Soon we were back in the inn, sitting at the back table. I had grabbed the rest of my gear and was now working on putting sockets into the potions. I wasn’t telling Kasidy what I was doing since she still didn’t know about the Necklace of Cores. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t work on things in front of her.

She had her book out and was writing. I wished that I knew what she was putting in there. However, it would have to wait until she either told me or I learned to read. I was counting on it being me learning to read. Or perhaps Blink learning to read and then telling me, but I wasn’t sure she would do that for me.

As I was working, Iris came over and sat down with us. She had a tray of ale and more bread. She also looked much better, but her eye was still black. I cast a minor heal on her and saw her sit up some. Then she smiled and rubbed her face. Most of the bruising was gone now, but I was sure that it would take a while to completely disappear.

She looked up at me and opened her mouth to say something but paused. Then she grabbed some of the bread and ate it. She did this once more before I had enough.

I sat down my tools and asked. “Iris what is it?”

She looked down at her hands and then up at me and smiled. “Thank you for saving me. I know someone else came in and helped but I know they were there because of you. Thank you. I don’t know how to repay you.”

I kind of understood people wanting to repay others for saving them, but this place took it to the next level. I just shook my head and tried to get back to work.

Then Iris said. “I don’t know how you did it. I saw the bodies so many that you killed to get to us. The hole in the floor and the fully armored guards. The one that you sent never said who she was but I could tell that Kasidy knew her. She was scary but she was gentle with us.”

I laughed a bit. “Yes she is scary and she is with me. She is around some where right now but look you don’t have to worry about how to pay me back. There’s no reason to. It was what needed to happen.”

Iris looked over at Kasidy and then looked at me. “You came for her didn’t you? I was just there?”

I shook my head no. Then I tried to figure out how to say what happened. I didn’t like letting my friends down, and I had said that I would protect her. I didn’t think it would be anything like what happened, but I said I would. Then she got taken from me. If she wasn’t my friend, and I might be using the word too loosely, then I wouldn’t have cared. But it was all those voices of those I let down that drove me to go so fast. That and Blink being almost beside herself in rage.

I looked up from my work. “No Iris, it wasn’t just that Kasidy was there. Even though I have only known you for about a day I would call you a friend. As such I went. Besides that I told your dad I would look out for you right?”

Iris’s face lit up with a big smile. Then she stood up and walked over to her dad and gave him a hug, and went into the back. I heard Kasidy giggle, and then she took a bite of bread to hide her smile.

I raised an eyebrow. “What just happened?”

Kasidy mumbled around her food. “She’s still coming with us.”

I was about to refute it when the door opened, and a group came in waving at Godfrey. They settled down at the bar and talked loudly. One of them, I couldn’t tell which one yelled out. “Drinks around!”

Iris came out the back all smiles and started taking tankards around the room. Then another person rushed into the building and yelled out. “The Merchant Guild master’s dead!”

The place started to pick up some after that. I slid my equipment back away, and Kasidy and I ate. Iris came over and sat with us for a while eating and then got back up and worked the room some. As she did, a guy grabbed her butt, and she slapped him. When he stood up, she pointed over at me, and I waved.

Kasidy laughed. “Well that’s one way to start a bar fight.”

I glanced over at her. “What do you mean?”

“She just told that guy that she’s with you and now he’s going to come prove why she should be with him. I did that a few times with troublemakers never with anyone I liked. I bet she didn’t think this through well.”

Kasidy was right, and the butt grabber came over. I scanned him as he came.

Human Male (Grabber)

Level 12

Armor rating 1

Weapons none

I held in my laugh when I saw that the overlay gave the name of Grabber to the guy I thought of as Butt Grabber. Which meant that I wasn’t getting real names there, just the name that I thought should go there. So it wasn’t a way for me to get more information from them but rather just the system being the system for me.

As Grabber came over, he yelled. “You think you’re good enough for Iris?”

I closed my eyes for a moment to try to figure out what to say then I stood. “Look, I don’t know who you are but there’s no reason for us to fight.”

I stared daggers over at Iris, who just gave me a sweet smile. Then she blushed and ducked behind the bar to get more drinks. The guy took my moment of distraction to throw a fist at me. I got hit, and my head snapped back to the side. I felt the blood from my lip.

I turned back to the guy, and Kasidy yelled. “Bar FIGHT!”

Then a popup showed up right as a tankard hit the guy in the face.

Someone with the Bar Fighting skill is in the bar.

A Bar fight has been declared.

Bar fighting rules have been engaged

I laughed and snapped a kick between the guy’s legs. Right after my kick landed, he bent forward, and I sent an uppercut into his face. He spun with his hip as the axis. It was almost cartoonish, and I knew I didn’t have that type of power. Then his body hit the ground, and he was out cold.

No one else in the inn moved. They looked around, and then someone laughed. Another called out, “Serves him right!” Then the whole place went back to drinking. Godfrey came over and looked down at him, and then laughed.

Kasidy let out what could only be called a pout. “That wasn’t much of a bar fight. Oh well better luck next time.”

He reached down and grabbed the guy’s arm. “John was Iris’s childhood sweet heart but then he dated her friend. He keeps coming back but can’t figure it out.”

Iris swayed over to our table with a smile as her dad dragged her ex out of the room. “Thank you Arn. He never took no for an answer and knowing that you are protecting me just made me so happy.”

She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and tried to leave, but I grabbed her wrist. “Iris sit we need to talk.”

Her eyes went wide, and then she sat down and asked. “Did I do something wrong? I thought you said you came for me.”

I looked around the inn a bit and shook my head. “Where can the three of us talk that is more private?”

Iris pointed through the door to the back. “Our rooms are back there we have a table in the kitchen.”

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

I picked up my bag, and the three of us moved into the back. I had been through the kitchen a couple of times, but I hadn’t looked around. On the other side of the fire was a bend that took us back to the family rooms. Right before we got to them, the kitchen widened out, and there was a table with four chairs.

We sat down, and I looked at the girls. “Iris I don’t know what’s going on but I have a few guesses. That said I need you to think through what you truly want. You just met me today. Yes, I agreed to protect you and I was planning on taking you to Cloudia with us because that’s would keep you safe. I know that I saved your life today but you don’t owe me anything.”

Iris’s eyes started to tear up, and she asked. “I thought that you liked me?”

I sighed. “Iris, I don’t know you to like you. I saved you because your my friend at least I think you are. But that doesn’t mean I want it to be more than that. Your safe in town now. The guy that was after you is dead.”

She nodded. “He is but I am sure there will be others to take his place. I don’t feel safe here anymore but I do feel safe with you around.”

Kasidy had a smirk on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. She mouthed, “Told you.”

I held my breath for just a moment and then said. “I get that you are feeling safe because I am here but that’s not a good reason to kiss me. Even if its on my cheek. It sends the wrong message to not only me but everyone else.”

Iris sat up straight and leaned forward a little with a smile. “Are you with Kasidy? You got a separate room so it can’t be too serious.”

“No I’m not with Kasidy, but there’s a complicated relationship with someone in Cloudia. That’s the main reason I am going there is to clear up everything.”

Kasidy perked up when I said that and then blushed. Iris reached across the table and grabbed my hand, and gave me pleading eyes.

Then Iris said. “Why don’t you explain it so that it’s not complicated anymore.”

I pulled my hand back from Iris. “If I could explain it out then I would and it wouldn’t be complicated. I need to get there and talk to her some to figure out what’s going on.”

As I said that, Godfrey came into the room and saw us talking. Iris had tears in her eyes but was still reaching for my hand and leaning forward.

He cleared his throat. “So what’s going on?”

I smiled at him. “Well I was trying to let your daughter know that I don’t want her kissing me. That I don’t know her that well. But she seems to want to cling to me.”

He nodded. “That could make the trip to Cloudia odd.”

I sighed. “I’ll still take her if you want me to but honestly the guy that was the problem is gone right? The head of the merchants guild.”

Godfrey nodded a little. “He was the main problem but the thugs are out there right now looking for her. They will keep on.”

I shook my head. “I thought the problem was they were protected by the guild. Now that the master is dead I would think the guards wouldn’t mind doing their job.”

Godfrey sighed. “No it’s like a hydra. This guild house has been a problem for years.”

“Why don’t you move then?”

He shook his head and sighed. “This inn was my father-in-laws, and his dad’s back for a dozen generations. I couldn’t do that to my wife’s memory.”

“Does the ruler of Last Port do nothing?”

Iris spoke through her sniffles. “He can’t do anything the guild runs the ports. Everything is run back to that building and they keep everything there. The guild holds the power of all the money. If he were to try to stop them then no one would do business here anymore.”

I gave a grin as an idea ran through my head. “What would happen if the building was no more?”

Godfrey answered. “If that were to happen then the guild’s charter would fail. They would have to reapply in the city per their own rules. But like everything in this town it’s all stone. It’s not going anywhere.”

I thought. “And I bet that it costs a lot to buy more land in the walls as everything has been built up for a long time. Hey quick question is there an adventure’s guild in this city?”

Godfrey laughed. “No. There’s no reason for one. But if there was one then they would put the merchant guild in its place. They could function where the Count can’t.”

Then I stood up and grinned. I was going to mess them up if it meant that I could leave this place a better city. It would change the way the city worked, but that was okay.

“Okay I think I know how to take care of this. I’m going to go deal with the thugs and then get creative with some other things. I don’t think the merchant’s guild will be a soon. I saw something in there that might cause the guild some problems.”

I turned to Iris and asked. “If it was safe would you want to run your family inn?”

She nodded. “I would but right now the only safe place I know is where you are.”

“Look I get that so I am going to try to make this safe for you here. Why don’t you ask Kasidy how many times I have been attacked since she has known me. My travels are far from a safe thing.”

With that, I turned to leave. “Godfrey mind pointing out the thugs to me?”

* * *