And once Erin saw that, she saw the Gnoll\u2019s lips were twitching the merest fraction. Erin tried out a smile. To her surprise, the Gnoll smiled back. And laughed. She had a lot<\/em> of sharp teeth, but the laugh was so boisterous Erin wasn\u2019t as afraid.<\/p>\n \u201cHah! This is the first time I have heard a Human apologize in\u2026months? A good day, yes? It is good you come to make amends. I will forgive you and forgive the smell you stink of as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin frowned. Was this good or bad?<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, I don\u2019t want to make you mad again. But\u2014do I really smell that bad? I just had a bath.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll shopkeeper laughed again. She\u2014and now that Erin looked, she was definitely<\/em> a she\u2014 clapped one hand on Erin\u2019s shoulder. Erin\u2019s knees buckled.<\/p>\n \u201cI do not mock you, Human. But I laugh because I forget others do not have our nose. Forgive, please. You stepped in something on your way to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin rubbed at her shoulder surreptitiously. Then she looked down at her feet, made a face, and began dragging her foot around on the street.<\/p>\n \u201cEugh! <\/em>What was\u2014that\u2019s so gross! I\u2019m so sorry! I had that on my foot the entire time? You\u2019re totally forgiven. Your nose is amazing! Do I, uh, smell at all beyond that?\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll shopkeeper nodded, turning serious.<\/p>\n \u201cYou smell of burned ash and trash. No; not just that foul smell. Even burning trash smells better. I know not what it was, but I can still smell it on you. You could also use some soap, a shampoo for your hair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? You can smell all that?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin sniffed at her arm experimentally, but she smelled like she always did. Better, actually, since she had found the stream to wash up in.<\/p>\n The Gnoll wrinkled her nose.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes. It\u2019s not too bad now though. All that blood and oil covers it up.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin froze. The Gnoll laughed at her expression. Then she sombered and gave Erin a long, appraising look.<\/p>\n \u201cI smell that too. Blood and death. Yet you don\u2019t stink of fear anymore. You smell like a [Warrior] from my tribe after their first battle or hunt. I am relieved for that, yes? You have a bravery in you, to win a fight to the death alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nothing to be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin replied automatically. Her stomach was dropping out of her legs, but the Gnoll shopkeeper didn\u2019t seem to notice.<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t it? You stormed back here, trounced both Lism in words and his nephew in chess\u2014although Olesm is the better of the two by far\u2014and in front of all to see! Warrior and tactician, both! A fine day for a young woman to have\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin cut the shopkeeper off flatly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not anything to be proud of. At all.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll stared down at her. Erin met her gaze. At last, the Gnoll shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cHrm. If you insist. I apologize if I\u2019ve erred. Humans can be difficult to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n That last remark stung. Erin gritted her teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do all of you say that? I\u2019m Human. So what?\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll grinned at her with all her teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you are<\/em> Human. Few of us have ever seen your kind here, let alone talked to one.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin smiled sourly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019re the first Gnoll I\u2019ve talked to. The first one that wasn\u2019t angry at me, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll [Shopkeeper] laughed and slapped Erin on the shoulder again, but gently. Two huge brown eyes met Erin\u2019s, and she growled in approval.<\/p>\n \u201cHah! You are a spirited one! I like you. So I will introduce myself. I am Krshia, [Shopkeeper] and seller of goods. And you are the Human who slew the Goblin Chieftain! What is your name, brave little one?\u201d<\/p>\n So she knew, already, who Erin had killed. The young woman bit her tongue.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Erin. Erin Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stuck out her hand but found herself grabbed and squeezed tightly by the Gnoll shopkeeper. It was a bear hug by a creature that looked sort of like a bear. She was strong enough for a bear too, and Erin felt oxygen quickly leaving her body.<\/p>\n The Gnoll must have heard Erin squeak or felt her dying because she eased up on the pressure. She sniffed at Erin, only wrinkling her nose slightly. For Erin\u2019s part, she smelled spices, sweat, a strong doggish smell, and that earthy smell that came from a day or two of not bathing. Then she was on the ground blinking up at the Gnoll.<\/p>\n \u201cThere. We have met, and we are now friends. Come into my shop, Erin Solstice, and tell me what you need. For the pleasure of seeing Lism humiliated, I will give you a discount. And I will not steal your coins. That is a promise from a Gnoll of the Silverfang tribe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSilverfang?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin blinked at her, but stepped inside the stall and looked around. Her first impression of Krshia\u2019s full stall was of a dazzling panorama of goods. Sacks of food, neatly labelled as \u2018wheat\u2019, \u2018rye\u2019, \u2018ashwheat\u2019, and so on, occupied the lower part of the stall. In English, along with labels in that foreign script! Higher up were some books with interesting labels. Erin saw only a few on display, and they were pricey\u2014gold instead of silver! But Krshia had a bunch of knives sharing space with some earrings made out of what might have been pure silver and bits of gemstone.<\/p>\n At first, it looked like everything, but Erin noted gaps in the stock. It appeared everything Krshia sold was in popular demand. She blinked as she took in the huge supply.<\/p>\n \u201cWow. Okay. That\u2019s a lot of stuff. But that\u2019s good, because I need a lot of stuff. Like food, clothing, um, soap. Toothpaste\u2014do you have\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAha. I see why Lism got exasperated. Let us take a moment to breathe, Miss Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia cut Erin off with a friendly smile and a raised finger. She gestured Erin onto a stool.<\/p>\n \u201cI am not gifted with perfect memory via Skill or otherwise. Let us make a proper list, and I will be able to see what you want, yes? It will take time, but we shall be more organized than me fetching this or that.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin nodded, impressed by the decision-making. It made her feel a bit silly for not having a list herself, not that she had any paper. But her mom would have had a grocery list.\u00a0<\/p>\n Her mom. Erin\u2019s mind caught at the idea, but she pushed it down and focused on the Gnoll. Krshia bared her teeth at her again, but Erin was pretty sure it was a smile. A toothy smile, but the Gnoll was inviting.<\/p>\n \u201cI will give you a fair price. Just as I said. I hail from the Silverfang Tribe, far to the south. The Great Plains of Izril. Have you heard of us?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUm. No. A tribe, huh? What does Silverfang do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, we are fine [Traders], but we also mine silver and do much with it. I have not been home in nearly a decade, but you may find many Gnolls in Liscor are Silverfangs. Sit, sit! Ah, here is some parchment. Now, tell me what you need. And then I will have your goods delivered rather than make you pay for a bag.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She growled derisively, and Erin realized this was another way she might have been ripped off by Lism. The young woman blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cDelivered? You do deliveries?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Did you think many would carry off bags of flour as you did? It is too hard. No; the stupid shopkeeper Lism, fur sheddings that he is, didn\u2019t tell you and gave you the bag on purpose. But then again\u2014have you never had a Street Runner deliver anything? It may be a bit more for somewhere outside Liscor, but I know a few Street Runners who will do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin glanced over at Lism\u2019s distant shop. He was still screaming at his store and his nephew. It looked like Olesm was recreating the game they\u2019d played on another chess board. Erin had already bought the board she\u2019d won on.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel bad about that, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBad?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia stared at Erin in surprise and then laughed again.<\/p>\n \u201cHumans are strange. He would not give you the same if he were in your place; he surely would not.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cStill, it\u2019s not nice. And the law should be equal for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, Krshia stared at Erin. Erin shifted uncomfortably.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s what I was always taught. Plus, I bullied Olesm a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll shook her head, but not in confusion so much as\u2026a kind of amused gratification.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is a viewpoint I have not often heard since coming to Liscor. So, you truly knew what you were doing, but you pretended to be humble and baited him into that game. Cleverer still!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin ducked her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know he was going to challenge me to chess! That was a lucky coincidence. I just\u2014happen to be really good at it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm. How good is \u2018really good?\u2019 Olesm may be young, but he is considered the best player in Liscor sheerly by how much he plays. From how you speak\u2014it sounds like you made a choice to \u2018bully\u2019 him. If he were a Level 20 [Warrior], say, what would you be?\u201d<\/p>\n The question caught Erin off-guard as Krshia produced a tub of what might have been toothpaste\u2014and a brush. She offered Erin a choice between mint and lemon, and Erin pointed at the lemon.<\/p>\n \u201cI, uh\u2014well, I dunno. If he\u2019s Level 20\u2026I\u2019d be Level 60?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia nearly tripped and caught herself and turned to stare at Erin. Instantly, Erin felt like she\u2019d made a mistake.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that off?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you say it\u2019s so\u2014so you could beat him one-handed, eh? Blindfolded, even? What did you want? Soap? I have a few from the [Alchemist]. But to wash the body\u2026no, this is hair conditioner for Gnolls. I don\u2019t think you need quite this much. Scale cream\u2026I will have someone find it.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin saw Krshia glancing her way as she produced a bar of soap. The [Innkeeper] fidgeted. She knew it sounded like bragging, but\u2014she coughed into her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cEr\u2026I might be able to beat him blindfolded.\u201d<\/p>\n At this, Krshia actually stopped and gave Erin a look that said she didn\u2019t believe her. Erin raised her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry! I know it sounds like I\u2019m blowing smoke, but you can play chess blindfolded if you know the pieces. He\u2019s a talented\u2026rookie. But he doesn\u2019t know any chess openings, and I\u2019ve played since I was a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSince you were a child. Hrr. Now that\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia\u2019s eyes sharpened, and Erin fidgeted, but the Gnoll smiled in an incomprehensible way. She walked over and tapped one of the earrings she had. Erin noticed it was set with a beautiful bit of quartz which was glowing a bright blue. Wait\u2026hadn\u2019t it been clear just now?<\/p>\n \u201cFascinating. This truth-stone earring says you are telling the truth. So I believe you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWh\u2014truth stones? <\/em>That\u2019s what that thing is? I\u2019ve never seen something like that! Is it magic?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia looked amused. Then she frowned as the blue glow grew brighter.<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Not once? I\u2026have never seen a truth stone before either.\u201d<\/p>\n At that, the stone turned a murky red color, and the Gnoll poked it a few times, looking mystified.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it is<\/em> working. Tribes! Well, I suppose\u2026they\u2019re not the most common, and it is an expensive item. More gold than you have, Miss Erin. Not that I won\u2019t sell it to you if you have, er, forty-eight more pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n As she did not, Erin changed the subject, but she noticed Krshia glancing at the earring in confusion more than once.<\/p>\n \u201cSo. These deliveries\u2026how do they work?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia smiled. She pointed to a small wooden bowl filled with brightly painted wooden tokens. Circular, with little markings on them in the unknown script. Erin looked at them and saw each had an intricate little design of red and gold that made up a pattern around the edge. The center was filled with some words and a symbol. It looked a bit like\u2026a foot? A stylized, clawed foot like Relc\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019ve never seen a Runner\u2019s Guild Seal before? Hah\u2014maybe not Drake ones? You haven\u2019t?<\/em> Well then\u2026they are for Runners. When I give you one, I will keep its twin, yes? Then, when a Runner delivers your goods, you will give him the Seal you have, and then I will know my goods have been delivered. It is simple.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin picked up one of the pieces of wood.<\/p>\n \u201cRunner\u2019s Guild? So you\u2019re saying it\u2019s like a postal service?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm. A delivery service?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is what I have said, Erin Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin blushed while Krshia grinned toothily at her and laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cRight, sorry. I just haven\u2019t ever heard of these Runners before. What do they do, besides make deliveries?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia gave her a long look and snuck another quick look at the blue earring. She seemed to be checking whether Erin was making fun of her.<\/p>\n \u201cRunners run. They are quick ones, those who can run long distances to earn money. Sometimes they deliver letters, other times valuable things. Goods, yes? Magical items, messages that must only be spoken to one person. Such are expensive requests though. Only the best carry such things. Most just deliver goods very cheaply. I can call one and have all that you buy delivered to your inn for a good price.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Erin thought she knew what Krshia was talking about. In the bustling city, hadn\u2019t she seen a few Gnolls and Drakes racing about faster than everyone else? Krshia nodded when she mentioned seeing them.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be a Street Runner. If you were living far away, I would call for a City Runner. For a long journey, perhaps to another continent, or in a dangerous spot, or if I needed the fastest in the world, I would pay for a Courier\u2014and spend a fortune on the delivery!\u201d<\/p>\n That sounded good, but Erin had learned skepticism here.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s a good price?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the broken inn a few miles east of here, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin nodded. Krshia scratched her chin.<\/p>\n \u201c…Four silver coins. Not a small price. If it were the city, it would be one, or maybe coppers for a small delivery. But it is far, yes? And if it is heavy and monsters lurk about, the price goes up. You are lucky the Goblins are scarce and the Hollowstone Deceivers do not travel this late in the season. So I advise you to buy a lot<\/em> and have the delivery done once, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin thought about that. It sounded really good. Better than carrying anything herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI like it.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia grinned at her again. This time, Erin grinned back using all of her teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew I liked you for a reason. Then tell me what you want, and let us not waste the light, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds good to me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Later that evening, Erin sat in her inn and felt at her money pouch. It was much lighter now, but she felt a lot better about it. She felt a lot better about life, actually.<\/p>\n She had fresh clothes on, and she no longer smelled of\u2026well, she no longer smelled. Instead, her skin had been bathed in an orange-y scent from the soap she\u2019d used. And lemon toothpaste made her mouth feel fresh. And <\/em>she hadn\u2019t had to dodge fish in the stream while bathing either.\u00a0<\/p>\n The day had been full of busy things, and none of them had been entirely bad. After she\u2019d bought all of the goods she needed from Krshia, and even haggled a bit over the price, the Gnoll had shown her to the bath house to have a proper wash. Then Erin had gone back to her inn, eaten the rest of the pasta, and she was now enjoying a minor food coma as she sat in a chair in her inn.<\/p>\n Erin played with one of the chess pieces on the table. She\u2019d carried the chess board and a few essential items like soap with her back to the inn. She hadn\u2019t wanted to let the chess board go. It was incredible, really. Chess? In a world like this? Actually, it made sense, but Erin was still amazed. She had to keep touching the pieces to make sure they were real.<\/p>\n But she had to focus. Erin dragged her mind back on track. Krshia told her the Runner would deliver her stuff tomorrow at some point. Until then, she could clean up the inn a bit. Or maybe play a game against herself. That was fun too. It was just\u2014<\/p>\n Erin stared down at the chess board. She murmured to herself.<\/p>\n \u201cKnight to D4. Pawn to E3.\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly, her good feeling vanished. Erin felt cold. The food in her stomach was dead weight instead of comfort, and she felt sick. Her hands shook as she put the pieces back on the table. Everything was better. It really was. But\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014If she closed her eyes, Erin could still see a Goblin lying on the ground next to her. If she opened her hands, she could still feel the dead weight between her palms.<\/p>\n Erin moved a pawn up and took the knight. She stared at the pieces on the board.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kill or be killed in this world, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n She put her head in her hands and rubbed at her eyes. Yes. That was what she\u2019d learned. And she hated it. All of the good that had come to her seemed like it had been built on the bad.<\/p>\n The bad. The dead. A game of chess on a pile of corpses. Erin stared at the chess board.<\/p>\n She was good at chess. She liked chess. She\u2019d grown up playing chess and other games like that, despite the fact that girls weren\u2019t common in chess tournaments. Chess had been fun to her until she\u2019d grown up and realized she\u2019d never become a Grandmaster herself. She was good, but not great. But chess had still been her hobby. Chess was fun. It was about outwitting the opponent, about using strategy\u2014<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t at all like killing someone.<\/p>\n Erin stared at her hands. They were quivering. She could still feel them burning. It was all a game, though, wasn\u2019t it? A game with levels and classes. A game like chess.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a game. Just a game?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared at the board. Pieces. If she thought about it like that, then death seemed to matter less. She\u2019d done the right thing. She\u2019d defended herself, killed the monster.<\/p>\n Killed the monster.<\/p>\n She stared down at the two dead Goblins. They were so small. Like children. And they had family. Friends. Those who loved them.<\/p>\n The ragged Goblin. The ones hiding outside her inn, scrawny and afraid. They were the enemy too, if she played the game like chess. The right thing to do would be to hunt them down and kill them. That was how all games worked.<\/p>\n That was how you played chess.<\/p>\n Erin sat up. She remembered the Goblin\u2019s hand in hers, the feeling of his skin. She remembered his smile. She remembered laughing.<\/p>\n And then she understood. Erin put her hand underneath the chess board and flipped it off the table. Both white and black pieces soared into the air and clattered against the floor.<\/p>\n Erin stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember why I got bored of chess. There\u2019s only one winner and one loser. The best game for both players is a draw.\u201d<\/p>\n She walked over to the door and yanked it open. Then she stopped and turned. She raised her middle finger and flipped off the chess board a second time.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make my own rules. And anyone that doesn\u2019t like it can go to hell.\u201d<\/p>\n The door slammed shut as Erin walked out. A few minutes later, she rushed back into the inn and carefully put all the pieces back onto the chess board.<\/p>\n \u201cStill a great game, though. Don\u2019t take it personally. Let me just get a quick snack for the road. And I need some soap. Proper hygiene and all that. Where did I put the soap? Soap, soap, soap\u2026I should really organize all this stuff. Maybe tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Then she was gone, running down to the city. There was still plenty of daylight left in the sky. And she had one more thing left to do. The most important thing of all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The sun was setting over the grassland when the young woman returned to the inn. She stopped, again, and saw a streak of purple grass blowing as the cool winds came down across the rolling hills and valleys. Shadows crept and lengthened across the old inn. They should have exposed cracks, but as she looked up, the darkness seemed to hide the age of the building, all the little imperfections and signs of age.<\/p>\n Like this\u2014it looked like what it had been in its heyday, a lone building set against the fading crimson sky, visible for miles away if it were lit up from the inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erin Solstice slowly put down her burden. Her arms hurt, and she regretted not adding this to the delivery, but she had been too excited to wait. Krshia had humored her and even helped Erin buy what she wanted.<\/p>\n She was carrying a bucket filled with nails, a brush, and even a few slats of straight wood planks. And a hammer. It was quite heavy, and the young woman muttered and rubbed at her aching shoulders.<\/p>\n However, she eventually reached the inn\u2019s door and set down her burden. Then she gazed up.\u00a0<\/p>\n The shadowy sign was long-since faded. The little one that said \u2018open\u2019 and \u2018closed\u2019 hung below some fa\u00e7ade, some\u2026signboard above the doorway that had once been this inn\u2019s name.<\/p>\n Even if she had been able to pick out the letters, Erin felt it was in that other language. She did feel guilty, but she got to work as she set her tools down. Then she pulled something out of her pocket and grimaced.<\/p>\n \u201cAw. The water.\u201d<\/p>\n She had a packet of what looked, at first, to be plain white dust. And some black charcoal or other powder. But when Erin found some water and filled another bucket with it, the dust turned the water white, and the second turned another black.<\/p>\n Powdered paint. Very handy, and it beat hauling a bucket of paint<\/em> back all this way. Erin mixed up both, then dipped her brush into the first bucket. She gave the inn\u2019s signboard a coating and hoped it dried as fast as Krshia claimed.<\/p>\n The inn lost its name quickly as Erin stood on a chair she propped on top of a table she\u2019d dragged outside. She felt a pang, but it had lost that name long ago, with its customers and owner. It needed a new one, especially if she were to stay here.<\/p>\n It felt\u2026reverential, almost. The girl picked up the bucket of black paint and the brush and thought a second. She dipped the brush in the black paint and painted a broad stroke on the wide plaque above the entranceway. She wrote the beginning of a letter, frowned at it, and then cursed and shouted obscenities and had to cover it all up with white paint again.<\/p>\n It was hard to write properly, and it took her several tries as the daylight escaped the world to finish her sign. Numerous coats of paint to cover her mistakes. Multiple tools. A paint-scraping knife to get rid of the paint when it became too thick. A hammer to hit things while she vented her frustrations.<\/p>\n But eventually, the sign was done. The young woman sighed in relief and then picked up the pieces of wood she brought with her. This was easier, so she only took the paintbrush and wrote on it briefly. Then, she planted the pieces of wood in the ground and drove the sign down with the hammer a few times.<\/p>\n By now, it was dark. So dark that Erin was yawning, hungry, and covered with paint. In defiance of any good painter or craftswomanship at all, she left the tools on the ground where they lay. Even the paint brush in the bucket.<\/p>\n \u201cFood. I hate painting.\u201d<\/p>\n The paint was already drying, and the sign and plaque were done. The lettering was crisp and clear, and if any travellers had been present, the words would have caught the eye.<\/p>\n But there weren\u2019t any travellers. The inn was long-deserted, and no visitors had come here for a long time.<\/p>\n Yet\u2014it didn\u2019t matter. The inn\u2019s shuttered windows began to glow with a bit of light. As they did, a few people stopped outside the inn. Not guests. Not yet.<\/p>\n Just\u2026a young [Necromancer], rubbing at his rumbling stomach and glancing up at the new sign. He raised his brows and inspected the smaller sign. He recoiled\u2014shook his head, and gave the inn a strange look.<\/p>\n Almost as strange as the smallest Goblin, peeking at the inn in the darkness. Her night vision was good, but even so, she had to hurry forwards when he left and puzzle out each word in the Human\u2019s language one by one. She too stared and hurried away, just as confused.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t matter. The lack of guests didn\u2019t matter. The sign was what mattered. The new name of the inn and the message mattered. They were written, now there to stay. As was the young woman.<\/p>\n So, as Erin Solstice slept, the twin moons rose, and the night sky began to brighten. The moonlight from the two moons, a pale blue and a faint green, caught the inn\u2019s sign. The letters spelled out the new name:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Wandering Inn<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next to the inn, a large sign was hammered into the earth by the door. It read:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo Killing Goblins.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Thus began the story of The Wandering Inn.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cCheckmate.\u201d At last, Erin slid her last rook into position. Olesm stared at the board and then tipped over his king with a trembling claw. A sigh ran through the audience surrounding the chessboard. It sounded like disbelief. The choking noise coming from Lism\u2019s mouth was like a lawnmower engine failing to rev up. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693081,349],"tags":[],"twi_volume":[11693130],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-13493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-1","category-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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