This was a rather unfortunate end to a rather life defining sequence of events. I had relearned the importance of proper search query, and found a way to hopefully no longer be poor. A way to possibly buy medicine for the kid that was now staring daggers into my body. Can’t say I blame them. When the last thing you remember is Dustin beating the life out of you, I too would be skeptical of waking up in a strange place with someone pointing a dagger at your chest. Because, stranger danger.

So, how was I supposed to convince a terrified child I was not about to butcher them and harvest their organs? Well, to be fair, the black market for organs was probably pretty small here. There might be some perverts who have private collections? I’m sure amongst the rich and powerful, there has to be at least one high inbred psycho that would enjoy that kind of thing.

“Who are ya?”

It was the kid that broke the awkward silence. They had an accent that I had yet to hear. It was like a blend of Scottish mixed with a southern drawl. Stuttering, I did the smart thing, and hid the dagger behind my back. The smile on my face felt as fake as the kid looked repulsed.

Crap. This was a great start.

“I’m sorry, this must look awfully suspicious,” I said with a heavy sigh. I slowly revealed the dagger to them before placing it on the floor and sliding it away. “My name is Arlo. I saw you laying on the ground in bad shape, and brought you to my… Um, er, humble abode.”

There was no real need to admit I saw them getting the stuffing kicked out of them. It would be a hard sell to convince them that I fought off Dustin and his crew.

The kid’s eyes narrowed. “And what do ya want?”

“Nothing, nothing! I simply wanted to help” I waved my hands. Remembering the food, I picked up the bottle and handed the water and bar to the kid. “Here you must be starving. It isn’t much ---”

Before I finished speaking, the bar was snatched from my hands and half of it was in the kid’s mouth. They choked as the stuff was hard to swallow dry.

“Wow, slow down. Drink some water. The stuff is so dry, you need to take a sip with each bite.”

Taking my advice, the kid slowed down and took smaller bites followed by a swig from the bottle. Each bite making them wince as the bruises on their face surely caused no small amount of pain. That did little to stop them from finishing the bar in under a minute. They even picked up a handful of crumbs that had fallen to the ground and tossed it into their mouth. The sight of it made my chest throb. I raised my gaze to the ceiling and blinked back tears.

“Ya’ll good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, this place is pretty dusty and it messes with my allergies,” I lied.

“Aller- what?”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. More importantly, how are you feeling?”

The kid rubbed the back of their neck and cracked it. “That big bastard got me good. I normally try to avoid em, but that big ol’ baby spotted me when I was investimigating all the hollerin earlier.”

“You were there too, huh. And it’s investigating, not ‘investimigating’.”

“I know ma words, thank ya very much. And I’m sure it’s investimigating.”

“Uh, ok man. Whatever floats your boat.” I said. They may be small, but they were pretty fiery.

“What do boats gotta to do with anythang? I ain’t got no boat.”

“It’s a figure of speech,” I tried to explain.

[Just let it go Master.]

Armeria was right. If I kept this up, we would be talking in circles for hours. Glancing out the window, I admired the sun as it lit the water with its familiar orange-red glow.

“It’s getting dark. Do you have a place to go?” I asked.

The kid shook their head. “If ya haven’t noticed I’m wearing a bag.”

While unsurprising, I was curious to find out where they were from. However, I shelved it as a question to ask another day. We barely knew each other. Plus I still didn’t know their name. Yikes, over a decade without interacting with other humans and my social skills had become rusty. Who would have guessed?

“Do you have a name?”

“Of course I gotta name. Took ya long enough to ask. It’s Finley.”

I grinned at how Finley puffed out their chest and sat tall as they introduced themselves like they were someone important. “Well, Finley, you are welcome to spend the night here. I have little to offer in terms of hospitality.I do have some blankets we could share”

Contrary to what I had expected, Finley blushed and gave me the stink eye. I was prepared for a refusal. After all, stranger danger, but the change in attitude was a tad unsettling. I was under the impression they were warming up to me. Now it seemed we were back to square one. As far as trust building goes, I had failed with flying colors.

[Geez… You are something else Master.]

“I thought ya said ya ain’t want nothing. I’m grateful and all, but it ain’t proper.” Finley said just above a whisper. “Asking a girl ya just met to share yer bed. We’re both too young for such things. Who do ya take me for?”

Girl? What was with this cliche?

“You’re a girl?!”

Alarm bells of panic went off in my head. Literally. Armeria was broadcasting cop sirens on max volume.

Not funny.

[Admit it. It’s a little funny.]

Refusing to respond, I took in my situation and wanted to wipe my hands over my eyes. When I first came across Finley between their short and curly brown hair, that was greasier than the mystery meat at Mikalo’s street stall, and the dirt caked over their body. It was easy to mistake them for a boy. At least I had avoided misgendering them verbally. Until now…

Maybe she won’t take it personally.

That thought puffed up into smoke as the dirty look she had been giving me transformed into a murderous glare. Why did I have to say it out loud? Why should she care? We were both kids who have yet to undergo puberty. Surely she could see reason. Heck, our physiological traits were practically the same.

“I’m clearly a girl, ya blind dunce.” Finley huffed and crossed her arms.

“Sorry, sorry. You just look so much like a guy.” I blurted.

[Keep digging a bigger hole for yourself.]

Armeria was right. I needed to shut up and take the heat like a man.

On the brightside. At least you didn’t discover this by accidentally stumbling across them changing. Or worse, suggesting we should bathe together. At least it is now out in the open, no more chances of cringeworthy cliches.

Finley practically had steam bursting from her ears.

Maybe she has an anger problem? It could be a girl thing. The women back on earth were also a mystery to me. No, maybe they weren’t crazy, and I really am an insensitive prick.

I saw the light and years filled with dozens of failed relationships suddenly made sense. They weren’t the problem, I was. So focused I was on my self revelation, that Finley’s heated words went in one ear and right out the other.

“Ya understand now?” Finley gasped for air.

“Uh, yeah. I’m sorry.” I smiled weakly.

Clearly I was fooling no one as Armeria snickered and Finley rolled her eyes.

My bad.

“My invitation still stands. You can stay here if you have nowhere to go.” I said.

Finley sighed and gave me a look I had yet to see from her. Like she was silently asking me if she could trust me. Despite her prickly temper, at the end of the day, she was just as damaged by this world as I was. So, I nodded my head.

I guess she understood what I was trying to convey, because she nodded back. “Fine, I will stay the night since ya offered so nicely. Get handsy and see what happens.”

The open threat in her voice made it clear I was going to be sleeping on the floor. Well, on the floor without my swathe of blankets. A part of me rebelled. As an advocate of gender equality it would be an injustice to assume she would want me to forfeit my “bed” to her. Even if she did, justice demanded that I as a man did not give up my rights over a woman’s needs. She was the guest after all.

The ground was pretty cold. At least I managed to wrest away one blanket. I stared back up at the mezzanine where the rest of my blankets were. Snuggled up against that no good blanket thief. A gust of wind made me tighten my one blanket around myself, and I whimpered as I let sleep take me.

“Arlo. Arlo!”

I awoke to a foot nudging my side. A dark covered form towering over me, like a predator ready to pounce.

“Wahhh!! Ghost!” I shouted. My body automatically going into rolly polly mode.

“It’s me,” hissed Finley.

“Finley? Geez! You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing and why are you whispering?”

“Trying to be polite,” she shrugged. Her knees were pressed together and squirming. “I need to pee.”

I rubbed the sleep out of my eye. “Just go.”

“Where?“ Finley asked.

I motioned towards the approximate direction of the door. “Anywhere over there.”

“Okay,”. Finley replied with hesitation as she watched me close my eyes.

I tried to go back to sleep but the shuffling of footsteps and the moving of broken glass made it difficult. I cracked an eye open to see her squatting in a corner by the door.

“What are you doing?” I shouted and struggled to my feet.

Finley let out a squeak and shot back to her feet. “Wh-why are you looking? You pervert!”

“I’m the pervert? You’re the one about to piss on the floor!” I shouted.

“You said to!” Finley shouted back. Tears welling up at the corner of her eyes. “Where am I supposed to go?”

I stood up and dragged my sleepy body over to her. “Follow me.”

Close to the warehouse was a small hole. It was pretty sizable, certainly enough to inconvenience any passing wagon or carriage. The city planners failed to cover it properly. Only using a wide plank to avoid accidents. Shoving that covering aside revealed something resembling a manhole. It was a remnant of the abandoned city that Foso was built on top of. From what I had seen, the ruins indicated a civilization that was much more technologically advanced. They had at least a semblance of a proper sewage system. The sounds of rushing water came from below.

“No way. Are ya serious?” Finley’s jaw dropped. “Ya want me to go out here? In the open? Ya are definitely a pervert.”

“I’m completely serious. That current of water is pretty strong. Any waste is swept away. As for people, hardly anyone ever comes here. Plus it’s the middle of the night. No one is going to peep on you.” I yawned.

“Ar-are ya sure? Ya promise?”

I placed my right hand over my heart and raised my left into the air. “I promise. Can I go back to sleep?”

Letting out another yawn, I turned to go back inside when Finley held the back of my shirt.

“Please stay. I don’t think I can go if I’m alone.” Finley whispered.

“Fine,” I groaned. “I will act as a lookout.”

“Thank ya.”

My eyes may have been focused on keeping watch, but I could do little about my ears. Her sigh of relief made me blush as I pretended to be somewhere else. Instead of this blasted city, I was hiking in the mountains. Tall trees hid the flocks of chirping birds, and in the distance, a gentle waterfall flowed over the edge of a cliff.

***

“Wake up,” I said, nudging my blanket thief in the stomach with my foot. All while trying to avoid aggravating her injuries.

“Just a little more. I’m sleepy.” Finley yawned and turned her body away from my foot.

A vein bulged on the side of my forehead. The position of the sun indicated that it was almost midday. There were things I wanted to do. I suddenly had a growing respect for all the mothers of earth.

“Let her sleep in.” Armeria whispered, her head popping out from the collar of my shirt.

While she could turn invisible, it required a constant use of mana. She naturally had a higher tolerance to mana than I did, but since she was linked to my soul, it hampered her. Meaning I was holding her back. To cover for this issue, we had decided to keep her hidden in my shirt, or I would say if we actually did. Instead, I woke up to a pair of glowing eyes staring at me.

“I guess I should. I just want to leave an injured girl alone in an abandoned warehouse.” I said while looking over her bruises.

I was being honest when I told her that hardly anyone ever comes to this area. That was both a blessing and curse. You could live free from constant harassment. On the other hand, it means that if trouble comes knocking, you’re on your own.

My jaw clenched at the thought of happening to this kid while under my protection. She didn’t seem to be the trusting type, but she went out on a limb and gave me a chance. She was also one of many. How many scared and broken kids were there in Foso? Why did no one do anything to help them?

“Silly, if that is what is on your mind, there is a simple solution.” Armeria chided my internal dilemma.

“Oh? do tell.”

Armeria popped an arm out of my shirt and pointed up. “The rafters are pretty high up. You could hide a drone and instruct it to protect Finley should anyone come and try to harm her.”

“How would that work? I can barely keep a drone operational for twenty minutes. That is factoring in the partially filled battery.” I countered. Despite the weeks of trying. I had only succeeded in filling a single drone’s battery to around 20%.

“Low power mode, you dummy. It will allow the drone to maintain a low level of situational awareness, while conserving power.” Armeria rolled her eyes. “You really need to read that list more. Having all those weapons is useless if you have no idea what they can do.”

“Bite me. Ouch!”

Armeria flashed her teeth at me and ducked back into my shirt.

My eyebrows furrowed as I gave it some thought. I really wanted to see if I could do some trading, and possibly see if I could get some medicine for Finley’s wounds. Was it worth risking having my identity exposed?

“Do it,” I commanded.

“Please state the name of the requested item,” Armeria pressed.

I sighed. “Summon a Klearan Mark IV Riot Drone.”

This was getting old fast. The logic made sense. The sheer number of item

With the snap, a drone popped into existence right in front of me. I smiled and petted it for a bit before giving it instructions. It zipped up to the ceiling, and positioned itself so it could see both Finley and the front entrance. Satisfied, I refilled the empty bottle and placed another bar on top.

After one last half hearted attempt to wake her up. I told her to stay here until I came back. All I received was a head nod and some incoherent mumbling, but I’ll take it. I left, taking my blanket with me. I made my way to the west side of the city, known for housing the commerce district. The plan was to sell enough of the daggers to buy some medicine and bandages. It sounded simple enough in my head. I forgot how cruel reality could be.

The shopkeeper, Guster Dome, inspected the Ferusian Side Dagger before handing it back. “Not interested. Get out.”

I blinked and my mouth hung agape. “Why? That blade is of high quality.”

“It is because of the quality that I am unwilling,” Guster shook his head. “It clearly does not belong to you. I refuse to jeopardize my shop’s reputation by selling stolen merchandise.”

Well this sucks. The difference between my appearance and what I was offering was too big. The man came to an incorrect, but logical, conclusion. Of course he would assume I had stolen it.

“Sir, I think there has been a misunderstanding.” I said and reached for my blanket, that I had turned into a makeshift bundle. “Please pardon my shoddy appearance, my master is a traveling merchant, and he is quite eccentric. One of his lessons is that I am only to have things I have either made or earned. As you can see, I am a rather slow learner.”

The skeptical look I was getting told me I had his attention. Before he could respond, I rolled the blanket open on top of the counter. Within were a pile of daggers within leather sheaths.

“I have 40 daggers of identical quality, Mr. Dome.” I said, picking up a random one in the pile, unsheathed it, and handed it to the shopkeeper. “These were crafted by a reclusive blacksmith that is a family friend of my master. If you strike a deal with me, I can guarantee that I will supply only your shop in the town of Foso.”

This got the shopkeeper hooked. He was in the weapons business and should have grasped the importance of being the only shop in the town that sold this item. The competitive advantage it would give him over his competitors

The shopkeeper cleared his throat. “I would like to speak with your master. This kind of deal is too much to be decided by an apprentice.”

“Again, I think there is a misunderstanding.”I smiled. We both knew I had him, and he wanted to see this mysterious master to help relieve his fears. In fact, I had him hooked, and this was the last token resistance. Now it was time to reel him in. “This is my deal. As I mentioned, all things on my person are my personal belongings. That includes my merchandise. I had only recently earned enough to procure a loan from my master to purchase these daggers.”

I could practically see yen signs flash from the merchant’s eyes, or in this case, gold coins. My words were carefully chosen. I made it clear this was my deal. An experienced shopkeeper versus a kid already gave him an edge. Sprinkled in was a subtle admission that this was my first time conducting a deal of this size. No seasoned merchant would admit this. The guy was probably looking to clean me out for all I was worth; which was fine by me.

“It is six gold for all forty daggers.” I proposed.

In reality, each dagger was a masterwork worth quite a bit more, but Ferusian Steel was a foreign concept here. Besides, I wanted a price that would appear enticing.

“That is 15 silver coins a piece,'' Guster shook his head. “How about ---”

“It’s a fair price,” I cut him off, “the price also takes into account your exclusivity.”

“Preposterous,” Guster cried out and waved his hand. “Even if what you say is true, there simply is not a market for such luxury daggers in Foso. Besides, what about the risk I’m taking by trusting your word.”

“14 Silver,” I grunted.

“12.”

I started packing. “If you do not wish to deal in good faith, I can not fault you. However, I have debts to pay, and I do not wish to remain dressed in rags forever.”

Guster reached out and stopped me as I was tightening the knot. His eyes locked onto mine, as if he were trying to read my mind. His foot tapped rhythmically on the floor. It resembled a pretty popular song that I forgot the title of. If my memory was right, it was about a man trying to build himself a suit of armor to fight an evil mage that had kidnapped his wife. It was strangely upbeat despite how dark the subject matter was.

“I can do 13. That is the best I can do.” Guster sighed. He wiped some sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Freaking actor. You’re wasting your talent being a shopkeeper. Go act in some theater.

Selling for only this much was akin to highway robbery. It was a pittance compared to the actual value of the weapons. A part of me was still grumbling at settling for such an unfavorable deal. Even with just under a thousand of the same dagger, it stung to take a loss. However, I needed seed money. Both to take care of Finley, and to enact stage one to my new plan.