The journey back was long and exhausting. After our ordeals in Shaleheart Spring, our supplies were low. With three extra days on our trip than originally planned, the rations had only barely stretched.

By the time we’d made it back to Aldar, we were tired, hungry, and the humans were both in need of a long bath. I was fine, of course. I had managed to catch a mouse in the forest and had kept my fur as clean as could be expected under the circumstances. The others should take a hint from my stunning example of good manners and personal grooming.

The guard at the gates of Aldar had clearly tightened security. The line was long and consisted of many groups without carts. I wondered why. The guard had never stopped us in the past…

I licked my side to pat down the fur. It was fine. Everything was fine. Just a little bit of cleaning, and I’d be the sleekest cat on the block. No guard would turn away a well-groomed cat and his entourage. Everything would be fine.

“Malzy, why do you bother with constant grooming when your fur is patchy like that?” Raina asked as we stepped in line. I hung my head in shame.

So, maybe the patches of fur I lost to the webs made it so I wasn’t as well kempt as I wished I was, but, at the very least, I could clean myself. I couldn’t say the same for certain humans!

I wrapped my tail around Raina’s neck instead of responding. To acknowledge her question would require me to admit that I agreed with her. I looked mangy and flea bitten, and it was horrible. If she’d had a cloak to hide in, I’d have done so in a heartbeat rather than be seen in public without my glossy coat. Unfortunately, a good cloak for her was on our list of ‘to be purchased’ items as the first one had been sacrificed for the scorpion bomb.

“Well, if that ain’t a familiar face,” said a familiar voice from behind us. Raina turned. My ears perked forward as I recognized the fisherman Terrowin had been with when I first came to Aldar.

“I’m sorry, sir, do you know us?” Raina asked. Aelisra just shrugged.

“No, no, not you ladies.” He pointed to me. “The fine young man with you.” I rose from Raina’s shoulders and jumped to the edge of his cart. He offered me a tiny bit of fish which I accepted greedily. “You’re lookin’ a might bit more handsome than the last time I saw ye. Find the thing you were lookin’ for?”

“Sure did!” I said with a purr. “No thanks to Terrowin, though. He couldn’t navigate to a lit lamppost in the dark.”

Raina laughed. “Malzy, don’t be so mean to the poor knight.”

“He deserves it after being unable to find the temple, a building which is the grandest around and located centrally for the convenience of the locals after receiving directions directly to it!”

“He talks to you?” the fisherman asked Raina.

“Unfortunately, I am subjected to his megalomania, yes.”

“Well, I’ll be, you must be Elana’s kid, then.” He offered a hand to Raina to shake. “I thought I recognized the twinkle in your eye.”

“You knew my mother?”

He nodded. “Not well, mind you. But, she eased my wife’s suffering when the church wrote ‘er off as a lost cause. Corruption sickness took ‘er just last year, but at least she got an easier end thanks to your mother.”

“I’m sorry to hear that mister…?”

“Herrin, William Herrin,” he introduced. “I remember Elana would talk to that raven of ‘ers the way you talk to this fine gentleman. I’m glad to see you taking an interest in her legacy.”

“Thank you, sir.” Raina beamed with pride. “She was a great mage, both in might and in the capacity of her heart.”

“Aye, that she was. Was sorry to hear she passed.”

“Thank you.” Raina looked down, her smile fading at the reminder.

William tossed another bit of fish in the air for me. I jumped at it, catching it deftly in my teeth before landing back on the edge of the cart. I wolfed it down, savoring the delicious taste. The fisherman cheered in excitement and threw another piece. After catching it again, I purred and rubbed against the old man’s hand.

“You don’t even rub against me that way, Malzy,” Raina said with a frown.

I huffed. “Make more offerings of fish and maybe that will change.”

Raina translated my answer for the rest of the group with a sheepish smile. William whooped with laughter and scratched me behind the ears. I was pleased. He was a fine follower. I’d allow him to touch me in exchange for more of his delicious fishy treats.

“Say, Mister Herrin,” Aelisra interrupted. “I’ve lived in Aldar my whole life and I’ve never seen them tighten security like this. Normally, individuals without goods or carts can enter without question. What’s going on?”

William’s face fell a touch, but he continued scratching my ears. “Haven’t heard? Word reached town that Teralys has begun massing their forces along their borders. Lord Erik is worried about spies and saboteurs comin’ to soften up the northern towns in preparation for invasion. The guard are lookin’ out for rogues and mages who could deal some damage.”

“And yet he doesn’t ask the king for support?”

“Nah, we ain’t that close to the border. The king won’t even invoke Guild Law for us for a good long while.” William spat to the side. “All a load of rotten fish to me. Nobles and their petty squabbles, and it’s the little guys like us who gotta deal with long lines stoppin’ business.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Raina nodded and we stepped closer to the gates. It was nearly an hour before we reached the front. The guard stepped up to us with a clipboard in hand.

“Names and business in town?” he said.

“I’m Raina Whitehex, and this is Aelisra with the temple of Valencia,” my witch said. “We’re just returning from a task on the temple’s behalf.”

Aelisra presented her holy symbol for the guard to examine. He made a few notes before waving us through. William waved to us as his cart was held back to receive a more thorough search.

“I wonder if the fighting will reach all the way here?” Raina said.

Aelisra shook her head. “I doubt it. They’ll send in the Strategy Classers well before we see any action. I wouldn’t be too worried.”

She was right, in my opinion. Based on my limited knowledge of the local politics, Teralys had bigger problems than Senelar. Their major threat was their western neighbor Ketiran, which kept them far too busy to worry about any issues with the south.

The conflict was an age old dispute over resources and Senelar just didn’t have enough in the area to justify invasion. Most of the north was inhospitable forest with limited mineral wealth to speak of. The only thing we had was mana, but Teralys had plenty of that on their eastern and northern borders, which were much closer to dungeon infested lands and were brimming with mana nexii. Comparatively speaking we were a nation with nothing worth stealing.

And yet…I thought it quite clever that Lord Erik had the foresight to implement such measures. Though Raina hadn’t ever discussed it with me, I had done some thinking myself about how a world like Atria could be exploited. Strength was quantifiable. If I were a monarch, I would consider people to be as much a resource as mana or minerals. If the resource of powerful people were to run dry, then there was always a way to get more. Kidnapping mediocre adventurers and guards from other towns, then throwing them together to appease Amsiii’s bloodlust and earn them levels might not be a bad way to raise a few elite troops very quickly. Of course, that assumes that the hypothetical monarch can guarantee they wouldn’t turn on you, otherwise, the plan is useless.

In that way, a comparatively weak neighbor might be a perfect source of power during a war with a much greater threat. Rogues and kidnappers sneaking in and smuggling out mediocre guards and their families was something to keep an eye out for.

I’d have to keep my ears open. My census of the adventurer’s guild had given me a good idea of how powerful people in this town were. At level 18, we were now on the higher end of the average, since most adventurers in Aldar had never set foot in a dungeon before and, thus, had never benefitted from the surplus of experience Amsiii was willing to dish out to those who challenged one. We would make enticing targets if we let our guard down.

Our first stop was the temple. Terrowin and Cithrael had likely given Ser Rivan an update when they’d returned, but the rite wouldn’t be officially recognized by the church itself until we actually returned with Aelisra.

The paladin’s excitement was palpable, growing with every step we climbed to the center of town. By the time we stood on the steps to the temple itself, I was worried she might explode. She threw open the doors and rushed into the main chapel.

“Ser Rivan! I’m back!” she called, earning her a withering look from the priest, who was clearly in a deep discussion with a taller man with his back to us. Aelisra bowed her head in apology, and we stepped aside to wait patiently in a few of the pews set aside for worshippers.

It gave me the opportunity to study the temple itself. Everything was decorated in gold paint and white stone. The altar and ritual arena were towards the back of the room where a stained-glass image of a woman with golden hair and wings dressed in full plate armor glared down at the congregation with a determination I found unsettling.

“I appreciate your position, my lord,” Ser Rivan said. “But, my priorities still lay with the more imminent threat to the land. This beast is still loose, and I cannot commit my people to fighting shadows when we may be called up at a moment’s notice to fell the corruption at our doorstep.”

“There’s no guarantee that the church will need to get involved, Rivan,” answered the taller man. I recognized that voice. It was Lord Erik. “The adventurers are a skilled group. They may triumph on their own. All I’m asking is a few clerics and paladins to get ahead of the curve while the ticks have not dug in, yet.”

“I’m sorry, Erik, but my answer is final. Your priority is the war, but until a threat has been made against the people, my hands are tied.”

The lord paused, clearly trying to decide if there was any power at his disposal that was worth using to force Ser Rivan’s hand. In the end, he bowed his head.

“Of course, thank you for considering my request,” Lord Erik finally responded.

Ser Rivan bowed. “And thank you for respecting my decision.”

The Lord turned and strode down the aisle towards us. Raina and Aelisra both bowed their heads in respect, but I just stared the man down. To my surprise, his eyes met mine and he held my gaze for a moment before he smiled good-naturedly at my hench-humans.

“Well, rumor had it that a group of adventurers had brought back a dungeon core while on a mission for the church,” he began. “Would I be correct in assuming you both are part of that group?”

Aelisra and Raina both looked up in surprise, but I wasn’t sure what shocked them so much. The Lord was a high-level adventurer himself. All this proved was that he had good taste and a keen eye for new talent.

“Uh, yes, my lord,” Aelisra confirmed, meeting his gaze. “The dungeon had taken over the water nexus at Shaleheart Spring. We were just doing the right thing.”

“Keep up the good work,” the lord said. “I believe that Lizzie at the guild has taken the core for safe keeping, but rest assured that I would be most interested in acquiring it for the crown, should you be looking to sell it.”

He looked over Aelisra first before bowing his head and touching a symbol similar to her own that hung around his neck. He was a paladin of Valencia himself, if memory served. It only made sense that he would be interested in supporting the newer recruits.

What didn’t make quite as much sense to me was how long his gaze lingered on Raina and I. He looked first at her, then narrowed his eyes just a touch before looking at me. Once again, I held his gaze to remind him who he would have to answer to if he did anything to my witch.

Just as quickly as the look appeared, it was gone, replaced by a kind-hearted smile. “I’ll be keen on watching your group progress,” he said before turning and marching from the hall.

“What was that all about?” I asked Raina.

“What was what?”

“He gave us a look.”

“What kind of look?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. He’d narrowed his eyes…was it…suspicion? Did he realize that we practiced absorption magic? But, why would he care? It wasn’t illegal…and clearly the church itself didn’t have a problem with unholy casters if they were so willing to create a ritual to intentionally corrupt the mana of their youth.

Or was that part even known? Did Aelisra know that she’d been corrupted by the ritual, even if only a little? Given her opinion of Qelona, I was willing to bet she didn’t know what the church had just done to her. If she’d known, she would surely have disapproved.

So, what was Lord Erik’s problem? Why the strange look?

I wrapped my tail around Raina’s neck possessively. People don’t just give looks for no reason. He was plotting something. And if he wasn’t now, he certainly would be after whatever had passed through his mind when he looked at Raina. Little did he know that Raina was my hench-human. I would be ready for whatever threat he might pose.

“Malzy?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”

“No,” I answered before leaping from her shoulder.

“Where are you going?”

“To get some more fish from William,” I lied. Raina didn’t need to know where I was going or what I was about to do, nor should she come with me even if she did. Better for her and the others to know as little as possible should things go poorly.

I quietly raced from the room, following the scent of Lord Erik.