The woman sobbed. Half in relief, half in grief. She held her little girl like it was the only thing keeping her afloat.

  “Thank you, Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” She broke down into sobs. Tears swept down her face, smearing mascara. She pulled Perytos in a sudden hug, knocking him off balance. Then, she pressed him close to herself. He felt her warmth- A sign someone was close, that she wasn’t all alone.

  The woman wheezed, choking on her tears. She whispered quietly, so that her precious gem wouldn’t hear her. “He’s gone. He is gone. I- I can’t believe it. We were supposed to celebrate today.” At that she broke down once again. Her remaining determination waned, but she wanted to finish. It wouldn’t make the pain go away, but maybe she wouldn’t suffocate anymore.

  “We were supposed to go to an inn. Be a happy family for once. Ted-” her voice trembled, the wound too recent. “- He was always brave- I told him to stop. There were other things besides adventuring. I told him. I told him. I told him!”

  The woman laughed. The brutal, tortured noise scraped Perytos’ soul raw.

  “He just wouldn’t listen. WHY DIDN’T HE LISTEN! TELL ME! WHY!” She collapsed in Perytos’ arms. He held her gently, careful not to squish the poor child. He whispered silently. Told her it was okay not to be fine, that these wounds wouldn’t stop hurting; they would just turn into a dull ache- It wasn’t comforting. It wasn’t pleasant. But it was the truth, and that would have to be enough.

  He held the woman. Allowed her a moment where she could break down. When she didn’t have to pretend to know every answer to every question. He stood and held the woman. Kept her afloat.

  At the city gates, the world seemed to be burning. People wept, they cried out in pain. Low, faint light illuminated the city of Netcore. Mere hundreds of meters away stood the entrance to a place that took so much; that would still take so much more. Families would be broken apart. Wounds would be taken, permanent scars on the souls among the markings on flesh.

  Perytos held the woman not because someone would reward him. He didn’t believe in karma either. No. He did it because it was his duty. Not to make everything perfect; not to fix the broken. But to stand by people that suffered.

  The woman slowly pulled away. She took the child wordlessly, but Perytos could see her newfound resolve. Her jaw was clenched tight, committed to doing what was right for her daughter.

  Perytos let the silence exist. He didn’t comment or judge. He just allowed the moment to happen.

  The woman left; she disappeared in the crowd. I wonder if I’ll see her ever again.

  After all that had happened, he couldn’t feel like his soul cracked a little. A chip that would never heal, but one that would remind him of what had to be done.

  “Come Mercel, we have to find a place to sleep.” Perytos said quietly. The wolf followed wordlessly behind.

  Walking along the streets of Netcore, they had the occasion to observe the Merchant’s square. At least what was left of it.

  There was no rubble on the streets. No splintered wood or crushed stone. That didn’t change the feeling of hopelessness that hung in the air. Traders wept for the loss of their fortune. Bodyguards cried for their brothers and sisters in arms. A few couldn’t take it anymore, they drunk to the point of unconsciousness; they slurred their words and mumbled in strange voices- At moments like these, Perytos sped up.

  The boy was barely on his feet. The weight of it all was overwhelming; his mind and his body tired past exhaustion. They stumbled onto an inn. The building was shoddy; rotted wood kept together by a few decent nails. The small window the inn had was yellow from grime and smoke.

  Perytos frowned. I don’t feel good about this. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a choice. The night was almost upon them. People said that cities were supposed to be safe, that the walls would protect them. After what happened today, he didn’t dare to risk it.

  He sighed quietly. “I guess it’ll have to do.”

  Your skill (Survival instinct) has reached level 2-5.

  Perytos walked in first, Mercel trailing behind, acting every part like an obedient pet.

  The stench hit him with a physical force. Sweat mixed in with the acidic stench of bile and ale. It created an unforgettable concoction of sensations and smells. Mercel took it even worse than Perytos. He just whimpered sadly, as if saying: What did I do to deserve this.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The inside looked even worse. The air was dense and thick from the small fireplace at the back. Across from the fireplace stood wooden tables and chairs; the old furniture had signs of heavy usage and neglect.

  Yellow teeth glinted in the dim light of a nearby lantern as the denizens of the pub took notice of them. Scruff figures with visible scars and tattoos leered at them. Perytos felt their eyes searching for valuables; the sensation was intrusive and deeply uncomfortable. Thankfully they looked more like beggars on the streets than someone that had any money.

  One of the men sitting at a table near the entrance smiled at them and winked; the yellow rotten tooth and big fat belly didn’t make him appealing. The rest of his group played cards. They laughed, sipping ale or mead. The sticky liquids spilled from the wooden cups and covered the whole table.

  “Hey! Fresh meat, want to play with us? We promise to take it easy on you.” One of the men called out. At his hip was hoisted a long knife- Practically a short sword. He wore a black cloak, his face mapped with countless scars. He looks dangerous. Feels like it too...

  “No thank you. I wouldn’t want to rob you of the pleasure.” Perytos smiled warmly. He walked past, not daring to look back.

  As he approached the counter, he could already feel the soft mattress waiting for him in his room. He didn’t care enough to scan the whole room. Cities were supposed to be safe after all.

  The barkeep greeted them with a grunt. The rough looking woman was polishing a dirty mug with a filthy piece of cloth even filthier piece of cloth.

  "Welcome to the drunken swine. Rooms for the night are a glimmer each, food is three flickers, ale is one." Her voice was monotone, listing the prices as if she had done this hundreds of times.

  "What? Are you kidding me!" Perytos shouted in outrage. He couldn’t stop himself. After everything he saw today, he at least counted on human decency. Setting such prices, when the whole town was at its knees, was truly a low blow. Then again, it was the perfect moment to get rich from the desperate and in need.

  The inn went silent. Everyone looked at them. Every cutpurse, thief or other non-good doer. Their gaze felt like physical pressure on his body. Their Authority slowly slipped off their bodies. Auras of hate and torture made his blood chill in his veins.

  After what felt like minutes but was no longer than moments, the oppressive auras faded. Everything went back to normal, as if nothing had happened. But Perytos knew. This was a warning sign; were he to do it again- Well, there was no lack of dark alleys to dispose of him.

  The barkeep pretended that nothing had happened. He would’ve believed her act in not for the small twitching of her left eye. She responded in a deadpan voice at his outrage.

  “Does it look like I’m joking? Pay or get out.”

  “I am sorry ma'am. I was just surprised at the prices. Taxes surely go up fast, don’t they?” Perytos rushed in to recover the situation. The bartender didn’t care. She stood there, arm extended, waiting for payment.

  Perytos gave in. He pulled out his pouch from the healer, counted out the money and gave to the impatient receptionist. As he was putting off the leather container, eyes stalked the path of his arm.

  “We would like a single room for the night and some food to go with it for both of us." Perytos finally said. The woman’s expression didn’t change. She grunted and waved them off. Her muck-stained hands quickly put his hard earned money into her apron.

  They sat down in a corner, away from prying eyes. Their food came quickly, carried in by a short homunculi. His artificial, grey shoulders sagged in exhaustion. His eyes swept the entire room, scanning for any hidden dangers.

  The food tasted... fine. The stew took on a color of mud, unknown chunks of what were probably vegetables and pieces of meat floated in it; they even got half a loaf of bread to go with it. The hard skin nearly broke Perytos' teeth.

  No matter how bad it looked, it was food. They needed nutrients and proteins to survive what was to come. They scarfed down the food in mere minutes. The scolding-hot food burned his delicate tongue.

  Perytos rubbed his stomach in pain. After three whole portions he was stuffed. At first the server just raised his eyebrow silently. After the third he was silently praying in the corner.

  Perytos rubbed Mercel’s soft mane, his fingers digging into the soft fur. He too had indulged. His stomach was swollen as he laid on the wooden bench.

  Perytos gave his companion a sad smile. Both have gotten used to each other. No longer did Mercel pull away instantly at his touch. He even looked forward to it, leaning into the caresses.

  Suddenly, an unfamiliar Authority caught his attention. The heavy aura hit him like a truck. His disgust mixed in with fear- Fear of being devoured alive as something watched in with glee

  His eyes scanned rapidly, looking for the source. No one stood out; most seemed unperturbed by the intrusion; as if this was a normal occurrence.

  A boy, not much older than Perytos approached. His clothing was sewn from wolf pelts. His gaze seemed deep and ancient, and his veins shimmered in a dark, swirling color.

  A moment later... It suddenly stopped. The Authority pulled itself back. The ancient look seemed like confusion now. The veins he had thought turned black looked normal. All a trick of light.

  Perytos narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He didn’t believe the farce one bit.

  "You?" He asked.

  "Me."

  The newcomer responded simply. He sat down at their table, with his hands joined together.

  The newcomer locked eyes with Perytos, staring them down- What he was looking for, Perytos didn’t know.

  "We have things to talk about." The stranger said. His pale green eyes snapped onto Mercel.

  “Don’t we, Lykani?”