EV B2 Chapter 17:

The conversation meandered for twenty minutes or so before I brought it around to something that had been bothering me earlier.

"You mentioned Alana. Normally, you don't pay attention to my friends' names," I said.

"Look." He shrugged. "She's special."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "How so?"

He smiled and winked. I restrained myself from heaving a sigh.

"How is she doing now?" I asked. "I haven't been able to find any way of contacting her or anything. I imagine it's not really an option, is it?"

"No, it's not," he said. "Even I wouldn't pass a message to her for you, but I can tell you that she's doing quite well in the Lesser Hall. She's baffling everyone and progressing even more rapidly than you did. She should be out soon-ish," Loki said, waffling.

"I want you to give her a blessing," I said, leaning forward. "I'm willing to pay a lot for it—or at least arrange for another god to give her a blessing. I'm pretty sure that helped me get to my class earlier. And if anyone is as talented or has a chance to advance as quickly as I did, it's her."

I felt a surprising amount of vehemence rise in me, but I was certain I meant every word. I would be willing to pay a lot to give her a real leg up. It was the least I could do.

Loki was slightly taken aback by the intensity in my eyes, but he nodded. "I wish I could squeeze you for more," he said, "but in all honesty, I can't. I've already blessed her."

I blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. It was the first day in the Lesser Hall. She… well, she did a few things that caught my eye. And luckily, I was already watching her before Freya or any of her sisters could get their hands on her. All I had to do was convince her that you worked with me, and she was more than on board, unwilling to even hear out the other offers."

I smiled broadly. That was the Alana I knew. Truly, she had been wasted back in her world. I couldn't suppress the laugh that bubbled up. With that, though, I figured I'd kept Astrid waiting long enough.

"Well," I said, "that is certainly good news."

I slid my chair back from the table a little, and he mirrored me. We both stood, and I offered my hand again. We shook.

"Tomorrow at dawn, meet at the Golden Goose. The three will find you there." He said.

I frowned. "Not sure I want you spreading my description around."

"Don't worry. They know the signs. Just carve a small marker into the corner of your table."

I nodded, and we exchanged farewells before I headed out.

As expected, I didn't find Astrid waiting—by the door, in the hallway, or anywhere nearby. Instead, I had to trace my steps back to the tavern, where I found her waiting in the common room.

"I hope that didn't cost you too much," I said to Astrid.

She grimaced. "Nothing I wasn't willing to pay."

She refused to elaborate.

"Unfortunately, that's always how it is with him. Everything is an exchange. But overall, he's always treated me fairly," I said.

She looked at me. "You are a strange one, Miles."

I thought back. I suppose… I suppose I was. But still, there wasn't much I could do about it. My age, coming here, was a bit of an outlier, but I didn't imagine that counted for everything.

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"Just some lucky coincidences," I said modestly.

She chuckled but didn't refute it.

The tavern had an inn above, and we had enough coin for rooms. I booked one for myself, and Astrid got one across the hall. It wasn't really much, but it wasn't too short either. Soon, we both went off to our respective beds and hit the hay.

***

The next morning, I woke up with the sun, and we headed out.

We found the Golden Goose and grabbed a table. As Astrid and I worked on breakfast, I casually carved a small symbol into the corner of the table with my steak knife in between bites of a succulent, quite tasty sausage. I didn't talk too much—we were both deep in thought.

I was sure she was thinking about whatever Loki had talked to her about, but she still didn't want to share, so I let her be. And she let me be.

I was mostly thinking about Alana. It was great to have confirmation that she was doing all right and that Loki was supporting her. I sincerely hoped she would be back soon. But I knew Astrid and Helga had both said it took them two years to get out of the Lesser Hall. Or maybe that was just the average—I couldn't quite remember.

A familiar voice I couldn't quite place greeted me from behind.

I turned and recognized the man speaking.

"Jorg?" I asked, remembering someone I'd interacted with a few times in the Lesser Hall. He also seemed to have attracted Loki's interest.

Knowing what I now knew about what it took to gain a god's interest, I studied him closer. There had to be something else special about him.

Standing, I introduced Astrid and Jorg.

"Miles," Jorg said, shaking his head. "It seems like every time I hear something about you, it's about some outlandish adventures."

I frowned. "I didn't realize I was that famous."

"Only in certain circles," Jorg said with a small chuckle. "I have to congratulate you for getting out of the Lesser Hall again."

I smiled. "I'll need to meet some of these circles, I suppose. But thank you and congratulations yourself. I heard you got out recently."

Jorg nodded. "The day after you did, actually. And the day before the grace period where I wouldn't have to participate in this month's challenge."

I grimaced. "Ah. This is a rough one, too—not nearly as simple as the first challenge I got to do."

Astrid looked between me and Jorg before apparently deciding that he was friendly enough for her to speak in front of him.

"I don't think you actually even finished the first twenty percent of that challenge. Pretty sure you ended up getting chased by the mob first," she said.

I waved my hand dismissively. "We would have made it. Actually, no, we did. We were there because we were celebrating."

Astrid smirked. "Oh, yeah, I remember. I think I just forgot because the four of us did a few more runs afterward."

"Well, I'm glad to see you," I said, turning back to Jorg, "and even more glad to be able to help."

He gave a humorous smile. "Yeah, I bet. Hopefully, you got your worth out of Loki for this."

I shrugged. "I think we were both satisfied with the arrangement."

"Yeah, well, you're expensive," Jorg said. "It's a good thing I have a couple buddies to go in with me."

The way he said "buddies" made me think they weren't actually friends. He motioned to two hooded figures standing behind him.

"Call them Thing One and Thing Two," he said.

I nodded to them, and they inclined slightly in a bow but didn't speak.

"Which one is which?" Astrid asked.

Jorg just shrugged.

I laughed. "All right. Well, let's get started."

As a group, we headed over to the challenge entrants and paid the toll for stepping in. It started the same as always—with the interaction with the farmer.

I left Astrid and the others to protect the farmer and his family while I went to take care of the raiders at the beach.

The next morning, we were off sailing the sea again. I couldn't help but revel in the wind on my face and the salt spray in the air. Apparently, I was still the only one who shared that sentiment.

We still had the same twenty-five raiders as last time, but the three extra members made the boat slightly more crowded—all the more reason for me to stay at the prow.

This time, though, there was no storm. I couldn't tell why that was different. Was it random, or did it have to do with how many members we had in the party? Or maybe it was something else entirely.

Whatever the reason, it made finding our way easier.

When we pulled up to shore, it wasn't just a desolate beach this time—it was a small village with a proper castle perched on the heights of a cliff above.

Our ship also didn't lose the two others full of raiders coming with us.

As we approached the shore, I could hear horns blowing. I felt a rush of excitement as my heart began to beat faster in my chest, and we prepared for battle.