An oddly brownish green sludge jiggled on its own. It appeared to be a living mass of slime, innumerable square chunks within, perhaps previous victims. I studied it carefully, observing every nasty detail while trying to ignore its vomit inducing aroma. I watched as a part of it detached and entered a massive maw. It paused, chewing slowly and deliberately as its lips stretched in disgust. There was a heavy gulp, and immediately a greenish hue spread over the maw’s master.

“Jesus Christ, this stuff is nasty!”

Kevin struggled to keep the sludge down before pushing the plate away.

“Yeah, that stuff doesn’t look very appetizing,” I replied, cutting a large chunk from my steak and dipping it in thick brown, mushroom laden, gravy before taking a hearty bite.

looking around the great hall, I noticed it now half filled with fellow mages to be. Each had a wand or staff and all were wearing the requisite robes. I sighed, wearing my armor underneath was causing me to sweat. Though at least no one had accidentally stabbed me. Yet. But I was an optimist: Just give it time…

“It’s cr, criminal what th… They ser, serve people here,” I replied in between bites, savoring both the taste and Kevin’s envious stare.

“How the hell did you pay for that?”

“Sim…Ple… I earned it.”

Along with several immense grease burns on my left hand and ankle from an accident. Funny how when it wasn’t nature, it was the people around me. Funnier was how their eyes always traced exactly where the damage would be some time before.

While I wasn’t stupid, I could only watch so many people around me while actually getting work done. I think I typically avoided 80% of the malice directed towards me. Godsdamn that 20%, especially when it had to do with heat. Maybe water wasn’t such a poor arcane after all.

“Hey, could I get a piece of your steak?”

Kevin’s eyes twinkled as they stared at the well-cooked meat while a small drop of drool threatened to escape his open lips.

“Sure…”

He beamed expectantly.

“Just as soon as you pay me back my 2 gold.”

His expression soured, enhancing the flavor of my meal. The amount he owed me was actually 1 gold and 85 silvers, but I was expecting a small share of interest for my troubles. And for not killing the son of a…

“I told you, I WILL pay you back!”

Ah, words were like women, plentiful until action was called for.

“And I told you, you’re fortunate I consider you a friend, or I would’ve just slit your throat yesterday and called us even.”

“You know it’s going to take me time to get that much coin! And besides, the stuff you wanted will be here soon, come on, just one piece?”

I looked at him, pretending that this was a tough decision.

“I don’t know, I mean, this is probably the best steak I’ve ever had!”

Kevin’s expression turned tragic, his mouth agape. I thought about milking this situation a bit more, but decided it was better not to be too much of a jerk. At least for the moment…

“If it’s what you promised, I’ll give you the rest of my plate.”

I put my knife and fork down, much to Kevin’s relief. There was still half of the steak remaining. More than he deserved for repaying me a fraction of what he stole, but my appetite hadn’t fully returned yet after my coma.

A day had passed, and my anger was now at a maintainable level. I had come to realize that perhaps I was a tad too enraged the moment I woke up. Me being too furious was the only possible explanation for just how badly I had fouled up his execution. Months of solitude building a wall may build character, but I don’t think it did the same for mental stability.

Thank the Gods he wasn’t a capable warrior, or I’d be dead. The blood rushed to my face whenever I recounted how horribly I’d fared. My first attack landed me on the floor, my second interrupted by a bag of baubles, the third failing due to me somehow dropping my damned weapon, and the final because of scary visions (was I a damned child?). While the first three were obviously my own failings and shortcomings, the visions...

I had felt intense suffering and pain, from every part of Kevin’s body. Accompanying an old terror, were countless images, most dripping pools of dark blood, that quickly flashed before my eyes. There was no order, nor could I recognize most of them, but for some reason I inherently knew that there was something really wrong with Kevin.

“Or, you could go and get me a fresh steak?”

Physically. The visions told me there was something PHYSICALLY wrong with Kevin. His mental problems were something I didn’t need visions to discern. My hand and ankle throbbed as I debated on how wise my decision in the infirmary had been. Those damned feelings and visions had shocked me out of my rage, resulting in new wrathful inclinations. My eyes narrowed and my nostrils widened on their own.

“I mean, you were eating off of that one.”

I kicked forward, my foot missing Kevin’s and instead connecting with the wooden bench.

“Mother of…!”

I hadn’t worn my metal greaves today. Ah, this was not my day…

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! Ow! Just remembered I have to help Virgil tomorrow.”

This was patently false. There was no doubt in my mind that I alone would be doing all of the work. Virgil would be seated in the shade far away from the rancid work needing to be done, managing. More fun to look forward to. Although there might be a way to spread my suffering…

“Kevin!”

“Hey!”

Interrupting my plotting was a tall, brown-haired, stranger in a red robe who greeted Kevin.

“Andy, good to see you!”

Kevin stood and the two shook hands. The newcomer gave Kevin a forced smile. The eyes, it’s always the eyes. The mouth can form the most deceiving of smiles, regardless of its owner’s feelings, but it’s a rare person whose eyes can keep up with the façade.

“Hey, so sorry but I couldn’t get what you wanted, you’ll have to wait until Matt and Nancy get here.”

“But I thought you and Yeting had kept yours?”

“The Meers were heading to Garnet so we gave them everything we didn’t need to sell. Don’t worry, they probably won’t find a buyer, most of the locals here can’t appreciate technology.”

Yeah, us backwards yokels, can’t appreciate things that neither put food on the table nor even tend to work… Man, we’re just so stupid around here…

“Hey, you want to eat with us?” Kevin gestured.

Andy’s expression became one of disdain for the briefest of seconds before his false smile returned.

“Nah, sorry, I promised to sit with some of the other fire mages.”

He looked at me momentarily, his eyes lingering on the blue of my robe. His fake smile became more genuine, no doubt mocking my arcane.

I nodded at him, no need to waste words on an other worlder, hopefully someone else would cut his throat. After, hopefully after he delivered the goods to Kevin…

“Ah, okay…” Kevin said sadly.

“Catch you around!”

Andy turned and waved without looking back.

Kevin slumped to his seat and looked dejectedly at my plate. Looks like misery will be having company tomorrow after all…

“Tome…”

“You know what Kevin? I’m really famished today, I think it’s because I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me tomorrow, going to need so save up all my energy, you know?”

Kevin sat speechless, his eyes widening as I picked up my knife and fork. I placed them upon the meat, preparing to cut another portion off. I froze, putting on a thoughtful expression.

“You know, I might not be so ravenous if I had some help, but man, it’s so hard to find anyone around here with a good back.”

The serrated knife slowly began cutting. Kevin flinched as though it were cutting into him.

Gah, come on Kevin, I left the door open, all you got to do is go through…

I could just tell him what I wanted from him, but the most enthusiastic helpers were those who came up with the idea themselves.

I lifted a chunk to my mouth, stopping just before my open mouth could consume it.

“Yeah, this steak is amazing, but I think another pair of hands might be better.”

I stared at the lump of meat in silence waiting.

Come on Kevin, use your brain, I don’t have all day!

“I, I could help you! If, if you give me your steak, or course!”

Ah, finally a bit of cunning shone through his eyes, a shame he couldn’t see the same in my eyes or he would’ve rethought his decision.

“You help me with tomorrow’s chores, noon ‘til sunset, in exchange for the rest of my meal, agreed?”

“Agreed!”

We shook on it and I slid the plate to him across the knotty table. He took up his utensils and quickly set to work finishing my meal. I sat in contented silence watching him, wondering just how much he was going to regret this exchange.

Barely four minutes later and Kevin had wolfed down the steak and every bit of mushroom sauce on the plate.

“Hey, Tome, you know, I’ve noticed that you guys here eat a lot of mushrooms. I mean, there hasn’t been a single day I’ve not eaten mushrooms.”

I nodded.

“Yeah, mushrooms are a staple here, they’re the one crop you can always rely on, even during war.”

“How so?”

“Where were you summoned?”

“The Lodestone Republic, duh!”

If not for the retribution he would suffer tomorrow, I would’ve smacked him.

“Wh…at…ci…ty…?” I said slowly, intoning each syllable like one might to a daft child.

“Oh, Garnet.”

“Yeah, that would explain it. Garnet’s the capital, far too much industry and commerce. The city is constantly growing, so what farmland there once was is no more. What little land you see will only have open mines everywhere. Amongst all the other cities, Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, Amethyst, and Onyx, farming is critical. Besides the ever-present mines, outside of each city’s walls there are leagues and leagues of farmland, with smaller hamlets scattered throughout to tend to the fields.”

“So, the other cities are mostly just farming towns?”

“No, well, except for Topaz, Lapis, and Opal they aren’t. Every city is named after the main type of lodestone found there. Red lodestone is the most valuable so Garnet and Ruby have the most mines, though Ruby does grow some crops.”

“Garnet has over 120,000 souls, while most of the other large cities average about 70,000. All the cities have walls surrounding the city proper, inside will be more established businesses and people, whereas outside of that wall there will be less prosperous citizens, homes, and businesses. Should the city come under attack those have to be abandoned, as well as the crops and hamlets.”

“Food is vital, all farmers must give 1/3 of their crops to the tax collectors, who will then split that into thirds, a portion for the city grown in, one for the army, and the remainder for Garnet. The system works well, except during surges or siege. The invading armies will take what they can, and burn the rest. If they’re good, they’ll get to the crops just before harvest, leaving the city to face famine.”

“The Lodestone Republic’s normal state is war, so civilians must find ways to cope. Besides keeping the granaries full, underneath each city is a sprawling labyrinth of old mines where mushrooms are constantly grown. Wood and feces are spread throughout the tunnels and seeded with mushroom spores.”

“Why wouldn’t the enemy just use those tunnels to go under the walls?”

“The old labyrinths are pretty convoluted, and poorly ventilated when not outright toxic. We have gnolls farm and guard the mushrooms.”

“More slaves?”

What is his obsession with this topic?

“At first they were, but after a few decades they formed their own societies below each city. Nowadays they have a set quota and the merchants will barter with them for whatever surplus mushrooms they produce. Not always the most cordial of relations, but they’re too weak to attack the towns, while the number of soldiers who’d be lost or poisoned crushing them would be far too high. Threats and silver work far better than actual force.”

“Sadly, if the siege lasts longer than two years even the mushroom crops won’t prevent famine. Or, if the local Sheriff is corrupt or incompetent, perhaps only ten months.”

“Why is it that you guys are always fighting someone?”

“The Lodestone Republic and Schelm are the worst of enemies. Our war has lasted almost a hundred years now. The other nations are mostly just opportunistic city states that don’t want to see either of us win, lest they be annexed by either country.”

“But, why have you been fighting them for so long? Jesus, you’d think you guys would find some common ground or something…”

“There is no common ground with them Kevin, I mean how could you even find any with the way they think. Those bastards actually believe…”

I stopped when I noticed her. There were four spaces in between us, but amongst a gaggle of green robed female mages to my right there was one glaring at me. Her grey eyes and glossy red lips shone as I watched her mouth a familiar word to me.

Godsdamnit, I hated busybodies…

“They’re evil Kevin, pure evil, that’s all you need to know about them.”

I looked down at the table and fiddled with my robe. I was from Sapphire, so I had very strong opinions on Schelm, but that girl was right. There were certain things we didn’t discuss with other worlders…

“Yeah, that’s what the nobles and priests said, ‘You’ve been summoned to destroy a great evil, and save the land!’ But, no one will tell me any details, hell, even the other Earthers have no idea what we’re facing. Everyone kept saying to be on the lookout for Schelm spies, that they’ll steal your soul! They can’t do that, can they?”

I sighed, they could, but…

“That they can, and once they have it, no one can save you. But you have to realize…”

There was movement from my right, the intensity of hate almost palpable.

“Don’t ever let them take you alive! and if they do don’t ever…”

I mumbled the last part to myself, too low for Kevin to hear.

“What did you say?”

“N, Nothing, just don’t ever let them take you alive, and remember never to spare them or even listen to anything they have to say. They’ll use their words to bewitch you, they’re all demons and liars.”

Looking to my right, the girl was still angry, but much less so. She eventually turned back to her friends, though she kept her ear cocked our way.

Gods above, it was easier when everyone hated me for no reason, but now… I didn’t know if it was my lack of company or the knowledge that Kevin was in a similar position to myself, but I was making mistakes. Ah, why did my only assistance have to be an other worlder?

“Okay, I gotcha. Uh, Tome? I’m still very hungry, you think you could get me another steak?”

And why, oh why did it have to be Kevin?

---------------------------------------------

Never trust the Lodestone Republic, they’re lying to you! They have no empathy and are incapable of kindness! Only through the teachings of Misericordia can man achieve his true potential! Power can never make right! Seek the truth! Don’t believe their slander! And beware the Sovereign! Proof of their evil and utmost… Ahhhhhh!

-Eisenkopf, last words as he was burned* at the stake for heresy against the Republic.

*There were marshmallows, and beer. Remember, never let a heretic burning go to waste, lessons should be learned, and fun had by all, how else will our children learn the consequences of heresy?