{Jay}
As it turns out the man's name is Petar, and his wife's name is Agata.
They're travelling with their niece Zenzi, who they adopted when she was just a little girl.
They had to abandon everything because one of his distant cousins turned the lay folk against them in a bid for their ancestral home, and the lands surrounding it.
The reason they got turned against was due to the fact that they were opting for unpopular social reforms.
Not a good idea where people still burn people at the stake.
"Man, that sucks."
I stated, after they were done telling their tale.
Petar shrugged.
"It is, what it is, and I would still have done the same if I could go back."
His niece hugged him.
"I still can't believe you spent the last of your coin on these clothes for us."
They were in the water for hours before we came along, if not for the clothes healing and keeping them warm, they'd have been dead.
"Both of you are more important than some shiny metal."
Man, that's dad goals.
"Hmph! I beg to differ."
Flora, always Flora.
She's been steadily increasing their bill.
When they were finally dry I went ahead and used my webbing to make them some clothes (under deck, of course), and she said she was adding it to their bill. Even though it is my webs!
We gave them some food, and I saw her counting how much we gave them.
I glared at her, and she got the message and shut up.
"I still can't believe you'd give everything up to try and make this kingdom even a little better."
Kaja said.
"You have to know you'll be going upriver on this."
Petar nodded.
"I can see what you mean, but it would be worse not to try to change things. Zi might not be my daughter, but she's smarter than most people I know - including my son. I can't believe that having a lump of flesh between your legs makes you better."
"Exactly!"
Agata exclaimed.
"It's us - the wives - that handle the household finances, manage the help, and do a thousand other things! And all they want us to do is act pretty and stupid. It's why groups of women all across the kingdom are convening to discuss our position in this so called society!"
"I'm sorry to say, but discussions will never change the society we live in."
Kaja said.
"Most men are terrified of women with power, especially due to the witches."
Zenzi stood up.
"Which is why we aren't only advocating for women's rights only! We've been fighting the witches for hundreds of years, I think both sides could be talked into an armistice! Then, we could...."
"Ahahahahahahaha!"
Flora interrupted by laughing like a maniac.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't help laughing when I hear something as stupid and naive like that."
"Flora!"
"Please, explain."
Petar asked, stopping my from going over there to tail whap her.
She looked at me smugly, then preceded to talk down to him.
"Peace between the witches and humans is impossible, at least how things stand now. Neither side will drop their weapons because of two reasons."
She held up two fingers.
"One, if they drop their weapons, the other side could attack them.
Two, if the other side drops their weapons, they'd attack because if they don't the enemy could attack them."
"So, it's a lack of trust."
She arrogantly shook her head at him.
"No, it's a balance of power issue. What you need is for a guy more powerful than either side to come along, and tell both sides to drop their weapons. And if anyone on either side picks a weapon back up, he'd fuck them and their families up. That way both sides would be assured that they wouldn't be betrayed. Peace is won by violence, or the threat of violence."
"Thank you."
Petar said, and it looked like he actually meant it too.
"Why are you thanking her for being an asshole?"
Kaja asked.
"Because this movement we started doesn't need placators, but those willing to give hard truths. If what we need is power, then we will achieve that power."
"That won't be easy."
"Doing what's right normally never is, it's harder to go uphill than it is to go downhill."
Kaja nodded at him.
Zenzi looked thoughtfully between her uncle ane Flora.
"I see that you are right, but,"
Her eyes grew hard.
"I'll be the one who ends the type of society that disparages against people they consider second class. You say that only a powerful guy can stop the constant wars? Then, fine, I'll get that powerful, I'll do whatever it takes."
Flora rolled her eyes.
"Sure you will. You'll get to be stronger than not one, but two societies with no coin, no backing, and no idea what you have to do."
She chose to ignore Flora's dickish statement.
"Like my uncle said, nothing right in life is easy, but it's not impossible. I'll achieve my goals, I can assure you of that!"
Flora chuckled.
"Oh, yes, because all you need to succeed is a can do attitude. Hehehe!"
I glared at her, and she gave me 'I don't give a fuck' smug look back.
I turned back to Zenzi.
"I might not be able to help with the other two problems, but the coin one I think I can. Here."
I reached into Eric's bag to grab a huge ball of my webbing, then another, and another til the amount we saved was exhausted.
It wouldn't make them rich, but it would start them off well enough.
"We can't possibly accept this!"
Agata exclaimed.
"Of course you can't! That's mi.. I mean... our monster silk to sell!"
Flora stood up angrily.
"Ignore her, you can, and will take it. Besides, y'all be doing us a favor. Y'all are doing something to cause real change, that's like history in the making, and we get to help with that. Also... fuck those assholes!"
Flora came over, and hit me in the arm.
"Did you forget the whole reason we came on this trip is because we need coin?!"
"No, I didn't forget why we are travelling, but somethings are more important than gold."
"Like what?!"
"Doing the right thing!"
"The 'right thing' is subjective. If you're a murderer, murdering a fool is the right thing to do. But you know what isn't subjective? Gold! The only right answer for gold is that you always need more!"
"We're giving it to them!"
We entered a stare down, that only ended when Kaja spoke up.
"We'll be able to see Meerburg soon."
I stopped glaring at her to see the sights, and see the sights I did.
What started out as a small blurry figure, grew into a behemoth statute.
Stretching over three hundred feet into the air was a marble statue of a man.
His pose was that of him stepping on an enemy.
He was completely and utterly in the nude, actual plants were used for his hair red, thorny, vine things - which means people actually go up there to upkeep those plants, his eye sockets were filled with raging fires, and top it off two tusks jut out of his mouth.
Refocusing on the guy he's stepping on, I realized that it's actually a woman!
A woman with the legs of a donkey, who looked incredibly pleased that she was being stepped on.
To each her own I gu....
"Fucking blasphemy!"
Zenzi yelled out.
I looked back, and saw that all three of them were staring daggers at the statues.
"Ruhe isn't like that at all! She's a force of nature, wild and untamed! She believes in peace, but will fuck up any who dares hurt her followers."
Agata said to us.
"Even still, I'd cool it on the righteous indignation and anger."
Kaja said, pointing at people in other boats sailing down the river too.
The ones that heard Zenzi's outburst looked pissed.
"You won't get very far in your goals if you get lynched the first day you got here."
They visibly forced themselves to calm down.
Zenzi took my webbing.
"Thank you, I'll find away to pay back all of y'all kindness."
"You fucking better."
Flora mumbled under her breath.
We sailed past the statue, and were met with the sight of the city of Meerburg.
The city stretches farther then I can see.
The buildings are built straight from the land right onto the river.
Wooden docks and artificial islands with shacks on them occupy the river.
A series of giant gates direct the water traffic, and stone bridges crossed the river at intervals.
Hundreds of differing species crowded everywhere, making a racket only a large city can.
But none of that is what really made this place a city, no it is the smell.
If you've lived in any big city, then you know how much littering people do.
The river's so polluted, I wouldn't even take a swim in it.
Kaja guided the boat to the dock I assume is for newcomers.
"Well, here we are. As promised, welcome to Meerburg."
She jumped off, and tied the boat to the dock.
"Thank you, we will find away to pay you back as well."
Petar said to Kaja, but she just waved him off.
"Nah, it was them who saved you, not me, and for the trip you already paid me in full."
"How?"
"Yeah, how?! I didn't see them give any blood!"
I glared at Flora because neither did she!
"You paid by giving me hope that this fucked up kingdom can be a little less fucked up. I'll pray to whatever gods up there will listen to a witchblood like me, that y'all succeed."
Wow, she's a really good person, and I almost didn't meet her because of a prejudice over something she had no control over.
Patty, you're right.
Patty, shut up.
As I saw the bigger boats sailing by and docked, with creatures I don't even want to ask what are, I thought of something.
"Hey, Kaja, why don't we just pay you to take us the rest of the way to the capital?"
All of them looked at me strangely, and Flora burst out laughing.
"What?! Why shouldn't we try to hire her? It would be better than trying to find a new boat, who could have terrible people on it."
"I have boat, not a ship."
Kaja said, pointing at her boat.
"Does that really matter?"
"Yeah, if we want to get there alive."
Flora answered for her.
"What?!"
"A boat isn't for ocean sailing, any further than twenty miles out, and it risks being sunk."
Kaja calmly explained to me.
Well, that's good to know.
"Oh, sorry for asking then."
"No, problem, I'd have loved to take y'all to the capital. Heck, sometimes I think of leaving here for good, but this is my home. No matter how crappy it is sometimes."
"So, when will you be heading back?"
"Not right away, to make the trip down here worth it I buy stuff here to sell back home."
"Okay, then, it was nice meeting you."
I held out my hand, and she took it.
"Same, it was a pleasure taking all of you down. Well, except for..."
"Flora."
The majority of us stated.
"Hey! I'm standing right here!"
The rest of us got off the boat, and Kaja stopped Petar.
"If you want my advice on were to sell that silk for a reasonable price, go to Alroy street up the ways there. They'll rip you off, but not as much as everyone else will."
Before they could leave Flora passed him a piece of paper.
"What's this?"
"A map to Dungeon town, my home. For when you've got my coin. I think a compound interest of one hundred and nineteen point eight percent daily is fair, and I'm only going that low because my party likes you."
Fair? Like hell it is!
I might not have been a mathematician, but I know a compound interest that high would put them too far in debt.
"Ignore her, it doesn't matter."
I said, and Flora gave me a death glare.
"Thanks again. The next time we meet, it will be a better world."
All three of them left carrying the bundles of my webbing.
They almost tripped over an elf leaning on some barrels, but he moved out of the way quickly enough.
"As for y'all, you can go on ahead. I'll get y'all wagon into the dock stables."
Kaja stated, while pointing across the docks.
"How much do they charge?"
Flora asked.
"Eight silver a night, but I'll cover you for a week."
"Okay."
Flora said, while walking away.
"You don't have to do that."
The rest of us, who're better people said.
"Haha! It's okay, just consider it payment for a very entertaining trip."
"Thanks."
I said.
_________
After saying our goodbyes to Kaja we headed into the city.
As we were walking Flora elbowed me.
"Why do you always insist on ruining my deals?!"
"Because you were trying to take advantage of them."
"I wasn't trying anything, I was taking advantage of them, but that's how life is meant to be!"
"Flora..."
"Well, first things first."
Jurea decided to interrupt our budding fight.
"We need to figure out how to navigate this city. Excuse me..."
Jurea tried to talk to a passerby, but he just ignored her and kept walking.
"Hey, can you..."
A lady walked around her, further showing that she has yet to interact with a large city.
Lyra, Flora, and I shared a look.
We knew that the only way to get anyone's attention in a city, was to make a spectacle of yourself.
So, Lyra spotted a guy who looked like he's had a real shitty day, and bumped into him on purpose.
"Hey, watch where you're going, lardass!"
He rounded on her so fast I thought he'd have gotten whiplash.
"You fucking bitch! You ran into me!"
She made a point of projecting her voice to attract as many passerbys as possible.
"Oh, that's just fucking rich! Blame the woman because you didn't want to look where you were going. Do you feel like a big boy now!"
A sizable crowd formed up, each person forgetting the maybe important tasks they were on to gawk at the fight.
When a big enough crowd had formed, Flora went to a criminal-looking guy - because they definitely know their way around, and for fifty silvers got directions to the adventurers guild.
Then, she went to the guy Lyra was arguing with.
"Please, excuse my party mate. We've been on a long trip, and are very tired. Here, take this as our apology."
Flora held out two gold coins.
He took them, and stabbed a finger into Lyra's face.
"Fucking twat!"
He left, and since the entertainment left, so did the crowd.
The last to leave was an elf in a cloak.
Huh, isn't that the same elf that was on the docks?
Shut up Patty.
"You offered him two gold? I'd have just given him three silvers. That's a good amount of money for doing nothing."
Lyra told Flora, and Flora just shrugged.
"What can I say, I got a bleeding heart."
"How much did you steal?"
I flatly asked her.
"You wound me."
"How. Much?"
"Fine, so I helped myself to some coin to help all of us with expenses."
I stared at her.
"They were broke-ass bitches, I only got around five hundred silver. Don't worry, I can split it with y'all."
Five hundred silver means she actually 'found' at least fifty gold.
"You can keep it. Let's just get to the guild, and then get a ship."
"You mean an inn room, right?"
Flora smugly said.
"No, I meant ship. The sooner we leave this fucking place, the better."
"There's no way we're getting a ship today."
"Why the fuck not? We just got a boat on the same day."
"That's not the same thing at all, every boat there only goes two ways - up river, or down river that's it. Here, not every ship is headed to the capital; some go further south, across to the opposite side of the sea, to the many thousands of floating kingdoms and cities, and some take the long route which can take at least two years. So, no, we aren't getting a ship probably today."
Oh, for fucks sake!
______
Hours later after we went to the adventurers guild and got our money, we ended up in a rinky dink inn.
Water damage from a leaky roof was evident, the floorboards creaked as we stepped on them, and even their hand painted sign was faded.
But the lobby looked nice enough.
With sturdy looking wooden furniture, hand woven - you could tell - rungs, and everything was clean. Old looking, but clean.
A teenage girl was manning the front desk.
She wasn't a human, elf, or human, but a furry hominid.
"What kind of beastman are you?"
I asked her, and she scrunched up her face.
"I'm not a beastman!"
Flora stepped in front of me, and flashed the girl a smile.
"Sorry about our tame. He can talk, but isn't particularly that intelligent."
"I understand."
She said, but she still gave me a dirty look.
"So, y'all here to rent some rooms?"
Flora held up a single finger.
"Room. We'll be taking just one room."
"But... but... there's only one bed to a room, and there's five of you."
"How much does a room cost?"
"A gold."
Wow, that's way cheaper than in Harvain.
"Like I said, one room."
"But I don't know if I can let you do that?"
"I want to talk to your boss than."
"That would be my dad, and he ain't here at the moment. He went to the market."
"When will he be back?"
"Soon, I guess?"
She shrugged.
"You guess? Well, when did he leave?"
"Well, let me see. I'm eighteen this year, so... around nine years ago."
What the fuck!
"Well, he isn't coming back."
Eric plainly stated.
"What do you mean by that?"
"That he abando..."
I clamped her mouth shut.
"Nothing, we'll just pay for the extra rooms."
I glared at Flora, while swishing my tail back and forth.
"Okay, here's your keys."
She said, as Jurea paid her the five gold.
"So, you work this place all by yourself?"
"No, my mom runs the business, and my sister and I clean the rooms. The cleaning service is twenty silvers though, and meals will be ten silvers."
What the fuck! That's a rip off! God damn adventurer pricing.
Guess they have to make their money somewhere.
"What?! When I asked to speak to your boss, you told me it was your dad!"
Flora yelled at her.
"Because my dad is the boss. Mom's just covering for him until he returns."
Flora's eye began to twitch, and her hands were starting to pantomime strangling the girl.
"Why... you... little..."
I dragged her away before she did something the rest of us couldn't fix.
"Why'd you stop me from telling her that her dad ran away?"
Eric asked me once we got in front of our rooms.
"For the same reason I dragged this one away."
I answered, pointing at Flora.
"The girl was obviously not playing with a full deck."
"Huh?"
"She... ugh... has mental problems."
"Oh, she's stupid."
Well, that's one way to put it.
"No, she isn't!"
Flora angrily stated.
"She tricked all of you to cheat us."
"No, she..."
"Yes, she did! She used that story about her dad to garner sympathy from you idiots, knowing you'd just pay whatever."
"That's bull. If she was doing that, she would've charged us a lot more. These rooms are a lot cheaper than the room we rented in Harvain."
Instead of answering, Flora took her key from Jurea, opened the door, and stood aside to show us the room.
Inside was completely bare, save a pile of hay.
There wasn't even a shit bucket!
Flora smugly smiled.
"Does this look like the rooms in Harvain? They spent some coin sprucing up the lobby sure, but you can tell they don't have the means to furnish the rooms. I could've got them down to ten silvers."
I was too stunned to say anything at the moment.
"How'd you know that she was lying?"
Eric asked her.
"Because a sympathy con is the first thing people like her learn."
Lyra answered.
We all looked at her weirdly.
"I... ugh... met my fair share of people like Flora, you know, grifters."
That makes sense, she's a merchant, she'd be bound to run into con-men.
"I'm not a grifter!"
Flora tempestuously stated.
"You literally sell people nothing, and make a profit!"
I responded to her.
"No, I sell them a dream, a dream of a brighter future for them and their kin. It's not my fault some dreams just don't come into fruition."
"You just defined what a con-man does."
"Whatever, I'm going to go get my... ahem... our gold back."
I grabbed her arm.
"Just leave it, I don't think she was lying about her dad leaving."
"And I should care why?"
"Because you didn't pay shit, you stole definitely more than five hundred silvers from those two guys, and because your bony little ass doesn't soften my tail swats."
She stared at my tail for a good five seconds before answering me.
"You're a fucking asshole."
_______
After a good night's sleep - for me at least - we headed out in different directions.
Flora and Jurea went to the docks to find a ship, and the rest of us went around to sell my silk I made this morning.
It didn't matter that they were ripping us off because I made them without using mana potions, and we just needed some more gold to buy replacement supplies.
I'd never say this to her face, but I'm lucky that Flora made me absorb the spider heart.
We're never without money.
Shut up Patty.
After buying the supplies we headed back to the inn, to wait for the others.
"Oh, excuse me ma'am."
Ela - who turns out is a hybrid of something calked wildfolk and a human - said to Lyra.
"Are you talking to me?"
Lyra said, while pointing at herself.
"Yup, someone left a message for you."
"But I don't know anyone here."
The girl just shrugged.
"All he said was to deliver this slip of paper to the raven haired one in the party with a talking lizard."
Lyra went over there, and held out her hand.
"Okay, I'll read it."
Ela didn't move.
"Aren't you going to hand it over?"
"Messengers get paid."
Lyra fished out two silvers, and Ela gave her the paper.
She read it, and then threw it away.
"Nope, wasn't for me, he must have had the wrong inn."
"Don't bother me none, I ain't giving him his coin back."
We all headed for our rooms.
Lyra looked fine, but I have my ability. I know that when she read that note she felt anger, and under that anger, fear.