After another night of rest the pair awoke and shared another meal with their new friend. As they were finishing Derelict motioned to a small bag on the table with his fork. Alex reached across the table, picked it up, and opened the bag. From the bag, which was just a small leather pouch, he removed 20 copper coins, 5 silver coins, and a single gold coin.

“Derelict! What are these for?” Alex said with a mouthful.

“Alex! Have some manners!” Slime barked at the boy. He then looked over to Derelict. “This is very kind, thank you.”

Derelict gave a smile to the pair.

“Use this to buy some provisions for your trip. I’ve given you some coin so don’t go spending it all in one place. I’ve a few more items for you over here.” He said as he pressed his weight up on to his cane. He walked into a small closet and emerged with a small chest about the width of his body. He carried it under his arm as he wobbled back to the table. Alex jumped up and offered to assist him, but Derelict motioned for him to return to his breakfast and that he was fine.

He placed the chest near Alex and with a heavy sigh slunk back into his old wooden chair that let out a low creek as his weight pressed into the back and he resumed his morning tea.

“Feel free to open this whenever you like.” Derelict encouraged.

Alex finished what was in his mouth, rubbed his hands on his pants and moved the chest in front of him so that he could open the chest. It was a standard wooden chest with a metal frame, nothing to extraordinary. Out of it he pulled a map, an empty book, writing materials, a small fire starter, a short metal one-handed sword, a newer knapsack, a pocket watch, and a new cot. Alex and Slime were both surprised by Derelict’s kindness.

“Gee Derelict, you’re giving all this to us?” Alex said softly in surprise.

As usual he gave them another smile and a nod.

“But why?” Slime said puzzled.

“We’re friends, aren’t we? I want to help you as much as I can. But being an old man, I can’t exactly escort you to the woods myself. Instead, I can give you these items I no longer have any use for but that will surely be of use to you two.”

Slime looked at him for a moment. “That’s an awful lot to give a friend you just made though.” He stated, knowing it appeared unappreciative, but it seemed out of place to him.

“Hahaha, I suppose you’re not use to receiving help from many humans. Some of us can be quite generous! Where I come from, we try to take care of friends and family.” There was a tone of gloating in Derelict’s voice.

“And WHERE do you come from?” Slime persisted.

“Oh, you’ve probably never heard it. It’s a small town in the mid-west of the continent named Mawrhead.”

“You’re right I have never heard of it.” Slime shrugged.

“Well if you ever find yourself there, they’d be happy to have you. Get you a warm bed and some of the finest hot dish you could get.” He said fondly remembering home.

Alex and Slime looked a bit confused.

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“Why would I want a hot plate?” Alex asked.

The room was swallowed up with a hearty belly laugh from old Derelict.

“Make sure you say that to’em if you ever get there.” His laugh continued

The pair just looked at each other confused.

“Now, you two best get into town and start buying some provisions. You’re going to want some food that will last. Best to get some jerky and nuts. Bread would do you well too. Might not hurt to get a small frying pan for cooking while you’re traveling. You’ll never know when you’ll get to another town, village, or campground. You’ll also want to think of getting yourself outfitted for some armour. I would gladly give you mine, but it is fitted for a grown man and you’re still the size of, well, a kid.” Derelict rattled off more such things for a while.

“All right I think you two are set. Why not leave your stuff here, get your stuff and come back? You’re welcome to stay another night before heading out. Be a good chance for you to explore the city a little while you’re getting set up.”

Alex and Slime nodded in agreement and started to head for the door.

“Oh, a bit of directional advice, if I may. If you get lost there are town maps located every so often around town. You can also ask a guard or a shop keeper. Most of us know where to go and if you can’t get back here on your own someone will surly help you. There are plenty of variety in the shops in town but if I could make some recommendations it’d be the following.”

He cleared his throat, realizing he’d be going on for a bit. He gave his lips a quick dampening before starting again.

“Take a right out my door and then soon after a left. Follow the stone wall a bit and on your left, you’ll find my friend Saffron’s Bakery. She makes some of the best nut bread you could imagine. Or if you go left, you’ll eventually come to a fountain this is our town square and a lot of popular shops are located here. There’s Triton’s Weapon Shop, Bravely’s Armour Shoppe, Hilda’s Grocer and Stuff which sells produce, meats, and items like that frying pan I mentioned, and lastly Guenevere’s Home for All Things Magic and Magical. Quite a mouthful that name is but you bet your last copper coin she lives up to the name.” He finished.

The two gave Derelict a wave as a thank you and went out the door. With a thud the shop was left quiet.

Derelict’s smile slowly faded and soon a sad looking frown took its place. His posture he maintained broke and he hung hard of his cane as he started on to the back room. He wobbled from the front of the store back towards his personal room. He stopped on occasion to look at parts in his shop and for many moments his mind would wander. He did this at the stairs, the breakfast table, the meeting table, bookshelf, closet, and eventually he made his way into a back room. As he began to shut the door, he turned to peer out it once more. Ensuring that no one was behind him and that no one had come into the store. Confident that he was alone he shut the door and locked it.

This room wasn’t large. It was long but rather small otherwise. The walls were lined with tools and small gadgets with a table against the wall about right in the middle of the two walls. Rags and small cans were laid about this desk and Derelict made his way there and sat down. He licked his lips and reached his hand down to open a drawer. His hand resting for a moment unsure if he wanted to open it or not. Eventually he did open it and inside he removed a small box. He sat for a moment thinking to himself, his hand resting atop of the box. After a short respite, and internal struggle, he mustered the courage to open it. From it he produced a small book and in it were photographs pinned and pressed into the pages. There were many photos he paged through. All of them shared the theme of a couple. A young man wearing dark armour that looked like that of a dragon. Some of a beautiful woman dressed in dark robes, some she wore a pointy steepled hat in others, she didn’t. There were photos of them together in combat gear, formal wear, and casual wear. Many in this shop and many more in various locales. Some were cute, some were heartwarming, and some were just silly. He finally came across pictures of the pair with a baby and after a few more pages a small boy. They were happy and smiling. Photos of the trio cuddling, eating together, playing together, photos of a family being a family. But as the pages went on the album eventually ended with a close-up of a small boy grinning ear to ear with a missing front tooth.

Derelict stopped on this photo and starred deeply at it for a long time. At the bottom of the photo was a name written out – Amare.

Tears rolled down Derelict’s face as he gazed on at the photograph of the little boy.

“If only I could’ve helped you, my son.”