"You're here to report completing the job?" Karus says confidently from behind his imposing desk.
Having removed that last of the trees, I have returned to inform Karus of such and have made my way into his office. It resides on the second floor of the printshop. A window sits behind the desk overlooking the street below. The room is filled with bookshelves, paintings and maps. Most peculiarly is diagram that is several meters large, which depicts the battlefield. Every location where one of the blue stones would be marked is instead replaced by a small circular mechanism placed in its spot. As likened to a clock, the mechanisms are wheels with an arrow pointed at one of the numbers lining it's circumference.
The way in which he speaks implies he already knows the answer. "Yes, it was of greater danger than I expected though. Perhaps I am deserving of hazard pay for having to eliminate an undead that was latching itself onto one of the trees I was removing."
An eyebrow of his perks up at my mention of it holding to the tree. "This undead was it's appearance a merger of multiple beasts?"
Made up of different animals? That would explain the strange patches of fur and the unusual limbs it had. "That is one way to describe it."
He furrows his brows. "Then it sounds like you encountered a TreeCrawler. It hides between the branches, and strikes out at anyone who passes beneath it. An undead made from spare parts, the doing of a BoneStitcher." He gives me a disappointed look. "Of course this is all mentioned in the book you have."
Did he really expect me to read the entire book already? "I have taken a glance through the pages, but I have yet to read it in depth." Regardless, at least I know the name of the undead now. "This TreeCrawler however, from you're description it doesn't sound too uncommon being made of spare parts. I assume there is no reward for slaying it then?"
He gives a tug at his beard. "Unless you've harvested it's ghoulish flesh, then there is no reward for slaying approximately anything. However, the TreeCrawler isn't common or at least it hasn't been in decades, so I can provide a small bonus for the info that you dealt with one on the outskirts."
Then that's something for my troubles. "How much would that reward be in addition to the amount I'm owed once you confirm the clearing of sector twelve?"
"Confirmed? I knew you completed the job before you left the battlefield." Chuckling he points to the diagram on the wall. "The Topographical Indicator, provides updates to the ongoing changes in the forestry around the battlefield." Exhaling heavily he continues. "Or at least it does when the monitors are working, the blue stones. They're always prone to being messed with, and I've yet to find the culprit, be he man or beast." Reaching down he opens a drawer on the desk. "That however is not something to concern yourself with as it is my work." extracting his hand, he holds four coins. "As for the commission, here are the three promised Wholes, and as reward a Quartlet."
Taking the money from him, I place it into my bag. "Since I have my money I'll be leaving." A Quartlet, essentially I earned enough to buy a loaf of bread by slaying that monster. I would've been overjoyed for this much back home, but food was sparse and firearms made such jobs far easier.
"Come back tomorrow, I may have more work. Although this time it would be appreciated if you could do it without all the thunder. The Dryad who uses lightning." He says with suspicion underlying his words.
Is there anything in this town that he doesn't get informed about? If a tree falls in the woods and no ones around. does Karus hear it?
The walk to the inn feels longer than going to the guild this morning, even though the streets aren't as crowded. Still among the few about is a young girl, who couldn't be older than eight going from person to person tugging on their clothes. The people aren't overly rude, but they say some words, and brush her off even looking saddened that they are doing so.
She reaches me, and pauses probably contemplating if she wants to approach me. As I look far less welcoming than the other strangers that wander the streets during the twilight hours. Desperation wins out and she tugs upon me as well. "P-Please mister, my mom she hasn't come home all day. Have you seen her?"
A child with a lost parent, I can't just ignore her. "Maybe I have, what does she look like?"
She stumbles over her her words, clearly in a state of distress. "She looks like ... like my mom."
I'm not going to get much info out of her. Shes young and under emotional stress. Her mother probably looks like her, but older. Doesn't matter though since I haven't been paying attention to the faces of passerby's. "I don't think I've seen her, you should go home and wait for her with your father."
The tears in her eyes almost well up at my suggestion. "I don't have a dad, and I don't wanna stay at home alone again." She sniffles. "Its scary at night."
Rather unfortunate girl, but what am I to do? Best to send her somewhere she'll be safe for now, and be done with this matter. "I'm sure the church will watch you for the night, til your mother comes back."
She wipes her eyes, showing my suggestion has calmed her to some degree. "Thank-ks mister." With that she makes way in the direction of the church.
Having navigated that trouble I make my way inside the inn. Its much livelier at this hour than the guild. The furnishings are also of modest design in comparison. Three men perched on stools, play a game of cards atop a barrel. A group of five are seated on benches feasting on simple foods from a table made of a board sat upon two sawhorses1A support or rack for holding wood while it is cut by a wood-saw. The smell of alcohol softly permeates the air, along with more unappealing aromas. Behind the bar stands a man who is on the more portly side. Not to the degree of obesity, but definitely a man of heft.
Seeing me approach, he asks. "What'daya need?"
He's probably the owner of this establishment. "I'm looking for a few days worth of lodging."
A slight grin reaches his face. "Party, lonesome, and with or without board?
He's using a good deal of slang. "A one person room, and what do you mean by board?"
Squinching,2to scrunch up (one's face) he derides me. "What'r'ya daft? I mean with a table."
A board for a table, something like the sawhorse contraption the others are eating on then. "I'll pass on that."
Reaching below the counter he takes out a thick skeleton key. "One Hav per night. Third room, second floor."
Putting down a Whole and Quartlet, I take the key. "Two nights for now, and something to eat."
He points to a pot sitting at the other end of the bar. "Hav'at it, left over gruel. Goes to the mud critters in the morning."
Taking a clay bowl I fill it with the gruel. Its a mix of crushed oats and water still slightly warmer than room temperature.
I wouldn't be eating this if I could help it, but the only way to replenish my energy reserves in this world is through my Metabolic Interchange. which converts consumed calories into electricity.
Having gorged myself on as many bowls of the slop as possible, I slunk away to the room I've rented. The key goes into the lock with a clunk, and requires a bit of force to turn. The space is cramped, even though the bed isn't even twin size. Closing the door, the interior of the lock is a metal bolt that's pulled into place. The mattress its barely more than straw wrapped in cloth, but I stretch out on it and push open the narrow window, through which I see the moon. The marred surface of the celestial body is unique.
However this moon came to be this way does spike my curiosity. Did an enormous asteroid skip across, taking a large gouge with it. No the trench that stretches the length of the moon and is to cleanly cut for that, but what else could've caused it? Perhaps I should ask the locals, and see what interesting stories they have of it.
Thanks for the meal!