“See what you’ve done? You’ve lost all my livestock and broke my stall!” The merchant accused.

“What do you have to say for yourself, Miss?” the guard demanded. His eyes glinted with malice, and he couldn’t hide the leering grin on his face.

“My dog is missing!” Someone else added.

Jenny held a sigh and kept her stare fixed on the guard. The commotion hadn’t died down after the rabbits escaped. Instead, it had grown. The merchant’s accusation matched the increased crowd, and the guards accepted each new demand from the merchant like gospel. The mother who had wanted to buy a good meal for her daughter had left in the confusion. The morning sun shone over Jenny, and she felt hot under all the layers of clothing and armor. The crowd buzz was constant, their many voices pressing down on her. The heat of bodies pressed together didn’t make things easier.

It was the clothing. Jenny's attire was of good make, even battered and dirty, fit for a noble. Her whole ensemble reeked of coin. “Larissa” was a stranger with no one at her back for support. The merchant saw an opportunity, and his accomplice guard was there to back him up. Or at least that was Jenny’s guess about this whole thing. She’d dealt with shady merchants before while in the baron’s service. They showed up from time to time, thinking the noble an easy mark.

Jenny didn’t know what to do. Setting her supposed debt would rob her of most of the coins she needed for supplies and materials for Biscuit’s magic. Denying it would probably end with her in jail for one fake accusation or another. Picking a fight with a trained guard in a crowd was all but suicide. Was the town guard always this corrupt? The image she had of the place was idyllic and peaceful, with the occasional monster attack. Had the baron’s influence shielded her from this much corruption? She needed to get away from here and find Biscuit and get away fast before the magic ended. It would be a disaster if it happened. No amount of talking would save her if it did.

The guard stepped closer, his stern facade not hiding his eyes, calculating the worth of her armor and bag. Jenny hadn’t also missed the way his eyes lingered on her chest for far too long. The idea of using female guile left a bad taste in her mouth. She had been nine when Mother shoved the memories into her mind. Jenny’s stomach churned remembering the occasion, the desperation and sadness in Mother’s eyes, the wake-up call and loss of innocence. Jenny had never needed that knowledge, but it was still an option. Whatever the case, she needed to act fast. Biscuit had been gone for a while now, and the more she hesitated, the more the merchant demanded.

“Alright,” Jenny said in her more resounding voice. The merchant stopped with a grin on his face. The guard looked her up and down again. “If you’re going to prevent me from completing the quest to kill the lurkers, you might just lock me up as well,” for effect, her shoulders slumped, “that way, it saves our dear baron time to send the guard after me for failing.”

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That, again, was utter bullshit. The old baron never pursued reparation with the guild for failed requests since if a group failed, he expected the guild to send another to complete the task. Knowing Gregory, he’d been a massive jerk since becoming baron, and she was banking on that reputation now.

“Now, missy, look here. You can’t just—” Started the merchant, but Jenny cut him off.

“Unless you want to track my team in the wilds, I only have a few silvers for the bait,” she looked at the man with dead eyes, “I can’t pay whatever ridiculous sum you’re demanding.” She didn’t wait; she turned to the guard; she wanted to take him away from the crowd. While she talked, Jenny’s hand sneaked into her pocket and took a few silver coins.

The guard looked at her, then the merchant. The crowd started muttering, and Jenny heard angry muttering about the guard's actions. The guard furrowed his brow, considering.

Jenny stepped closer into his personal space. She hated using the ‘woman tricks’ taught by Mother, but if she let this go for much longer, she’d be in worse trouble. “I’m sure we can reach an agreement that will satisfy you.” She made her voice low and husky, a whisper for his ears only. Discreetly, she passed him the coins, ensuring the merchant didn’t see the act.

The guard inhaled sharply. Jenny kept observing his face and body posture. His pupils dilated, and he straightened his back. His eyes hovered over her body once again. What a disgusting pig. He looked at her, then the merchant, and again at the crowd.

“Right, come along then.” The guard said.

The merchant’s head spun toward the guard. “What? Edric? What is this?”

Edric turned to the merchant. “I got this, Osgar.” He shot the merchant a warning look, then addressed the crowd, “Off with you all, commotion is over, nothing to see here.”

The crowd dispersed, some grumbling, others casting sympathetic glances at Jenny. A woman muttered, "Poor girl, getting mixed up with the likes of Edric..." Osgar's face was a scowl. He moved about, fixing his stall and picking up the many things strewn about after Jenny’s fall. He kept closer, trying to overhear their conversation while casting dirty glances at Jenny.

Edric led Jenny away from the market and past the city square. Her gaze lingered on the witch pillar and the old burn marks in the stone around it before it moved to rest on the facade of the Church. An acolyte stood at the entrance. Dressed in white and gold, the woman smiled at the people walking by. Jenny dragged her eyes away, following the man. If she remembered correctly, the guardhouse was located near the main entrance and main road in town. Now seemed a good enough time to convince the guard to let her go. Getting locked out was out of the question.

“Edric, was it?” Jenny approached the man, glancing at his attire, the battered leather armor he wore, the spear he held, his weathered face, and shifty eyes. “Maybe we—”

A horse neighed in the distance, followed by a panicked yell.

The guard stopped, and Jenny did the same. Like a wave crashing through the streets, Jenny saw the fear spreading among the people and animals. Frantically, dogs barked in the distance. More people yelled, and from a corner in the far street, the rush of the scared crowd moved toward the inner city.

From a corner, far down the street, she saw a flash of white hair and a recognizable mane of dark hair. Her thoughts hadn’t registered the scene when the large Shade Stalker bounded into the streets, chasing the girl. Even from this distance, she saw the snakes on its shoulder lashing at everything nearby.

“Shit!” the guard cursed, turned around, and ran away without glancing in Jenny’s direction.