Chapter 3: Chapter 3 – Sundown Meet

It wasn’t long until Miss Tallier would arrive. When that keyhole was opened from the outside, I froze up. She noticed me as soon as she came in from the doorstep.

“You’re early.”

I could only imagine bad things happening to me from that moment on. Still under the table, but now wide awake, I made a hasty effort to stand up. The shock that remained from the day before was still there, but before her presence, it didn’t matter.

“G-Good morning, Miss Tallier. I hope you don’t mind me being early on the job.”

Obviously, Miss Tallier wouldn’t just let this slide. She was just standing there, looking at me with those clean, sharp eyes, the pressure weighing heavy. This wasn’t the time for lying.  

“I uh, I came here during the night with…with Agham. He had a spare key. We had to spend the night here. Things have happened, and all. We had no other choice, really.”

Speaking of which, something odd struck me. Where WAS Agham? While trying to explain the situation to Miss Tallier, I glanced over the room multiple times, mostly to not have to look into Miss Tallier’s eyes, but he wasn’t there. He must’ve vanished sometime while I was asleep.

“Hmpf. I don’t care about your reasons. Don’t do it again. When you see that man, tell him as well. I don’t tolerate sleepovers in this establishment.”

“Y-yeah, will do. Understood.”

“Start cleaning up the tables, then the floor. I won’t pay you until your shift begins.”

“Yes, Miss Tallier.”

It wasn’t much of an exchange, but it could have been way worse. However, now that she made things clear, there was a new problem. I didn’t have anywhere to sleep. Of course, I still had a little bit of money left, but I had to save up as much as possible. That was, if Agham kept true to his plans.

I started cleaning up the furniture that was still a bit dirty from yesterday. The table I slept under was particularly dirty. Just my luck…

Meanwhile, Miss Tallier was already being active in the kitchen. I still needed to properly tell her about what happened. After all, I put the shop in danger being there. Last night, there were so many people…It wouldn’t have been surprising if some related people were mixed in there. This place wasn’t safe.

I moved to mopping the floor. Thoughts came racing through my mind endlessly. About what to do, where, how and why. But ultimately, I couldn’t come up with any good solutions. Too little freedom, too little independence. Too little ability.

In these deep, wild oceans, I was a little leaf, kept alive, drifting on the surface. That worked for a few days, but not anymore. Lives were at stake, and not just mine. When I looked outside, the sun was slowly reaching its peak, and I was about to be done with cleaning duty.

Miss Tallier took a break from her cooking, so I grabbed my chance to come and talk to her.

“Miss Tallier, you need to hear this.”

“What?”

Miss Tallier valued her time alone as much as possible, especially during breaks. She was sitting on a chair with a cup of black tea in her left hand, while the right one was closely under her eyes’ inspection.

One would think she was just looking at her nails, but she clearly did that palm-reading or whatever she had tried with me. In fact, she always did it during her breaks.

“For your convenience, I’ll try and make this short. Last night, Agham and me were attacked at the inn, so we took shelter here.”

That certainly wasn’t an everyday thing to hear. Her eyes began twitching a little. This kind of reaction was around what I expected.

“I’m not sure where Agham went, but currently, I don’t have a place to stay. You already said that I couldn’t, but may I ask you to allow me to- “

“No.”

As expected, I was shut down. Hopelessly homeless. To afford accommodation, I needed another raise. But who could ask her that in this situation?

600 gan was just too low, and still below the minimum wage. How would I know my place just gets blown up all of a sudden? It’s not even been two weeks I spent there. How is this fair? It wasn’t. What is even is this? Why am I here again?

Something inside of me started twisting and tightening itself. I was yet again drifting in a sea of thoughts, before being pulled back to reality.  

“Don’t just stand around. Work.”

Miss Tallier had already finished her tea and moved back to the kitchen. Her mood turned sour, I decided to give up, and with a heavy heart, I resumed my own share of work.

Soon after, Maya came. Her cheerful energy helped calm the situation, if only slightly. Miss Tallier was more patient and open to Maya than me, though really, that was perfectly natural. They had spent more time together, and Maya undoubtably had the better personality.

While working together with Maya, I told her what happened. I didn’t expect anything, I just wanted to share my story. It helped me process it all. Maya was visibly shaken when she heard it, but after I was done, she had that shine in her eyes.

“Hey Lenn, if that’s the case…You can stay over at my house for now. We’re colleagues, after all.”

It’s not the kind of answer I had anticipated, but that was a godsend. A person I somewhat knew. Somewhere safe, where danger won’t reach. The tension that had gradually grown in me dissipated.

“What? Are you sure? Like, for real?”

“Hehe. Yeah, for real. If you want to, that is.”

My excitement couldn’t be contained, the same went for my smile, creepy as it must’ve seemed.

“I will take you up on that offer, then. Really, I can’t express how thankful I am.”

I had all sorts of reservations about Maya, but I guess her wholesome nature had finally won me over. Independent of what was behind it, the positivity she spread was real. Her intentions were pure enough. Who was I to try and search for excuses to condemn her?

In the afternoon, the first customers were rolling in. Agham hadn’t returned in that time. Everything ran smoothly, from beginning to end. And from beginning to end, nothing came up. The restaurant did not fill up like last time. There were no suspicious people. It was almost like nothing ever happened.

Maya diligently collected tips. She had internalized all the customers’ names, knew their age, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, their relationships. Maya could easily hold a conversation with anyone she met, making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. She put effort into her every action, truly doing the best she could. The more I observed her, the more enticed I was.

Even with all that heavy baggage, she could do things…like that.

Earlier, I thought I wanted to distance myself from her. It just seemed like trouble. But looking at her…I was disgusted by myself. There was something essential I overlooked. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t quite grasp it.

Maybe I was jealous. But those feelings had no place to be at work.

“Hey. HEY!”

Coming out of my daze, I looked around. I did it again. Next to me was a customer, visibly annoyed.

“Stop dreaming and get me my stuff already! You wrote it down, right?”

Even without understanding the words, I knew what was being said. I quickly grabbed my notes and wrote down his order, apologizing all the way. Of course, these notes were in Angal, the language I knew, but it wasn’t a problem since everyone could read it, anyway. To work as a waiter, all I had to know was the word for “beer” and the like. For more difficult orders, I had Maya.

Learning the local language wasn’t too difficult, though. It was called “Armish” and derived from the kingdom of Arma. Whenever Miss Tallier taught me a new word on the menu, I noticed I already kind of knew the word, anyway. So, maybe I just needed to jog my memory some more, since I learned the language at some point before.

The end of the day was nigh, and so was the end of our shifts. Maya and I received our pay and then went on our way. It was the first time Maya and I left at the same time.

Following a path that was in the opposite direction to the inn where I would have usually come from, we quickly arrived at Maya’s house. Knowing it was a distance away gave me peace of mind.

It was a townhouse like any other in Casla, but the yellowish color scheme made it have some individuality compared to the red-brownish houses around. There were various little plants in front of the doorway, and the door had a passionately decorated nameplate on it that read “Fay”, written in Angal.

“Your full name is Maya Fay?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s nice and simple, don’t you think?”

“Well, yeah. It’s a nice name.”

“What about you, Lenn? I don’t think I have ever heard your full name before.”

“Oh, that’s- “

I wasn’t sure I even had something like that.

“The truth is…my memories are all jogged. Agham provided me with work because I don’t know where I am or what I’m doing, exactly.”

Maya’s face understandably grew concerned. Maybe now she would regret inviting me to her home.

“Ah, but I’m pretty sure that my first name is Lenn, rest assured. There are some things even I can remember. And as for everything else, I can just pick it up one by one. Really, there’s nothing to worry about.”

That answer seemed to calm her down a bit. She brightened up again.

“Then, let’s go inside. No use standing around here, right? Kind of like Sofia always says.”

I never noticed that Maya was calling Miss Tallier by her first name before. Then again, most of the time I saw Maya, I was preoccupied anyway.

We entered the house and what I first noticed was the smell. It smelled…odd. I expected something that was more in line with how I saw Maya. Lemons, maybe strawberries. A nice, fruity smell. But there was this familiar air hanging around, and it wasn’t pleasant.

It was something you would find creeping around in a clinic, a camp full of the wounded. A smell that repulses. Other than that, the house was spotless. Maya must be cleaning here all the time. So, why is that smell…Oh, right.

Maya quickly invited me to come greet her mother, who was resting upstairs. With every step I took on the stairs, the smell grew stronger. I remembered what Maya said about her mother. That she was sickly, and that she couldn’t leave the house. But that was an understatement considering what unfolded before my eyes.

From the doorstep, I looked inside. Maya was already there beside her mother, who with her daughter’s assistance managed to sit upright. A thin ray of white light coming from a small window was the one faint source of light in this otherwise pure dark room.

Her mother was…barely alive. She had these purplish pustules all over her starved body. I saw her rip cage sticking out from a thin layer of gray skin. Her eyes looked cold, lifeless. Her spirit had already left this world.

Those sparkling green eyes Maya must’ve inherited from her had taken on an empty, foggy tone, similar to how her lips were blue and all shriveled up. Her darkened brown hair was uncontrollably growing all over her body. On her lap that was covered by a thin, white bedsheet, she had placed her bony, trembling hands. It was a gruesome sight.

Maya placed her hands on her mother’s, putting an end to that shivering of hers.

“I’m back, Mom. It’s all fine now. Look, I even brought a guest with us. His name’s Lenn. He’ll be staying with us for a little while.”

Her mom didn’t move, she didn’t speak a single word. She probably couldn’t even if she tried.

I thought that even with that being the case, it would still be rude not to introduce myself. With a slight bow, I began my self-introduction.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Lenn. I’ve been under your daughter’s care. I hope that I can repay this debt while I’m here.”

Again, no reaction. She was just blankly staring at her hands that were being carefully held by Maya’s. The only person who turned their head towards me was Maya herself.

“Now then, Lenn. Go and take a look around. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll stay here just a little longer with mom. Have fun!”

Have fun, huh? I assumed Maya couldn’t have put it differently. That was just who she was. Either way, it was best for me to leave that scene as soon as possible. For my health, as well as theirs.

Wanting to escape the smell, I descended the stairs back to the entrance. From there, the only other way was down the narrow hallway into the living room at the back. The floor was slightly creaking whenever I made a step.

Being in this house wasn’t exactly a claustrophobic experience, but it was smaller than expected. Taking a look from outside, it looked more spacious than it actually was. For someone like Maya, it wasn’t a problem, but for me with a more average height, it was hard to ignore. Agham would definitely have difficulties moving around in here.

The living room was filled to the brim with old furniture. They were painted with bright colors, causing the otherwise dark room to lighten up. The tiny windows that were hanging on the thick walls barely let any light in. Appliances were scattered all over, making the room all the harder to move around in. Maya wasn’t as orderly as I thought.  

One last thing to check out was the kitchen. There wasn’t anything in particular that stood out here. Everything was freshly cleaned and organized, leading me to believe that, perhaps, it was just the living room that Maya didn’t go into that often.

There wasn’t much food left over, either. I was pretty sure she had been taking some food from the restaurant back home. The resources she had were just enough to cook on the spot and have something for the day, with nothing stocked up.

All that was left was the single remaining room on the second floor, probably Maya’s. But I wasn’t going anywhere near those stairs again.

Having finished my tour, I was now dwindling my thumbs. After all, there was nothing to do. I didn’t even know where I would sleep. I went to the living room, sat on the big coach in the middle, and waited. Waited, waited and waited.

The coach was odd, if anything. I only noticed it when I was resting on it. The bleached out reddish tone didn’t fit in with the other stuff in the room. It also had a weird horse pattern all over it. I couldn’t imagine a person like Maya owning it. It must’ve been left over from someone else.

I thought about what Maya was going over before. Oh, yes. My last name. Why hadn’t I thought of this before? Having a last name was normal, but I didn’t have one. That couldn’t be right. Just how much catching up would I have to do?

I didn’t know Agham’s last name either. There were so many chances for me to ask, but I never bothered. Miss Tallier surely knew it too. Also-

“Thanks for the wait. I hope it isn’t too crammed in here for you. Most of the furniture is just too heavy for me, you know. Before, I would do it together with mom, but now…”

Maya was back again. Spending time with her mom did not erode that smile of hers.

“Oh, no problem. Then that’s why there is so much lying around.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit embarrassing. I usually don’t have anyone who comes over, so I thought it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it IS kind of annoying, right?”

She was stroking the back of her head, acting all embarrassed. That was my invitation to act up, and it was something I had been waiting for.

“If you want to, I can help you move some stuff. It’s the least I could do.”

“Oh really? I didn’t even think about that. Thanks!”

Yeah, right. With that being said, we started cleaning up the living room. The furniture was relatively heavy, but not impossible to lift. I was glad we managed not to break anything. Some of the furniture could’ve gone to museums. We were about half done, when Maya suddenly stopped.   

“What’s wrong? You tired? Or maybe you hurt yourself?”

“Ah, no, no. Everything’s fine. It’s just…”

From the other side of the wardrobe we were just carrying, I could see her holding something. Whatever it was, it made Maya’s expression turn from light to dark. As if a fresh citrus fruit shriveled up from one second to the next. Clearly, a pause was in order.

“If you’re ready again, give me a holler. I’ll go rest on the coach.”

“Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry, this might take a second.”

“That’s fine.”

She was about to tear up. I would have liked to comfort her, but we were not that close. My attempts would have been futile. Instead, I decided it was best to give her some space for the moment. No need to make things more complicated than they are. Maya went out of the room and to the kitchen, while I laid on the coach and pulled out my guide, pretending to read.

A few minutes passed. Oh, right. What if…Yeah, maybe. Again, it didn’t take much time until Maya would come back to the living room.

“Heya!”

That happy face of hers got distorted by the red shadows under her eyes. It was painful to look at. Her voice was still teary, too. I couldn’t quite not let it show on my face, and Maya noticed that, too.

“Ahaha…sorry for that.”

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She once again put on her embarrassed pose, but it was extremely forced. Whenever she closed her eyes, I could clearly see how she was holding herself back.

“I don’t mind. It happens.”

“W-Well, let’s just go and continue, okay?”

“Yeah, let’s…do that.”

Awkward silence ensued as we resumed our work. The living room became more orderly by the second, revealing the large amount of space it could really offer. It was a much bigger room than I thought, seemingly bigger than the other rooms combined. That’s where all the rent went, I thought.

After an hour, we were mostly done, and Maya seemed to calm down a bit, especially once we rearranged the last piece of heavy furniture. The coach no longer looked like the centerpiece to the room, but a small accessory.

“Wow. Actually, I don’t remember it being like this at all. Our efforts paid off big time, right, Lenn?”

“Yeah. That is an incredible size for one room.”

It had this permeating sense of grandness, completely opposite to the rest of the house.

Of course, the lighting didn’t improve by much. It wasn’t as if we replaced any windows. But there was an extra window that was freed from the rubble, so the whole thing would be lit up a bit more than before. Since it had already gotten dark at that point, that would be saved for later.

“Thanks a lot. Without you here, this might have taken ages.”

“Sure thing. But how come you didn’t just ask Agham?”

Maya held still for a moment.

“Uhm…Truth is, I’ve only ever seen him once or twice before. I’m sure you know him better than me. But if you think I can rely on him, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

“Oh, really? I must’ve misunderstood. It’s not like I know Agham well, either.”

Yeah, I didn’t know him. And obviously, he didn’t know me either. I’ve only had certain impressions on him that helped me draw a picture, but nothing concrete. Otherwise, I would have known where he was.

“Anyway, Maya. I assume I’ll be sleeping here in the living room?”

Maya somehow seemed to cheer up hearing those words. Though I’m not sure what was going on, I was glad that she wasn’t feeling down anymore.

“Yeah, that’s right. As you’ve already seen, we also have plenty of bedsheets and cushions for you. Just take your pick!”

“Right. And where do you sleep? Is the other room upstairs yours?”

“Yep. If you encounter any problems, just come to me. I don’t mind being woken up during the night, too.”

“No, that would kind of be a problem, wouldn’t it? Miss Tallier doesn’t like sleepyheads.”

“Ah, that’s fine. I’m not going to be tired from something like this.”

“Is that because- “

“Hm?”

I stopped myself before I could say it. I didn’t want to go any further than that. It was just going to make things turn for the worse again. If I had to discuss something, I’d rather have it be about anything else. But as there was nothing I could come up with, I quickly decided on an excuse, instead.

“Actually, I might be a bit sleepy. I’ll head to bed early, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh. Sure, go ahead. I’ll just go and prepare the sheets and cushions for you, then.”

Maya made a quick turn and began walking down the hallway. For a moment, I cringed at myself. For using such a poor excuse to escape the conversation. For lying. But as quickly as negativity set in, I got a hold of my thoughts. I’ll just have to say that I’m not actually that sleepy after all. It’s simple. We’re just doing a make-over. Somehow, it’ll work itself out. Yes, it would always work out somehow.

But then, Maya stopped. Why?

It had been a few seconds, and she still didn’t seem to move. I couldn’t hear anything coming from her direction. Unless she knew a trick to not make a sound while moving around the creaking floorboard, she must’ve not taken another step.

Concerned, I quickly go follow her into the hallway.

As I took a peek, a strange scene appeared before me. Maya was just standing there, frozen in place. Her gaze was locked onto the entrance. Specifically, towards the underside. It was a gap thin enough, so nothing would come through it, except for a slimmer of light.  

I slowly went towards her. It indeed was some light she looked so distressed about. But once I stood next to her, it became crystal clear as to what riled her up. Realizing what was going on, I could only follow in her steps. That is, to stand there in silence, not moving an inch.

A light akin to that of a flame was peeking out of the gap. A lantern, perhaps? But that wasn’t the important part. There was…a shadow in it. A shadow that depicted two pillars. Or more accurately, upon further inspection, you could see what it really was. It was legs. Human legs. I felt déjà vu.

There was a person right outside the door, not moving, not saying a word, nothing. Just standing there, in the darkness, with a lantern in hand. They were just two meters apart from us.

“What…the fuck?”

I was scared shitless. We whispered to each other.

“W-were you expecting someone else?”

“N-no…?”

“I f-figured…”

“Lenn…what do we do…?”

“Fuck if I know…”

Both our legs were trembling. There was cold sweat running all over my back. My brain was running full throttle, trying to come up with some kind of solution in the fastest way possible, playing with every predictable outcome. But at the same time, it was blank.

“For now…Let’s retreat to a room that doesn’t have windows, but also has a door.”

“What, there are rooms without doors? But the only one I know without a window is the bathroom…”

“Alright, then the bathroom it is. Slowly…”

With Maya’s pointing finger as a guide, we made a careful retreat to the bathroom. Once inside, I quietly shut the door.

The bathroom was small, with only the toilet and a sink inside. It was barely enough room for the both of us to stand in at the same time, but we somehow managed.

“What the hell is going on…”

“Lenn, y-you were attacked last night, right? So maybe…”

Fuck. Fuck Fuck Fuck FUCK. They were following us?? Why didn’t I think of that? How dumb am I? Just because it happened once doesn’t mean it can’t happen a second time. Now we’ve got another one of these guys right at our doorstep. I’m not Agham. I can’t just save the day here. I can’t talk myself out of this, either. The thoughts were running from me without halt.

Maya was trembling all over, more so than me, like a sheep that was up for slaughter. It was obvious why. She had more than just her life on the line. Her mother, this house…all of this happening so suddenly was a complete disaster come true.

“Listen, Maya. You stay here. I’ll go take a look at your mom. Everything’s fine, okay? Nothing’s happened, and nothing WILL happen. Got it?”

“O-okay. I’ll leave it to you. But if anything happens, I-I’m not just going to sit around. My mom and this house are MY responsibilities, after all.”

“…Alright.”

Turning the knob took all of my courage. Looking to the entrance, I saw the light was still there. As for the shadow…Too hard to tell.

I needed to pass right by the entrance to be able to go up the stairs. That person was now less than a meter away from me, right next to me. I turned my back, slowly walking up the steps, each one heavy. Every move I made sparked red flags. But even so, I pressed on, reaching her mom’s room.

The door was still closed. With the windows being so small, so it would make sense for there to not be anyone able to come inside through them. Maya’s mom was dead asleep. No signs of anyone breaking in. A sigh of relief. Just to confirm, I went over and try to check her mom’s pulse.

I had to try and do my best telling whether she was alive by taking a very close look at her instead of touching anything. Whatever these purple dots on her skin were, I did not want to get them on me.

Still, I could tell she was breathing, so there was no need for any further check-ups. In other words, the house seemed safe for now. With that in mind, I once again took to the stairs. When I reached the entrance, I once again looked out for the shadow. And again, it was still there.

But as soon as I made another step forward, the shadow retreated from the entrance. As if it had noticed something. Then, a few seconds afterwards, I heard it. It was kind of like a whistling sound. Or more like something moving quickly through the wind. I whispered to myself.

“Did…he notice me?”

Before I could make out what it was, it had already reached me. Or rather, it reached the door. I couldn’t tell what was going on until it was already there. It made a sharp “swoosh” sound, and there it was. Right in front of my eyes, a large bolt had pierced through the entrance, the sharp, silver end sticking out of the newly made hole. It missed my eyes by a hair’s strand, making me drop to my knees. Déjà vu.

Outside, a fight had broken out. The clanking sounds of clashing metal, the grunting and wheezing of men. A full-blown battle. Maya, still in the bathroom, opened the door, having become aware of what was going on. She tried to pick me up.

But I was still in shock. No matter what, I couldn’t move a muscle. My mind was blank all over again. I hated feeling like this, having no control over my body.

“Lenn! Come on!”

“Give me…give me a few seconds.”

“Are you being serious right now? Get up! Wait, huh?”

While we were bickering, the fighting outside had already ended, going as soon as it came. Now, an ominous quietness covered the area.

“See? No problem…”

“No, wait, Lenn. Don’t you…hear it?”

Footsteps. Again. The footsteps of one single person, firmly approaching the house.

“Hngggh!”

The footsteps were coming closer and closer, and Maya became more desperate. But my body did not budge.

“Come on, you don’t have to do this. It’s all going to be fine. Just go to your mother or something.”

“What are you even saying? That doesn’t make any sense. Go, move! MOVE!”

The footsteps have almost reached the door, unrelenting in their pursuit.

Maya, putting in her all, slowly succeeded in bringing me into an upright position. For someone with such a short figure, it was a miracle she could even do that. Nonetheless, moving at this point didn’t look like it would make much of a difference.

The footsteps stopped. Yet another time, an unknown person was standing right before the door. However, they didn’t force their way in. They were just…standing there.

I didn’t know what was going through my head, but with all the info I had in mind, there was one name that stuck out to me. And so, that’s the name I spoke out.

“Agham…?”

 

-End of Chapter 3-

 

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Harc Manem: A tour around Oulayn, year 505

 

Pages 34-35: The Road of Promise (Zenar-Casla)

The giant trade route going through the Zenar Region and ending near the City of Casla is officially called the East Oulayn Trade Route, but better known as the Road of Promise with both businessmen and adventurers. The flatlands the route follows offer minimal declination, bearing meadows and stone-filled steppes. It is the most straightforward road in Oulayn, following the same direction for more than a hundred kilometers.

The name originates from Casla’s inception as a deeply worthwhile investment opportunity for any sensible tradesman around, given the endless heaps of copper found to the east near the Great Desert. It also gave people a better way to connect with the Northern States, allowing for a reliable way to trade and connect with their people.

During its building process, it was strongly believed that various cities and towns would be built along the way, since the vast flatlands made the construction of houses and shops a simple matter. However, not much of that came to fruition, leaving the bigger towns to be built more towards the Zenarian end of the route. The few noteworthy villages found towards the middle of the road are called the “Three Arches”, including trades village Poles, resting village Vermas and village of war Kertis.

The reason for a lack of housing is mainly because of the nature of the flatlands themselves. They are frequently subjected to strong winds and swarms of travelling birds that eat away at anything remotely edible, as well as big, hungry, roaming predators who can easily tear off human flesh with their fangs and claws. Adventurer parties from all over Oulayn forage the grasslands, culling the beasts within for their quests given to them by the Kertis Guild. Despite that, the flatlands have yet to become safe for the more average person. There is also the rumor floating around of bandits attacking people on their way, and sometimes even trying to pillage the smaller, isolated villages found on the outskirts of the Zenar Region.

Overall, setting up shop in these parts is still considered very dangerous, but also profitable. There is always an influx of people taking this route, after all. Whether you’re just travelling from place to place or going on a business trip, if you are really concerned about your safety, you can just hire someone from the “Red Grains”. The Red Grains is a famous local mercenary band that specializes itself on ensuring the safety of your goods, as well as your life. For a good sum, they will accompany you the entire way along the route and make sure both bandits and beasts stay away. They are directly tied to the Tradesmen Association of Casla, which does lend them at least a tiny bit of trustworthiness. Even so, I have never enrolled in their services. If you ever feel it necessary to gain an extra layer of protection during your endeavors, they might or might not be an option you should think about. 

Make sure to also not get tricked by other businessmen. Bandits aren’t the only people you should worry about. Anyone you find around here will happily take your money if you’re gullible enough to be tricked by them. I was once subjected to one of those tricks during my stay in Poles. I met a supposedly ill grandma asking for change. Turns out that was just her side hustle. A part of me doesn’t feel bad about loosening my pockets for someone like her, though. She really put on a charming performance!

 

Anyway, my advice for the trip is that you just get the right equipment, stay on the path and then rest at Vermas when you have the chance to. Enjoy your stay and hop into your bath when you have the chance to. Did I mention that Vermas has both public and private baths, all kept nice and warm? Well, now I did. You should never underestimate a good bath!

 

With that being said:

Dear readers, good luck in your travels!

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