“One iron ring.”

  My response is immediate. I want to eat at a decent place, so I have to have decent clothes.

  “That’s more than I expected you to have, boy. But as I said before, I won’t pry. That’ll get you something presentable, at the very least. What colors?”

  I pause, not having thought about it much. My answer takes both my personal preferences and the functional aspect as it relates to my style of fighting into account.

  “Black, while any embellishments I can afford should be dark blue.”

  “Good. Smart. Those are cheap dyes, so they won’t cut into your budget too harshly. I can get you a full outfit from this, but it won’t be ready until tomorrow. If you prove that you’ve got the ring, you won’t have to pay until then.”

  “What comes in a full outfit?”

  “That type of thinking will take you places, kid. Always know what you’re buying. That’s not-so-common common sense. The full package includes a cloak, a shirt, pants, a few sets of underclothes, and a pair of boots. I’m no cobbler, so I can’t promise a perfect fit for the footwear. My cousin sends them over in various sizes. I got the measure of your feet, so it should be good enough. Still interested?”

  I try to keep my face neutral as the list keeps going, my excitement building as I hear more. Not sure if I succeed, but the old lady doesn’t seem to notice. If she does, she doesn’t say anything. As she looks at me with expectation written clearly on her face, I summon my ring string.

  “Y-yeah. That’s perfect.”

  When she sees the cord, she quickly pushes my hand closer to me. Her voice is quiet and serious when she next speaks.

  “That’s proof enough, child. Show this to no one else, you hear. Not until you can protect it. Come back tomorrow. It’ll all be ready then.”

  She gives me a warm smile as she walks with me to the door. Once I’m outside, I look around in search of Delilah. Not seeing her, I shrug and start walking. My thoughts drift toward the reason why I wanted to buy the outfit in the first place.

  Guess we’ll be eating tomorrow.

  “Father, that lady seemed mean at first, then nice after. Why did she do that?”

  Koa’s question is a surprise, but an understandable one.

  “She’s a person, Koa, and most people judge other people based on their wealth. That’s okay, though. She didn’t seem that bad. That looked like genuine concern for me at the end of the conversation.”

  “Okay, Father! I don’t really understand, but that’s okay!”

  Koa’s innocence never fails to bring a smile to my face. Until I remember that in every fight, she devolves into a battle-crazed maniac. But let’s not think about that.

  …

  Back in the shack, I try to relax. That’s not very easy, but I manage to accomplish it somehow. Delilah didn’t show back up until I was close to my destination. Now, she’s curled up on my chest as I gently stroke her back.

  “I’m thinking about becoming a mercenary. Joining the war. That will allow me to gain strength before coming back to finish up my business here. That fact alone makes it worth it. What do you think?”

  “I think, Human, that you can do whatever pleases you. No matter your decision, I will still be right by your side. Not by choice, mind you!”

  The feelings I get from our bond prove that the last part of her statement is not entirely accurate. So I choose to ignore it.

  “That’s sweet, Delilah. Koa, what do you think about going to war?”

  My dagger’s confusion and curiosity come across our link, her next question full of innocent wonderment.

  “What’s war, Father?”

  Oh, yeah. That’s probably a new concept for her. I don’t have much experience or knowledge about the subject, so it makes sense that what little I do know slipped her mind. I can’t expect her to remember every little piece of info I shared with her.

  I hesitate to respond as I try to figure out how to word my answer.

  “It’s… Hm… It’s where we go to kill bad people who want to hurt us.”

  Her curiosity increases as her interest piques.

  “Are there a lot of bad people there, Father?”

  Now that my caravan of thought has a direction to travel, my next answer comes easily.

  “Yep, lots and lots of bad people to kill.”

  Immediately, a flood of excitement bombards my brain as a feeling of jumping with joy comes through the bond.

  “Yay! I want to go to war, Father! I want to go to war!”

  I chuckle at her extremely morbid enthusiasm, not wanting to address the fact that my knife-daughter is an absolute lunatic. It’s endearing. Yeah, we’ll go with that.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll go to war. Soon. I think that after we go pick up my outfit and get a bite to eat, I’ll go find out where I can sign up.”

  …

  Ignoring my daily task requirement, I immediately leave the slums to retrieve my new clothes. As we walk, I chat with Delilah and Koa about what we want to eat today. We decided on roast fowl and vegetables. Simple, but better than anything I’ve ever eaten. At least since I lost my parents.

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  Walking into the tailor shop, the little bell above the door jingles, announcing my arrival. The old lady ambles her way out of a back room, face brightening upon seeing me.

  “Wasn’t sure if you’d be back. Your outfit is ready, It’s waiting for you in the first changing room, so just head on in.”

  The outfit is hanging on a hook at the back of the small closet for getting dressed, looking absolutely stunning, even before I’ve put it on. The black is accented with blue along every seam and edge. There is a cloth belt that is a wide blue stripe through the center, with smaller black stripes on the edges.

  The shirt is a dark blue, close to black. While it’s not what I asked for, I do have to admit that the offset shade makes it look a lot better than it would have had it all been black. The cloak, sturdy and warm, has a hood with an attachment that seems to cover the bottom half of the face.

  Wow… this… just wow… It's beautiful. More than I had ever imagined.

  I gawk for several minutes , inspecting it from every angle until I remember that I need to put it on. I hesitate, feeling the gravity of this moment. A new outfit might not mean much to many people, but it signifies a step into a whole new world for me.

  When I step out, clothes fully donned, I can’t help but to rush out to thank the tailor.

  “This… this is awesome! More than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you!”

  She looks at me with a hint of amusement twinkling in her eyes. She is clearly pleased by my praise, but her tone is casual and politely dismissive.

  “Psh, this? This is nothing, kid. Middling at best. Once you get some real rings on your cord, you’ll understand. If you like it, you can pay me.”

  Doing just that, I shake my head in disagreement. When I hand her the payment, I also throw in two tin rings.

  I can’t believe she calls this middling! This is the best outfit I can imagine buying for a single iron ring!

  “I am going to treasure this outfit for the rest of my life.”

  The conviction in my voice must have won her over, because her whole posture relaxes, tension melting away.

  “Well, I’m glad you like it. It’s always nice to see someone appreciate my work. You are a good child.”

  Her smile is warm as she looks me up and down, clearly intending to inspect her handiwork.

  “Go on then, give us a twirl! We can’t judge an outfit based on one side alone. And try out the hood. Custom work, that. Figured you were the type that might need it.”

  I chuckle as I roll my eyes while I twirl, as she so kindly asked me to do.

  I don’t know why she seems to think I’m up to no good…

  “Because you are, Human.”

  “Stop reading my mind. It’s creepy.”

  Putting the matter of the cat out of my thoughts, I focus on the old woman again.

  “You look pretty good, if I do say so myself. And I do. Alright child, this is the point where you get out of my shop so that I can work.”

  Flustered, I don a sheepish look, not expecting such a direct dismissal.

  “Oh! Uh… yeah! Sorry! See you around, then.”

  Once again she smiles warmly, making my anxiety calm a bit.

  “Just stay safe out there. Wouldn’t want to see your new outfit get ruined.”

  …

  I walked into the shop a street urchin in barely better than rags. I’m walking out of it a well-to-do commoner.

  “I look like a merchant’s son or something. This cloak is great to combat the spring chill, too!”

  I can’t hide my elation as I stroll down the street with some pep in my step.

  “You look like you’re up to no good, human. With an admittedly fine fashion sense.”

  Rolling my mental eyes at the cat, I latch onto what I consider to be the important part of her comment and grin.

  “I think that’s the first compliment you’ve ever given me.”

  I chuckle at my own jibe, finding solace in the mundanity of it all.

  At least it helps me briefly take my mind off of yesterday’s trouble.

  “That is incorrect, Human. I’ve complimented you before.”

  Wrested from my thoughts by the cat, I bark a single laugh.

  “Ha! When? I don’t remember that at all.”

  She bristles her fur while pointedly looking away from me, radiating false indignation.

  “I need not explain myself to you, Human. Weren’t you going to find somewhere to eat and then go sign your soul away to the Mercenary Guild?”

  I knowingly bite into her misdirection, letting the subject change.

  “Yes. Yes I was indeed going to do that. Let’s go get some roast fowl.”

  …

  The tavern we choose to eat at is clean, tidy, and has a nice atmosphere. An all-around cozy place to eat and relax. The young barmaid comes to our table, barely glancing at Delilah, who is curled up on one of the chairs beside me. She smiles happily, seeming to actually enjoy her occupation.

  “What will you be having today, sir?”

  “Roast fowl, if you have it. With vegetables, please. Watered wine for me, and milk for the cat as well, please.”

  The girl beams another bright smile while nodding her head eagerly.

  “Of course! We’ll have that out to you in just a few minutes!”

  I idly pet my beautiful cat, daydreaming for a bit while waiting for the food. True to her word, the girl brings it to us not long after she walks away. The dish is the perfect size for the two of us. I start with the veggies, which melt like butter as soon as they reach my mouth. The experience is the most amazing thing that I have memory of eating.

  The fowl is even better. After washing down the vegetables with the watered wine, I take a generous portion of it and begin to eat. When the flavor hits my mouth, however, I lose the ability to control my thoughts. A flood of memories of dinners with my family destroys any chance of regaining it soon. The boisterous, jovial laughter of my father, the endless looks of compassion from my mother.

  This stream of nostalgia turns bittersweet as it mutates into scenes of their deaths, painted vividly in my mind. The pain, no, the anguish is unbearable, causing me to lose my appetite.

  “I’m done eating. Let’s go pay the bill.”