Untitled (2)

We lug the Punctastar back to town and try to avoid the prying eyes of the townsfolk as we pass. Our entrance into the guild hall is equally uncomfortable as the room swiftly fills with silence. The buzzing crowd near the counter now has all their attention focused on us.

"That's quite the haul you've got there." Ashley says with her usual cheery voice.

"Thanks, we're looking to sell it if possible." I reply.

"No problem. I just need to load it onto a cart and take it back to the appraiser."

"Sure thing."

The three of us sit down at a table and wait but the tension in the air makes it hard to breath. I just watched these people struggle against a couple bugs and now they see us drag in a monster twenty times bigger; I can only imagine what they're thinking.

"Did you see that Fairy's Tear flower on our way out of the forest? It was super pretty but it was too high up to reach. My daddy said they can be used for all kinds of potions and..." Sakura yammers away without a care in the world while Josh simply nods along.

Eventually, one Adventurer steps out from the crowd and approaches us. I remember seeing his feathered hat before.

"Hi there, remember me?"

"Mark from Goldmember, right?"

"It's Finch from Goldmark!" A vein throbs on his forehead as he yells at me.

"Right, my bad. What's up?"

Finch runs his hand through his long golden hair to calm himself down before responding.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on finding such a pristine Punctastar corpse. They tend to be in pretty rough shape if you find them after they've been killed. I suppose this one must have died of natural causes."

"I suppose so." I don't see any reason to correct him so I just go along with Finch's story.

"But you killed that by yourself. I was watching." Sakura says with a tilt of her head, apparently unaware of my attempt at subtlety.

"Really?" Finch's eyes narrow as he reappraises me.

So much for keeping a low profile.

I was never going to remain unnoticed but I could have hidden behind people's preconceptions for a while if I played my cards right. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option.

"..."

This time I keep my mouth shut and wait for his next move.

"Very well then." And with that, he leaves. I can't say much about Finch for certain but he does make me uncomfortable.

"Anyway, what do you want to do next, Josh? We could go get lunch together if you want." Sakura asks. She immediately loses interest in the golden-haired Adventurer and turns her attention back to Josh.

"Okay."

"Yay! I know just the place; they serve the best Horned Rabbit skewers." She continues to regale us with one thought after another until Ashley returns.

"The appraiser was impressed with the condition of the hide and is offering two hundred Denarii."

The hushed murmurs of the crowd buzz at the unexpected number.

"We only got ten Denarii for the two Equuinoids we sold yesterday."

"Two hundred Denarii is enough to live off for a few months if you're thrifty."

"Bro, Ashley is so hot."

"Shut up, she might hear you."

I do my best to ignore them but a few of their comments make it to my ears. Ashley glances at me, seemingly having heard the comments as well but I just shrug.

"Anyway," she smiles. "Here's the payment. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Suddenly, her face goes pale. I can see her whole body tense up. Finch appears from nowhere and slides close to her with one hand tightly gripping her shoulder.

My stomach rolls at the sight. With a smug expression he begins whispering into her floppy dog ears.

"Careful dealing with these kids, dear. They feel a little suspicious. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

He flashes me a sly smile while confirming that I heard him as well before making his exit.

"What a creep." Sakura frowns.

"Tell me about it. Why don't you and Josh grab something to eat and I'll meet up with you later?"

"Okay!" Without a second thought, Sakura grabs Josh and bolts out the front door.

"Now that it's just the two of us, why don't you take a seat. I believe there are some things we need to discuss." I try to keep my voice as soft and calm as possible. What Ashley is experiencing seems to be much more severe than I initially expected and I can't turn a blind eye anymore.

She takes a few breaths to compose herself and shakily sits on the bench across from me.

"This is getting out of hand, though I'm sure you're already aware of that. Your visceral fear of physical contact, your aversion to men, and your low self-esteem paint a clear picture."

Ashley flinches after hearing my calm explanation. I take a moment's pause before continuing.

"You're in an abusive relationship, aren't you?" I ask.

Tears immediately fill her eyes as her delicate fingers clench hard against the wooden table.

"I don't want to push you to talk about this if you don't want to but something needs to change. You can't continue living like this."

She desperately chokes back tears as she struggles to speak. All I can do is wait. The room fades away and only the two us remain. Each breath pushing and pulling against the tension in the air.

The next step is for her to make eye contact with me. I need her to acknowledge me and confirm the assumptions I've made before I can do anything else. The seconds tick by.

Sniff, sniff.

My eyebrow raises slightly as Ashley finally collects herself.

"He's a nice guy, sniff, you know."

"I'm sure."

"Or at least he was."