"Looks like there's a forest fire," Rex said, gazing at smoke now rising from the treetops they had left behind. "Maybe that was a thunderstorm."

Jin tugged on his arm. "What is it, Jin?"

Rex turned, and the city gates rose before them, about ten times Rex's own height and fifteen-time's hers.

The walls were carved from marble and intricately etched with armies of knights, mages, and heroes. But dirt was smeared over the finest details and the soldier who slouched in front of the entrance grate had also seen better days.

"State your business." growled the soldier. The red helmet he was wearing covered most of his face, though failed to overshadow his bulbous nose.

"I'm here to see family," Jin said.

"Family huh?" said the soldier. "We've been having a bandit problem in the woods, and if I let rogues in then the King will have my head. Do you have the names of who you're seeing?"

"Mom and Dad," Jin said.

"I said their names," the soldier repeated, and Jin fell silent.

Is she really older than I am if she doesn't know? thought Rex. Or maybe she doesn't want to tell...

"Well. Let's see if you have any better answers," said the soldier. "What's your reason for coming to Yorn?"

"I'm going to kill the Demon Lord," Rex said.

The soldier paled, or rather, his nose paled, for his grimy armor covered the rest of him. Then he began to laugh. "That's the first time I've heard that as a reason for entry, and it'll probably be the last."

"What? What's so funny?" Rex said. "Do you know where I can find him, or where I can find someone who knows where he is?"

"To be honest kid," the soldier said. "Just walk right into the palace. Talk to the King. and he'll probably 'help' you. Do you have a death wish, or are you just insane?"

I killed a feral wolf out there." Rex said. "I'm doing my best to survive."

"Oh? A dead beastkin is a good beastkin in my book, so that's something going for you two." the soldier said, and Jin stepped behind Rex, slipping deeper into her hood. "That's not enough for me to approve of you officially. Still..."

The soldier called out to a bearded worker manning a lever in the walls. "Hey Julius!"

"Yeah Rick? How's work down there?"

"There's a kid who says the reason he wants in is to kill the Demon Lord! Should we let him in?"

"Are you trying to get us fired?"

"Would be good for laugh. Want to bet how long it takes for him to end up in that place?"

"...I'll let him in if you take ten to one odds for within a week."

"Ten to one? What a scam. Having to bet ten silvers for every one that you put down..."

"But you said he was insane! Put up or shut it, Rick!"

"Fine! Let him in," said the nose (whose name, apparently, was Rick). Julius pulled the lever and the portcullis slowly ground upwards.

"Welcome, friends to the city of Yorn," Julius called from above, and then winked. "Just do me favor - and stay only in the Commerce District for at least a week. It'd be good for my pocketbook."

"Let the boy do what he wants!" bit back Rick. And then Rex and Jin walked through the gates.

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What first struck Rex about Yorn's commerce district was the endless stream of wagons that rolled through the streets, this one heaping with oranges, that one with apples and furs and now thwacking into another cart full of seafood, scattering its good across the dusty road.

Jin picked up a fish that had fallen from the veering vehicle and licked her lips. "Jin, if you eat that you'll get sick," said Rex.

"I've eaten worse," said Jin. "It's good to save resources. And the coins from the bandits might not last." Her stomach growled.

"I'll get us the money to buy one that's fresh!" Rex said. " Jin, why don't you look at those food stands by the side of the road?"

Rex glanced at the shop signs. A mug of beer... a potion... and there, a sword. He strode in through the door below and waved at the shopkeeper.

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"Welcome," said the woman behind the counter. She had her hair in a long ponytail, and had kind eyes, though she was sharpening a knife with a whetstone behind the counter.

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"I'd like to sell this rapier," Rex said, pulling it from the sheath and placing it on the surface in front of her. "It's made from silver."

"A silver sword..." She said. "Do you have its provenance with you?"

Rex widened his eyes.

"Don't worry, it's okay if you don't." she smiled. "There's been word of bandits recently, but you don't look like one of them. I'll just have to go to the back for a moment..."

She returned with a metal rock and pushed it against the blade. "Not magnetic, that's a good sign. Now..." she opened a drawer and drew from it a small white cloth. She began to run it up and down the sword's length.

"Do you come from around here?

"Yeah. You could say I'm from another world," Rex said. "I didn't know the city would be this be busy and crowded."

"Crowded?" Anna stopped polishing. "You could say that. But there's less people here than there were two years ago. It's mostly because everyone moved into this district from the Stone Quarter."

"Moved?" Rex said. "Is the Commercial District that nice a place to live?"

"You could say that," Anna said. "I'd rather not speak ill of the city as it is right now, especially if you came here from far away. Enjoy the capital and see the sights! Just stay where the guards say you should go and you should be fine."

Rex looked at the other weapons on the tables. He lifted an iron mace from the table and compared to those in the Underground it felt oddly light in his arms. Before he could give it a swing, Anna was finished.

"The metal's not magnetic and it didn't tarnish when polished," Anna lifted the rapier. "and the weight feels about right. So I'm happy to say that this blade is real silver. Twenty silver pieces for it, and if you return with its provenance I can give you six more. I open at nine tomorrow!"

"I need the money now," Rex said. "So I'll take the twenty pieces." He stuck out his hand.

"Pardon me asking, but are you okay?" Anna said.

Rex glanced down at his right hand and noticed red bumps had begun to form.

"Those looks like hives;" Anna said. "my husband's a doctor and I can ask him for some herbs."

"Couldn't be," said Rex. "I don't have any allergies." He swept the silver pieces into his pouch with his arms. "Besides, the chosen one might be weak at combat but he definitely can't die of a disease. That'd be lame ending."

"Goodbye and good luck then! Come back if you change your mind." Anna said. "A chosen one...? Lame ending...? What do those words mean?"

A chime jingled as he left the shop.

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"Jin!" Rex called, stepping back into the scents of the Commerce District that swirled together into a feast. "I have some coins here. Now let's look at some of the street ven..."

Jin was sitting on a bench under an awning, holding a set of fish bones.

"....tell me you didn't eat that fish."

"I didn't eat that fish," said Jin, swallowing.

"You did eat that fish!"

"But you wanted me to tell you I didn't," said Jin, puzzled. "Are you not happy?"

"I'm not sad, just disappointed." Rex said. "I have twenty silver pieces! We could have gone out together for sushi!"

"We can still eat at Sue Shi's together," said Jin. "Which stand is hers?"

Rex slapped his hand to his face. "Forget it. Jin, I'm guessing you want meat?"

Jin opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't make a pun! Not even if you misunderstand what I mean!' Rex said, and they ventured to the merchants calling out at the streetside.

The two browsed the carts and settled for a man selling strips of seared, skewered, beef. Mission accomplished, they sat back down on the bench and watched the road as they bit and chewed the tender pieces.

"We've made it to Yorn, Jin, and here, surely someone will be able to tell me where the Demon Lord lives."

"Don't bite off more than you can chew," Jin said. "You protected me when I should have died... and it's been a long time since I've been anyone willing to do something like that."

"That's what a hero does." Rex replied.

"Not a hero," said Jin. "Just you."

Jin now licked the stick clean, and Rex finished his last bite.

Then they were both sitting on the bench, simply watching people pass them by.

"We said we'd travel together to Yorn," Rex said. "And we made it here."

Jin watched a pair of strangers walking by, wearing scarves and holding hands. The strangers stopped at a breadseller's and strolled off with a bagful of loaves.

"Do you want to fight the Demon Lord with me?" Rex asked.

"No..."

"That's a serious offer."

"I need to find the people who care about me," Jin said. "It's been a long time since I've been with anyone I can trust, talk to, have fun with."

They once again settled into a silence. "A stout drink of ale for a silver piece!" a vendor cried. "Two mugs a beer and lodging and for four!" shouted another, and the first vendor glared at the other man.

Rex put a bag of coins in Jin's lap.

"Eh?"

Rex took Jin's hands and clasped it over the pouch. "I have enough for myself. Use it to search for your parents."

"But all this silver..." Jin.

"I still have some!" Rex said. "Don't try to give it back to me as if it's useless for you!"

Jin shook her head.

"I insist." Rex said. "When you're done with your search, use the rest of it to catch up to me."

Jin kept shaking her head. "No, we just.... the only way I'd accept this is if you had already walked away."

"Then, this is goodbye. Maybe some day we'll see each other again."

Rex began strolling north, the cobblestone digging into his feet and the sun beginning to set. The palace in the distance, thought Rex. I'll work my way there. If no one knows how to get to the Demon Lord from the people I talk to on the way, then like the guard said, I'll just ask the king.

He took one last look back at Jin.

Jin looked back at him, a nose's width apart.

"So close!" Rex tumbled backwards into a passerby, who glared at the pair before bustling away.

"I just happen to be heading this way too," said Jin.

"Is that so..." said Rex. He walked underneath an arch, through a bustling crowd, past a man hawking peaches and through all the noise still heard the pitter-patter of footsteps.

Rex veered into a dark alleyway between a tavern and an armor-shop. His wandering ended as he faced a brick wall, and while the footsteps still approached behind him he wasn't frightened.

He turned.

"Jin... could it be that you're actually lonely?"

She was, once again, standing there, hands close to her chest.

"This is just the best way for me to search for my parents." said Jin.

"Are you going to be asking this brick wall some questions?"

Jin shook her head and popped open the lid of a nearby garbage can.

"Jin, I really doubt that you were going to ask questions to someone hiding inside a trash container." said Rex. "How about this? We can walk together through the city; I can go ask people about the Demon Lord and you can ask about them about your parents."

Jin nodded twice, took Rex's arm, and they set off once more deeper into Lorn.

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As they walked off together, if they had glanced the alley wall, they might have noticed the wanted posters plastered over the bricks.

Depicted: a burly man in an eye patch, a blonde-haired priestess and a purple-hair green eyed woman.

Bandits! 100 silvers per head, and 20 for all known associates, the caption blared.