Tomorrow was going to be the day of my first mission. I accepted the job to help guard a casino in the sanctioned district of the city. I looked back at Gale as she placed down two plates of scrambled eggs and toast before pulling up a seat for herself.
"So Faust, you accepted the casino job, yeah?"
I gave a simple nod as I began to look at the plate that was in front of me. The eggs appearing moist and buttery on the plate. The eggs were complimented with toast in it's browned, crispy state. I took a bite of the eggs, a little hesitant of possible different flavors. After a few bites, I realized that is similar to some you'd get at a diner.
"Yeah, I accepted the job. Why do you ask?"
We continued to eat as the conversation ensued. It was odd. She had a very calm aura towards me.
"I ended up taking that job cause I was curious. The pay isn't that amazing, and it is requesting guards for a sanctioned casino. I researched to see if there is some sort of annual event where the sanctioned becomes unsanctioned, but nothing appeared for such. Plus other businesses would've prepared for it already if that was the case."
I glanced towards her a little more suspiciously.
"Are you assuming there is going to be some sort of twist to it?"
"Precisely Faust. That is why I lured you with that job and killed two birds with one stone. Unfortunately, Claire seems to have other ideas in mind so I just have you for this mission."
"Well, what information have you gotten about the job in your research, Gale?"
"I researched who was the owner of the casino. His surname is Valront and is a man in his late 40s. He seems to be a businessman. Made most of his money through investing in different companies. Similar to stock traders and investors in our world."
I gave a nod towards her as she began playing with the scraps of scrambled eggs on her plate.
"The payment and the hours of the job give me the impression that much more elite and higher-end bounty hunters would not take up the job unless they were desperate for easy work."
All of this information began to make me more inquisitive towards the motives of this mission as I glared back at Gale's eyes.
"So everyone will be of similar skill experience. Do you propose some game will be hosted, maybe a scavenger hunt in unsanctioned areas of the sort?"
Gale shrugged as we ate for a few more moments. Shortly after, she took both of our plates and began washing them before she spoke up again.
"I still can't figure out exactly what type of game it would be, but we should expect something of that sort to occur. We should be prepared for anything though."
I nodded as I got up and began to stretch.
"Do you think that we'll get rooms to stay in since we are there for a weekend?"
Gale quickly answered.
"Of course. The casino also contains luxurious hotel rooms for its guests. I'm assuming we'll be staying there as well. The building itself is about 20 stories high and the area of each floor is quite expansive. It is more of a resort than a casino. Anyways, do you think you'll be able to fight if need be tomorrow?"
I stretched out my arm and gave a thumbs-up as I practiced some breathing exercises. Everything felt normal. The scar was still sensitive, but my vision, hearing, were all fine. I looked back at Gale as she was messing around in the kitchen.
"So, did you have anything planned for today Gale?"
"No. I allow myself a rest day before I tackle a job like this."
"Well, would you mind if I asked some questions to get to know you better?"
"Sure, I don't mind that, but you better answer your own questions, Faust."
I sat on the couch as I began thinking of some questions. I didn't want to ask anything too personal, but maybe just some icebreakers that anyone would ask.
"How old are you, Gale?"
"Well, that proved you aren't a lady's man. The first question you ask a girl is her age. Very smooth."
She gave a bit of a laugh while moving some items in and out of the refrigerator.
"I'm 22, how about yourself?"
"18. I was still in high school when I got transported to be completely honest."
A small smile broke through her face with that comment before continuing her duties.
"Guessing from how you speak, you were also American. What state were you from Faust?"
"New York, and you?"
"I lived in Vermont. I was an innkeeper for a ski lodge. The inn was owned by some family friends and when I got out of high school I began to work there to save money for college."
I nodded along as I began to relax. I had no other questions to ask, or rather was comfortable enough to ask. After a few minutes of her fiddling in the kitchen, she paused and looked at me.
"Faust. This may be rude of me to ask, but if you are willing to. Do you mind telling me your story? I want to know how you ended up in this predicament and it may help me find out a quicker way to return home."
I gave a deep breath and exhaled. For the next few hours, I explained to her what had happened to my life before heading to this new land. How I met Claire, our journey to the city, and the formation of the pact. During this time Gale began to cook dinner. It was a form of fish similar to cod in this world that she first began to flay. Following that, she began to fry the fish and also prepared potatoes that she began cutting into fries. By the time I was done with my story to her, she had finished preparing the meal.
She set up two plates of fish and chips in the same spot we had shared breakfast. Going into a closed cabinet near the living room part of the apartment she took out a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. Placing the whiskey in between us and a shot glass right in front of me. She poured for both of us and raised her glass.
"I think your story deserves cheers for all you've been through."
I picked up the glass a little hesitantly as I swirled the liquor inside. It was an amber-colored shot as I clinked my glass towards her lightly with a smile before downing it. The liquor was very potent as I began to cough after swallowing it. Gale seemed to have no trouble as she watched me struggle, even laughing a little bit.
"Sorry, I forgot that you were only 18. You probably don't know how to hold your alcohol all too well yet."
I began to look up towards her as her green eyes connected to mine.
"I would offer you to a drinking contest Faust, but we have a job to do tomorrow and a hangover isn't going to be the best for something like this."
She wasn't wrong as I began to dig into the fish and chips. She went back into the fridge as she got a pitcher of water and two glasses for us. The golden crispiness of the skin complemented the soft, chewy taste of the fish. The saltiness of the fries made the dish even more enjoyable.
"I suppose while working at the inn you picked up cooking."
"Yup. It was one of my more liked duties as an innkeeper."
For the rest of the meal, it remained mostly quiet as we shared another shot before heading to sleep. The couch wasn't the comfiest of areas to rest, especially since Gale had a bed all to herself. But I couldn't complain about the hospitality she showed towards me.