On our way… home? Nah, not yet, let’s just stick to calling it Granhall.

So on our way back to the Fort, I hear something rumbling down the road just behind us and getting closer by the second. A quick peek at Martha shows a completely unfazed facade so either it’s nothing dangerous or nothing dangerous according to her scale. Or people, that’s also a possibility. We still stop at the roadside, clearing the way and just listening to the sound of heavy footsteps drawing ever closer.

Whatever that thing is, it should hurry the hell up! I wanna rest and eat already, like really bad and now we have to wait for some stupid creature to pass because… why really?

As if answering my inner complaints a dust cloud becomes visible above the treeline with the clear sound of heavy stomps and rattling wooden noises signaling what we’re dealing with. Some kind of cart, pretty heavy and big if it needs something other than a horse to pull it.

And just a few moments later the truth reveals itself.

The creature is huge, bigger than any horse in both weight and length. And maybe even size, like I’ll be damned. Silvery green skin, or rather scales, glisten under the sun, short muscular legs carrying the enormous weight, and a stub where one would expect to find a lizard-like tail.

[Varanus lvl ??]

The carriage behind it is decorated to a dumb degree. Blue poses as the main color of the ride with silver adornments and a crest depicting a hound biting a sword standing on some sort of pool or lake. Yeah, it’s walking on water… The whole thing looks sturdy but graceful at the same time… also expensive as hell.

Four knights in similarly decorated armor on horses flank the carriage from the front and four from the back acting as both shield and lance for the small moving house carrying without a doubt someone important. The knights throw a few menacing glares our way as they pass by, flexing on the poor commoners but with Martha looking almost bored by my side I just can’t feel threatened. Not one bit.

“That was the ride of the ducal house.” Martha thinks out loud then turns to me to explain. “The Azural family, overseers of the northern region. Wealthy to no end and with tight relations with the imperial family and a lineage of masterful diplomats blessed with silver tongues.” I guess their tongues aren’t actually made out of silver and this is just one of those dumb metaphors. “A true powerhouse in the Empire. What I don’t understand is, why take a carriage? Why not a Skywhale?” She looks doubtfully after the dust trail.

Must be nice to have everything. Almost limitless wealth, servants awaiting your every wish, even being friends with the imperial family… Truly an enviable position.

“What was that big lizard and why not a horse? What are Skywhales?” I rapid-fire questions to get all the answers without wasting any time.

Those are the only parts of the summary I don’t get. Why have something with such short legs draw the carriage? Especially when the knights were on horseback. More importantly, whales live in the water, what do they have to do with the sky?

Martha just chuckles at my innocent question. “Oh, I sometimes forget how little you’ve seen of this world. You see, the varanuses are more tenacious than horses so they can travel longer distances with little rest and higher load. Those beasts can also fend for themselves quite well, even scaring some of the weaker predators away, providing uninterrupted travel. Lastly, they are a status symbol. Silverback Varanuses are rare and absurdly expensive. It's a show of wealth and power like everything in the high circles.”

Damn silver spoon, huh?

“As for your other question, there are safer, faster and grander ways of traveling. Namely flying, especially on the back of the gentle giants of the skies. There are maybe less than twenty of those creatures in the entire Empire, imported all the way from the southwest, from the Federation. There is no grander way of travel I could imagine without involving any of the creatures from the myths and legends. Trying to ride a dragon is equal to signing the death warrant of your country. Don’t do that!” With that she walks away, leaving me just staring after the carriage with my mouth wide open and eyes the size of an apple.

By the Gods. Basically having a flying mansion on a big fish… I want one. I really hope the mercenary business pays well. If it does I might reconsider my options, money rules. And yeah, riding a dragon, pff… Who would ever think about something stupid like that? Certainly not me.

I quickly catch up to Martha only for her to continue her unrequested wisdom session. “There are only four ways to get rich. Inherit it, steal it, work your ass off for it and…Hehe, I’ll let you find out the last one yourself.” She winks.

Uhhh. Adults always keep the fun part for themselves, always…

“Me personally, I prefer more nimble mounts like a Goa, care for a tour in the stables?” She asks, changing the topic lightning fast.

I don’t know what a Goa is but it sounds fun and as long as we get it done quickly my stomach can endure. “Sure, let's be quick.” Then I remember. “Oh, right. Why don't we just teleport back? Actually, why doesn’t the ducal dude use teleport?” It’d make the whole trip a lot faster, also I really don’t feel like walking right now.

“I’m not sure….” Martha says while looking at the sky as if counting something.

Gah? If the level 800 Mage is telling me she can’t then who could? I thought space magic could just teleport everything and everyone around without a problem.

“Okay, considering how abysmal your Fortitude is, maybe I could. You know space magic depends on weight, range and the resistance of the target, namely their Fortitude. As the wielder my resistance is one so it does not influence the cost or make it any more difficult. Your Fortitude is low enough to be almost nonexistent and,” Okay, I see we’re back to subtle shit-talking. “you’re as light as any normal child. The distance though… Let’s just stick to walking, it’ll bring your appetite.”

There’s no need to bring anything besides food into my hands, I’m starving already. By the Gods, this is just the first day and I’m already exhausted. The lengthy lecture, the small duels in the afternoon and now this… I’m famished.

Let’s not forget, Martha basically just admitted to space magic being costly and she still uses it to move around in the Fort. She’s just lazy.

“That’s not to say space magic isn’t used to move goods and people.” She adds after a small pause as if it were an insignificant detail. “In some rare cases, mostly emergencies or when the cargo exceeds a certain value, space magic is used for long-range transportation. A good example would be to deliver the most crucial letters or the rapid deployment of high-level elite combatants through a portal to any battlefield. The latter is only usable around one or two times a year as it takes so long for the crystals to recharge in the capital.”

A year to recharge? Just how much mana is used at once… Ridiculous.

***

After a lifetime of waiting in line at the gate, we were finally allowed inside the city, with the guards throwing weird glances at me. Maybe because I looked like I was raised in the wilderness, dirty and messy. Thankfully the usual emblem of the Fist from Martha urged them to make a quick decision. The only correct one.

We made our way to the stables near the gate however instead of the common stables we approached a bigger fenced one. The guards stationed there also folded at the sight of the badge, allowing us in while greeting Martha with a loud “Welcome ma’am.”

As they now pull the massive double doors open just a little an incredible sight welcomes me. Stables are for horses, or so I thought. There are horses in here, yes, but the throng of flightless birds, agile lizards, weird blobby things and even some canines is what really catches the eye.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Oh and let’s not forget about the interior itself that looks like a weird patchwork of what a normal stable should look like, a tiny patch of forest, a small mountainside, many pools, and a sandy area with glimmer stones illuminating it from the ceiling. It’s like someone stole different sceneries from all over Aelion and tucked them into a barn. And the animals seem to love it.

[Goa lvl ??]

A big, lanky chicken-like bird with long and muscular legs and a dumb face.

[Gecko lvl ??]

A sleek black, red spotted lizard with wide feet.

[Hound lvl ??]

A big-ass dog.

And many other types of creatures, their noises filling the stable as they stir at the new arrivals. It's not only the sight that’s astonishing, there’s also the smell… Yeah, let’s not even talk about the poop everywhere, that’s a whole other story.

“This here is my little Sheela.” Martha walks up to one of the larger Goas.

The beast looks really excited to see its partner. It runs in tiny circles while chirping deep and flapping its comically small wings.

“She was my mount on missions back in the old days when I was still active. Dressed in our glorious armor, making enemies cower wherever we went, right?” She talks to the bird, and it seems to somewhat understand her, or just wiggling in happiness. “This is the stable of the corps. If a detachment needs to arrive somewhere and fast we have our own well-trained mounts to carry the squads. However, if not in a hurry or marching as a full regiment, the mercenaries of the Fist travel by foot. Or wagon to carry the supplies.” I’m still rooted in place, eying the sight of many creatures.

Especially the Geckos, their big eyes are so~o cute.

Right at this moment one of them licks its eye, which shocks me to no end. Okay maybe not too cute, still nice. The wolves and hounds also look mighty fluffy and I have to fight hard to hold myself back from running up to them and sinking into the fluffy, delivering scratches.

“We don't have any flying mounts?” I ask.

Their absence was apparent the moment we stepped in here and I really hoped to see some of the coolest ones. Especially with the Fist’s notoriety.

A griffon, a roc, or maybe a pegasus, or a wyvern… Damn, those would’ve been cool.

“We do, or the head does. Flying mount license is a big privilege here in the Empire, especially in bigger cities, and not everyone needs mounts to fly. I can fly with simple magic though not as long or stable as a flying creature born for the skies.”

No way, could I use my magic to fly as well? Not for a long time probably. I can’t lift earth a quarter of my weight with dedicated earth magic. Okay, it's technically arcane, still… Let’s shelf that idea for now.

“That’s so cool, can we fly back to the fort?” I ask, having dreamed about flying, back when I was five.

Okay, I still love the idea, I just no longer have dreams where I actually fly with cats and birds at my side. Yes, cats…

“Sadly Granhall does not allow for individual flight, not without a good reason.” Bollocks, as Bennett would say. “Don't act grumpy, fliers are a real pain in the ass to catch so this law isn’t as unreasonable as it sounds. And maybe we can fly a little the next time we go hunting, how does that sound?” She proposes.

“Fucking awesome!” I respond in a burst of enthusiasm. “Now let’s eat something.”

We say our goodbyes to the beasts and make our way back… to the Fort. I just can’t say home, not yet at least. It’s actually pretty homey despite being a literal stone stronghold with dangerous people all around…

By now Solaire is barely visible on the horizon, marking the start of dinner time. The streets are still filled with people although not the same way as during the day. Almost no passersby walk around with a clear direction in mind or a clear mind in general. Drinking and watching some street performers looks like common entertainment in squares. A lot more food vendors shout their offers all around and restaurants seem full as well. The sounds of music and singing travel through the night air in Granhall, the whole mood filling me with happy buzzing.

I really hope the mess hall has some music too.

***

We don’t have music, we have drunk people shouting and the clinking of tableware. If that’s music to the ear then I must be tone deaf... The mood is still pleasant in a rowdy familial way, it's just… music would make things even better.

I sit back in the same place as last time, the plate no less full either and not without uninvited guests. Victor plops down right next to me with his usual fiendish smile and something unforgivable on his plate. Straight to dessert and skipping all the meat? Blasphemy.

“You look like shit. Did you have fun?” He asks like we’re best buddies.

I throw him an annoyed ‘shut up and leave’ glance which seems to simply bounces off him. Maybe next time I should pick a seat next to one of those outcast-looking kids in the corner, at least the introvert won’t try to strike up a conversation while I eat. Or should I just straight up bring the food back to my room?

No, remember Eli, try making friends!

“It was fun actually, for the most part.” I entertain him before taking the first bite. Hopefully, this will shut him up for the rest of dinner. “It was easy and I’m sure as hell my Skills improved more than doing any lame duels back in the courtyard.” I brag, with a sprinkle of lie. “Now shut up, I hate being interrupted while eating.” I growl at him and turn back to my food.

Just as I lift my fork, the steaming hot slice of lamb is about to touch my mouth, as my stomach is about to receive the food it rightfully deserves a green-haired girl, around our age, sits down next to Victor.

Gods damn this entire fucking place, I’M STARVING!

Green hair, amber eyes, rare features even amongst elves, pointy nose and even pointier ears. She's all smiley and bright, so much so that I want to hit her just because I’m pissed off as hell right now.

“Hey Vic, you know you should eat properly or you won’t grow up to be big and strong. Always eat your veggies!” The girl is too flowery and Victor is annoying on purpose, a wonderful duo. “Who’s this girl here? She’s new, isn’t she? Oh, I saw her this morning, that brawl. I saw you go somewhere with Captain Martha in the afternoon did you feel sick? Were you tired? What’s your favorite color?” She just spams the questions.

I can’t even remember the first one she asked so I make it short.

[Druid lvl 21]

“I’m Elyssia, a pleasure. I arrived today and during training, Martha took me out to teach me a lesson as I was too cocky. And the best color is blue obviously.” I answer with my mouth already full because I just stopped caring after her eyes met mine.

“Oh, that’s wonderful. My name is Kayla, as you can see I’m an elf. I’m a Tamer, I like animals. I hope we can work together in the future, I was really surprised how well you fought off those three today, they were so mean.” Does she even need to breathe? “Oh I see you eat a lot, you must be hungry after spending hours in the forest rolling around in the dirt, judging by your hair.” Yeah, I managed to change clothes to a clean set of skirt and blouse but the bath had to wait. “You must be tired, right? Usually, nine-year-olds aren’t allowed outside the Fort not to mention the forest, so you must be quite something. I know it's rude to ask but you’re not just a simple earth mage, are you? You can use too much mana and that barrier you made during lunch… it was arcane, I saw it. How did you do that, is it a special Class? Oh, you don’t have to answer, it’s just my mouth can’t stop when I’m excited.”

“I can hear that.” I swallow, being around halfway through my dinner. “How about we continue this conversation after the meal?” I ask hopefully because my ears feel like melting after all this pointless speech.

I actually forgot about the time I used arcane during that brawl, I’ve basically already blown my cover of a simple earth mage. Eh, if Martha doesn’t chew my ears off for it and I can avoid all the unnecessary attention then all is well. I doubt many kids noticed it anyway.

Victor bursts out laughing just by listening to the two of us talking, tears flowing from his eyes as he slaps the table. “Yeah…hehe… I hoped for something like this. Hahaha… opposite personalities, one gloomy one sunny.” He jests.

“I’m not gloomy, just find me when I’m not eating. It’s hard to speak with a full mouth or when this girl talks more than a full room of old women.” I really hope no more interruptions occur during this dinner.

Just as I finish that thought, Bennett walks over to the children's area.

Oh, what now?

“Listen up ankle biters!” Can’t he come up with something new? “It looks like our little home has been quite popular recently, as today another brat joins your little horde. This grumpy shorty here is August, take good care of each other. Enjoy your meal.” And he’s already gone.

Just the way it happened to me. He’s not joking, it has only been a day since I arrived and there’s a new face already. Are there really this many orphans dumb or desperate enough to come to decide they wanna be a Bennett in the future? I mean, the food is good and the beds are warm… Okay, this is a good choice actually, it's just me who dislikes being here.

By the number of eyes aimed towards me, I’m not the only one having the same line of thought. Many other kids are looking at me and then back at the boy. He seems to be my age despite being a bit shorter. I like to rank kids by height since I usually win in that department.

The boy has dark red hair and light amber eyes, a bit dimmer and a lot colder than Kayla’s. He doesn’t look scrawny despite being a street rat just joining the Fist. Quite the opposite actually, he looks fit. Maybe high-intensity games of tag and intense street brawls did their job if his ragged clothes are anything to go by.

[Warrior lvl 18]

Huh, maybe I’m no longer the weakest here…