Hello Eli

I would like to meet with you.

11 in the morning at Ashwood Lodge.

See you then.

D.

The letter was short and to the point, but told me all I needed to know. A mysterious person “D” wanted to meet me tomorrow at the apartments both Caius and I stayed at the other night. But who was this "D" and why did they want to meet with me? I’ve only been in this strange place for not even two whole days and somebody already wants to meet with me.

I put the letter back in my jacket pocket, my thoughts still rushing. I needed to clear my head and figure out what was going on, but with this little information, I doubt I could find out anything before my meeting. I got up from the bed, grabbed my jacket and went to find Caius, who was in the kitchen cooking up a storm from the looks of it.

“Hey, I’m going out for a bit,” I said.

Caius looked up from his cooking, “Don’t you want to have some of my cooking? I worked extra hard on it,” he replied sounding enthusiastic.

It did smell rather nice but I wasn’t that hungry. “Nah, it’s all yours.”

I headed out into the cold winter air once again, still hearing Caius back inside, “Yay, more for me!” He must’ve really wanted me to try his food. The rain was still falling, but it was merely a gentle drizzle that misted over my face as I walked down the street.

While in town, I sought to make use of the time until my scheduled meeting the next day. I took a carriage to the same bakery I had been to the day before, picking out a hearty sandwich for lunch and a cup of coffee. I made my way to a clothing store, feeling the need for a change of clothes as I only had one outfit on hand. I browsed through the racks, picking out a fresh shirt and pants to add to my wardrobe. Rather cheaper clothes than I was used to, but it was better than having a hole in my pants.

The hours passed quickly, and with the simple errands taking up most of my time, I had about 10 or 11 silver left, those silver-looking coins. Selling my things the other day really was worth it. Usually, I wouldn’t waste my time indulging in myself but I didn’t have any plans set till tomorrow, and exploring the town was a good enough excuse. By the time I made it back to Caius's place, it was late in the afternoon, and I was eager to rest before the meeting tomorrow.

As I entered Caius's home, I realized he was nowhere to be found. I was glad for the solitude, allowing me to drop off my newly acquired clothes and sit down for a moment of rest. But, after a few moments of stillness, I felt the urge to go out again. The thoughts of the meeting tomorrow plagued my mind, and I needed to clear my head.

I stepped out into the damp streets once again, the rain had passed and the sun had started to set. The sky was a brilliant mix of orange, pink, and purple, casting an ethereal glow over the town. It wasn’t dark enough for the street lights to light up yet, but many stores had bright lights casting through their windows, illuminating the streets anyways. I walked aimlessly, lost in my thoughts, wondering how tomorrow would turn out.

No need to stress myself out, that’ll just ruin my night.

I found myself eventually wandering towards a small bar. The same one both Caius and I had snuck to earlier in the day to hide. The warm light from inside beckoned me, and before I knew it, I was entering the bar.

It wasn’t too lively which is how I liked it. A big party of people, drinking, dancing, and chatting isn’t my thing. Just a few people up at the bar and a variety of others sitting at tables having something to drink.

I pulled up a stool at the bar, “Can I just get a uhh…” Damn, did they have coke, sprite or even juices here? “I’ll just get a water please,” may as well settle for this before I look at a menu or something.

“Oh hey, Eli!” It was Caius, sitting a few stools across from me. Of course, it was him.

He walked over to me with someone else following behind him, “What are you doing here? I thought you’d send your lazy bones to bed early?”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

I sipped my water giving Caius a side-eye look, “What the fuck are you on about now? It’s only like, five in the evening.”

Caius laughed, "Well, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you're enjoying yourself. And this is Fleur," he said, introducing the person behind him. "She's a friend of mine, and I thought you two might like to get to know each other."

Fleur smiled and extended a hand, "Nice to meet you."

I reached out to shake her hand, taking a moment to get a better look at her. She appeared to be friendly, but I was still wary of Caius, so I wasn't sure what to make of her. Fleur had short black hair styled in a bob cut and a round, petite face that stood out against her taller stature. She was dressed in a black blouse and black pinstripe pants.

"So, what brings you two here?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from me.

"Just grabbing a drink," Caius replied. "And Fleur was in the area, so I thought I'd introduce her to my friend."

Fleur nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's great to finally meet you. Cai here has been talking about you for a while now."

I raised an eyebrow, "Really? What has he been saying?"

Caius chuckled nervously, "Oh you know, just good things."

Fleur leaned in, "He says you're quite the interesting character, always up to something, never a dull moment."

I took another sip of my water, "Interesting. I don't think I've ever been described that way before."

Caius ordered drinks for him and Fleur as I already had mine.

“Aren’t you too young to drink?” I said to Caius.

“What do you mean?” He replied grabbing his drink, “I turned 18 not too long ago.”

"Well, I just figured since you seem to be so energetic all the time, you might be better off with something non-alcoholic," I said with a smirk.

"Ha! You know me too well, Eli," Caius chuckled, slapping me on my back.

I nodded, still sceptical. "So, what do you two do for a living?" I asked, trying to gather information.

Fleur smiled, "I work at the local market with my family, it’s good work and earns enough."

I raised an eyebrow, "Really? That's interesting." I wouldn’t have expected someone with such expensive-looking clothing to work at a market. But it’s not like I know about how things work here enough.

Caius chimed in, "Well I don’t have a job but still make it."

Fleur added, "And what about you, Elias? What brings you to Leode?"

I hesitated for a moment, "I'm just travelling, looking for work. I thought this town might have something for me."

We both sipped on our drinks, “So, you two live here in Leode?" I said, trying to push the questioning off myself and onto the others.

"Yeah," Fleur replied. "Born and raised. What about you? Where are you from?"

I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to give anything away too easily. "Just from another city, not too far from here."

Caius ordered more drinks for himself, Fleur and I, and the three of us continued to chat for a while. The night went on as we continued and the sun eventually had gone down. The bar livened up over time as it got later but I wasn’t annoyed as other strangers didn’t bother talking to me.

It was a good night despite my reservations. Before we knew it, the bar was closing up, and we were the last ones there.

"Well, it's been great getting to know you both more," I said, standing up from my stool. "But I think it's time for me to head home." It was dark and rather late, I don’t want to sleep in past my meeting tomorrow.

Fleur nodded, "Yeah, me too. It was great meeting you, Eli."

Caius, who had had a little too much to drink, stumbled a bit as he stood up, "Oh come on, man. Let's grab one more drink."

I shook my head, "I think you’ve had enough. Let's call it a night."

Now I had to take this one home, why couldn’t he just be a bit more sensible and look after himself?

I put my arm around Caius, steadying him as we made our way out of the bar. The cool night air hit us as soon as we stepped outside, and Caius's face turned a little green.

I walked him to his house, which was only a few blocks away. As we walked, Caius rambled on about how he was fine and that he could make it home on his own. Once we got back to his place, I got him inside and left him to himself. He did say on the way back that he was fine.

After walking up to my room, I settled into my own bed and tried to clear my mind. I had a big day ahead of me and I needed to be alert and focused. I closed my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep, letting the sounds of the night lull me into a peaceful slumber.

As the sun came up in the morning, I was woken up by the bustle of people once again. It was a new day, and I had a meeting with "D" later this morning.