The inn was too small. That was all Erin could think. She felt\u2014tired. Not necessarily calm. Not that much better either, really. She was just out of tears. Too drained to keep crying.<\/p>\n
But maybe a bit better. Seeing Numbtongue in Liscor had hurt with a sharp pain that had been worse than all the days of being alone with her thoughts and guilt. Worse, and still better. He had reminded her of what was important. Not what others thought, but of her friends.<\/p>\n
Pawn. The Soldiers had stood aside to let Erin pass. They knew her. And they knew Pawn. She was glad of that. Part of Erin had been guilty for leaving him and wallowing in her own grief. But he had not been alone.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of Workers and Soldiers, sitting around him. A quiet room with colorful symbols speaking from every wall. There was something eternal there, even more than Erin\u2019s [Immortal Moment]. Religion\u2014no. A sense of weight, of peace. Regret and sadness too, but there had been relief as well. From Pawn and the others.<\/p>\n
They would not be forgotten when they were gone. And that simple fact had been enough to drive Erin to tears. But they had not been the same kind.<\/p>\n
Now, she sat in the little room that was hers but really Lyonette and Mrsha\u2019s old room, staring up at the ceiling. It felt closer. The inn felt smaller, and not just because the third floor was missing. It was too cramped or she was too large, as if she\u2019d tasted the Faerie Flowers again. Her inn, the place where she\u2019d been so happy to live for months, was far too small.<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t stay here. Not when every memory she had was of the Goblins eating in her inn for that one night, of Headscratcher sitting at her table, Shorthilt polishing his sword. And of Rags, of all the Goblins who\u2019d passed through her doors.<\/p>\n
No killing Goblins.<\/em> Just thinking that hurt. Erin hated herself. She was disgusted, guilty, and heartbroken. But those were just words. Erin had none to describe how she truly felt.<\/p>\n Too small. She had to do something. Erin lay on her back as, below her, people walked in and out of her inn. She didn\u2019t need to hear them. She didn\u2019t need to even close her eyes. She could feel them. And she knew Numbtongue was out there, on the little hill with the graves, digging another one. That wasn\u2019t something she just knew; Ceria stopped by to tell her that.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2014we\u2019ve got to keep fighting. But we\u2019ll make sure Numbtongue\u2019s alright. We\u2019ve already told the other adventurers\u2014they knew already, but we made sure\u2014there\u2019s this giant we have to take care of tonight. So\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Erin didn\u2019t look at her. After a while, Ceria left. Erin wished, vaguely, that she\u2019d said something. She wasn\u2019t being a good friend. But she couldn\u2019t be.<\/p>\n Ceria hadn\u2019t been there. She hadn\u2019t fought. Halrac had shot arrows from the walls, or so Erin had heard. Typhenous threw a few spells. Falene had apparently broadcast everything.<\/p>\n So what? They hadn\u2019t been there. They hadn\u2019t laid down their lives for a city they didn\u2019t even live in. Part of Erin hated everyone and everything. But that wasn\u2019t really it either.<\/p>\n She was so young<\/em>. Even though she was twenty and she\u2019d be twenty-one soon. She was so young<\/em>. Erin had asked the Goblins to fight for her. Die for her. And they had. She hadn\u2019t thought of the costs. She hadn\u2019t had any other idea than to wave a stupid flag.<\/p>\n She was young. And stupid. And she couldn\u2019t do anything now. Be anything. If she were older, more mature\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka\u2019s mature.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin whispered to herself, feeling her sore eyes wanting to close. But she kept them open, staring at the ceiling. Ryoka felt mature to her. She was always thinking of consequences. She\u2019d warned Erin about Toren, about what would happen if people brought technology from her world. But even Ryoka was only a year older.<\/p>\n How did adults, real adults, handle things like this? How did they live with the pain tearing them up? Erin still remembered the first Goblin she\u2019d killed. She still remembered when Klbkch had died. And she had lived through the death of the Horns of Hammerad, Ulrien, Brunkr, the Goblins\u2026it was so much. So many names and faces. How did people live like this?<\/p>\n She was so young. And weak. And she couldn\u2019t be. Not anymore. Erin slowly sat up and buried her face in her lap. She had to be\u2026not stronger, but older. She could never, ever let this happen again.<\/p>\n Slowly, Erin thought about her inn. How small it felt. How fragile. Her walls could cave in, despite her Skills. Her inn wasn\u2019t large enough to contain even one tribe of Goblins. And it was so poor. So defenseless. It couldn\u2019t even save Noears on the roof.<\/p>\n \u201cNever again. Ever.\u201d<\/p>\n And when Erin said that, she thought of her inn. Not just as a building, but those in it. And she thought of two faces. Lyonette and Mrsha. They were part of the inn. If there were anyone Erin would trust more than anything, it would be them.<\/p>\n Ceria and the Horns? \u2026No. Not them, or the Halfseekers or Griffon Hunt either. Definitely not the Silver Swords or any of the other teams. It wasn\u2019t that Erin thought she couldn\u2019t trust Ceria or Halrac with her life. But this was more than that.<\/p>\n In Erin\u2019s head, she narrowed her focus down, separating friends from that thing that made them something more in her mind. Drassi? Ishkr? No. Olesm, no. And perhaps never again. Relc\u2014no. Klbkch? He had died for her. But no.<\/p>\n Who else? Only a few more names sprung to mind. No, three. Numbtongue. He was the last one. Yes, a thousand times over. But who else? Krshia? No. Selys?<\/p>\n Erin paused.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka, maybe. But she wasn\u2019t here. And\u2014no, not her either. That left only two.<\/p>\n Of the Antinium, it was Pawn and Bird whom Erin thought of. Pawn? She wanted to say yes. But she remembered him, surrounded by his people. And she thought the answer was no. He had made his own place. So\u2026Bird?<\/p>\n He was a child. And before she had met him, he had nowhere else to go. Bird had always been different. He had fought for her inn, tried to rescue Mrsha. More than that, around her, he was silly and absentminded and\u2014<\/p>\n Yes. Him. That made four. Four in the entire world. Even Erin\u2019s closest friends didn\u2019t qualify, but those four\u2014<\/p>\n Erin looked up. She wiped her eyes and checked her arm. Her skin was dry. She\u2019d stopped crying. She would again, Erin had no doubt. There was an ocean of tears in her that would never run dry. But there was something she had to do. What she should have done ages ago. A week ago, eight days. Erin stood up and went to find them.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Lyonette stared at her hands in the kitchen. She was making dinner. Or rather, she was going to cook up some supplementary dishes to go with the pantry\u2019s supplies. Erin\u2019s prefabricated meals had nearly run out, but Lyonette had learned to mix Erin\u2019s cooking and hers. So she\u2019d take a dish of meatloaf, boil some fresh pasta and sauce with it, and thus create an acceptable dinner.<\/p>\n The quality wasn\u2019t really that important. Her guests cared about quantity over quality now. The two adventuring teams would come back late in the night, starving and smelling of sweat and corpses, and eat whatever she put in front of them while washing it all down with alcohol. That wasn\u2019t the problem.<\/p>\n The problem\u2014if it really was a problem\u2014was Lyonette\u2019s hands. They\u2019d been hurting, and she\u2019d only now stopped to look at them.<\/p>\n They were cracked. That was all. Red and cracked, the skin open, exposing painful red flesh that hurt every time Lyonette touched something with them. A healing potion would sort it out. But Lyonette had stopped in cleaning the kitchen to stare at them.<\/p>\n No one had told her that too much soapy water led to the skin drying out, especially in the winter. It wasn\u2019t something she\u2019d ever had to worry about at home. Back home, she\u2019d had hand creams and ointments from the kingdom\u2019s [Court Alchemist], and her family had imported other luxuries for her and the other members of her family to use. Perfumes, oils, tonics, and so on for the ladies. And while the men didn\u2019t use such frivolities, they had the best healing potions, experts to take care of their horses and gear and wait on them hand and foot.<\/p>\n Now, Lyonette was cleaning the underside of the stone oven, her hands bleeding a bit. A bit dirty, certainly sweaty. And she\u2019d caught herself doing it, so she\u2019d stopped and sat on the floor.<\/p>\n She looked down at her chapped hands, at the red skin. It hurt. Lyonette touched one of the cracks to make sure and winced a tiny bit. It was nothing to what she\u2019d been through. Starvation, Toren, Raskghar\u2014all the fear and pain was nothing to this. But this hurt in a different way.<\/p>\n Look. Look at yourself. Lyonette found a clean plate and tried to find her reflection in it. She only saw a distorted image. What did her hair look like? She wore it high up, in a bun so it wouldn\u2019t get in the way. Was her face dirty? How did it look?<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette told herself that. But it did. Pawn had reminded her she was a [Princess]. She had clung to the class, for all she\u2019d denied it. She was a [Princess]. Of course it mattered.<\/p>\n She had loved having servants. She enjoyed hand creams and not having to clean outhouses or be on her feet all the time. Who wouldn\u2019t? She missed those things\u2014only, she\u2019d not thought of them for a while. She\u2019d had to survive. And then\u2014she\u2019d had Mrsha to take care of. It was easy to live for someone else. But she still missed it.<\/p>\n The girl\u2019s hands tightened together painfully. She was a [Princess]. What was she doing here? For a moment, Lyonette blinked back tears. She wanted to go home<\/em>. But there was Mrsha and Erin and\u2014<\/p>\n She looked down at her hands. She had run away to be important. To level up and feel like she had a purpose. Well, she\u2019d found it. All the adventure she ever wanted and a purpose greater than herself. In fact, Lyonette had thrown away part of herself, the spoiled part, trod it into the mud and snow to become the Lyonette who could help the people she cared about. But that part of her was still there. And she felt it.<\/p>\n She wanted to be a [Princess] again. She was no [Barmaid]. Lyonette bowed her head. And then she heard Erin calling her name. She looked up and remembered her vow. Slowly, Lyonette stood. She had been a poor [Princess]. And now she was a [Princess] without a castle, living in poverty with cracked hands. But despite her failings, even when she was still in Terandria, spoiled, with barely any levels, Lyonette had still had one thing that made her royalty.<\/p>\n Pride. And she would not forsake her oaths. So Lyonette stood and walked out to speak with the only girl in the world she would work for.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mrsha was sad.<\/p>\n That was all.<\/p>\n She was sad for Goblins. Not the same Goblins who killed her tribe, but Goblins. They had been kind. They had saved her and the others. And they had died for her. For Erin and Liscor. She didn\u2019t have to understand more than that.<\/p>\n So the Gnoll cub curled up. She was sad, but she couldn\u2019t keep crying. She was just sad. And she wished she were bigger. She wished she were as big as Brunkr, as wise as Krshia. As smart as Selys. As kind as Erin. As\u2026just like Lyonette.<\/p>\n But she was small. And she couldn\u2019t make Erin feel better. She couldn\u2019t help Lyonette that much. So Mrsha curled up and felt terribly, terribly sad. Erin was sad. Lyonette was tired. She was sad. Numbtongue was the last one.<\/p>\n Mrsha wanted them to smile again. She dreamed there was a spell in Krshia\u2019s book that could do that. So Mrsha had read it and read it until her nose started to bleed and Krshia slammed the book shut. She wanted to help. But Krshia had said it was too much for a child.<\/p>\n So she was sad. Until she saw Erin come down the stairs and call her name. Then Mrsha looked up. And hoped, with all the hope in her heart, that something good would happen.<\/p>\n That was all.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n And Numbtongue stopped crying after a few minutes. It was, after all, a waste of water. He looked back at the thing he was resting against. Headscratcher\u2019s grave. Guiltily, Numbtongue sat up. But if anyone would have lent him a shoulder\u2014or a gravestone\u2014it would have been Headscratcher.<\/p>\n What would he have said if he could see Numbtongue? Laugh and make a joke? Tease him?<\/p>\n No\u2014Headscratcher would not. Neither would Shorthilt. Numbtongue looked at the second grave, marked by stone. Someone had laid a broken sword across the top. They should have buried him with the sword. Numbtongue scooped up some of the packed earth with the blade and corrected the mistake.<\/p>\n Much better. He lay there, wondering what came next. All he wanted to do was lie down and close his eyes forever.<\/p>\n They were dead. Rabbiteater and Badarrow were gone. Numbtongue hadn\u2019t seen them with the others in his dream. That meant they were alive. Maybe even Rags was. Maybe there were other Goblins still alive.<\/p>\n But the rest were gone. And he was alone. What did that make him? What could he do? Go after them? Try and find them? They were long gone, and Numbtongue had no idea where to start.<\/p>\n Would he stay here? Live in Erin\u2019s inn after all that had passed? That felt just as hopeless to Numbtongue. He didn\u2019t belong here, did he? Liscor had shown him that. Drakes and Gnolls who hated him. Adventurers with sacks of Goblin ears. Humans had killed Goblins. Liscor had stopped them from entering. They were still monsters.<\/p>\n And if he stayed, he\u2019d bring more trouble to Erin. That was another fact that inserted itself in Numbtongue\u2019s mind, a neat and tidy shiv to the heart. He could not stay. He did not belong. The Redfangs had always been guests at her inn. She had treated them well. But their time had come. What could one Hobgoblin [Bard] offer Erin? Almost nothing.<\/p>\n He had to go. Numbtongue felt it and felt the claws digging into his heart drag him down further. He didn\u2019t want to. He loved the inn. But there just wasn\u2019t enough reason to stay. Not enough to make him think he was worth anything to Erin, to justify all she\u2019d done for him and the others.<\/p>\n It never occurred to Numbtongue to count the battle. He just lay on the grass and soil of the graves, listening to the adventurers fighting the undead in the distance. They were going after Eater of Spears\u2014pulling back when they found his body was like iron, and they were attracting every zombie in the area. They weren\u2019t using big spells or fighting hard. Even they were tired of killing.<\/p>\n What could he do? He was a [Bard], a class that no Goblin had ever had. A\u2026useless class in some ways. Numbtongue could call down lightning, but his Skills, his class were designed to make music. To tell stories. To perform. What good was that to a tribe of Goblins? Very little. It wasn\u2019t as if they were Humans.<\/p>\n He was useless. If he\u2019d been stronger, the Humans would have made sure he was dead. Numbtongue thought that, determined to feel as worthless as possible. Then he remembered the class he\u2019d gained.<\/p>\n [Miner]. And in his head, a door opened. And he had a thought which was not his own.<\/p>\n Magic gemstones give magical abilities. Could a warrior use that in combat to gain an edge? Is there an easier way to use them than eat them? Could you be a [Mage] without spells?<\/em><\/p>\n Numbtongue felt at the broken teeth in his mouth. He remembered the gemstones and reached for the sack at his side. And then he remembered killing the Ghoul with the sword. He had done all that. But it had not been Numbtongue who had provided the ability to do either. They had been memories from a dead Goblin.<\/p>\n Pyrite. <\/em>And at that thought, Numbtongue had another memory, that of holding a flaming battleaxe and staring up at the sky while Humans died around him.<\/p>\n Smiling and walking with Eater of Spears, eying his belt and thinking of Reiss, calculating a throw.<\/em><\/p>\n Digging up grubs in the dirt, grunting with satisfaction at the wriggling things, and sharing them out to the Goblin children who came begging, more pleased to share than to eat his snack.<\/em><\/p>\n Mining in the mountain, in the depths of silence, hunting for gemstones for his tribe, seeing a glitter\u2014and then a hiss\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n Screams in Tremborag\u2019s mountain. A little Goblin peeking around a corner and seeing\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n Numbtongue sat up. He clutched at his head. But the images didn\u2019t stop. Memories hit him again and again, little electric shocks running through his head, making everything flash white.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t hurt. Not like physical pain. But each memory took Numbtongue out of his head, made him think and feel exactly like Pyrite had. It wasn\u2019t his entire life. It was\u2014snippets. Fragments, really. Accidental more than anything. The core of what Pyrite had given him were two things.<\/p>\n Knowledge of the gemstones, the class he had obtained a day before his death, and over a decade of mining techniques and insight. And\u2014<\/p>\n Sword techniques. How to swing with the weight of the axe perfectly balanced. Reading an opponent\u2019s body. Lessons from Greydath. Fist fighting against other Hobs. Taking down adventurers with ambushes and traps. Battling Crelers in the heart of the mountains, blood running down his thigh. Breaking a [Mage]\u2019s neck as she screamed at him, a wand raised to burn\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cStop!\u201d<\/p>\n Numbtongue cried out. There was so much<\/em> of Pyrite\u2019s thoughts and emotions in him. Too much. How had Pyrite done it?<\/p>\n Numbtongue knew that too. They had both been dying. Both clinging to life and sharing that dream, that moment as the other Goblins had passed on. After all, Goblins could remember other Goblins\u2019 lives. Where was the line at which the living became memory, trapped in the consciousness of all Goblins?<\/p>\n They had been at that threshold. And Pyrite had known he would die. So he had given Numbtongue the only gift he could.<\/p>\n Memory.<\/p>\n It was something Pyrite had guessed could happen. After all, if you could remember a scene from the past, why not a sword technique? Why not a spell? That was the kind of thing the Goldstone Chieftain had thought on during dark nights or while mining for gems and minerals. Why not? And a counterpoint\u2014if you could, why hadn\u2019t other Goblins done it? Maybe they had. Maybe it was something they\u2019d forgotten or that no one had ever tried.<\/p>\n He\u2019d never gotten a chance to test that theory until his last moments. As Pyrite would have said\u2014\u2018not dead, so couldn\u2019t try\u2019<\/em>. And given that only Chieftains were able to access far-back memories, it hadn\u2019t been exactly easy to hang around one willing to bite the dust for an experiment. So Pyrite had done it to Numbtongue without knowing if it would work.<\/p>\n And it had. He\u2019d sent more than just Skills. Knowledge he deemed important. Secrets, like the two keys, one of which Garen had. Memory of Tremborag\u2019s form. Conversations with Greydath. Names and places. Important events.<\/p>\n A place where Pyrite had buried some adventurer\u2019s gear he thought was cursed.<\/p>\n Two caves, both of which had been collapsed to contain the Crelers from getting out.<\/p>\n An untapped vein in a hill on top of a surprisingly deep, rocky cave network, possibly the remnant of a mountain.<\/p>\n A terrible suspicion of Greydath\u2019s past.<\/p>\n The secret location of a dungeon, lost to all but Goblins, remembered by Pyrite, too dangerous to enter.<\/p>\n Thoughts. Ideas. Plans. Suppositions. Pyrite had thought deeply. And now some of those thoughts, some of his conclusions, some of what was Pyrite was in Numbtongue. And it was terrifying.<\/p>\n A gift.<\/p>\n Here<\/em>, he had said. Take it with you.<\/em> Because Pyrite had known one thing. Numbtongue froze as he felt Pyrite\u2019s last thoughts, still neat and orderly, fall into his head. A Goblin should know how to fight. But there was another thing Humans valued. It was of no use to Pyrite\u2014it had been a skill, a talent honed to make the Goblin children in his tribe laugh at shiny baubles. But Humans loved gems.<\/p>\n Numbtongue opened the sack. He saw gold and gems. Only a few, since Pyrite had given them away to whomever he pleased. But he knew where to get more. More, if it mattered.<\/p>\n Maybe it would. Numbtongue had already given away the Raskghar\u2019s fortune to the adventurers. He didn\u2019t need the money. How would he ever spend it? But maybe Erin did.<\/p>\n Numbtongue got up slowly. The Hobgoblin looked at the graves, then at the inn. He hefted the little bag. He would give Erin the last gift he could. Pyrite\u2019s will. And then he would leave. Find a place to go. And he would never, ever bring trouble to her doorstep again.<\/p>\n It was the only thing he could do.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The four of them gathered in Erin\u2019s common room. Two had been called. Lyonette and Mrsha were helping Erin set up for the adventurers\u2019 dinner later tonight. Numbtongue had come back of his own volition, and Erin had been waiting for him.<\/p>\n \u201cNumbtongue.\u201d<\/p>\n She went over to him and hugged him. The Hobgoblin let it happen unlike before where he had frozen and even tried to pull away. He looked so tired. He raised something\u2014a dingy looking bag made of hemp to offer Erin, but she didn\u2019t let him offer it.<\/p>\n \u201cWait. Just take a seat. Do you want anything to drink? To eat?\u201d<\/p>\n He hesitated and shook his head. Erin got him something anyways. Numbtongue stared down at the meatloaf and pasta. He didn\u2019t feel hungry, but his stomach grumbled. So he began eating a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha? Lyonette? Don\u2019t worry about setting up. Take a seat here. You want anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe already ate.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette sat at the same table as Numbtongue. Mrsha crawled up into a seat between her and Numbtongue and looked up at the Hobgoblin. He looked down at her. The two were quiet as Erin took a chair. They sat, looking at each other. Mrsha and Erin, Lyonette and Numbtongue. Then all towards Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026I wanted to say thank you. First off. Thank you, Numbtongue. For\u2014and to you, Lyonette. And Mrsha. You kept the inn running while I was\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Erin began haltingly, uncertainly. She didn\u2019t know how to begin. Lyonette just nodded. Mrsha put her chin on the table as Apista flew over, drowsy, and landed on her head. Erin almost thought of smiling at that. Then she looked at Numbtongue.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014don\u2019t know what you\u2019re planning, Numbtongue. And I\u2019d understand if you never wanted to see me or anyone from Liscor again. But please, listen.\u201d<\/p>\n The Hobgoblin raised his head, a strange look in his eyes. Erin went on, looking from face to face. Big brown eyes from Mrsha, Lyonette\u2019s bright blue ones, the crimson eyes of Numbtongue\u2019s people.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s\u2026something I haven\u2019t told you. Told anyone, really. Aside from Krshia and Ryoka. But Ryoka doesn\u2019t count because it\u2019s a secret we share. It\u2019s how I came here, really. To this inn. To Liscor. It\u2019s\u2014how can I say this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould you say it?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette broke in. She glanced sideways at Numbtongue and Mrsha. Her eyes were serious as she looked at Erin. Surprised, but only just, Erin blinked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean, Lyonette?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cErin, if you have a secret, it\u2019s best never said. Not out loud, ever. Someone might be listening. And even if they aren\u2019t, minds can be read. Tongues can be loosened. If you have a secret\u2014it might be best not to say.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Barmaid] looked grave. Erin hesitated. Lyonette knew. That much was clear. Numbtongue looked confused and concerned. He opened his mouth and spoke, to her surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it is a bad secret\u2014don\u2019t tell me. Don\u2019t tell us. We\u2014I do not need to know. I will not put you or here in danger anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n He stood up. Lyonette looked at him and then pushed her chair back, startling Mrsha. Erin blinked at them.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Sit down. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n The two paused. Erin looked at them and then at Lyonette.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to hear this. I\u2019m tired of keeping it a secret. And even if it is a big secret, even if it\u2019s the biggest secret in the world, you three need to hear it. And only you three.\u201d<\/p>\n Numbtongue blinked. He hesitated and sat. Lyonette looked at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cJust us? What about Pawn? Or Selys?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot Pawn or Selys. Maybe I\u2019ll tell them, maybe not. But you three\u2014and Bird when he\u2019s better\u2014have to know right away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy us?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette looked confused. Erin took a deep breath. Couldn\u2019t they see it? No, she barely had.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause\u2014you\u2019re part of this inn. You three. And Bird. More than the adventurers, more than Selys or Krshia\u2014you three belong here. Mrsha, Lyonette, Numbtongue\u2014you\u2019ve all lived here. All three of you. I couldn\u2019t imagine the inn without you.\u201d<\/p>\n Slowly, Erin stood up. She looked at them. A furry white child, balancing an Ashfire Bee on her head. A girl far from home, her hands cracked, her bright red hair tied back. A Goblin, bearing faded war paint on his body and a hundred scars seen and unseen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been through so much. You\u2019ve all lost so much. But you were here. You were here, and this inn is as much yours as mine.\u201d<\/p>\n Face to face. Erin felt her eyes welling up. But she didn\u2019t hold the tears back. Her voice rose, filling the inn from corner to corner.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re more than guests. More than friends. You\u2019re family.\u201d<\/p>\n Family. The word echoed through the inn. And the world echoed with it. The [Princess] sat, stunned, in her chair. The Goblin\u2019s eyes went wide. And the little Gnoll looked up and closed her eyes, suddenly at peace.<\/p>\n \u201cUs?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette didn\u2019t know if she whispered it or Numbtongue. Erin looked at them.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, yes. There\u2019s nothing else you could be. You belong here. Maybe you have homes\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Lyonette, then to Numbtongue.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014or people waiting for you. Maybe you\u2019ll go away someday.\u201d<\/p>\n Mrsha looked up at her. Apista fanned her wings, oblivious. Erin looked at them.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you\u2019ll always be welcome here. Forever. No matter what happens. Wherever I go, whomever I become\u2014I\u2019ll always welcome you. That\u2019s what family means. More than friends. This is your home. If you want it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked from face to face. She was afraid. And the fear made her shake. She saw Lyonette sit back, face pale. Numbtongue hadn\u2019t moved. And Mrsha? She gazed up at Erin. And then she reached up and opened her arms. Erin bent down and felt two arms hug her with all the strength in that little body. Then she felt Lyonette reach out and embrace the two.<\/p>\n Numbtongue was the last to stand. He looked at Erin, and he was shaking a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He broke off. She could hear what came next. I\u2019m a Goblin. I\u2019m a monster. I don\u2019t belong. I\u2019ll\u2014<\/p>\n She reached out and pulled him into the embrace. Numbtongue felt her arm on his, her soft skin, warm. And he reached out, shaking, and wished. As his arm gently encircled her and Lyonette and Mrsha, his wish came true.<\/p>\n It was forever and a bit that they stood there together. Four souls in an empty room. But they filled it. And though the night was dark, the past dark, and the pain and grief still caught at them, they stood. Holding each other up, perhaps.<\/p>\n Family. It was a strange word. Some might have said it couldn\u2019t ever apply to them. That they were too different. Too alien, too strange. That there were too many secrets and differences to ever bring them together. But that wasn\u2019t what made a family. It was just being willing to try.<\/em><\/p>\n When they let go, the four saw something different. They looked at each other, and there was nothing magic in what they saw. They were still strangers, still apart. But something else connected them nonetheless, as fragile as a dream, as strong as a wish.<\/p>\n They tried.<\/p>\n Erin slowly sat, and the others did likewise. Mrsha in Lyonette\u2019s lap, Numbtongue looking around and gently pinching himself. And she smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Erin Solstice. I come from another world. We call it Earth. I have a home there. Parents. I had another life there until I came here. By accident. Maybe by a spell. My world is nothing like this one. It\u2019s beautiful and stupid and different. It\u2019s home. And I want to go back one day.\u201d<\/p>\n The others looked at her. Numbtongue\u2019s eyes widened. He struggled to comprehend what Erin said. Mrsha looked up, blinking in confusion. And Lyonette sighed. She squeezed Mrsha gently.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something I haven\u2019t told you either. I\u2019m a [Princess].\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Erin and Numbtongue. Erin just nodded, though her heart jumped. Mrsha froze and stared up at Lyonette. The girl looked down at her and smiled. Numbtongue\u2019s face didn\u2019t change much. Slowly, he reached for his side and put something on the table. The little sack.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026had a dream. A Goblin gave me his memories. I know things from his life. How to fight. And how to mine. These.\u201d<\/p>\n He opened the sack and spilled the gemstones and small nuggets of gold onto the table. Erin\u2019s breath caught. Lyonette stared at Numbtongue. The Hobgoblin looked at them.<\/p>\n \u201cHis name was Pyrite. And I miss my brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n His eyes filled up. That was all he said. Mrsha looked up at Lyonette like a stranger. But only for a second. Then she squirmed and reached with a paw for something hidden in her fur. Lyonette blinked as Mrsha pulled out the concealed wand.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha? What are\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll waved the wand over the table. Apista, who\u2019d been napping, took wing in alarm as grass suddenly bloomed under her. She buzzed up into the air as green strands bloomed from the wood, rising like little shoots breaking the wooden surface apart like it were dirt. Erin and Lyonette stared at the sudden bloom. Mrsha waved her wand at them.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n That was all Lyonette said. Then she looked down at Mrsha. The Gnoll stared anxiously up at her. Lyonette bent down and nuzzled Mrsha.<\/p>\n \u201cYou beautiful little [Mage].\u201d<\/p>\n And that was close enough. Erin laughed. Mrsha smiled. And Numbtongue sat back. He closed his eyes, and his lips twitched. Then he cracked one eye open.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s a [Princess]?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A [Bard] was more than just a [Singer]. They were different from a [Troubadour], who sang of entertainments and ballads of love. Bards fought if they needed to, but they weren\u2019t [Soldiers] like [Drummers] were, or [Horncallers]. A Goblin who took up an instrument was unlikely to be a [Bard]. Because in the end, a [Bard] told stories as they sang. They told stories and legends. Of heroes.<\/p>\n Numbtongue knew of no Goblin heroes of old. Goblins didn\u2019t believe in heroes the same way as other races did. But he believed each of his companions had died a legend. And he had lived a tale no Goblin could ever dream of. A myth of an [Innkeeper] who would shelter a group of Hobgoblins. A tale of a monster girl worth dying for.<\/p>\n And now he heard another story just as strange. Just as great and terrible and fantastic, a tale of heroes and another world. Only, this one was real. And he would never tell it.<\/p>\n Erin Solstice sat at the table and talked. Her audience of three listened, sometimes asking questions or telling their own stories. But if theirs were mortal tales\u2014a girl who ran away from home, even if that home was a castle, a Goblin who was given a gift, a Gnoll who had lost her tribe\u2014hers was a tale magical even by the standard of this world.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so different. Some days I can\u2019t even count how many things are just\u2014different. There are no monsters. No other races but Humans. The ground\u2019s paved. Not with cobblestones. There\u2019s\u2026our cities are huge, but we don\u2019t have many walls. Our buildings are taller than castles. Hundreds of feet high. Skyscrapers.\u201d<\/p>\n Things like that. Erin even had words that Numbtongue didn\u2019t know. But words that spoke for themselves. Skyscraper. Airplanes. Cars. Motorbikes. Internet. Computer. That, more than anything, convinced him she was telling the truth. After all, you could make up a world easily enough. But the language? Erin spoke it as naturally as she talked. She had been there. All these things had been common to her.<\/p>\n But to Numbtongue? He tried to imagine an internet, a magical web through the world\u2014only, it wasn\u2019t magical. Someone had built it out of electricity and software and\u2026steel? Magic was a dream in Erin\u2019s world.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have gas. Which is really bad and smells! Plus, it explodes. But it powers things. You have it in this world. It\u2019s, uh, a type of oil. We burn it and make things move. With motors. Like this. See? Vroom.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was also bad at describing things. She tried to show them what a car was, sketching it on paper. But the thing made no sense. It had wheels and a body, but Numbtongue and Lyonette saw nothing that would make it move besides magic. And Erin couldn\u2019t tell them what an engine was, only that it was a thing that ate gasoline and moved.<\/p>\n So a magic that wasn\u2019t magic. The magic of\u2026electricity. Of steel and invention. That called to Numbtongue. With it, the Humans of Earth, of Erin\u2019s world had done wondrous things.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can fly through the air without magic. In planes\u2014big metal, uh, ships made of steel. We\u2019ve gone to the moon. I mean, not me\u2014but we\u2019ve gone around our world. It\u2019s smaller than this one. And it\u2019s just us on it. There aren\u2019t Gnolls. No Drakes or monsters. No half-Elves or Dwarves\u2026they\u2019re just stories.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoblins?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shook her head. She grew silent for a second as Numbtongue wondered if Goblins had once existed and been killed. Then she told him where they existed. In people\u2019s heads. In stories.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have books filled with Goblins and other creatures. Movies\u2014they\u2019re like plays, but\u2014um\u2026books, movies, songs, all with different species and places. But we call that fantasy. They never existed in our world. We made them up.\u201d<\/p>\n And even in books, Goblins were terrible, evil things. Numbtongue accepted that as soon as he heard it. After all, Humans had written the books. But there had never been Dragons in Erin\u2019s world. Never even monsters to begin with. Just nightmares and dreams of humanity, turned into legends.<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds so lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette whispered as she held Mrsha. She looked at Erin. The [Innkeeper] smiled a touch sadly.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can it be lonely if you never know what you missed? We\u2019re just Humans, and we\u2019re different enough to bother each other. We have wars. Terrible ones.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWorse than here?\u201d<\/p>\n Numbtongue couldn\u2019t believe that. But he did when Erin looked up and nodded. Because she had fought with him.<\/p>\n \u201cWorse. I\u2019m sorry, but worse. If a hundred thousand\u2014no. We made weapons that could kill a million people in a moment. And when I hear the news every morning\u2014there are more of us. So we got better at killing each other.\u201d<\/p>\n That was when she told them about firearms. Of tanks and machine guns and rockets. Lyonette wanted Mrsha not to hear, then. But the Gnoll refused to go. She listened, her mind imagining the terrible devices spitting fire and metal more easily than Numbtongue or Lyonette. But they all understood it.<\/p>\n \u201cA weapon that can kill from a thousand paces away. Without magic. That goes through armor, that doesn\u2019t miss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd fires a hundred rounds a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n That kind of devastation was nearly impossible for anyone to imagine. Numbtongue grew still trying to picture it on the battlefield. How would you fight an army of Humans armed with that? Magic armor from head to toe? [Mages] would die before they could cast a spell. With it, you could rule the world. And Humans ruled Erin\u2019s world.<\/p>\n But if that was darkness, there was hope. Lyonette sat up when she heard Erin talking about the differences in her world. Lights that required no fuel! That ran on electricity rather than magic. Cooling boxes\u2014refrigerators\u2014and ovens that needed no spark. Even mundane things for Erin were otherworldly here.<\/p>\n \u201cHow does it work again, Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a faucet. I just turn the handle and\u2026water comes out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom where? The ground?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you see, there are pipes in my house. And the water\u2019s always there. It\u2019s being pumped\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy hand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it connects to this big\u2026water plant? And it\u2019s not just my house. Every house in a\u2026city is connected. There\u2019s pipes in each house that run into the street, underground. Together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvery house? Filled with pipes?\u201d<\/p>\n Connecting to a plant that could produce and pump that much water? Lyonette couldn\u2019t imagine it. The amount of steel you\u2019d need! The craft! What [Blacksmith] could manage it?<\/p>\n None at all. Erin had to explain the factories of steel next. And the idea made the [Princess] of Terandria sit up. She envisioned the lines where things were assembled and compared it to her world. And she believed because her world was suddenly lacking.<\/p>\n Erin had come from a time where technology had surpassed Lyonette\u2019s home by far. Where Humans had no classes or Skills\u2014another impossible idea\u2014and been forced to rely on technique and device to bridge the gap. And thanks to that, they had surpassed even the [Archmages] of old. Surpassed, and yet healing potions didn\u2019t exist. They couldn\u2019t call down lightning. But they could reattach an arm. Cure plagues. Fly around the world in a day. Walk on the moon.<\/p>\n Backwards and forwards. That was Erin\u2019s world. Mrsha listened, and she imagined riding in a car, going faster than a horse and feeling the wind on her fur. She imagined the food Erin talked about\u2014and then realized that was what Erin had made. Pizza, popcorn, but more\u2014dishes from her world, br\u00fbl\u00e9es, quiches, tacos, and casseroles. And she believed because she had tasted something new and delightful each time.<\/p>\n There was more to say. And Erin had not even touched the beginning when the adventurers came through the door, tired and then guilty when they saw Numbtongue. But the Goblin barely looked at them. They went upstairs to Erin\u2019s room and kept talking after the adventurers had been pacified with drinks and food.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could show you. There\u2019s so much. In fact, the only way I survived was to take the things I remember about home. Like the plays. Hamburgers. It\u2019s all from there. I took it. Stole it, really.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you make any of the things you talked about? Engines? Cars? Computers? \u2026Guns?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. And I wouldn\u2019t make some of them if I could.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shook her head, troubled. She glanced down at her lap, where Mrsha was sitting, nodding off a bit, and looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2019m not the only one. Ryoka is from Earth, too.\u201d<\/p>\n That surprised neither Lyonette, who had spoken with Ryoka and seen her iPhone, nor Numbtongue, who didn\u2019t know Ryoka to begin with. He was beyond surprising, anyways. But he understood what Erin was saying.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know how you came here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I was going to the bathroom. Then I turned the corner and\u2014bam. Dragon! He breathed fire at me!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin waved her hands indignantly. Numbtongue and Lyonette looked at each other. Erin knew Ryoka was from her world. And there were others. She had heard about Ryoka\u2019s phone call, and there were the ones Magnolia had found. They were in danger if people knew who they were. In danger for the secrets they carried.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what the right thing to do is. Ryoka thinks we should hide who we are. This BlackMage guy wants us to gather in Wistram. And someone\u2019s hunting us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin gave them a tired smile.<\/p>\n \u201cMe? I hardly think of it most days. Weird, huh? I barely remember home unless I see something. Or I try and think about it. Really, I just want to go home. My parents are\u2026I\u2019m sure they\u2019re worried.\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes filled with tears, and she hugged Mrsha. The Gnoll hugged her back.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could make something from home, though. A car. Or\u2014or something. Something that would help.<\/em> I don\u2019t know if I agree with Ryoka anymore. It might change the world, but this world needs to be changed. So does mine. But I can\u2019t remember anything.<\/em> I was\u2014just a chess player. I played chess. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n Helplessly, Erin looked at them. She was just an ordinary girl. And they looked at her and saw the lie in every interaction they had ever had with her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does all this mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette wondered as she took Mrsha from Erin. The Gnoll was flopping over, trying to stay awake, but fighting the helpless battle. Jerking, waking up, and then fading off every few minutes. Erin smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing? It doesn\u2019t change what happened. It doesn\u2019t change anything I can do. If I could have, I would. But now you know. And if there\u2019s something I can give you\u2014or if Ryoka can\u2014we will.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Numbtongue and then at Mrsha.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to teach you some of the things I know. It\u2019s not much. But maybe it can help you. Even our math is ahead of yours. Things like\u2014oh, the stars.\u201d<\/p>\n Numbtongue looked out a window. The stars? They were just stars. But Erin pointed at them and gave them meaning. She told him what they were. And how they functioned. She pointed at the earth and told him why gravity was, why rain fell. And Numbtongue listened. It was a tale of everything.<\/p>\n \u201cStay here in the inn. You can stay here forever. You and Mrsha. And Lyonette\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked at the young woman. The [Princess] dressed as a [Barmaid]. Lyonette looked up. Mrsha had fallen asleep. She cradled Mrsha and spoke softly.<\/p>\n \u201cI am Lyonette du Marquin, a [Princess]. Sixth in service to the Eternal Throne of Calanfer, which isn\u2019t actually eternal. We date about six thousand years back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a long time. Longer than, uh\u2026Christianity.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette just shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my home. But I left it because I didn\u2019t matter there. I did nothing. I came here and found a purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked down at Mrsha. Then she sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m royalty. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n The two girls looked at Numbtongue. He shrugged. He had a dead Goblin\u2019s memories in his head. Next.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019re family.\u201d<\/p>\n The word made a shock race up Numbtongue\u2019s back. In her sleep, Mrsha smiled. Erin looked at Lyonette. Then she started to giggle.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry. It\u2019s cheesy<\/em>, I know. I feel like a mobster. You\u2019re family. Capiche? Wait, do they say that? Am I being racist?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not\u2026bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette smiled. Erin looked from her to Numbtongue.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean it. Don\u2019t go. We need you. I need you.\u201d<\/p>\n No one had ever said that to him. Numbtongue wiped his eyes and wished they could have all heard that. He looked at Erin, and what could he say? She scooted over and hugged him. And he hugged her back.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens next?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette looked at Erin, thinking of all the things Erin had said and had yet to say. Numbtongue held still, wondering what he could do for his home. And Erin looked at them and was still sad. Her inn was still small. But it was filled, and that stemmed the bleeding in her heart.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you always do after stuff like this, I guess. Everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Everything. The next day, Erin woke up early. She went downstairs, made breakfast, and greeted Lyonette and Mrsha as they came down the stairs. She didn\u2019t bother trying to smile. But she did smile a bit when she saw Mrsha scarfing down her eggs and Lyonette teasing her that she never ate Lyonette\u2019s<\/em> cooking as greedily.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, about my bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette looked up sharply. She pointed towards the kitchen with a spoon, and Apista landed on it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not sleeping in there anymore, Erin. I was sick of tripping over your bed every time I walked in there. You can have our old room. Mrsha and I moved in across from you, anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, that\u2019s fine. Numbtongue can have the room next to mine as well. I just thought I\u2019d make it official.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n With a piece of wood, some paint and a brush, and nails. Also a hammer, although Yvlon caught them doing it and offered to use the pommel of her sword. Erin declined. She found a hammer and tapped the sign into place over her door first.<\/p>\n Erin Solstice.<\/em><\/p>\n The little plaque hung over her door. Erin went to Mrsha and Lyonette\u2019s new room next. Mrsha insisted her name be above Lyonette\u2019s, and the [Princess] tickled her until Mrsha agreed to have it on the same level.<\/p>\n Numbtongue emerged to the sound of his nameplate being put on his door. He stared at it for a long time and touched it until he got paint on his fingers. Then he insisted on retouching the paint himself.<\/p>\n Pisces came out of his room to howl about the hammering. Jelaqua stomped on the floorboards from the second floor and screamed at him for screaming. Erin offered them both eggs, and they got up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to leave soon. Halrac\u2019s team is going as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua spoke conversationally over breakfast. She elbowed Pisces, and the [Mage] swallowed his mouthful of eggs hard. He glared at the Selphid but didn\u2019t try elbowing back. Erin looked at them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going north?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know how it is. Another adventure. All our treasure to spend. We have to get it changed into gold first and get those damned cursed necklaces offloaded\u2014but yeah. I think we\u2019re bound for Invrisil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Okay. I\u2019ll miss you.\u201d<\/p>\n The Selphid shot Erin an awkward, pleased grin.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, don\u2019t go saying goodbye just yet. We thought we\u2019d do it the Erin way.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked blank. Then her eyes widened.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll take a door, head north, pop back for lunch, our beds, and maybe some work in the area. It\u2019ll be slow, but we\u2019re guaranteed a nice place, right? And if we had a door in Invrisil, well, we could use it now and then to pop back and say hi to our third favorite [Innkeeper], right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeslas will like that, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua laughed. Erin smiled wanly. But it was a smile. The Selphid quieted down as Moore and Seborn came down the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll go further north still. But we\u2019ll be closer by if there\u2019s that door. And\u2026you\u2019d have a way to the City of Adventurers. True, it wouldn\u2019t work that often, but there\u2019s so much in the north. I\u2019d love to show you around.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin tried to imagine it. She couldn\u2019t, but that just made the thought more enticing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cWe may be doing the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria and Jelaqua looked at him. The half-Elf swallowed.<\/p>\n \u201cI never said anything about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces sniffed.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but I would imagine the conversation need not actually occur in order for rational minds to come to the same conclusion. There is a finite amount of work to be had around Liscor. Thus\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin jabbed him in the side. Pisces yelped. He glared at Erin and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cMy point is that we will eventually need more work. So a door to Invrisil would benefit us as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria played with her napkin, which she\u2019d yet to use in lieu of her arm.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014yes, you\u2019re right, Pisces.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs always.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKick him for me, Jelaqua? Thanks. We should keep going. We have to. But\u2014maybe not yet? I want to stay around Liscor. We can probably earn enough putting down the undead or go through to Celum for some jobs. But I want to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUntil the trial? With your friend?\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua fixed a sympathetic eye on Ceria. The half-Elf nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s fair. We\u2019ll be taking the door north for weeks to get to Invrisil, so there\u2019s no rush. You can come out along the way. Hell, we\u2019ll make it a party on the road. And Erin can come with us! It beats staring at Moore\u2019s back all day and losing a fortune in dice to Seborn.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin smiled. The idea was tempting. But north? She thought of the Human army, and her enthusiasm faded a tiny bit. Still, she nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cMy door\u2019s open to you all. Both doors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, if only there was a way to make that damn thing change from spot to spot without having to fumble with mana stones.\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua grumbled into her plate. Ceria sighed, and Pisces began explaining for the umpteenth time why that was impossible. Lyonette, who\u2019d heard the conversation, paused and went over to the door after serving Moore a heaping platter. She checked the bowl.<\/p>\n There were three mana stones in it. A green one, a blue one, for Liscor and Celum respectively, and a red stone. The yellow stone for Pallass was gone.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the red one?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. That was the Goblin\u2019s cave. I\u2014the door doesn\u2019t work anymore for some reason. It might have fallen over or been broken.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked up. Lyonette studied the mana stone, but she didn\u2019t get rid of it. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and looked at the door.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n She got out some spare wood, the nails and hammer that Erin had yet to put away, and opened the door to Celum to get some quick-drying glue from Octavia. She began working with Mrsha watching her as Erin greeted the others.<\/p>\n \u201cThink the Silver Swords will go north too?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo another adventure, definitely. My brother\u2019s done what he came here to do. Which was protect me.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon nodded, in better spirits than before. She looked\u2026calmer as she rubbed at one of her arms.<\/p>\n \u201cTalk about overprotective.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Seborn muttered. Yvlon nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cA bit. But he did do all of this for us. And he didn\u2019t even get any treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich he won\u2019t. Unless you want to give up your share?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces looked at Yvlon. She eyed him. Ksmvr happily kicked Pisces under the table without being asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s rich enough. But I think I will stop by my home if we ever go north. Of course, you\u2019ll all have to come with me. We\u2019ve got decent vineyards. But that\u2019s the only thing I want.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I would like to be an asset to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n Ksmvr chimed in. Pisces rubbed at his leg.<\/p>\n \u201cCommendable. I suppose I\u2019m with you all, as painful as the experience may be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, for as long as I have you, I\u2019ll enjoy it. You can all stay here. So long as you keep paying me.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked at Moore, and the half-Giant smiled. He tipped a mug up and drank from it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re too kind, Miss Solstice. But we had one more thing to say, didn\u2019t we, Jelaqua?\u201d<\/p>\n He reached out and nudged Jelaqua with a finger, despite sitting at a different table. The Selphid grimaced. She hesitated and looked at Seborn.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do it.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, damn it, Seborn\u2026okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua sighed and looked at Numbtongue. The Hobgoblin was eating at a table by himself, but not too far away from the others. He kept staring through the window at the sun and mouthing silently to himself, lost in thought.<\/p>\n \u201cNumbtongue.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked up. Jelaqua smiled at him awkwardly. At some point, Erin realized she\u2019d swapped her Raskghar body for a Human one, one of the casualties of Liscor\u2019s battle. Probably so Mrsha would stop being scared.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how to say this. So I guess this is how. Uh\u2014if you\u2019re not planning on doing anything, we\u2019d like to invite you to our team.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria slipped with her fork and stabbed the table. Pisces and Yvlon looked up. Ksmvr kept eating because he could listen and eat at the same time. Erin turned her head sharply.<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n Seborn and Moore were quiet. They sat behind Jelaqua. She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re down\u2014well, we used to have a lot more in our group. One of our members was Garen. You know why he left. But we talked\u2014for a long time, really. And you Redfangs were<\/em> adventurers. You just didn\u2019t get paid or recognized. I\u2019m not saying it would be easier with us. In fact, we tend to attract trouble. But if you wanted to continue being an adventurer\u2026we have a spot open for a [Bard].\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria held her breath. A Gold-rank team was asking a Goblin <\/em>to join them? But Numbtongue had been part of Garen\u2019s tribe. And she had seen him fight. The Hobgoblin looked at Jelaqua. He hesitated.<\/p>\n And then he shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Moore let out a soft sigh. Jelaqua nodded hurriedly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo problem. I just thought I\u2019d offer. It\u2019s totally fine if\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am an adventurer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight, right. That\u2019s what I said. I just\u2014damn it, I wasn\u2019t implying\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua flushed orange. Numbtongue shook his head again.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t mad. You\u2019re right. Your offer is generous. I would have said yes. But I belong here.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Erin. And the [Innkeeper] smiled. Every head turned to her. And Ceria was relieved to see both her and Numbtongue smile. Jelaqua grinned as well, in relief.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good. Whew, I thought I\u2019d stepped in it this time. Shame, though. We could use a proper [Mage].\u201d<\/p>\n Moore flicked her on the back of the head as she went to take a drink. Pisces gave the half-Giant an appreciative nod. Everyone laughed. Jelaqua accepted a cloth napkin from Mrsha. And Lyonette looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m done! I knew it was possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin turned. The [Princess] straightened and showed everyone a crude wheel, just a thin circle of wood, really, able to rotate on a central axis. Half of it rose above the doorframe. The part touching the door had something embedded in it.<\/p>\n The mana stone. Lyonette carefully turned the wheel so the glowing blue stone was touching the magic door. She opened the door, and Octavia\u2019s shop appeared. The [Alchemist] looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! If it isn\u2019t my favorite\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette closed the door. She turned the wheel so the green stone appeared, and the streets of Liscor took shape. A passing Drake glanced over. Lyonette shut the door, turned the wheel until no mana stone was connected with the door, and opened it. A solid wooden wall lay beyond. She turned and gave Pisces a long look. The [Necromancer]\u2019s mouth was open.<\/p>\n \u201cYou did it!\u201d<\/p>\n Jelaqua exclaimed. She stood up to take a look. So did Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cI was tired of messing with that bowl. It keeps getting knocked over, and I have to fumble with the mana stones\u2014this is simpler. If you spin the wheel, you can open the door. Once Jelaqua\u2019s team has their mana stone, I can add it. We might need multiple wheels or something, but I can work out a better system.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still not automatic, but it\u2019s a lot more convenient. Now all I need is to put this thing on legs.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin smiled as she inspected the crude wheel. Jelaqua chortled.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Typhenous, Falene, and Pisces said it couldn\u2019t be done! What do you think of this, smart guy?\u201d<\/p>\n She laughed at Pisces. The [Necromancer] sniffed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt appears to be a non-magical solution to a highly magical equation. Which doesn\u2019t fix the issue of automatically switching connections or the door\u2019s mana constraints. Am I supposed to be impressed by a bit of wood?\u201d<\/p>\n Moore reached over and prodded Pisces.<\/p>\n \u201cBe polite. It\u2019s quite ingenious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell Drassi and Ishkr to check both connections while they\u2019re working. They\u2019ve been complaining about the hassle, but if they do it once every thirty minutes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette was talking to Erin. She glanced at the door.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go and tell them to come in tonight. Unless the inn\u2019s still closed?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Erin. So did everyone else. They held their breaths. Erin looked around. She paused, then nodded slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I think that\u2019s a good idea. Tell them. The Wandering Inn is open again.\u201d<\/p>\n A low sigh ran around the room. Lyonette smiled, set the door for Liscor, and opened it. Erin saw daylight flood into the inn. She heard Ceria laugh at Pisces and his loud sniff. Jelaqua began talking with Seborn about how to transport the door north, by wagon or on foot, and Moore argued for getting another team to do it so he wouldn\u2019t have to walk.<\/p>\n The day was bright and sunny. And Erin stared into it and knew that she couldn\u2019t do it. Her inn was just too small.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLeave?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia looked up, surprised. Erin nodded. She leaned on Krshia\u2019s stall. Her smile of the morning was gone, but she wasn\u2019t crying. That didn\u2019t stop the Drakes around her from giving her the fish-eye and a wide berth. There was still some damage on Market Street. Apparently, the city had been in turmoil for hours after they\u2019d gone. Erin wasn\u2019t sorry.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t stay in the inn. Not now. I just can\u2019t. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019ll do, Krshia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHrm. Why worry?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Shopkeeper]\u2019s prosaic remark made Erin look up at her. Krshia smiled and pushed Erin with one paw.<\/p>\n \u201cOff. I need my display to go here. How much is a good price for Miss Octavia\u2019s potions?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFourteen silver for a healing potion?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHah!\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia laughed. Then she realized Erin was serious. She shook her head and wrote on the chalk board. Erin studied it. Eleven silver and four copper for a healing potion, one of Octavia\u2019s cheapest.<\/p>\n \u201cI was close.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnoll just snorted.<\/p>\n \u201cHealing potions are expensive. Even these. You think anyone can afford them? A family buys one for a year. And I intend to have their business. Adventurers, now\u2026ah, Miss Tassai. I have that custom-ordered ointment from the [Alchemist]. As you requested.\u201d<\/p>\n She shooed Erin out of the way. The young woman came back after the Drake had done her shopping.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t I worry? I have to run my inn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMm. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin paused.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s my inn?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that not what you pay Drassi and Ishkr for? And Lyonette? Do you think Peslas spends his time working all day? Do you think you need to, especially with your ability to preserve food?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin opened and closed her mouth. Krshia looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not stay if it hurts. Go. Run about in the fields. Play baseball\u2014and invite me when you do! Go, drink. Find an attractive young person to have sex with. Or old person. Or buy one of my\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n A flash of teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. But do not stay if it taxes, Erin. Go. Leave the inn to one you trust. Lyonette managed in your absence. Go, and return when you are able. But do not force yourself, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n It was simple wisdom. But it had Erin blinking nonetheless. Go?<\/p>\n \u201cWhere? North?\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t want to go north. She didn\u2019t want to talk to other humans. Not right now. Erin thought of Ryoka\u2014Krshia was shaking her head.<\/p>\n \u201cNorth. I understand the adventurers would want to go north, but it is hardly the only direction, yes? Why not go south? I will be heading that way in time. It would be a boon to have your magic door take me closer to my destination. There will be a connection to Pallass soon, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2014I guess?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter to know than to guess. I would like to know. Because the grand Meeting of Tribes is soon upon us, Erin Solstice. And I must be there. And when I go\u2026I may ask Mrsha to come with me.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked up sharply.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMm. She may be important. And the fate of the Stone Spears tribe must be discussed, if nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia deftly organized her rack of magical potions, looking as calm as could be. Erin suspected she was avoiding explaining herself. Because she knew Mrsha had magic powers? She narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.<\/p>\n \u201cLyonette would never let Mrsha out of her sight. I wouldn\u2019t want that either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen do not. Come south. Run across the Gnoll plains. I would be happy to be your guide.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia looked up. Erin blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not as if Humans are barred from Gnoll lands, yes? Your kind seldom makes the trip. As for the grand meeting\u2014you could be on the outside. So yes, I say come. Come, Erin Solstice. Explore my home.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia swept an arm out. She pointed south. Erin turned her head. And she had a thought.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, Wall Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet her in.\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss didn\u2019t look up. He\u2019d heard Erin arguing with his door guards. He sighed, closed the reports, and looked up as Erin walked into his office. She was holding a guitar. He eyed it.<\/p>\n \u201cYour new help is a jerk.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin announced to him. She wasn\u2019t smiling. But she had that look in her eye that Ilvriss was almost relieved to see. A challenging look. One he was sure would mean a headache for him.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain\u2014er, Major Scaleshield is diligent in guarding me. As she should be. What do you want, Miss Solstice?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to send someone to Pallass? Because I want to reopen my door there.\u201d<\/p>\n Surprising. Ilvriss coughed and made a little note to schedule Hawk\u2019s services today.<\/p>\n \u201cI had every intention. However, your inn was closed until today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. It was.\u201d<\/p>\n The two stared at each other. Ilvriss tapped his claws on the table.<\/p>\n \u201cI will pay for the delivery of course. And I intend to use your door as soon as I can get those egg-brained idiots in Pallass to let me through. Was there something else<\/em> you wanted, Miss Solstice?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I want a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n The Wall Lord concealed a moment of surprise. His mind raced ahead of the conversation and found\u2026nothing. He had no way of predicting what she was going to ask for.<\/p>\n \u201cA favor? And I assume you intend to pay back said favor? How would you recompense a Lord of the Wall?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d say it\u2019s a favor I\u2019m already owed. Or rather, the Goblins are. You owe them. Liscor does too.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared hard at Ilvriss. He shifted in his seat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026will acknowledge there is some debt. But if you wish to force the Hobgoblin\u2019s entry into the city, that is a matter for Watch Captain Zevara. Even I cannot force her\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to her after you. But you owe the Goblins. And this is part of what you owe. Here. Sign this.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin unfurled a piece of parchment. She slapped it onto the desk in front of Ilvriss. He blinked at it and read the scrawled handwriting quickly. He looked up after a minute.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve misspelled \u2018therefore\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? No I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin scowled down at the scroll. She jabbed a finger.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s spelled right!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen your handwriting is extraordinarily messy. And this parchment is disgusting. I\u2019d rather write on a living goat. Excuse me.\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss brushed the scroll off his table. Erin grabbed for it and glared. But Ilvriss had already selected a piece of extraordinarily white paper. He eyed it and then sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no helping it. If one is to do this properly\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He put the blank paper back and opened a drawer of his desk. This time, he pulled out a different piece of paper, embossed with Salazsar\u2019s personal watermark. Erin blinked at the delicate border on the paper.<\/p>\n \u201cSpelled to avoid tearing or stains. Don\u2019t try and rip it, however. The enchantment isn\u2019t that strong.\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss admonished Erin as he wrote on the paper with a steady hand. She blinked as she saw what he was writing. Ilvriss scrawled his name at the bottom of the parchment.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! I signed that first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I am a Lord of the Wall. My signature takes priority. Here. I assume Watch Captain Zevara will be forced to sign this next?\u201d<\/p>\n He handed the paper to Erin. She blinked at it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou signed it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA debt is a debt. And a true Drake pays their debts.\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss wondered how much chaos that little piece of paper would bring. He looked at Erin as she blinked at the paper and then, without asking, borrowed his quill to sign it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou intend to bring him with you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo Pallass? Yeah. And\u2014and maybe elsewhere. Why? Is it a problem? I\u2019ll have this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s hardly enough. But there are ways. To tweak Pallass\u2019 tail, I will intercede myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss gave Erin a ghost of a smile. He looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you intend to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I can\u2019t stay at my inn. I\u2019m gonna leave. For a little bit. Go north or south. I haven\u2019t\u2026haven\u2019t decided yet.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked haunted for a moment. Ilvriss understood that feeling entirely. He cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, let me make you a proposal, Erin Solstice. I understand your magic door has limited reach. It could transport you to Pallass, but no further.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it is hardly as if other means of transport don\u2019t exist. The roads of our continent are well-patrolled. The main ones, at least. So if you leave Liscor, don\u2019t stop at Pallass.\u201d<\/p>\n She blinked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Ilvriss nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cCome to Salazsar. Come to the Walled Cities. Go to Pallass first so your expectations are suitably low, but visit them all. The north will wait. Visit my home, Miss Solstice. You will be welcome to visit my estates. That is an invitation I offer to very few.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him. Blinking a few times in surprise. It was a refreshing change. Ilvriss nodded to her. Now, while she was off-balance.<\/em> He handed her the signed bit of paper.<\/p>\n \u201cHere.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at it. Then she took it. For a moment, her hands touched his claws. She inspected Ilvriss with a curious look. Then she smiled. Just for a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Ilvriss.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned and walked out of his temporary office. The Drake watched her go, arguing with Asrira on the way out. He tapped a claw and muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Wall Lord to you, you impudent [Innkeeper].\u201d<\/p>\n Then he sat back and smiled.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette held the piece of paper in front of her. She stared at it for a long time. It was a simple message. But it was written on costly paper that bore Salazsar\u2019s seal. The writing was, in fact, written as precisely as any [Scribe] could do it. But a Wall Lord<\/em> had done the writing.<\/p>\n And yet, the message was nonsensical. Insane. But\u2014Lyonette read it again. Erin wiped sweat from her forehead. She glanced across the inn at a Goblin sitting on the stage, tuning a guitar. Lyonette looked up at Numbtongue. She looked around at the busy inn, full of familiar faces. Waiting to talk to Erin. Perhaps to apologize. Or just to be here again. And then she looked down at the piece of paper.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The bearer of this document is a Goblin by the name of Numbtongue. He is a recognized adventurer and is therefore entitled to all the rights of a person regardless of where he goes. And if you have a problem, the following list of people vouch for him and will collectively kick your butt.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Signed,<\/em><\/p>\n Wall Lord Ilvriss of Salazsar<\/em><\/p>\n Erin Solstice, [Innkeeper]<\/em><\/p>\n Watch Captain Zevara of Liscor<\/em><\/p>\n [Strategist] Olesm Swifttail of Liscor<\/em><\/p>\n Guildmistress Tekshia Shivertail of Liscor<\/em><\/p>\n Bevussa Slenderscale, Captain of the Wings of Pallass<\/em><\/p>\n Halrac Everam, Captain of Griffon Hunt<\/em><\/p>\n Jelaqua Ivirith, Captain of the Halfseekers<\/em><\/p>\n Ceria Springwalker, Captain of the Horns of Hammerad<\/em><\/p>\n Krshia Silverfang of Tribe Silverfang<\/em><\/p>\n Pisces<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The actual message was short. But the list of signatures was long. And there was plenty of space to add to it. Erin looked at Lyonette.<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo city would accept this, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, they\u2019ll accept it when they hear about a Goblin in Pallass. And I\u2019ll send [Messages] ahead. He doesn\u2019t have<\/em> to come. But if an adventurer meets him, if he wants to go to Liscor\u2014he\u2019ll have this.\u201d<\/p>\n A document proving Numbtongue wasn\u2019t a monster. Part of Lyonette objected to it. So had Erin, but she\u2019d still made it.<\/p>\n \u201cHe needs it. It\u2019s not right, but he should have it. And he deserves it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou got them all to sign like that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Somehow, Lyonette even imagined it hadn\u2019t been that hard for Erin. The [Innkeeper] had an intensity about her at times that would cow even her father. At times. Other times, she was silly and relaxed. Was everyone from her world like that?<\/p>\n No, just her. Lyonette bit her lip.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re going to leave the inn? Go travelling?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I mean, not all the time. But sometimes. I\u2019ll\u2026go to Pallass first. Get Numbtongue through. See what it\u2019s like. But I can\u2019t stay here. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin blinked. Lyonette smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a good idea. Leave the inn to me. I\u2019ll manage it while you\u2019re gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette sat up. She looked Erin in the eye.<\/p>\n \u201cGive me the authority to use the money in the inn and make decisions. I\u2019ll rebuild it. Change some things. If you\u2019re okay with that. All you have to do is cook while you\u2019re here. I\u2019ll run the inn. And earn you money. You go travelling\u2014bring a magic door with you or something. And I\u2019ll take over the inn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n All of Erin\u2019s objections faded away as she looked at Lyonette. And she remembered Lyonette had run Erin\u2019s inn before. She\u2019d enjoyed it, in fact. She was a [Princess] when all was said and done.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose you need a promotion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll give myself a raise.\u201d<\/p>\n The two grinned at each other. Lyonette looked around.<\/p>\n \u201cMrsha can go with you. If it\u2019s safe. And this inn will be here. You\u2019ll come back to it. And\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n And she\u2019d make it bigger. Better. <\/em>This inn had so much potential. Erin had been content to leave it as it had been, to expand when only necessary. But Lyonette envisioned a different place. A third floor, and Bird\u2019s tower was only the start. All she needed was coin and a chance to try something new. The things from Erin\u2019s world\u2026<\/p>\n For the first time in a while, Lyonette was excited about her job. And she saw that Erin looked happier. As if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not happening yet. So don\u2019t start knocking down walls right away! But as soon as Hawk gets to Pallass\u2014there\u2019s all kinds of places I want to go. And I\u2019m going to send the Horns to look for Ryoka.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou think they\u2019ll find her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThem. Or Griffon Hunt. Or the Halfseekers. I want to go north, too. North and south and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was speaking when a sound came from the stage. Heads turned. Numbtongue\u2019s quiet tuning of the guitar had turned into faint strumming. The Hobgoblin looked up and stared across his audience. He found Erin and Lyonette in the crowd. They turned to face him as Numbtongue played on his new guitar.<\/p>\n Sparks crackled from the strings. For a moment. But only that. Numbtongue had already used his guitar once.<\/p>\n Lightning from the skies, striking a tall Hobgoblin, a mountain lurching across the ground. For a second, Eater of Spears was a ball of light. And then he fell, and Numbtongue played his dirge, played and played and heard the music again.<\/em><\/p>\n It was back in him. The Hobgoblin played a riff, and the crowd took notice. Then he began to strum a slower beat.<\/p>\n It was no song that Erin had taught him that came from the guitar. It had no notes. It was spontaneous. Meant to go with words. A quiet melody. Numbtongue played it for a minute. Then he looked up and sang. His voice was quiet at first, but it grew louder, echoing.<\/p>\n Adventurers focused on him. [Guards] and [Mages]. Drakes and Humans, Gnolls, Garuda and Selphid, half-Giant and Drowned Man. A pair of half-Elves glanced up as Numbtongue\u2019s voice rolled through the inn.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This is a Goblin song,<\/em><\/p>\n You don\u2019t know it, so don\u2019t bother singing along<\/em><\/p>\n From Baleros to Chandrar to Izril, north and south<\/em><\/p>\n You\u2019d never believe it if it didn\u2019t come from Goblin mouth.<\/em><\/p>\n But it\u2019s true; we sing and laugh and smile and weep<\/em><\/p>\n And we\u2019re proud and wise and foolish and meek<\/em><\/p>\n So if it\u2019s a Goblin\u2019s ears you seek\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n Remember, you call us monsters, but we sing and speak.<\/em><\/p>\n We broke the moths of Liscor\u2019s dungeon and held the breach<\/em><\/p>\n And we fought the Raskghar in the deeps<\/em><\/p>\n We took arms against brother fighting the Goblin Lord<\/em><\/p>\n For an [Innkeeper]\u2019s tears and no reward<\/em><\/p>\n And died to Drake spear and Human sword.<\/em><\/p>\n We fought for you, we monsters green<\/em><\/p>\n We can rhyme (we\u2019re more than we seem!),<\/em><\/p>\n So if you seek us in our hidden homes and quiet dens<\/em><\/p>\n Come as people, come as friends<\/em><\/p>\n Or come as you always have, to be our end.<\/em><\/p>\n But remember this day; you\u2019ll never forget<\/em><\/p>\n You heard a Goblin song<\/em><\/p>\n We\u2019re not all dead yet.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n That was all. It wasn\u2019t a great song. Or even a good one. Numbtongue had come up with it over a day, mainly by rhyming. But it was his song. His first song. And while it was poor compared to the lyrics that burned in his heart from Erin\u2019s world, it was enough. It brought tears to eyes, it made people doubt reality.<\/p>\n It was enough. Numbtongue rested his claws over the guitar strings, ready to play another song. And sing it too. He didn\u2019t expect the reaction.<\/p>\n Erin Solstice clapped her hands, standing up. She wasn\u2019t the only one. Numbtongue\u2019s head came up. He heard foot stomps, someone banging a mug\u2014and applause. He saw faces gazing at him. And they weren\u2019t angry. Some had tears. Others looked ashamed. And some just looked at him, a Goblin on the stage, without hatred.<\/p>\n He hadn\u2019t expected that. Goblins never did. But Numbtongue accepted it. He enjoyed it. For a second or two, the applause fell like warm rain. Then it was over. But Numbtongue chased it. He began to play. And the music was there. Changed. Forever changed, but it was there. It echoed through the inn. And this time, a Goblin\u2019s voice came with it.<\/p>\n A Goblin\u2019s song. As the people listened, it made them sit up. It brought strength to weary limbs. Hope for the future. And the Goblin sang and sang. He was crying, laughing, smiling. For he was experiencing something few Goblins had ever felt. A wish he didn\u2019t even know fulfilled. A sense of peace. Hope.<\/p>\n At long last, he was home.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n [Bard Level 27!]<\/p>\n [Skill \u2013 Song of Rejuvenation obtained!]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The inn was too small. That was all Erin could think. She felt\u2014tired. Not necessarily calm. Not that much better either, really. She was just out of tears. Too drained to keep crying. But maybe a bit better. Seeing Numbtongue in Liscor had hurt with a sharp pain that had been worse than all the […]<\/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":[11693086,349],"tags":[],"twi_volume":[11693135],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-5856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-6","category-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n