“I suppose it's because your friends have no experience on this sort of matter. Hand me the brush, dear.”

Dropping the hay to Allan's hand, I slid my way to the hanging brush. Giving it to her she gave me the wet muddy cloth and began tending the horse's mane.

“But to miss some noticeable mud and dirt? Typical Adventurers.”

She clicked her tongue.

“And why are you so dirty? Did they force you to do all the work?”

We merely stood in silent as we let her tongue crack out some spicy remark about our poor work.

“Still, does it have to be this extensive when taking care of a horse?”

Asked Neil as inspected the innkeeper cleaning.

“We try to pride our selves with service of course. These men are travelers and travelers lend ear to fellow travelers.”

“I see... I see... So how the hell did you not get any blessing?”

He whispered to me.

Long story short, once we got in the church Serafina tended to my barely breathing for about five or so minuets. It was miracle cure. We ran out of time to keep the schedule in check, as Allan explained, we didn't have enough time for the blessing ritual, whatever that means, so we quickly tailed back to the shed and made a... Somewhat... *Good enough* horse cleaning.

“Be thankful that we got in time.”

Allan whispered while May instructed Roland for another round of water for the horse.

“Or you might the first person to experience death twice!”

“And the bucket?”

I asked Allan. I was sure that it was broken under the fall and the weight of Roland yet some how we got a new one.

“Um...”

His eyes fell to his corner as he slowly said ‘borrowed...’

“Either way,”

Sighed Neil.

“What's wrong with him? I haven't heard his voice since you guys returned.”

“Come with me.”

Said Allan as he gave me the hay.

“Where you guys going?”

“Just a smoke.”

Neil, ruffling my hair with a smile again.

May also inquired if the were leaving. In which I reply that they will be as I fed the horse with irritation.

I wish they stop treating me like I am a child. Besides they look like teenagers even if they died older than me, and I'm technically 60 or so years old. Just like them.

*****

“Don't tell Serafina what I said to you.”

She said as we finished brushing the horse, changed my clothes, and cleaned up the mess from our cooking.

“You have my word. You also have my word that he will reach church and ascend him to hero hood.”

Replied Neil.

“That, I guarantee is a hero's folly.”

She quickly took my hand making me drop a sack in which the shield-pan was in.

“Haha. Then the heroes shall over cometh.”

Knelling down he took the pan.

“Cook her something nice,”

He gave me the shield-pan and called out my name.

“His name is Elfien!”

The innkeeper clenched her fist.

“It's up to him which name he will take; which world he will live in. I'll see you soon then.”

He smiled as they all left waving his hand and leaving an enigmatic question for me and for the innkeeper.

“Tch. Such arrogance, when he just gave us a few good adventure recipes. Elfien, wait here for me.”

She said as she went up to her room.

Leaving me with the shield-pan whose face once brunt black now returned to its brilliant blue façade like it was never used.

“Elfien... Could kindly get the basket in the pantry?”

Called the innkeeper as I hear footsteps coming down. She was tucking her inside a hood as she wore a green cloak and a brown dress.

“Now, let's go,”

Getting her the basket

“Hopefully, if you see the city that you love maybe you'll remember how to sing our battle song.”

She gave me a smile and cling to my arm when we went out to the sun dappled afternoon town.

Joining in the other inhabitants of this world who, like us, went about their ways. Some greeted May and she greeted back at them. Unlike her I kinda didn't like the attention of having a white hair and unknown background knowledge of people greeting me. I wish I could have worn a hoodie or something. Nevertheless, her main focus was on naming every street, every best shop to buy tools, and explaining to me where are the best alleyway to use when being chased by monsters...

It was a lot information to take in as she didn't let me talk. What's making it hard was the kids and other old women who called my name. I did my best to just nod and say hello and nod with my best not-so-forced smile.

It became harder when different face, gender, colour, age and height soon proliferated as wooden houses grew and grew taller as we headed deeper in the thronging center. Women up on their wooden balcony dusted their leather, men pulled carts and wagons filled with golden wheat, cabbage, carrots, and other veggies, while children ran around with wooden sword and shields. Our journey through the dirt road soon paid dividends and nostalgia as my boots stepped on stone paved paths that made walking easier.

Here, simple stalls with roofs -- vibrant in many colours like red and white stripes -- stood side by side as they sell their goods. They all sounded like shouting for a fight when calling out to us to buy their fresh and great product. Brine fish, pork and poultry, skewed chicken grilled internals, green veggies, and many more wares that just feels home yet different at the same time.

I thought we would go those vibrant stalls. I was readying myself to memorize prices of every goods. Instead we went into a deeper part of a street where we met the very toes of the walls itself.

Here animals bleated and cried in cages. Piglets in small pens ate the green feeds while their parents hang and cut by butchers with surgical precision. Then my eyes fell on fat, caged, and malnourished of sunlight hens whom pecked at grains and bugs they found on the floor. Then mud eels slither and splash around dirty water and overpopulate large wooden basins. All the while the cobbled path stenched and cried out blood and feces, as green and red liquid trailed and mix down to a shallow canal. It's not my first time in a slaughter house or farm before but the sanitation of this place. Ugh! A place like this would never exist back home. Can't believe were buying here.

“I'll have three today.”

She said with a smile to the butcher of poultry. Who was busy feeding his fat caged wares.

“You want them gutted here or not?”

He said as he took one out, placed the panicking poultry on the chopping block whilst holding his chopper. At least seeing a live chicken execution will let me forget the stinging stench.

“No, no, I'll butcher it back home.”

She said and the butcher called out his boy who began stuffing the flapping chicken in a small wooden cage.

“You got guest coming, May?”

He said as the third chicken struggled greatly inside the cage.

“I just got a good steal today, and Straus's company is coming home from the post. Think some of them will empty their pockets tonight after months in the countryside.”

She said as she told me to take the cage, which three chicken clucked as their head protruded out of the bar.

“Don't you suppose they'd be sick of eating chicken broth or spit roast for a whole month?”

He washed his hands as he received his coppex.

“Oh, I sure they will but I have something special for them.”

The innkeeper then formed a smirk as she boasted she invented a new recipe. Which got the butcher's curiosity.

“Yeah, right.”

Oh no my mind slipped.

“What?”

Snorted the butcher at me.

“I mean... Yeah, right, I was going to ask about how much is chicken.”

Hopefully that sounded natural.

“Eh? What's got you curious about it?”

May tapped my back with smile.

I just wanted to know the price and value of the money their using. It's not a lie that's for sure. Since I am probably going to be stuck on that inn for a while, knowing the value of each coin is might help us when we get out of this town.

But I'm just relieved that I managed to dodge that.

The butcher laughed at me whom he snorted out that he never thought I, or Elfien, would be finally look at something other than swords and heroes.

It was 9 coppex. 3 coppex per chicken, 2 for a young live laying hen, where as a pair of live chickling is worth 3 coppex.

“Da, aren't the chicks a bit too expensive?”

Commented the boy.

“Artemy sells it for 2, much livelier and yellowish beaks too.”

“Yellow beaks has nothing to do with quality, boy. That hog raiser doesn't know wha-- Wait? Why are you telling them that!?”

“Is that so?”

Smirked May while I kept in mind that two copper coins can mean one hen... And chicks with yellower beaks are healthier?

“Anyway, right now as a welcome back gift you can buy 8 eggs for 2 coppex from O'l Randy's poultry shop.”

He smiled as he told his boy to keep quite. He was sweating a bit as he looked at May.

“Hmm... Well that's a new deal Randy. Since you're being nice to my son then how about 2 for 10 eggs new?”

She crossed her arm as I can hear playful tone.

“What!?”

He squealed as the boy returned with his wooden mug.

“Oh, you don't like that? Ey, boyo, what's the name of that pig farmer?”

Before the boy could utter with a smile, the butcher covered his mouth, took the drink, and told him to shhh!

“3 for 13?”

He said as he drank from his mug.

“Must be nice, that ale, 3 for 15.”

“Please my wife's going to kill me. 3 for 14.”

“3 and half for 15. And I keep my loyalty in this shop. Final.”

“She's going to kill you da.”

The boy remarked as the butcher drank his last, wiped his mouth, and said ai'ght.

“Medium size?”

“Medium size.”

“Deal.”

She clapped her hand and took out 4 copper coins, three was paid and the fourth copper coin was spit into two simple like breaking a twig.

She was quite merry while I felt amused at this barter. After getting the wares, we continued on our way after butcher and son argued on how he almost lost a costumer. Which, I felt a little bit bad since it was my fault that the kid said his opinion. Well, at least I learned something, sorry kid.

We went deeper in the butcher alley where we got a two pounds of pork? Or at least 6 chops of pork. I began memorizing. It was worth 3 coppex... What? It's cheaper than eggs? We then left that slaughter alley and back to the bustling vibrant center where we once again passed through the numerous stalls filled with a plethora of wares. But this time, May and me navigated only to the vegetable stalls. Two whole bundled stalks of refreshing onion chives, greenish celery, five pieces of carrots, and one apple -- a snack for me -- was all worth one coppex.

“One more, and we'll go home, ok?”

Said May to me as she began to lead me to a building where, unlike the houses around that is wooden, this one was built entirely by stone and mason.