7 The first town

Osmond thought about Connor's words.

'Sometimes men also have to be monsters.'

'Killing differently won't change the end.'

He sat there silently. Connor was now looking outside, waiting for food. Soon enough Kira came with two bowls.

"Here masters." She said, giving the bowls.

It was warm. 'Warm as the blood,' Osmond thought. He took a spoonful, he saw a piece of potato, small pieces of carrots and a chunk of meat with cartilage attached to it.

Osmond took the spoon to his mouth. It was hot, hotter than he expected. He tried blowing away the steam. The potato and the carrots melted away in his mouth giving away a small sense of sweetness. He bit into the meat and the cartilage, savouring. The meat was gamey but Kira had made it mellower. It was his first bite of meat since his journey and he was grateful for it.

"This is good." Connor's eyes widened.

"Thank you, masters," Kira replied.

Osmond and Connor finished their bowl and gave them to Kira for cleaning.

"You may now eat," Connor said.

"Thank you, masters," Kira said gratefully.

Kira took a bowl and blew into it, cooling it down. She held her baby in her arms, squished the food with her fingers and placed it in the baby's mouth. The baby ate it silently. Osmond watched the scene, a sudden glow filled his mind.

"What is her name?." Osmond asked.

Kira looked at Osmond and back to her baby.

"Her name is Kivela." Kira's lips turned to a soft smile.

Kira gave some more, after which Kivela started pushing the spoon away. Kira ate what was remaining.

Connor told the coachman to continue moving. For the remaining journey, they hunted and got two rabbits and a pheasant. All lacking in meat and not filling for their stomachs.

By the time they reached The first town, their stomachs were growling. Connor twitched in annoyance and Osmond was scared to talk.

Even before reaching The first town, Osmond heard people shouting. He heard the feet of people running. Up until now, he had only seen that are nearly ghost towns and wondered why this was not the same.

"There are adventurers there and so people feel safer. They have no idea what is coming." Connor clicked his tongue.

'Adventurers'. That word filled Osmond up. He wondered what type of people they were.

They entered through the town gate and stopped. They took all their belongings and placed them on the floor. Kira stood back meekly with her baby.

Connor went forward and paid the coachman. The coachman nodded happily and went on with the wagon.

Osmond and Kira walked behind quietly. He heard shopkeepers calling out their wares.

'Vegetables, fresh vegetables.' One said.

'The best steel in all of Deimo." Said another.

Men tried selling them chains and ornaments to their faces. Connor shooed them away.

They stopped in front of a tall building, more majestic than the manor that he lived in.

"The town hall," Connor said while entering the building.

Inside the town hall, Osmond saw it to be bustling. But unlike the people of the first town hall he had seen, here the people were not worried, except for some whose skin was brown.

He saw that the tables were filled. The fair-skinned were laughing, bumping their cups, drinking and feasting while the food in front of the deimians remain mostly untouched.

The waiters went back and forth taking orders and putting food on the tables. Osmond saw two receptions, one on the left and one on the right, both having boards hanging above.

The board on the left read 'Accommodation' and the one on the right read 'Quests, giving and undertaking.' Connor went to the reception on the left with the other two following.

Osmond felt glances and heard whispers coming from the tables.

'A Centurian!."

'A Demihuman?."

'Why is there a kid with them?.'

Osmond ignored them and followed forth. In the reception, there stood a woman. She was well endowed and her hair was blonde and her eyes green. She was like Osmond, fair-skinned. She wore a black blazer over her white shirt.

"What may I of help today?" She asked.

"A room, with a bath," Connor said pushing in a coin.

"Yes, of course." She took the coin, returning some change.

Osmond didn't know of the currency system of Pemphredo. Back in Everville, everyone had exchanged goods with each other.

"Climb the stairs, turn and the second room is yours." The receptionist said, handing out the key and smiling.

They went to the room that was told, turned the key entered. Inside the room, there were two beds. Their drapes, mattress and pillows were bright white. On the table, there was a fire lamp, not an oil lamp. The lamp-like his mother's. The lamp that did not let out oil and smoke.

Connor opened the window that was above his bed, letting the breeze in. The fire lamp reacted to the sunlight and dimmed down.

"I am going to take a bath." Said Connor and went to the room on the left.

Osmond opened the window over the first bed and sat. The bed was soft and fluffy, unlike the one on the earlier one. He laid down and spread out his arms. He looked out to Kira and saw that they were sitting on the floor.

It felt wrong for a mother and a baby to sleep on the floor when he slept in such a soft bed, even though she was a slave.

"Do you want to sleep on the bed, Kira?." Osmond asked.

"No master... I cannot." Kira said, on her knees and shaking her head.

"At least let Kivela sleep in the bed," Osmond said.

"Th.. the other master will get angry." Said Kira, looking down.

"I will say about it to him," Osmond said. He was afraid of Connor, but he will not back down this time.

Shortly after, Connor came out and saw the baby on the bed and opened his mouth to say something.

"I let her sleep there. I will not back off from this." Osmond said looking at Connor's eyes.

"Do what you like. You are their master." Connor said and went to his bed and fell.

Osmond went inside took a short bath, did his business and went outside.

"You can go inside now." He said to Kira.

"No master. You mustn't be too kind to a slave."

"Taking a bath doesn't have anything to do with kindness."

Kira looked down.

"I insist," Osmond asked again.

And so Kira went inside and Osmond went to his bed to lay down. The baby squirmed happily beside him.

Osmond heard cries from the bath and became worried.

"Kira," Osmond called in waiting for an answer.

When no reply came he tried pushing the door and found it to be open.

Inside he saw a Demihuman on her knees hugging herself. Water was dripping down her hair and he saw bruises all over her body. Kira was crying.

He closed the door and panicked. It seemed that women also cried when they were alone.