A noble has the right to use any of a lower station as they please. So long as such use does not aid in the creation of a tainted. - Althaen Code of Laws

Adrian

My friend’s grave is covered, we have no gravestone for him. He deserves better than this unmarked grave, I don’t know why but the trio stayed and watched most of the digging and all of the burial. I don’t know why but it feels good that they are here. Tomas died because I went to help them, I think they know it, at least they are grateful.

Jason never even showed up, we didn’t tell him too but still why is he in our group if he won’t morn the dead with us. I get that he doesn’t really know Tomas but the trio don’t either but they watched. I don’t think that Jason will stay with us, he followed me for protection. He helped at the school but has only been a dead weight since.

The six of us walk back to Outdoor World, we don’t speak until we get there. I need to see if Bryan or Abagail saw that grey void dream space or if it is just me. I feel better having buried my friend, nothing more can be done for him.

“I am going to talk to Bryan and Abagail, is there anything you want before I speak with them?”

Kylee, no but closer, immediately responds “some of that bubbly sweet water.”

The elven sisters immediately nod in agreement. I guess they mean soda, I grab some and the six of us are sitting at tables in the food court. I haven’t seen Jason, guess he didn’t like cleaning up the mess he missed.

“Bryan, Abagail, I’m sure you have questions.”

“I have some, why didn’t you say you were a wizard? Do you know what’s going on? When did you learn elvish?” Bryan immediately spills out multiple questions.

“Would you have believed I could do real magic?”

“Ah, no.”

“That’s why, if I do something in front of someone who doesn’t believe it I get hurt. I’m not sure what’s going on. The trio of women think it is some sort of botched travel spell that some nobles had cast. The goblins and orcs are things tainted by some kind of demonic taint. Otherwise I have no idea. I learned elvish in some sort of weird Grey Dream.”

I can’t speak all of the technical jargon, still that explanation should be enough to get the same rough idea that I have. Abagail speaks up “we both had a weird dream of a grey space. What is it? How did it teach you elvish?”

“I can’t explain what it is completely, I’m not really sure. It says it is to help people survive and fight back against the demon taint. But it could also be a ploy by that taint. Anyways, it responds to questions that you think of while in it. So, think of something like ‘how can I get this place to speak with me’ and it will tell you how. You can ask it your own questions when you go to sleep. After you get that weird Grey Dream to talk ask it to show you a character sheet of yourself.”

They both look at me like I'm crazy. Well I am, but they don't know that. Or am I crazy?

"Don't look at me like that, just do it and it will make sense."

I wait a few seconds.

Bryan asks “what are we going to do about Jason?”

“I don’t know. I hope he just leaves, I doubt that he will be reliable in danger. Baring that watch him and force him to contribute. We don't have enough people to afford to lose manpower.”

Bryan nods and Abagail frowns, she doesn’t speak out against it but I don’t think she wants to abandon anyone. I doubt that she would have left the school if Bryan wasn’t in the group.

“I haven’t seen him since we went to bury Tomas, maybe he left. What are we going to do? This shelter isn’t enough we have plenty of weapons but not food. We also lack enough people to guard the two locations we need to.”

I sigh, Bryan is right. “Lets spend the night here again and use tomorrow to get ready for travel in the early morning and leave before noon. I think we could get some of the cars nearby and move somewhere better. Any ideas?”

“Military bases are probably still safe. But we need a defensible location where we can grow food.”

I nod, the military would be safe, but they don’t grow food on the base itself. They are a more extreme version of where we are now more guns, more defense and less food. “The military would only be temporary they’ll run at of food before we do here. We need a farm, something where we can grow food.”

“You look like you have a location in mind.”

“I do but it’s too far to get to easily; my grandpa’s cabins in the mountains of Colorado.”

“We won’t make it that far.”

“I know, family before our food problem though. Whose home is nearest?”

I know Bryan lives across town, I myself am outside of town so I turn to Abagail. She should be nearest to her home.

“We passed my house on the way here.” Tears start to form in her eyes, shit. Bryan draws her into a hug, before he begins to talk.

“Her house had broken windows and blood trailing from the front door and one of the windows.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

There is silence for a few seconds.

“Bryan, you house is closer than mine, we’ll stop by Tomas’s as we head towards yours. I don’t think that we will find what we hope for but perhaps we will get lucky.”

Bryan nods, comforting Abagail. I didn’t think we already passed by her house, great make everyone sad, didn’t get enough of that with the funeral huh? I turn to the trio, now to see if they are staying with us or not.

“Thank you for honoring my friend. I said I would show you the weapon I used against the orcs, but I would like to talk first.”

The three nod, “my friends and me are planning to see if any of our family members are still alive. Then we are going to look for a stable source of food. There is safety in numbers and I want to know if you will travel with us.”

The three have a confused look on their faces. Talia, I think I can’t see if she is the one with the sword, responds to my inquiry.

“Did you not offer us hospitality Lord Adrian?”

“I gave you shelter and food, do you mean something different?”

“You offered us a place to stay in your house. Our families are dead, we are three women with no place to go. You offered us a place in your family’s household.”

Since when is giving someone help something like this? I gave them food and a roof for a night, does their word for hospitality have another connotation? No, I don’t think so. A cultural circumstance?

“You’re going to have to explain that to me. What do you mean I offered you a place in my family’s house? You keep referring to me as Lord Adrian, do you mean it as a rank of nobility?”

The three look shocked. I see fear and unease in their eyes. Did I get myself into a mess? Is this reality going to become less pleasant than the other? No, the other isn’t real stop thinking of it. Is it even posible for it to be worse? Pay attention to these girls, not your crazy.

“You offered hospitality to someone of the opposite gender. You even cooked the food yourself. Was this not an offer of courtship? Of course we call you lord, are you not a noble? How else do you have servants? You are a mage as well, all mages are nobles.”

“There are no nobles here. Monarchy and Feudalism are not practiced anymore.”

I accidently asked all three of them out at the same time? They weren’t mad about it either? No this can’t be right. Maybe this is the delusion? No, the other is the delusion, this is better anyways. How come they didn’t get mad? Should I roll with it? Act like that offer was on purpose? What if they learn English? Or if someone else learns their language?

Can’t hide it. No, I shouldn’t think like that. It’s wrong to hide that. I have to correct them, what other customs are different? Wait they stayed after that, does that mean they were thinking about it?

They are still talking, what did I miss when I spaced out?

“I’m sorry, I got trapped in my thoughts. Our customs are different. Leaders are chosen by common consent; the others are following me because we agreed that I could best lead them.”

“So, you are a Lord, but because the others chose you to be?”

“No, there are no Lords, Kings, or anything of the like. We as a group discuss what we are going to do. But when there is not time to do so we have agreed that I will choose what to do.”

“But how can your people be governed if you all have to talk over each issue?”

“We don’t, we discuss who should make such decisions in our place.”

“So, you do have Lords.”

“The function might be close, but they are not Lords. They have to follow the same laws as everyone else. There are no special privileges for leading.”

“So, you choose who will do the jobs of a Lord but they don’t get special privileges?”

“The details don’t matter. His title may be different and have lack privileges our nobles claim but he does the job of a Lord. The hospitality stands, the Althaen will recognize it” interrupts Kythia? Was I right this time? I won’t know until one of the elf sisters says her name.

“What do you mean the Althaen will recognize it?”

“They are the nobles and royals of what remains.”

“I am not a Lord and don’t care if some noble thinks I am.”

Kylee, no that isn’t it, smiles at my response. I don’t think that they like these Althaen nobles. We got off topic though, what was it? Hospitality, that was it.

“Anyways, you said something about giving you food was courtship?”

The trio nod, is it a mistake to tell them the misunderstanding?

“We have no such custom, that is truly only kindness. . .”

They look disappointed? No, only K-something is disappointed. The elf sisters are something else, not relieved. Worried? Do they think I would abandon them now? Well maybe if they were ugly, or deadweight. They respected Tomas after his death, I want them to stay.

“. . . but that does not mean that I am going to ditch you. If you want to follow me as my friends, you are welcome to.”

The trio look relieved, they didn’t want to be left behind. Why do they even want to follow me? Talia and Kath, no that’s not it, are better fighters than me. Lysan is a better mage, I can’t cast any language translation spells. Who knows what else they can do.

“Why do you three want to follow me? Why were you all fine with the misunderstanding?”

The sisters look at each other and frown, K, should I just think of her like that till I learn her name? speaks “We are now houseless, if the nobles of Althaen find us we will be taken as concubines. Only a noble can say no to another noble. Since all of the men of our families are dead we must attach ourselves to someone or not be given a choice when we catch the eye of a noble. You are strong. You saved our lives when we met. You are kind to your followers. You gave the greatest honor possible to your dead. You offered hospitality, or protection. . .”

“The offer might have been on accident but you treated us far better than you had to. Your offer was bread and a place to sleep, but you gave us food better than any I have had in years. You took no advantage of any of us. How could we not want to follow you?” interrupts Talia.

They make my actions seem so great, I did not mean to portray any of these things to them, but they want to follow me because of them.

“How did you learn to speak elvish so quickly? Is it a spell? Or did you ask the Grey Dream for it?”

“Grey dream?”

“The grey place you go to before moving onto sleep. I hope you didn’t it is hard to get the Grey Dream to grant you something.”

It is hard to get that grey void to give you something? You just need the points of the right type, wait I only know that because I made it create a display. They have never known it to do anything other than answer questions. My idea of a game display was new to the space. Should I tell them of my experience?