Slowly walking down the stairs, I sighed as I rubbed my throbbing left arm.

Brom hadn’t broken it, I don’t think… but it definitely hurt. I shouldn’t have tried to block his kick with it. I should have ducked instead.

Reaching the hallway, I studied the colorful lamps I walked past.

Why was this so disheartening? Being beaten by Brom wasn’t… that surprising. He was a seasoned warrior, who had also been trained by Vim… yet…

“Yet I wanted to win,” I whispered the truth.

Forget winning, I hadn’t a chance. The pain in my left arm told me that even if I had been willing to sacrifice something… like an entire arm, or leg, it still wouldn’t be enough.

Brom was just too skilled. Too apt. Too aware. And I was…

Well… I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me.

I was stronger. Faster. My reflexes, now after sparring enough times with him, I’ve realized were superior too. Brom sometimes panicked because of how fast I reacted. When he did, I got hurt… but that wasn’t his fault. He simply defended himself from a worse mistake.

My arm had been one of those moments. He hadn’t been able to stop his kick in time. It hadn’t really been his fault.

The worst part was it hadn’t gotten me any closer. I had planned to take his kick and reach him with my sword. All it had done was send me flying across the roof.

Reaching my room, I slowly opened the door and stepped into it.

Unlike the first two times, I didn’t immediately fall to the ground and start crying. Though I did let my eyes become watery as I closed the door behind me and put my sword up against my desk.

Walking around the easel that had the almost finished painting, I groaned at myself. I was tired. I hurt. I wanted to sleep.

But I couldn’t. I was dirty. I had rolled around on the roof, and had worked in the storage depot today. My pants were covered in weird gunk thanks to one of the boxes I had moved being so filthy.

I needed a bath. Not just to clean myself, but the idea of sitting for a while in hot water sounded good.

Even if taking a bath, alone, after losing a spar against Brom was so insulting.

Sluggishly walking to the bathroom, I pushed aside the sliding door that hid it and walked over to the large hole in the floor.

In the center of the bathroom was a circular recess. The bathtub. It was big enough, and deep enough, that I could lay down in it flat and still have room to spare. There were two little pipes that water poured in from, one poured hot water and the other had cold.

Turning the little knob that let the tub fill with hot water, I realized I had forgotten to put the plug back into the hole in the center of the bath.

Stepping into the tub, I flinched. An odd pain had ran down my right leg from my hip. It had hurt upon stepping downward. Had I bruised it too? Maybe during the fall from the kick.

As the tub filled with hot water, I went to both undress and ready the nightgown I was going to wear to sleep. I knew there was a dinner being made, and that soon it would be available… but I wasn’t in the mood to eat. Nor to eat with everyone else.

Stupid as it was… I wanted to mope.

“Foolish,” I chastised myself as I undressed.

Tossing my dirty clothes into a hamper, I went back into the bathroom. The hot water was… actually hot. The room was already steamy. The large full sized mirror in one of the corners had already fogged over.

Glancing down at my body, I noticed the few bruises. Some new, some not.

Vim had never given me bruises.

My shoulders shivered, even though the room was warm. Stepping into the hot water, I went still as I felt it scald my foot. It was too hot… but it felt good all the same.

I stood in the bath as it filled up. Once it was full enough I went over and turned the little knob to close, to stop the flow of water.

Slowly sitting down, I took a deep breath as I submerged myself in the hot water.

I knew a human, like Nory, would not have been able to have done it. The water would have hurt them. But for me… right now…

It felt great.

Releasing a pent up sigh, I relaxed and laid back in the bath.

I didn’t deserve this.

Yet if I didn’t find a way to beat Brom and soon… it was likely this would be all I’d ever have.

This room. This bath. The people here. The jobs. This city.

Honestly… I shouldn’t be upset. I shouldn’t feel… like a loser, for ending up with them.

They were everything I wanted. If I had found this place first, and not the Sleepy Artist… well…

“I’d never have gone with Vim,” I told myself.

Why would I have? This place was full of people I could become friends with. Make relationships with. There was enough activity and different things to do, that even decades from now I’d not be bored.

And Vim would have come and gone, half the time without me even noticing.

I’d not have ever realized what he did, what he truly did, since I would have been blinded by this place.

He and I would not have spoken more than a few words every half dozen years. Hundreds of years might have passed before I even really knew the man.

“Thank goodness,” I whispered as I closed my eyes and thanked whoever was listening that everything had gone the way it had.

In a way… that could have happened in Ruvindale for me too. If Amber hadn’t been killed.

I felt horrible, thanking the fact that others had suffered for me to experience joy… but it was the reality.

Yet… for how much longer?

Vim hadn’t actually said it outright, but it was obvious. He wanted me to beat Brom, to prove myself. Then he went ahead and promised Brom a reward for not letting me do so.

Which meant he had known, and not only known that I would have failed… but had actually gone the extra step to ensure I wouldn’t.

Brom, for as sorry as he was for beating me each time… was not going to relinquish the spear. Right before this afternoon’s sparring, he had sat with me on the bench and told me so. He had said he felt horrible, and his sister had threatened to kick him out of the guild over it, but he wasn’t going to let me win. He wanted the spear. And he wanted to do so for Vim, since Vim rarely asked for a favor.

I could respect that. Which was why it made me struggle to hate him.

I splashed a bit as my tail swayed back and forth on the surface of the water. I wasn’t sure why, but it seemed to float easily.

Lifting my left arm out of the hot water, I stared at the growing bruise on my forearm. I might have damaged it. Maybe a fracture or break… it did feel tender, and was still throbbing.

Letting it fall back into the water, I sighed. “What am I doing?” I asked myself.

The last few days I hadn’t even really been paying attention to my work. No one had said anything… and it wasn’t like I was neglecting my duties… but it was obvious even to me. I spent all day thinking about one of two things.

The painting.

Or how to beat Brom.

And everyone here had noticed. And even though they had noticed… they were kind about it. They were gentle. They gave me the space when needed, yet still came over to spend a few minutes talking to me all the same. As if to remind me that they were here, if I wanted them.

Even little Merit had come over and said some words of encouragement the other day. Though she had made it a point to do so when we were alone, and no one else could hear her.

I needed to spend more time with her. She was older than me, and had a unique perspective on life thanks to her body.

And something told me she needed a friend.

Breathing in the steam, I relaxed a little more and…

A heavy knock startled me awake.

Blinking, I sat up and realized the water was cold. And the sunlight from the window was now a deep red. I had fallen asleep.

More knocking told me it was someone at my door. The knocks sounded… odd. I didn’t recognize them, but that wasn’t too surprising. Only two people have knocked on my door since arriving here. Brom and Reatti, and both had only done so once.

Splashing out of the bath, I hurriedly went to grab one of the towels. I didn’t dry off completely, just enough. A quick wipe down was all I did. “Coming!” I shouted a little loudly. The bath made my voice sound weird.

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The knocking stopped for a moment, and I knew it was because whoever it was had heard me.

Hopefully that wasn’t Brom or Reatti… Those two had noticed my obvious depression lately, and were doing everything they could to cheer me up but honestly it was having the opposite effect.

I wanted to hate Brom, not love him. He was stopping me from proving myself. From getting what I want. He was the only enemy I had right now, in my whole life.

Yet he wasn’t an enemy. And I hated that fact.

“One moment,” I said as I hurriedly put on a long dress. It clung to my still wet skin and hair, but I didn’t bother with it. Whoever it was, was a member of the Society. We were all far too old to be so prudish to be bothered by it.

If anything it was probably fine to even open the door naked… if not for the fact I’d be embarrassed over it.

Opening the door slowly, I peered out at the one who had knocked… and found someone I didn’t recognize.

“Yes…?” I steadied myself as I studied the woman. She was a tad bit taller than me, probably my height with my ears… but had large breasts. The kind that made you notice them before you noticed anything else about her.

“Well look at you. I must admit, you’re exactly what I expected,” she said upon studying me. I noticed her strange colored pupils were looking me up and down as much as I was doing her.

Opening the door fully, I stood up a little straighter. The action had probably been seen as confrontational, thanks to the way my dress stuck to my skin. “Am I?” I asked.

She nodded and reached up to cup her chin as she studied my body. I noticed the way she looked at my hips and stomach… did I look weird to her or something? “So this is his type. I admit, it makes sense,” she said with another nod.

“Excuse me…?” His type? Who was she talking about?

“Can I come in?” she asked.

“No.”

The woman blinked, and then broke out into a laugh. As she guffawed I noticed she had lots of little teeth… they were small enough to be odd, yet somehow fit her. Who was she?

“No! Ha! I’m going to like you!” she heaved as she laughed, and her laughter sounded so pure and real… it made me smile and laugh too.

Shaking my head at her I stepped back. “Come on in,” I said. How could I hate someone so genuine?

“Oh thanks… I’m Brandy,” she stepped into the room and held her hand out.

Brandy!

I renewed my examination of her as I took her hand and shook it. “Renn,” I greeted her.

“That you are. Really… how interesting.” She looked around my room as she spoke, and I realized some parts of her hair were different colors. She had white mixed into her brown hair.

“Oh…?” she noticed my painting and stepped over to it. I glanced out the door, and was a little glad to see no one else out there. I closed the door and went back to the bathroom as Brandy examined my painting. Before going into the bathroom I grabbed another set of clothes.

“You have… weird tastes,” Brandy said softly as I took my dress off and went back to drying myself off. I had slid the bathroom door closed a little, but not all the way.

“How so?” I asked as I dried off.

“Are you a believer of the Epoch?” she asked.

“Epoch…?” I asked as I went to getting dressed.

“You don’t know? Did you paint the cross weirdly on purpose?” she asked.

Oh. The cross… was that the faith the Clothed Woman believed in? Epoch?

“I didn’t. I was just painting something I saw not too long ago,” I said.

“Ah… you saw it at the sanctuary nearby. I see,” she sounded much calmer. It made sense to her.

“Yes. We met the Clothed Woman before coming here,” I said as I left the bathroom.

“Hm… honestly I think the last dress suited you better,” she said with a smile as she studied me.

I smiled back, even if her compliment was entirely a joke. “Thanks. I uh… have water?” I offered. There was a jug on the desk, but it was a few days old.

She waved me away. “I came to get you. I have a gift for you,” she said.

“A… a gift?” I asked. Really?

She nodded, seemingly proud of herself. “Before that though mind if we walk and talk? I left them in capable hands but they can't speak our language, so I’ll need to get back quick,” Brandy said.

“Oh…? Okay?” I nodded, unsure of what was happening. I went to put my boots back on.

As I did, I wondered why I felt so full of energy all of a sudden. I had felt so tired earlier… now I felt good. Better than normal.

Maybe that laughter Brandy and I had shared earlier had been the reason.

“Vim’s not here, by the way. I’m not sure when he’ll be back,” I told her.

“Huh? Oh. Well…” she went silent as she looked to my bed. I followed her gaze and noticed she was staring at my sword.

“I’ve been training with Brom,” I told her.

“I’ve heard. He says you’re probably going to be one of the strongest members we have. That’s a high compliment coming from him,” she said.

I paused mid-tie of a shoelace, and looked up at her. “Huh?”

She nodded. “You’ve been given high praise all-round. And not just from the folks here, either,” she said with a smirk.

Finishing up my shoes, I hesitated. “Should I wear a hat?” I asked. I decided to just ignore her comments and headed for my dresser. The hats I’ve accumulated hung on the side, on little pegs.

“Yes. Oh, you’ve got the company’s hats? No, no… wear this,” she reached past me and grabbed my own hat. The one Lellip had made.

“Okay…” I took it and obliged her.

“You have nice ears. Bet you can hear a mouse sneeze three floors down,” she said.

I smiled as we both headed for the door. “My hearing’s not that good,” I said honestly.

“Not that good, she says.” Brandy snickered as we left my room.

Walking alongside Brandy, I realized she was… deceptively skinny. Her large chest made her seem larger than she was. “How’ve you liked the company so far?” she asked.

Company. She called it the same thing Vim did.

“Very nice. I could see myself staying here,” I said.

“Could see it, huh,” she smiled at me, and I realized she had read between the lines.

“The people here are great. It’s… wonderful,” I added.

She nodded, understanding. “I’m proud of this place. A lot of deaths went to building it,” she said.

I gulped. Great. She was going to be like Vim wasn’t she? Saying things that made my heart stop.

Brandy guided me down the hall towards one of the exits, and I noticed she ignored the sounds coming up from one of the stairwells. Some members were downstairs eating together, by the sounds of it.

“Have you worked everywhere yet?” she asked.

“Uh… everywhere but the auditors, I guess,” I said. I hadn’t worked each and every position, of course, just in every other department so far.

“Eh Lawrence is boring, but he could teach you a lot” she said as she opened the door.

As she did I noticed she did so easily.

Brandy was strong.

She stepped aside and closed the door behind me, as if wanting to be responsible for it.

“I heard you went to the Bell Church?” I asked.

“I did,” she said.

“I’ve been told I’d probably like it there,” I said.

“Oh? By who?” Brandy paused for a moment.

“Kaley,” I said.

Brandy’s face contorted, and she bellowed a laugh again. I couldn’t help it; I smiled and laughed with her. Why was her laughter so contagious?

“Kaley! Ha!” she patted me on the back, and then wrapped her arm around my own. She grabbed my hand, stepping close, and I suddenly felt very conscious of her.

She leaned against me as we returned to walking. “I might need to fight Vim for you, you’re adorable,” she said.

“Might not need to, honestly…” I said as I glanced down at my arm. It was smothered by her chest. I wasn’t bothered by it… but this was the first time one of our member’s had been so… touchy with me.

Brandy giggled as we headed down the hall and then took a right. She was taking me towards the depot it seemed.

“Just between you and me, to start our friendship right and true… I want you to know that I’m jealous,” Brandy said.

“Jealous…?” She wanted us to be friends? I liked that idea.

“Of you,” she said.

“Why…?” There was no need to be.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked as we rounded a corner and entered one of the larger hallways. One that usually was lit up well, but was now rather dark. The lamps had been put out.

For a few moments Brandy studied me as I stared at her. What did she expect me to say? What was there to be jealous of?

She, like most of the members of the Society… have been part of it for hundreds of years. Born into it. They had known about it their whole lives… and knew exactly their position and purpose within it. Brandy and the rest didn’t have to worry about not having a place to call home, or being banished because they didn’t do their job properly.

She was jealous of me? That was the opposite of the truth.

“I got spoils, you see,” Brandy then said.

“Spoils…?” I asked. The change in topics was bothersome, but I was used to it by now. Vim did that too.

Brandy nodded as we headed down some stairs to the first floor. The doors to the depot came into sight as we entered the very dark hallway. So dark that most humans wouldn’t have been able to see within it.

Both Brandy and I opened the door together, since we each had an arm and hand occupied. The large metal doors swung open effortlessly, thanks to the fancy hinges they hung on.

“I brought spoils you see. Spoils of war,” she said as we entered the depot. A closed and dark depot. It was odd to enter a place that I had grown accustomed to being the nosiest place here, and finding it silent. Or well… almost silent.

Entering the oddly dark and eerily quiet warehouse… I glanced around for the source of sound. There seemed to be chatter and metal clinking and…

The depot was closed up. The large gates were lowered, and locked. No one could get in and out, not at least from the depot itself.

In the center of the depot, where usually was nothing since it was where carts and wagons moved along were a bunch of people. Sitting where they would normally have been trampled by the coming and going of horses.

Women. Women with blonde hair, a rarity here. They were sitting on small boxes and chairs. There were a few dozen of them at least, and nearby was a large carriage. There was no horse near it, but it was obvious that they had arrived thanks to it. Most looked… disheveled. Wearing weird mismatched clothing… and looked sickly. Were they ill? They were all sitting around a large pot that was simmering, and each and every one of them was scarfing down the soup it held within.

“Since they’re Vim’s spoils, and he doesn’t want them… I think I’ll give them to you,” Brandy said with a wave at them.

“Wait what?” I stood up straighter as Brandy let my arm go and stepped aside. She nodded quickly and gestured at them with a smile.

“They’re your responsibility from this moment forth. He doesn’t want them… and since right now, technically, you’re his companion… that makes them yours,” Brandy said with a very firm and definitive nod of the head.

I gulped at the sudden burden, and wondered what the hell she meant. Spoils of war? The women?

“Them?” I asked.

She nodded and turned. “Lamp!” she shouted, and then spoke quickly in a rather… odd sounding language. One that made my ears itchy. She suddenly sounded as if she had a hoarse throat.

One of the women perked up, and then all of them looked over at us. Then one stood. A tall woman, who handed her bowl to another and stepped towards us.

As she approached, I sighed at the sight of her. She was beautiful… even with half her face marred by a horrendous scar.

“Renn, this is Lamp. She and her people don’t speak the language here, but she can read it. So you can communicate by writing. You and her are going to take care of them all until we can do what needs to be done,” Brandy said.

“You’re kidding me…” I said.

Brandy ignored me and said stuff to Lamp. I heard my name amongst her guttural words, so I figured she must be introducing me. After a few nods of the head, and a few sentences between the two… Lamp finally extended her hand out to me and gave me a dashing smile. One that didn’t let the scar that malformed it lessen its brilliance.

She said something to me in her language as I took her hand and shook it.

“She says any woman of Vim’s is a friend of hers,” Brandy translated.

My smile became stiff as I sighed.

“Of course.”

Spoils. Great.