Thanks to the nap, Axeton was able to make his way to the town’s guard post by morning. His feet were only mildly sore, which he hoped he could remedy soon.

As he drew closer, a uniformed man stepped out of the guard shack, holding a weathered spear.

“State your business”, the man spouted flatly. Axeton could tell that he was already being sized up.

“I’m just a…” Damn, he thought. If he was deceitful, he’d lose his connection to Avara, and would be in serious trouble if he found Dorian’s men right away.

“I’m looking for some people”, Axeton corrected himself. “I mean, my master is looking for them”.

The guard looked towards the other, who was still sitting outside the shack with his feet up. He made an inconspicuous motion with his head, and the other guard swung his feet down and begrudgingly walked up to the first.

“Looking for someone, huh?” the first guard pried. “What did they do, exactly?”

Axeton bristled. He had to tread carefully here. “They have information my master wants”, he replied.

The first guard tilted his head, staring at Axeton with his eye, before pulling back.

“Alright”, he said, taking a step back. “Welcome to Ostiphas, but I’d better not catch you doing anything unsavory”.

“You won’t,” Axeton replied. If I have to do something unsavory, he thought. I should hope you won’t find out.

Try to avoid that, the calm voice chided. Remember the rules.

Axeton sighed. This was going to be a lot of work.

He walked into town on the left side of the road. It was against the flow of cart and wagon traffic, but it helped to conceal Glainne, which was sheathed on his left side.

Ostiphas was a large town, many times bigger than Avandale village. It had more than one church, which is what Axeton noticed first. Also, the town square, which was the first major landmark as he walked in, was enormous. Merchants from all over were shouting and peddling their wares: various meats, trinkets, sweets, toys…a little bit of everything. Axeton was overwhelmed, not only at the selection but also at the fact that he didn’t have enough money to get anything.

It had been quite a while since Axeton had eaten; he wasn’t able to save any of the fruit Eilidh had shown him, it would have made a horrible mess in his only bag. His stomach rumbled, and the dinnertime smells from not only the merchant carts but nearby restaurants and taverns, was starting to be too much.

He pulled out the few copper Rad he kept in his bag, clinking them together in his fingers. A copper would buy a loaf of bread pretty much anywhere, albeit a no-frills bread. He hoped that he could find something cheap in such a flashy place. He wished Eilidh was here, to show him another field full of delicious berries, but since the little elf disappeared, Axeton knew he was on his own.

“Hey, you,” a voice called out as Axeton wandered through the streets. He turned, and saw a wagon with a poorly-sewn banner hanging on the side.

“Knights of the Round Pie Company”...that’s…certainly a name, Axeton thought as he approached. The slender, bald man gesturing for him to come over was wearing a leather apron, dusted with flour and chunks of indiscernible food bits. The table he had set up in front of the wagon had a delightful array of various pies, of different sizes and presumably flavors.

“Just so you know, before you start trying to sell me something,” Axeton began. “I only have a few copper pieces. But if you feed me, I can work it off. You have my word.”

The man looked up at Axeton, one eye squinting as he tried to size up the newcomer. The paladin stood at ease, trying to relax while still being very hungry and in close proximity to a potential meal.

The man picked up a small, personal-sized pie and held it delicately in front of him with one hand. “Well, that suits me just fine. I’ll be pulling up stakes in a few days and will have to travel to a town a few days over. If you find yourself amenable, you can consider this a down payment towards your guard services…?”

His voice inflected at the end of the spiel, turning a statement to a hopeful semi-question at the last moment. With his other hand, the man stuck his hand out as a proposal to be accepted.

Axeton stepped forward, and took the man’s hand, shaking it with gusto. “You don’t know me, but giving me a job so quickly makes you okay by me,” the paladin said gratefully.

“I don’t like this town anymore,” the man replied. “And you’re not from this town, so I’m more liable to hire you than someone here. The name is Joe, by the way,” he said as he handed Axeton a pie.

“Don’t like the town, huh?” Axeton asked. “I just got here from…a few days down the road and it seems nice so far.”

Joe shook his head. “You’d think so, but the merchant taxes are high. That’s why everything here is so expensive.”

He gestured at the coins Axeton put back into his pocket. “You wouldn’t be able to get anything for that amount.”

Axeton bit into the pie. A bit cold, but the meat inside was heavenly.

“Have the taxes always been like this?” he asked, still chewing.

“No,” Joe replied. “It used to be great, until about four months ago when these soldiers came through. At least, they looked like soldiers. They came into town just as I was leaving to go home for the winter. I just came back, and now they’re treating the town like their own personal bank with extortion and whatnot. It’s a shame, this is..or was, a good trade route.”

Axeton stopped.

“What did these soldiers look like?” he pried, suspiciously.

Joe wiped his brow, then lost himself in thought for a moment.

“There were two of them,” he began. Big guys, in blue and white uniforms. I didn’t think much of it at the time, soldiers are usually great for business because they spend their money easily.”

“It sounds like they were maybe from Grenfield,” Axeton mused, trying not to give his position away.

“Aaah yes, that’s where I saw that uniform before,” Joe nodded. “I used to do deliveries to the campus in Morwell when I was going that way. But yeah, I hear they have ‘intimidating’ Gifts and pretty much took over the town. I didn’t think the mayor would concede power so quickly, but I don’t know how he would allow this to happen if he was still in charge.”

Axeton gulped down more pie, then realized and started choking.

“Woah there!” Joe stepped forward and slapped the paladin on the back. “I know they’re good, but you gotta chew these.”

Axeton cleared his throat, his eyes watering. “I’m sorry, did you say they came into town four months ago?”

“Yeah,” Joe replied. “Just before winter hit. Figured they were deserters, but deserters don’t usually carry around that much silver and gold. The other merchants told me those guys were spending like kings when they first got here.”

Axeton almost dropped the pie. “It’s…Spring now…isn’t it?” he asked, mind desperately trying to comprehend.

Joe nodded, with a concerned look on his face. “Well, of course it is. You feeling ok? I swear, that pie is fresh.”

The paladin blinked, bringing his eyes into focus. “Uh. Yeah, I’m fine. I just lost track of time.”

My goddess, I was dead for FOUR MONTHS?!” Axeton thought.

My powers are limited, Avara replied. I was able to stop your spirit from moving on, but I can’t stop the world’s time from flowing. Too many physical moving parts; I don’t think any god could do it.

Great, he huffed internally. Dorian and his followers have a whole season’s head start on me finding them.

You could be dead for good, the goddess quipped, an annoyed tone in her ethereal voice. You could also not have a new Gift or Glainne to help you get justice.

Axeton deflated. Of course. Forgive me, my goddess.

Joe stood in front of the man, looking uncomfortable as Axeton snapped out of his internal conversation.

“Are you going to be able to guard my wagon in your state, sir?” he asked worriedly.

Axeton coughed, clearing his throat. His mouth was suddenly dry.

“Yes, I was just praying to my goddess, telling her about what I’m doing,” he replied.

“Well,” Joe surmised. “Just pay attention on the road and you’ll be fine. I pay ten silver per week, and you can have the pies that don’t sell.”

Axeton nodded appreciatively. Although it may be hard to follow Glainne’s visions while under employment, he had to eat and should probably get more combat training.

“One more thing,” he asked. “You mentioned that you’re leaving in a few days, but I don’t have a place to stay. Also I have some things I need to do in town. Can I have an advance to get a room in the meantime?”

Joe looked sheepishly at the man.

“Uh, that’s not something I can help with,” he lamented between his teeth. “I’d like to, but the merchant taxes, and other fees I had to pay to set up shop drained my funds. I’m barely scraping by over here.”

He stopped for a moment. “You know, if you only need a room until you leave, you can stay with someone else I hired for the trip. She’s in town for business and since you’re helping me, I doubt she’d mind. But you may have to help her out.”

“That would be fine,” Axeton agreed.

“Good,” Joe replied, looking at the sky. “The sun’s starting to set. I had her take some pies to the other side of town, where all the taverns were. She has no problem carrying them all, but in retrospect she might be a little intimidating for sales.”

Almost as if on cue, a large creature walked past the pie wagon, stopped, then circled back to stand in front of Joe. It was a firbolg, an eight foot tall humanoid with bluish-tinted skin, and large, wide ears that came to a point. Axeton could tell from the firbolg’s bearing and physique that it was a female, and she was carrying a large tray half full of pies in what looked like very muscular arms. Wearing a typical set of pants and a shirt with what were most likely pie stains, her ears drooped as she addressed the merchant.

“So uh…I was only able to sell half,” she reported. “Also, I got hungry and ate a few. I’m sorry.”

She then brightened. “But a very nice man told me that there’s lots of gold hidden under a giant net in the woods, so I may go there later tonight to check it out. They looked a bit rough but they’re so nice to share their secrets with me.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Joe pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers and closed his eyes, letting out a weary sigh.

“At least you were able to sell some of them. And please don’t go into the woods alone; people here get scared easily and they probably want to trap you.” he replied.

“Good luck,” she smirked, putting the tray of pies down onto the table before flexing her muscles. “I can totally take them on. They’re just scrawny humans. Who’s this?” she stopped talking abruptly, pointing towards Axeton, who had been staring at the newcomer.

“A slightly-less scrawny human,” he responded. “And you must be the other guard that mister…”

“Haiyes,” Joe filled in, amused.

“Yes, the other guard mister Haiyes hired to help with traveling. I’m Axeton.”

“Ooooooh,” the firbolg cooed. “Very nice to meet you. I’m Sigyn. I’ve been helping Mr Haiyes sell pies for a few days…although it’s not going very well. This town is lame and dumb, and they get mad when I poke things.”

Axeton crossed his arms in front of him, cocking his head to the side as he stared at Sigyn.

“I’m sorry…you poke things?” he asked.

“I’ve been working on it!” she whined to Joe, before turning back to Axeton. “I really like finding out new stuff, and my hands kind of move faster than my brain sometimes…so I poke things to see what will happen. Also, I like animals. But I don’t poke animals, that’s not nice. Unless they like it. They usually don’t.”

Axeton shook off the rambling. “So Sigyn, Joe said you have business in town and might be able to share your rented room for a few days before we leave?”

Sigyn tented her fingers, attempting to sound serious for a moment. “Well…yes and no,” she answered.

She stood for a moment, tapping her fingers together. The only sound was the slowly dying din of the town square behind them.

“Oh, I should probably explain,” she quipped.

“That would be ideal,” Axeton answered in the most positive way he could, while starting to become annoyed.

Sigyn put her hands on her hips, towering almost two feet over Axeton’s head as she explained.

“So…” she began. “Do you notice how the people here are…human-sized? I didn’t think about it until I got here. So I went to the tavern owner and he said that their doorways and beds are too small and that I won’t fit. And I’m like, ‘ok’ so I went to another one. He said the same thing but was more mean about it. I think because he was bald.”

Joe rubbed his head self-consciously, feeling slightly hurt.

“So I checked every room in town. I had some money, but they said I was too big and would scare their customers away. So I found a room,” she finished.

Axeton raised an eyebrow. “You…found a room that would fit you?” he asked.

“It’s not so much a room as it is a barn,” Sigyn replied. “So it’s inside, it just doesn’t have a bed or anything. But the horses are nice and don’t complain. At least, I don’t think they complain. But I don’t know their names, so I named one of them ‘Bradley’ and I think he likes it.”

Axeton looked at Joe, who looked back and bobbed his head side to side, knowingly.

“So you’re currently staying in a barn,” Axeton stated. “Is it ok if I stay there with you for a few days before we hit the road? I have some business in town that I need to take care of.”

“Oh yeah!” Sigyn bounced on her feet. “There’s plenty of room. Maybe you can help me with my job. You seem pretty strong.”

“I’m not sure if I’ll have time,” Axeton answered. “I’m looking for some bad men who did awful things. I need to find their leader so I can…talk to him.”

Sigyn deflated. “Okay. Well, the guys who hired me may know about the bad guys you’re looking for.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Joe quipped, pointing to Axeton. “You don’t know the area, but odds are her employers do.”

Axeton was getting exhausted. “Alright, when are you meeting with them?” he asked.

“Tomorrow morning,” Sigyn answered proudly. “It’s a super easy job. All I have to do is stand and look scary while we bring some stuff to Mister Estes’ house.”

Axeton blinked, looking up at Sigyn again. “I’m sorry, who’s house?” he asked.

Sigyn seemed amused that Axeton was actually listening this time. “Mister Estes. He sent a job posting to my village months ago. It just took a while to get here.”

Axeton put his hand on the small of Sigyn’s back, ushering her away from the pie cart and the crowd. “We’ll see you in a few days, Mr Haiyes. Keep those pies ready! Sigyn and I are going to discuss arrangements.”

Joe nodded, turning his attention to the dwindling crowd again as Axeton led Sigyn to a quiet alley away from the town square. She rambled about her village until they came to a spot where he thought they had a chance to not be heard.

“Sigyn,” he began, his face trying not to betray his worry. “Before I meet with your employers, I have some questions. I brought you back here to make sure we’re safe.”

“Safe from what?” she asked, slightly confused.

Axeton cleared his throat, remembering that he wasn’t supposed to lie. He didn’t want to, Sigyn seemed nice. But he didn’t want to give himself away yet.

“I think…Mister Estes may be involved with the bad men I’m looking for,” he finally answered. When did you first hear about him hiring to get help?”

Sigyn thought for a moment. “About eight months ago,” she replied. “Like I said, it took me a while to get here. My home is very far away, but the money seemed good. I need to buy things, and I’d like to buy some puppies but no one will ever hire me because I’m not very graceful.”

So Estes knew that Dorian would come and wipe out the town. That bastard; I talked with him the day before the attack on Avandale, Axeton thought angrily.

“That’s ok,” Axeton tried to keep the rambling to a minimum. “What exactly did the job posting say?”

Sigyn stuck her finger out with a mischievous grin, then pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. It was badly worn and stained, it must have been opened, read, and folded back dozens of times. Axeton held his hand out.

“Can I read it?” he asked politely.

“Yeah ok,” Sigyn replied excitedly. “I have it memorized, I read it so many times on the way here. I’m gonna buy so many puppies.” She rubbed her giant hands together.

Axeton took the paper and read it to himself.

Needed - Help to guard the transfer of goods from Ostiphas in Morwell to an undisclosed location. Discretion is a MUST. Quick work. Contact Fial Estes at the Ostiphas Mayor’s office by late Spring. 100 gold Rads payment upon completion.

The ad was signed at the bottom, the signature of the Baron that Axeton had seen countless times.

The Baron must have become a follower of Hemexion, so I couldn’t see what he was doing, the ethereal voice said in an unbelieving tone.

HE BETRAYED THEM ALL, the angry voice shouted, clashing with the other.

If you can get him alive, he may know where the Bell is hidden, Avara replied.

“When I got to town, the mayor said that Mister Estes wasn’t feeling well. But apparently we’re taking some stuff to his house from somewhere in town. Pretty easy job.”

Axeton realized he had gripped the paper so tightly in his balled-up fists that the paper was starting to tear. Sigyn looked at him, worried. “Are you okay?” she asked.

The paladin exhaled from his nose, folding the paper back up before handing it back to Sigyn. “Not really, Sigyn.” he sighed.

The giant blue creature looked forlorn as he turned to her. “The man who sent this paper is a bad man. He…did some things and got all of my family killed. He’s working for an even more evil man.”

Sigyn put her hand to her mouth, wide-eyed. “I didn’t know,” she started. “I just wanted the job.”

“It’s not your fault,” Axeton replied, putting his hand up. “In fact, I’m glad you’re here, because these bad people need to be stopped and I can’t do it alone.”

The firbolg huffed. “If they’re bad, then I’ll help. But how do I know that you aren’t the bad one and are trying to trick me into robbing them?” she mused, giving the paladin a coy side eye.

Axeton shrugged, raking his fingers back through his fair in frustration. “I don’t know what I have or what I can do to get you to trust me on this,” he replied. “I just came into town today. I’m looking for what I thought were two men who were part of a force that killed everyone in my hometown. Now I find out that they’re funneling something to Baron Estes, probably gold…and I have three days to stop them or I starve to death.”

“AND,” he continued. “They’ll probably kill you when the job is done, since the man orchestrating this whole thing never leaves witnesses.”

Sigyn stared at Axeton as he continued to panic, then pointed at him. Her face was as emotionless as a stone as she stared at his torso.

“...What are you doing…” he asked, her giant blue finger hovering in front of him.

With a flash, the firbolg shot her finger out, poking Axeton in the stomach. The force knocked the wind out of him, and he buckled to his knees, wheezing.

“POKE!” Signyn giggled as Axeton struggled to catch his breath. Thankfully, his new body seemed to be more impervious to damage. He didn’t even feel a bruise forming as he touched the area just below his rib cage. He stood back up, his hands gripping his stomach.

“Are you mad at me?” she asked, twirling her finger in the air.

Axeton coughed, continuing to assess himself as he thought. “Urgh…Uh…I don’t think you caused any damage. So no. A little confused, but not mad.”

“I trust you then,” Sigyn said, matter of factly.

Axeton’s brows furrowed. “...what? What does the poke have to do with it?”

Sigyn stood proudly, all eight feet of blue muscle, her arms folded in front of her chest. Her long, red hair hung in a bound ringlets halfway down her back. She looked down at him with a determined and strong, yet beautiful face in its own way. Axeton felt his goddess’ power, fueled by the sword at his hip, telling him that this creature was good.

“No one ever lets me poke them,” she began. “I like to poke things to see what happens, but it always makes everyone mad. I don’t like making people mad, so if I poke you and you aren’t upset at me, then I trust you.”

Axeton blinked. “I’ll take it,” he agreed. “Just warn me next time you try that, please.”

“Yeah okay,” Sigyn conceded. “But you should probably buy some armor at some point.”

“I’ve never worn armor,” the paladin argued. “It weighs me down and doesn’t really fit my fighting style.”

Sigyn scoffed. “Fighting style?” she said, mockingly.

Axeton looked at her, unamused. “Yes, fighting style. A stance taught at Grenfield. A long time ago now.”

The firbolg shrugged.

If she’s someone of average strength where she comes from, he reasoned. Then it would make sense they’ve never had to ask for Grenfield graduates as guards or soldiers.

The paladin stood up straight, trying to match Sigyn’s bearing. “So, what do you do, anyway?”

Sigyn looked at him strangely. “What do I do?” she asked.

He rested his left hand on Glainne’s hilt. “Like, I fight with a sword. What do you do? I assume you can fight since you signed up for a guard job.”

“Oooh,” Sigyn nodded. “Okay yeah. I wrestle.”

“Interesting,” Axeton quipped.

“I do!” she replied. “When I use weapons I kind of…break them…so I just grapple anyone I have to fight. Or throw them.”

“Have you ever fought humans before? What about Gifted?” Axeton questioned.

“No humans,” Sigyn answered. I lived in my firbolg village my whole life, until I came here. I can hold my own in the sparring ring against my own kind. So I assume that humans can’t be that difficult.”

“Thanks,” Axeton said flatly.

“Well, like I said, even my own kind struggle after I poke them. So you seem stronger than most. That’s pretty neat.” She said, trying to stay positive.

“As for the Gifted,” she continued. “I have the Gift of Strength. It’s rare for my people to get them, so I don’t think I’ve fought anyone with a combat Gift before.”

Axeton nodded. “When you poked me, did you use your Gift?” he asked.

Sigyn laughed. “Nope.”

The paladin grinned. “I can see why Joe hired you,” he said. “But if it took months to get here, your Destined Object must be far away. So even if you did use your Gift, it won’t be that strong, will it?”

The firbolg raised her chin slightly, as if in thought.

“That’s not a problem,” she answered.

“Really?” Axeton replied. “Isn’t it a big, gold thing? Where is it, anyway?”

Sigyn gave him a side eye again. “I’ll tell you if you tell me.”

Axeton was confused. “Tell you what?”

“Where yours is,” she said mischievously.

Axeton was beginning to like this creature.

“What makes you think I have one?” he asked, a rye tone to his voice.

“I’ve been in town for a while,” she said plainly. “The only people who ask about Gifts are the ones who have one.”

He gave a quick chortle in surprise. For a brawler, she’s certainly observant of her surroundings, he thought.

Axeton tapped Glainne’s handle. “Here’s mine,” he answered, with a tiny smidgen of pride. With it, he felt his connection to the sword waiver slightly for a moment, before being restored.

Sigyn balked. “So you thought mine was some ‘big gold thing’ and yours is a sword? Why would you think mine was any different?” she asked, incredulous.

Axeton put his hands up. “Hey, the one I had for the past ten years was a bell that weighed hundreds of pounds and was the Destined Object for a…a whole town,” he began, before the reality set in. He slumped slightly.

“This is my new one,” he continued, trying to stay positive. “Back in Grenfield, everyone was still tied to their family legacy Destined Object, they never had it with them. I assumed you were the same case.”

“It may be, for old families or city-based people,” Sigyn huffed. “But like I said, it’s rare for us to be Gifted so any piece of gold just becomes a new Destined Object when we need it. And the Gifted are so few and far between that any existing Object isn’t strong or big enough to latch onto. Single-use only, it seems. Like a potion, or a goat.”

Goat? Axeton chewed the idea in his head. Nevermind…

Axeton thought for a moment. “That makes sense,” he eventually answered. “So, where is yours?”

Sigyn whipped her head around and caught a chunk of her long, thick hair, pointing to the wide gold ring she had been using to tie it back.

“Ah,” Axeton said. “Do you ever worry about losing it?”

“No,” she replied. “People are usually too scared of me to get close. And it’s really heavy, so I’d be able to tell if someone took it or it fell off.”

Axeton nodded. “I see. Yeah, no one in their right mind would try to pick a fight with you. But now that we trust each other, should we go to your fancy hotel room and think of a plan?”

The firbolg’s ears flicked with excitement. “Oh yeah,” she began, punching her fist into the other hand, her mouth turned up to a mischievous grin. “We’re gonna squish some bad guys.”