The forest was alive!

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pour you any water until we check your identity." The girl said, putting the jug on the floor suddenly.

"Oh, fuck you, I can do it myself." Cyril snapped, and picked up another jug from the next tub. "Who is this old bitch?"

"My dear, aren't you being impudent?" The old woman asked, bowing her head.

Cyril ignored the old woman and went to fill a jug of water. The depraved, now cowardly, guide stepped aside, ashamed of her frivolity. Lady Oink stood on the other side of the fountain, red with anger.

"You broke our love, old shit. After seeing your chins I won't be hard for a week." Cyril said, pouring water. "You didn't introduce yourself, you made the girl question my integrity, and now I'm carrying the fucking jug myself, even though you could have run the plumbing. The fucking plumbing!"

He said the last word, turning as he emptied the jug into the pool. Cyril, too, was sweating profusely, causing some of the dried blood to fall off, but it only itched more.

He looked at both women and waited for an answer.

Of course, Cyril could have washed off the blood in the spring instead of dragging around like a fool with that jug. But the trouble was that Cyril was stubborn, and a stubborn man is willing to carry water if he wants to soak in the bathroom.

"We don't know what plumbing is." The girl said guiltily.

"I'm a city judge, young man." The old woman said, controlling her anger. "And now I wonder how a member of Fate can not know who Lady Oink is."

"It's my first day in the capital, and I don't have to know everyone." Cyril snapped, picking up a new jug.

"You see, my dear." The old woman said, turning to the girl. "The clan of Fate hasn't been following anyone for a long time. They have lost their power and will soon fall completely. I want you to tell the Clean Heel clan that Lady Oink is ready to take their side if war breaks out."

Cyril listened with half an ear, taking in the hated water, and began to get irritated.

'What do I care about their clans.' He grumbled to himself. 'I need to wash up and get out of here. Order pipes from the mechanic, run them from the nearest spring to the bar, get the mechanic to make a steam pump to pump water, fill the cesspool with cement or sand, and dig a new one. Or wait…'

Thinking, Cyril carried water and did not pay attention to women's talk about the power of some clans. Suddenly he stopped halfway to the tub with the jug in his hand and turned around.

"I have a question." He said. "Can I hire, buy, steal, or somehow get my hands on a water elemental? Really need."

"Huh?" The girl choked. "That's impossible! Elementals are primordial beings, they can't be bought. You can't steal something that belongs to nature itself."

"Absurd, young man." The old woman agreed. "You might as well rob a forest."

'Interesting concept of the world.' He chuckled to himself.

"Back at my home, anyone could have stolen a spruce or a birch from any forest." He said. "What is the difference between local woods?"

The women looked at each other and laughed. The old woman's laughter made Cyril close his eyes, but the girl's laughter sounded like a song of spring birds. Cyril felt like an idiot. When they finally stopped laughing, the old woman spoke.

"You are definitely not from the clan of Fate, young man." She cleared her throat. "But a rather interesting young man. I don't know of any forest in this world that would allow someone to steal a tree."

"The forest is alive." The girl smiled. "So is water. You can't just take the water, you need to negotiate with the elemental to allow you to use the source."

'Shit.' Cyril swore as he poured the jug into the pool. 'So I'll have to clean the toilet somehow. Or not?'

"I have a suggestion about water elemental." He said. "How do I call it?"

He entered the pool and began to wash off the blood. He was surprised to realize that the water from the spring was at an ideal temperature. Neither cold nor hot, it enveloped the body pleasantly, at the same time relaxing and toning.

Cyril took his time and enjoyed it. He even began to hum when he closed his eyes and lay motionless.

Cyril didn't worry if they found out the truth. He didn't worry about women driving him away or using force. He didn't even care if he lost control of his body again and took a few more lives. But Cyril was always a man of his word. And if he promised the bartender to make the place better, he needed information.

"Only a strong mage can do that." Said Lady Oink. "Are you finished, young man?"

"Yes." Cyril said calmly, climbing out of the pool.

Almost immediately, the water in the pool began to actively evaporate. A cloud formed under the ceiling and quickly disappeared without a trace.

'I was waiting for special effects.' Cyril was disappointed.

"As I thought, no tattoo. You've been tricked, my dear." The old woman said, and turned to him. "Come with me, young man. You did not commit a serious crime, but you will have to pay back. I was just about to hire a concubine."

"Get lost, old shit. I won't give it to you willingly."

"Well, no one expected you to say otherwise." Lady Oink smiled and called over her shoulder. "Boys, tie him up!"

'Here it comes motherfucker!' Cyril smiled.