Quest completed! Gained 5 Experience Point(s) and 1 Gold(s)!

As much as it pains me to admit it, questing is proving to be rather unsatisfying. For every one that I complete, two more seem to pop up, and while rewards hardly matter, of course, I seem to be earning much less gold from completing them than I used to.

"Uh... Squire? Don't you think that it's time for us to be moving on?" Vile asked. Both Carrie and Slave have been following my journeys through town completing quests, with the rat standing upon the back of the cat, as per usual.

I can't help but frown a little at the idea. Sure, the list of people in need of aid within this city feels completely endless, and the pets feel so undeserved that they aren't even adding to my tally of them, but that doesn't matter. People still need my help. I need to feel like I'm making a difference. Sure, in an indirect way we might have helped a bit by accomplishing that major quest, but it still doesn't feel that way. It's virtually impossible to think of the potential lives which were saved, without remembering the actual ones which were lost.

Besides, just look at this place... so many poor and sick people who are asking for so little. How can I honestly look to them and say that they aren't important enough to help? That I have more important things that I need to do? I have no idea how many quests I've completed since the fated battle with the human killer. I wonder if a part of me is just waiting for another fiery exclamation point to appear, the 'real' town quest, the one where when I finish it, I can set all of the wrongs right, and make everyone happy. Of course I know that isn't going to happen, that things don't work like that, but still, I want to do something. I have to be able to do something... otherwise, what's the point of any of this?

And yet no matter how many people I heal, no matter how much food I bring to others and no matter how much of money I offer, nothing seems to change at all. It's as though this city, with so many people and such impressive structures is trapped in some sort of horrific loop of misery, where nothing can stop the people within from just repeating the same mistakes over and over again. At least I hope that they are mistakes. The alternative, that this is simply how things are and how life is meant to be is just too terrible to contemplate.

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I sigh, looking to the sea of people, the dozens of floating exclamation points, and this vast, great city that the humans have built. If only I were stronger. Maybe then things could be different.

"Come on. Let's go." Slave says as she steps up alongside me, "I know that you want to help them, but it's not your job to fix the world. It's theirs."

The dark furred cat raises her head, the broken chain from her collar chiming as she looks across the crowd. I watch alongside her in silence for a few moment before offering my ally a slight smile.

"The whole world, huh? That does sound like an awful lot of work... I guess it's no wonder that they have such a hard time with it." I say as I take in all of the people once more. It's hard to look past all of those quest markers, both in principle and because they're so bright. It's hard not to see those symbols of the people that I couldn't help, that the world refuses to help, but with a little effort I manage to. I see the children playing, the workers laughing amongst themselves, the citizens who usually simply pass by the filthy and aged beggars... but not always. Sometimes, even the busiest and least patient looking actually do stop, and help just a little, despite not even receiving so much as a pet in return. I give a slight smile as I rise up to my feet. "I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually, though."

Sure, this city still smells of rot and filth and flesh, but there's still another smell, a very precious and familiar one, one which I follow through the throes of people, until it takes me to a gate at the far end of town. I give another last look back, giving a quick nod to Slave and Vile who sits atop her, and then let out a surprised yelp. I look over my shoulder to see Carrie standing atop my back, gripping the fur uncomfortably within her talons.

"What?" she asks.

"It just... kind of hurts." I wince as I squirm, just a bit, to try to find a more comfortable position. The effort is clearly doomed to failure, however.

"Oh, suck it up, Princess. You guys move way too slowly for me to fly, and my feet aren't made for excessive walking."

"Princess?" I half whine. Slave lets out a little snicker at my expense. I guess it's only fair that she's not the only one forced to carry a passenger. It might be a little uncomfortable, but it's hard to complain too much. I'm drawing ever closer to my final destination, and maybe it's just my imagination, but the scent of my master feels stronger. Not a whole lot, of course, but still, it's enough. In fact it's more than enough.

Max Hit Points have increased by two point(s)!

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Next time on An Adventurer's Best Friend:

Squire: "Well, that place was a bit of a downer, but I'm sure things will be so much better from here on! The next place is full on non-dead people, after all!"

Vile: "They aren't 'non-dead', they're 'undead'."

Squire: "Huh. How is that different from what I said?"

The Fallen Ones Arc: Not all dead remain at rest. Some have never been busier.