Konrad made his excuses and headed home as the work party made their way to the tavern. After Reed’s announcement he didn’t feel like having to re-tell his meeting with the small gods again.

A figure was waiting on the grass outside his house. Erwan’s ancient face was wrinkled and weather beaten and his bushy eyebrows peeked up in the middle and his lips rolled in over his toothless gums. With his mouth hanging slightly open he looked like he was in a state of permanent wonder.

“N’rad,” Erwan said, his accent thick. The old man got to his feet with so much clicking that Konrad winced.

“Hi Erwan,” Konrad replied.

“New trotters?” Erwan tapped Konrads leg with his gnarled walking stick.

Konrad nodded.

“Why’d they pick you then?”

Konrad shrugged, “I guess we’ll have to see.”

Erwan sniffed and spat expertly over the short wall.

“Let’s get down to brass tacks. You don’t need that dog no more. I only gave it you cause I felt bad what with your leg and your ma was kind to me. Give her back and we’ll all be fair as a country square.”

“I don’t know where she is.”

“Bulltosh. You and that dog are thick as thieves. Whistle her up and tell her she’s to come with me.”

The old man leaned on his stick, patient as the grave. Konrad imagined he would just sit there forever through rain, shine or snow.

“I can pay.”

Erwan glanced at the tumble down home behind him. “More’n you can afford lad. Good animal like that.”

“Tell me how much - I’ll get the money.”

“Five gold pieces,” Erwan said quickly.

Five gold pieces was more money than his family could make even in a good year.

“I’ll get it for you.”

“Bless me, looks like I gave you a quest champion.” Erwan made a hacking noise and Konrad realised that he was laughing. “I know you can’t do that lad. But might be there’s something else you can do to make this right. If you ever get your act together and start adventuring come and see me. I’ll be up on the Long Hill.”

The old herder shuffled off, his long woolen cloak dragging on the dusty road.

The price of his and Spirits freedom had just gone up by five gold pieces. Konrad now needed fifty-five pieces of gold, or fifty and a mysterious job for the hermit like herdsmen. Whichever way he looked at it, the task was impossible.

“You can come out now Spirit.”

The shadow at the side of the house came alive and Spirit crept out and peered cautiously down the road.

“You’re worth a whole five gold, you know that?”

Spirit snorted with distaste.

“I know, I think you’re worth more. I don’t suppose you got the gift of sniffing out treasure did you?”

Spirit lay down and let out a sigh.

“Didn’t think so. Just stay out of sight for a little while longer, I’ll think of something.”

Spirit licked his hand and disappeared.

A dozen scenario’s played themselves out in his mind. What if he just left Fallow Vale tonight?

His parents wouldn’t miss the little money he made at the fishery, but they would have to work even harder for many more years to repay his land debt.

He could go adventuring, make some money and bring it back? But it could be years until he managed that, if he even survived at all. He had no sword, no shield, no fireballs.

Daniel Reed was his only hope. He would have to throw himself on the man’s mercy, beg him to give him some time to find the money and pay. There was no time like the present.

Konrad took the Clod road into Fallow Vale town as the sun crouched behind the hills. He frantically thought of what he might be able to say to convince Reed, but as Lyran had already helped him, the only power he had that he could call on was resistance to cold, and that was unlikely to impress anyone.

He kept his head down until he reached Reed Hall, the largest building in the town. The heavy metal door knocker boomed inside the house and when the door creaked open Alice Reed stood in the doorway. She wore a light dress covered in flowers.

“Konrad, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to speak to your da.”

“Who is it Alice?” Daniel Reeds voice boomed out as his heavy footsteps approached. “The champion of the little gods, what an honour.”

“I wanted to speak to you Sir, about the land price,” Konrad said, staring intently at his shoes.

“You’d better come in then.”

Konrad’s family home could have fit inside the hallway of the Reed house several times. The wood panelling was rich and artfully crafted and a solid staircase curved up to the second floor. The whole house had a solid, well built silence to it.

In the sitting room Daniel Reed sat down in a worn leather chair. Konrad was not invited to sit.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Not you, Alice,” Reed snapped.

Alice frowned and threw a filthy look at her father as she left, sparing an apologetic smile for Konrad.

“First time we’ve had a Clod in the house who wasn’t here to work,” Reed sniffed. “I was thinking you would drop by. Out with it then.”

“The fifty gold for the land price. I can’t pay it.”

“I know that.”

“Then why did you ask me for it?” Konrad replied, quicker than he had wanted.

Reed steepled his fingers together and gave a thin smile that did not reach his eyes.

“Ten years ago a priest of the Father came here from Tajar. He was an important man and he stood right where you are now. He told me that your brother was chosen and he wasn’t coming back. Now your brother was a good worker. Strong and clever, so I set his land price at fifty gold. Do you know how much I got?”

Konrad shook his head.

“Nothing,” Daniel said his smile dropping. “Not a rusty copper bit. They told me that it was his calling and I should be honoured to serve the Father. But this priest came with two dangerous looking buggers and I know how men like this priest send a message without saying anything.”

Konrad stood rooted to the spot. No-one really knew how much the church had paid for Otto, now he knew why.

“But the priest from the choosing said that he would be back, he’ll pay.”

“Father Jessop?”

“That’s him.”

“Came here yesterday, he won’t pay. Turns out your gods are not very important at all.”

Any hope that Konrad held evaporated and he grasped in vain for any way out.

“But that’s got nothing to do with me.”

“It’s got everything to do with you. Your family and all the other Clods down there made an agreement for land with the Duke, and I bought that agreement. Now it has to be honoured. Your brother slipped out of his obligation, I won’t be fooled a second time.”

“All I want is to pay it back later, when I’ve had a chance to complete some quests.”

“What if you die, what if you just plain decide not to come back, what do you think happens then? You think your da can stay in the fields another twenty years?”

Konrad stammerd for a response.“I promise I’ll come back and make it right.”

“Clod promises are no good to me lad,” Reed said, standing up. He towered over Konrad, looking down with his mocking smile. “And I don’t think you’ll last a week out there, so my money’s as good as lost. Now correct me if I’m wrong but you have work to do tomorrow. Fields or Fishery I don’t care, but you’ll make sure you’re there.”

Alice was sitting on the staircase peering through the railings as Konrad left but he turned away from her look of silent pity.

The dusty Clod road was empty and when he reached the square he saw why. The lights were bright in the tavern and he saw the place was full. He skirted around the outside and went back to his empty home. The last thing he needed was more congratulations.

* * *

The sun had not yet risen when Konrad woke. His mother and father were already eating a simple breakfast.

“Where were you last night?” he asked.

Hera and Luca both looked tired but his mother smiled. “Don’t you worry about that, just get some food in you. You have a big day.”

“Reed told me to go back to pulling fish guts,” Konrad said.

To his surprise his mother didn’t drop the warm smile she wore, even his father seemed to be less stoic than usual.

“I’m sure it won’t be for long.”

The village was more crowded than usual when they left home, Clods who should be halfway to their fields and places of work were gathered in a crowd outside the tavern.

“What’s going on?” Konrad asked. He had only ever seen this many people for festivals or funerals.

“Let’s go and see,” said Hera taking his arm.

Jasper and Gerrard were on the edge of the crowd and Gerrard patted Konrad on the back.

“Well done, Kon. Make us proud out there.”

“Wha—?” Konrad began, but his mother propelled him on through the press of villagers. They broke through and found Fra Dun sitting at a table with a large sheet of paper in front of him covered in scribbles.

Alice stood behind the old man whispering to him and pointing at the paper and he waved her away irritably. “I know Alice, it’s right there.”

The crowd were chattering excitedly now and Dun looked up in surprise and snatched at the paper.

“Was it enough Fra?” Luca asked.

The old man’s expression fell and he shook his head. Alice ran a hand through her hair and stared at the paper in front of her seeking desperately for some answer.

“Wait here,” Alice commanded and hurriedly whispered to Fra Dun.

“You don’t have to do that, Alice,” the old man replied, but she had already gone.

Alice marched away towards the citizens road and Konrad spotted a carriage waiting by the roadside. Blue smoke curled out of the open window and as Alice wrenched open the door Konrad caught a glimpse of Daniel Reed before she disappeared inside.

“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Konrad asked.

“Just hold your horses for a minute Konrad and I’ll tell everyone at the same time alright?” Fra Dun said.

Hera squeezed Konrad’s arm and gave him an encouraging smile.

“She’s really giving it to him in there,” Luca muttered as the sound of raised voices from inside the carriage cut even over the murmur of the crowd in the square.

Finally Alice emerged looking flustered and stormed back to the table, every eye followed her as she leaned close to Dun and whispered in his ear.

The old man smiled and clapped his hands. “Okay settle down now everyone, settle down,” he cried, and a silence spread throughout the square.

“Now I want to thank you all for what you’ve done. Each and every Clod in this village has answered the call and given something. Even some citizens from the town have given generously.”

Fra Dun reached down and picked up a large coin purse, placing onto the table with a heavy thud of clinking metal.

“No,” Konrad whispered.

“Yes,” Hera answered, gripping his arm tightly.

“Thirty gold pieces,” Dun said proudly tapping the purse. “Enough to pay out Konrad’s land debt.”

A cheer rose from the crowd around, it swelled to a roar and Konrad was pulled from Hera and Luca and hoisted up onto their shoulders and paraded around. He caught sight of Alice hugging Fra Dun and they hopped up and down doing a little jig. On the far side of the square the large figure of Reed leaned against the carriage with a dark look on his face.

After two full tours of the square Konrad was placed down in front of the tavern. The Clods gradually left, heading off for another day’s hard work. Each one of them wanting to pat him on the back one last time and give him their best wishes, many of them letting him know not so subtly how much they and their families had given.

“I have to go Kon, we’ll see you tonight before you leave,” Hera said.

“Leave? Where am I going?”

“Fra Dun has everything organised, he’ll tell you. We’re so proud of you.”

Hera kissed him on the cheek and he was left standing in front of Dun’s little table.

Daniel Reed walked over and nudged the bulging pouch of gold. “It’s all there?”

“Yes da, thirty gold,” Alice replied, giving her father a glare that was hot enough to strip paint.

“But thirty isn’t enough,” Konrad stammered. “And there’s Spirit too, I didn’t tell you but Erwan—”

“Easy Kon,” Dun said, raising his hands palm out as if calming a skittish horse. “I spoke to Erwan, he’ll let you keep the dog. He just wants you to go up to the Long Hill before you go. As for the money, well Mister Reed has kindly decided to drop the land price you owe.”

“You have Alice to thank for that Clod,” Reed said.

Dun picked up the heavy purse and handed it to Reed. “He’s not a Clod any more.”

The words released a weight that Konrad didn’t know that he had been carrying all his life. He wasn’t a Clod any more.

“I’m a citizen,” he said dully.

“You’re a champion,” Alice corrected.

“Alice you have work to do,” Reed interrupted, wedging the end of his cigar into his mouth and hefting the bag of gold. “Dun I don’t know what you even do all day but I don’t want to see you for a good long time. As for you,” he said, his cruel eyes fixed on Konrad. “With any luck you won’t last the winter. If you do, don’t come back here.”

“How a bugger like that had such a sweet girl for a daughter I’ll never fathom,” Dun muttered as he watched Reed steer Alice to the fishery. “What’s wrong Konrad, you look like you seen the Faelen Queen.”

But Konrad couldn’t answer. The tension and worry of the last few days collapsed inside him and he cried, his shoulders heaving. Dun embraced him in his bony arms.

“There, there, Konrad. You’re a good lad and you deserve this. You’re going to go out there and do wonderful things, I just know it.”