Max got up and dressed himself in his trousers and the merchant shirt he had looted from one of the bandits, then made his way down the creaky, steep stairs.

“The people of this village have a right to enjoy a well-earned drink after a hard day’s work,” came a self-righteous voice. It belonged to a blonde guy with a chiseled jaw and icy blue eyes who was squaring up to Bron in an intimidating way. He looked like he was in his twenties and was wearing a suit of armour. Behind him, there were three other young guys, lurking like bloodthirsty goons. “Do you know how many complaints I’ve had about you shutting this place early last night?”

“If I have good reason to close the tavern, then by Gorrimor I will do,” Bron growled, looking unfazed by the younger man’s threats.

“And what good reason was that?” the blonde guy said.

“Ereni,” said Bron. “Who had just been kidnapped by a group of bandits, thanks to the negligence of the Oakwatch.”

The guy frowned at Bron.

“What bandits?” he said. “If any bandits had been spotted, my boys would have been on them like a hornsnapper on a hedgemarrow.”

“They entered this village disguised as merchants without any inspection from you or your boys, and snatched Ereni from the streets in the broad light of day.”

The guy scoffed.

“You expect me to believe that? Ereni is here. I can smell her perfume.”

“She was rescued.”

“Rescued by whom?”

Max figured this was an appropriate time to make his presence known.

“I did,” he said, emerging from the stairwell.

Even though Max was in an entirely different world, he had encountered many guys like this blonde one before; all ego and no skill.

“Max Knightly,” he introduced, holding out his hand for the guy to shake.

After eyeing Max up and down, the guy accepted the handshake.

“Garrick Rookwood the Third,” he said, squeezing Max’s hand more tightly than necessary in an attempt to assert his dominance.

“What Bron here is saying is true,” Max confirmed. “When I was approaching the village, three bandits disguised as merchants tried to rob me. I defeated them, and found Ereni tied up in their wagon. I brought her here, and Bron closed the tavern in order to look after her and get the full story.”

Garrick was silent for a moment as he slowly looked back and forth between Bron and Max.

“Well,” he eventually said, “it seems we have a new hero in town. And an act like that deserves a reward. What are you waiting for, Bron? Pour this man a tankard of your finest ale.”

“No,” Max said. He had never been much of a day drinker, and he wanted a clear head for whatever he was going to do that day. “Bron gave me a drink on the house last night. That’s more than enough.”

“Very well,” said Garrick. “I guess a brotherly embrace will have to suffice.”

He slapped his hand into Max’s once more, and pulled him in for a rough hug, thumping him on the back.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As he did so, he leaned in close to Max’s ear and whispered, “She’s mine. Remember that.”

Garrick pulled away and beamed at Max.

Had he really just whispered that in Max’s ear? He had to be talking about Ereni.

“Now, tell me - where have you travelled from?”

Unlike with Ereni, Max did not trust this prick at all.

“Far away,” was all Max offered.

“And you… passed through the Crestcoven Caves without any resistance from Kreasel and his gang?”

“I don’t let anyone stop me from doing as I please,” Max said, staring into Garrick’s pale eyes.

“Well,” said Garrick. “I’m sure you’ll make for a fine addition to this village during your time here. Welcome to Oakhaven! Now, if you’ll excuse me and the Oakwatch, we have work to do.”

“Work, my arse,” Bron grumbled under his breath as Garrick led his boys out of the tavern.

“What was all that about?” came a sweet voice. It was Ereni, who stepped out of the stairwell in a flowing, white nightgown.

“Just Garrick and his crew causing unnecessary noise as usual,” said Bron. “How are you feeling, lovely girl?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Ereni said brightly. “You know me! Any cuts or scrapes I can heal them myself in a jiffy.”

“I know you’re fine physically,” said Bron, “but being kidnapped’ll mess with the minds of the toughest folk.”

“I’ve been through worse,” Ereni said.

Bron blinked slowly.

“That you have,” he said in a sombre tone.

Ereni turned to Max.

“What say we go pay Mrs Lockmire a visit this morning?” she said. “See if she can reveal what that message on your chest says?”

Max wanted nothing more. He was fascinated by the fact that there was a secret message of some kind scrawled onto his body, and the sooner he could find out exactly what it said, the sooner he could have a wash, which he was in sore need of.

“Let’s do it,” he said.

“Neither of you are going anywhere with empty bellies,” said Bron. “Jimry’s in the kitchen cooking you both a hearty breakfast.”

Now that Max thought about it, he did feel hungry after the day he’d had yesterday, but he was still unsure as to how vital the regular consumption of food and drink was in this world.

“What would happen if I didn’t eat for a long time?” he asked.

“You’d be hit with the fatigue,” said Bron. “But you needn’t worry about that while you’re at the Brass Lantern. Times may be tough, but there ain’t a customer walked outta here with an empty belly since I opened the place.”

Max realised he hadn’t had a drop of water since he’d gulped a few cups from the palms of his hands at the river.

“And what about water?” he asked. “Do people in this world need to drink water to survive?”

“Survive?” said Bron. “The fatigue might make you tired, lad, but it ain’t gonna kill you. And water’s just one of the ways you can keep your energy levels up.”

“So a person could technically just eat to keep their energy up, and not drink a drop of liquid at all.”

“Yeah, o’ course,” said Bron. “Though I don’t see why you’d do that. There are so many delicious things to drink, why’d you want to live a life o’ complete dryness?”

“Huh,” Max mused. “In my world people tend to die if they go just a few days without water.”

“Water deficiency drains HP?” Ereni gasped with innocent concern. “That’s awful. What kind of heartless world is that?”

“I’ve never thought of it like that,” Max said. “But come to think of it…”

It wasn’t long before a gangly teenage boy came trundling out of the kitchen with two steaming plates piled high with thick sausages, red eggs, rashers of giant bacon, blue mushrooms, and fluffy bread.

“Two Brass Breakfasts,” the boy said proudly.

As Max scoffed the delicious meal down, he noted how the red yolks of the eggs were rich, smooth, and buttery, unlike the watery caged crap he was used to in London, and the sausages were succulent, juicy, and bursting with a blend of unfamiliar but enticing herbs and spices that left a slight tingle on his tongue.

“What animals do these come from?” he asked, washing it all down with a glug of refreshing green juice that Jimry had also served them.

“Sausages are a blend o’ hogrotter and burling meat,” said Bron, “the rashers are pure hogrotter, and the eggs are from Willowdale waterlorks. Beautiful creatures.”

Max had no idea what any of those were, but even their names were fascinating. The sheer amount of species that existed in this world made him salivate at the thought of the loot they might drop, and the orbs they might reward him with for defeating them.

“Thanks, Bron,” said Ereni, as she finished her plate. “I really needed that after yesterday.”

“Any time you fancy a hot cooked meal or a safe place to stay, you come straight here, you hear me?”

“This village doesn’t deserve you,” Ereni said back to him, then turned her attention to Max. “So - are you ready to find out what’s written across your chest?”

Max smiled. He was incredibly intrigued, and didn’t want to waste another moment not knowing what someone wanted to communicate to him.

“Let’s do this.”

As soon as Ereni had gotten changed out of her nightgown, she led Max out of the tavern.

It was time to discover exactly what the secret message said.