Ill Omen

When I opened my eyes to the sound of a rooster crowing in the distance, I felt a warm body to my left again. I slowly turned and saw that it was my lovely angel, Amelica. I stared at her face for a moment, memorizing her beautiful, long eyelashes and lush golden hair that draped over her rosy cheek. I couldn't help but brush back the hair from her face. However, my movement inevitably woke her up.

When Amelica opened her sapphire eyes, she offered me a wide smile and kissed me softly on the lips. "How long did you stare at me?" she asked as her luscious lips turned upside down into a frown.

"Just a moment earlier, my dear," I smiled back.

Suddenly, the church bell tolled six times.

Amelica's eyes widened and she bolted from my bed. "It's time to get up, milord," she said.

"Why?" I asked as I allowed her to drag me from my warm and comfortable bed.

My lovely angel's eyes darkened immediately as she put her hands on her hips. She was wearing the same revealing outfit that she wore yesterday.

I tried my best to focus my eyes on her face.

"Have you forgotten that you need to be at the Public Square in two hours? And you will meet with your masters for breakfast in an hour? That leaves you less than an hour to go ask Lady Luck to continue watching over you," she explained.

Oh! Amelica wanted me to hit the Lucky Shrine first! I nodded in understanding and quickly exchanged my white sleeping outfit for my green tunic and brown tights.

Satisfied that I was getting ready to leave, Amelica walked across my room and opened the door. Before she left, Amelica turned and said, "I'll meet you in front of the tavern." With that, she left and returned to her own room.

I was about to use the bowl of water on my nightstand to wash my face when I suddenly remembered that I had used the water to wash the mud out of my original clothes. I winced at the memory of my dexterity training with Mof, the dojo's family pet electric catfish, yesterday afternoon. I put the sheath holding my dagger at my left hip and felt the coins in my waist pouch. Last but not least, I put on my shoes and left my guest room.

When I walked down the staircase and entered the common room, Vern was already up and about.

The tavern keeper walked up to me and said, "Be careful this morning. I sense the hand of Chaos in the air," he warned.

However, before I could question the orc further, he had walked back into the kitchen. I shrugged and walked out of The Noble Lady. I stood near the door and looked around. I noticed that the sky was slowly brightening. I hear the harsh sounds of crows in the distance and I became alarmed because crows were often the harbingers of ill tidings.

A moment later, I heard the door behind me open. Amelica joined me and she led the way to the Lucky Shrine. Surprisingly, I did not receive any experience gain when we arrived; I surmised that it was because my companion led me to the location rather than me finding it on my own. Oh well, there will be plenty of opportunities to make solo treks to the shrine in the future.

When we entered the Lucky Shrine and reached the back of the gaming establishment, I was disappointed to find a different attendant sitting behind the manager's desk.

I asked the young Asian woman in a black silk dress, "Where is Sister Selune?"

"I'm sorry, Brother. My mistress is currently away. She may return in a week's time. My name is Sister Leng. How may I assist you?" the attendant replied as she bowed deeply to me.

"I just want a blessing," I replied as I offered an equally deep bow in return.

The sister studied me for a moment and then shook her head. "You have received Lady Luck's favor. No further blessing is available to you at this shrine," she replied.

"Okay. May I make a small offering anyway?" I asked as I pulled a gold coin from my pouch.

"Of course," Sister Leng smiled as she cupped her palms together and received my offering. "May Lady Luck continue to watch over you," she said.

I smiled and left the shrine with Amelica in tow.

When we were out the door, my companion blurted out, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wouldn't be able to receive further blessings from the shrine. You wasted your gold because of my blunder." Amelica looked down at her feet as she apologized.

I gently raised her chin. "There's no need to apologize. I, too, felt uneasy this morning. But this visit to the shrine has reassured me that everything will be okay. You'll see." I smiled. "Okay, let's return to The Noble Lady. We wouldn't want you to be late for work," I said. I started down southward, leaving my companion to stare at my back momentarily before she started walking to catch up.

The visit to the shrine and back took approximately a half hour. The clock on the wall above the exit to the common room confirmed that the time was 6:35. I decided to remain in the common room and wait for my teachers from the dojo to arrive. As I walked across the common room, I nodded in greeting at some of the patrons already seated. To my surprise, some of them nodded back to me. But none of them spoke to me. Well, at least my relationship with these commoners had progressed, however slightly. I took my seat in the back and patiently waited for Amelica to return to take my order.

However, Amelica did something else when she appeared at my table. She placed a bowl of chicken soup and bread on the table, along with a cup of tea with honey.

Even though I wasn't able to make my own choice for breakfast, I smiled at her and started eating my hearty breakfast. It looked delicious and Amelica's choice of my meal was probably better than what I would have ordered, anyway. As I ate, I felt my table shake as someone joined me at my table. I looked up and saw Rijana and the twin elven warriors, Bjoukia and Bjoukin. The human mage was sitting across from me and the elves to her left and right.

"I hope these seats are not taken," Rijana smiled.

"Good morning, Bjoukia, Rijana, and Bjoukin," I greeted and nodded to each newcomer from left to right.

"Oh, you remember me!" the elf maiden beamed in delight.

"How could I ever forget such a beautiful woman?" I winked.

Her brother rapped his knuckles on the table. "I didn't take you for a playboy, Lawrence," Bjoukin chuckled.

"He's not," Amelica interrupted while standing next to me.

Yikes! I looked up and offered the angry woman a sheepish shrug.

"We'll talk later," the maid muttered under her breath. "So, what can I get you three?" she asked.

Rijana peered at my half-eaten bowl of soup. "I'll have what he's having," she said.

"And same for us," Bjoukin added.

"Make that five bowls of chicken soup," Maisen's voice interrupted suddenly.

I looked up and saw that my bodyguard and my master, Kalistra, had both arrived.

Maisen sat to my left and Kalistra sat to my right. The duo started examining my new companions.

The earlier group to join my table reciprocated.

The two groups ended up having a silent staring contest for a few moments.

Finally, Rijana broke the silence. "Please introduce your companions, Lawrence," she requested politely.

"Yes, of course!" I stammered. "I just enrolled in the Butterfly School of Swordsmanship, as I mentioned to you yesterday. To my right is the Heir of the school, Kalistra. To my left is Maisen; she is a senior student at my dojo and my bodyguard."

The trio's eyebrows rose in unison at the word, "bodyguard."

"It's a long story," I replied with a shrug.

Amelica returned with a tray and placed three bowls of soup in front of Rijana and the twins. "I'll be right back," the barmaid promised and hurried back into the kitchen.

"We're just traveling through Tregome. We'll leave town once the public trial of Ebenthal is over," Rijana said.

I was surprised that the trio wouldn't be staying longer as Rijana originally suggested last night at dinner. But I guessed that a public execution would dampen her willingness to stick around Tregome a bit longer.

Maisen nodded in approval. From the way the trio carried themselves, they were probably intermediate levels. It would be good to have more friendly faces in the audience for the public trial. Just in case.

Amelica returned with the rest of the soup plus the bread for each patron.

The group at the table ate their breakfast in silence. By the time the church bell tolled seven times, the bowls on the table were emptied out.

"Well, that's our cue to leave," I said. "I need to go to the dojo. I'll meet you at the Public Square."

Rijana and the twins nodded. "We'll see you there," Rijana replied.

I left five silver coins on the table and left the tavern with Maisen and Kalistra following behind me.