“We can waive the fee, if you’ll accept the offer,” the man in armor said.

“I’ve already paid the fee,” I said, ignoring his fifth attempt at recruiting me.

The man grimaced as if losing my aid was really that big of a loss.

Honestly it was… but there was no way he would ever find out as to why.

“You'll also be exempt from the monthly tax,” the knight said. The four other men behind him, not in armor like him, nodded quickly as if to imply how big of a deal that was.

Which was ridiculous. The fee for entering the city had only been three coins. Three bronze ones, from the Nation of Stone. A pittance. Not even a days wage. For them to think waiving such a thing was worth enough my enlistment into their knight order was… well…

And the monthly tax? Usually that was only a few coins too. It had to be, else even the serfs couldn't afford to live.

“Sorry, we're only passing through,” I said, then turned to Renn. “Come on Renn,” I said guiding Renn away with me with a hand on her back.

“Sir?” the knight’s fellows asked for guidance as I picked up our pace. From behind I heard the armored knight step forward. His metal boot was noisy against the wooden dock, thanks to all the nails and metal brackets all over.

Would they be stupid enough to try and actually force my compliance? I wasn’t too worried over myself or Renn, there were only five of them, and the man in armor didn’t even have a weapon. Only one of the men had a sword for crying out loud. Though that sword might be the knight's, and he simply carrying it for him. A squire of some sorts, maybe.

But I had planned to let Renn sight-see in this town for a bit. If I went and killed a bunch of their knights upon entry, that’d become impossible.

“Come on. Just had to be with a woman… where’d he get someone like that anyway?” the knight complained behind us.

Renn smirked and huffed as if she had been given a mighty compliment.

Ignoring Renn, and the knights behind me complaining and whining about me, I looked around the port for the reason that they’d try so hard to recruit me.

The port was rather busy, for the little town that this place was, but it was obvious something was wrong. Most of the people walking around weren’t loading ships, or moving cargo… but instead fishing. Hundreds of fishing poles littered the piers and docks, of all shapes and sizes. There were more poles than people. Renn and I passed by a group of men cleaning crab pots, and I noted the state of both the pots and the ones cleaning them.

Those pots looked decrepit and about to fall apart. And the men cleaning them didn’t look any better.

This town was a faint memory to me. I usually passed through it on the route to the camels, but not always. And when I did… very rarely did I ever stay it in very long. Most of the time I never even stayed the night, and just passed through. A few times I had met an Animalia Guild ship here, as to deliver cargo or people... but even then those visits had been short and uneventful.

Yet even my lacking memories were loudly telling me that this place was facing a serious crisis.

Only two seafaring ships were docked in the port. One looked decommissioned, what with the thing being torn apart. Likely for its wood and resources. The rest of the ships were all small fishing vessels. Even Roslyn’s ship had looked mighty compared to the ones here. Now I understood why she hadn't wanted to dock, and had instead sent us to the harbor on her smaller boat instead.

This wasn’t normal at all. This was one of the main ports between the Nation of Stone and the north. It wasn’t a massive city, or the wealthiest, but it shouldn’t be this barren. And the fact there were so many people fishing for food was… alarming. I couldn’t remember seeing a port covered in fishing poles to this degree in many years.

Had the war and plague created a famine? It wasn’t impossible but…

I had thought Roslyn had simply been exaggerating. I had thought her lack of capability to feed her people had been more of a personal failure than actually because there simply wasn’t enough. If there were this many people fishing this inlet, then yes… the rivers around here would indeed start to lose their fish populations. Especially if it has been like this for months or even years.

“I’m glad Roslyn decided to sail back up the river. Look at this place,” Renn said as we headed for the main road.

“Yes. I don’t know if they’d have been raided, but this town isn’t far from such a thing being a possibility,” I said, agreeing with her.

Renn nodded. “Look Vim, the buildings are all boarded up,” she pointed out one of the multi-floored buildings we were passing. It looked like an inn or tavern, and was indeed boarded up completely. Not just the windows, but the doors too.

I sighed and wondered if from now on we should avoid towns. If it was this bad here I could only imagine how bad it was in the smaller hamlets throughout the coastline.

Leaving the port, I guided Renn towards the center of the city. There should be a market, more inns and even a temple there. Under a normal scenario, Renn would have enjoyed seeing her first temple. They were similar to the churches in the north, but far more decorative and colorful.

“Do you think they’ll make it to Lumen Vim?” Renn asked as we rounded another boarded up building. This wasn't the first time Renn's expressed concern over Roslyn and her people. Ever since the pirates agreed to join the Society, she's been concerned. Luckily her concern... was so far, just audible worry. She hadn't acted on it yet.

Nor likely would... what with Roslyn and her ship many hours upriver by now.

“They should. But that’s part of their trial Renn. Think of it like a test, to see if they’re capable enough,” I said.

Luckily Renn hadn’t asked to let them accompany us, or us them. I had worried for it, but even when Roslyn came to declare her intention to join the Society… Renn hadn’t seemed to even let such a thing enter her mind.

She had spent the last two days on the ship with Roslyn, telling her all she needed to know about Lumen and who to seek out, but I had noticed Renn made sure to keep a small distance with them. She expressed her concern and worry to me, but it went no farther.

Likely the source of such control came from her decision to not fall in love with humans anymore. As well as her recent... failures, as she claimed to call them.

Although I was glad for it, since it meant I’d not need to worry over her doing anything foolish… it was still a little sad.

The world shouldn’t be so difficult for us that something as simple as becoming close with a human was so dangerous.

Passing a street full of houses, I noticed what hid between them. Hidden, barely, out of sight in the alleyways.

The city stunk… but it didn’t smell as if it was full of corpses.

“Vim…” Renn slowed a little, and I had to push her a little. My hand was still on her back, and I was glad for it. Not only had she hesitated upon seeing the dead, or almost dead, people in the alleyways… There were people who were still alive who were now noticing our presence too.

Glaring at a group of men, I made a decision to not allow Renn to sight-see here. We would be leaving shortly.

Still…

Glancing up at the sky, and the bright sun beating down upon us… I wondered why the city didn’t smell.

In this heat, even with the ocean breeze, so many decaying corpses should really…

“Vim,” Renn worriedly said my name again, and stepped closer to me. We had neared the market, and instead of finding a bustling lively city center… we instead found a scene the exact opposite.

A pile of bodies had been gathered in the center of the city. All of the market stalls and buildings were broken down, widening the center section… and there were people praying around the pile of bodies.

The colorful robes they wore told me the religion of the south was still prevalent… and I tried to remember if such prayers were common for their religion. They, like all religions, prayed… but why were they praying to the dead? Or maybe they were getting ready to set the pile aflame, and this was the last rites.

Renn and I stood motionless for a moment as I studied the scene. She jumped when someone stepped over towards us. I allowed the older woman’s approach, thanks to her skin looking relatively unblemished. She didn’t look sickly, but…

Glancing at the pile of bodies, I noted the rather lack of any hint of plague or disease upon them.

Rather, most of the bodies were just…

Skinny.

“Travelers, welcome to Port Midas. Regrettably… I suggest you leave as soon as possible,” the old woman greeted us, and warned us at the same time.

“Why?” Renn asked.

The old woman smiled at Renn as if she was a child, and then pointed at the pile of bodies. “Many reasons. Right now there are sixty seven, but as I’m sure you’ve noticed there are many more still scattered throughout the town,” she said.

“Is it plague or starvation?” I asked her.

“Both. But regrettably… right now the main killer is the famine,” she said.

Renn shifted and glanced at me, and I realized I had done a slight disservice to Roslyn and her people.

I had not expected it to be this bad, at all. I hadn’t really argued with her, or claimed she was lying… but a part of me had not believed her.

“I do hope you are simply passing through. If you’re here for some other reason, then I’ll be willing to take you to the Captain. Otherwise I fear for her,” the old woman said with a glance at Renn.

“We are just passing through. Thank you for the warning,” I said and was about to dig out a few coins… but noticed the people staring at us.

From behind buildings, or windows. From down the street, both the one we had just come from and the others connecting to the city center.

Not all of them were dressed in the religious garb. Nor were they the knights of this town.

Most were younger men, and looked hungry. In more ways than one.

Coins, even when given in charity, would do more harm to the woman than not. Based off the way the onlookers were glaring at us.

Plus... when it got this bad, money didn't change anything. All the wealth in the world couldn't buy you a loaf of bread in an empty market.

“I suggest leaving before the sun falls. There are many here who are on the brink, and reason no longer will work with them,” she said gently, then turned away.

Renn thankfully didn’t stop her from leaving, but she did frown at the older woman worriedly.

“Let’s go Renn. Before I give this town another reason,” I said.

“Sheesh Vim…” Renn complained, but nodded and obliged me. I didn’t have to pull her along.

Stepping away from the pile of bodies, I guided Renn towards another road. One that led eastward and a little north. Away from the sea.

“I’m hoping this means our people aren’t here, Vim,” Renn spoke softly, and I knew it was because she too noticed the people watching us.

So far none seemed to be following after us, but I knew that such a thing might change. Especially if people here were as desperate as the old woman had made them out to be. Or looked to be.

I wonder how long this has been happening. Lumen had noted a large influx of immigrants lately, but I had simply assumed it was due to the wealth of the city. Maybe it had been more than that.

How come no one had mentioned it was this bad? Or had they, and I had simply not realized it. My attention too focused upon the Society, and thus ignorant to the world beyond my little bubble.

Maybe this was why those southern merchants had declared war on us. It hadn't been about profit, but livelihoods. Lives.

I'll need to send a letter to Brandy, in case she doesn't know.

“Vim? Are any of us here?” Renn asked again.

“No. They’re a few days east,” I said.

“Good… Vim, how do people run out of food? I know there’s a war and disease but…” Renn asked.

“Very easily. It’s hard to grow crops here, even along the rivers. Most of their food comes from the sea… and well… trade. Trade that isn’t coming,” I said as I thought of the empty ports.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Oh. Why didn’t they prepare for this?” she asked.

“No one ever thinks hard times are coming. Even when the signs begin to show themselves,” I said.

“Great.”

I nodded. It was. To a point.

Although a sad thought… this was actually a good thing.

Most of our members lived solitary lifestyles. Far away from humans, or detached from them.

There will be some who die from the disease, and the wars, but few if any will die over the lack of food. They all had their own sources of such things. Or those who didn't, could survive much longer on far less. Starvation really wasn't something we usually lost anyone to.

That meant… although a harsh reality, that a vast majority of those who suffer will be the humans.

And the more of them that died, the safer my people became.

Usually…

“I wonder if this is why they wanted to enlist you as a knight? Though I’m not sure what another sword would accomplish,” Renn wondered.

Ah. I had almost forgotten that those men had tried to recruit me.

“They didn’t want me to help them grow food Renn. They wanted me to kill the ones who tried to steal the food, or maybe kill the ones who have the food but will not share,” I said. They hadn't said as to why they wanted to enlist me, but after seeing the state of the city it was rather obvious.

Only reason to hire more swords was if you had a purpose for them.

“But… they were knights,” she argued.

I smiled and nodded. “They were.”

She grumbled in annoyance, and I wondered if I’d need to teach her that there were many different types of knights and soldiers. And even more so, that some of those knights who she seemed to slightly revere… well…

They were as bad as the ones they fought half the time, if not worse.

“Why are they letting so many bodies just… lay around, Vim? Won’t the disease spread?” Renn asked. The number of bodies in the alleys we were passing was decreasing drastically, but there were still a few here and there.

“Well… to be honest I don’t know. I don’t know the religion of this region well enough; maybe it’s a religious thing.” Which honestly made no sense. Usually religions had their own beliefs, but even those beliefs were still grounded in reason.

“Oh. They were praying near them,” she nodded, as if it made sense.

“It could also be that most really have died from famine instead. Look at how scrawny some of them are? They’re worse than Roslyn’s bunch,” I said as I gestured with a nod at a woman not far from us. She was sitting in front of her house and messing with a bucket of water. Likely washing clothes or something.

“I don’t know if I could… just live normally with a bunch of dead bodies nearby like this,” Renn whispered.

“Which probably means it’s been like this for some time. Maybe months. Humans become very… resilient in weird ways during a crisis,” I said.

“Is this resilience though? It’s more like… foolishness,” Renn mumbled.

Well… that was true.

It was odd. Even humans without any understanding of the sciences behind such things knew better than to just let bodies decay nearby.

Even discounting the disease, there was no reason to leave them all alone. They gave birth to more, and worse diseases. Even the illiterate knew such a thing. So why...?

But there was no point worrying over it. None of our members were here. We were leaving, now.

Let the humans be foolish and wallow in their own mistakes.

My eyes were drawn between a pair of buildings as I noticed a small group run past. I counted four men before they disappeared out of eyesight, heading past us towards our destination.

“I wonder how long it’s been since I’ve seen anarchy,” I said as I thought about it. At least a few decades. Maybe since the great wars of the north? At least if I didn’t include the Monarch incidents since and before… though were in a sense chaotic too, but not in the sense of entire civilization unrest and collapse.

“Anar-what?” Renn asked.

“Chaos,” I told her the meaning of the word.

There were of course better ways to describe it, but for Renn that was all that was needed.

“Hm… you mean those men who just ran past?” Renn asked.

I nodded.

“Think they’ll actually try something?” she asked further.

“If they’re desperate enough. Regrettably I sometimes don’t look very threatening. It helps when I want to be ignored, but doesn’t in times like these,” I said.

She giggled, and I felt the little laughs through her back. “Yet those knights tried to recruit you on sight,” she said.

“They likely try to recruit any man who comes to town, Renn. Anyone who hasn’t chosen a side yet,” I said.

“Still!”

She continued to giggle as we headed for the edge of the town, and I wondered why she found it so funny.

Oh well, at least she was happy. I was worried she would have cried or grown somber with us parting ways with Roslyn and her people.

Or be bothered by all the weirdness around us. Like the piles of bodies.

But such a thing was likely foolish. Renn acted childish sometimes, but she really wasn't. She was far older than she looked.

“Though… it is true. You don’t look like some fearsome warrior at all,” Renn then said.

“I do believe you’ve said so before, yes,” I said.

She grinned at me… then her grin died away. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something Vim…”

Glancing at her as we passed a pair of younger men, two lanky boys who looked hungry enough to eat my boots, Renn nodded at me and smirked.

“Am I ugly…?” The question made my mind go numb for a moment. Before I could even remind myself to start breathing again, Renn continued. “I mean, in the general sense. I’ve never really thought I was too bad looking… But… I’ve realized that maybe all the attention I got was because I just… looked young. Young and healthy,” she said.

Frowning at her, I nearly paused mid-step… but contained my shock enough to keep walking.

This again? Really? Why? Why now? Here?

And more importantly...

She… didn’t realize? She didn’t know? Was she genuinely asking me this, or was this her weird attempt at teasing me or something? And why now of all times? In a dying city?

But no… Renn’s eyes were rather serious looking. Her tiny smirk was playful, but also…

Yes. I could see it. She was worried. Worried over my answer. There was a tension hidden behind her smirk. The type of stiffness that accompanied her worries often enough to be recognizable to me.

This wasn’t her playing around at all. If anything she was just smirking and laughing, as to try and mask how serious her question was for her.

“What brought this about Renn?” I asked her.

Her smirk instantly died and she glanced away from me, and I realized I had made a rather foolish mistake.

I had just basically told her she wasn’t pretty. Even if I hadn’t meant it that way. Since I hadn’t argued in her favor immediately.

“Well… sometimes people say stuff, which I normally don’t put much weight to… but lately I’ve been noticing people whispering and saying stuff when they think we’re out of earshot. Praising me or complimenting me, but… well… So… I guess I was just wondering… If I was ugly or not, since… well… um…” Renn spoke quickly, and went to mumbling by the end of her spiel.

Keeping a sigh from escaping, I wondered how I was going to fix her now bruised ego.

Even if I told her the truth now, she’d just think I was saying so as to be kind or polite… so…

And if I took it too far, she’d just use it as an excuse to pounce on me.

“You mean what those knights had said, don’t you?” I asked.

“And the old woman,” she added.

Ah. Right. She had mentioned in an indirect way Renn wasn’t safe because of what she were.

Pretty.

“I’ve called you pretty before, Renn,” I told her.

“Well… yes… but that’s you. You’re gentle like that. Also… even if true, that’s just you yourself. You find me pretty. I mean… am I? In a more broader sense,” she mumbled and lifted her hands, as if she could wiggle her fingers in a way that somehow gave her strangeness reason.

Smiling at her, I nodded. “I know what you mean. Before I answer though, I’d like to know why you would think you’re not.” I asked her.

“Why I’m… not? Well…” she hesitated a moment, and I could tell it wasn’t because she didn’t know the reason. She just was… hesitating to share it.

She coughed and nodded, gathering her nerve. “No one tried to bed me, Vim.”

My feet finally stopped, and I frowned at the woman who was deadly serious all of a sudden.

“What…?”

She nodded again. “No one… No one in Ruvindale, or Telmik, or Lumen, or anywhere in-between! Not once!” she raised her hands in exasperation and shrugged, blinking wildly… as if she was about to cry. “Even you! How many times have we slept together now? I sat on top of you for hours and you didn’t do anything!”

“Renn you can’t be serious…” I stepped away from her, as to take her into view completely. She noticeably frowned at my hand leaving her back, and my stepping away… yet she remained still before me.

“I am… A few mentioned I was pretty or attractive… but most were women. Like Merit. I was just thinking maybe they were being nice, and… I mean, Vim... even you get offers! And not just from those pirates either, don't think I don't notice! In Lumen too, you had that banker girl and...” she fumbled her fingers as she twirled her thumbs around each other, rambling on and on.

Banker girl...? I had no idea who she was talking about. Or at least, I couldn't remember her.

Sighing at her I shook my head. “Renn… you’re absolutely stunning. Isn’t the… reason… obvious?” I asked her.

She brightened up at my compliment, but it didn’t seem to do much else. She shook her head, expectant of my next words.

I held up two fingers, to tell her. “Two reasons. First… Renn, you’re a predator. Most of the men you’ve been meeting are not. I know that to you it isn’t that big of a deal, but for them it’s huge. Dramatically huge. Many have told me you’re beautiful. I won’t mention who, since they said it in confidence with me, but trust me they did not find you ugly or unattractive or anything,” I said to her.

Renn was entirely focused on me. To the point she didn’t notice anything at all around us. It was almost terrifying how I was almost just as focused as she.

“Second reason?” she asked, stepping forward.

“Renn…” I groaned and realized I shouldn’t have informed her there were two main reasons.

“What…? Now I’m worried!” she said.

Yes. You were. Why? Why did she look as if her whole world was suddenly collapsing around her…? She looked as desperate as she had the other night, while hearing Roslyn’s plea.

The sight of her desperation hurt me. Especially since it was my own fault she was so worried.

Renn was beautiful. To the point it was a problem. And somehow even though I was willing to admit that… she didn’t seem to believe it at all.

She stepped towards me again, and her eyes were noticeably more blurry and watery than before. Their reflective gleam was so enthralling, I almost didn't notice the shadows moving behind us.

Renn didn't notice. She was so focused on me and my words that...

Damn it…!

“It’s because of me, Renn! Surely you’re not that oblivious!” I said as I started to tug my eyes off her.

Renn blinked and went wide-eyed.

Although her face was adorable, and I wanted to engulf myself in its glow and bask in it… I instead had to look away as I turned and faced the man charging at me. He and a small group had run out from between two buildings as Renn and I had shouted at each other.

He had a large axe. One used to cut wood, for firewood. It was rusted, likely meaning it had been used either to harm someone else already or had gotten dunked in seawater before.

Renn made a noise but I ignored her. There were four men charging at us, but they were all in front of me. Heading straight for me, intent to deal with me long before they focused on Renn.

I took a quick few steps forward, to put more distance between Renn and them. I made sure to keep my own self between them and her, for an added layer of security… and attacked.

The man with the axe, the first in formation, was easy to deal with. He was so shocked I had actually stepped forward, to fight without hesitation, that he hadn’t even lifted his axe to attack. I broke his neck by hitting him in the side of the head, and stepped around him as his body crumpled.

“What the…!” the next man had a large spear with a hooked end. Likely for pulling pots or ropes out of the water. He at least tried to ready himself on my approach, but he wasn’t able to do much more. I slapped the hook away and grabbed the man by the neck.

Squeezing the man’s throat, I dragged him along behind me towards the other two men. Both of them had skidded to a stop at the sight of their comrade’s deaths, and failures. One had an actual sword, but it was made of bronze. The other only had a small knife… likely for cutting up fish and game. Although a tenth of the length his little knife was undoubtedly far sharper than the bronze one.

“Wait!” the man with the sword shouted out, but I ignored him. Once I had squeezed the man’s throat in my hand enough to be sure he was dead, by feeling the ligaments and collapsed windpipe, I tossed the now dead man. Flinging his body towards the one with the sword, I rushed forward and stepped into the man who had the small knife.

Punching him deeply in the solar plexus, I felt the bottom of his rib cage and sternum shatter, he bent forward and contorted over my forearm. By the time I pulled my arm away he had coughed up a large blotch of blood and collapsed.

“Oh my gods!” a woman screamed from somewhere behind us. Maybe the one who had been washing clothes earlier. I ignored the scream and stepped over to the man with the sword. He had just finally gotten himself untangled from the dead man I had thrown onto him. He was crouched down, thanks to having almost fallen over, and his sword was out of position. Still stuck on the dead man’s clothes.

“No…!” the man raised his free arm, helplessly, in an effort to stop me. My foot didn’t even register his arm. It crushed it, and snapped his head back with a loud pop.

Before his cry stopped echoing, he too crumpled and fell to the ground.

Taking a small breath I looked around to confirm that there really had only been four men. First I checked Renn. She had retreated a few feet from where I had left her. She was staring at me, and the scene around me with wide eyes. And other than her…

We were alone. There were a few onlookers down the road, both ways, but none looked to be in any hurry to rush to their fellow’s aid.

“Let’s go Renn,” I said as I glanced down at the bodies around me.

The man I had hit in the stomach was twitching, but he was puking globs of blood. In amounts that told me I had done more than just crush the bottom half of his ribs. I’d likely ruptured lungs, his diaphragm, and more. The first man I had hit was still, and so were the two others closest to me. Their legs were tangled up oddly, but both were dead.

Stepping away from the bodies, I reached around to make sure my bag was fastened still. It had shifted a little with my brisk movement, but was fine.

Renn hurried to my side as we left the scene, and I wondered if this town would be gone by the time I returned here in a decade or so, on my next trip. If it was this bad then it was likely… unless a military force took it over.

Scanning between the buildings as we increased our pace, I was glad to see that although there were others watching us go… none seemed willing to try their own hand at dying too.

The edge of town came into sight. Old buildings surrounded by decrepit fences and walls. Old farms and storehouses, no longer being used.

Glancing at Renn, who had a weird smile on her face as she hurried to keep up with me… I frowned at her.

“And you think you’re ugly? Tell that to them,” I said.

Odds were they hadn’t attacked entirely for her. They had most likely wanted our food and wealth more so… but…

Renn’s smile contorted as she took in my words and it was obvious that she was trying to decide if she should be depressed or ecstatic over what I had said.

For now, her believing that they had attacked for her and her alone… was my way out of that dangerous conversation.

I’ll need to thank those men, someday. For laying down their lives as to save me from making a mistake.

I had almost wanted to prove to her right there and then why she was being so foolish, after all.

I knew it’d happen eventually… but I really needed to fight against such a thing for as long as I could.

This would be a battle of attrition… which thankfully, I was damned good at.

Though…

“Haha!” Renn started to laugh happily, showing all her teeth as she gleefully smiled.

Ugly…?

Ridiculous.

Looking away from her as we left the port city, I realized thanks to that smile that I likely wasn’t going to last very long. At all.