The female Gnome leader had one of the guards escort us to where I could find Jarrax. As we followed the guards, I felt a slight shove and looked down to see a human child sprawled out on the ground. 

 

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” the child yelled up at me.

 

“I’d check your bags if I were you,” the guard said.

 

“Hey! Not fair, Dempeet!” yelled the kid scrambling to his feet.

 

My hand went to my side magic bag and mentally went through the items stored inside. The bracelet with the copper coins was missing. I needed to make an anti-theft bag soon. The kid getting to his feet began running towards the side alley, and without much of a thought, I had thin pillars of earth burst from the ground, surrounding him.

 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were an adventurer! Please don’t kill me. You weren’t wearing your badge! Please! Please! I need money for my sister and the other kids! Please! Please don’t kill me!” The kid was bawling his eyes out, snot running out from his nose.

 

“What’s the deal here?” I asked, turning to the guard.

 

“That’s Lucian, or Luke as he likes to be called. He’s a resident pickpocket.”

 

“Why hasn’t anyone stopped him from stealing?”

 

The guard began rubbing the back of his head before speaking. “It’s kind of a game for everyone as of late. With the blockade of goods coming in, food is running scarce. If he can lift anything off us, we let him keep it. He brings it back to the orphanage anyway, so it’s not like we can fault him for feeding the hungry kids.”

 

My heart broke a bit. Growing up in an orphanage, I knew the struggles of being unwanted. I dismissed the jail of earth and held out my hand. The kid stopped crying and dropped the bracelet of coins into my hand. I pulled the kid up, and he winced, ready for a beating. I just patted him on his head.

 

“How many little ones are with you?” asked Luin.

 

Luke looked up at Luin, and I could see fear still in his eyes before he spoke. “There are seven others besides my sister and me.”

 

“We should feed them tasties, no?” Luin looked over at me.

 

“I think we should. Is there any place that still has food for sale?” I asked the guard.

 

“Yea, Jydnir seems to always have goods in stock. He probably has someone with a large magic bag leaving and coming back often. He’s charging a steep price for all his good, though.”

 

“Can you take us there? I can wait to meet Jarrax.”

 

The guard agreed and brought us to the store. We were standing in a fully stocked shop in less than ten minutes. Jydnir, upon us entering, yelled no window shopping. The older Gnome was sitting down in a plush chair above the counter at the back. His perch gave him the sight of his entire store.

 

I grabbed a decent amount of smoked goods, including sausage and cheeses that could last a while. Seeing dolls for sale, I asked the young boy how old his sister was and if there were any other girls. His sister was the only girl, and she was only five years old. I picked up the loveliest doll and scuffed at its price of fifty silver but tossed it on the counter.

 

“That’ll be Five gold and forty-five silver,” the Gnome said as he climbed down from his perch and walked over to us on the counter.

 

“That’s almost five times their worth!” yelled Dempeet at the shopkeep.

 

“Price of business with the war looming over us and all.”

 

I tossed the coins onto the counter, almost bleeding me dry, and scooped the items into my magic bag. I handed the doll to Lucian, who instantly said he didn’t like dolls. Everyone, including the shopkeeper, laughed at the boy.

 

“Give it to your sister, you numbskull,” said Dempeet.

 

“Oh. OH! Thank you! She’ll love it!” the kid beamed at the realization.

 

We left the shop, and without a word, the guard led us towards another part of town. As we traveled, I began to see that the part of the city we were heading towards was run down. My assumptions were correct when the guard stopped in front of a two-story building with no unbroken windows and plenty of cracks in the walls. Moments later, I could see various small heads peeking from behind those broken windows.

 

“This is the orphanage?” I asked.

 

“Not officially. It’s where those unwanted, or who have no one to look after them, stay. The city used to be able to feed the kids, but with the soldiers outside stopping any merchants or caravans from coming here the past few weeks, we haven’t been able to. Some do what they can, but most don’t give them a second thought, I’m afraid.”

 

I could see the guilty look on the guard when he mentioned giving them a second thought. I was just glad the weather was warm and cool, or these kids would be in trouble. The army outside was more problematic than the elements right now.

 

“Let’s feed the kids. I’ll find Jarrax when I’m done here,” I said to the guard, dismissing him.

 

He just shrugged and began walking away. I wanted to run up behind, kick him in the ass to see how far he would fly. It sickened me how these children had been treated.

 

“I can show you where Jarrax lives. He’s one of the few villagers who take care of us from time to time,” said Luke.

 

“Alright then, let's meet your sister and get everyone fed.”

 

The boy led us through the door and into the first floor of the building. It was apparent the building had been an inn at one time. None of the other kids showed themselves, so I began looking around. The room behind the bar had nothing but empty kegs. 

 

Most of the open first floor had nothing but broken tables and chairs. The floor near the fireplace was clean of any furniture. I suspected the kids had slowly used the broken pieces to warm themselves. The kitchen area was a disaster, nothing I could find was salvageable, and anything worth a damn must have been taken long ago.

 

Luke motioned for us to follow him upstairs, and he led us into the largest room on the floor. Inside, the kids had pulled in two large mattresses and had them laid next to one another in the far corner. On the table near the door were loaves of moldy bread. I was disgusted with how they were living, but I guessed they were doing their best for their ages and situation.

 

A few moments later, Luke shouted for everyone to come and that there was fresh food. Not more than a handful of seconds passed before a young girl came running into the room barefoot, rushed Luke, and began hugging him. Seeing the doll in his hands, she pointed to it, and Luke gave it to her. The young girl squeezed the doll in a vice-like hug and buried her face into Luke’s chest.

 

I thought I heard a mumbled “thank you” from her. Then the other kids all began to walk into the room, giving Luin and me side glances as they passed us. When I counted, all nine were in the room, I sat down and began to pull the food from my bag. The kids seeing the food went wide-eyed, and I caught a few wiping drools from their mouths.

 

Cleaning the dagger I got from Kizso, I began to cut pieces of sausage and cheese, handing each of the kids a piece of each. Most shove it down their throats the moment they had gotten their share. One of the smaller, mousy-looking kids began to nibble, taking the smallest bites I thought physically possible.

 

“Slow down, guys. I have more for you.”

 

One of the kids began to cry as I sat down on the edge of the mattress. He kept repeating, “it’s so good,” repeatedly.

 

These kids were malnourished and had sores on parts of their bodies. I wished I could use healing magic and cursed myself that I couldn’t. I would have to see if I could pay someone at The Guild to come and take a look at them. 

 

The kids loved Luin, especially the two Beastkin boys. They had never seen such brightly colored fur before. I made sure that each of the kids had enough food and then gave the rest to Luke to store and feed them when they got hungry. I would have to come up with a way to make sure they stayed fed. 

 

When the kids began to pass out from protein coma, I had Luke show us to Jarrax’s place. He led us to a massive-looking cottage with a second floor and what looked like a tower at the back. As we walked up to the door, I realized the door was almost four meters high. What in the world needed such a large door?

 

Luke grabbed the rope attached to a bell at the side of the door and began to shake the rope, ringing the bell. Then the kid dashed behind me. Moments later, the door swung inwards, revealing a massive dark red-furred man. My eyes took in the color and fur, then looked up and up. He had two massive horns facing forward from either side of his head. In his nose looked to be a large golden ring. 

 

“Is it time?” the massive furred man asked.

 

“Is it time for what?”

 

“To go and wait out the war? You are a Guild messenger, right?”

 

“Ah, no. I was sent to you by Lastaf. Said you were one of his old party members and could help me out. With what, I don’t know. Wait, if you’re as powerful as Lastaf, why would you sit and wait out the war? There are kids who could be injured!”

 

“Another of those damn salamander's finds then. What’s so special about you? Are you a Prime? Found a new school of magic? He finally finds someone who might be able to fix his homeland’s Mana Well?”

 

I looked back towards Luke, who was still looking up at who I guessed was Jarrax, with wide-eyed admiration. “Yes. No. Yes,” I responded.

 

The surprised bull-looking man snapped his mouth shut. “Well, that’s interesting. How would you be able to fix a dying Mana Well?”

 

“First, tell me why you would let the soldiers outside harm the town’s inhabitants. Luke and the other kids as well?”

 

“You haven’t registered at The Guild yet, have you? Take my advice and don’t. Work freelance, the binding oaths they put on you are restrictive.”

 

“I have a badge, but I didn’t take any kind of oath. Hiroaki just handed me my badge, and that was it.”

 

“That sly old fox. He must have cashed in that favor to have Hiroaki forget about giving you the oaths,” Jarrax began laughing as he stepped inside his home and motioned for us to enter.

 

“Can you please explain what all that means? Lastaf told me to join the guild and work on quests to gain coins. Then to have Hiroaki train me and allow me to take classes for free. I didn’t get to take more than butchering! Those damn Hunters showed up after only damn a week!” I began yelling as I got pissed off.

 

“Hunters? Are you a Hero?”

 

“Yes, a Classless Hero.”

 

The man began to laugh once more before closing the door and walking into the next room. We followed him into what looked like a Den with a fireplace crackling away. All the books lining the man’s back wall drew my eyes.

 

“What level are you? You said you were a Prime? What school?” Jarrax said as he sat down in the most oversized rocking chair I had ever seen.

 

“I’m only Level 5. I was given the Void Prime rune when I unlocked my Affinity Compatibility.”

 

“Smart man! Oh, the wonders you could become. I can see why Lastaf would send you to me. What do you plan on taking when you hit Level 10? Will you continue down the path of Magic, or will you branch and take Physical, or one of the others?”

 

“I don’t know. I have no idea what will happen when I hit Level 6, let alone 10. I know nothing about being a Classless.”

 

“Ah, my manners. Let me put some tea on. Might even have some cookies for young Luke here.”

 

Jarrax got up from his chair and went into another adjoining room. Metallic clangs could be heard a few moments later. A hand’s span of minutes later, he came back with the largest teapot and matching cups I’d seen.

 

“Sorry, I don’t stock other sizes for you smaller races.” As he laid the tray down and poured both Luin and me a cup, he said. 

 

The large man went over to Luke, who had found a spot on a pillow in the corner, and gave the boy a package of what I assumed were cookies. They disappeared into his vest the moment Jarrax turned away. I guessed he wanted to share with the others.

 

I watched Luin take a drink of her tea out of the massive cup and began to choke. “What is that?! It’s soo bitter!”

 

I took a small sip, and my eyelids, if they could, would have blasted off my face. It was unmistakably coffee. “Coffee! Yes, this planet has coffee! Where can I get some of this, Jarrax?”

 

The massive man sighed before placing his face in his hands as he sat down. “You’re a damn interloper to boot. No wonder you don’t know a damn thing.”