Cliffall truly earned its name. The city was built into a canyon with a single street sloping down each side. There were a few staircases connecting the levels in regular intervals to make going from A to B easier. The ground level was a maybe 70 metres wide flat with a river cutting through the middle. That was where most of the busy work was done, people milling about in their day-to-day.

Alexandra was glad the journey had been without any interruptions after the ambush. They were able to sell the excess food in the first few mining towns before simply booking it straight through the province. The horses were exhausted from the journey but they would live.

Their little group was standing on the road coming from the west into the city. There was a checkpoint a few hundred metres ahead with a small gatehouse. A wall was not needed with the natural protections but they still had guards to protect the entrance.

“This is where we’ll separate”, Alexandra said, “Stay safe.”

The guard simply nodded in thanks while the merchant could not just let her be.

“I get why you want to be on your own but we’d be able to vouch for you. Why, just let me host you as thanks for your tremendous help. You have more than earned it.”

“And your business will be fine with that? You need every bit you have to rebuild. Focus on that, Scrooge.”

“Ah, but…”

“No buts. Just move on.”

Hera turned in her seat to look at the living fortress sitting right behind her. The two women smiled at each other.

“Ahh… you’re just telling us to move on without you so we don’t get in the way. I understand, Alexandra. I will not bother you any longer.”

The merchant took the reins of the unmanned horses next to him and rode towards the gate.

“But if you ever need something, just find me. Old Scrooge‘ll never forget a debt.”

Alexandra rolled her eyes but smiled at his antics. The guard said his goodbyes as well and followed his employer. She turned to the girl sitting in front of her. Girl might be the wrong word. Hera was in her early twenties, after all.

“So, you’re sure?”, Alexandra asked.

“Mhm!”, Hera nodded.

“You really want to stick with me, even though it might cause issues?”

“Yes. I would’ve found a job in a tavern or… somewhere. But I’d prefer to stick with you.”

“Alright. We’ll have to get you in shape, then. Or just keep the horse? We’ll figure it out.”

Hera tilted her head and received a pat for it.

The two moved on a few minutes later once the men had disappeared beyond the gate. The guards eyed them warily. Alexandra was wearing her full getup once again, including the mask, while Hera was still in her simple cotton robes and leather cloak. The clothes had taken quite the abuse during the journey and desperately needed a thorough cleaning and stitching in several places.

“Halt!”, one guard called out as they stepped up to the gate.

“What brings you to Cliffall?”

“Just passing through”, Alexandra said, “We’re looking to stock up on provisions and get our gear checked.”

The guard nodded.

“The men just now travelling with you?”

“For most of the journey, yes.”

“Glad you made it through. Scrooge told us about the ambush.”

“I see?”

“I’ll need to [Identify] both of you. May I?”

The women nodded and shortly after the telltale stinging of the Skill pulled on her soul. The man’s eyes widened underneath his helmet.

“I’ll have to document this. Do you have any affiliates or alignments?”

Alexandra raised an eyebrow underneath the mask.

“This right here work?”

She pointed a finger and the sign on her cheek.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Lady Dwarf. I didn’t see that.”

“No worries. I’m not a Lady.”

“That so? Still, you’re good to go. Try not to make any trouble.”

“Of course.”

The guards let them through the gate onto a slope leading directly onto the main street. The city was bustling in the early afternoon sun with many a merchant trying to sell their wares and children cheering as they played. The city looked prosperous if a little dirty. Many carts with ores, stones or even refined metal rolled along the pavement, some pulled by mules, others by men. Every surface was covered in dust of differing colours. There was the rusty-red of iron, coal-black and all kinds of browns and grey in between. Even the stones making up the houses had their colours vary. The higher up one got into the city, the cleaner everything got. Most of the mines were near the bottom and the forges and smithies sat at the back of the valley.

The two women found themselves an inn and used the remaining daylight to find a tailor. It turned out to be more difficult than expected since Hera wanted to just find somewhere cheap which Alexandra did not agree with. Eventually, the living fortress convinced her new companion to just let herself be spoiled for the time being. They could discuss the details of travelling together at a later time.

They entered a shop not far from the fancy houses near the top of the valley with some sturdy clothes on display. A middle-aged seamstress welcomed them with a slightly off-put face that quickly turned into a smile at Alexandra’s mask.

“Ah, young Lady, how may I help you today?”, the woman asked.

“We need to get our clothes fixed or replaced. Mostly for her.”

The woman pulled Hera forwards and inspected the cloak and dress.

“Ah, you have been travelling? Will you need something sturdy again? If so, I suggest simply buying a new dress and cloak. I can even recommend you a great cobbler as well if you need your boots replaced.”

“That would be great. We’ll be buying new things. How much for a full set of similar style to what we’re wearing now?”

“Ah, let me see. We may have some things that only require a little fitting which would lower the price. Sturdy materials are not easy to come by so they will be quite expensive either way.”

Hera looked worriedly at Alexandra.

“Price is not an issue. Just get something comfy and sturdy.”

“Of course, Milady. May I take the missus for measuring?”

“Sure. I know my measurements already.”

“Oh, but everyone changes once in a while.”

“I don’t.”

Something in Alexandra’s voice made the seamstress swallow her next remark.

“Very well, then. Just come along and tell me. I will need to take some notes.”

The living fortress enjoyed how Hera squirmed under the measuring tape in only her underclothes. There was nothing sexual about it, it was simply funny. The poor woman had no idea what was happening to her.

Later that night, they were back in their shared room. Hera sat on her bed, curled up next to the wall while Alexandra laid back wholly relaxed one leg resting on a propped-up knee.

“So, we should probably figure something out”, Alexandra began eventually.

Hera squeaked and fell over.

“Calm down. What has you so worried?”

“A-are you… going to use me?”

“What? No. No matter what you mean by that. It’s boring to travel alone and you need some help so we can kill two birds with one stone.”

“Kill?”

Alexandra rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean. Tell me a little about your past, okay?”

It took a few minutes for Hera to collect her thoughts before she began her tale.

“I… grew up in Trade Town. My father was a carpenter and my mother helped out with his work. But I never wanted to get married off. And they were okay with that, which is so nice. But there was this guy, an innkeeper. He wanted to have me marry his son and… things happened. Eventually, Dad’s shop went bankrupt and they had to get a job but they could only find something that wouldn’t pay for me so I looked for a job as well and…”

“Slow down!”, Alexandra said, “Take a deep breath. I got the gist of it, you don’t have to force yourself.”

Hera pressed her face to her knees and whimpered.

“Are your parents okay?”

She nodded into her legs.

“You ran away?”

A head-shake.

“They sent you off, then?”

A nod.

“I see. I guess they gave you some money to start a new life somewhere else?”

“Y-yes.”

“How much do you have?”

“… two gold.”

“Eterios?”

A nod.

“That’s not much.”

“It’s nothing!”, Hera complained.

“Compared to some others, yeah.”

“Compared to the clothes you’re buying me! They would’ve never let me in the shop!”

“Right. Those are a present. Don’t mind it. I brought enough savings.”

“They’re ten gold!”

“For both of us together. It’s not that bad, really.”

“… are you rich?”

“Probably? Listen. You said you want to travel with me. How did you think that would work?”

“I… was thinking… you could hire me?”

Alexandra snorted.

“To do what exactly?”

“I don’t know! To do your chores or something!”

“I guess that’s an option… I don’t really need much help, though.”

“But! I don’t know what to do…”

Alexandra stood up and sat next to Hera. The girl had tears forming in her eyes. An arm went around her shoulder and the living fortress slowly calmed her down with soothing tones. After a few minutes, Hera grabbed the metal hand brushing her cheek.

“You’re so amazing”, she asked, “What are you even made from?”

“This? It’s thaumium. Pretty good metal.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Look. Here’s the deal. You’ll travel with me until you find something you want to do more. Until then, you help me out with whatever I can think of. And I’ll pay for your food and lodging and clothes plus a little pocket money. How’s that sound?”

Hera’s eyes had slowly turned wider with every word and now threatened to pop out of their sockets.

“W-w-what? Are you insane?”

“Yes?”, Alexandra smirked.

“That’s way too much! Just food and a place to sleep is all I need!”

“And what will you do if you need something new to wear? Or if you want to move on and find a place for yourself? You can’t just be my servant for life. I don’t need a servant. Not for life or anything. I just want to make it a little easier on you since you’re my friend.”

Hera tightened her grip on Alexandra’s hand. It did not hurt at all thanks to the tears of joy in her eyes. With a whining laugh, the girl threw herself around Alexandra’s shoulders.

“Thank you so much! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

The living fortress smiled softly as she caressed her friend’s back. If it only took such a simple thing to make the girl happy, she must have really had a rough time.

“Oh!”, Hera suddenly shouted, “I unlocked a new Class!”

“You did?”

“Yes! Should I take it?”

“How the hell would I know? What’s it even called?”

“Ah. It’s [Fortress Maid]. I don’t know if it’s good…”

“What the… Well, you’d be specialized quite a bit with that. What Class do you have right now?”

“I have [Apprentice Carpenter]. I was trying for level 50 before upgrading but I only got to 47 before…”

“Huh. I guess you’d most likely choose a new Class anyway, right?”

Hera nodded.

“Then you might as well take this one for the time being. You can always drop it later.”

“Right! I’ll change Class, then!”

Before Alexandra could say another word, Hera collapsed on top of her, grunting in pain. The living fortress quickly realized the girl had fallen unconscious. She made sure her friend, soon-to-be maid, was still breathing and had a pulse before gently laying her on the side. With a smile, Alexandra kept stroking the blonde hair as she wondered what Fio would think about this development.