The wind off the Serpent's Tooth Strait had a sharper bite as night fell, carrying the tang of salt and damp timber. I stepped through the narrow alleyways of Port Scab, boots clattering against uneven planks and loose stones. The town was quieter now, the raucous shouts of merchants and drunken sailors replaced by the occasional creak of a leaning building or the distant bark of a dog.
Old Marwin had been insistent. "You saved the docks, boy. Eat, sleep. No coin needed." I wasn't about to argue. The spare room above his tavern smelled faintly of mold and stale bread, but it was dry, sheltered, and above all, safe. Safety was a luxury in Port Scab.
I counted the copper coins in my pocket—my only payment so far. Enough for a simple meal, maybe a mug of broth and a hunk of bread, but for tonight, I didn't need them. The townsfolk had given me something more valuable: a roof over my head and a warm corner to rest.
Sliding my sword onto the hook by the wall, I ran a hand over the hilt. Even now, I could feel faint ripples of Aura in the timber and stone around me. The town breathed with residual magic—slight, unstable, but alive. Early Tier-2 senses allowed me to feel it, to track disturbances even in sleep if necessary.
I set my pack beside the mattress, taking out a small water flask. The faint murmur of the sea through the cracks in the walls was oddly comforting, almost like a lullaby for a restless mind. I sat on the straw mattress, legs pulled close, and allowed myself a rare moment to reflect.
Monsters. Early Tier-2 combat. Strategy over strength. My first real fight outside the cliffs had taught me more than any training could. And now, with this small room, I had a chance to rest, to prepare.
A faint knock at the door startled me. Peering through the small window, I saw a young figure—a girl about my age, nimble and alert, with a small dagger strapped to her side.
"Hey," she whispered. "Name's Liora. Heard you helped clear the docks today. Figured I'd… watch, learn, maybe help next time."
I studied her, noting the Aura she carried, subtle but not overwhelming. Not a threat, but definitely capable. A mercenary in the making, maybe even someone I could trust.
"Alright," I said, standing. "If you're serious, come in. We can talk strategy."
She smiled faintly and slipped inside, keeping to the shadows. For the first time since arriving in Port Scab, I felt a small spark of partnership, of companionship. A reminder that survival wasn't always solitary work, and that allies could be found in unexpected places—even in a town as broken and dangerous as this.
Night deepened. Outside, the wind howled, and the distant tide crashed against jagged rocks. Inside, the room was quiet, lit only by a single flickering lantern. My sword rested on its hook, coins in my pocket, and across from me, Liora watched, waiting. Tomorrow, the ruins of Shattered Tide awaited, and our first real adventure together was about to begin.
I allowed myself to lie back on the straw mattress, letting exhaustion pull me toward sleep. But even as my eyes closed, my mind stayed alert, tracing faint currents of Aura through the room, through the town, and beyond the cliffs. Port Scab was alive. Dangerous. And for now, it was my home.