Chronicles of Domaria - Book I – The Awakening

The light of dawn shone in Eldania. Unlike the other mornings, the peaceful song of the birds was replaced by intense buzz, unusual for that time, in the residential area of the city. Something had happened in the early morning hours, arousing hundreds of people, still scared and eager for explanations.

A huge earthquake. There was nothing like it in a few hundred years. The last big earthquake was known only through the records in the books and parchments from the town library. No one had seen anything like it. The accident sparked memories of ancestors and also a feeling of insecurity and distress.

Although there were no fatal victims of the quake in the city, it was enough to cause a big mess. The shanties, the beautiful stone houses, and shops got shattered. Bookshelves and books fell in libraries; broken glass, weapons and equipment were all over the floor of the barracks. Even the great bell of the church collapsed, causing a huge noise and disturbing the heaviest sleep.

Even without a lot of time to think about what caused the earthquake, the city doubled the number of officers. They wanted to avoid riots amidst the atmosphere of fear and chaos that took over the streets. With much work ahead, the sentinels needed to maintain order, help repair the city and still stay abreast of the preparations for the meeting of the kingdoms, which would happen in Eldania in a few days.

One of the sentries, having his eyes still blurry, sleepy, and with an empty stomach, looked askance at a group in front of the fountain of Freedom Square. Standing by, the guard cast his eyes over an unknown figure:

- Come and see, citizens of Eldania! The sign of the end times are here! You must regret your transgressions and greed! - shouted the stranger.

The man was wearing a robe, a coarse cloth hood and worn and dusty leather sandals. His appearance resembled one of the local clergymen although he didn’t carry any coat, pendant or clothes. In his right hand he has a black leather book which he used to prophesy. The crowd that passed through the place returned the attention to the words of the unknown, some with awe and fear, and others with disdain and mockery. The increased agglomeration was notorious and, with it, some began to shout back the words of the prophet:

- Get your god out of our city! We don’t need him here! -shouted a passerby, exalted.

The laughter accompanied a ripe tomato thrown from the crowd, doing the cleric to dodge. The fruit hit the fountain column behind him, fouling the historical monument. Noting the things warm up, the guard, in his armor as loud as the talk, took a hurried step. He shouted to disperse the dozens that were there:

-That’s enough! Don’t you have something better to do? Get lost, now!

Slowly, the small mob dispersed. Each person in their course to the other districts of city. Still distracted, the guard cast his eyes around, but he could not find the stranger, who disappeared in the confusion.

- I’ve never seen this man around here. We’ve had enough trouble for today. One more crazy dumb is not needed!

At the Eldania Palace, the King Thalion showed concern about recent events. The monarch decided to meet the emergency Council to maintain order in the city, focused on the preparations of the meeting of the kingdoms.

Thalion was a hero, commander and expert combatant in several battles against the orcs. He was appointed unanimously by the entities and eminences of the city for decades and ruled the capital since then. He had curly hair, at the height of the neck, and a gray goatee, as well as the head. The big luxuries of a comfortable life after a few years made his belly grow a little, taking his good shape away.

The Queen had died during labour, along with the Prince, his only official heir. Thalion was never exactly recognized for his fidelity and he remained so at least until he needed a successor.

-How damaged is the city? – He inquired. Are we going to have to postpone the meeting with our allies?

-No, Majesty. I believe we have enough work for the day, but we’re ready to receive them - said Belthazar, one of the oldest and leading advisers of the Arcane Society.

Belthazar was a distinct old man, with a big white beard. Very jovial, he wore with his finely embroidered blue robe with golden details. The great iconic sorcerer hat hid a bald head that he didn’t like to show to anyone.

-What about security? We have to make sure nothing goes wrong. - replied the King.

- Regarding this, Your Majesty, you can trust our guard – assured Alister, first in the order of Talanthir, interrupting the talk of the monarch.

Alister was a dubious figure. Many saw him as a great leader. However, most of the town thought he was arrogant and above the law. The Talanthir order was a big black box in the city. Home of clerics, paladins and wise men, nobody knew quite what was going on within its walls, not even the King himself. The middle-aged paladin sported a perfectly polished armor with golden details, made of Mithril, the metal of the gods. He was a perfect soldier: stomach in, chest out, with a smooth face, striking blue eyes and short blond curly hair.

- Well, if we don’t have anything to worry about, so let’s get back to our activities! - said Thalion.

In an outburst, a courier entered the Royal Hall accompanied by a strong man, with a lumberjack-like appearance, and a big bag on his back.

- Sir. I ask for your attention! - said the young Messenger, with a voice full of anxiety.

- Wait a moment – replied the King, uninterested. We’re finishing an important meeting.

The messenger looked at the woodcutter, who threw the load on the floor. The sound of something heavy fall caught the attention of all congregated in the Hall.

The man started to untie the jute bag, when he heard from one of the royal councillors:

-We don’t have time for this! You heard the King...

The content was revealed before the adviser could finish his speech. Their eyes filled with a mixture of amazement and disgust. They stared and saw the carcass of a giant black spider with yellowish spots and stripes, riddled with arrows. It must have weighed as much as a fat piglet, considering the noise it made when it reached the ground.

Some guests, seeing the disgusting creature in his sticky greenish fluids, turned their faces. Others covered their noses and mouths with the first piece of linen that were able to find in their noble garments.

Belthazar, the magician, stood up and exclaimed:

- We need to study this creature! A specimen like this hasn’t been seen for centuries.

An intense buzz took over the hall. Nobody had ever seen a hideous creature like this in their lifetime. Some orcs could be less bullish than that disgusting arachnid.

Alister, trying to minimize the occurrence, intensified his voice and shouted out:

- Come on! A creature like that could have come out of a hole with this earthquake. In fact, why panicking? It’s dead!

In an instant, almost all remembered what had happened during the early hours and felt afraid. They feared that after a long period of tranquility, they could be faced with the unknown. Raising his voice amidst the huge buzz, the representative of the commercial district, Karim, exclaimed:

- A heretic should have invented a problem! We have to hunt him down and arrest him.

Heretics were those who used magic clandestinely in the city. Cases weren’t frequent, but happened. Sometimes, simple mischief and experiments of youngsters of Arcane Society such as: a garden of tomatoes tasting like pineapple, rabbits that flew metres in height or made things disappear. Other times, they were cultists and outsiders. Magic was serious. They were always punished accordingly.

The chaos was formed and the meeting had been completely scattered. Belthazar was close to the lumberjack to gather more information. Alister soothed the more nervous ones, that persisted in talks of unfathomable dangers and the end of times.

Thalion, nervous and wanting some peace to think, shouted out,

- Enough! The meeting is over! Please withdraw! Take this grotesque creature into the Arcane Society!

Alister readily commanded his personal guard to take the bag out of the Palace under the watchful eyes of Belthazar.

-Careful! Don’t let it fall. Or break a leg! -warned the old wizard.

Alister stealthily approached Belthazar and with a threatening tone, said:

- I hope this has nothing to do with you. This mess surely won’t fit under the rug.

The old wizard, silently, walked out of the Hall following the Talanthir guard. The guests followed behind, accompanied by a huge buzz and conspiracy theories.

- You! One minute! – exclaimed Thalion to the woodsman, which was about to leave the room.

- Your name?

- Orion, my Lord.

- Orion, thank you for your bravery. We need to keep this matter in absolute secrecy.

- This will be irrelevant, my Lord. In Broadriver many have seen the creature and heard the rumors. You know how these things run. Some are saying they saw figures lurking at night in nearby woods.

- Do you refer to wolves? - questioned the King.

- Creatures of the night, my Lord. Some say that the graves were opened with the quake, and some dead were no longer there.

- Nonsense! Just rumors! – the King shouted, upset. The villagers are drinking too much wine and talking nonsense.

To avoid further fears, Thalion cut the conversation and offered a reward to the woodsman:

- I’d like you to be part of a mission. A brave man shouldn’t be cutting firewood, while our ranks need you.

The man was not very interested in Kingdom politics. At that moment, he felt that something was behind the proposal. Orion refused:

- My Lord, I am honored by the invitation, but I’d rather keep my humble life contributing otherwise with Eldania. I have a wife and kids.

Thwarted by the refusal, Thalion interrupted and replied with disdain:

- You made your choice. I so allow, as long as you keep a secret about it.

- At your service, Majesty! - said the lumberjack, walking away slowly with his head prone in respect to the King.

Clearly worried, Thalion thought in a way to investigate the incidents without arousing suspicion. He needed a bait, because he couldn’t send his guard to the outskirts of Eldania without drawing too much attention and arousing rumors. Also he was afraid of sending his men into the unknown and being questioned. The last thing the monarch wanted to do was panic and disorder in the city, which was about to receive important visitors.

Suddenly, an idea came up:

- Mir! I want you to gather some bounty hunters for a mission.

Mir was a man of confidence of the King, his personal protector. Bald and bearded, the giant boasted a large scar that went from his brow at the end of one of the cheeks. The Warrior had a very strong presence, and carried a sword so large that most soldiers could not lift it. Rumors said that he doesn’t carry a shield, because he never needed it in a fight. The giant killed anything before having to defend himself.

- Sir? – He asked with surprise.

- Get some adventurers or mercenaries, whatever you want, and send them to Durunthir. Belthazar told me that the tremor appears to have come from there. I think it might be the right place to look for anything suspicious.

- Yes, Milord. - said Mir, without questioning.

- Just a reminder: don’t draw too much attention to yourself. Use a cover or something like that. - said the King. - Offer them a reward for the work and, if they accept it, another for the silence. It’s just a search, but we don’t know what might be involved.

Mir was intrigued about how he could go undercover with that physique. However, he accepted the task with a nod, holding his helmet with one hand and with the other supporting the sword on the floor.

*

The night fell on the old city. The streets, without the morning turmoil, were prepared to receive visitors from other kingdoms for the big five year meeting. The festival of the kingdoms celebrated peace between the races, receiving foreigners bringing aspects of their culture, food and habits. In addition, it represented also the political meeting between their representatives. The high summit discussed politics, trade and security in the territories.

The meeting weakened in recent years. Although the social agenda remained agitated and fruitful, the political agenda was in a great shortage for decades. The discussions never ended with agreements between the parties, which always wanted benefits without giving yielding. They signed only a few commercial agreements. In addition, the Elves always demanded the revision of the Domaria Treaty clause which prohibited the use of magic in the realms. The subject was always denied, but became a stone in the shoe of King Thalion.

Conflicts aside, the panic in the morning was replaced by the rush and the laughter of children, which helped their relatives in the embellishment of the houses facades, streets and public buildings of Eldania. Colored silks, drawings, lanterns, candles and decorations were hung everywhere. The tents were assembled in the Freedom Square. In a few days, the city would fill the aroma of typical foods and the splendor of the goods and a variety of junk of several kingdoms.

In one of the corners near the square, a beautiful youngster entertained a group of passers-by with a few magic tricks. Her long hazel hair, greenish eyes, drew attention as much as her funny clothes. Amazed with sleights of hands made by her, the locals threw coins inside her bag on the floor, and clapped warmly, attracting the attention of other spectators.

- Now, I’m going to make this jug of water become wine! I want a volunteer, please! - said the girl.

In the middle of the group, a man rushed and volunteered to be her assistant:

- Me! Excuse me, please!

The man got close to the youngster and experimented with caution the drink from the jug of clay: it was really water.

The girl asked the volunteer to hold the jug firmly. She fixed her eyes and began making gestures and mumbled words, amid the silence from the audience.

The crowd drew the attention of a large man with a robe and hood that passed through the site. Curious, he decided to join the audience at the bottom, since his size allowed him to watch the spectacle over the shoulders and heads of the others.

- Invinum! - shouted the young lady, pointing her hand to the jug.

Immediately the jug broke, frightening the man and all those who were there. A dove flew wildly away, as if it was trapped inside the vessel.

- It is not possible! The water became a dove! - vented a man after an astounding expression.

There wasn’t even a drop of water on the floor. Impressed, some clapped without understanding what happened. Others took the opportunity to condemn the youngster with unfriendly words:

- Witch! Heretic! – some voices shouted in the agglomeration.

More frightened with the wrong trick than with the reaction of the public, the girl got her bag with some coins and hastened to say:

-That’s all folks! I have to go now!

Perplexed, some viewers went toward the volunteer, who still held the neck of the jug. They analyzed and made several questions to him, while he was still standing, in shock, wondering what had happened.

The girl had already bypassed the corner and quietly retreated when a large heavy hand grabbed her shoulder.

- Stop! Not so fast.

Seeing that the girl was scared with his size and his approach, he promptly lowered the hood with the other hand. It was the big Mir, who revealed his gray beard and rough face with a large scar.

- What do you want from me? Leave me alone! - the girl screamed, in the hope that someone could help her.

- Hush! Quiet! Did you know that practicing magic is forbidden here? You’ll have to explain yourself!

The girl silenced for a moment. She was in trouble and she knew she couldn’t dodge.

- What’s your name, little girl? – said Mir with a threatening voice.

- Sofia. Who or what are you?

- Mir, bodyguard of Thalion, His Majesty. Is it good enough for you?

Sofia was speechless. Before, the trouble was big, now it was huge. She felt her legs shake while a shiver went up the spine. The girl would be kicked out of the city, at best, or would end up in a filthy prison.

- It’s just a trick of the Arcane Society School, sir. It’s not magic - argued the young girl, scared.

And where’s your badge?

- I’m going to be arrested - thought Sofia, after her attempt to deceive the giant.

Looking at the face of the young girl, Mir spoke through gritted teeth and holding her arm:

- Hey, girl, don’t deceive me. I’m going to be straight with you: I have a job that needs to be done for the King. You want to get in trouble? Don’t accept my offer. Meet me tomorrow at the beginning of the night, in the Tavern of Old One-Eyed.

The little girl gulped and kept looking at him.

- And don’t try to run, because I’m coming for you! - the giant said, finishing the conversation.

Without hearing more from the young sorceress, Mir took his path and wore the hood again, walking away from there. Sofia, still frightened, took a deep breath. And took her course immediately back to the traveler’s Inn, where she had been staying since yesterday morning. Mir knew there wasn’t much time. When the King asked for something important he would never forget it soon. It would be a long night.

*

While he wandered around the cobblestone streets of the old town, the big fella thought where he would find a good fighter to accept some coins for a quick and dirty service.

- The Guild! – He smiled, imagining the recruit’s profile.

Mir was a member of the Guild of the Fists, a clandestine organization, where aspiring and warriors fought without rules in Eldania. Only its members knew the venues, usually in dirty basements of taverns or anywhere else unpopular.

The giant suspected where the next fight would be. In a position like his, few things passed unnoticed in the city. His role was to always stay informed. In addition, there was a great privilege in his favor: he was a former member of the guild. He had knowledge of its methods. This secret he wouldn’t tell even to the most intimate ones. Only Thalion knew of his past.

The Broken Horn Tavern. A red mark with the insignia of a closed fist was still fresh on an old poster in one of the walls of the city. This is the place where most of the thugs of Eldania went to drink till they dropped. It was a big fat dive packed with troublemakers. The perfect spot for some mess and a night of fight.

It was getting late, and the streets were deserted. Mir hit the step towards the tavern, which stood in the poorest district of the city. Getting closer, the sound of laughter and confusion was heard from a distance, on the other corner. He knew it wouldn’t be a problem to get in: his size and menacing features would help him. Closing the door of the tavern, Mir saw a drunkard lying next to the wall and another that seemed to have been thrown out of the saloon after a beating. He was lying on the floor, moaning, no matter what was happening around.

The warrior opened the door with violence. Some brutal guys who were close were forced to stand back. Seeing the giant size, the troublemakers stayed silent and looked to another side. That’s what should be: the law of the strongest. The screaming and the movement of purses with coins were all over the place. The fighting had begun.

In the center of the tavern, there was a large area without tables and chairs, delimited by a chalk circle drawn on the ground. The limit had nothing to do with the rules of the fight. There were no rules. This was a rustic form to stop avid viewers from invading the restricted space. Mir, with his size, opened up space among the curious people until he could see the ring.

The noises of the blows and bodies hitting the ground, the screaming of the spectators, the smell of blood, sweat and beer made up the atmosphere of the place. Mir was surprised to see inside the circle a young fighter protecting from being beaten on the ground. His opponent was a bald and intimidating warrior with tattoos all over the body and a goatee.

- Poor guy. He doesn’t stand a chance – thought Mir, almost feeling sorry for the massacred guy.

The young man was not muscular, but was also far from being skinny. He was good-looking. Brown eyes, unkempt black hair and a beard, stubbly and short, shaping up his face. The absence of scars and his skin - too smooth for a true warrior – gave away his inexperience. - What is that fool doing here? - Many wondered, seeing the massacre.

In a while, the boy, still lying, gave a sharp kick in the private area of his tormentor. The pain made his opponent stagger and moan loud but it was muffled by the noise of the audience.

The young fighter rose up with a bloody nose, swollen eyes and threw a punch at the face of the opponent. Two. Three in a row. His opponent walked back stunned, as he landed the blows as hard as he could.

When he tried to rain one more blow, with heavy tired arms, the inexperienced kid failed. With anger in his eyes, the bald guy grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm until he almost kneeled. His last vision was of a knee going towards his face. The young man got knocked out immediately with the blow.

- We have a winner! - shouted a man in nice clothes organizing the bets from the top of a lateral staircase.

The frenzy and the screaming followed the exit of the loser. Unconscious, he was dragged out of the ring and passed from hand to hand, carelessly, to be placed out of the tavern. Thrown outside, he rested next to the drunk and some other punched kids.

The young fighter opened slowly the puffy eyes. He saw a large figure coming out of the tavern. Still dizzy, he did not identify where he was and who the person was. He closed his eyes a little bit and tried to stand up, landing the hands on the floor.

I think you’d better stay right there – said the giant.

- Who...?

The young fighter tried to speak, but he grunted and put his hands on the ribs.

- You should find another way to make money. That way you won’t need any money anymore – replied Mir, laughing at the inexperienced kid.

- What do you know? – replied the youngster, still making the words come out with difficulty from his lung.

- I admire your boldness, kid, but you’re lucky to be alive. A cockerel like you shouldn’t be there. Want to make money fast? Tell me your name.

- Rune.

Mir giggled, making fun of the kid:

- That’s a funny name. Now, pull it together like a man and show up at Old One-Eyed, tomorrow, in the early evening.

The young warrior just sat there, leaning his hands on the ground and saw the silhouette of the giant step away from the tavern. Distracted, he was startled when they opened the door and they threw out another poor knocked out kid.

*

The next day, the mood was calmer inside the city walls. Preparations for the meeting of the kingdoms were in full speed, with the city flourishing. The only place that did not enjoy the atmosphere of tranquility was the Palace, where the security concerns of the Kingdom only increased.

While Thalion worked with Mir by Palace Gardens, two personal advisers drew the attention of the monarch to an outburst:

- Sir, we have reports of missing persons in Broadriver -warned the first one. - My Lord! They found the body of a man near the Woods. It appears to have been disfigured by the attacks of a beast. What should we do? - uttered the second one, abruptly.

- Damn! Do what we always do! Send a search for the site! Fix it! I don’t want people panicking in town and a lot of rumors within the palace walls! - Thalion roars, scaring Mir with his bad mood.

Mir, who was no fool, moved away gradually from the King to flee the storm. Thalion was not known for a bad temper. He was a figure of good relationships, despite his dubious character.

- Mir! I haven’t finished! And the group for Durunthir? -questioned him, taking the giant by surprise.

- Oh... Yes, Your Majesty! – the warrior gulped. -Tonight, I will send the group in a small caravan.

His sense of urgency had hit the roof. The giant reminded that he had almost no one to count on for the task. Two adventurers was too little. There could be a problem during the mission and the possibility of some of them disappear and not accept was big.

- So hurry up! You know these problems. They are like rabbits: they multiply quickly! – argued the King.

Gesturing positively with the head, Mir paid reverence and retired in a hurry. Nervous, he started thinking about a way to make their secret mission be a success. But, with little time, he just didn’t know how.

The day rushed. Even though he had spent all afternoon thinking about how to solve his problem, Mir wasn’t ok with finding a rapid and effective solution. The sun fell below the horizon, indicating the end of the period of guard. The Warrior wore again the robe and hood and took his direction to the Tavern of Old One-Eyed, where he had arranged to meet with his recruits.

Arriving at the tavern, Mir checked by far and promptly located the young warrior of the last night. His clothes were more aligned and different of the rest of the local populace. Rune drew attention of waitresses and local whores, who sought to earn some money. Without giving much attention to looks, the young man sat down at a table in the background.

- One beer, please! – asked the young man to one of the attendants.

- Well, well, what a surprise! – said surreptitiously Mir behind the boy, as he placed the heavy hand in one of his shoulders.

A cup almost overflowing with beer went down at the table of the young guy. With his fingertips, Rune left a silver coin on the table which paid for a generous tip.

- Thank you, Sir! - the waitress said, elated.

- Sit down. - said Rune to Mir, dully.

Mir pulled the chair and sat down, took the mug from the youngster and drank a long swig. After cleaning the wet beard with the back of his hand, Mir went off to the young:

- Bored, huh? I know your type. Rich kids who are looking for adventure. I have the right service for you.

Now it made sense to Mir. Young Rune was not there for the money or fame, but for the excitement. Life inside the palaces, castles, or forts was extremely tedious. Usually the sons of nobles were forbidden to join the guard. Generally they became kings, commanders, tacticians, scholars, bishops, anything that doesn’t involves the emotion and the heat of battle.

Rune gazed into the eyes of Mir and replied, taking his mug back:

- Start talking, then.

An intense buzz drew the attention of the giant, which saw a hooded figure with feminine characteristics entering the tavern. The presence of girls in taverns was not very common, and soon the men began to overreact. Mir got up, drawing the attention of the girl just by its size. She skulked the looks, the hands, and rudeness addressed to her while walking in her direction.

- I thought I wouldn’t come safe and sound here! - joked the young Sofia, smiling.

- And I thought you weren’t coming. – The great warrior said rudely, sitting again. - Now, let’s cut to the chase...

By taking his hand around to get his purse with the payment, Mir couldn’t find it. Suddenly, the Warrior turned and saw a figure dressed in black, squalid and suspicious, which was slowly walking away from the table, tying something to his waist.

Immediately, he roars:

- Damn, bag-snatcher!

He rose sharply, throwing the chair back and bumping the waitress carrying several mugs. In strides he approached the bum and grabbed him by the hood, before he could blend into the crowd in the room. In one movement, he threw the thief as if he were a puppet, in the table of three citizens who were hanging out after a hard working day.

A great noise was heard throughout the tavern. The table trembled on the legs. The mugs of the gentlemen, who had just been filled, flew away. The men who sat there looked at each other and dragged their chairs away, predicting confusion. The rest of the tavern silenced, in curiosity and nervousness.

- Dirty rat! I’m going to rip your hand right here! – roared Mir, grabbing the mugger’s neck with one hand and wielding a knife pulled out from the waist.

Looking at the man’s belt, he located his pouch. There was no way to cheat. The black velvet bag, finely made, was identical to that Thalion gave him in a special occasion. He put the knife to the neck of the thief and took the purse from his waist, while listening to a low choking voice:

- Calm down, Sir! I’m sorry! A thousand pardons! I have to feed my children!

Mir awakened from his fury. His eyes, ready to punish the rogue, soon became cunning eyes. The giant had an idea. He raised the pickpocket from the table by the collar of the old and rustic black shirt and dragged him to the table where he was sitting. The tavern, still silent, waited with expectation for what would happen to the criminal.

- Get back to work! This is our business! – bellowed the great warrior, holding him next to his table.

The fanfare was again played by the musicians. The stares of onlookers dispersed, kicking off again to the hubbub that was common in the filled tavern. Certainly, the subject would be another this time.

Mir tossed the skinny man on the only chair that was left at the table, next to Rune and Sofia. The two youngsters watched perplexed to what was happening.

- Pay attention. I’m not going to repeat: Mines of Durunthir. I want you to put your feet up there and come back to report what happened. It doesn’t matter if all of you return or just one. You will be paid for information - said the giant, without patience.

Mir opened the pouch, still standing, and poured on the table some gold coins in advance. The eyes of the thief and Sofia rejoiced when looking at the money falling on the table. Rune, without surprise, took a swig and replied:

- And is this bum going with us?

- By the way, my name is Ilyn. If you don’t want to, I can split the money with the girl here - answered boldly the rogue.

- Of course I’m in. About the money: one third for each one. I heard that some creepy creatures appeared near that place. The rumors are circulating fast. – responded Rune, ending the beer.

The information came as a surprise to the young Sofia and Mir. The thief couldn’t take his eyes off the gold on the table.

- Let’s keep an eye on you. - said Rune to Ilyn, taking the sword sheathed at his waist.

- Hey, calm down! We have to stick together! -said the girl, excited about the mission. - It will be easy. We look around, we come back, and take the rest of the money.

- That’s your problem. Meet me in three days here, at the same time. A hint: don’t try me or do anything funny, because I will come for all of you. Do you understand? -finished Mir, patting the back of the thief and withdrawing.

Sofia took the coins and kept it in her pocket. Ilyn, revolted, stretched out on the table and tried to grab the young girl:

- Hey, my money! Give me now! Payment in advance!

Worried about the mission and with the dubious reputation of the unknown figure, the girl replied, moving away from his hands:

- Tomorrow! I want to make sure you’ll appear. I will save the money and then give to you.

- We will meet at the South Gate, after sunrise. The road is long. Take little weight and equip yourself accordingly – spoke Rune, with some experience.

So the young man got up and left. He was followed by the thief, still angry, as he looked at the girl. Sofia cringed in the chair, protecting the pouch in her hands. Ilyn sighed angrily and left. The man disappeared in the middle of the movement of the Old One-Eyed Tavern.