It seemed like I only closed my eyes for a second, but suddenly it was morning. This time it didn't seem like a nightmare, for which I was very grateful.
I sat up and looked around the room. Lasin was gone. She left no message behind. I got up and changed into my spare clothes. The pain I felt yesterday was secondary, I could walk fairly smoothly, but I still had bandages around the wound on my back at the level of my stomach. I strapped on my sword belt and headed out.
"Good morning, what do I owe you?" I asked the old woman.
"It will be about four silver coins," she replied. I took the scrotum out of my pocket. I didn't have much money left, anyway I took out four coins and handed them to the lady.
I had two silver coins left for sharpening my sword and two copper coins for emergencies. I went downtown looking for a forge. Lasin obviously wanted nothing to do with me, so she ran away. That was good. I'm not interested in arguing with her all the time.
I stopped at the forge.
"I would need to sharpen my sword," I interrupted the blacksmith. The blacksmith pointed out. I drew the sword from its scabbard and handed it to the blacksmith.
"Wouldn't you rather buy a new one?" he paused. "This one is in pretty bad shape, and even if I sharpened it, it could break at any time," he noted.
"I want mine," I said, handing over two silver coins. The blacksmith scowled at me and went to work.
The sword came from Detruisia, which was once a powerful country in the north of the continent. It has been a major military and economic player on the continent for a whole millennium. Their territory was home to many rare ore mines and the best quality iron on the continent. Among other things, they had a powerful army that was feared worldwide. However, twenty years ago, a series of several wars with Luskar and their allies began. Finally, seven years ago, this country fell after a successful assassination of the royal family and a subsequent internal coup.
The blacksmith handed me back my sword. I flew through the void. It immediately felt better.
"Detruisian steel lasts a lot, but not all young man."
I nodded and looked around the village when I suddenly saw Lasin. I don't know why, I went out to see her anyway. She had no idea when I snuck up behind her. I drew my sword and unexpectedly placed it around her throat. Everyone around got scared and many started running away. She was standing at the fruit stand. She turned to look me in the eye.
"Didn't they teach you anything but 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 lifted it slightly and gave her a gentle cut on her left cheek. "I just needed to test if it was already cutting," I chuckled.
She drew both daggers. I stepped back and shot her a duel look.
She nodded.
I attacked first and deftly got close to her. I needed to test her abilities. I did a quick lunge from above. She blocked my sword with her daggers. I resigned. She was good, but rather slow and impetuous here and there. I tried different lunges from all sides. She playfully brushed them off. Well, at least it will be fun. I attacked again, but this time I bluffed the attack to the left. She didn't jump on it and cover my lunge. This time she was not as agile as before. She stretched her daggers along her body and lunged at me. I was familiar with 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 threw one of the daggers at my face. I twisted the sword slightly and the dagger changed direction upwards as it hit the sword. Lasin was next to me. She grabbed the dagger and sent a quick lunge from above. The blades screeched together.
We stepped away from each other. We lowered our weapons and stopped fighting.
"After all, the little girl can do something other than talk," I pointed out.
"Finally, the boy doesn't need help." Lasin laughed lightly. I couldn't stop smiling. She managed to make me both angry and laugh. "What are you planning now?" she asked.
"Well, yes, you are also interested in others?" I grunted in disbelief.
"This is the last time, you don't deserve more." The people around were very confused. "So you're 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 someone 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 and you?"
"Well, I'd like to get to Endton." She opened her mouth as if to add something, but quickly closed it again.
"Why to such a big city?" I asked, deliberately avoiding the towns, there were too many people.
"I have an acquaintance there," she paused. "Would you like to come with me?" she added more quietly.
"What, the little girl needs security again?" She frowned at me.
"Answer me or I'll change my mind."
Endton, the capital of Erdonia, was barely four days' journey.
"Okay, why not." My soul silently cheered.
The saleswoman at the fruit and vegetable stand recovered.
"So you're going to pay?"
That was quite a dangerous thing to say to two armed individuals who had been fighting each other a moment ago. Immediately, two guards appeared.
"Yes, yes, please hold on." Lasin took out three coppers from her pouch.
We moved away from the booth. Her azure eyes turned to me.
"Will I also get a reward as a security guard?" I just had to ask.
"What would you like as a reward?" she asked suspiciously.
"I haven't figured it out yet, but you'll just owe me something." When I was about to go to a big city after many years, I had to have at least some of that.
"If it's not too much, then yes I will owe you something." With those words, we set off on our journey.