Chapter 29 An old Goal

"Welcome to Melem." The man in the tunic said while I was lost in thought and didn't hear everything he said. We were across from each other on the dock, the boat was out of both our fields of vision. 

"Ah, thanks mister?" I said still on a daze in front of this man with a tunic and weird presence to him.

As I looked closer he was wearing something pink around his neck and his hair was tied in the back in a low pony tail.

When I said this everyone was eerily quiet and I don't know why they were looking between me and the other man. Some even started laughing.

"No worries. This is the least I can do for a future friend. Have you been here before?" The man continued as if nothing unusual was happening.

"No, never heard of it before. We were lost in the woods for like two day and a bunch of other weird stuff happened so I have no idea where we even are." I said to hopefully explain why we weren't familiar within this area.

"I see. You must be a both a strong warrior and a skilled hunter if you can survive out in the wilderness here alone." He said with a happy face and relaxed body language but did tilt his head a little.

"Yeh, we are pretty strong I think." I said thankful of his praise but a little weary. Some of the crew are still looking at us weirdly and are making weird gestures. I don't know if I did something wrong.

Then our stomach started to growled and everyone that turned to us started to giggle.

"Have you had anything to eat?" They asked as if to move the conversation somewhere else while holding in laughter. I don't get what is so funny, did I miss something while I wasn't paying attention.

"No..." Blood Stalk said suddenly and it made everyone look at us weirdly again. Our voices don't sound the same so I think they were making sure it was us who said it.

"Not yet." I said while coughing trying to make it more natural sounding.

"Alright! I can show you around as we go to our best stands, they have the best fish here.." He said and I just remembered I didn't know his name.

"Hey, what's your name again?" I asked since I don't know if he already said it. 

When I did everyone looked at me and started laughing again like I was making a joke.

"You lot told said that you already told him about me." The man said turning to the crew that were trying not to laugh so far while other are making weird gestures. 

After a bit of scolding he turned to us again while we were standing still.

"Sorry about that. My familia is full of young and mischievous children. My name is Njord the god of fishing." The man said introducing himself with more flair and bravado in his stance. Then taking a few steps with a hand raised for a hand shake.

God?

It took me a few seconds to prosses the words he said and I think it finally click. 

Maybe 'god of fishing' is like a tournament thing around here for 'who is the best fisher man' and he is the raining champion.

"Nice to meet you Njord." I said politely as we shook hands and began to walk to some stands. 

"Rod come with us. The rest of you can take care of the ship?" The man was talking to the captain and the crew and we finally realize that the ship has been slowly sinking this hole time while we were not paying attention.

"Oh, that's why they were acting off." I said think back as everyone else was scrambling to save the ship that was already sunken half way and is probably in the floor of the dock.

.

"Well at least it survived until they got here safely. Time to go." Njord said we walked away from the ship. Rod soon followed us after after reprimanding the crew and telling them to find a new ship or salvage the old one.

I was looking at the city and it looked pretty old. Most buildings were made out of wood and stone while looking rather small. There were plenty of stands that soled a bunch of random junk and stuff like medieval armor and swords along with strange shaped bottles.

Some of the people that were walking around had animal ears on their heads, some had longer ears, and really small people with beards.

Maybe they are having a convention or something.

As we were leaving the now sunken ship I forgot two very important things.

I don't have money on me and I need to ask for a cellphone.

"Hey, I don't actually have any money on me right now." I said before we had to pay for something expensive. 

"I was going to treat you as thanks for everything you did so no need to be bashful about it." He said as we were greeted by people walking along.

"Also, do you have a phone on you by any chance? I need to call my family." I said hoping I could hear their voices and tell them I am alright.

"Phone? I am not sure. What is it?" Njord said when we made it to a stand and he was buying some food on a stick.

"You know, a phone. Like, the thing that lets you call other people that are far away." I said thinking he might be messing with me.

"Do you mean a letter? We have paper and a post office at the guild if you need to write to someone." Rod said from the back and I turned to him with my shoulders slumped.

I don't think they are messing with me. They actually don't know what a phone is.

Njord then shoved a kebab in our face and wiggled it.

"Here. Can't talk on an empty stomach." He said and Blood Stalk grabs it with our left hand.

They then turned and began to walk and we follow after them.

Blood Stalk then used the pinky finger on the left hand to tap our helmet a few times.

"What?" I asked them what they were doing.

"Helmet..." Blood Stalk said and I realize that they can't take it off without my help.

"Ah, right. Sorry." I said and used our right hand to go under out chin to press the two buttons with the thumb and index finger.

There was then a loud hiss and steam popped from the sides and the helmet became looser.

Some people including Njord and Rod turned to us as we did this and I felt a little awkward.

"What was that?" Rod yelled at us seeing steam leaving the sides of our head.

"Wops, forgot it made noise when I did that." I replied which did not levitate the mans worries.

I began to take off the helmet and my perspective changes as I am now starting to look up.

Before I take off the helmet completely, Blood Stalk stopped it.

"Just... enough for the mouth." Blood Stalk said and I just hold it high enough for the mouth to be able to eat.

The two men were looking at each other seemingly at a loss for words and didn't know how to proceed. So they just continued walking and we followed.

We then continued walking in silence until we came upon some seats and they sat down with us following soon after.

.

After we sat down I decided to look around and enjoy the scenery a bit more.

There were old looking wooden buildings all around us with winding pathways and flower pots filled with water and other things for people to carry them. 

While I was looking around Blood Stalk finished eating the food on the stick and is just holding it in our left hand.

"Do you have a familia?" Njord questioned me suddenly and without warning. I was not expecting something so personals so suddenly.

"Oh I sorry. I didn't mean to pry into your life to much. I just wanted to chat." he said almost regretted what he just said.

We put our helmet back on correctly and my perspective changes so I could see him better.

"Yes." I replied back confused because I have a family.

"I figured with how they described you that you would but I thought I should ask anyways incase you wanted to join us." The man said and I thought for a moment he was going to marry me to his daughter or sister or something.

"Your armor is also very intriguing and unlike anything I have ever seen. I am guessing it wasn't made by Hephaestus. I could probably tell if it was made by her." The man continued as I listened. 

"You aren't weird out by it?" I asked confused about how chill these guys seemed to be with a stranger in a future looking suit.

"No, it looks like it protects the upper body really well. I will say the lower regions could use some more armor plating." Njord said looking at our suit up and down a few times.

"Especially the important areas." Rod chipped in a comment as well.

"You must be at least a high level 2 maybe even 3 to take down two big sharks and those bugs at once by yourself in this ocean. Having some custom armor is not unexpected." The man said and I kind of loose him at the level thing. Why is he talk like this is a video game?

"By the way. Can I spar with you. I want to see how I would stake up against a strong person and I might not get another chance." Rod said to us and I don't know how we should respond.

I don't know how good we would be in a fist fight and I am definingly NOT using a gun or blade so all our cool powers are off the table.

"Before that. What are your planes for the future. Are you going to stay here or is there a place you need to be." Njord asked and I think I can answer that.

"Well, there are two places we want to go to. One is my family's house because I got separated from them and one other place." I said the last part vaguely since I didn't know if Blood Stalk wanted to have other know about the city of monsters. 

"I see. You would need funds if it is far away from here and food. I can't give out a large amount even if its to my benefactor. I can't leave my people starving since you never know when a famine might happen." Njord said a bit saddened and I do get it from his perspective.

I don't know how far I am from home so it could take days to figure it out.

.

"Perhaps you would like to go to Orario, it is the closest city on land here and a person like yourself could make a name there. And quite a sum of money" Njord said and Rod nodded in agreement.

"Otherwise known as the Labyrinth City. We make most of our money trading with it." Rod said with a smile and a bit of pride while talking.

"It also goes by a different name. The city of monsters." Njord said and our head fixated onto him after he finished his sentence.

"Where... is it?" Blood Stalk asked interested in the conversation now.

"It is about three kilometers to the north east. So about 30 to 40 minutes away if you walk." Rod said pointing with his hand and we looked in the direction .

"Almost... there." Blood Stalk said with determination.

"Ding!"