It was about noon so Chuck decided to grab some food at one of the stalls. He got a few stares here and there but kept his hood up. His clothes stood out but he figured his face would stand out more. He bought some meat skewers, getting a lesson in the local currency. The first store he went to was for general goods. Chuck wasn’t sure what he needed but mostly wanted to look around. There were a surprising number of magic devices for the kitchen and for cleaning purposes. He was still trying to wrap his head around the currency but it looked like the prices were pretty high. Then Chuck remembered he was in the rich part of town so it made sense. He bought a few toiletries and moved on - luckily there was an equivalent to toilet paper. After window shopping for a while, he noticed a clothing store. He really needed more clothes and a set of dress clothes for the banquet. He didn’t know anything about making clothes but was a little worried it would take more than two weeks.
He was greeted by a brown feathered owl type person. His clothes seemed to fascinate the shop keeper who walked around him and touched the fabric. Chuck explained what he needed. He really wanted some more clothes similar to what he was wearing instead of tunics, which just didn’t suit him. Chuck was told to change since the shop keeper wanted to get a better look at the clothes and how they were made. That’s how he ended up in a borrowed tunic, sitting on a bench inside the shop for most of an hour. Chuck went over the colors he liked and tried his best to explain what a suit would look like. He even tried sketching what it should look like but he wasn’t much of an artist. The shop keeper told him it would only take a week, which was a relief. After changing back into his clothes, he headed to find some food.
Chuck found himself in an open market area with several food vendors. He couldn’t identify most things so ended up buying some bread, some weird fish, and some fruit that sort of resembled apples. After those purchases, he was feeling worn out and headed home. For some reason, he had the feeling he was being followed but he didn’t see anyone. Chuck quickened his pace, looking back frequently. He decided to duck into a nearby store to be on the safe side. It turned out to be a book store. Chuck pretended to peruse the expensive looking books while keeping an eye on the door. The goblin shop keeper eyed him suspiciously but said nothing. No one came through the door, but he still felt paranoid. He asked the shop keeper if there was a back door. Fortunately there was, and Chuck went out the back and down an alley. He then turned onto another street, breathing easier. He started heading home again, not knowing why he was being so paranoid. Better safe than sorry though.
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Before going inside, he decided to check out the stable since he hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Maybe there was something that would help him tackle the overgrown yard. Chuck was surprised to see two balls of fluff dressed in rags hiding in a corner. He was surprised again when they stood up and were nearly as tall as he was. It was two dark brown bear children and they were growling at him. “Whoa, take it easy. I don’t want to hurt you.” Chuck said, dropping his bags and holding his hands out non-threateningly. “This is my property now, what are you doing here?” He asked. The beast kids looked at each other and the tallest spoke. “Our mother used to work here but she lost her job when the master was arrested. After that she got sick and died. We decided to come back here since we had nowhere else to go. My name is Raz and this is Maz.”
”Nice to meet you, my name is Chuck. I’m an otherworlder.” Chuck said, lowering his hood. Both kids gasped and Chuck smiled awkwardly. “Anyway, why don’t we go inside for now.” He said, grabbing his bags and gesturing to the house. “You aren’t going to call the guards on us?” Maz asked nervously. “No, I was actually thinking of hiring someone and you two might save me the trouble. That is if you want a job.” Chuck said smiling. “There are plenty of bedrooms so you could even stay here if you like.” Chuck continued as he started walking to the house. Raz and Maz smiled at each other and followed.