Settlement

I'd arrived in Flain, the name of the town where the raven had brought me. The guards greeted me and asked me to introduce myself as I was an outsider.

I introduced myself as Elias Burghe and showed them my badge as a peacekeeper in Fagardo, my hometown. I explained that my life was in danger that I needed to get to the nearest town right away and had not informed anyone of my departure.

Their jaws dropped and they immediately saluted me. I was perplexed, so I inquired as to why they did so.

They told me that my reputation is known throughout the region, but they have yet to see me. They then brought up the conflict at the Bethany Bridge, where I was recognized as my hometown's representative for resolving a conflict outside the town premises.

Following the small talk, they escorted me to Mr. Hullings, the mayor of Flain. He offered me a freshly prepared meal. A steak twice the size of my fist, half the loaf of their homemade bread, and a cup of red tea made from kettleberries, a type of berry that were first discovered by the town and sold to outside markets.

When the mayor heard my story, he said he'd been getting similar reports from local merchants about the same group of men, but he hadn't seen them in action. He invited me to stay at a nearby inn and assured me that the fees would be waived.

I was initially hesitant, but the mayor insisted. He told me that he would not like the consequences if I went outside where my life could be jeopardized. He is a well-respected man who is also very generous to his people. While we were on our way to the inn, he complimented an unfinished piece of artwork by a local artist and gave him a silver penny.

He informed me that he does not allow guests to bring weapons into the inn and asked me to surrender it to the hall in exchange for free access to a locker where I could store my belongings. I agreed because he seemed nice enough. He then expressed his gratitude to me.

Flain was larger than my town. The mayor himself took me on a tour of the city, telling me that I should be familiar with these locations because he considers me to be one of his citizens from now on. I also noticed that the locals enjoyed having him around, and some even gave him gifts like fish freshly caught by fishermen. He kept insisting on gifts, but instead he pays them back an amount equal to the value of their gift if sold in the open market.

As we walked back to the town hall for dinner, the sun started to set. He mentioned that he would be writing a letter to my hometown about my whereabouts and he even let me write my own message to my dependable mayor, Mr. Felaure.

We had warm mushroom soup for dinner, followed by grilled pork and a glass of wine. It was delectable. Mr. Hullings invited me to his office, where we collaborated on a letter to my hometown. He cheerfully informed me that if I needed to take a bath, I could do so in the town hall's bathroom. I nodded and thanked him for allowing me to stay.

I went down to the locker room and fixed my belongings. I picked clothes to change into and went to the bathroom for a nice, relaxing shower. I went to the inn after taking a bath and was greeted politely by the clerk. She directed me to my room on the fifth floor. She instructed me to address her as Canra. Canra informed me that the first floor houses the main lobby as well as the cafeteria. The second through fourth floors are open to visitors from outside who are passing through or staying overnight. The fifth floor is primarily for guests or those who will be staying for more than three days.

We arrived at room 510, which was the furthest away from the rest of the rooms but also the widest, with a large window from which I could see the view of town. Canra replied with a smile and then left after I gave my thanks. I sat on the couch and looked around, amazed at the quality of the furnishings. The cabinets and tables are made of premium wood and are glossy. The fabrics on the couch and bed are of the most exceptional wool. The room itself had a private toilet and a bathroom, both of which were sparkly clean.

I sat on the bed, wondering where my family had gone and how they were doing. I can't go any further due to my lack of knowledge

I decided to stay in town for a little while longer before making my next move. I heaved a sigh and took out a photograph of my wife, Yarah, kissing her goodnight before falling asleep.