Hylore – Seahold (Noreland Capital) Spring 2344 AS

  Day 19

  The grave chill was finally gone.

  I lay in my bed, tangled in the sheets. The night was long and arduous—the third I had to endure to get rid of the grave chill. I was exhausted both physically and mentally. I wanted to sleep again, but knew I had to move. But lacked the will right now.

  I was looking at the ceiling. Rain was falling outside. I listened to the heavy rain impacting the shutters. The glass panes were damp. The sunlight was weak but slowly growing stronger.

  My body was weak, my head heavy.

  At least I don't have to worry about paying my rent for a while. Isabel Lodestone had almost passed out when I put the money in front of her. I made sure to do it in a private setting, so I wouldn't reveal what I was given to her. Fifteen gold coins were equivalent to a fortune here in Low Town. Many of the people who lived in this area could survive on that much money for a year.

  I don't have to worry about my rent now until day 70. I was keeping an internal log of my actions and dates. This took a great deal of pressure off me regarding my finances and their impact on my living conditions. My system debt, however, was something I had to deal with constantly. I had a bit of time at the moment, but I squandered it. That didn't mean I had to push my mind and body past what I could endure. I needed this time to recover from the debuffs and the eldritch corruption I had acquired. Sure, it was only a single point, but if I neglected to address that, it could quickly add up, and I would be in trouble.

  I waded through the muddled thoughts in my head, trying to figure out what needed to be done. I had 15 gold and 37 silver System coins. I decided I wasn't going to be spending the silver aggressively. I had spent two silver after leaving the Adventurers' Guild to restock some of my supplies.

  My career so far has not been one of great deeds and epic adventures. It had been one of the debuffs, and it dealt with diseases. Ironically, it was exactly what I expected it to be. I wasn't aiming for the grand adventure that many had come seeking. I was here to do a job. I knew it was going to be a grind.

  I stretched out, trying to wake up more. My body protested every action, but I forced myself to do it.

  The rain suddenly hit the shutter with a harder thud as a gust of wind caught it, rattling the window frame outside. This instantly made me retreat into the sheets and wrap myself tighter.

  Nope, not getting up today.

  That was my attitude at that moment. I knew I had to get up. Eventually, my biological needs would drive me from my bed, but for right now, I was holding firm that I wasn't going to get up.

  I thought about what I needed to buy to upgrade my weapons and equipment.

  I started with my gear on my belt and in my backpack. So far, I had everything I needed and nothing else. I'm pretty sure I covered all the bases, and so far I haven't been proven wrong. I also had to consider that I could not carry much more.

  As for my armour, the two had been holding up very well against what I was dealing with and quite possibly for future threats as well. A helmet wouldn't go amiss. My head was currently unprotected, and I was growing more concerned about that.

  That led to my weapons. It was becoming clear that what I had wasn't up to the task of dealing with greater threats. The club was good at dealing with small or weak opponents. The Pinza 10mm revolver had some stopping power, but it was only effective against targets that acknowledged being shot. Such creatures as the undead would completely ignore the bullet strike in many respects. Sure, repeated bullet strikes could shatter their bodies, but they had to destroy the skulls normally to stop them permanently. My new war mace took care of most of that in close combat, but I needed something to make my revolver the backup weapon.

  With my gold, I had options.

  I was leaning toward a combat shotgun. I did not yet know what make and model I was using, but I was fighting in close-in environments, which meant a shotgun would be the more logical choice over a military-grade rifle or one of the early submachine guns they had.

  Hylore, technologically speaking, was starting to experiment with assault rifles, but they were still many years away, it seems.

  The more I thought of it, the more I warmed to the idea of a combat shotgun. I need something uncomplicated yet with a heavy punch at the close. Depending on the ammunition type, that can be done quite effectively with a shotgun.

  I convinced myself that this was the best option.

  I just needed to get up and go and buy one.

  Listening to the rain, I decided not just yet. Wrapping the sheets tighter around me.

  I must have dozed off as I snapped awake sometime later with a mighty rumble from my stomach and the pressure from my bladder telling me it needed to be dealt with immediately.

  I pulled myself from my bed and got dressed.

  After dealing with my bladder issues, I moved downstairs and caught the end of the morning breakfast run. The waitstaff knew I had been ill for the past few days and didn't always show up as early as I usually did. I sat in before even asking for the food and drink to be delivered. I nodded to the waitress who delivered them, and she quickly wandered off to deal with the last stragglers.

  I began to eat, but soon I was eating with more gusto. I was finally able to taste properly again. It wasn't long before I finished off the bowl of porridge and bread.

  I leaned back in the wooden chair, satisfied with the tankard in my hand of watered-down ale. I took this time to scan the room. The last stragglers were being ushered out, but a few were still holding on from the breakfast crowd. A few others were floating in and out on their own business. Most seemed to be trying to avoid the heavy rain coming down outside.

  I can't blame them.

  I noticed Mica moving toward me. She quickly moved up to the table I was at and sat down across from me.

  "Good day, Hector, how are you feeling?" She asked me, looking at me in that way that only a child could. She was fast becoming a teenager, but in many ways, even amid the tavern's rough-and-tumble lifestyle, she remained relatively innocent.

  "Good day, Mica, I'm feeling much better, thank you for asking." As I spoke, I looked down at the contents of my tankard, wondering how much I had left. Turns out it was a lot, and I was thinking about ordering another tankard.

  "I was quite worried as you seem very ill. What was affecting you? Mama was afraid you were maybe contagious."

  "Fear not. No one would have contracted it. It was in effect that I had to endure after fighting the undead in the cemetery."

  The eyes went wide and bulged at that revelation. Her jaw dropped, leaving her mouth open. I instantly worried that I had actually said too much.

  "Undead!" She exclaimed very loudly, turning many heads in our direction.

  "Calm yourself, Mica," I warned her. This caused her to look around sheepishly, realising what she had done.

  "Apologies, Hector." She was earnest in her apology. I smiled at her, thinking this is why I do this. For the children like her, so they did not have to face the horrors.

  "Was it dangerous?" She asked me.

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  "Now, Mica, that is a silly question, don't you think?" I had to stop myself from chuckling.

  She opened her mouth to complain at my words, but then suddenly stopped, realising what she had asked. Usually, I didn't point out that any question asked was silly, as it was a great means to teach. I used to encourage the people I worked with to ask silly questions so they wouldn't make foolish mistakes. But some questions were just plain obvious. She realised it now.

  "You're right, that is a silly question." She admitted this, which showed a great deal of maturity for her age. "Mama keeps saying I should think before speaking, so let me try again."

  She took a few moments to collect herself before speaking.

  "How much danger were you in?" She eventually said.

  "Now that Mica Lodestone is a good question." I smiled at her. It was a good question, and I answered it honestly. "A lot. Dealing with a single one is a perilous endeavour. Going into an area where there are many undead that are active should only be performed by those trained or adventurers."

  She nodded as I spoke, as if I were imparting grave, profound wisdom. Her seriousness almost made me laugh, but I managed to hold it in.

  "I thought about becoming an adventurer." Her words surprise me. In my world, I would expect such a thing, but here, knowing the dangers, I would have thought that such streams were quickly extinguished. "I told Mama, and she thrashed me good. But I still think I want to be one."

  She looked down at the table, remembering her mother's punishment. I understood why Isabel did such a thing. Dreaming of adventures was dangerous here. The monsters were very real. I felt like I needed to say something, but I wasn't sure what, so I took my best stab at it.

  "Being an adventurer is hard and dirty work." She looked up at me, slightly confused. "Sure, people speak about the glory and the fame and the money. But what they don't talk about is the pain, the fear and the danger. Walking out there to face the monsters comes with costs that many don't even realise. Listen to me, Mica Lodestone, spend too long fighting monsters, and you risk becoming one yourself."

  I could see she didn't understand what I was saying as she was far too young, but some part of my words seemed to be taking root in her mind. Her frown grew as she processed what I had said, thinking over the words. Her mind was filled with childish dreams of glory and adventure, but I was given her a cold, hard dose of reality. Was it meant to destroy the child's dreams? Yes, but unfortunately, it is very necessary.

  Those who walked the path, the adventurers, were not exactly sane, knowing what they had to face. Many were exposed through misadventure or military service and took the path. They knew what was out there, what they had to face. Some were driven by greed, some by the need for fame, and others by vengeance. No matter the reason, we all knew where our path would take us.

  That was what had driven me to take up the cause of the adventurer. Greed. I wanted to live longer and escape the ravages of age. Helping people around the world was a bonus.

  I really did want to help them, but here and now, I was being far more honest with myself than I should be, I think.

  "Adventurers are needed, and that is a terrible thing." I continued speaking. "The armies and Watch of a nation should be enough. Individuals and groups of individuals should not be contracted to address such issues. The problem is that the monsters have taken such a toll upon the population and world that such men and women are needed now."

  "But aren't they brave going out there fighting the monsters?" She was still struggling with what I was saying and what her dreams had created.

  "In many ways, yes. But it's the reasons they go that tell you who they are."

  She fell silent again, thinking about what I just said, and then hit me with a question I half expected but still feared.

  "Then why do you do it, Hector?"

  I couldn't answer the truth. That would reveal too much identify me as a Crusader, but you also risk the System punishing me for showing too much about Earth. I noticed her mother moving up behind her. She was not aware of her. I knew she was close enough to hear what we were saying.

  "That Mica is a long story." I smile at her. "I was in a bad place. The options that life was presenting me were almost all gone. I discovered one last opportunity, but it required me to become an adventurer and risk my sanity and soul against the eldritch horrors stalking the world. I decided to have one last throw of the dice to take back control of my destiny."

  "So, you're doing this for yourself then?"

  "In many ways, yes, I am. When I chose this path in my life, I decided to do my best to help as many people as I could. Now, one man I can't do a lot, but I am doing my best." In that I was honest with her. "What you must understand, Mica, is that I know how I'm going to end in this life."

  Her eyes bulged as she said. "You know how you're going to die?"

  I chuckled slightly. "This, no, I don't. But I know it will be a hard, painful event. There is no happy ending for me, Mica Lodestone."

  Those words seemed to hit hard, and she deflated slightly before me. I was crushing her dreams, and I felt bad about it. But if I didn't do it here and now, she might end up trying to become an adventurer, and I had to look out for the girl. I wondered if she had what it took to walk that path. I might be wrong, she might have become a great adventurer who saved thousands of lives, but then she could easily just then die on her first foray, another nameless casualty in the war against the eldritch horrors.

  "Are you bothering Hector, Mica?" Came her mother's stern voice from behind. She jumped slightly like she had been electrocuted and turned around quickly.

  "No, mama, we were just talking." She quickly got up and faced her mother.

  "Well then, be on your way. And stop bothering the man." She glared at her daughter.

  Mica quickly scuttled off to do whatever chores she was meant to be doing. Isabel watched her daughter go, her face softening from stern to a mother's love and fear. A few months later, she turned back to me and then sat across in the chair her daughter had exited.

  "Thank you for that, Hector." I could see the concern on her face.

  "Don't worry, Isabel. I think I've said enough to get your daughter not to walk into the same profession I am in." I said before I finished off my tankard.

  "When she said she wanted to become an adventurer, I was so afraid." She gripped her hands tightly on the table before me. "I mean no insult, but it is not a path I want my daughter to take."

  "Fear not, Isabel. I completely understand what you are saying. To become an adventurer, you must be truly desperate or not exactly sane." I knew which one I was… I think.

  She smiled at that, knowing I was not trying to manipulate the conversation in any way. But then she became more grave.

  "Jarrod and his boys have been asking about you." She said and shifted the conversation. That I did not expect.

  "In what way?" I asked slowly. Fear shot through my chest, but I had to remain calm. I was safe for the moment.

  "Nothing too serious at the moment, but they've been asking others about your routine and what room you're staying in." She looked me straight in the eyes as she spoke. "Are you bringing danger to my door, Adventurer Hector?"

  "It is not my intention to Isabel. But when I see an injustice, I have this annoying habit of making a stand against it."

  That made her smile slightly. I see her sigh gently as she then stood up.

  "That's a rare thing here in Low Town. But we've been seeing you doing your work for the people here. We hope that you continue." As she spoke, her voice changed slightly. The Aero wound has also changed and become heavier somehow. I caught a momentary flicker of an after-image of another figure just behind her. Then it was gone, and the air returned to normal.

  Before I could say anything, she turned and walked away. What did she mean by "We"? I shivered involuntarily as I realised something else had been speaking through her just then.

  I don't want to deal with any more of that, so I retreated quickly back to my room.

  The rain outside still hadn't let up, and I didn't want to go out into it. I was going spend another day resting up. It would give me another chance to go over and clean all my equipment anyway, which would give me something to do. Tomorrow morning, I will go and get a combat shotgun and then head to the Adventurer's Guild to see what work is available.

  After locking the door, I pulled my heavy pack over to the table in the room. I began pulling out the various items and laying them on the desk. I soon filled the desk and began stacking other things on the floor within easy reach.

  I checked each item systematically and restocked the bag in priority order. All my supplies were restored, and I was ready to go on another quest at any moment. I then turned my attention to the weapons in my possession. I checked and cleaned them one by one. My increased strength allowed me to hold the war mace more comfortably. I made a few test swings from my chair, and the heavy mace swung through the air.

  "Much better," I spoke to myself.

  I put it away in my storage ring and focused on my revolver. I unloaded it and checked the weapon over. I have not used it yet, so maintenance was very minimal. As soon as I was satisfied with the cleaning, I reloaded the gun and made sure it was safely returned to the holster. I should really unload it and keep it unloaded here in the tavern, but knowing that Jarrod and his goons had been asking about me triggers my paranoia. I decided to keep the weapon loaded and within reach of my bed at all times. If something happened in the night, I would be ready.

  This left my armour. I checked it over and cleaned it again. Leaning back when I was finished, I was satisfied that my chores were done. That had taken several hours, but now I was finished. I really should think about lunch now.

  I lean back in the chair, arching over it, looking up at the ceiling. Eat in or head out? That was the question I was now dealing with. Contemplating it, I was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door.

  I got up and walked to it, unlocked it, and opened it to find one of the waitstaff. "This has just arrived for you, Hector."

  He handed me a thick envelope. My name was written on the front in elegant handwriting. I flipped it over and found a red wax seal on the back, and I recognised the sigil imprinted upon it—the Ironbreaker family crest.

  "Thank you," I said absentmindedly and closed the door, locking it again.

  I sat at the table and broke the wax seal. The same elegant handwriting dominated the page. I caught a faint smell of perfume from the page. This brought back memories I did not want to think about.

  Adventure Hector.

  Please forgive this forward method of communication, but my grandfather would greatly appreciate it if you could join us at our family estate this Sunday at 7 PM for dinner.

  He has several things he wishes to discuss with you, and we hope that you were able to attend. We understand that if you are too busy or otherwise engaged. A place will be set if you can find time in your day.

  Yours sincerely.

  Lady Morgana Ironbraker. First daughter of the honourable Ironbraker's, Wardens of the wall.

  "Damn," I whispered to myself. Well, this put me in a bit of a pickle.