Chapter 24

“Gold?”

Kryll looked at Lord Mitten in confusion after the unwelcome visitor had disappeared as quickly and loudly as he had come.

“Do you know what he means by that?” he asked.

Lord Mitten thought for a moment and then shook his head. “For the life of me, I can't think of an adequate reason that would justify such a surprise visit,” he replied, frowning.

“Rude, really rude.”

As a former Guardian of Amanth, he tried to keep an open attitude towards all living beings. But these adventurers - and there was no doubt that their visitor was one of them - simply confirmed with every contact the prejudices that he painstakingly tried to dispel again and again. As soon as he met another adventurer, years of dismantled prejudice were reinstated in one fell swoop.

They seemed to be begging to be labeled as ruffians without manners! Where was the education? Where the social skills that every intelligent being should learn to a certain extent in the course of their lives? Unless it consciously resisted learning them.

Oh.

Lord Mitten pursued the new train of thought that had formed in him.

Perhaps that was it. Maybe adventurers didn't want to adapt at all. Perhaps it took a certain self-centeredness to keep evolving. To become ever stronger, ever more powerful.

Lord Mitten paused.

He remembered previous encounters with powerful people and quickly discarded the newly found explanation for the uncouth behavior. After all, mages also managed to keep to the customs and were even more likely to attract attention through exaggerated etiquette.

Just uncouth then.

Inwardly, he once again worked hard not to condemn the adventurers' guild as a whole. No, he would give the next person he met a chance again, he swore to himself. The decision left a stale aftertaste on his tongue.

It was not easy to remain true to his principles.

I digress, Lord Mitten realized, as the creaking sound of a floorboard brought him back to the present.

How long have I been staring at this door? His gaze was fixed on the white door to the room, which the strange guest had pulled shut behind him as he left. 'Slammed' was the more correct term, now that he thought about it.

Lord Mitten blinked briefly and then stood up. After stretching extensively, he looked at Kryll, who was watching him - for how long, actually?

He would have to pull himself together in the future with his mental strolls, he decided at that moment. What kind of impression did it make when he stared ahead of him for minutes on end!

Not a good one.

Lord Mitten was not used to regular company. Apparently, he had acquired a few peculiarities over the years that now had to be eradicated. After all, it was important to present a dignified image to the outside world.

“Master?”

“Yes, Kryll? Excuse me, I was just thinking about our visitor and the mentioned gold,” answered Lord Mitten, only half lying. But what was half a lie when it came to saving your honor?

Kryll nodded in confirmation.

“I've just been thinking about it, too. The only thing I can think of is the gold bar you bought the house with.”

“The gold bar?” Lord Mitten thought about the idea only to dismiss it shortly after.

“What can an adventurer do with a gold bar except buy a new suit of armor that will last until the next battle? I tell you, these adventurers—,”

Suddenly a thought occurred to him.

He stared at Kryll with his almond-shaped golden eyes. Silence filled the half-dark room, where no sunlight fell anymore.

“I'm assuming correctly that you don't want to become one of those adventurers, right?”

*****

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Kryll's heartbeat quickened at his master's sudden question. His hands became sweaty and sought safety in the large pockets of his pants.

“Absolutely not!” he affirmed without giving it much thought. Because what difference would it have made, his answer would have been the same. The way his master was looking at him, there could only be one right answer. Regardless of what he really thought.

What happened to your thirst for adventure? the chaos-loving part of him teased.

I don't have a death wish, Kryll replied as he tried not to avoid the cat's piercing gaze.

And I can have adventures without being an adventurer. Having a monster for a master is a good prerequisite for that! he justified himself.

Oh, yes. And a bookshop is the perfect place for that, too, it continued to tease. Dangerous books and breathtaking packaging material. How adventurous!

Kryll shooed the voice out of his head. He had just about enough to do to keep his cool. The inner self-talk would have to wait.

“Mhm.”

After what felt like an eternity, Lord Mitten blinked slowly and Kryll thought he saw a slight smile. He relaxed a bit.

Why were the facial expressions of cats so hard to read!

Kryll felt at a serious disadvantage. After all, his face - unlike his master's - could be read like a book. His mother had regularly reminded him of this so that he would take it into account when choosing his future career.

Kryll paused. Why actually? He could only think of shady jobs that required an unreadable face.

“A good decision, young man,” Lord Mitten interrupted him in his thoughts.

“Our nightly meeting in the forest and your terrible eating habits made me fear for a moment that you had succumbed to the deceptive glamor of adventuring.”

His master really didn't seem to think much of adventurers. Kryll hesitated briefly and then took heart.

“What, eh—, what's exactly wrong with adventurers, Master?”

The cat sighed.

“What is wrong with adventurers? Nothing! They are just as entitled as you and I to walk this planet and make the best of their lives.”

Krylls was confused. Then what —,

“What is wrong with their behavior?” his master continued. “Everything.” He wrinkled his nose.

“When they join the guild, they seem to throw all the manners they've learned overboard. It almost seems as if that were a condition to join the guild. If it wouldn't be too absurd—,”

Lord Mitten paused and then shook his head. “That can't be the reason,” he muttered more to himself, then turned back to Kryll.

“Like I said. I have nothing against adventurers per se, but I do have something against their behavior. And that, dear Kryll, is another important lesson. Learn to separate a being from its behavior and many wars will be unnecessary."

Oh.

That sounded like actually useful advice, thought Kryll, who was still nibbling on lesson number five. What exactly did his master mean by 'Arms are there to be licked clean. Not to clean your face.'? Had he misheard him earlier?

Never mind, perhaps the mystery would be solved in the future. His built-in enthusiasm flared up. It certainly would!

He reached for his notebook on the floor to jot down the next lesson.

Meanwhile, Lord Mitten turned to the fox cub to converse with it silently. Hopefully. Otherwise, only cultural peculiarities beyond what Kryll knew could explain the 'silent staring at each other for minutes'.

Finally, Lord Mitten turned back to him.

“Kryll, I would finally like to introduce you to our guest. This—,” he glanced briefly at the fox cub, ”is Myrim, a young Arctic fox. Unfortunately, she has been kidnapped and is now staying with us until her mother comes for her.”

Kryll had a sneaking suspicion as to who might have abducted the young fox girl and therefore decided not to ask any further questions.

“Hello, I'm Kryll,” he introduced himself and grinned at the young fox.

"Mwarmwaah," the cub replied and looked at him curiously with its bright blue eyes.

Aw, cute!

“Oh well, Myrim is still too young to speak the universal language. That's why I talk to her via telepathy," explained Lord Mitten.

I knew it! Kryll thought with relief. So it wasn't a strange habit of the foxes that could be expected of him too. Lucky for him!

“How you two converse though—,” Lord Mitten's whiskers twitched briefly, ”perhaps with sign language?”

Kryll stared at his master. Had he just made a joke?

He couldn't figure the cat out.

“Eh, I don't know sign language,” he said slowly. And what kind of signs anyway, foxish?

“Well then. You will have to think of something else then," Lord Mitten replied dryly.

That had been a joke, hadn't it? Kryll was becoming increasingly uncertain.

“Either way, the communication problems can wait until tomorrow. Right now, what we need most is a place to sleep for the night. And light,” said his master, who was only dimly recognizable to Kryll in the darkness.

“Myrim and I can see in the dark, but you need some light. It would be very unpleasant if my subordinate broke his leg on the first night in the store.”

“Unpleasant and unnecessary.”

Suddenly, a large white candle with a golden inscription manifested in the air in front of Kryll. With a motion from his master, it began to burn, bathing the room in a golden light.

“Hhmmm,” sighed Kryll, who was suddenly filled with a deep, all-encompassing feeling of contentment and serenity.

Eh?

“What is this candle, Master?” he asked in disbelief as a sea of calm spread within him, drowning all worries, fears, and anxieties.

“Huh?” Lord Mitten tilted his head to the side to read the inscription.

“Oh. That is where it's been hiding all this time. Would have been a great help against the undead.”

Lord Mitten frowned.

“Unfortunate, most unfortunate.”

“Master?” Kryll looked questioningly at the monster in the shape of a cat. He knew in his head that he was working for a powerful being. Moments like these, however, drove home in a very forceful way what that actually meant.

Undead? Emotion-altering candles? What's happening here? the voice of reason called out in confusion.

“Ahem,” Lord Mitten cleared his throat.

“That, dear Kryll, is the legendary 'Light of Phrygos'. Besides the usual benefits of a candle, it calms the mind and heals soul damage. Completely safe for all beings... with souls. So don't be afraid, take it!”

“Soul damage,” Kryll repeated slowly, trying to sound as unconcerned as his master.

While the voice of reason called for answers at a higher pitch, he carefully took the candle in one hand. Admittedly, his newly acquired inner state helped him to keep his composure in the face of this absurd situation.

Meanwhile Lord Mitten walked towards the white door, which opened on its own, revealing the dark corridor.

"Now that everyone is sufficiently prepared, let us visit the second floor."