-Vandlind-

Freya and I continued to talk for a few minutes (only after making sure the goblin wouldn’t reveal my status as a death mage, which was, apparently, a capital crime). I started to wonder if my parents were living in the Forest of Illusion for more serious reasons than I thought.

She asked me a whole bunch of questions regarding the spells I knew, and I was happy to oblige (it might bite me in the ass later, but I highly doubted Freya would betray me after going out of her way to keep my illegal talents hidden). After I gave her the full rundown, she sat in contemplation, heavy in thought about something unknown. Eventually, Freya informed me of the things I should know moving forward.

All monster slaves had to be branded and registered, sapient or not. Unfortunately, I had no fucking clue what branding was when she mentioned it (this is the part where she facepalmed hard enough to make me wince; she did that a lot).

Branding was a mixture of a few magic schools, most notably enchantment and divination. The first was to force the slave to accept orders regardless of will, and the second was to have a general idea of where said slave was at all times. The brand itself took multiple forms; though, it was usually a tattoo or a burn scar shaped into a glyph. The semi-permanent markings made it harder for an abjurer to say, ‘fuck you!’ and dispel the magic. It wasn't impossible, just incredibly difficult. No sane mage would waste their time if they had the choice whether to remove it.

Branding was extremely expensive, and only a few slave markets in the bigger cities offered it. But according to Freya, the benefits were well worth it. The chances of a slave rebelling with a brand were practically zero, and branded slaves couldn’t remove the brand themselves like they could a slave collar.

A slave collar – the equivalent to a cheaper version of a brand – was the main way of keeping a non-monster slave in line (yes, people on Iris practiced humanoid slavery too). However, anyone with enough money would opt for the brand over the collar despite the staggering differences in price, monster slave or not.

This branding stuff seemed to be another tidbit of information I should’ve known. I wondered if it was my parents' fault for sheltering me or if Restia wanted to make my life harder. I didn’t know which one I should’ve been leaning towards.

Point was, Blake would have to stay in Aerilon for at least a few days before he could leave to get the slave branded. The guards would undoubtedly notice a goblin while they were inspecting the wagons upon admission into the city, and they would mark his traveler’s papers with a no-exit clause until he could show proof of the monster’s registration.

During his inevitable vacation in Aerilon, Freya and I would deliberate further on how to free the goblin. The high-end slave market was in the middle ring of the city, and she gave me the name of an inn to find her at. All in an honest day’s work.

*

I put the goblin back in the wagon the same way I had taken her out: with maximum stealth. As far as I was aware, no one even realized she was gone. The lax security of the caravan irked me in ways I couldn’t explain, even when it was in my favor. How hard was it to glance in a wagon every once in a while? Too hard, apparently.

I gave the girl a quick pat on the head and some food before hopping out. The caravan guards had already constructed tonight’s fire, and the team lounged around it, drying themselves and their equipment. Veylin was mysteriously missing. Sitting on the edge next to Clara, I stared into the flickering flames; it wasn’t dark yet, but it would be in a few hours. Thousands of possible scenarios of how I could rescue the goblin filled my head.

Sam laid on the grass with his hands folded behind his head, “Where were you? I was dying to get a peek at the competition.”

“I didn’t want to ruin your chances, so I washed somewhere private,” I responded, only half-joking.

Sam snorted, sitting up, “Your elven arrogance is showing.”

I put up my hands innocently, “It’s not arrogance if it’s true.”

Dramur gave one of his famous grunts, “This all you two ever talk about.”

“Hey, boss, I only answered his question.” I laid down after giving my excuse.

“He’s not wrong,” Veylin said, appearing from nowhere. She laid down perpendicular to me and put the back of her head on my chest.

‘You okay?’ she asked; her voice was laced with worry.

I laid an arm across her collarbones, ‘Yeah, just thinking. Where were you at?’

‘Let’s just say... Theo’s a curious boy. I went a little further out for some privacy. I was going to come to you, but you were… talking with Freya.” She shifted slightly on my chest, ‘I figured you wouldn’t want me there.’

I frowned, ‘Veylin, I don’t think there’s any situation in this world where I wouldn’t want you with me.’

She looked up at me, and her silver eyes glowed in the firelight, ‘Are you just saying that to make me feel better?’

I flicked her ear with the arm I’d laid across her, ‘Don’t be dumb.’ I chuckled, ‘But Theo, eh? I guess he is just a teenager despite his maturity.’

She shook her head, ‘I still can’t get used to bathing with other people again. The showers your parents had were so nice.’

Like Freya mentioned, nudity wasn’t as big a deal on Iris as it was on Earth. In fact, public baths weren’t separated by gender in the majority of cities. The ideals were just different here. Of course, people didn’t go out of the way to flash themselves, but it wasn’t taboo either.

‘Well, you better get used to it. We’ll probably be washing with these guys a lot from now on.’

She sighed in resignation, ‘I guess you’re right.’

‘I’m always right,’ I smirked. ‘You should know this.’

She slammed the back of her head across my ribs, ‘Don’t get cocky now.’

Sam looked at us exasperated, “You can’t tell me you guys aren’t fucking. Do you realize how you look right now?”

“T-that’s-” Veylin stuttered, starting to sit up.

“It’s not like that,” I dismissed, turning my head towards Sam. “We’re just close.”

Veylin slumped back down.

Sam rolled his eyes, “Whatever you say.”

*

The rest of the night went smoothly. I made a point to talk to everyone before they all went to sleep. Making the rounds, as I referred to it. It paid dividends to familiarize yourself with people who might someday save your life.

I spoke to Dramur first. The dwarf was as stone-faced as ever. I wondered if that was a culture thing, or if the dwarves’ brain chemistry made it hard to get excited. Most likely, I thought, it was some combination of the two.

I told him stories about my childhood (nothing specific, mind you), but it didn’t make Dramur open up like I thought it would. He would occasionally ask questions, just enough to act like he was interested; I didn’t think he really was. At least he was kind enough the keep up the facade.

Clara was next. I asked her about what being a cleric was like, and she was happy to oblige. I already knew most of what she told me, but I listened happily anyway. She was so upbeat and cheerful it was hard not to be the same. Her personality reminded me so much of Ron's. I'd have to talk with her more in the future.

Stolen story; please report.

I talked to Will and Sam together. The brothers were virtually inseparable. Literally, they seemed to always be in line of sight. I asked them why one chose the spear and the other a sword and shield. It seemed fitting to me that their weapons were wholly opposite like their personalities.

“Well,” Will rubbed his fiery red hair, “I think it comes down to our fighting styles. Personally, I like to be closer to my opponent, so I chose a sword. I picked up the shield because, well, I didn’t like two-handed swords, and I was always getting hurt. It was just a smart decision.”

“What about you, Sam?” I asked the other brother.

Sam hummed for a bit, “I think Will’s right. I’ve always liked to keep my distance and dance around my opponents. The spear fit me in that way. It helps that I’m tall,” He waved his long arms.

Theo was after the two brothers. He appeared frightened to see me, and I thought that was probably because Veylin had noticed him getting an eyeful. I didn’t bring up the topic, though. I was just like him once upon a time. Fortunately, he slowly relaxed when I asked him about archery.

The boy went into a long spiel about his craft. Everything from maintaining his bow to how he trained got brought up. Surprisingly, there were a few pieces of advice he gave me that my father didn’t teach me. I knew Theo was good, but not that good. I made sure to remember to practice his tips when I had the time.

Deciding I couldn't let his good deed go empty-handed, I settled on giving him advice of my own. Although, telling him something he didn't already know proved difficult. He was already an adept Enhancer, so I wouldn't waste my time with that. He didn't have enough sensitivity to use magic, so I couldn't assist him with that either. What did this damn kid need help with?

Oh, wait. That's right.

“Theo, do you want to learn how to defend against telepathy?” I twirled one of the few runic arrows he had managed to get from a master fletcher in my hands. There was a glyph on it that would make it explode after being activated by a pulse of mana from an Enhancer.

Theo looked unsure, “Is that something you can just learn?”

I gave him the arrow back, “Not in a few days, no. But a little practice is better than none.”

Theo steepled his hands, and I could tell he was debating whether to allow me entrance into his mind.

“Don’t worry, I won’t read your thoughts or anything. I’ll just tap on your conscious, so you can recognize what it feels like.” I tapped the side of my head with a finger to emphasize the point.

Theo bit the inside of his lip, “All right.”

I spent a little over twenty minutes testing Theo with my mental probe. As expected, he couldn’t even recognize the sensation at first. I amped up the strength in intervals, and by the end of the session, Theo did start to feel something. I was basically jabbing his brain with a knife by that point, but progress was progress, no matter how small. I let Theo know we’d keep up the practice every night if we had time. He seemed to like that idea.

Lastly, I took a seat next to Shayna. Like Dramur, she didn’t talk about her home life. Unlike Dramur, she was enthusiastic about the random stuff we happened to talk about. It was mostly about fighting, which I had no problem with. Though, she was particularly fond of debating what monsters would win in a one-vs-one battle.

By the time the sun started to go down, my sociability meter hovered over empty. Getting to know the party was important, but I wished it wasn’t so draining. I cursed myself for not being more of an extrovert when I was Andre.

I didn’t bother to set up wards before I retired for the night. Dramur had told me that the chances of an attack were pretty much zero since we were so far away from the mountains. I did let him know, however, that I would keep watch (it was our party’s turn). I planned on trancing anyway, so there was no need to bother anyone else.

Resting under the lean-to with my eyes closed, Veylin's steady breathing lulled me into a trance.

*

It took the entirety of five days to come in sight of Aerilon. The wagons rolled over a hill a couple hours away, giving us a vantage point to survey it from. Despite the significant distance, it was large enough that anyone would’ve been hard-pressed to miss it. I knew a city that held a million people would be big, but it was absurd, especially without technology to regulate it all (I fantasied about bringing computers to this world for about three days; then, I realized that I had no idea to make one. Such was life).

The three massive, concentric walls were the most impressive feature. I estimated them to be around eighty feet high and twenty feet thick, with watchtowers dotting the walls in regular intervals. There were four entrances in each wall, one in each cardinal direction. Wide roads were constructed out of each gate before gradually narrowing; our caravan was following the East one. Along the road, I saw new travelers for the first time. Most were farmers, heading to and from one of the several villages in the vicinity.

A glistening ocean could be seen a mile from the Southwest side of the city, and I could faintly make out a bay filled with ships, no doubt massive ones considering I could see from my current position.

As we got closer, I asked a question to no one in particular, “What's your plans once we get in the city?”

Dramur answered for the team, “Rest for a week, train, then pick up a quest or two from the Guildhall. We’ll probably stay here for a few months because the work is always good.”

“And I’ll need to ask my father to write a letter to the guild to get you your pendants. It shouldn’t take too long.” Clara furrowed her brow in atypical contemplation.

“Clara…” Will looked at her seriously.

Who’s this chick’s father?

Shayna defended the girl, “William, I understand your concern, but making Vandlind and Veylin start from a copper pendant is a waste of time. Hells, they could get gold pendants easily.”

Sam placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “Will, you’re usually right about stuff, but Shayna has a point.”

Dramur rubbed his bushy beard, “Yes. This is a unique situation. I will vouch for you, Clara, if your father refuses.” He turned to Veylin and me, “Of course, you’ll still have to go through the physical and psychological evaluation the guild requires.”

They make you see a therapist? The guild was sounding a lot like some fantasy version of the military.

Veylin nodded, “That’s fine. When should we expect to take the tests?”

Dramur tapped the head of his ax with a finger, “A few days, I would say. Until then, you’re free to roam the city. We’ll be staying in the Minotaur’s Labyrinth in the middle ring should you want to accompany us.”

I coughed; it was the same inn Freya mentioned, “Ah, that shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll stay in the same inn as you guys.”

The dwarf nodded in satisfaction.

We rode in silence for a dozen or so minutes. And before I knew it, the wagons rolled to a stop outside the gate. Guards stood outside the portcullis, checking the line of travelers standing outside the city. Each one of them had chainmail armor, a spear, a shield, and a dagger on their waist. A golden rose, embedded over the hearts of their uniforms, stood stark against their dark blue surcoats. I was impressed; it must have cost a fortune to outfit every guard in the city like this. It spoke volumes of the wealth the Rainian Kingdom possessed. If simple sentries were this well outfitted, what were their knights like? Their mages, even?

The wait to get inspected wasn’t long, and two guards looked into the back of our wagon.

“Papers?” the one on the left asked; his frame was long and lanky, and his tone was understandably bored.

Everyone but Veylin and I held up their guild pendants.

The lanky guard nodded and turned to us, “Papers?”

“No papers, unfortunately. We’re new here,” Veylin said.

The guard sighed, “Follow me.”

Shayna called out as we jumped off the wagon, “We’ll meet you at the inn!”

Veylin and I followed the skinny guard in silence; he didn’t seem like he was up for conversation. Lanky directed us to the other side of the gate and pointed towards a well-sized, stone building. The sign on the building said ‘Registration’ in Common.

The guard watched until we walked towards the building then promptly left without so much as a glance back. Some security.

I held the wooden door open for Veylin, which was much bigger than I thought it should be. That’s when I remembered there were races a lot larger than a normal-sized entrance could accommodate. At least this place was inclusive.

Following Veylin into the establishment, we came to a stop at a long desk; it traveled the entire length of the building.

An old human woman, with white hair and wrinkles down her face, eyed us shrewdly, “First time or renewing your papers?”

Veylin smiled, “First time.”

“Names?” the woman asked, clicking a surprisingly sophisticated pen.

“Vandlind and Veylin Cyprus.” She tapped on the counter with a finger.

The woman raised a thin eyebrow before jotting something barely legible on the paper, “Wait until your names are called. Someone will be with you shortly.” Her tone was so flat I could tell she’d said it hundreds of times before.

The registration building didn’t have any chairs, so Veylin and I leaned against the wall. It took nearly twenty minutes for someone to call our names.

“Vanlint and Veylin Cyprus?” A brown-haired, female half-elf called; she had a familiar paper in her hands.

Vanlint? I couldn’t help but furrow my brow.

Veylin snickered as we walked towards the half-elf, ‘I’m going to call you that now.’

‘Please don’t.’

The half-elf directed us to one of several back rooms before shutting the door and taking a seat behind a desk. There were two more chairs in the room, thankfully, and we each sat in one. This whole place reminded me of a bank.

The half-elf pulled out two sheets of paper that had a bunch of blank information on them, “Do you two know how to read and write Common?” she asked.

We both nodded.

The half-elf breathed a sigh of relief and handed us two pens, “Good. Fill in everything you know, and give it back to me.”

The paper was fairly basic: name, race, age, gender, and a bunch of personal questions about criminal history. It took me about five minutes to complete.

When we both finished, the half-elf placed the papers into a strange rectangular box and pulled a lever. The box glowed yellow faintly and then stilled. The secretary pulled our papers out, and conveniently, there were two sets now. She gave one set to the two of us and kept one for herself.

A magical copier? I mused, thinking about what would happen if I put our silver in there.

The half-elf seemed to read my mind, “Metals don’t work if that’s what you’re thinking.”

I shrugged, “I thought not, but it doesn’t hurt to entertain the idea.”

The corner of the half-elf’s mouth turned up slightly, “I suppose not.” She cleared her throat, “Anyway, keep these papers with you at all times. There’s a five copper tax to leave the city and a one copper tax to enter. Since it’s your first time, the tax is waved. If you want, you can purchase a traveler’s token for a silver. It’s good for five years.”

Veylin folder her papers and placed them in her bag, “It’s to my understanding that adventurers have the tax waived?”

The half-elf didn’t seem surprised, “If you manage to get accepted, show your pendant to any guard, at any gate, and you’ll be let in free of charge. Any other questions?”

Veylin shook her head, “No, that’s it.”

The secretary waved her hand in the direction of the door, “Welcome to Aerilon.”