She slept on the way back. Somehow, Erin found she was extremely tired after her meeting with Magnolia, and despite it being only dusk she slept like a baby.<\/p>\n
She woke up as Reynold slowed the coach next to her inn. Erin blinked, looked around wildly, and realized she was home.<\/p>\n
Home. It was an odd thing to say, and even odder that the sight of Toren\u2019s skeletal frame standing in front of her inn was reassuring, but there it was.<\/p>\n
Erin was home.<\/p>\n
It was the work of a few minutes for Erin to extricate herself from the carriage. Not because she was that slow; Reynold insisted on helping her pack up the huge meal Lady Magnolia had sent with her. It was far too much for Erin to eat, but she suspected Lyonette might enjoy the rich food.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks so much for driving me out here, Reynold.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was my pleasure Miss Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cErin. Um, will you come in for something to eat? Or I could make you up a bed. It\u2019s getting late.\u201d<\/p>\n
The [Butler] smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI fear I must decline. I will return to Lady Magnolia\u2019s side shortly, but I thank you for the offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, it\u2019s no\u2014if you ever have time, come by and I\u2019ll treat you to a meal on the house, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be my pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erin watched as the man climbed back in the carriage and the horses began to gallop. She looked over at Toren as the skeleton walked down the hill. He stared at her. She stared back.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded. Erin looked at him for a few more seconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Lyonette here?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded, and pointed up towards the inn. On cue the doors flew open and Erin heard a strident voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he gone?<\/em> Come back! I insist\u2014!\u201d<\/p>\n The girl dashed down the slope and stopped, waving her arms and shouting at the coach. She turned to Erin, furious.<\/p>\n \u201cHow dare <\/em>he? The nerve\u2014did you inform Magnolia Reinhart of my distress? When will she send for me? You may pass any correspondence from her directly to me.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Erin expectantly. Erin blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cUm. She knows you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s it. I don\u2019t think she\u2019s sending anyone else. Hey Toren, help me carry all this food to the inn. You can have this basket. And this bundle. And I\u2019ll take this\u2026there\u2019s some good food in here so don\u2019t drop it.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin trooped up to her inn and went inside, ignoring Lyonette\u2019s outraged monologue. The noble girl calmed down only slightly when she saw the feast Erin had brought back.<\/p>\n \u201cHmf. Well at least the woman was decent enough to provide me with a decent meal as recompense. I will await her reply while I make do.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin suspected Lyonette would be waiting for a long time, but she wisely didn\u2019t mention that.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you set the table we can eat, Lyonette.\u201d<\/p>\n The girl stared at Erin. Erin stared back. Lyonette\u2019s petulant self-righteousness was a far cry from Ressa\u2019s stare and Lady Magnolia\u2019s sheer presence. In a few seconds the girl flounced into the kitchen.<\/p>\n She was just finishing setting the table\u2014badly\u2014and Toren had emerged with a jug of cold milk when the door slammed open.<\/p>\n \u201cHumans!\u201d<\/p>\n Relc bellowed the words and Lyonette screamed and dropped the forks and ran for the stairs. Erin laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cRelc! And Klbkch! And Selys?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Receptionist] walked in as Klbkch held the door open and smiled at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cHi Erin. I hope I\u2019m not bothering you, but I saw that coach come in and everyone was headed this way, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Klbkch shut the door and nodded to Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope we are not interrupting you today, Miss Solstice?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, that\u2019s great, come in!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin waved the three into her inn happily. She hated being alone, which was to say, trapped with either Lyon or Toren. Relc chortled with delight when he saw the spread of food Toren had placed on one of the tables.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did all this come from?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, that? It\u2019s um\u2026a gift. I can\u2019t eat it with just Lyon, so everyone grab a plate and have some. Lyonette\u2014more plates! And forks. And spoons and knives. And cups!\u201d<\/p>\n The girl looked up with disgust, but Toren shepherded her back into the kitchen. Relc stared after the girl and scratched his head, looking briefly put out, but Klbkch spoke to Erin as Selys happily investigated the food.<\/p>\n \u201cI regret that Pawn is not able to visit. He is occupied within the Hive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I couldn\u2019t find Olesm. I think he\u2019s busy at the Runner\u2019s Guild for some reason. I saw him taking a huge stack of parchment there earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys eyed the food Erin had spread on the table. Magnolia, for all her objectionable traits, was certainly generous when it came to food. Since Erin had fallen asleep before she\u2019d touched the spread, she had two different roasted pheasants, over ten cuts of meat, cheeses, two bottles of wine, fruits that were only slightly wilted, bread, some kind of spicy dip, a sweet dip, olives, and even a crab\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cIs this really all a gift from this Reinhart lady? Did she like you that much, Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think she was just being\u2026generous. She\u2019s really rich, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWow. You know, I knew she was important after Ceria told me about her messenger, but I didn\u2019t know she was that<\/em> important.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve never heard of her?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was curious. Selys scratched at one cheek and twitched her tail in embarrassment.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s just\u2014she\u2019s a Human, you know, Erin? I guess I just don\u2019t pay attention to famous Humans that much. I might have heard her name once or twice…maybe she was important historically? How old is she? Anyways, I could name a few important adventurers and teams, but not more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo no one knows of Lady Magnolia Reinhart?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReinhart? She<\/em> was the one who sent that carriage?\u201d<\/p>\n Relc looked up from the food as Toren and Lyonette reappeared. Klbkch looked at Erin as well.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. She wanted to talk. So you know her, Relc?\u201d<\/p>\n He shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Deadly Flower? Yeah, I\u2019ve heard of her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh! From the Antinium Wars! That\u2019s her?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Selys gasped in sudden realization.<\/p>\n \u201cBut she\u2019s a hero! And she helped beat the Antinium both times. I had no idea!\u201d<\/p>\n She glanced over at Klbkch and froze.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Klbkch nodded as he delicately consumed a slice of beef.<\/p>\n \u201cI have never met Magnolia Reinhart in person, but I am well aware of her accomplishments. I am curious as to why she wished to speak with you, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Erin, and she realized he probably knew why. Relc scratched his spines and shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cWho cares? I mean, you can tell us, but free food is free food, right? Can I have all of this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat!\u201d<\/p>\n Relc began heaping a plate with as much food as possible, much to Lyon\u2019s outrage. She glared daggers at the Drake which Relc happily ignored. Lyonette tried to load her own plate while keeping as far away from any non-Human as possible. That was fairly impossible, but she gravitated more towards Selys than Klbkch or Relc, staying the furthest away from the Antinium.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is so tasty!\u201d<\/p>\n Selys smiled at Erin as the two took their plates to a table. Relc wavered, but Klbkch tapped him on the shoulder and they took a table a few feet away. Erin had noticed the lack of invitation from Selys, as well as the way the Drake had kicked her when she opened her mouth to invite the other two to join her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you want to eat with Relc?\u201d<\/p>\n She whispered that to Selys when she was sure the other Drake was investigating one of the kegs Erin had put on the bar\u2019s counter in the back. Selys made a face.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was flirting <\/em>with me on the way here, Erin. I just don\u2019t want to give him the wrong idea so soon afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin had discussed the more\u2026intimate\u2026relations of each species with Selys before, but she\u2019d never really asked about the Drake\u2019s love life. But from the look on Selys\u2019s face, Relc wasn\u2019t included in any of her aspirations.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you like him? I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a friend, I guess. I mean, I don’t know him like you do. But I’d never date<\/em> him, Erin!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? I mean, he\u2019s not that bad, is he?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys looked over at Relc as the Drake happily poured himself a drink of ale and grimaced.<\/p>\n \u201cWell no, but\u2014he\u2019s really muscly, and he\u2019s arrogant and selfish too. I know he\u2019s a really important Senior Guardsman and he\u2019s really high-level, but I\u2019d hate to be the Drake who had to put up with him in a relationship. Anyways, I prefer guys who look\u2026better, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin frowned at Relc.<\/p>\n \u201cReally? He looks fine to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because you\u2019re a Human.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys sighed. She swished her tail back and forth on the floorboards.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, it\u2019s not just that. He\u2019s older than me, you know? I mean, I\u2019m almost the same age as his d\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She broke off as Relc walked over. His tail was wagging as he held up a mug.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is alcohol, right? You\u2019re finally serving alcohol?\u201d<\/p>\n He nearly had tears in his eyes. Erin nodded and grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cI bought some\u2014I even made this really weird special drink, but it\u2019s uh, sort of in testing. It does weird things when people drink it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? I\u2019ll try some so long as I\u2019m not throwing up afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys looked intrigued. Relc nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll try it even if I do<\/em> throw up. Alcohol!\u201d<\/p>\n He went back to his table as Erin turned back to Selys.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyways, meeting with Magnolia was huge. She said so many things\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo tell me everything!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin took a deep breath, and then looked towards the door. A second later, Halrac opened it. The [Scout] grunted when he saw the food on the table before his eyes flicked to Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you open?\u201d<\/p>\n Relc looked over and froze, but Klbkch seemed perfectly at ease. Selys had frozen in her seat, but Erin only smiled wider.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on in, Halrac! Get a plate and have something to eat\u2014it\u2019s a buffet tonight!\u201d<\/p>\n The older man eyed the spread without comment. He seemed puzzled by it, possibly because he could identify the rich food as out of place in the inn, but he loaded up his plate and took a table away from the others.<\/p>\n Erin resolved to talk to Halrac later, after she\u2019d finished eating. He was so silent, except when he was bugging her about having more of that faerie flower drink. But she bet she could get him to open up if she talked enough. She turned and saw Selys gaping at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Do I have something on my face?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cErin! That\u2019s Halrac! Halrac as in, Halrac from Griffon Hunt! The Gold-rank [Scout]!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm. Yeah?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin knew that. She couldn\u2019t remember if Halrac had told her or she\u2019d heard it somewhere else, but Selys seemed blown away by that fact.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is he doing here!? I thought he was staying at Peslas\u2019 inn!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Well, he comes in every night. I guess he likes my inn better.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin felt a bit smug at that, but Selys shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s famous,<\/em> Erin! How\u2019d you even meet him? I mean, maybe he\u2019s not as famous as Magnolia Reinhart\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho you didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Shut up. I know adventurers because it\u2019s my job, okay? Halrac\u2019s a veteran. He\u2019s killed Griffons by himself and he\u2019s probably the closest to becoming a Named Adventurer in Liscor right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019s a good customer. Silent. Doesn\u2019t throw things. And he tips well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s rich.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Well, I think he keeps coming back because of this drink I made. You know those flowers I told you about? A few days ago I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin broke off again. Selys looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cMore guests? How can you tell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. I just\u2026sense it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sure enough, only a few seconds after Erin had turned, the door opened.<\/p>\n \u201cRags!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin half-rose from her chair, beaming as the small Goblin entered, pushing back her hood. But the young woman stopped when she saw Rags wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n Rags had a friend. Or an underling? How else could Erin explain the second Goblin that walked through the door. He was likewise hooded, and Erin only caught a glimpse of green skin as he tugged the cloth over his face and looked around. But that wasn\u2019t the thing that stopped her.<\/p>\n \u201cA Hob!\u201d<\/p>\n Relc shot out of his chair and reached for his spear. Klbkch caught his arm, but Lyonette screamed and Selys choked on her mouthful of food. Erin looked at the tall Goblin.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t look like the Goblin Chieftain at all. What had Relc said? A Hob? As in Hobgoblin? But he looked so\u2026so\u2026Human.<\/p>\n That was to say, he looked humanoid. He was about as Human as a Drake and Erin detected fangs in the smile he gave her.<\/p>\n The Hobgoblin made her uneasy. But then Erin noticed Rags was staring at her. Expectantly. And Erin realized Rags was waiting to see what she would do.<\/p>\n Yet, Erin had a definite sense that this mysterious Hobgoblin wasn\u2019t like Rags. He was dangerous, and everyone in the room felt it. Especially the warriors.<\/p>\n Across the room, Relc and Klbkch were silently staring at the Hobgoblin. The air had frozen around Relc and one of his hands was clenched into a fist. Halrac had paused as soon as the second Goblin had entered, and one of his hands was at his belt. Even Toren was staring hard at the second Goblin.<\/p>\n The air was full of tension. Erin felt her [Dangersense] tingling in the back of her head, but she ignored it and made herself smile. What had Lady Magnolia said about Goblins? No\u2014she\u2019d said it about Erin. A girl who treated Goblins like people. Because Goblins were people. Remember that.<\/p>\n \u201cRags, come in! I\u2019ve got tons of food, and you\u2019re always welcome here. You and any Goblins. And I see you\u2019ve got a friend. That\u2019s great. Well, he\u2019s a guest<\/em> and isn\u2019t going to be attacked, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin didn\u2019t look at the others, but she raised her voice and sensed the mood change. Klbkch nodded silently, and Halrac slowly relaxed in his seat and turned back to his drink. Only Relc stood staring, until Klbkch tapped him gently on the shoulder and pushed him back towards his seat.<\/p>\n Erin approached the two Goblins cautiously. Rags looked\u2026different. It felt like ages since she\u2019d last been in the inn, and something had changed in her demeanor.<\/p>\n She looked taller. Physically\u2014she seemed to have grown an inch or two, but also in the way she carried herself. She stared up at Erin without a trace of fear, but only a sense of curiosity and something else in her crimson eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got food. Um, and we can play chess later. Where\u2019s your tribe?\u201d<\/p>\n Stare. Erin looked up at the other Goblin. He grinned at her, exposing sharp teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s your friend?\u201d<\/p>\n The Hobgoblin opened his mouth and Rags kicked him. He frowned down at her and she glared up at him. Erin scratched her head.<\/p>\n \u201cIs everything okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Rags shrugged. She walked over to the table filled with food and grabbed a plate. The tall Goblin followed her. Erin watched them begin to pile food on their plates as they muttered to each other in their incomprehensible language and went back to Selys.<\/p>\n \u201cErin. Who\u2019s that other Goblin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, why is he here?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s\u2026hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin spread her hands out as Selys kicked her.<\/p>\n \u201cOw! I don\u2019t know! What\u2019s the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys lowered her voice and hissed at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem<\/em> is that he\u2019s a Hobgoblin! They\u2019re not like normal Goblins. They\u2019re dangerous! Even a normal Silver-rank adventurer wouldn\u2019t be a match for one!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026he\u2019s with Rags! That means he could be okay!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not your only problem, Erin. After that Goblin raiding party\u2014this isn\u2019t good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my inn. What\u2019s the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cHim.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked over and saw Relc. It wasn\u2019t like she\u2019d forgotten the last time Relc and Rags had met, but now that she looked over, she could see Relc\u2019s expression. Selys looked grim.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not going to stay calm, Erin. He\u2019s going to start a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe won\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys gave Erin one of the flattest looks the girl had ever received. If the Drake had eyebrows, both of them would have been raised. Erin hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cRight?\u201d<\/p>\n Rags and the mysterious other Goblin chose a table on the other end of the inn, away from Relc and the other guests. Erin was relieved for that, and hoped she could maintain the peace throughout the night. After all, the Goblins weren\u2019t doing anything, and Relc wasn\u2019t that crazy, was he?<\/p>\n Her optimism lasted for ten minutes. Then, as Relc was going back for more food he paused in front of the table and sniffed the air theatrically.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes something stink<\/em> in here, or is it just me?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s heart sank. She watched Relc turn towards the Goblins, heart pounding. Relc opened his mouth and Erin spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cStop it, Relc.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned to look at her. Relc\u2019s eyes were smoldering, and he seemed even bigger than normal. Erin\u2019s heart was pounding. She did not want<\/em> to be here. She didn\u2019t want this to be happening. But she had to say it.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not doing anything. Leave them alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe? I didn\u2019t say it was the Goblins <\/em>who stank\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRelc.\u201d<\/p>\n Klbkch spoke up from his table. His voice was low, but Relc hunched his shoulders. The Drake made no further comment but stomped back to his table.<\/p>\n Both Goblins had looked up when Relc spoke, but they returned to their meal as if nothing had happened. The taller one was looking between Erin and Relc with interest, but neither seemed upset.<\/p>\n If that was all, Erin would have considered herself lucky. But no sooner had Relc put his plate down then he raised his mug high into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Klb, let\u2019s toast our friends. You know, the ones who died defending that village from monsters, you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n He raised his mug and spoke loudly to the room.<\/p>\n \u201cTo Byssa, Invrss, and Olivis, who died protecting us from a real threat. Those bastard Goblins.\u201d<\/p>\n The inn was silent as Relc noisily drank the entire mug down. He tossed the glass casually onto the table and looked at Rags. She stared back.<\/p>\n \u201cStop it.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was on her feet. Her knees were shaking, but she made herself stand. She walked in front of Relc and met his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you doing this?\u201d<\/p>\n Relc met her eyes and Erin felt a shock. There was something dark in the large Drake\u2019s gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I can\u2019t stand the fact that you let them in here. Because you\u2019re letting them eat while my friends are rotting in the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not the Goblins who killed your friends. Rags is di\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter. They\u2019re all the same!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Relc picked up the mug and hurled it past Erin. She flinched and Selys screamed as the glass shattered.<\/p>\n Across the room Toren moved. He\u2019d been standing still, but now he grabbed at his sword, purple eyes blazing.<\/p>\n \u201cToren! Stand still!\u201d<\/p>\n He froze in place. Relc sneered at the skeleton.<\/p>\n \u201cGood decision. Your little pet monster won\u2019t stop me. And neither will you.\u201d<\/p>\n He moved towards Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cDrake.\u201d<\/p>\n Halrac half-rose from his table. Relc pointed at him.<\/p>\n \u201cStay out of this, Human.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked back at Erin as Halrac hesitated. He was armed, but Erin didn\u2019t want a fight. She shook her head at him as Relc stared at the two Goblins.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen those things kill countless good people. They\u2019re heartless murderers that don\u2019t deserve a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin crossed her arms. She felt like a small bug in front of Relc. His rage seemed to be coming off him like heat. He loomed over Erin, but she refused to take a step back.<\/p>\n She saw the small bodies, held the severed heads of the dead Goblins in her hands. She saw the child looking up at her with hate in her eyes. Never again.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will not hurt them. Not here, and not anywhere. Do you understand me? They are under my protection. <\/em>If you hurt them, you will be my enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s chest was tight. The air felt hot, but now she felt like her entire being was being poured into those words. She stared at Relc and felt something alive around her. She pushed<\/em>, and he narrowed his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll regret it, Human.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I will. But until then, I\u2019ll do what I think is right.\u201d<\/p>\n The air was hot. Erin met Relc\u2019s gaze for a long time, an eternity. At last, he looked away.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, you know what? I\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Relc raised his hands. He sat back down. He grabbed a piece of meat and turned back to his plate as if nothing had happened.<\/p>\n The sudden lack of hostility nearly made Erin stumble. She stared at Relc\u2019s back and then got angry. Just like that?<\/p>\n She couldn\u2019t let it go. Not like this. Erin\u2019s pulse was thundering, but she felt oddly calm, as if she was standing on the brink.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Get out.\u201d<\/p>\n Relc paused as he reached for another piece of meat.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard me. Get out. You\u2019re not welcome here right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to pester your little Goblin friends.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter. You said\u2014you made yourself clear.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin bit her tongue as she stumbled over her words. They sounded stupid in her ears, but her chest was still tight.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were nice to me. But if you can\u2019t tolerate my guests, then you\u2019re not welcome in my inn. Go away, and maybe I\u2019ll let you come back later. But not now. Not tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Relc\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure you want to do that? I\u2019m a guardsman of the city. You can\u2019t just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRelc.\u201d<\/p>\n Another voice interrupted him. Klbkch spoke. His voice was dry and calm as ever, but there was an edge <\/em>to it.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not use your position as a guardsman here. Erin Solstice has spoken. She is within her rights. I will testify to that if need be.\u201d<\/p>\n Relc\u2019s head turned. His tail was very still as he looked at his friend.<\/p>\n \u201cStay out of this, Klb.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe [Innkeeper]\u2019s word is law here, guardsman. Don\u2019t push it.\u201d<\/p>\n Now Halrac spoke up. From his chair he stared at Relc. His hands weren\u2019t quite at his belt, but Erin could see a dagger at his side. Relc stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think a dagger will scare me? I could take both you and Klb together. Want to see?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one\u2019s fighting anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin raised her voice. She felt the pressure on her intensify as Relc shifted his gaze her way. But she was also pushing back, and she felt the air around her growing solid. It was like she was pushing <\/em>down on the entire inn.<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t you hear me, Relc? Leave.\u201d<\/p>\n He stood up fast. Erin didn\u2019t move, but both Klbkch and Halrac did. They walked forwards but Relc stepped towards Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think I\u2019m scared of you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s eyes were locked on Relc\u2019s. She felt her pulse racing, felt every floorboard and chair in her inn. She pushed<\/em> harder and Relc gritted his teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my inn, Relc. Get out or face the consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re just another stupid Human. You don\u2019t understand anything, do you? \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand right and wrong. You can\u2019t kill people, Relc.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re monsters!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He roared it in her face. Erin felt spittle strike her cheeks. She felt Halrac shift, but she refused to move. Relc drew in another breath and then Erin heard a quavering voice.<\/p>\n \u201cErin\u2019s right, Relc.\u201d<\/p>\n The Drake turned, incredulous, as Selys stood up. The younger Drake looked a lot smaller and she was shaking with her nerves, but she found the courage to look him in the eye as she spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cErin\u2019s right. You\u2019ve got to leave. This isn\u2019t right. I\u2019ve seen Rags and she\u2019s never\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Relc whirled and Selys flinched. He stared around the room. All his furious eyes met were cold stares, and two pairs of crimson eyes. Rags stared at Relc with silent hatred, and the other Goblin\u2026smiled.<\/p>\n The Drake guardsman turned back to Erin. But now both Halrac and Klbkch were blocking Relc\u2019s way, and the Hobgoblin was still sitting at the table with Rags. Smiling. Just smiling.<\/p>\n Relc\u2019s eye twitched. He took a deep breath, and then turned. Slowly, he walked towards the door. Relc opened it, and turned. His eyes\u2014Erin felt her heart breaking when she saw the look in his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope your damn tails fall off. All of you!\u201d<\/p>\n He slammed<\/em> the door so hard that Erin felt the thump<\/em> from where she was standing. She wavered, unsure, and then heard the angry roar as Relc stomped back towards the city.<\/p>\n All the strength went out of her legs. Erin sat down, and found that Selys had put a chair underneath her bottom just in time. The other Drake grinned at Erin weakly.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was exciting, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked back. Selys\u2019s smile faded. After a moment, Erin put her head on the table. She didn\u2019t cry, but she was terribly, terribly sad.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was quite a while before anyone began eating again. Halrac and Klbkch returned to their seats silently without more than a word, and only Selys tried to fill the awful gap in the room with words.<\/p>\n Erin had to go upstairs to find Lyonette. The girl was hiding in her room, under her bed. She only came down when Erin reassured her that Relc was gone, and then she grabbed a plate of food and barricaded herself in her room.<\/p>\n It also took Erin a while to remember she\u2019d told Toren to stand still. The skeleton was frozen in place until she told him he could go, and then he seized a bucket and walked out of the inn. Erin almost wondered if he was mad\u2014but Toren didn\u2019t have emotions, did he?<\/p>\n At their table, the two Goblins chattered quietly. Neither seemed disturbed; Rags actually looked cheerful, and her companion kept shooting glances at Erin.<\/p>\n And Erin herself? She felt awful.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was nice to me. He was the first person I ever met. The first one that didn\u2019t try to kill me, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys patted Erin on the back sympathetically. The two stared at their meals, neither one hungry anymore.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was amazing how you faced him down, though. No one picks a fight with Relc in the city when he\u2019s mad. Even Watch Captain Zevara is careful. Relc once beat up over forty people in a fight, did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that Skill! It was a Skill, wasn\u2019t it? When you were staring at Relc, everything suddenly grew really heavy. It was like the air<\/em> was trying to crush me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt just sort of came out. I don\u2019t know how I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. But he might not ever come back.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys had nothing to say to that. After a while, Erin stood up and went over to Klbkch and Halrac and thanked them for helping. Klbkch nodded and told Erin he\u2019d speak with Relc, although she wasn\u2019t sure that was such a good idea. Halrac just nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re an odd person. Brave.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a compliment, Erin supposed.<\/p>\n It was quiet dinner, but at least it was a somewhat pleasant one. Erin chatted with Selys and Klbkch, and occasionally approached the table with the two Goblins. They just stared at her when she came over the first time, and Rags had just shrugged when Erin apologized for Relc.<\/p>\n Something was up with them. They kept watching Erin, but apparently they were too busy chattering in their own language, so Erin left them be.<\/p>\n After a few hours, Selys left. She had to go to work tomorrow, and Klbkch left too, to escort her back. Halrac lingered for an hour longer before he left, muttering about dig sites and mages.<\/p>\n Rags and her mysterious Hobgoblin friend left as well. Erin sensed his eyes on her as they left, but she wasn\u2019t sure if that was a good thing or bad thing.<\/p>\n And then Erin was alone. She sat in her inn, listening to Lyonette moving around overhead and wondering where Toren had gone. Her heart still hurt.<\/p>\n What should she do? Goblins. She felt bad at kicking Relc out but\u2014no, she had meant every word. But Magnolia\u2019s words still echoed in Erin\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n She was weak. All those grand things the woman had talked about\u2014Erin really was incapable of doing anything without help. She couldn\u2019t even face Relc without everyone\u2019s help.<\/p>\n So. Then. What could she do?<\/p>\n \u201cLevel up.\u201d<\/p>\n That was her only option, wasn\u2019t it? Erin sighed. Stronger. She had to do something. She had to make something. Somehow. Some way.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I have one idea.\u201d<\/p>\n Tomorrow she could\u2014<\/p>\n Someone knocked on the door. Erin frowned. A late night visitor? She wondered if she could say they were closed. She stumbled over to the door and unbolted it. Erin yanked the door open and then froze. And then she smiled, her face lighting up with joy and relief.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I am angry.<\/p>\n I think I\u2019ve always been angry. Ever since I found myself disappointed by the people I looked up to. Ever since the day I stopped believing in heroes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a long story. And I guess a lot of it was my fault. Once upon a time, there was an angry girl lashing out. Rebelling.<\/p>\n We all go through that phase. But I never quite got over that sense of fury when I learned the world wasn\u2019t fair. That, somehow, while I\u2019d been handed a great life, there was still so much injustice.<\/p>\n At times I forget. I run and run to forget, and I ended up running into another world where I thought I could be happy.<\/p>\n But now it\u2019s back. The same old fury, a snarling beast in my stomach, pounding rage seething in my heart.<\/p>\n The kind of emotion that would lead me to murder. And there are people in this world that are worth killing. No\u2014not people.<\/p>\n Monsters. Just monsters.<\/p>\n The snow crunches under my feet. I walk forwards, a small Gnoll cub awkwardly padding alongside me. My stomach is empty, and I feel lightheaded.<\/p>\n At the end of my rope. Far past it, in truth. My two stumps on my right hand ache<\/em>. I\u2019m exhausted, hungry, injured.<\/p>\n And so angry.<\/p>\n Even now, the rage threatens to consume me. I\u2014<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never been this angry before.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve felt anger before. Hot and seething. And I\u2019ve felt fury, deep and coiling, building like a pressure cooker, ready to explode outwards with a good spark. And I\u2019ve felt all-consuming rage, burning a hole through my mind, eradicating common sense. But this\u2014this is different. This feeling frightens even me.<\/p>\n This is black fury, terrible madness that grips me. And with it, I hear the little voice I thought I\u2019d buried. It whispers to me.<\/p>\n Kill everything. Kill everyone. Stab them. Gouge their eyes out. Rip them to shreds.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Let the damn world burn.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t stop looking at my hand. The place where my fingers should be. And memory. I can remember Urksh and the Stone Spears tribe.<\/p>\n All dead.<\/p>\n All because of me.<\/p>\n Goblins. I woke up screaming two nights in a row, hand burning, infected. I scared Mrsha. Even now, the Gnoll cub is following me, but a ways away. She fears me and maybe, hates me for what I did.<\/p>\n The price paid for her life, and mine come to that.<\/p>\n I look down at her, and the Gnoll looks up at me. Her fur is so white now, the color of fresh snow. She\u2019s almost invisible if she stops, and her brown eyes are the only real color on her body aside from her claws and nose. She is\u2026silent.<\/p>\n She\u2019s always been silent. But now Mrsha walks like a ghost. She has lost her tribe. Her family, her friends\u2026<\/p>\n All because of me.<\/p>\n Even now I see the faerie hovering overhead. I hear Urksh, hear his voice over the sounds of his tribe dying around him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe offer everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Did any of them survive? Any of them? Or did the entire damn army die as well? What was the price?<\/p>\n Mrsha stumbles, tripping over something in the snow. I stop, and she slowly gets to her feet.<\/p>\n She\u2019s tired. And hungry. Neither of us have eaten.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only a little farther. Can you walk?\u201d<\/p>\n She nods. I nod back. There\u2019s nothing more to say. If I carried her I would fall within a mile.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n How many times have I said that? How many times did I see it when I woke and remembered? Mrsha just looks up at me silently, her young eyes judging. But she can\u2019t tell me how she feels.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter. I know. I know what it\u2019s like, to lose faith in someone you admired. I failed Mrsha. I brought her stories and then death. I gave her a small dream and then took everything she had.<\/p>\n I\u2026this is all my fault*.<\/p>\n *Of course it isn\u2019t. I know it isn\u2019t. I\u2019m not responsible for all of it. I didn\u2019t force armies to fight or make the Goblins kill. But it is my fault. Mine alone.<\/p>\n Too late to go back. Too late to offer something else. She is all that remains, and I must take care of her. So I turn and look across the snowy plains.<\/p>\n Something flits down into my line of sight. A body made of crystal and ice. Immortality frozen into the shape of a small faerie. She looks at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYon city is but an hour\u2019s journey away. Do not stop now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n It almost makes me laugh. The faeries are worried about us. About me. I look at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was the price? What was paid, and what was lost?\u201d<\/p>\n She looks at me in silence. It\u2019s the same question I\u2019ve asked every time one of them comes near. Silently, the faerie flies back up with the others.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve been avoiding me. Can\u2019t they answer?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did we pay? Was it really that steep a price!?\u201d<\/p>\n I shout up at them. Mrsha hunkers in the snow and covers her ears with her paws. The faeries look at me, silent judges.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not ask, mortal. What is done is done. Only regrets can come of knowing what might have been.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I snap. I don\u2019t remember seizing the rock in the snow and hurling it up at the faeries. I scream at them, my voice raw and furious.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck you!<\/em> Give me a goddamn straight answer for once you bitches!<\/em> Tell me! Damn you all, you traitorous conniving demons! What was the price!? <\/em>Tell me or\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Something. I see a shivering ball of fur cowering on the ground beside me as I hurl snow and scream at the retreating faeries. I halt, stop.<\/p>\n Mrsha is cowering in the snow, away from me. She\u2019s shaking so hard that it looks like she\u2019s vibrating.<\/p>\n All at once, the anger goes out of me.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha. I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I step towards her. She flinches away. I stop.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n I sit in the snow, flames gone. Embers remain, but they smolder on. Yet guilt and sadness are in me now, too strong to ignore.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve really made a mess of things this time, haven\u2019t I? I thought a few potions and some alchemist\u2019s tricks would change things. But I\u2014<\/p>\n I was arrogant. And now that arrogance has cost lives. If I had levels, maybe I would have gotten to Mrsha sooner, or maybe I would have been able to fight. Maybe\u2014<\/p>\n But now it\u2019s too late. Far too late.<\/p>\n Ever since that night, the voice of the system or whatever it was has stopped speaking to me. Usually, every night really, I\u2019d hear some kind of notification in my head and cancel it. [Barefoot Runner Level 1!], or [Disciple Level 3!] after the fight I had with Calruz. Yet now that I\u2019m waiting for it, I hear nothing.<\/p>\n Nothing at all.<\/p>\n I guess it just gave up on me. Or that was part of the price I paid? I don\u2019t know. I only know that I got away from certain death and paid for that miracle with two fingers. And I know that Mrsha survived, at the cost of her entire tribe.<\/p>\n Maybe they were fated to die, and this allowed one to live instead of others. Or maybe the faeries altered destiny so the tribe died instead of just Mrsha. I guess I\u2019ll never know.<\/p>\n But I remember the Goblin Lord. I remember his eyes, and his damn army.<\/p>\n I clench my fists as Mrsha slowly stops shaking and looks up at me. I force myself to smile unconvincingly at her. But inside, the madness rears up again.<\/p>\n I will never forgive them. They will die. I swear it.<\/p>\n I am no killer. That\u2019s what Erin told me. But those monsters deserve to die. And I will kill them, even if it means I can never go back to who I used to be.<\/p>\n For now, I look at Mrsha and try to make my voice soft. Reassure her. I wish I knew how. She\u2019s just a kid. She needs an expert to help her with the trauma and loss. But I\u2019ve been marching her relentlessly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry for shouting, Mrsha. We\u2019re nearly there. Once we get to the city, we can eat and sleep, okay? We\u2019ll be safe there.\u201d<\/p>\n I point and Mrsha squints. Liscor is visible across the rolling plains of snow in the distance. She looks uncertain.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be safe, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n What a lie. And how could I promise that to a kid who\u2019s just seen her family cut down around her? But Mrsha nods, trusting me and so we walk on as knives of guilt cut my stomach to ribbons.<\/p>\n On and on, in numb silence.<\/p>\n It feels like a second before I\u2019m staring at a wooden door. I look around and blink. It\u2019s night time. Mrsha leans against my leg, too tired to do anything else. The faeries are gone. I look around, but their glow is nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n Good. I guess. My head is full of fog. I raise my left hand, my good hand, and knock.<\/p>\n For a minute I think no one\u2019s coming. But there\u2019s light in the windows. Please let her be there. Then I hear the scraping of bolts in the lock and the door opens.<\/p>\n Light and warmth spill out into the cold night. I blink.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka?\u201d<\/p>\n A familiar face fills the doorway. It\u2019s strange, but she hasn\u2019t changed a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n She beams at me. I can barely lift my head. I\u2019m back.<\/p>\n All the strength goes out of my legs. I collapse forwards, onto Erin.<\/p>\n She yelps and catches me just in time.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you hurt? Are you tired? Hold on, let me\u2014who\u2019s this?\u201d<\/p>\n I try to pick myself up as Erin fumbles for the door. It\u2019s almost comedic so I smile, but then I see Mrsha peeking anxiously at Erin from the snow.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s face is a picture of confusion as I turn and beckon. The Gnoll hesitates, but she steps into the warm inn and sniffs the air.<\/p>\n \u201cOh! She\u2019s so cute!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin bends down and Mrsha leaps back out the door like a wild animal. I sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay. Erin\u2014this is Erin Solstice, Mrsha. She\u2019s a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n A friend. I hold the door open. Mrsha hesitates, but she pads in again. This time Erin maintains a respectful distance.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did she come from, Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n How can I explain? I just sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a long story. Her name is Mrsha. She\u2019s just a kid. I brought her here because there\u2019s nowhere else for her to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Mrsha pads a bit into the room, her nails clicking on the floorboards. She\u2019s on all fours\u2014it seems Gnolls alternate between two and four legs and she\u2019s still used to four legs for movement. She sniffs and stares at the dim embers in the fireplace, but she stays next to me.<\/p>\n Erin looks at Mrsha, eyes widening as she realizes what I mean.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no. Did you\u2014was she lost? Or\u2026abandoned?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither. Her tribe\u2019s gone, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s all I can say right now. Even that hurts. Erin\u2019s eyes widen, but it takes her only a few seconds to get it. She\u2019s lived in this world as long as I have. Possibly longer. She knows what I mean.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. Hey sweetie, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin bends down with a big smile for Mrsha. But Mrsha just edges away. She hides behind a table, staring at Erin. I can\u2019t blame her for being afraid.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha. It\u2019s alright. Erin\u2019s not dangerous. She\u2019s nice. She\u2019ll help look after you.\u201d<\/p>\n Better than I can. Mrsha peeks up at Erin from around the table and I realize how thin she\u2019s gotten. She barely ate after that first night, and without food\u2014<\/p>\n Erin lets Mrsha sniff at her hand, but Mrsha\u2019s still shy. She looks up at Erin with wide eyes, and I realize that she\u2019s probably only the second Human that Mrsha\u2019s ever met.<\/p>\n Too bad. If she\u2019d met Erin first\u2014<\/p>\n I close my eyes. It all hurts.<\/p>\n I lean on one of Erin\u2019s tables, exhausted. My hand splays out and Erin looks down and gasps.<\/p>\n \u201cYour hand\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I grimace. It\u2019s still hard for me to look at the stumps. I wrapped them in some bandages, but\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter. I\u2019ll tell you later.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me later? Ryoka, what hap\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFeed her first. She hasn\u2019t had any food today.\u201d<\/p>\n I point to Mrsha. My stomach is empty, and I\u2019m about to pass out from hunger. Mrsha must be worse off. Her ears perk up when I say \u2018food.\u2019<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s still hesitating. She\u2019s looking at my hand, and that makes me\u2026irritated. I know it\u2019s bad. Haven\u2019t I stared at it every second of every day? But that\u2019s not important.<\/p>\n \u201cErin. Food.\u201d<\/p>\n My friend jerks and Mrsha jumps back. Erin looks around wildly.<\/p>\n \u201cFood? We\u2019ve got food. There\u2019s some leftover meat\u2014uh\u2014where did Toren put it?\u201d<\/p>\n She raises her voice to shout for the damn skeleton.<\/p>\n \u201cT\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n I have to raise my voice in a half-shout that scares both Erin and Mrsha. Both look at me.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t call Toren. You\u2019ll scare her.\u201d<\/p>\n I can\u2019t believe I have to explain it to her. My temper\u2014it flares and goes out. Not Erin\u2019s fault. Erin blinks at me, and then looks at Mrsha.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, right!\u201d<\/p>\n My teeth grit together as Erin rushes into the kitchen and goes looking for the food. Why am I angry? I mean, why am I angry at her? It\u2019s not Erin\u2019s fault if she\u2019s thoughtless\u2014<\/p>\n Control yourself. I can\u2019t trust my emotions at the moment. I take a few deep breaths as the chill leaves me and exhaustion fills my limbs. It\u2019s okay. Everything\u2019s okay now.<\/p>\n It\u2019s really not, but I tell myself that until Erin returns. She\u2019s got some food wrapped in cloth and she\u2019s dusting off snow. It turns out she\u2019s got meat\u2014part of a roasted fowl and some sliced meat, cold bread, and cheese.<\/p>\n She must have put it in the snow to keep it preserved. Doesn\u2019t she know that will attract scavengers and monsters? If she thought<\/em> for one damn second\u2014<\/p>\n Calm down.<\/p>\n Erin adds more wood to the fire as she unwraps the food.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry\u2014you can put it near the fire to warm up. And uh, I don\u2019t think Toren\u2019s in the inn. He must have gone outside.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n The meat is cold and hard from being kept outside. I barely taste it, but gulp it down. Mrsha\u2019s eating just as fast. Erin watches us gobble the food up and goes to get more.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n I say it after a few more minutes of frantic eating. Mrsha looks at me.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t eat too much or you\u2019ll get sick.\u201d<\/p>\n Heavy food on an empty stomach. Already I feel a tiny bit nauseous, but I\u2019m alive. Alive.<\/p>\n Erin hovers around me and Mrsha, a pitcher of warm milk in her hands. I know she wants to ask questions, and I don\u2019t want to say anything. All I want to do is sleep. Sleep and not have to deal with this. But I\u2019ve got to deal with this.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you eat? I mean, didn\u2019t you have any more food?\u201d<\/p>\n No, we starved ourselves for the fun of it. I bite my lip. Calm.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ran out of food a day ago.\u201d<\/p>\n It was either stop to forage or press on. I wasn\u2019t sure whether I could find anything\u2014or whether I\u2019d be able to get out of danger if I met a monster\u2014so we just kept moving.<\/p>\n Mrsha shudders. She reaches for a glass of milk and gulps it greedily. I stare at her and feel another pang. That\u2019s one more thing I have to answer for.<\/p>\n Erin sees me looking. I don\u2019t know what she sees on my face. I don\u2019t want to know. Looking at her expression is bad enough.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka, what happened?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n At last, Erin puts the jug on the table and sits next to me, staring. Mrsha hesitates, but the Gnoll just edges away from Erin a bit as she chews at some scraps on her plate. I sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a long story.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me. Please? All I know is that you were going on a long delivery, but the Frost Faeries chased you away. Did they<\/em> do this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n They might have. But\u2014they\u2019re malicious, deceitful, antagonistic\u2014and yet, I know they like children. No, they would never have organized this, even if they could.<\/p>\n And Erin\u2019s staring at me. Just staring. I want to tell her, but I don\u2019t. I want to bury the memories forever, and another part of me wants to confess my failure.<\/p>\n I hesitate. Mrsha\u2019s still sitting here. But she\u2019s not going to let me put her to bed so easily. And it needs to be said. So I look at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n No one else has to know. I may never tell the entirety of what passed again. But Erin knows me. I know Erin. We haven\u2019t known each other for long, but I trust her. More than almost anyone in this damn world. She helped save Ceria with me. She\u2026<\/p>\n Might understand.<\/p>\n Slowly, I begin to speak. I tell Erin everything that passed since I ran out her inn being chased by the faeries. Some of it is unimportant. The long days of being tormented by them \u2013 meaningless now. They\u2019re almost pleasant memories to what came next.<\/p>\n And I can\u2019t describe what passed in the Gnoll\u2019s camp. I just tell Erin I entertained the faeries with stories and leave it at that. What I felt then is too precious to break down into a mere words.<\/p>\n Then comes the battle between the two armies. And the Necromancer. Erin listens, asking questions I don\u2019t answer, wondering, speculating. But this is all a prelude.<\/p>\n When I speak of the night that Mrsha lost everything, the Gnoll child flattens herself to the ground and covers her eyes with her paws, shaking. Tears trickle down her face. Erin looks at her but I keep going.<\/p>\n It must be said. And it\u2019s so easy, too.<\/p>\n \u201cI struck a bargain with the faeries. They helped save Mrsha and me, but the Stone Spears tribe\u2014all of them\u2014we left them behind to the Goblins. The army was in retreat and I ran with the faeries. They froze everything in our way. I don\u2019t know what happened to the others.\u201d<\/p>\n The memories almost wipe the living world from me. I see ghosts, blood, and death. But the world swims back into vision when I hear Erin crying.<\/p>\n She\u2019s crying. My eyes are dry. Erin\u2019s shoulder shake as she stares at me. It hurts. Her sympathy hurts. <\/em>I look away.<\/p>\n Erin wipes tears from her eyes. She goes to pet Mrsha, but the Gnoll jerks away. She scampers under a table and curls up into a ball.<\/p>\n Heartbreak. My eyes are dry, and my soul is bleeding. I look at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cWe came back. The faeries are still around. Mrsha has nowhere to go. Can you take care of her at your inn?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf\u2014of course. Absolutely. No problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looks around for something to blow her nose on. In the end she runs into the kitchen and comes out with a dirty rag. I eye her as she wipes the snot from her face.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so, so<\/em> sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve said that. It happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Nothing can change that. I sit at the table and stare at my fingers. So much, and yet so little. Not enough of a price, and yet\u2014<\/p>\n They\u2019re gone. Forever. No potion will bring them back. Not even Magnolia\u2019s healer friend can restore missing body parts, just restore damaged ones.<\/p>\n Gone forever. A small price to pay.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Goblin Lord is still out there.\u201d<\/p>\n I clench my hand, ignoring the pain. I sense Erin grow still as she sits next to me. I look at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to be careful. His army was many days south of here, but he could come north. If he does\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf he does we\u2019ll see. But for now you\u2019re safe. I\u2019ll lock the doors and Toren should be back. I\u2019ll tell him to guard the inn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin fidgets in her seat. I look at her. Why is she so easy to read? Doesn\u2019t she have any\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n She hesitates.<\/p>\n \u201cUm. Rags is in the area. With another Goblin.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence. In my heart. I feel my fingers throbbing.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep her away. If I see a Goblin right now I will kill it.\u201d<\/p>\n I meet Erin\u2019s eyes. Mine feel like they\u2019re burning. She looks startled, but not afraid. Have I ever seen Erin afraid? But then her expression clouds and I see\u2026disappointment.<\/p>\n It makes me angry. How can she judge me, when she\u2019s heard what happened? How can she let Goblins into this inn?<\/p>\n How can\u2014<\/p>\n I need her. I try to stuff the insanity welling up in my chest further down, but it keeps bubbling up. Pockets of madness.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened here?\u201d<\/p>\n I ask to distract myself. I don\u2019t know that I really care. Erin hesitates. Now she looks worried.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, nothing much. Nothing\u2026too important.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cErin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026okay, some stuff happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n Hesitate. Fidget. She looks at Mrsha, and then at her hands. I stare at her. At last, Erin gives in and begins to chatter nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cOh I met some Gold-rank adventurer\u2019s after I took this girl into my inn. She\u2019s sort of annoying but they were going to let her die in the cold if I didn\u2019t help. So that led to a fight and then I found out the faerie flowers were useful and I kicked Relc out after he got mad at Rags\u2019 Goblin friend and ImaybewenttoseeLadyMagnoliatoday<\/em> and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s like someone\u2019s sent a jolt of electricity down my spine. My eyes fly open, and my heart begins to beat again. Anger stirs in my chest, a dark, twisting thing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you just say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI met Lady Magnolia. Look, she sent a carriage to my inn, Ryoka, and I thought\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou just got in, didn\u2019t you? Just like that, without a second damn thought?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin spreads her hands out helplessly. As if to say \u2018what should I have done\u2019? It makes me even angrier. My voice rises, and Mrsha, half-dozing, looks up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you tell her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin scratches her head. She can\u2019t even remember.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing much\u2026? But she knows I\u2019m from our world. I mean, another world. And uh, she\u2019s got other people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOther people from our world?\u201d<\/p>\n Damn her. My heart is beating faster. Erin nods.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, she\u2019s got a bunch of girls and guys. They\u2019re younger than us, but they want to become adventurers. But uh, Magnolia doesn\u2019t want them to leave. She\u2019s afraid they\u2019ll tell the secrets of our world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd she knows those secrets? She knows everything?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin can\u2019t meet my eye.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Yeah. She knows about guns and stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFuck.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I hit the table with my good hand. Erin looks worried. She reaches out to me, but I knock her hand away.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t tell her anything important, Ryoka! She just wanted to know if I could be trusted. She tried to use a Skill on me, but it didn\u2019t work\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou<\/em> shouldn\u2019t have been near her in the first place!\u201d<\/p>\n I jab at Erin with one finger. She looks indignant.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not? You met her!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBefore I knew how dangerous she was. But you\u2014you should have thought before you spoke to her! Did you even hesitate? Or did you see a shiny coach and just decide to get in?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka, that\u2019s not what happened. Listen.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin frowns, but I\u2019m done listening. The beast is in my chest, and the fury is consuming my mind. Too late.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. You listen.<\/em> You going to meet Magnolia is exactly what she wanted. She knows<\/em> you\u2019re from another world now, you idiot! She had no way of telling, but you gave it away\u2014probably the instant she suggested she knew! And now she knows I know you, she\u2019ll use you to get to me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t do\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin hesitates. Even she can\u2019t finish that sentence. I glare at her. Something\u2019s in my chest. It has control of my tongue.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t think. You just dance to her strings like a damn puppet, you moron<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n The other girl\u2019s brows snap together.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t say it like that. I didn\u2019t do anything wrong! I think Magnolia\u2019s on our side.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn our side?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Something in me snaps. All of the hatred, the anger, the frustration and fear and loss\u2014it spews out of me, like poison.<\/p>\n \u201cYou fucking idiot. Don\u2019t you ever think? <\/em>No. you don\u2019t. You just go ahead and do whatever\u2019s in your empty head without a second\u2019s regard for the consequences. Because of you, one of the most dangerous people in the world<\/em> knows your secret and she\u2019ll never give up. This is all your fault, you airheaded brat.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I can\u2019t stop the torrent. I don\u2019t even want to. Erin stares at me first in shock and hurt, and then outrage.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not an idiot! Ryoka, just listen\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo! You shut up and listen!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I can hear more of the lies Magnolia\u2019s put in your head? But you believe what she\u2019s told you without any doubt. Just how stupid are you!?\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m going too far. I know it, but I can\u2019t stop. Erin\u2019s face freezes.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t call me stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not? You\u2019re the dumbest person I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka. I\u2019m warning you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? And what will you do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust don\u2019t call me names! Listen to me for a second!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Fuck you. You\u2019re an incompetent buffoon.\u201d<\/p>\n I poke Erin in the chest, hard. Too far. Stop. Erin grabs my hand.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t touch m\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I throw her. Erin slams into the table and I realize I\u2019ve gone too far. She gets up fast. I raise my hands.<\/p>\n I want to fight. I want to hit something. But the rest of me wants to stop. A voice is screaming inside my head, the same voice that shouted when I fought Calruz.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s too loud. Everything hurts. My heart is in pieces. I just want to hit something, and get hit back. Maybe then\u2014<\/p>\n Erin swings at me. Slow. Clumsy. I step back and punch her. With my bad hand. My stumps collide with her chest and I grab at my hand in agony.<\/p>\n While I\u2019m bent over, Erin clenches her fist. She punches at my chest. I see the blow coming a mile away. I raise my arms to block\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thump.<\/em><\/p>\n The impact was so heavy it made Ryoka\u2019s entire world disappear for a second. The impact sent her flying backwards. Ryoka flipped over the table and hit the floor. She lay there, silent and breathless for a few seconds, before she gasped and rolled to one side.<\/p>\n Erin stood, shaking as she stared at Ryoka. [Minotaur Punch]. She hadn\u2019t meant to use it. She hesitated. Should she go and help\u2014<\/p>\n Something sharp stabbed<\/em> into Erin\u2019s ankle. She screamed in pain as it began to gnaw at her flesh, like needles jabbing into her skin.<\/p>\n \u201cAaaah!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shouted and waved her arms in a panic as she tried to shake off the thing that was biting her. She managed to fling it off and then saw Mrsha fly through the air. The Gnoll child crashed <\/em>into a table and fell to the ground, whimpering in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, I\u2019m so sorry\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ignoring her bleeding ankle, Erin rushed over. Mrsha blinked as she got to all fours, and then her eyes focused on Erin. She snapped<\/em> and Erin nearly lost a finger. Mrsha leapt at Erin, and the girl yelled in pain as Mrsha tried to claw at her face.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha! Stop!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll paused. She looked over as Ryoka got to her feet. The other girl was clutching at her chest, wincing, but she was unharmed. She pointed at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cGet off of her.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll hesitated. Then she leapt off of Erin, her needle claws digging into Erin\u2019s flesh one last time. She ran to Ryoka and circled the girl anxiously.<\/p>\n Slowly, Erin stood up and looked at Ryoka. The other girl met her eyes. The anger that had been smoldering in her gaze was suddenly gone, extinguished by the brief fight. She looked down at Mrsha, and then back at Erin.<\/p>\n Neither girl seemed to know what to say. Erin stood and stared at Ryoka, still feeling the pain in her chest from where the girl had poked her. Her ears were still red, and she was angry\u2014<\/p>\n Until she looked at Ryoka\u2019s fingers. And Ryoka\u2019s fury was gone too. She sagged, and suddenly seemed a hundred years old.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I\u2019m sorry too.\u201d<\/p>\n Awkwardly, Erin walked over and helped Ryoka sit down. The Asian girl winced as she sat and touched her chest.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh, [Minotaur Punch]. It\u2019s\u2026a skill. I shouldn\u2019t have used it. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStrong. If I hadn\u2019t blocked it would have cracked my ribs. Nearly did anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka took a few deep breaths, wincing. She nodded at Mrsha as the Gnoll circled her legs.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry Mrsha bit you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014it was my\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was my<\/em> fault. I shouldn\u2019t have said any of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka stared blankly at the table. Erin didn\u2019t know what to say. At last, Ryoka looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cStrong. I guess that\u2019s what levels give you, isn\u2019t it? Power.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin didn\u2019t know what Ryoka meant, but the girl nodded. She stared at the table again, and her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I had levels, I could have saved them. Maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n From an army? Erin opened her mouth and then closed it again. Ryoka\u2019s eyes glistened as she looked at Mrsha. The Gnoll was just staring up at her. Slowly, the girl bent and patted the Gnoll on the head. She curled up around Ryoka\u2019s feet. Shivering.<\/p>\n Silence fell as the two sat with each other. Mrsha\u2019s rapid breathing slowed as she curled around Ryoka, and as time passed by, her body relaxed. Her breath came more slowly, and then crawled. Mrsha slept.<\/p>\n Ryoka stared down at Mrsha\u2019s slumbering body. She looked at Erin, and saw the other girl was barely hurt. But Ryoka could feel her lungs still working for air, and felt the pain from that one punch in her chest. She smiled bitterly.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019m weak, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n So weak. Even Erin was stronger. Ryoka stared at her hands. They shook. The bloody bandages around her stumps were coming loose. Erin watched as Ryoka raised them.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so weak. I couldn\u2019t save anyone. I just watched them die, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin knew what Ryoka meant. The girl looked at Erin. She was shaking all over now. Ryoka was coming apart at the seams. Her eyes were full of liquid. Tears.<\/p>\n \u201cI tried\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI really did\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Ryoka. I know.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka grabbed at Erin\u2019s arm. Her grip was strong, but she was shaking.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t do a thing<\/em>, Erin. Not one thing. They\u2019re all dead because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, Ryoka. It\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is. I caused this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t do anything.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin hugged Ryoka. She felt the girl freeze up, and then Ryoka broke down. She began to sob, slowly, and then into Erin\u2019s shirt. Erin held Ryoka as the tears came at last, the dam breaking, the unshed sorrows spilling out in the safety of Erin\u2019s inn at last.<\/p>\n In the silence of the night, Erin held Ryoka as the girl cried into her arms. Tears rolled down the other girl\u2019s face. She grabbed Erin, clutching at her shirt as if she were hanging on for her life.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t do anything, Erin. I couldn\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. Shh. I know.\u201d<\/p>\n From the staircase, another girl stared down at the two girls sitting in the common room. She spoke not a word. Out in the snowy landscape, a skeleton prowled, hunting, killing. He did it to feel alive.<\/p>\n And on the floor of the inn, a small Gnoll slept. She didn\u2019t hear the agony in Ryoka\u2019s voice or even notice the tears that fell onto her snow-white fur. She slept, not caring if she lived or died when she woke.<\/p>\n Ryoka felt the world spinning around her. Nothing was right. But there was someone hugging her, her one anchor in a world full of pain. She cried into Erin\u2019s arms, letting all of the pain out, sobbing and wishing the past few days had never happened. Wishing she had the power to change the past. Wishing she were stronger. Remembering the dead.<\/p>\n Outside, the snow began to fall again. More and more, until it seemed the world would be covered in it. On Izril, Terandria, and even Baleros and Chandrar. The snow fell as Ryoka wept.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" She slept on the way back. Somehow, Erin found she was extremely tired after her meeting with Magnolia, and despite it being only dusk she slept like a baby. She woke up as Reynold slowed the coach next to her inn. Erin blinked, looked around wildly, and realized she was home. Home. It was an […]<\/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":[11693082,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693131],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-2201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-2","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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