It seemed like I had closed my eyes for just a second, but suddenly it was morning. This time I wasn't having a nightmare, for which I was very grateful. I sat up and looked around the room. Lasin was gone. She had left no message. I got up and put on my spare clothes. The pain I had felt yesterday was minor, I could walk fairly smoothly, but I still had bandages around the wound on my back at the level of my stomach. I fastened my sword belt and headed outside.
"Hello, what do I owe you?" I asked the old woman.
"It will be about four silver pieces," she replied. I took my purse out of my pocket. I didn't have much money left, but anyway I took out four coins and handed them to the lady. I had two silver pieces left to sharpen my sword and two copper pieces in case of emergency. I headed downtown and looked for a smithy. Lasin obviously didn't want anything to do with me, so she ran away. That was good. I don't want to keep arguing with her. I thought to myself. I stopped by the smithy.
"I need to sharpen my sword," I interrupted the smith. The smith noticed. I pulled it out of its scabbard and handed it to the smith.
"Wouldn't you rather buy a new one?" he paused. "This one is in pretty bad shape, and even if I sharpen it, it could break at any time," he said.
"I want mine," I said and handed over two silver coins. The smith frowned at me and got to work.
The sword came from Detruisia, which was once a powerful country in the north of the continent. It had been the main military and economic player on the continent for a millennium. Their territory contained many mines for rare ores and the highest quality iron on the continent. Among other things, they had a powerful army that was feared worldwide. However, twenty years ago, a series of wars began with Luskar and their allies. Finally, seven years ago, this country fell after a successful assassination of the royal family and the subsequent internal coup.
The blacksmith handed me back my sword. I missed it. It felt better immediately.
"Detruisian steel can withstand a lot, but not everything, young man." I nodded and looked around the village when I suddenly saw Lasin. I don't know why, but I went out after her. She had no idea when I crept up behind her. I drew my sword and in an instant I placed it around her throat. Everyone around her was startled and many began to run away. She was standing by a fruit stand. She turned so that she could look me in the eye.
"Didn't they teach you anything other than to attack defenseless little girls?" she said coldly.
"They taught me not to underestimate anyone and to treat everyone equally." I pulled the sword from her throat. I raised it slightly and cut her gently on the left cheek. "I just needed to test if it would cut." I chuckled. She drew both daggers. I stepped back and gave her a look challenging her to a duel. She nodded. I attacked first and got close to her skillfully. I needed to test her skills. I made a quick lunge from above. She blocked my sword with her daggers. I stepped back. She was good, but a bit slow and sometimes hasty. I tried various lunges from all sides. She playfully parried them. Well, at least it would be fun. I attacked again, but this time I bluffed an attack to the left. She didn't jump for it and covered my lunge. This time she wasn't as agile as before. She extended her daggers along her body and rushed at me. I knew this method of attack, so I simply parried it and pushed Lasin away. This time she ran for a simple lunge, but at the last moment she threw one of the daggers towards my face. I slightly turned my sword and the dagger changed direction upwards when it hit the sword. Lasin was next to me. She grabbed the dagger and sent a quick lunge from above. The blades crunched against each other. We stepped away from each other. We lowered our weapons and stopped fighting.
"So the little girl can do something other than talk," I pointed out.
"The little boy finally doesn't need the girl's help to get up." She laughed lightly. I couldn't stop smiling. She managed to both annoy and make me laugh. "What are you planning now?" she asked.
"Oh, you beauty, are you also interested in others?" I muttered in disbelief.
"That's the last time," she paused. "You don't deserve any more." The people around were very confused. "Are you going to tell me?" she asked coldly.
"Yes, yes, I was just shocked by your supernatural behavior." I didn't know what I was planning or where to continue my journey. I've never met anyone to start asking myself if it makes sense. Maybe I'd like to travel with someone for once.
"I don't know, I'll just travel around Erdonia, you?" I asked.
"Well, I'd like to get to Endton." She wanted to add something more, but she quickly closed her mouth.
"Why such a big city?" I asked, I deliberately avoided cities, there were too many people there.
"I have an acquaintance there," she paused. "Would you like to come with me?" she added more quietly.
"What, the little girl needs protection again?" She frowned at me.
"Answer me or I'll change my mind."
Endton, the capital of Erdonia, was barely four days' journey away.
"Okay, why not." My soul cheered softly. The saleswoman at the fruit stand and Lenin recovered.
"So you're going to pay?" That was quite dangerous to say to two armed individuals who had been fighting each other a moment ago. Two guards appeared immediately.
"Yes, yes, please hold on." Lasin pulled three coppers out of her purse. We moved away from the stall. Her azure eyes turned to me.
"Will I also get a reward, as a security guard?" I simply had to ask.
"What would you like as a reward?" she asked suspiciously.
"I haven't thought of that yet, but you'll simply owe me something." Since I was going to go to a big city after many years, I had to have at least some of it.
"If that's not too much, then yes, I will owe you something." With those words, we set off on our journey.