"What did I just say?! You had one job and you can't even do that right!"
Sure enough, Grumpelstiltskin is less than pleased when he sees the broken stone in my hands. I sheepishly apologize and get another stone from the river. This time I make it to the market square without incident.
I waddle over to the pile of stones by the guild and place mine on the ground with them.
"Paper, please."
I hand my slip to the guild staff woman and she frowns.
"What the hell is this?"
"Oh, shit!" I snatch the paper out of her hands and hand her the real slip. She furrows her brow before checking the slip and handing me another one.
"What was that?" Sakura asks.
"Nothing yet; I'll let you know after I read it."
"You haven't even read it yet? Let me see!"
"Stop!" I shout as I smack her hand away from my pocket.
"Ow!" She retracts her hand and looks up at me with sad betrayal in her eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry. I just- Can we please talk about this later?" I say as I clench my fists in frustration.
Sakura doesn't respond and just sadly follows Josh back to the river.
"Fuck, I'm such an asshole."
"Way to go, asshole." The guild staff woman smirks.
"Thanks. You know, you're being super helpful right now, thanks, thanks. Thanks. Thank you... Thanks."
She covers her mouth and chuckles at me while I walk away.
I spend the rest of the day carrying rocks while trying to get Sakura to smile but she only turns away when I start speaking. Exhausted, physically and emotionally, we finish the day near sun down after delivering twelve stones each. Maybe they should add a stat for emotional stamina, I feel like I really need that one.
The house is surprisingly busy when we get back. Several people walk in and out of the library while we eat a meaty stew with rice and vegetables.
"Sorry Nick, we had to take the books out of your room."
"It's okay." He responds while stirring his food absentmindedly. "Here's the money I made today."
I can almost see Carroll's heart break when Nick sadly places the coins on the table.
"Thank you, dear. This really means a lot."
"Carroll, where'd you put 'Tale of the Great Sage?'
"It's with the biographies, dear."
"That's a children's book," Vincent laughs at the thought and walks back into the library.
"Well, your Dad is in a better mood."
"Yeah, he's always happiest before the storm. Everyone comes to check out books so they have something to do because everyone is stuck inside for a week."
"Sounds like a whole week of working out."
"And a whole week of reading!"
It's funny hearing Nick get excited about an circumnavigating super-storm rolling through, but I can't help but feel a little excited myself. What would a storm of that magnitude be like? It but be greater than anything that occurred on Earth.
Once we're finally back in the kid's room for the night, I read the slip of paper in my pocket that Tyrion placed there.
'I'm in.'
The two words sound sweet to my ears.
"Do you think this is going to work? What if he lies to you?"
It actually doesn't matter. My only job is to gather information, it's up to Jezabel and her staff to decipher it; and Tyrion is in the same position. We are only expected to work as intermediaries to leak information between the two camps. And as a bonus, we're being sanctioned by both sides so there's no risk of being accused of espionage."
"Why would they bother doing that instead of just talking to each other."
"Hmm, I'd say it's more of a matter of comfort. Neither side wants to have to report their activity to the other, but at the same time they don't want to be misunderstood and cause an international incident."
"Like what?"
"I don't know, but I imagine the Adventurer's Guild would have a problem with a bunch of their members getting killed in a war and Duke Ishawaak doesn't want to lose the war because the guild gets in the way, either intentionally or unintentionally. Maybe something like that? The point is that there are benefits to leaking certain information to neutral parties. I don't think they view each other as enemies although they are cautious of the other."
"Wow, you're smart."
"Don't say that." I sigh. "It sounds like an insult coming from you, and this whole thing could still blow up in my face for all I know.
"No, I mean it." Jezabel says while standing up from her desk the next morning. "It's a well thought out plan that benefits all parties and it almost certainly won't blow up in your face... Maybe."
"Aww, thanks. I feel so much better." I reply, with a thick layer of sarcasm.
"Anyway, we appreciate your cooperation. In return, I'd like to help you with your training." Jezabel smiles fangs at me like a predator that just found a particular easy prey.
"It doesn't really sound like you'd be helping me." I glance around the room and see the pale faces of several staff who are trying desperately to avoid eye contact.
"Nonsense. You want to get stronger right? There's no one here who can help you get stronger, faster than me."
"I'm scared."
"Yeah, me too." I whisper under my breath.
Before me lies two paths; one in which I scorn the Guild Master and betray her expectations, the other where I'm worked to death in the courtyard by my new abuser.
It's like an out of body experience. Almost as if I'm watching someone else think this decision over, and if I were, there's only one choice I'd want them to make.
"Okay, I'll do it." I seal my fate. My life is no longer in my hands. I'm trapped. But this time there's a very appealing light at the end of the tunnel.
"Ha, you made the right choice kid!"
"Whatever happens next, I'm sorry." I whisper under my breath.
"It's ok. I know you only agreed because you thought it was the best decision."
I make my peace with the kid and and watch Jezabel rant to her staff about the pathetic members she has to walk past everyday. Her eyes are fiery and dance more fiercely than the hair on her head.
The next day, I'm back on earth.
"Run, you worthless bastard!"
My brother just got back from deployment and I'm the only outlet he has. I don't know exactly what happened but I can see the depraved sadness in his eyes. Something terrible. Something unforgivable. Something broken. All of it buried under mountains of rage.
"Say something when I speak to you, faggot!"
"Aye, sir." I cough.
"Scream, bitch!"
"Aye, sir."
"I said SCREAM!"
"Aye, sir! Oof."
I stumble and fall to the ground.
"Get the fuck up right now!" My brother screams while standing over me. I don't remember him having blue hair.
"Aye, sir."
I manage to get one foot underneath me before tumbling down again.
"I said, get up." He repeats lazily with his arms crossed. I seem to recall him being taller.
"Aye, sir."
The ground feels like it's moving but I somehow manage to get to my feet.
"Keep running. You still have two more laps." He says, although his voice sounds more feminine than before.
"Aye, sir."
I look up at the track in front of me and see my brother suddenly replaced by the Guild Master.
"And that goes double for you two. Nick is still a lap ahead of you."
I glance over to the kids who have unfortunately gotten roped into this torture session along with me.
The workout started slowly enough; we ran some laps, stretched, did some calisthenics. But she steadily started twisting the screws by adding weights, just a few pounds at a time. First to our ankles, then our wrists, then our waists, and finally a full vest around the torso. I'm not certain but it has to be something like one hundred pounds we're carrying.
"We only have a few days until the storm hits. I'm going to wring you all dry before then."
Jezabel stands placidly at the center of the track and trickles words into our ears, although I can hardly hear her at this point.
"This is the most important point in your development. I put myself through more than you before I even had my seal."
Every step is agony. I don't even know how my legs are still moving. I desperately want to give up and fall flat on my face but I just keep moving.
"It's important that you don't use any Attribute Points you may have available even if you are in danger. The sudden change in your abilities will only make you less effective in combat. You should also start training your combat skills. While it's difficult to acquire skills with the Commoner Job Class it's far from impossible, it just takes more effort."
'Whap'
"Josh, are you okay?" I hear Sakura talking to, a presumably unconscious, brown haired boy. The ground is soft so I'm not concerned about him being injured and continue running.
"Get up. You're not done yet."
"No, he's hurt!"
I turn around and see Josh face down in the dirt with Sakura crouching over him with tears in her eyes.
"He's fine, he's just acting like a weak little bitch." Jezabel says as she walks up to him with her hands in her pockets. "Get up!"
She throws a kick into his ribs but he only grunts in response.
"Stop it!" Sakura flies up and swings on the Guild Master. The little girl moves so fast that she just looks like a blur, although maybe that's just because I'm barely conscious myself. Despite the speed of her attack, Jezabel catches her fist without flinching.
"Blessed by Wrath, huh?"
'Wham!'
The Guild Master palms the pink-haired girl's chest and plants her into the ground.
'Cough, cough.'
Sakura can only spit up specks of blood as she lays flat on her back.
"That's enough for today, I suppose. I expect to see you all tomorrow morning."
Jezabel walks past me on her way into the guild.
"Careful around the girl; everyone I've known who's been blessed by the God of Wrath has ended their own lives by one rash decision."
I just nod because I can't hold enough air in my lungs to speak.
"Sakura, are you okay?" I ask as I shamble over to her. To my surprise, she has her eyes wide with furious tears. Her teeth are bared and she's clenching her jaw so hard I can see veins running up her cheek.
"Dammit!" She shouts as she slams her fist on the ground. Seeing that she appears uninjured, I move over to Josh and flip him onto his back.
'HHhhhrrrGGgghh'
He snores like a death rattle but at least he's breathing.
"Josh!" Sakura jumps up as if all the weights still attached to her are a lie.
"He's fine, he's just unconscious."
"But he sounds like he's dying!" She says as she crouches down to look the boy over.
"People make crazy noises when they've been knocked out. It's just the sound of their breathing being temporarily obstructed. He's breathing just fine now so we just need to wait for him to wake up."
"Are you sure?" Sakura asks with desperate hope in her eyes.
"I'm sure." I smile. "Let's just relax."
I lay back onto the ground and start removing all the weights attached to me. My whole body feels like exhausted jelly. The sky is a bright blue. It's hard to imagine that a terrible storm is right around the corner when it all seems so calm.