Gabe

The marketplace is bustling. I smell something fried - similar to donuts - and Grace tugs at my hands.

Grace: "That man is running."

I turn and see a figure, wrapped in black cloth, running toward us.

"Stop! Thief!"

The sound of a woman yelling rings out over the crowd, and a thousand faces turn to the black figure coming our way.

My mind races. I have to do something. But what can I do?

Wait. I can do anything and no one will get hurt, right? Do I trust this?

There's a weapon stall next to me.

This is crazy.

I grab two long throwing daggers sitting on the table.

This is crazy.

And throw them.

In the middle of the crowded market.

The daggers fly over booths, reflecting the sunlight as they spin through the air. I feel almost entranced by their flight - as if I'm watching something beautiful.

Until they hit the black-cloaked figure, just paces away from us.

I watch in horror as the daggers finish their spins and hit the figure's chest perfectly.

And then bounce off and fall to the ground.

The thief, who was looking over his shoulder until the very last moment, stops in his tracks, staring at the daggers as they bounce and land on the ground.

"Stop! Stop you thief!"

He turns 90 degrees and begins running again, looking back in my direction before jumping over tables and running over passerby. I let go of Grace's hand and chase after him as he begins barreling through a crowd, but he quickly pulls away from me. My current Agility of 2 may be infinitely better than 0, but I'm still horribly slow. Combined with needing triple the exertion to move? Yeah. There's no way I'm catching him unless something else happens.

People fall left and right, parting ways before him. There's only a single row of booths left before the edge of the market and the depth of the city.

He reaches to push someone out of the way, and then suddenly stops.

---

Kai

The first two quests Gladys took are actually here in the city. The first one is a request for a mage with "high intelligence" to charge mana crystals. The location is a small shop not far from the Adventurer Guild. Gladys holds a cluster of small crystals in each hand for a few seconds until they begin to glow - the intensity of the glow, according to the young boy manning the shop, matching with how much the crystals have been charged beyond their capacity and from bleeding excess mana into the air.

I'm not fully sure, but I think the normal process is to charge one crystal at a time in full darkness to ensure that no mana is wasted. At least that was how we charged the first crystal, before following the attendant back out into the stockroom. Gladys hands me a brightly glowing crystal - the first one she charged, before grabbing another batch of crystals in both hands.

"Close your eyes. Feel the mana as it leaves the crystal, Kai. It feels different to everyone. To one it might feel like a gentle breeze, to another a mild tingle, or slight warmth. It could be anything."

I close my eyes, hold the crystal in my hands... and feel nothing. No warmth, no motion, no tingling, just the soft tinkling sound of Gladys grabbing empty mana crystals from one box, and then placing them into another.

It takes us only a few minutes before the box is empty, and we leave behind a very shocked shop attendant, who stamps our quest sheet and pays Gladys directly via her new bank account.

Our second quest is in the market near where we first entered town. Gladys perked up a lot when she saw this quest.

"This will be absolutely perfect, Kai! You're going to love this... and it'll be good practice..."

She continues mumbling softly, something that I can't fully hear. Either way, she seems incredibly excited.

I find myself yet again amazed as we're able to see the market. The first time we traveled through, we were headed to the Adventurer Guild. This time, we're actually headed to the market. We pass the first line of stalls and a particularly colorful stall catches my eye and I turn to look at it. It's covered in triangular cloth pieces covered with patterns of magical animals. Tailed foxes, unicorns, sea serpents, dragons, and phoenixes - each flag a different color, a different animal on its face.

I'm so enthralled that the market around me seems to go silent as I watch the flags wave in the wind. I'm not sure how long I've been standing there before I realize that I've been standing, unmoving, in the middle of the street. I turn back to Gladys and feel a mild sense of surprise when, as I'm turning, I see a black-cloaked figure less than an arms' length away from me, an arm stretched out almost touching me, stopped what appears to be mid-stride.

I step back from the frozen figure and turn to Gladys, who is glaring pointedly at the figure.

"Gladys?"

She turns to me, her eyes softening.

"He was going to touch you, Kai. Maybe even push you. I know there are laws against murder and violence... but right now..."

"Stop! Thief!"

I look up and see a man, sweating and out of breath, jogging between the stalls. He stops shortly behind the cloaked figure, draws a heavy breath, and then tries to communicate.

"He... stole..."

We wait.

The man laughs slightly, still completely out of breath.

"I... actually... have no idea... what he stole."

He laughs again and slumps to the ground.

"Thanks for stopping him... A woman called thief and I ran... I'm guessing she should be on her way."

The man is still breathing hard.

"How far did you chase him?" Gladys's question makes sense, as the man seems far more winded than I would expect given his original speed and approach.

"Uh... partway through the market?"

Gladys looks at him, her next question on her lips as she tries to understand. He answers first.

"I have a passive skill with a weird side effect that makes it harder for me to run."

I look at the man more closely as he rests on the ground. He's wearing a ragged shirt with spots of sweat that must be from exertion. One arm of the shirt has a short sleeve, while the other has no sleeve, a long metal glove that reaches just past his elbow on that arm. His pants and shoes are frayed, and he's wearing what look like metal bracelets on his ankles and one exposed wrist, along with a backpack and belt made from the same material. His hair is blond and his face is dripping with sweat.

I find myself feeling tiny bits of some sort of feeling. A sense of... desire? Kinship? It's strange, a feeling foreign to me that seems to be in the back of my head and also in my chest at the same time. I stare at the man, his face angled down as he breathes hard and drips sweat from his chin. Then, from his backpack, jumps a small multicolored round ball. Creature? It lands on his shoulder and the feeling inside my chest intensifies.

"Oh. Hey Lucia." The man reaches up to his shoulder and the round creature, which is glowing, jumps into his arms.

He looks up at us and I see his eyes. Blue.

"Hey guys, this is Lucia. She's my partner and friend. She's a prismatic slime. Please don't attack her."

My heart beats sound loudly in my ears. The word prismatic echoes in my thoughts as the little slime glows in an entrancing variety of colors... the whisper inside my head wondering what I'm feeling going ignored. I totally disconnect from the world around me, my gaze lost in the shifting colors as hours and years pass by.

I feel a spark from my wrist, and suddenly wake up.

"A slime? Is she a summon, or a tamed creature?"

Gladys apparently didn't notice the years I spent looking at the creature, as her glance at me doesn't show anything but her normal concern.

"Neither! Lucia is my partner. I saved her life, she saved mine, and we've been partners ever since. She's super smart... we just haven't learned to communicate yet. She actually helped me get my class. We're both Pacifists."

"I can fix that! But I think we have another priority first - let's take care of this thief."

Gladys claps and a ball of fire shoots upwards from her hands into the sky, exploding far overhead with an enormous bang, leaving a bright trail of light pointing down.

"Pop quiz while we wait for the guards, Kai."

Gladys looks at me as she turns away from the cloaked man.

"Yeah?"

"What are some of the drawbacks of a truth spell?"

I think. Gladys usually wants an actual answer when she asks a question, not just a rough "dunno."

Truth spells... maybe if the person you're asking doesn't know it? Or maybe if you can't understand it? Or you have the wrong perspective?

"Maybe... if the person doesn't know the truth? Truth spells just force someone to tell what they think is the truth right? There could be all sorts of problems there."

"Exactly! Most "truth" spells are just a form of mental control. I use the spell to force someone to respond, while also disabling their ability to lie. But what about the people who don't know the difference between true and false? What about the people who have a radically different perspective of truth? Usually, with a truth spell, I don't actually care what the person thinks or feels. I want something else. Information. That said, most people have similar perspectives on petty theft. They can recognize that they stole something."

She stops and glances around the marketplace. I follow her lead, and see two men in metal armor jogging down the street not far away. Gladys turns to the cloaked figure and speaks two words before turning back to me.

"Veritas Interum"

"It's sort of similar with love spells actually. I know this is a tangent but I was thinking about that earlier today when I got these earrings. It's not love that I want, but the outward aspects of it. I love you, and I wish you loved me back."

I grimace slightly. I know this is a touchy topic. But Gladys doesn't even take a breath.

"I could even cast a spell to make that happen. Mental magic can affect feelings. A love spell is just a complicated compulsion spell, just like a truth spell. But, ironically, you loving me wouldn't actually make me happy."

Out of the corner of my eye the man on the ground jerks his head slightly, looking up from the ground towards Gladys.

"What I really want is proof of your love. And not just any proof. Even if you did love me, you'd love me the way that is most natural for you, while I want to get love in the way that is most natural for me. Holding my hand while we walk, getting me stuff from the market, telling me you love me, always letting me be at your side. So, at least in our case, there's a better option than a love spell. I ask for what I want, you give it to me, and I'm happy regardless of your feelings."

The men in armor walk up just as she finishes speaking, and Gladys turns again to the cloaked figure.

"First, please tell us if you have taken property today that was not lawfully yours. If the answer is yes, describe the circumstances and what was taken."

"Yes."

The cloaked figure pauses for a brief moment. His voice (it sounds male, if I'm guessing) is rough and hoarse.

"Fat rich dame was showin' coin. She didn't need 'em. So I cut her purse. She figured me out - prolly a penny pincher skill or sommat richies got - so I ran. Then this guy sticks me wif... daggers? But they didn't do nothin. Then I was jus'bout to push clueless boy outta the way to get free when I stop and can't move no more. Thought I was a goner - couldn't breathe. Then I listen to ya stupid talk and"

"That's enough, thank you."

The cloaked figure stops talking.

The man's cloak flutters for a moment, and a finely embroidered purse slowly lifts out from an inner pocket.

"Is this the purse?"

"Ya."

The purse gently floats to the closer of the two guards, who is standing, his mouth left open as he watches the scene. I'm pretty sure that's a sign of shock. Or surprise. Maybe this isn't a normal occurrence? Maybe theft isn't common here?

"Did you steal anything else today?"

"Nah. Dame war ma first. Fatter the better for cuttin purse. Oh lookie here she come."

Gladys turns to the guards as a very large woman approaches, leisurely walking before calling out in an exceptionally shrill voice.

"Thief! Thief! Thief! Guards, I demand that you arrest this scoundrel at once! He robbed me of priceless family heirlooms! And this is not the first time! I've been robbed in the market before, and I'm sure it was him! It must have been him! I demand that you find whatever rat hole he is living in, auction off his home and all his belongings, sell him as a slave, and give it all to me as reparations for my loss."

I look to Gladys, who has a look of confusion on her face. I honestly think it's the first time I've ever seen her look like that. She turns to me and the sounds around us begin to dim slightly.

"I... I think she is actually serious Kai."

"Uh... yeah? She seems serious to me."

"No. I mean everything she said. She expects the guards to literally take everything this man has, sell him into slavery, and give her all the profits. Doesn't that seem a bit... extreme?"

"Uhhhh... maybe?"

The guards are animatedly talking with the woman. The cloaked figure is still frozen in space. And the man on the ground is watching my face, apparently listening to our conversation, waiting for my response just as Gladys is.

I could try to think before responding, but it would probably take too long. So I just think out loud.

"I... don't know how I feel about slavery. The word itself seems to hold meaning, and I understand it means forcing someone against their will... or maybe owning them? But I don't seem to have many feelings about it. Or really understand it. We enslave animals because we are better than they are and want to use them. But there are smart animals, and dumb animals, and there are other people and even sentient creatures... Is the dividing line of being ok with slavery whether or not something is sentient? Whether or not it has free will? But there's more than that, isn't there? That man just stole something, and now we're going to force him to give it back. That's a type of slavery too - forcing him to do something he doesn't want to do. But is it ok to just let him go back into the world and steal again? If it is, where do we draw the line? And if not, what other option do we have other than turning them into temporary slaves?"

Man. This is a lot more complicated than I first thought.

One of the guards' eyes focuses from being glazed over. He interrupts the endless stream of words coming from the woman's mouth.

"Madam, I thi..."

"I am a Lady and you will address me as such!"

"My Lady, this is the first recorded offense we have for this man. The money was recovered without violence, and he has clearly admitted guilt. Without evidence of other wrongdoing the most the law allows is to file a report and the levy of a fine, which will both be done by my associate here. My apologies, but that is the extent of my ability within the bounds of the law."

The second guard's eyes turn to a gem on his arm and his eyes glaze over slightly.

"But my time! My honor! My clothes after running through this dreadful market! I demand reparations! At once!"

"I am regrettably unable to comply, My Lady."

"I demand to speak with your supervisor! He will hear about your incompetence! You will pay for humiliating me and wasting my time! You will lose your job! You will never be able to show your face again! You will grovel before me like the worm you are! You will..."

"I would be happy to escort you to the guardhouse where you can speak with my supervisor, My Lady."

I know I don't understand people or their faces, but I don't think the guard is actually happy. His face has a slight smile, but with each progressively growing insult, a vein in his neck and forehead seem to pulse slightly.

The second guard approaches the still-frozen cloaked figure and begins speaking with him.

Gladys turns back to me.

"I think that's all we'll be needed for. The spell will last for a few more minutes, and the guards should be done by then. Let's be on our way? We're looking for a stall run by a woman named Jade."

"Jade?"

The man on the ground scrambles to his feet and approaches us.

"You mean crafter, elf, loud, flowing dress Jade?"

Gladys pulls a quest sheet from a bag at her side.

"It simply says 'Jade' - so I would assume her name would be well known in the market."

"Well, that's where I'm headed too. I can take you guys along with... oh my gosh! Grace!"

The man runs off back in the direction from which he came. Gladys looks at me with a smile, grabs my arm, and pulls me behind him.