James knocked on Jessica's door early the next morning. Having been awoken by another person knocking at her door, she hurriedly sat up and scooped her hair out of her face, feeling grungy and disgusted with her appearance.

"Come in!"

James stepped inside, looking like he hadn't slept at all with dark circles around his eyes.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

She lifted her arm and let James pick her up again. Exiting the room, he walked down the hallways and descended the stairs, handing over the room key to the lady who stood behind the counter of the Adventurer's Guild. Though not the same person she had seen yesterday, the woman smiled and thanked them despite the early hour. Turning, James left the guild building and for a moment just stood there, breathing in the fresh air while it was still dark.

"What time is it?"

"Ha, not a morning person Jessica?"

"No. You should have woken me when the sun was up."

"Two suns, actually. And we want to get on the road early." he told her, getting used to her complaining as he bent down to sit her on his knee, reaching into his inventory to pull out a still steaming thermos. "I did get you some coffee though."

"Oh, I could kiss you right now!" she exclaimed as she brought the coffee close to her nose and inhaled the scent, waking up just a little bit more from the bitter smell of the brew. Waiting until she had blown on the coffee to cool it and taken a sip, James spent those few moments stuffing a bagel into his mouth before handing another one to her. Getting to his feet again, James began walking away from the small cluster of buildings.

"Where did you get coffee and bagels around here?"

"The coffee is from my former home, and I found an abandoned store to raid yesterday. Let's keep an eye out for any more in case we want to take the supplies with us."

She nodded and chewed her bagel slowly, wondering how long it would be before she had another, or if she would have another bagel at all.

"How are you coping?"

"With the changes? With the System? Hmm."

James was silent for a few moments, not stopping as he walked across empty wastes and fallow farmland.

"I guess I haven't stopped to think about it yet. Are you okay?"

"I'm scared you'll leave me. That you'll abandon me."

James did stop then, looking into her eyes as she looked up at him. Chuckling, he set her down and got on one knee as he brought his face close to hers. She hesitated, not knowing what he was going to do.

Then he gently flicked her forehead.

"Ow!" she cried, bringing her hands over her brow.

James smirked.

"You might be annoying at times, and I certainly don't understand your obsession with makeup and shoes and matching colours. But so what? I'm not going to leave you. So don't worry."

Hoisting her up again, James continued on their way. Annoyed by the callous man but still relieved, Jessica humphed to herself before looking away.

They spent the next couple hours with James walking, following a rough easterly direction based off the position of the sun. Jessica felt herself get bored again and without anything to do fell into a slight doze. Seeing this, James smirked and began to hum. Thinking at first that he was being sweet and lulling her to sleep, Jessica's eyes suddenly snapped open and she slapped as only women can slap at his arm. James only laughed.

"Are you humming ALADDIN?!?"

"Prince Ali!"

"You're horrible! I don't know why I put up with you!"

"'I'll tell you why Scarlet-because I'm the only man over sixteen and under sixty whose around to show you a good time!"

"My name isn't Scarlet!"

"No, it's a quote. Did you never see 'Gone with the Wind?'"

"No!"

"Ah, that movie was a gem. Sad movie though, about a woman who pines away for a married man who is in love with his wife. And after all is said and done, the man who truly loves her finally leaves, fed up with her loving someone else."

"Whatever."

"How about Casablanca? Ever see that one?"

"No."

"Aww! It's a classic! I love how the man loves the lady, but knows that she belongs with her husband who was assumed dead in the Second World War but came back into her life. His telling her to go back to her spouse was a good touch I think. What's your favourite film?"

"The Prince and Me."

"Julia Styles, right? Almost as girly as Hairspray. That's a relief though."

"Why?"

"Because you didn't say Twilight."

"You!"

James laughed, happy to have gotten a rise out of her. Then he stopped.

"Stay here."

He quickly put her down and ran off. Jessica rolled her eyes. Horrible, horrible man. How was she not going to stay there? Looking in the direction he had gone, she received a shock when she saw him ducking and dodging attacks from a giant spider, one bigger than he was. Not totally unlike Tolkien's Shelob, this one was a rich brown with exceptionally long legs that were like clubs, swinging and curving through the air as James jumped past them onto its back. With a flicker of light dancing off his blade, James plunged another hunting knife into the bulbous eye of the spider. The spider screeched, flailing as it reared up. From afar, Jessica watched James get thrown to the ground, only for the spider to turn and charge at him.

"Look out!"

James gripped his knife, staggering to his feet and holding it in front of him. But the spider was wary now, and it only jabbed at him a couple times before it appeared to back up. Both James and Jessica realized its intent at the same time.

"No!"

James ran forward as Jessica screamed. The spider, recognizing that its goal had been found out, abruptly turned and charged at the mermaid woman. As it raced towards her, Jessica felt terror coursing through her veins. But being a mermaid, she could do nothing but watch.

At that moment as the spider opened its maw and raised its legs, James finally caught up and with a roar slashed at it's leg, throwing it off balance. Hissing, the spider caught itself and made to attack her again but James was having none of that.

"Drain!"

Screeching at this new attack, the spider reacted as if the space around James was acid. Falling over itself, it tumbled over onto its back, leaving James free to plunge his hunting dagger into the bulbous back part of the insect. At the same time, he placed his hand over the grisly wound and drained the monster. With a rapidly weakening whimper, the spider's legs finally shriveled up as it died.

The instant James was sure that it was dead, he turned around again and raced back to Jessica. Dropping the dagger onto the ground he gripped her with his rough, grime-stained hands and looked at her fiercely.

"Are you okay? Did it hurt you?"

"I'm...I'm..."

She shook, her nerves still in shock. Without another word James pulled her to him, giving her a bear hug as his panting breath started to ease. Jessica felt herself begin to cry, and she soon stained James' shirt with her tears of relief. And all she remembered James saying was 'It's alright. I'm here.'

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At last her tears and fear began to dissipate and it registered with her that she was gripping James tightly. Easing her grip, she sat back and watched as James pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her.

"I'm sorry Jessica. This won't happen again."

He watched her sip the water, then he looked around for any other enemies. With a sigh of relief, he gently bumped her forehead with his, giving her another brief hug before he helped her up. Turning to face the corpse, they both saw that there was only a pouch of coins and a pair of vials. Gingerly stepping towards them, James grabbed both items and put them away. Then he looked down at her.

"We need to get you somewhere safe."

For the first time Jessica felt that James might not be a brackish brute. For the first time, she realized his protective side for what it was and appreciated it.

As they continued on, James began telling her different things about their new world that he had discovered. He told her that he had found and verified with others at the Adventurers Guild while she had been in her room that certain repeated actions could generate a new skill, but other skills were learned through something called skill books or skill tomes. He also gave her some of their little money, and gently reminded her that if she was ever in danger to use her dagger, something that she had forgotten about until then. She still felt a little intimidated by his fierce look at her, but knowing that it was adrenaline and that he was simply concerned about her well-bring felt slightly comforting.

James paused and looked at the map again.

"We should be...about here" he told her, pointing at the map. "Which means that in a day or two...we should reach the city of Sagaste."

As if summoned, almost immediately after this they began to meet other people and they came across a roughly beaten path that was not a road but more like a dirt trail. As James walked carrying Jessica, they came across poor farmers with their animals and produce, including a very bizarre animal that looked like a donkey with four long floppy ears. There were also a few merchants transporting larger covered wagons, as well as a few peddlers carrying little more than a rough sack over their shoulders with a few odds and ends that they hoped to pawn. As they passed, the two of them drew more strange looks, though whether it was their strange clothes or the fact that Jessica was a mermaid James still didn't know.

At last they came to Sagaste. From the outside, it looked like a walled city surrounded by a moat or river. There was also an impressive stone structure at the centre of the city. Not a castle, but looking more like a keep from a distance. As they got closer they saw that the city was located beside a river, with a rough circular moat breaking off from the river to surround the city. Being this close to the city, there was a loose crowd of people waiting to enter and several who were leaving it. Getting in line, the two of them patiently waited. Jessica was relieved as her position and trying to keep her head up without resting it on James' shoulder had made her neck muscles ache so she was eager to be set down again. Finally they came to the city guard, who were dressed in chainmail hauberks with helmets that looked to be almost too big for them, along with spears and rough shields with a metal boss on them.

"Two copper each to enter the city."

James wordlessly handed over the money.

"Why are you coming to Sagaste?" one of the guards asked as the other yawned, clearly not caring about his job.

"To look for work."

"Better luck on one of the farms outside. They'd be willing to hire on in exchange for food."

"I'd still like to try."

"Suit yourself, but I know several people will pay a handsome coin for your mer."

"No thank you" James answered them as Jessica looked at him worriedly while she felt his hand clench up as they held her.

The guard shrugged.

"Fine then. Move along."

They entered the city, and both of them released a pent up breath as they looked around Sagaste. It looked pretty much like a medieval city, with cobblestone paths and dirty, often muddy trails at the edge of the roads made of dirty water, garbage and faeces. The whole place looked rather shabby and disgusting. At least one beggar or pickpocket was hiding in the shadows, and both of them felt considerably less safe now that they were inside the walls.

"Let's get to an inn and figure out our next step."

Jessica said nothing, only watched their surroundings. As they walked, they passed several shops that like the previous town were shown by pictures on signboards. James wondered to himself how many of the people here couldn't read.

Then he noticed it. He stopped, looking around. Jessica felt his alertness and was instantly on guard.

"What is it?"

"Do you see any race other than humans?"

It wasn't until he said so that she noticed. Previously they had seen several races, but now she was the only nonhuman in sight. And the looks they were getting by the people were as if she were a novelty.

"Let's find an inn or something and get out of sight."

Fortunately for them, there was an inn not far from the city gate. Perhaps it had even been originally built there to serve those coming and going from Sagaste. Identified by a signboard with a bed and what looked like a wooden spoon or spatula crossing it at a forty-five degree angle, James carried Jessica inside and was met by a fat innkeeper lady wearing an apron over a rough dress with pockmarks and acne and sporting a dour, sour look.

"Hello, I would like to have a room please" James asked her pleasantly.

The lady took one look at the mermaid and sniffed dismissively.

"We don't serve their kind."

James opened his mouth to politely argue with the woman and ask for a room. But then he stopped.

"That's okay. This place-and these people-are disgusting anyway."

The woman's face distorted in anger, but James didn't listen to her furious tirade as he backed out the door. Only when they were back on the street did he address Jessica.

"I'm sorry she said that. Let's get to the river; this place is starting to concern me."

"Thank you" Jessica told him, slightly touched by his standing up for her.

James quickly made his way past crowds of people as he passed by homes, shops, and even some slums that made him wish for about six bars of soap and fourteen thousand bottles of hand sanitizer. Many people were sleeping on or scavenging through rotting food scraps and trash, looking sickly as they begged or simply stared forward blankly with vacant dead expressions. What had begun as a desire for fresh human contact, a warm place to rest and perhaps a place to earn money was quickly turning into a tour of poverty and depravity.

Fortunately, James saw the city docks where several ships were moored. Advancing past a crowd of armoured men and clustered villagers, James suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was Jessica's scream.