Chapter 7

  So, I need to think about this carefully.

  Going to town wasn't as simple as just walking up and knocking on the gates. There were a dozen problems I hadn't considered during that exciting flight with Fei.

  First things first—I needed to do something about how I looked. I couldn't show up in town looking like I'd been wrestling bears in a mud pit.

  I stripped down to my underwear and waded into the stream, gasping as the cold water hit my skin. At least I'd figured out how to make soap a few days ago—mixing animal fat from our hunts with wood ash had given me something that actually worked. It wasn't exactly luxury bath products, but it got the job done.

  My daily river baths had kept me reasonably clean, and my hair was in decent shape thanks to the makeshift soap. The cold water was refreshing, and I took my time scrubbing away the latest layer of forest grime.

  My clothes, though—those were a lost cause. A week of sleeping rough, fighting monsters, and living in the wilderness had torn them to shreds. The fabric was stained with blood, dirt, and god knows what else. Tears ran along the sleeves and legs from catching on branches and claws.

  The worst part was that some of the rips were in places that would expose my underwear, or worse, bits of skin that definitely shouldn't be showing in public.

  I tried using leaves as a replacement, but they were not as comfortable as my clothes, no matter how ruined they are.

  The best I could do was rinse them in the stream and hope they'd dry before I needed them, but the damage was permanent.

  But appearance was just the beginning of my problems.

  Money.

  Did this world even use coins? Probably, most fantasy settings did. But I didn't have so much as a copper piece to my name. How was I supposed to buy food, lodging, or supplies without any currency?

  I could try bartering, but what did I have to trade? My clothes were garbage, I had no tools or crafted goods, and I couldn't exactly walk into town with a pack of monsters and offer their services. That would raise way too many questions I wasn't prepared to answer.

  Then there was the whole issue of my story. Where was I from? How had I gotten here? Why was I alone in the forest? People in small towns noticed strangers, and they definitely asked questions. I needed a convincing backstory that wouldn't immediately mark me as either insane or dangerous.

  And what about my monsters?

  Nox looked up from where he'd been dozing in the shade, like he could sense my thoughts about him. There was no way I could bring them into town with me. A pack of giant wolves and stone golems would cause mass panic. But leaving them behind felt wrong too—they were my protection, my family.

  I splashed some water on my face, watching the dirt swirl away in the current.

  Sitting here worrying wasn't going to solve anything. Time to actually do something.

  First things first—I needed more intel on that town.

  I could send Fei again, but a giant eagle circling overhead might eventually draw attention.

  What I really needed was something smaller, something that could blend in..

  The idea was starting to take shape in my mind.

  Ravens were perfect—they were cool, smart as hell, and nobody would think twice about seeing them perched on rooftops or hopping around in alleyways. Though do Ravens even exist in this world? The same with my wolves and other monsters. Well, I will know that tomorrow.

  They could also get into places, observe people, maybe even grab small objects if needed.

  And if I was being completely honest with myself, I needed money fast. I mean, what if nobody wanted to buy monster meat? What if I couldn't find any buyers, or the prices were shit, or they wanted to see some kind of guild certification I didn't have?

  And I am just borrowing a few coins here and there.... Enough to get by until I could establish myself properly. It wasn't like I was planning to rob anyone blind.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  A copper here, a silver there. Nothing anyone would really miss. People dropped coins all the time, left purses sitting around, and had loose change scattered on tables. I could probably gather enough in a single night to keep me fed and housed for days.

  I glanced up at the sky, trying to judge how much daylight was left. Maybe six hours until sunset?

  For now, though, I had other problems to solve while I waited.

  =====

  While my clothes dried on some rocks, I started thinking about what I could actually trade. Monster meat was the obvious choice, but I needed more than that.

  "Orion," He bounded over immediately, tail wagging. "Think you can track down some more of those creatures we've been killing?"

  His eyes lit up with enthusiasm, and he took off into the forest without hesitation.

  I spent the next hour gathering anything that looked potentially valuable. Those red fruits were definitely worth something—they tasted better than regular apples and had that weird shimmer to their skin. I found some interesting crystals near the stream.

  "What do you think, G1?" I asked, holding up a particularly nice crystal. "Think someone might want to buy this?"

  The stone golem gave his usual silent nod, which I chose to interpret as approval.

  Orion returned with two more of those razor-tooth rabbits and something that looked like a cross between a lizard and a chicken. All of them had interesting features—unusual colored hides, sharp claws that might be useful for crafting, teeth that looked wickedly sharp.

  As the afternoon wore on, I started thinking about how to approach the town. I couldn't bring them but I didn't want to leave them completely behind either. The town was completely unknown to me—I had no idea what I was walking into.

  And then another thought hit me that made my stomach drop.

  Do they even speak the same language?

  I'd been so focused on other problems that I hadn't considered the most basic problem of all. What if I walked up to those town gates and they started talking in some fantasy language I'd never heard before?

  Shit. How the hell did I not think of that?

  Then there were the dangers. What if this wasn't some peaceful medieval town? What if they were hostile to strangers, or had some kind of shoot-first-ask-questions-later policy when it came to people emerging from the forest?

  My stomach was churning with anxiety. This was way more complicated than I'd first thought.

  I settled down by the fire as the sun was getting lower, watching the smoke curl up through the trees.

  There I realized I was spiraling. This was exactly the kind of overthinking that used to paralyze me back in my old life. I'd sit there imagining every possible way things could go wrong until I talked myself out of doing anything at all.

  Argh. Fuck it.

  There was no use overthinking it for now.

  I just had to wait for tomorrow, when my power would recharge and I could create those ravens I was planning. They would make this whole thing much safer.

  They'd scout the town, figure out the language situation, maybe even grab some coins if the opportunity presented itself. And then I'd plan my next move.

  I can't solve every problem from here. I need information, and the only way to get it is to actually go there.

  Whatever happened, it had to be better than sitting in the forest worrying about maybes and what-ifs.

  Right?

  But fate had other plans for me.

  Later that night, I was yanked out of sleep by something tugging at my arm.

  "What the hell—" I started, but the words died when I saw Fei's golden eyes staring down at me. =

  The giant eagle let out a series of sharp cries, head bobbing toward the northwest.I saw Nox and Orion were already on their feet.

  "What's wrong?" I sat up.

  Fei mantled his wings and cried again, more urgently this time. He lowered himself, wings spread wide.

  I didn't need a translation. Something was wrong.

  I climbed onto his back, gripping his feathers as he launched us into the night sky. The cold air hit my face as we climbed, but I barely noticed. Below I had Nox and Orion follow us in case I needed them.

  It took only a few minutes before I saw it.

  Orange flames painted the northwestern horizon. Thick smoke columns rose against the stars, blocking them out one by one. The peaceful little town I'd spotted earlier was now a hellscape of fire and destruction.

  And Jesus Christ, I could hear them screaming. Even way up here, the wind carried these thin, desperate sounds. People yelling for help, calling out names, just... dying down there.

  But as Fei circled lower, I could see what was really happening. There were people in armor moving through the streets. Knights, I guess, by the look of their gear. Except they weren't helping anyone—they were cutting down villagers who tried to run. One of them kicked down a door and dragged a woman out while her kids screamed.

  My hands started shaking against Fei's feathers.

  I wanted to do something. Drop down there and sick Nox and Orion on the bastards. But my wolves were still miles away, running through the forest trying to catch up. And I had no idea how strong these knights were. What if they had magic? What if there were way more of them than I could see from up here?

  What if I got myself killed and left my monsters without me?

  Here I was, sitting thousands of feet up like I was watching some fucked up movie, while real people burned to death.

  I felt so cowardly and weak.

  And I…hated myself for it