At the adventurer’s guild counter, accompanied by the high pitched sound of multiple eagles, a young woman behind it doesn’t know exactly how to react. An arm between her breasts, the other arm stiff touching the counter, her body trembles at the sight of the man before him, looking like a shadow and with a fierce look in his eyes.

Fleck, perplexed as well by this reaction, raises his arm and tries to speak to calm down the woman, but before he can mutter any words, the woman’s shoulders jump really high and they stay there, stiff as a rock.

-”Told you that doing the fierce routine all the time would get you only trouble in the long run…”- Ereshkigal’s voice resounded in Fleck’s head.

Fleck was about to reply but decided to not do so, instead of asking -”Wha-what should I do? Can’t take me out of Zunko yourself?”-

-”No can do. Going out would open me to be traced by anyone interested in shattering me.”- Then adding in a mocking tone -”I know you can do something about it, you learned from the best didn’t you?”-

Fleck closed his eye and let a huge sight escape.

What was it again?… it’s been so long… I think it went something like this…

Opening his left eye once more, Fleck drew a smile on his face while maintaining eye contact with the woman behind the counter. The woman reacted right away with her eyebrows jumping at the change of impression Fleck was giving moments before, and her shoulders lowered a little bit.

-”First day?”- Fleck asks.

-”U-uh?”-

-”Is this your first day doing this work?”-

-”How did you know?”-

-”Well, you don’t behave like the usual woman posted at these counters.”- extending his left arm, he touches the hand of the woman that was still on the counter without breaking eye contact -”I’m Fleck.”-

The woman’s shoulder lowered even more, letting loose of her arms -”I’m… Britanny…”-

Fleck raises his right hand to his chin and looks to the side -”It must be frightening, isn’t it? Being here for your first day and then an Ether Storm comes out of nowhere. Dealing with all the canceled quest requests and the angry insensitive mobs, not to mention that many of these surely look scary.”-

Fleck then meets Britanny’s eyes once more, only to find her furiously asserting multiple times with her eyes flooded in tears.

-”Yes, yes! You got it right, mister Fleck!”- Britanny’s speaks, raising her voice in the process -”These barbarians! Don’t they know that I’m new here? Cut me some slack will ya’?!”- she says as she raises her arms and then slams then on the counter.

-”You’re totally right, Britanny”- Fleck says as he assents multiple times while keeping the smile on his face.

At the realization of her outburst, Britanny’s ivory face gets a tinge of noticeable red that made a nice combination with her ginger hair. Lowering her face a little bit, she then raises her eyes, puts a hand slightly to the right of her mouth and then says -”Sorry for calling you a barbarian, mister Fleck.”-

-”Don’t sweat the small stuff, Britanny”- says Fleck as he waves his right hand between them -”I know this eye patch of mine can make me a bit hard to deal with.”-

-”No, but-”- Starts saying Britanny but Fleck cuts her by raising his right hand.

-”Thanks, but I’m here for something Britanny, and I hope you could help me?”-

-”Ah? Oh, sure, please tell me how could I help you?”-

-”I need to get out of Zunko, right now. Can you help me?”-

-”Eeeeh?”- Britanny exclaims as she raises once more her hands in the air, and then she grabs a huge book that is to the side and starts passing page after page. After a couple of pages, she stops and says with a tinge of sadness in her voice -”I’m sorry I can’t help you, mister Fleck. We are now in lockdown until the Ether Storm passes, and all requests that involve going out have been canceled.”-

Stolen novel; please report.

Feeling like he just took a punch to the gut, Fleck loses the approachable expression he just had moments before.

-”I see… thank you, Britanny.”- He says as he starts going away.

Putting both hands on the counter, Britanny leans over to catch Fleck’s arm and say -”Ask between the adventurers here, maybe one of them knows off a way to go out?”-

Being startled by her unexpected action, Fleck lets a chuckle escape before saying -”I’ll try. Thanks Britanny. See you around.”- Before leaving the counter guild behind.

-”Wow, look at you lady killer.”- Ereshkigal’s voice resounds once more in Fleck’s head, carrying the mocking tone still.

-”Its been so long… What an embarrassment, I was so stiff.”-

-”it doesn't matter, go around and ask if one of these barbarians know anything.”-

-”Sure, sure.”-

Half an hour later after going through the entire mess hall of the guild’s building, full to the brim with adventurers, Fleck sits on the first steps of the stairs that go to the second floor.

No results… so, think, what can I do now?

As he was thinking, a voice reached him, calling for him. Raising his eyes, he sees a little boy dressed in rags and with ginger hair. The face of the boy was dirty, and the smile that he was flashing was big, enough to show his yellow teeth.

-”Wait… aren’t you…?”- Fleck says while pointing towards him with his right hand.

-”Yep! You saved me a lil’ early on, mister Fleck!”-

-”How do you know my name?”-

-”The nice l’dy behind the counter tol’ me! Gotta tell ya’, dunno what you did but you hav’ her on the palm of your hand!”- he says as he covers one side of his mouth and wink with left eye, as if he were sharing a secret.

-”Never mind that, what are you doing here? I told you to scram and go home already.”-

-”No can do!”- he says as he jumps forward, getting closer to Fleck -”My grandma’ always tol’ me that I should pay back the favors I own, and since you save’ lil' me, I’m here to try and help!”-

Fleck sights greatly and then stands up -”Whatever kid, go away.”- he says as he passes by him.

-”I know of a way to get out of Zunko, right now.”-

Fleck stops and then turns. The boy is there, showing off his smile with his yellow teeth.

-”Is that so? Then lead the way, boy.”- Fleck says.

At these words, the boy jumps in place once, then grabs Fleck by the hand and says -”Follow me!”-

Going between multiple adventurers of varying sizes and colors, Fleck and the boy are about to get to the exit when they see a couple of law enforcement officials enter the building.

The boy suddenly hides behind Fleck.

-”What's the matter, boy?”-

-”Don’… Don’t le’ them take me…”- the boy says as he tucks on Fleck pants and shivers, with his voice breaking multiple times.

-”Hey, you!”- One of the law enforcement officials point towards the boy, which is totally visible behind Fleck’s legs -”Rats like you are forbidden to enter the capital of the kingdom!”-

As the official comes closer, Fleck asks the boy -”Are you going to be taken away?”-

The boy only looks up and assents, saying -”Not only that…”-

-”Don’t need to hear more”- Fleck says as he puts a hand in front of him, making the boy stop talking.

Then, looking to both sides, seeing that all adventurers have moved into the building and that it was only him with the boy, he opens his mouth at the same time that the official starts reaching for the boy.

Moments later, all the law enforcement officials went flying out of the entrance and the windows, and Fleck and the boy make a run for it out of the building towards the slums.