“Who goes there?” A stern-faced man called out.

Raylas strode up to the gate and looked up. At the top of the gate area the man was peeking out over. There was a platform on the other side which he could rest on and gaze out over, just low enough that his head was partially covered from arrow fire.

Raylas shouted a greeting and lifted a badge from his pouch.

“I am Raylas, a survivor of the caravan which left here a few days ago,” Raylas explained. “She is my companion, Sapphire. Undead attacked us on the journey, most were killed.”

The man cursed, peering down the road, scanning the horizon as well as the woods nearby.

“Were you followed?” He demanded.

“No,” Raylas declared confidently. “My companion and I were separated from the rest of the group. The undead do not follow us.”

The man sighed in obvious relief. He called for them to wait as he disappeared over the side.

“Why did you lie?” Sapphire whispered to him. Her hair was now covered by the cloak, the odd color and shining nature would draw too much attention if it were seen before they could get in and settled.

“I didn’t,” Raylas chuckled. “We were separated from the group, and the undead don’t follow us anymore because of the goblins. Both statements were truthful.”

“Both are basically half statements,” she hissed.

“The details don’t matter to them,” Raylas pointed toward the gate. “As long as we are not followed then the village can remain safe.”

“But what about the goblins?” she asked.

“What about them?” he dismissed. “They’re most likely dead. You saw the horde.”

“And if that Chief survived?” she pushed. “He saw us escape. What if he attacks the town?”

“You saw that too?” Raylas sighed. “Even a town this size can fight off a goblin horde three times the size of the tribe we watched. Don’t worry so much about it. We’re safe here.”

She pouted but fell silent.

Raylas frowned as he peered back. Goblins didn’t fight villages but perhaps caution should remain the priority here.

The loud thud of a heavy item hitting the ground sounded followed by some cursing. The gates cracked open just large enough for a person to come through and an arm popped out, waving them through.

Raylas went first and saw a man kicking an extremely thick log. He stepped over it and helped Sapphire pass. The guard from the top of the gate met them as the gate closed and two men started lifting the log back into place to lock the gate again.

“How many survived?” he asked.

“Just us two here. I would say no more than ten total from the attack,” Raylas answered. “From what I saw they ran off toward Gloomcrest. We came back toward the old Fort then continued here.”

The man gave them both a suspicious glance. His eyes widened at the’ damaged armor. Raylas recounted the fight, minus the voices he heard, then of his search of the encampment the next day, including personally running into the Patron’s zombie and the final chase at the fort.

“I plan to continue to Gloomcrest but we need another route. With undead down this road it won’t be safe until we get a Guard Patrol with a dedicated Priest.” Raylas gave Sapphire a glance before sighing. “We also saw a good amount of goblin activity on the way here, so we lured a tribe into the old Fort and had the zombies attack them. So not only did we get the undead off of us, we reduce the pests as well. It should help control their numbers for a while. Before the attack, though, we were also attacked by wolves twice, so I am suspecting a larger tribe nearby.”

The man groaned and growled about there being nothing but bad news for weeks. He soon sighed and ordered the men to put extra security on the door to keep it locked.

“If the others were heading toward Gloomcrest then let's hope they can inform the outpost to send someone our way.” He pointed further in town. “Head down and tell Dave that Sim said to give you a place to rest. You’ll still have to pay for food, though.”

Raylas thanked the guard and started off. He paused as the man, Sim, placed his hand on his shoulder.

“You are forbidden to drink or fight while in town,” Sim ordered. “I won’t chance you dying while in town. We do not have a priest who can remove the taint.”

“Neither of us are tainted,” Raylas said.

“I cannot confirm nor refute your claim, so my orders stand.” Sim peered at the gate which now had three heavy logs locking it down. “I cannot risk you dying, so please listen to me or I’ll have to put you behind bars during your stay for both our safeties.”

Raylas groaned as he swore off ale for the foreseeable future. Damned laws and cautions. He was clean. He knew it and the girl probably was too, so he wanted ale.

He knew he couldn’t even lie as one of the guards ran off as they started toward the inn. He would be a messenger sent to confirm their stories, and also would lay down the limitations of their stay.

It was much better when the Captain took care of this nonsense. He would have already been going to the inn with Goodwill and Rolft to drown their annoyances. Maybe even have a contest with the locals, earn some copper for more drinks. Have his change stolen by the halfwit who would then buy him dinner for their stay.

A sadness filled him as he paused in front of the inn. A sun sitting on top of a pile of clouds was carved into the sign. The innkeeper Dave explained his tavern was called the Sunnyside Inn and boasted it had been the first building in the town built. Back then it was just a stopping point between Gloomcrest and Bullmar, but eventually grew to be a logging town due to the abundance of old wood.

It also housed a mercenary outpost for those dumb enough to go out to hunt monsters. So few were desperate enough to earn that kind of gold that the place did not even have a dedicated staff, but was controlled by the town’s own guard.

Raylas sighed as he remembered the blasted story and vowed to not have the windbag waste his evening again retelling it. He won’t have the pleasure of drink, so he might as well have the pleasure of silence today.

A creak resounded and he opened his eyes to see Sapphire standing with the door partially open.

“Are you coming or do you prefer to sleep outside, master?”

Raylas chuckled. The girl had a bit of bite to her. He entered the Tavern right after her to see a tired woman cleaning off the tables. The smell of cooking food filled the dining room and his mouth started to drool.

“Early morning,” the woman yawned. “First Heldric and now you two. What can I get for ya?”

Raylas collapsed into a chair which creaked loudly. The woman’s eyes opened wide then she sighed.

“No armor allowed at the tables. Take them off in your room then come back down.”

“Sim told us to tell Dave to give us a room,” Sapphire said.

“So Heldric notified me,” the woman sniffed. “We’ll get our pay another way, so you two don’t worry your heads over it at all. First door on the left,” she gestured to Raylas.

He sighed and followed directions. She was not the server last time he was here, but she also did not appear to be as chatty.

He dragged himself upstairs and pushed open his assigned room. Inside was a single bed and a chest to hold basic valuables. He sighed and dropped his pack and peeled off his armor. Most were dented and scratched. Its shine had long since faded from wear during the years he had worn it. Now they were almost past the point of repair.

He took the pieces of chestplate off the frame of the pack as well and laid it out. The straps were useless, so if he wanted full armor again it would have to be repaired. He would have to ask to see if there was a blacksmith in town or if they had their tools imported from one of the nearby cities.

Once the armor and chainmail were off he cringed at the condition of his clothes. There was no saving. He pulled them off and threw them into the fireplace for future burning.

With a towel and his remaining water he wiped himself as clean as he could then opened the Captain’s bag. There were still a few changes of clothes which did not get turned into rope. He pulled them on and sighed.

He felt like a little boy. The Captain was enormous. His muscles would put a dwarf to shame, and while Raylas was not lacking in the muscle department his fighting style was more focused on speed and precision than pure strength like the Captain and his hammer. Despite his focus, Raylas was still one of the larger men of the group. So when the shirt hung over him like a limp sail he had to bunch his belt together more than usual to hold the pants up.

After the change he felt like a new man. He left the room to go back to the dining area and froze as he entered. Sapphire had lowered her hood, despite his earlier warnings, and was sitting at the table chatting happily with the woman.

As he rushed over she turned to him and smiled.

“We have some breakfast coming,” she giggled.

“Don’t you two love birds mind me,” the woman laughed. “I’ll make sure Dave gives you a very generous portion.”

She waddled away into the kitchen, giving them a brief glance before giggling herself as she entered the kitchen.

“What do you think you’re doing,” Raylas hissed.

“Getting us some free breakfast,” Sapphire gloated.

“Hide your hair, girl.” Raylas tried to pull her hood back over but she brushed him off.

“My hair is not only an asset, but it is a thing of pride for a Djinni,” she sniffed. “While you might not appreciate it, the lovely Miss seemed enamored.”

“Of course she does,” Raylas growled. “It's unnatural in its perfection.”

“It is very natural for a djinni.”

Raylas slammed his head on the table. This girl didn’t get it.

“I don’t care about that desert kingdom or their customs. You have to hide your hair before others see it or–”

“What a wonderful morning this is,” a proud voice rang out.

Raylas sighed and slowly turned to the front door. A young man in wealthy cotton clothes was peering inside, directly at the girl.

“The sun is bright and the sky is clear, but both do not hold a candle to the beauty I see before me.” He entered and glided his way across the floor until he was next to them.

“Good morning,” Raylas said as he forced a strained smile.

The man gave him a brief glance, examining his loose clothes before disregarding him and looking at Sapphire.

“So what brings a flower such as yourself to a small village like this?” He reached down and too her hand, kissing it like some kind of lord.

Sapphire laughed and gave Raylas a mirthful stare.

“Learn from this one, master,” she swooned. “He knows how to treat a woman.”

“Master?” the man jerked back and scowled at Raylas. “What is the meaning of this?”

“The man before you is my Master, young sir,” Sapphire explained. “I serve him to the best of my abilities as long–”

“Slavery in the Kasan Empire!” He bellowed.

“The girl has called me master since we met,” Raylas tried to calm the man but he smacked Raylas across the face.

“Silence, wretch,” the man roared. “I shall have you put to death for breaking Imperial Law. How dare you taint the Emperor’s name with your corrupt ways.”

The man left calling for the guards.

“What just happened?” Sapphire asked, clearly confused.