Laina looks down and grips her skirt then just smiled back at Stine while shaking her head.

“They just wanted to know how I was doing.” Laina replied with a smile at which point the excitement left her.

They finished their meal and head out to find the man. The sun is at its peak yet the weather seems fair. A gentle breeze comes from the direction where the valley is.

“So where do find him?”

“I usually see him but I could never talk to him properly.”

Stine follows Laina to an alley on the eastern side of the village. The path isn’t littered but there were wild grass growing on the stone path as well as moss and mold growing on old unabandoned houses. The buildings are intact but there are holes on the walls that you could almost see inside it.

“How did you even come to know this part of the village?” Stine asks

“I don’t remember, I was just walking to where I want to go and I found this place.” She replies

When they turn on the corner ahead, Stine saw a man lying on the ground, face down. He immediately run towards him, turns him, and checks his pulse. Then he realizes that the man is from the tavern earlier. Laina walks towards them as if nothing is out of the ordinary.

“He’s alive, just intoxicated.” Stine while checking the body for any injuries.

He looks at Laina just standing by them with a confused face.

“Could you grab the cane there. We’ll take him to an inn.”

“Ah. That’s him” Laina pointed out.

Stine looks at the drunken man and tries to remember Laina’s description of him. Stiff looking, slightly younger than him, prominent burnt mark on the face and a strange eye. Only the burnt mark matches the description.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Stine looks at her not sure if she was joking or not.

“See! He looks stiff, has burnt face and a strange eye.” She said while pointing at the man’s eye patch.” She describes

Stine took another look at the man and just accepted Laina’s description.

“I always see him here but he’s always sleeping.”

“He’s drunk Laina. This is what happens when you drink liquor.” Stine explains.

They engage in a little conversation while waiting for the man to wake up. Laina is eagerly asking questions while Stine is happily answering all of them.

The man let out a small groan and notices Stine and Laina sitting right next to him. He thought no more of it and picks up his cane. As he was about to leave, Stine tries to stop him.

“Sir, can we have a moment of your time?”

The man looks back at them from head to toe then he let out a disgruntled sound.

“What do you want?” The man asks.

Stine run through his mind on what to ask the man. At first glance the man already looks irritated, add to the factor that the man is drunk as well. Before he could speak, Laina blurted out the same 7 words she asks everyone

“Would you like to buy a heart?” Laina asks with her light warming smile.

The man stood still and turns around towards her.

“It’s alright lassie, I don’t need anything for the meantime.” The man replies then left

After a couple of steps, the man fell down again. His face is still drunken red and he vomits on the ground. Before the vomit could eventually covers his face, Stine helps him up. He asks Laina to carry the cane while he handles the man.

They went to an inn and lodge the man there. The inn owner, however, notices the man.

“Ah, Fergus.” The owner remarks.

Stine had the drunken man slump on a table while Laina sat next to him carrying the cane with both her hands.

“Could you take care of him. I’ll handle his fees.”

“Sure”

Stine and the owner took him to a room across the desk. They laid him on the bed as he was snoring loudly.

“Are you a relative, perchance?”

“An acquaintance.” Stine replies.

They took off his boots and went to the reception desk where Stine pays for the drunk man’s lodging.

“He’s quite a mess isn’t he” Stine comments.

“Yeah, the war killed everything for him. Now he just spends his waking hours at the tavern.”

“Do you know where he lives?”

“If you’re heading towards Dalia it’s to the left right next to the trinket shop. He owns the place.”

Stine thought to himself and wrote something. He asks the owner to hand Fergus the letter when he’s fine.

“Would you like to drop by his store and try to sell some hearts before we go?”

Laina gave out a nod.