Chapter 23: It is going to be a long week
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Chapter 23: It is going to be a long week

 Brukleon woke up to the sound of birdsong, yet its lord was now in rags, and before his front door, waiting. People passed him by, not recognizing him. He had told the servants that he was going on a trip. With his changed state, they wouldn't recognize him. A week, that was what he promised the boy. 

He saw the father and son duo approach, and he uncorked the vial with the disguise potion. It would mask his wings, and give them a gnarled appearance. It will age up his face, and even add a couple of warts on it. All in all, it will make him invisible to those who knew him. All, but those two. 

"Well, I am as ready as I will ever be," Orion said, and then brought the vial to his lips, just as the two neared him. They stopped to stare at him, almost not recognizing him already, because of the lack of ornaments, and the rags.

Orion saw the hopeful look in the young boy's face, and decided that this was worth it. He changed before them, and smiled brightly at them, showing off yellow teeth. 

"How do I look?" He asked, and Darius smiled. 

"Homeless, no one will recognize you, my lord," the boy said, but Orion shook his head. 

"No one will recognize you, Orion. If I am to be homeless, then I am no longer a lord, now, am I?" Orion asked, and the boy nodded, blushing slightly. "Well, where should I beg?"

"There are ships in the docks," Darius said then. "Most beggars first check up with them, to see if they have work. Begging is a last resort for us all."

"Well, I haven't lifted anything heavy in quite some time," Orion said, his mood dampening. "Well, I suppose that, if I want to get a feel for the life, I need to see the whole struggle through." 

"We will come check up on you in the evening. Bring you food, and a warm blanket," Andiel said, and then took out the bag he was carrying. "In case you need them, there is water in here. Plus, a loaf of bread." 

"But I should try to earn them myself, shouldn't I?" Orion asked, but took the bag. He saw that it was shabby, the leather straps work. Still, he felt better knowing that he at least had bread and water. 

"Be careful so no one steals it from you," Darius said. "Avoid the church after dark. People disappear inside and don't come back out." 

"Oh, that is because the church recruits the homeless to become monks and nuns," Orion told him. "They are quite nice, child. Don't you worry." 

"They are?" Darius asked. He remembered a stern looking woman telling him to get lost, one day, when he begged around the church. 

"Well, you are a demon, and the church here in Fairstar is very heavily influenced by the church in the human world, so, I suppose they weren't all that kind to you, regretfully," Orion said, and then placed the bag around his shoulders. "Well, I will be off to lift heavy things." 

"Be careful out there," Andiel told him, and the two went away. Orion stared after them, and wondered why he had taken the boy up on his offer. 

Had it been because of boredom? Could be. Or, was it because of the passion with which the boy spoke? Orion rather liked children. They were an honest lot. It was perhaps the biggest crime a parent could do, to not teach their child how to preserve that honesty later on. With a bright smile, he went in the direction of the docks. 

People avoided his gaze in the streets. They went out of their way, to avoid walking side by side with him. That made Orion frown, but he walked on. There were indeed ships in the docks. He went to the best-looking one, and gave the overseer, a grumpy orc that was a wall of muscle, a bright smile. 

"I came here to help you unload, in exchange for a silver coin," Orion spoke. Surely, if the boy had given a silver coin to that beggar who wanted a job, that was the standard amount that was given to the homeless. 

"Get lost," the orc said, and Orion blinked. 

"Come now, good man. A silver coin is not too much," Orion tried again, but the Orc strung his bow and aimed. 

"I said, get lost, you homeless bum. A silver coin? That is my pay for the week! Not too much? Go con someone else," the orc growled, and Orion decided to retreat. Ok, maybe he should ask for ten coppers next? To get a room for the night?

He went to the next ship, and approached the overseer. It was a goblin, this time. 

"Hello, I came here to help unload," Orion asked, not smiling this time. 

 "What pay would you ask for?" The goblin asked, and Orion allowed his lips to turn up just a bit. 

"Well, ten copper coins seem..." He began, but the goblin snorted. 

"One copper coin. You won't get a better pay anywhere else," there was a smirk on the goblin's face. One that Orion didn't like. 

"This is exploitation! That won't even cover a room for the night," Orion protested, but the goblin just shrugged. 

"Why don't you try your luck with the other ships, and come back here when you are ready to earn your bread?" The goblin suggested, and Orion did just that. 

The lord went from ship to ship, arguing, when he was not chased off right away. Trying to do his best to convince the people that they had to hire him for ten copper coins, at least. Not a single one did. With a bad taste in his mouth, he went back to the ship with the goblin. The little green creature gave him a nasty look. 

"I will accept the one copper coin payment," Orion spoke, but the goblin just snorted. 

"Too bad. We unloaded already. That will teach you to try to swim against the current," and the goblin walked inside the ship, leaving a fuming lord behind. 

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