I feel like shit.
This table is the second worst pillow I've ever had.
It felt so soft when we finished drinking last night.
Everyone heard how 'cool' I was, and how 'tough' I looked saving Lirien.
Ugh… I should have turned them down when they made it a drinking contest.
Groaning and creaking when I sit up, the world still has a little wiggle to it.
Ferra is snoring next to me, still clutching her mug.
Looks like Lirien did come back — left some blankets for us.
Guess we shook them onto the floor while sleeping.
The light through the windows hurts my eyes when I check out the room.
Everyone else went home at some point. Oh well.
When I yawn there is a little clatter from the back of the building.
A blurry Lyria pokes her head through one of the back doors.
"Oh! You're awake! One second—one second!
I-I'll get you both some water.
It's still early for us to have customers, but then again, we don't usually have overnight guests. Ha!"
Her endless energy attacks my hangover.
I put my head down and give her a thumbs up.
She slams the door and my brain shakes in my skull.
Waking up next to one woman while another makes me breakfast.
Most men would wish for my luck…
They can have it.
Lyria hops back through the door and makes her way over to us with a couple cups of water.
She's not a big girl, but god her shoes sound heavy today.
Ferra groans and turns her head to look at me on the table.
"Heh… haha… was it good for you? 'Mr. Hero'—Uuughp."
As Lyria sets down the water, Ferra coughs and spits into her mug before leaning back and taking the cup
"Thank you. You're an angel, Lyria."
We all sit at the table for a few minutes.
Lyria watches us nurse the delicious water.
I can smell something cooking and pray that it's for us.
Lyria shatters the silence.
"So… Whatcha going to do today?
You got that money, right? Well, what's left after the party at least.
Are you going to buy armor? Weapons? Wax for your hair? A present for a girl?
OH! Who is she!? Tell me abo—"
Trav saves us, kicking the back door open, holding two large bowls of something steaming.
"Lyria! Dishes! You work here AND YOU wanted me to make this for 'em, talk their heads off later."
She squeaks like a mouse and runs to the back.
It's cute, but I wish she could scurry quietly.
Trav sets down the bowls.
It's a stew with meat and veggies.
It smells rich, like the kind of stuff they serve at an old noodle house.
"This one is on the house. Lyria would pout all day if we took any more of your money.
Stay outta trouble, kids, but don't sleep here all day."
He chuckles and heads back to the kitchen.
Ferra sips the broth before laying her head back on the table with a belch.
Even the gross glurgling sound she makes won't keep me from this food.
The meat is soft, the green sticks are crunchy, the pale circles are so close to being potatoes.
The mushrooms don't even taste like shit.
It's amazing.
Ferra leans her head into her hand and watches me eat.
She's smiling — maybe she thinks I eat funny.
Every few bites I notice again she is still watching me.
Her eyes are green like grass, and without the leather she looks softer… curvier.
Did her hair always have that little shine to it?
"Like what you see?"
She leans forward a little over the table and I lose focus on eating.
Suddenly a breath of hot soup fills my lungs and I'm coughing and sputtering like an old smoker.
Ferra laughs before standing up and walking to the door.
"You can eat my soup too. I'm going to go home and get some real sleep."
She winks at me — my heart stops for just a second.
"See you later, Gōki—Mwah."
I need to say something cool, something a man would say to a sexy woman.
Shit, it's so hard to think — just thinking about those lips.
Closing my eyes and taking a shot at the moon.
"S-s-see you later, Ferra."
But when I open them back up, she's already gone.
Just a big empty room with me and my soup.
Thank god no one else saw that.
Lyria and Trav clang around in the kitchen while chit-chatting.
Somewhere off in the back I hear snoring that has the same gravel to it as Gralkus's voice — maybe he lives here.
After draining all the soup I stack up the bowls and stare off into the room.
It's so different here.
No school, making money, girls giving me the kind of looks that porno mags would give me back home.
My fingers find a rhythm on the table — tap-tap ta-ta-ta-ta tap-tap-tap — just like the stuff that played on the radio.
Teachers always hated it, but mom always smiled whenever rock music played, saying I had dad's taste in music.
For a little while I just tap away on the table.
Famous bands, songs for toothpaste.
Just tapping my old life away.
After a while a little hum joins in.
Lyria wanders out of the kitchen and melts right into my tapping.
"Naa-na-na Na-na-na-na Naa-na-na."
I just watch her set tables for a while.
She sets them down with a spin.
Dancing back and forth from the kitchen, whatever song I remember she jumps into it.
She's having fun.
I try to smile too, but for some reason it's hard.
So I just close my eyes and tap away, waiting for her to finish.
She flops down at my table once everything is set, with a sigh like an old man clocking out of work.
We talk more about what happened with Lirien in the woods.
Her eyes sparkled when I reenacted what she called my 'Goblin Buster' punch.
It makes me sound like some kind of tokusatsu hero.
She takes a little paper out of her pocket and slides it across the table.
"Lirien said to give this to you once you were feeling okay.
He's busy dealing with injuries around town today, but if you need help with it just let me know."
She hops up when a couple customers come into the bar.
With a wave she runs off to take orders.
The list is a bunch of groceries that need pickup around town.
I think most of them are food.
Bread I know for sure, but none of this other stuff sounds like real words.
Sleenstems, Gragroots–who knows what that is, but I gotta take them all over to the martyr's place.
Easy peasy.
He drew a little map, numbered the houses with the ingredients.
The instructions are very detailed…
It's hard to tell if it's just how he is, or because he thinks I need this much help.
With the list in my pocket I head out the door.
It's a nice day — sun's out, little breeze.
I'll be done in no time.
The houses in this place all look the same.
The dirt roads cross all over, no street signs.
The map ended up helping — better not let Lirien find out.
Knocking on the door at the first stop.
"Pick up! For… Ss-gra… Srgrallanna—Here for pick up!"
Shit, now I'm going to look like I can't even read.
Why can't it just be rice or potatoes or something.
The wood in the house creaks as someone comes to the door.
"Oh, you must be the new boy Lirien said would be helping out."
The old lady looks like she's having a hard time opening the heavy door, so I give it a little push to help her.
She nearly falls and starts screaming.
"Ahh! Burglar! Please don't hurt me, T-t-take what you want!"
Throwing a paper bag at me — the little sticks inside fall onto the ground.
When I bend over to start picking it up, she starts flailing and begging, so I just slam the door.
"Thanks! Next time just hand it to me!"
Lyria would have told me if I looked that scary.
The old bag must just be losing it.
Whatever. These look like the kind of things I needed to get.
It's probably fine.
Pushing back my hair and puffing it up — don't wanna look like a thug — I move on to the second spot.
The map made it seem far with the paths, but walking straight over the hills it was easy.
A short old man is sitting in a little chair outside the house.
I try to look friendly and give him a wave, but he jumps and runs over to a walking stick that was leaning near his door, waving it at me like it's a spear.
This guy's funny — old man ashigaru ready to fight the bandits… wait… dammit, that's me still.
Stopping a little way off I lift up my free hand.
"Easy there, old man, don't hurt yourself. I'm just here for a delivery."
He spits at me.
"We don't deal in weapons, er' slaves, er' whores or whatever else yer lookin' fer.
Go to the army camps if yer tryin' fer that stuff.
Jus' get outta here! I ain't too old to whoop yer ass!"
It's too funny.
I almost fall over laughing.
He starts to shake and stomp his feet — that makes it worse.
"Lir-hah-Lirien, heh heh, Lirien sent me for some kind of pick up.
Just, ahh, just go get it please. I'm no match for your skills."
The old man nods and puffs out his chest like he's a badass.
I'm fighting for my life not to crack up.
He goes into his house for a second and comes back with a box that smells like cookies.
"No peeking, punk. That's fer the martyrs, not little shitsters like you.
Now get on outta here."
I hold the box close, pretending to cower and run away.
It's fun watching the geezer play king.
Lirien would be pissed if I scare too many seniors today anyway.
Half the day running around this place.
Everyone's a critic and everyone wants to fight 'the bandit'.
How did the bandit story get all over town but not me whooping their asses.
My jacket's a little stained from the fight, but it's not like I can go to a laundromat.
I read over the list and check my pile of random crap — sticks, berries, flowers, cookies, a few letters.
It's all here.
Last spot on the list is the Martyrs place, a little ways off from the lumber mill.
@2025 Fondofwisdom All rights Reserved.