The following morning, back at the inn, Flora was the first of the group to awake, as was often the case. She stirred from her rest and slowly turned around in the bed to check the other side. Tasha was soundly asleep next to her. Flora gingerly slipped out from under the blankets to avoid waking her and began her day. She washed up, changed out of her pajamas and checked her equipment.

  Tasha woke up as Flora was in the midst of quietly examining her bowstring. The two girls exchanged morning pleasantries as Tasha also got up to start her day. After putting on her clothes over her undershirt and shorts, Flora helped Tasha put on her armour. Of course, Tasha could have done it by herself, but she didn’t want to refuse the offer to help and by this point, the three of them (Braith included) had helped one another put on their armour many times. It was something akin to a convenient bonding habit by now.

  After Tasha geared up, the two of them left their room together and Tasha knocked on the door to Braith’s room. No response. Tasha knocked again and called out to her father. Still nothing.

  “Is he really still just asleep?” Tasha asked Flora, her voice containing a mix of both curiosity and concern.

  “Um, do you remember exactly how much he had to drink yesterday?” Flora asked in response.

  “Hmmm, I think he had six mugs of that cider. Oh, and one glass of…lemonade.” Flora noted the slight pause Tasha made at the end, but she didn’t know why.

  “Um, did the lemonade also have alcohol?”

  “Uh, I don’t know. Probably not? I drank a glass of it as well. Uh, I mean, is there some way I can tell?”

  “Um, did you feel any different after drinking it?” Tasha’s face showed some discomfort at the question.

  “It was really sour.” Tasha stared off for a couple seconds. “Is alcohol sour?”

  “Um, no, it isn’t. Um, I mean, I don’t think so… I’ve never drunk any of it before, so… but, no, I’ve never heard that it tastes sour.” Flora’s hands moved around wildly as she gave her uncertain response.

  “But, you know what it is?” Tasha asked directly. She was used to her flailings by now and knew that they were not always an indication of ignorance on a matter.

  “Yes, I do. Um, I mean, I’ve heard about it. But, um… I guess someone else would know about it better.”

  “Someone like Pascal, you mean?” Tasha asked. Flora wordlessly opened her mouth before nodding. Tasha narrowed her eyes slightly. “Pascal said that dad collapsed because he drank too much alcohol. But, he also said he should be fine by tomorrow and that it wasn’t poison.”

  “Um, yes, that sounds about right.” Tasha did not seem entirely satisfied with Flora’s confirmation. “I think that’s right. I don't think Mr. Braith was poisoned or drugged with anything. Um, well, excluding alcohol…” Tasha’s eyes lit up a bit, her mind clearly latching onto the last few words.

  “So, alcohol is something bad! Dad taught me about so many things, but he never mentioned that to me before. Is someone tricking us?” Tasha then banged on the door again. Flora grabbed both of Tasha’s wrists from behind, apparently attempting to restrain her lest she consider breaking down the door altogether.

  “No, no, it’s not like that, Tasha! I mean, um, what I mean is, this is- this is normal, I mean, it’s not unusual. Um, don’t you remember? I checked him when you came back last night. I even used my magic, and I didn’t notice anything like poison.”

  “Could it be something else?! I have never seen dad stumble around like that before, not even before he got that guardian spirit power.” Rather than simply breaking free, Tasha awkwardly tried to crane her neck around to face Flora who was still holding onto her from behind.

  “Yes! I mean- um, it should be fine. I- I don’t know how it looked to you, but that’s just something that can happen when you drink too much of it.”

  “And people just drink it? Why? Why would they do that to themselves?” Tasha was incredulous at such an unbelievable norm.

  “Um, there’s a lot of reasons, but, um, I guess they just like it. Most of them anyways.” Still unconvinced, Tasha decided to finally break free from Flora’s grip, which was not very difficult at all. Her body failing her, Flora decided to pacify Tasha one last time with words. “Even my grandpa drinks alcohol!” This was finally enough to cause Tasha to freeze. After a few seconds, Tasha turned around to look at Flora.

  “Really?” she asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

  “Yes! Um, well, very rarely, but yes. Once a year.” Tasha had only known Hiram for a few days, but those interactions were enough for Tasha to build up a fairly high opinion of him that was only built up further from later testimonials from Flora.

  “Why?” Tasha asked out of genuine curiosity.

  “Um… it’s… grandpa, he said adults drink it to put themselves in a better mood.” Tasha blinked a couple times as she processed the response.

  “Adults?”

  “Um, yeah… grandpa said only adults should drink it. Um… he says it’s bad for children.” That comment surprised Tasha. “Um, well, he says it’s not that good for adults either.” This surprised Tasha further. “Anyways, he told me about the sort of stuff that happens when you drink too much of it, and it matches with what happened with Mr. Braith. But, it’s only temporary.” Tasha silently continued to log and analyze all of this new information. “Mr. Braith might not wake up soon, but he should be fine later today. Um, that’s how it always was for grandpa.”

  “...Your grandpa told you all of this?”

  “Yes,” Flora responded immediately with a reassuring nod.

  “...If he knows all of this… and he says it’s not good for you… why does he still drink it?”

  “Um, like I said, it’s something that makes adults feel better.”

  “So, it heals them?” Tasha asked, trying to make sense of this fact.

  “No… it’s only how they feel… um, it cheers them up a bit. Um… helps them forget some sad things…” Flora’s voice started to falter as she recalled when her grandfather told her these things.

  “... I don’t think you should drink it, even after you grow up, Flora.”

  “Huh?” Flora was taken aback by Tasha’s unexpected words. But, she was even more taken aback by Tasha’s sudden hug. “W- what?”

  “Cheer up, Flora,” Tasha spoke in her usual vibrant voice. “If you are sure there’s nothing to worry about, then I’ll believe you.” Tasha ended the hug and then held Flora by the hand. “Let’s go eat for now.”

  **************************************************************

  I woke up feeling groggy and hungry. I reached for my head to massage away the pounding pain in my head, and as I did, I realized I was on the floor, with my blanket half draped over me. I blinked a few times, got a bit dizzy, groaned as I closed my eyes, and then slowly opened them again. Still holding onto the side of my head, I slowly turned my head around to confirm that I was at least in my room at the inn. The curtains were drawn over the window, so there was barely enough light coming through to know for sure, but it seemed like I was in the right place.

  I tried to get up, but apparently I went up too quickly and got dizzy again, causing my knees to buckle. I fell onto my hands and knees, and I felt a very uncomfortable sensation in my throat. I just stayed in place for a moment until the retching sensation went away. I slowly breathed a sigh of relief as I slowly got up, my headache feeling just the tiniest bit better as well. As I got onto my feet, I finally realized I was still fully clothed, although my armour was taken off. I went over to the curtains to let in some light to help me locate it, but I regretted it instantly. The sudden flash of light blinded me instantly and I stumbled. I tried to grab onto something to stop myself from falling completely, but my body ended up spinning around more than I expected and I got too dizzy to keep myself on my feet. I fell hard onto the floor, which thankfully, at least overrode the feeling of wanting to throw up. I groaned much louder this time as I finally started to try to recall how I ended up like this.

  Yesterday was mostly a blur, but I did remember going to the bar with Tasha. But, I don’t remember getting drunk. All I did was drink lemonade and apple cider. A lot of apple cider, if I recall correctly. Although… no, I would feel like even more of an idiot to vocalize that thought, even if it’s only in my own head. I slowly got back onto my feet and went over to the curtain again, carefully avoiding the light that was seeping through. Come to think of it, was this even natural light? Maybe it was nighttime, and this was light coming from those lights on the pillars holding up the massive platform over the center of Deimos. Honestly, what even is that? I’ve been curious about it the whole time, but with the way all the residents seem to just completely ignore it as if it’s the most normal thing ever, I didn’t want to just directly ask about it. This would have been an instance in which I would have been very glad for Tasha to ask Pascal about it, but for some reason she hasn’t. Am I the crazy one for thinking how completely out of place this seemed to be?

  My headache eased up a bit more as I continued ranting in my own head. Finally, I drew the curtains back slowly and let the light pour into the room. Okay, good, even with my unsteady vision, I could see that this was my room, and I could also see my armour in a heap in the corner. My stomach growled as my tension lowered. I made my way towards the door to my room to get something to eat, but as I did, my head started to hurt more again, as if my increased movement was putting pressure behind my eyes. After pausing again for the pain to die down a bit again, I slowly left my room. As I did, I saw both Tasha and Flora waiting right outside.

  “Mr. Braith, are you alright? I thought I heard something coming from your room.” I wanted to reassure Flora that I was alright, but my headache flared up again at that moment and I let out a pained groan. Flora quickly moved in closer to check on me and placed one hand on my forehead. “Is something wrong?” I knew she was hardly raising her voice, but my hearing was sensitive enough for me to reflexively try to cover my ears as I groaned. I could see the concern in Flora’s face, but I could only assume it was so for Tasha as well, with my peripheral vision too blurry to make her out clearly.

  “It’s fine, just a headache. And please, not so loud.”

  “Do you feel pain anywhere else?” Flora asked, speaking at less than half the previous volume.

  “No. Just that. Hungry too.” I found myself speaking very shortly, as speaking too long was also making me feel uncomfortable.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “Oh, come to our room. We had barely started eating. Oh, I will go ask for more food, too.” Flora let go of my head and turned around, but then turned back around. “Um, is that alright with you?” Why are you asking me that?

  “Just go, Flora,” Tasha answered on my behalf. Flora still hesitated for a second before turning around once more to head downstairs.

  I put one hand against the wall and started to walk over towards their room. Tasha walked in front of me and gave me a dubious look.

  “Flora and Pascal both say you drank too much alcohol.” I continued to move forward and Tasha backed up as I did. “Did you?” She asked me in what I assumed was a judging tone.

  “... I guess I did.” I made my way to the opened door to the other room. Tasha went next to me and offered me her arm. After a moment of consideration, I decided to take it. She helped me to the table in their room where a few plates of food and a couple glasses of water were already waiting. She helped me to my seat and then sat next to me.

  “Why?” Tasha’s question was simple, yet complicated.

  “What do you mean?” I asked for clarification as I reached for one of the glasses. “Can I drink from this one?” Tasha looked at me a bit dubiously, perhaps thinking I was trying to change the subject.

  “You can drink it. It’s safe.” I thought I heard her emphasize the last statement. “Did you want to drink that much yesterday?” I picked up the glass and took a few sips. It was definitely water, but man, it tasted way better than usual. I guess I was also a lot thirstier than I thought.

  “...No,” I finally answered after several sips. I could see Tasha harden her gaze.

  “Did that mercenary trick you somehow?” I could hear how seriously Tasha was taking this, which only made me feel more embarrassed about the fact of the matter.

  “...No,” I answered simply after drinking some more. I set the glass down and started to pick out some of the food to eat. I think I should start with fruits.

  “Why did you drink so much, then?” Tasha was clearly not satisfied with my response. Even in normal situations, I wouldn’t really want to get into all the details, but I was even more reluctant with my body feeling the way it did right now.

  “...It just happened. Don’t worry about it.” I started to chew on an apple slice. It’s nice that this one was already cut up. Did Flora do that? Tasha silently waited for me to finish eating my apple slice before speaking again.

  “Were you in a bad mood?” I paused for a second, confused by the change in questioning.

  “No… why would you ask that?” Tasha looked away briefly before responding.

  “I- I heard from Flora. She said adults drink alcohol to feel better.” She quickly glanced back at me before looking away again. “I thought… maybe you were really upset about how I was acting. Maybe you drank so much so that you could go along with what I wanted.” My initial embarrassment in the situation instantly turned into shame.

  “No, that’s not it at all!” I stopped to grimace, as my own raised voice was causing me pain. “I- listen, I just messed up. I didn’t know there was alcohol in the cider. But… that guy wasn’t tricking me either.” I couldn’t even recall his name quickly enough as my head was still hurting and my memories were still hazy. “I just assumed it was regular apple cider.” From Tasha’s expression, I could tell she didn’t fully believe my explanation. “I’m serious, Tasha. That’s all. I wasn’t so mad at you that I wanted to get drunk.” Would it have been possible to avoid this situation if I taught Tasha about alcohol? A useless thought to be having right now.

  “...Really?” Tasha asked, a heavy bit of doubt still in her voice.

  “Really.”

  “Really?” Tasha’s repeated question had much less doubt and held a bit of relief.

  “Really!” I repeated emphatically.

  “Does that mean… you were happy to be there with me?”

  “Of course,” I answered instantly. Tasha smiled at me, and in a much cuter way than usual. It looked different from the smiles I saw so much more often after being embroiled in so much fighting, violence and drama. Not that I think any less of her as I did before. It’s just… it’s just nice.

  “That’s great!” Tasha suddenly got up from her seat excitedly as I grimaced at her loud voice. “Oh! Uh, sorry.” Tasha started to whisper now.

  “It’s fine,” I said happily.

  “Oh, but that really is great!” She whispered with jubilance. “I am so happy that we don’t have to keep pretending we’re weak.” Wait, what? “Oh, it was so much fun yesterday, getting to fight all those people yesterday.” Huh? “It was nice having you cheer me on the whole time, too!” Wait, hold up. “Oh, and then that loser Andal and his friends showed up.” And then?! “And you beat them all up! Ah… but then you tripped over yourself and fell down after that.”

  “... Is that so?” I barely squeaked out, having zero recollection of any of those events.

  “But, that’s okay. Just don’t drink any alcohol next time.” Tasha went right up next to me and put her hands on my shoulders reassuringly. “I’m really looking forward to next time!” Her eyes seemed to be intensely sparkling as they locked with mine.

  “... Tasha-”

  “I’ve brought more food,” Flora interrupted me as she entered the room.

  “Tasha-”

  “You’re back, Flora! Oh, dad just explained what happened yesterday. You were right, everything’s fine.”

  “Oh, that’s great,” Flora said as she carried a tray with more food over.

  “Tasha-”

  “Flora, how come they didn’t send someone up this time?”

  “Oh, um, they seemed really busy and it’s only for one person, so I thought it was fine to just bring it up myself. Um, it’s fine, they didn’t make me, I offered to do it.”

  “Well, okay then.”

  “Tasha-”

  “Oh, Flora, you should come with us next time. It’ll be fun. Oh, there’s a kid there too that you can meet.”

  “Oh, um, I don’t know about that…” Flora responded hesitantly as she set down the tray on the table.

  “You don’t think you’d like Whitney?”

  “Oh, no, I’m sure this Whitney is a good child if you like them. I meant, um, I don’t know about me going to a place like that.”

  “Don’t be like that, Flora. Dad, tell her how much fun it was.” Tasha finally looked directly at me again and gave me the opportunity to speak.

  “Tasha-” I was interrupted yet again, but this time by my own stomach loudly growling.

  “Oh, you have to eat up first!” I looked down at the food and then back at Tasha who was positively radiating joy.

  “That’s right, let’s all eat first,” Flora chimed in, clearly wanting to end the current topic. When I didn’t answer right away, the two girls started to look a bit uneasy.

  “Sorry, I’m just so hungry right now. Couldn’t think for a second.” I smiled at them and resumed eating. I’ll deal with my problems later.

  After eating, I was still feeling very tired, and since I didn’t have anything planned that day, I decided to take a nap. I think I was asleep for about a couple hours, and after waking up, I felt much better. I washed up and put on all of my gear, but right as I left my room, I saw Pascal walking down the hallway.

  “Mister Braith, how are you feeling?” He asked while giving a quick wave. I took a second to think about my answer.

  “Okay, I guess. Uh, I didn’t… cause any problems yesterday, did I?”

  “Oh, no, no problems. I believe that establishment is very used to such actions by their patrons.”

  “Okay then.” I looked around the hallway, but it was just the two of us. Are Tasha and Flora in their room right now, or did they go somewhere else?

  “Mister Braith, I have come today to relay some important information.” I turned to face him again. “We have completed our preliminary investigations, and we have determined that your report is credible.” Pascal then gave a small bow. “Please accept my apologies on behalf of the Merchants’ Guild for restricting your movements thus far. We will reimburse you for your incurred expenses and we will also compensate you for each day you have been in Deimos. A full accounting will be done by the end of the day, and should you so desire, your rooms and all other amenities of the inn will still be freely available to you for the next five days.” My expression went from dumbfounded to mild relief. Yeah, of course this is what I’ve been wanting this whole time. I don’t want to just waste my time here. However, I still didn’t feel as happy as I expected to from hearing the good news. Why is that?

  “I see. Well, okay then.” I didn’t really feel like standing around any longer and started to walk away to look for Tasha and Flora.

  “Wait, Mister Braith, I have more news.” I stopped and narrowed my eyes at him slightly.

  “It isn’t anything bad,” Pascal hurriedly spoke. “The Merchants’ Guild has sent an open commission to the Mercenaries’ Guild in order to hunt down the culprits behind Dennis’ murder.” My gaze hardened as I felt a jolt go through my brain. Of course! This is what I was forgetting! Am I still dazed from all of that alcohol after all?

  “Do you need my help?” My tone was more akin to a demand than a suggestion.

  “No, you do not need to participate in the commission.” I felt somewhat slighted by the instant rejection. “However, when we sent our commission to the Mercenaries’ Guild, their guildmaster, Milo Varis, made a specific request to see you personally.” I cocked an eyebrow at him. “To be clear, you are not being forced to participate in the commission. In fact, you do not even need to meet with him. Just tell me so, and I will relay your message to him.” I brought a hand under my chin and thought for a couple seconds.

  “Are you saying that it would be better that I don’t meet him?” Pascal shifted his body slightly, but his expression remained neutral.

  “No, whether you wish to meet him or not is completely up to you. The reason I bring this up with you is only out of respect for the relationship between our two guilds.” I stared at Pascal to see if I could get a better read on his intentions. I failed to do so.

  “Did he mention why he wanted to meet with me?”

  “Not specifically, but he assured us it would have nothing to do with you participating in the commission.” I didn’t like that Pascal kept bringing this up.

  “What if I do want to participate in the commission?”

  “It is a completely open commission, so you could participate. However, you may not be paid as much since you are not a member of the Mercenaries' Guild.”

  “I don’t really care about the money.”

  “Then, you may participate after providing notice to the Mercenaries’ Guild.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “You just need to go to the guildhouse and let them know.”

  “Well, in that case, I might as well meet with this Milo Varis.” Pascal was motionless and silent for a moment before responding.

  “Understood. When do you wish to meet with him?”

  “Now is fine.”

  “Understood. I will arrange a carriage for you.” Pascal’s expression remained the same, but I thought he exhaled out of his nose a bit harder than usual before speaking.

  Pascal called a carriage for me and it took me to the guildhouse of the Mercenaries’ Guild, which, surprisingly, was only a few blocks away from Blake’s Bar. I stepped into a similar, dirtied and ashened environment as yesterday, or at least, I expected to. It was by no means anywhere as clean as the shopping district, but the buildings around here at least looked like they were cleaned some time in the past year, despite the similar grey air. In particular, the guildhouse looked like it was maintained at least somewhat regularly. It was a large, two-storey building with large windows across its front on the first floor. As I walked closer, although the glass was flecked with bits of ash or soot from the regular pollution outside, I could also clearly see it was wiped down recently. Peering through the glass, I could see many chairs and tables on the inside. Save for the fighting pit, it didn’t look all too different from Blake’s or the bar from Rettif.

  I entered the guildhouse, and despite having already taken a look from outside, I was still surprised to see how empty it was inside. There were at least a couple dozen tables, but there was only a single table that had a person sitting down. Well, not that I planned to speak with random mercenaries anyways. I walked over towards the large counter in the guildhouse where I saw two women. One had red hair and the other had blonde hair, and they were each wearing a vest over a white blouse and black pants. As I walked over, I noticed that posted all along the front of the counter and on the wall behind the counter, were many sheets of paper. As I got to the counter, I could see that these sheets of paper along the counter were bounty posters.

  “Hey, what are you here for?” the redhead among the two asked in a somewhat abrasive voice. I was a bit taken aback by the lack of professionalism from whom I presumed was a receptionist, but I quickly got over it. I shouldn’t be comparing them to the Merchants’ Guild.

  “I’m here to see the guildmaster.” I could hear the blonde woman in the back audibly scoff. “He requested to meet with me,” I continued. The two of them clearly doubted me.

  “And who are you?” the redhead asked.

  “My name is Braith.” The two receptionists looked at me incredulously.

  “I’ve never heard of that name before,” said the redhead.

  “Yeah, I get that a lot.” The redhead seemed confused by my reflexive response.

  “If you want to get a meeting with the guildmaster, you could at least pretend to be someone notable.” It was the blonde one speaking this time with a somewhat exasperated tone.

  “Alright, if he’s not here right now, then just tell me when he’ll be back. He’s the one who wanted me to see him.” I was not enjoying the reception, but I felt I should just be calm and mature about this. However, the two of them clearly did not seem any more motivated to assist me.

  “Listen, Braith,” the redhead began, putting clear emphasis on my name while the blonde one gave a short laugh, “I get that you probably think you’re real special.” I could see the redhead looking me up and down, analyzing my equipment. “But, the guildmaster doesn’t have the time to meet with every mercenary and bounty hunter.” Okay, I can understand where they are coming from. There clearly must have been many people in the past that came to bother them for all sorts of reasons, but I wasn’t any less annoyed.

  “Again, it was your guildmaster who wanted to meet with me. I got the message from Pascal.”

  “Pascal? Zalae’s guy?” the redhead asked. “That’s who you are pretending you know?”

  “I am not pretending,” I said, finally putting some seriousness into my voice. “Pascal told me that when he made the open commission for Dennis’ murderers, your guildmaster specifically asked to meet with me.” I could tell from the redhead’s face that she was finally starting to believe me. The blonde one, however, still remained skeptical.

  “Where’d you hear about all of that? Have you been stalking around here?” the blonde one asked in a clearly accusatory tone.

  “Just tell your guildmaster that Braith is here to meet with him. I will wait right here. And, if I don’t hear anything back from you in the next five minutes, I’ll just leave and I won’t bother coming back again.” The blonde woman glared at me but the redhead seemed to take my words seriously. Although, to be honest, I was not sure if I would follow through. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth to just let the matter with Dennis end without proper closure.

  “I’ll go and check,” the redhead said before turning away from me to walk towards a doorway behind the counter.

  “Shirley, you don’t actually believe this guy, do you?” the blonde asked.

  “I’m just going to check.” Shirley paused for a second. “Keep an eye on him.” Then, she left. The blonde one proceeded to glare at me. I ignored her and just started looking at the bounty posters posted outside the counter. They all had roughly similar designs. Most of them had WANTED printed in bold font at the top, a sketch of the person in the center, the bounty amount in bold font underneath the sketch, and then details about the person and their crimes below that.

  In my peripheral vision, I could still see the blonde woman continue to glare at me, so I just continued to ignore and started to read some of the bounty posters. In particular, I paid attention to the bounty amounts. Most of them seemed to range between 10 to 50 silver, which I had some difficulty determining whether or not that was a good amount. 50 silver was around the amount the average labourer earned in two and a half years. Was that worth it for effort and risk in tracking down and capturing a criminal who… let’s see, committed assault, robbery, and murder? Hmmm, I feel like it could use some more context.

  Still feeling the blonde woman’s gaze, I kept reading more bounties. 20 SILVER. 25 SILVER. 40 SILVER. 50 SILVER. Wait. I blinked and then read it again. 50 GOLD (100 GOLD, ALIVE). Wow, what the heck did this guy do? I started to read underneath the bounty amount to see the person’s crimes. Trespassing, assault, destruction of property, terrorism, inciting revolt, kidnapping, and attempted regicide. Okay, that bounty amount is starting to make a lot more sense. Let’s see… issued by the Nature Clan… What’s this guy’s name? Master Wraith. That’s a weird name. Have I ever heard of a name like that before? An alias, perhaps? Hmmm… wait… oh no…