“Hello miss,” the man came in.

Jane almost instinctively went for the window. They were on the second floor, and Jane wasn’t necessarily the best climber. But-

“Hi, what’s up with your eyes?” But she backed off slowly, as to not give away her intentions.

“Oh nothing, just a little sad after losing a rather easy bet.”

“Bet?”

“Yes.”

“What bet?”

“You surviving.”

“What? Who did you bet. And what?” She felt a little lightheaded. Heart sprinting, breath going out of control. Almost fluttery even, as though the ground beneath her feet were made of clouds.

“Oh nothing, I had a bet with the man you were traveling you see. Oh, and since he didn’t tell you, we’re one and the same. This isn’t our first meeting either. I’m sure you remember well.”

Jane did in fact remember. She remembered how the man slaughtered nearly all the goblins and how those things were running away from him like he was death himself or something.

But Jane never thought it was a different person in the same damn body. In that case- “Where’s the other one, then?”

“Asleep.”

“WAKE UP!” Jane yelled.

“Miss, you don’t even know our name,” He chuckled quite loud.

Sweat pouring, Jane’s heart raced. Her breath quickened and she really thought hard whether to jump out breaking the window or not. “So, what do you want from me?”

“Nothing much. Just share a bit of your flesh, and that’s all I want.”

“A bit of my flesh?”

“Yes. You see, tender human flesh, especially magician’s flesh with abundant mana tastes the best. I’m not asking for much. Just an arm… and maybe your thigh too.”

Jane cringed- “No thanks.” And slammed into the window. Or she would have if the man hadn’t grabbed her leg and slammed her down on the ground, almost pulverizing the floor. “ARGH!~” She let out a groan. “HELP ME!”

“No one would come,” the man stared.

It was late midnight. Most were just sleeping. And even if they weren’t, it wasn’t their business.

“Spee~” The fluff warned.

“Get lost, you little-”

“SPEE!!!”

Electric-

Electricity streaked inside the room, impaling the man like arrows. Just the man, none of the boundless streams even remotely touched Jane.

“Argh-” Smoking the man caught the fluff- and he caught it firm. “What now you little shit?”

“Spee!” It stared at Jane, as though saying- “Go-” And then glowed in violent white- electrifying everything.

Breathless, Jane sprinted away, straight out the door, limping.

“Why are you making this harder than it has to be. You know I have to keep her alive. But shouldn’t I least be a little rewarded?” A sigh. “Farewell.” He slammed the fluff on the ground- it didn’t even let out a squeak. It just fell flat. And then he proceeded to stomp on the fluff, flattening it even more.

Eyes still ablaze, the man casually walked out the room.

There were plenty of things he oversimplified. And there were plenty of things he didn’t really say. Perhaps they were better left unsaid. But for now, he licked his lips in anticipation and jogged along. “Where are you…” He almost sang.

Hallway- stairs- door.

He went out of the inn.

It was somewhat dark but nothing too much. some light from the stars, some from the moon, and some from the pyres. No sign of the girl.

But the man knew- she couldn’t have gone far. And she wasn’t going to just leave the village either. She wasn’t that dumb. But because she wasn’t that dumb, she was going to fall.

He sniffed the air, and smiled. “Hiding in plain sight, are we?”

“Electrify!” She shouted-

Just behind one of the houses, she had her staff pointed. And a streak of electricity sparked forward, zapping the man.

But the man just brushed the blast away instead of dropping paralyzed.

Jane was out of ideas. There weren’t many spells she could use. Many spells that wouldn’t kill the man outright. There was nothing she could use to just knock out the man. After all, she knew how tough he was. But she didn’t want to use her strong spells and accidentally murder him either.

At least not yet.

But honestly… she wasn’t sure anymore.

“You’re making this way harder than it should be. I’ve saved your skin over and over again. I’ve kept you alive. If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead. So, what’s wrong with offering an arm to your savior?”

“You’re not my savior. That man would never ask for my arm. He would just save me and then laugh it off.”

“Heh. As if life was so fair and-”

“Who fucking cares if its fair or not!~” She started chanting again.

The man quickly made his way to her but- “You’ll regret-”

“Already am- Firestorm!”

The man was surrounded in a storm of fire that slowly set him on fire and started roasting him from the inside.

“But don’t die on me,” she mumbled, almost sad.

“I won’t,” the man casually walked out of the fire, barely scratched. “As I was saying, one arm. But if you keep resisting, I’ll also take a whole leg.”

Gritting her teeth- “Frost of Nire-”

“Oh no, you don’t-” He quickly grabbed her mouth, and her staff, pinning her against the wall. “Can’t have you freeze everything, now can we?” He growled, almost frothing at the thought of her sweet juicy flesh.

Tears welled but they didn’t leak. She just glared.

“What’s up with the look?” he spoke casually. Eyes still glowing violently red. The color of blood.

Slam!

Straight on the nether- a solid kick. “I hate you,” she said.  “You want my flesh, right?” she’d stole the man’s dagger. She cut her palm- letting her blood loose- “But before you’ll eat me, I’ll be long dead,” she held the dagger on her neck.

“NO!” The man reached but stopped immediately. “Don’t do something stupid like that. You have to live.”

“Why?”

“The bet and fresh meat is tastier-”

“The truth please.”

“That is the truth.”

“Then I’d rather die than become your food. I’d rather die.”

“Such an exaggerated response to such a simple request…” sigh. The red disappeared, and the man fell on his knees, a hand on his head. “Ow…” he stared around, and then at the girl, and at her bleeding hand. “Hey, hey what happened?” He almost squealed from the pain.

“You. You happened. What the hell was that?” Yet her voice remained calm and stable.

“I- I did something to you….” He held his head even tighter. “Are- are you alright?”

“No.”

“I-” The man neared her-

“Stay away!” She held the dagger firm. “Stay away from me~! Go away!”

“Miss… Jane… I’m so sorry…” he backstepped and stood in the distance, unmoving. 

“Never come before me again…” she mumbled… eyes finally leaking, knees almost weakening.

***

Jane somehow made it back to her room, locked up and started hugging the flattened fluff.

It was dead.

She sniffled and cried and sniffled and cried… all night.

She couldn’t get any sleep whatsoever. The fluff was dead, the man she’d come all this way, also dead and whether she liked it or not, the journey had fallen apart.

She didn’t explicitly trust the man. but she never thought he’d come for her life. She had no idea what that whole thing was even about and honestly it felt like a fever dream, particularly the way she acted and the way she just yelled at the man and told him to never come back and stuff.

Was that really real? Did that really happen?

Sigh.

Minutes, then hours passed and eventually the closed window started getting some colors.

Lights were coming back. The sun was about to rise.

“Spee…” a whisper.

Ears perked. “You’re alive you little… fluffy goodness…” Her sobbing started anew.

It didn’t appear very alive, but it was holding on to dear life, that was for sure.

***

The man was gone.

And so was Jane’s cash.

She didn’t have anywhere to stay, and she couldn’t really go out on her own either. She had to first study the land and what sort of monsters might be out. she’d spent a short time with the man but he’d taught her plenty decent things. And she was glad for that.

He may have been gone, and she was probably never going to see him again but- but she wanted to thank him and move on.

But for now, “Would you like a peach? It’s perfectly ripe and-” She had to sell five peach.

The man had made it seem way easier than it should have been. She’d been at it for hours but only sold one piece and for a bargaining price of 3 copper. Not four.

Maybe it would have been better to just sell them whole to the vendors? No, because they now only offered 1 copper. Apparently, they didn’t like how she and the man sold stuff yesterday.

Frustrated, Jane went out of the city. Not to just leave outright but to find a monster or something and at least sell it.

But there was a problem.

There were no monsters. And even if she found some random thing in the long distance, they were too far away for her spells to reach. By the time she closed in, those things were gone. The fluff was still recovering and she had no idea if the fluff would be able to use magic again or if it even had the range to begin with.

Sighing, Jane had to come back to village again. She used the 3 coppers to buy some meat skewers for lunch. She ate them by a random tree, staring at the blue sky. The fluff ate some grass flowers. The fluff didn’t seem wounded or even hurt. But it didn’t move as it used to, and it didn’t purr.

“What should I do… what can I do?” she sighed. If she didn’t find a way to sell the peaches, she was going to have to sleep on the streets… but then she remembered something.

She was going to Silverstar for one reason. Get a professional license from the ministry and set up her own magic shop, earn some money and live honestly without worries for the future.

“Is there any magic shops here?” Jane asked a paddler.

“I’m not from around here,” she said.

But Jane wasn’t deterred. She asked a bunch of others and really did find a place.

A small magic shop. They didn’t sell or teach any spells but rather just some magic items.

She went in. Mostly just some old folk. Two old ladies browsing through the potions and one old lady sitting behind the counter. “Welcome. What can I help you with today?” A lovely smile. “Skin care potion? Potion to increase your partner’s libido? Or maybe some potion to help you take in your man easier?” Old lady, maybe in her seventies. Somewhat round, somewhat short. She wore this odd black garb with a small pointy hat on top; typical potion master attire.

Jane rolled her eyes. “How about a potion that helps you find a job instead?”

The lady chuckled. “I don’t have that. But I do have a love potion. I can sell it to you for only 2 gold. Works like a charm and would set you up for life if you, a beautiful young lady, just used it on some merchant.”

She sighed. “Lady, I left home just so I didn’t have to get married to people like that.” She cleared her throat. “I’m a magician. I don’t have a place to stay. I don’t have any money either. Is there anything I can help you with, in exchange for letting me stay a night?”

“You want to stay the night…” A thoughtful pose. “What sorts of spells can you use?”

“Mostly just beginner and some intermediate spells; fire, thunder.”

The lady shrugged. “Alright. But you’ll be doing housework.”

“If you can teach me, I can do it.”

The lady burst out laughing. The other ones too.

“That’s the spirit lass.”

“I’m sure you’ll be a fine wife one day!”

But Jane didn’t want to be a fine wife. She wanted to live. And to live, she didn’t care what other said.

“Alright,” the lady said. “I’m Marium. I own this place. Break something, and I’ll kick you out.”

“Thank you, lady Marium… I’m Jane.”