5 - Emancipation

Hub

Brask and I wandered the forest, now wondering if we should have taken a different quest. “So, Sir C-rank, any idea where we should look?”

“Alas, my skills are more suited to… less tasteful ends.” Brask looked at his hand with an expression I couldn’t quite place.

“…Well, it was worth checking.” We had been meandering what felt like hours, so when I spied a particularly tall tree, I didn’t waste the opportunity. “Hold on, I’m going to see what I can see from higher up.”

In the full daylight, I could see the region more clearly. Based on the quest note, which said the forest was to the south of the village, I inferred that Millstone and the ridge over which I saw the aurora when I arrived were to the north. The grass of the great plain to the west of Millstone was uneven and marred by metal scraps protruding from the earth. In the center was a body of steaming water around the crumpled remains of some kind of giant machine. At the edge of the hot spring was a small village, with a smattering of little gray buildings. North of that, there was another forest, and in its center stood a dark stone tower. This tree wasn’t as tall as the one I climbed before, so through the gap in the southern rim, all I could see of the city by the sea were the tops of its tallest castles.

A short distance to the southeast, I saw a small hole in the treeline. The herb we were looking for was supposed to grow in clearings, though we had searched several others without much success. “There’s another clearing just that way,” I said as I stuck my landing among the brush after having carefully made my way down the trunk.

Brask kicked the soil dejectedly. “Perhaps, er, we should start back to town after this one?”

“…Yeah, good idea.” I wondered to myself whether we should have chosen some other job. Finding wild herbs so close to a town with an adventurer’s guild hall was bound to be difficult, they were probably hunted to near-extinction by now.

The trees opened up as we approached the clearing. The scene was picturesque, the sunlight filtering through the gap in the canopy to paint the vibrant flowers that dotted the grass, but the experience had grown old after the first three or four areas we checked. As had become routine, we began to sift through the patches of small wild plants. To my surprise, Brask called me over to take a look at what he had found.

“That’s it, right?” He crouched over a patch of greenery flecked with purple.

“Let’s see…” I glanced between the plant and the sketch on the quest slip. I never had a chance to learn much about botany, but the leaves had the same general edges and curl to them, and the flowers seemed to have a similar shape. “Looks right to me?” I handed the slip to Brask, and he seemed to agree.

We turned in our collection without incident and returned to the tavern. Thankfully, it was quieter this afternoon than it was last night. There was a person standing at attention next to the bar, wearing armor that bore a coat of arms and emitting an air of authority. We approached the proprietor, who regarded us with familiar contempt. “Fancy seeing you again. What’ll it be?”

“Room and dinner. Same as before.”

The man grinned - on his face, quite an unsightly expression. “Two Favors. Same as before.”

Brask clenched his fist, glancing at the guard before reluctantly opening his pouch. “Snake.”

“Thank you for your patronage.” Cruel satisfaction dripped from the barkeep’s voice.

As the sleazy man poked his head into the kitchen to relay our order, Brask and I stormed off to an empty table. “Bastard must have spent three times that to get a city guardsman to stand in here all day.”

I scoffed. “People like him get a bit of power, and they act like they own you.” I didn’t realize the double meaning until I saw Brask’s expression soften.

“That cook we met, Raaf… Do you think he’s okay, working for someone like that?”

“I doubt it.” In truth, I didn’t have to guess, after he confided in me this morning.

A boy who appeared to be in his late teens approached with our meal and our key. “H-here’s your order!”

I thanked the waiter, but he lingered at our table after setting our food down, seeming to have something on his mind. “…What’s up?”

“Nothing!” The boy spoke hurriedly. He turned and began to march away, but paused for a moment before doubling back and handing me another key.

“What-” I began to respond, but the waiter was already out of earshot. “What was that about?”

Brask eyed the key suspiciously. “I have no idea.”

After Brask left for an evening errand, I found myself alone in our room. Lying in my bed, I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding. “Fuuuck…” My exasperated groan was the first English I had spoken in days. I stretched my arm out in front of me, wiggling my clawed fingers against the backdrop of the ceiling. I guess I can count my blessings that this body is as comfortable as it is. Sure, I would have preferred to be human, but… If I’m like this, I can only assume that means my sex was a coin-flip too. In a world like this, without HRT or modern medicine, I… I shook my head. N-no. No point in imagining that.

When I was feeling raw like this in my past life, I would try to do something nice for myself, but I didn’t exactly have access to my usual options. All of my comfort foods would be way out of place here, and I certainly didn’t have any of my video games. I wonder if we could stop in the village that I saw near the hot spring with the ruined machine… I’d kill for a proper bath.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone banging on a door. I worried for a second that it was coming from the door of our room, but that worry was replaced with another when I heard the barkeep’s muffled shouting. “Raaf! You damned mutt, where the hell’s my key?”

Back on high alert, I put my ear to the wall to listen more closely. Raaf’s voice shook when he shouted back. “I… I don’t know, I swear!”

There was a moment’s pause before the barkeep seemed to realize something. “Tyler, that insolent..!” I heard receding footsteps as he bellowed. “When I get in there, I’ll make you regret turning my own flesh and blood against me!”

I grabbed my things and peered through the door, waiting until I was sure the boss was gone before rushing to Raaf’s room. From my pouch, I grabbed the key that the waiter gave me and fumbled for a moment before sliding it into the keyhole. I heard shuffling come from behind the door when I turned the lock. When I entered, the room was in disarray, and in the center I saw Raaf with a black eye, clumsily brandishing a kitchen knife.

“Stay back! I’ll…” The wild look on his face faded into recognition. “Lily? How did you..? No, there’s no time to talk! He’ll suspect you next, we need to go before he gets back!”

Raaf pulled me into the hallway and, before I could ask what the plan was, jumped out the window into the alleyway behind the tavern, landing with a somersault. “Raaf, what the-?”

I hesitated, frantically searching for a less terrifying way - I couldn’t climb down the brick wall, there wasn’t anything to step - but when I heard the proprietor’s voice from downstairs, I was spurred into action. I gripped the sill as best I could, hoisted myself through the window, and dangled for a moment before letting go and landing roughly on the shabby paving stones.

Raaf helped me to my feet, a glimmer of a smile on his face despite the gravity of the situation. “You have to be the clumsiest cat I’ve ever met.”

Raaf and I loitered near the entrance to the tavern as the last of the sun’s light fell away. I had lent him my hood to conceal his identity somewhat while we waited for Brask and eavesdropped on the boss’s tirade. I felt for Tyler, the boss’s son, but from what I could hear, he seemed to be wearing down his father’s certainty of his guilt. Hopefully he’ll be able to find his own way out soon.

“Lily… Brask’s a good person, right? He hasn’t done anything that gave you pause?”

“No, he’s seemed perfectly kind so far. We split today’s pay evenly, he hasn’t tried to make me feel like I owe him anything.”

“That’s good. I’m still wary, but given what just happened… I can’t stay here anymore, and I don’t really have anywhere else to go. Do you think it would work out, if I were to travel with you?”

“Oh, uh… Sure, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

“It’s just… I wouldn’t want to be a burden. I don’t know anything about fighting or adventuring, and I’m not strong or smart…”

“Raaf… You act as if I’m much better at any of that.” I put my hand on his shoulder and smile. “I think you’re an excellent person, and that more than justifies your coming with.” With a smirk, I added, “Though, I’d be lying if I said your cooking wasn’t a contributing factor.”

Raaf smiled sadly, but my eye was drawn by a familiar head of red hair approaching the tavern. I pulled his arm to get his attention, pressing my finger to my lips, and gestured for him to follow me.

We were near the cart outside the gates, and Raaf was explaining his situation to Brask and I. He left parts out that he had trusted me with this morning, but I didn’t blame him for playing his cards close to his chest after how his last relationship with a human went.

“…So, since I’m not able to stay here anymore, I’d like to join you, if it’s not too much of a bother.”

Brask grinned widely. “But of course! Anything for a friend in need. You’ve already confirmed with Lily, I suspect?” he looked toward me, and I nodded in response. “Then I’m happy to welcome you into our merry band!” Brask pulled us both into a hug, lifting us off the ground and eliciting a surprised yelp from Raaf.

After Brask set us down, I brought up the elephant in the room. “So… Where are we sleeping now?”

“Why, under the stars, of course! Where else to spend the first night of a legend in the making?” Brask hoisted himself onto the cart and tossed us each a bedroll. Privately, I wondered how long it would take him to give up on the heroic act with Raaf like he had with me - it definitely got old fast.