I had been unsure of how to get up in time in the morning without an alarm but I found out that there was an alarm at the Inn, her name was Annie.

“Sir Victor, my uncle asked me to wake you up.” Said Annie right from next to my bed as she bent-over and talked softly. This might have been extremely cute and something that many a man had dreamt of, had it not been for the fact that I had both locked the door and not expected this at all.

“Um…” There was an awkward moment where Annie’s big dark eyes peered into mine from well within my personal space before I could speak properly. “I-I’m awake, g-good morning Annie.” I said putting on a strained smile. “At least she is green so I doubt I’m about to get stabbed.” I thought as I swallowed some saliva. Luckily Annie stood back up and smiled brightly.

“Good morning Victor.” She said innocently. “Uncle has some bread and leftover stew from yesterday heated up for you downstairs.” She backed off a step and seemed to be waiting for something so I pulled out a silver from my storage.

“Thank you” I said and handed over the coin. Annie took it and held my hand slightly longer than what was strictly necessary.

“Any time” She beamed “please stay with us next time as well.” She winked and left.

“…” I let the silence stretch for a bit before taking a deep breath. “Well that was not terrifying at all.” I said with a shudder.

After getting dressed in my new armour, which fit perfectly I went down stairs. “Maybe all that touching had a purpose… yeah, let’s go with that. Feels like that’d be better for my sanity.” My internal thoughts aside I was all but alone in the common area and after greeting Imon I had my breakfast in peace. When I was finishing my last piece of bread the door opened.

“Morning Imon!” A cheery Gilana greeted as she entered the inn.

“Good morning miss Gilana.” Imon answered with a bow. His deference was a bit startling.

“You ready to go Goldie?” Gilana asked me with a wide grin. I just sighed, plopped the last piece of food in my mouth and followed Gilana. In the corner of my eye I spotted an unhappy Annie but then I was outside.

Our journey to the east gate was almost pleasant and uninterrupted. Almost being the keyword in both cases. It was almost pleasant because there were far fewer people this early and the weather was nice. The not so nice part was that Gilana was very much a morning person. I am not.

Why our journey was not interrupted was well, that was my fault.

“Some urchins are following us.” Kiyara observed unhappily. Kiyara looked just as good as she had last night but from her mood I could sense another night owl.

“We are?” I asked and looked around seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

“Were you born yesterday?” Kiyara asked and shot me a glare. “Who is told that they are being followed and starts looking around like a child?” I was getting far more emotion from Kiyara this morning, pity it was all acid. “In the future, would you mind at least feigning competence and not look around like a dullard if I tell you we are being followed or watched?” I guess I now know why Gilana wasn’t clinging to Kiyara this morning. Then she almost spat out a sigh. “They left now.”

This had happened close to the central eastern gate and I didn’t think more about it until we arrived at the outer part of the lower city. There I found an old woman in a nun’s habit waiting for me with a whole flock of children in what was little better than rags cluttering behind her. I recognized two boys who spoke a short word to the nun and she hobbled over on a pair of rudimentary crutches. She locked eyes with me and I stepped out to meet her. This elicited an annoyed sigh and roll of the eyes from Kiyara but the other two seemed intrigued.

“Good day good sir.” She bowed awkwardly due to missing a leg.

“Good day to you too Sister, please do stand. There is no reason for you to bow to the likes of me.” My words made a flash of surprise flicker across the nun’s face.

“On the contrary, good sir.” She spoke firmly and the boys came over nervously to her and resting her crutches against her side she grabbed the boys’ heads and bowed once more with the two boys from yesterday. “Mine have done something terribly rude to you, good sir, and you repaid them not with violence but with kindness.” At this point I was quite flustered and we were gathering a crowd. “How could I not lower my head and thank you?” She asked sincerely. The two boys seemed even more flustered than me, the sight of the nun barely staying on her one leg as she apologized for them affected them deeply.

“Please raise your head! I did nothing so praiseworthy.” I stepped up to the nun and gently stood her back up. “For someone who does so much, such excessive…” I trailed off, smelling something that I had only smelled once before by happenstance and I almost panicked as I noted the pained look in the nun’s eyes. “Gangrene… she is dying.”

“Sir?” The nun asked, hiding her apparent pain with a smile. She was very thin and the smell of gangrene was almost covered by an herb of some kind.

“I’m sorry but if you are really thankful, then allow me to examine you.” I said firmly and was far more embarrassed then I’d like to admit when the woman had the audacity to blush! “I-I um… I don’t mean it like that!” I hurriedly tried to explain myself in the face of the condemning looks I was getting from the women around me. “I can smell gangrene on you, it should be causing you quite a bit of pain and if left untreated it will only get worse.” This made the children run up to us and chatter loudly with distress clear in their voices.

“I’m afraid that I cannot afford any treatment you could offer.” The nun said with a pained smile.

“””NO!””” The many voices of the children erupted as one and I put on the gentlest smile I could muster.

“I won’t charge you. I’m new at this and I’m not even sure if I could treat you so how about you consider it helping me out with an experiment?” I asked, making up not only a plausible but a true excuse on the spot. This made some of the children scream ‘No’ but at least some of the older seemed to understand and hushed the others.

“You don’t seem like you’d take a no for an answer and I don’t think you have any bad intentions…” Her grey eyes peered into mine. The nun must have been a beautiful woman once, but now she was not much more than a shell.

“You are correct on both accounts.” I never was a very stubborn person. If I had been I would have probably finished college. “But hey, new life and all, let’s try and do better!” The nun laughed, it was a bit pained but it was a true laugh.

Together with the children we made our way into a less than stellar part of town and into an old church that was so worn down by time and the elements, that it more resembled a neat pile of rubble than a building. It looked that bad. Yet, it mostly kept the rain and wind out. Looking at all the children made my heart sink and I vowed to do what little I could to help.

“This way.” The nun said and slowly made her way into a small room filled with handmade gifts of ‘less than professional quality’. It was obviously from the children and I steeled myself to do anything I could to save this woman. The nun sat down heavily on her cot and rubbed her sore arms, she observed me as I looked at the many gifts and a slight smile played on her face. “Do you like children?” She asked with great warmth in her voice. She looked over at the two boys I had met the previous day. The two of them had refused to leave her side even as we entered the nun’s room.

“’Those who do not like children have never been children’” I answered her with the same answer my granny once told me.

“Haha.” she laughed gently. “If only that was the case.” She glanced a bit sadly at the two boys. I looked her in the eyes and was unable to gauge the emotion that resided deep within their grey depths. I smiled at her and braced myself.

“Now I have to leave the city today…” I did not get to finish my sentence.

“No, you should already have left.” Fiyara said accusingly. I hadn’t even noticed that she had followed me to the nun’s room. A gave her a flat look which she returned.

“I apologize about my fri… companion.” The death glare I got made it clear we were not yet friends so I shifted to the more neutral ‘companion’. “Would you mind showing me where it hurts?” She nodded and pulled up the hem of her nun’s habit and my heart sank. No, that is far too much of an understatement. My heart hit rock bottom with a thud. “She is going to lose that leg or her life.”

I looked at her swollen and discoloured leg with great sadness. I entered my mind palace and read up on gangrene finding nothing to comfort the terrible feeling.

“Might I ask how far the discolouration extends? I asked hoping that what I could see, which was up to the knee, was the extent of the infection’s spread.

“It reaches halfway up my thigh.” She spoke almost comfortingly. “Did she sense my distress?” I wanted to berate myself. The nun must have been in excruciating pain yet she was the one comforting me. I felt so pathetic. I had talked a big game, thinking I could come in and save the day. Yet I could do nothing. I only had a very small supply of antibiotics, something of an oversight but I did have the knowledge of how to create more. Not like it would help right now anyway. “Even if I did have enough antibiotics I would still have to cut her leg off… could I even do that? Even If it’d save her right now, how would she be able to live?” I bit my lip and tried to find a solution.

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“Don’t blame yourself for this, sir.” The nun said and gently put a hand on my shoulder. “This all happened due to my own mistakes, it is nothing you should feel bad about.” Her voice was kind and gentle and I almost wanted to cry. This was apparently the end of Kiyara’s patience however.

“If you can’t do anything we should leave.” She said with apparent exasperation. I glared at her and she clicked her tongue. “If you refuse to give up just buy a damn high grade potion, we are already burning daylight and I will not be sleeping outside tonight just because of your damn conscience.”

“A potion can fix this?!” I asked, my head snapping to Kiyara so fast that I think I might have seen stars for a moment.

“N-no that’s…” The nun tried to speak up, but Kiyara talked over her.

“Obviously. How do you not know this?” She rolled her eyes. “It’ll fix her right up. Anything but her lost leg that is, but it costs a king’s ransom.”

“How much?” I had about 25 gold left.

“… 20 gold at least.” Kiyara said after a lengthy pause and a sigh. The two boys gasped and the nun wore a wistful expression.

“Where can I get it?” I said, rising.

“Yeah that’s wha… hu?” Kiyara began responding but ended up making a dumb noise as my words registered. She blinked a few times and just looked at me. “You have got to be joking…” Kiyara just looked at me uncomprehendingly.

“Where can I get a high grade potion?” I asked resolutely, my eyes looked onto the elf’s colour shifting eyes.

“I-its fine I…” The nun tried to intervene but the two of us ignored her. So we just stood there as time passed. I had made up my mind and refused to budge. Somehow feeling my resolve, Kiyara threw up her hands in the air.

“Where the fuck did you grow up to become such a goody two shoes?! ” She asked with a half growl and reached out her hand to me. I just looked at her hand, not understanding. “We are burning daylight!” She growled. “I am MUCH faster than you so I will go, now hand me the gold saint boy.” So I did, I handed her 20 gold and she frowned. “I said at least 20 gold.” She made a ‘gimme’ gesture and made the other coins vanish in the same motion. I sighed and gave her 5 more gold and she nodded and ran off in a blur.

“Stop! This is far too much!” The nun who had been left out of the conversation tried to stop Kiyara but she was long gone. “I could never repay that, please stop her!” The nun pleaded with me, she was far more upset about this than she had been when she realized that I was unable to help her. I gave her a rather harsh look.

“Enough of that.” My voice came out harsher than I had planned and the nun almost recoiled from me. I sighed and tempered my voice. “Would you mind looking around your room Sister?” She just looked at me confused. “You have something on your shawl Sister.” I said and pretended to brush away some dirt from her shawl and leaned in close to whisper to her. “If you die, who is going to take care of all these children?” The nun’s face went through several emotions almost at once, there was realization, fear, anger, confusion and finally suspicion.

She looked at me intently, searching my eyes for my true intention. She must have either found what she had been looking for or given up. “Boys leave.” Her voice was firm and the two boys looked at one another unsure. “NOW.” The nun's stern voice sent the boys scrambling out of the room.

“Why are you doing this?” She asked when it was only the two of us left in the room. I shrugged and gave a sad smile.

“Because I want to.” I said with a shrug and looked around the room at the assortment of malformed gifts. “Because I believe that good should be repaid with good.” I looked back at her and grinned. She did not look amused, in fact she looked almost angry.

“Then why not adopt the children? Or pay to have them put in an orphanage in the central part of the city. That would be a far better use of your damned gold.” She had an angry look in her eyes, and I wondered what her story was.

“What is your name Sister?”

“Why do you want to know?” She almost spat.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” I shook my head. “I just don’t feel right calling you ‘Sister’ in my head.” I looked at the nun and she observed me with eyes filled with suspicion.

“Are you one of those people that gets off from having women indebted to them?”

“Haha!” I couldn’t help but laugh at the biting comment. “If that is the case should you not happily accept the potion?” I asked, amused. “Isn't some stranger's sense of satisfaction a cheap price to pay for your life?”

“I have no interest in being indebted to anyone.” She half snarled and narrowed her eyes. “You are not going to deny it then?” She asked, venom in her voice.

“I won’t deny that I find helping people satisfying.” I agreed unoffended. “But I also believe that good comes to those who do good.” That line felt a bit cheesy and the nun must have felt the same as she gave a disgusted look.

“Just how wet behind the ears are you?” She asked patronizingly. “Do you really think that just because you do good things you will have good things done for you in return?”

“I do.” I agreed with a smile.

“What kind of fucked up pillow fort did you grow up in?” She sounded even more disgusted now. “You really think good things will happen just because you flaunt your wealth saving some woman you don’t even know?” She half snarled, her grey eyes filled with anger.

“They already have.” I said with a wide smile and she frowned. “Despite not earning it, I was given an opportunity beyond anything I could have ever imagined.” I chuckled and thought back on my old life. “So even if it is going to cost me a bit of gold I will do what I think is right.” I had never believed in karma but with the existence of god, magic and skills I’d be foolish not to at least hedge my bets. “After all, if karma is real, I am well in the red right now.” I chuckled at my own thoughts.

“I’m beginning to think that you are insane.” The nun said as she eyed me through narrowed eyes. I just shrugged and looked through the opened door as I heard a commotion. What I saw was Kiyara gently pushing away the many children around her as she made her way angrily to me. How do I know she was angry, you ask? Well, the absolute fury in her eyes was apparent even from this distance.

“Here is your damn potion.” She said and then handed me two gold.

“Thank you.” I said bowing my head.

“Aren’t you going to ask about the price?” She said as she crossed her arms and began tapping her arm with her fingers.

“No, I trust you.” I said, and entered the room.

“It was 22 gold. I’m taking a gold for my troubles.”

“Thanks.” I said, and I could almost feel her raised eyebrows from behind me.

“Here.” I proffered the vial with its silvery blue liquid to the nun. She looked at me, then the vial, then at me and then she smiled.

“I refuse.” I had expected those words but I just kept holding my hand out to her, and she just looked out her window with a placid expression.

“See, she doesn’t even want your ill placed kindness.” Kiyara said with a sneer. “Now let’s go.” Kiyara started to leave but when I didn’t follow she growled and turned to look back at me. “What are you standing around for?”

“Would you mind getting me some of the children?” I asked, not turning away from the nun. The nun gave me a dirty look and grit her teeth. I shook the vial gently. “Last chance.” I said glaring at the nun. “You might be able to refuse me, but I have a feeling you won’t be able to say no when…”

“What’s going on?” a little girl asked worriedly as she entered the room with wide eyes. The nun did not meet her eyes but the fight drained out of her.

“... Fine…” The nun took a deep breath and sighed tiredly, not looking at either me or the girl. So I turned to the girl.

“Hello, girl.” I said kindly and crouched to be eye level with the little girl. “Could you go and get me a pair of strong boys for me?” The girl looked at the nun and she glanced at me before giving an almost imperceptible nod of approval. The girl gave me a cute curtsy and ran off.

“What are you planning now?” The nun asked tiredly. Without the previous anger, she just sounded old and in pain. Before I could answer, two familiar boys stepped into the room. “They must have been waiting just around the corner.”

“You called for us?” The younger boy said a bit nervously.

“I have an important task for you two.” I said, and turned to the boys pulling out a handful of silver. “I want you to get some bread, clean water and some soup or stew.” They boys looked at the silver wide eyed. “Spend as little as possible but make sure that you have enough for everyone. Hide the rest for a rainy day.” I handed the silver over to the younger boy as the older boy just looked confused.

“What do you mean by a rainy day?” The older boy asked.

“I’ll tell you as we go.” The younger boy sighed and pulled the bigger boy out of the room. “Let’s get some of the others to help, we…” I didn’t hear the rest.

“That’s almost as bad as that potion.” She said with a sigh. “What do you expect me to do when this money you hand out runs out or gets stolen?” Do you think your pity will do them any good then?”

“It won’t but if I can make their lives a little bit easier even just for today that is good enough for me. I can only do what I can, after all.” I shrugged and held out the vial again. “Now bottoms up.” She gave me a half-hearted glare but since I would not give up she just sighed and took the vial. Before she put it to her lips she turned to me and looked at me with her deep grey eyes and spoke.

“I will not thank you.”

“I don’t care.” I answered with a wave of the hand. The nun snorted and drank the contents in one go. She coughed and convulsed as the potion spread through her system. I almost panicked but before I could decide what to do the nun drew a shuddering breath and opened her eyes with a smile.

Her previously grey skin turned a pale but healthy shade of pink. The wrinkles and blemishes on her face melted away and she suddenly didn’t look very old at all. Even her hair, from what I could see, changed from grey to almost pitch black. “If she gets a proper wash she would probably look rather fetching.” I thought as I heard her rasping breath. I pulled out a water skin and one of the bars of nuts and dried fruit we had purchased the day before as traveling rations.

I could feel Kiyara’s disapproving look but I ignored her and helped the nun drink and offered her the bar. She drank and ate without a word, and after emptying the water skin she sighed deeply and closed her eyes in thought. She looked like she wanted to say something, but a few moments later her breathing slowed and she fell into a deep sleep.

“She was quite far gone, it will take some time for her to recover.” Kiyara said in a low voice as she moved over and helped the nun into her cot.

“Will she be all right?” I asked at the same low volume.

“Depends on her.” She pulled the blanket over the gently snoring nun, and stood back up. “You have done all you can, now let’s go. We are already very late.” She walked off and I followed. I could tell she had been genuinely upset with me, but Kiyara was not a bad person. I could tell because the colourless aura that had been around her, even as the aura of the other two changed to green, was now tinged with a light green colour.