The Silver-Eyed Waitress

I opened my eyes with overwhelming heaviness. My body felt even more exhausted than before I had fallen asleep, as if the sleep had been useless. The cart shook slightly as it rolled over the uneven terrain, and when I looked around, I realized that most of the journey to Nethria had passed without me noticing.

Loran and the lizard were sitting in silence, watching the road. The sky, which had been clear when we set off, was beginning to darken with gray clouds that promised an approaching storm.

My mind was still trapped in the memories of what had happened in the cave. The mage's words echoed in my head, along with the images of the crystal.

I slowly straightened up, noticing the tension in my back and neck. I couldn't help but let out a small groan, which caught Loran's attention.

"Finally awake," he said with a smile that tried to be friendly, but his gaze reflected some concern. "You slept almost the entire way. What happened back there?"

My lips moved, trying to form a response, but all that came out was a sigh. The truth was, I didn't have the right words to explain what I had experienced. The lights, the chaos, the clash between light and darkness within me... Everything still felt so fresh, yet at the same time so distant, as if it had happened on another plane of existence.

"I spoke with the mage... and saw things I wish I hadn't," I murmured, closing my eyes for a moment, trying to process what I was feeling.

Loran nodded, not pressing me any further. The lizard, for its part, continued to watch the horizon without showing any visible reaction, as if my state was of no interest to it.

The cart moved slowly, and soon a weathered sign appeared, its letters reading: Nethria. A few meters ahead, the town's entrance came into view, with scattered houses lining the edge of the road.

The cart moved through the dusty streets of Nethria, passing by some houses that looked abandoned and others that barely stood. It didn't take long for me to recognize the bar where Grimmor usually met with his lackeys. The old wooden structure stood on a corner, with dirty windows and dim lights barely visible inside.

The lizard was the first to get down when the cart stopped in front of the place. Its imposing presence left no doubt of its authority as it quickly surveyed the surroundings, as if making sure everything was in order.

Before I could move to get down, Loran leaned toward me, stopping me with a gentle yet firm hand on my arm.

"Be careful with Grimmor," he whispered in my ear, his tone grave, very different from his usual enthusiasm. "He'll probably try to gain something from what happened with the mage. Stay alert."

I nodded slightly, staying quiet. I didn't want the lizard to notice the warning, so I kept my expression neutral, not revealing what Loran had just said. The half-human stepped back, giving me space to get off the cart.

Once on the ground, we both followed the lizard toward the entrance of the bar. The wooden doors creaked open, revealing the dark, smoke-filled interior.

As soon as I entered, the smell of tobacco and alcohol hit my senses. The smoke filling the place made it difficult to see clearly, but I soon realized why: the bar was packed. Most of the patrons seemed to be adventurers, some in worn armor and others in simpler clothing, but all sharing the same festive atmosphere.

"It's full of adventurers," Loran commented, leaning toward me. "Many come here after their jobs, to drink and smoke."

I looked around, noticing several of them puffing on tobacco. The air was loud, filled with laughter, shouting, and the clinking of glasses. Alcohol flowed freely, and at one of the tables in the distance, I saw some women I recognized from the party days ago, the one Grimmor had pulled me into.

A troubling question crossed my mind: Would Grimmor try once again to persuade me into sharing my bed with one of those women?

Before I could think further, the lizard gestured for us to follow. We headed toward a staircase in the corner of the bar, leading up to the second floor. The noise and bustle of the bar began to fade as we climbed the steps.

When we reached the top, there was Grimmor, sitting as usual at his table. He had a cigar in his hand and slowly exhaled smoke as he observed the creatures accompanying him. I didn't recognize any of them, but their elegant clothing made it clear: they had to be important people.

Grimmor was sitting with his guests, engrossed in a conversation that seemed far too important to interrupt. Loran and I, realizing we'd have to wait, sat at an empty table in the corner of the second floor.

The lizard that had accompanied us moved to Grimmor's side, joining the other guard already standing next to him.

As I settled into the chair, I noticed that the atmosphere on the second floor was much quieter than downstairs. Only a few adventurers were conversing in low voices, a stark contrast to the commotion below. I was starting to drift off when, suddenly, a figure approached our table.

It was a waitress.

"What would you like to drink?" she asked in a soft and polite voice.

When I looked up, I was speechless. The woman's long silver hair immediately caught my attention, gleaming under the dim light of the place. Her eyes, the same color, had a special glow that I had never seen before, something that wasn't typical of the world I came from. Her beauty left me frozen for a moment, and I couldn't help but stare.

Loran, sitting next to me, noticed my reaction and let out a small laugh, amused by my obvious surprise.

However, I still didn't respond. I was so absorbed that I didn't even hear the waitress's question. It was Loran who, seeing my confusion, stepped in to save the situation.

"Two mugs of beer, please," he said, smiling as he glanced at my reaction. "By the way, what's your name?"

The woman smiled kindly and replied, "Nayris."

With a slight nod and a charming smile, Nayris excused herself to go fetch our order. As soon as she walked away, Loran turned to me with a mischievous grin.

"Looks like someone's been impressed," he teased, letting out a small chuckle. "Careful, if you keep staring like that, you'll scare her off."

"It's not a big deal," I replied, trying to sound indifferent, though something was definitely stirring inside me.

Loran just laughed more at my feeble attempt to downplay the situation but didn't push further. We spent a few minutes talking about trivial matters, but my mind kept wandering back to Nayris, to those eyes and that hair that seemed to belong to another world.

Before I knew it, Nayris returned with the mugs of beer, smiling politely as she placed them on the table.

"Thank you," I said, finally regaining control over my words. "I haven't seen you around here before."

"I started a few days ago," Nayris replied, her tone a mix of shyness and humor. "I'm new at this, still learning."

Her expression reflected a mix of embarrassment and grace, something that I found... pleasant. I realized I couldn't hide how much I liked her demeanor, and before I could mask it, Loran chimed in again, this time loudly.

"Careful, Darius! If you keep staring like that, you'll scare her off and she won't bring you anything else," Loran said with a teasing grin.

My cheeks heated up instantly, and though I tried to feign indifference, I couldn't avoid feeling a bit embarrassed in front of Nayris, who let out a small laugh before excusing herself to attend to other tables.

Amid the lighthearted jokes and comments, I realized that curiosity was beginning to stir inside me. I looked at Loran, who was laughing carefree, and decided it was time to change the tone of the conversation.

"You know," I began, leaning forward slightly, "you don't seem like someone who would work for someone like Grimmor. I mean, you have a personality that's way too kind to be surrounded by so much... darkness."

Loran shot me a quick glance and then let out a low chuckle, almost as if he had already anticipated the question.

"I could say the same about you," he replied, smiling with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "But yeah, you're right, I don't really fit in here. It took me quite a while for Grimmor to accept me into his circle."

"And what do you do for him?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Loran leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he looked at me with seriousness for the first time in the conversation.

"I manage his finances," he explained. "Sometimes I also help him with social relations, especially in business with other entrepreneurs. My personality makes it easier to deal with people."

He lowered his voice a little, as if it were a secret he preferred to keep private.

"If it weren't for the fact that I live alone with my mother, trust me, I wouldn't be working for Grimmor. But keeping the household running falls on me, and... Grimmor pays well, very well."

His tone shifted, revealing a layer of resignation that made me empathize with his situation. Loran wasn't in this world by choice, but out of necessity.

"I understand," I muttered, nodding as I processed what he had told me. I knew well what it meant to make sacrifices to survive.

Loran watched me in silence for a moment, then tilted his head slightly.

"And you? Why do you work for Grimmor? It doesn't seem to be for the money."

I fell silent, considering my answer. After a brief pause, I decided to tell him part of the truth.

"It's... complicated," I said, letting the word hang between us. "It has nothing to do with money, not at all. I need information, something important. I made a deal with Grimmor: if I proved useful to him, he would agree to talk to me and give me what I need."

Loran nodded, but his eyes showed that he understood I wasn't telling him the whole story. Despite that, he didn't ask any more questions. I hadn't mentioned the other deal, the one I made with the being from my dreams. It wasn't that I was lying, but I was definitely omitting an important part.

The hours passed, and Grimmor remained engrossed in his conversation with the creatures accompanying him. There wasn't the slightest hint that their discussion would end anytime soon. Meanwhile, Loran and I had consumed a good amount of alcohol.

I could already feel the warmth of the liquor running through my veins, and Loran, with flushed cheeks, wasn't far behind me. Both of us were clearly drunk.

I stood up, swaying slightly, feeling the urgent need to go to the bathroom. I made my way down to the first floor, trying not to stumble into the adventurers who were still drinking and laughing at the tables. When I reached the bathroom, I leaned against the wall as I stood, releasing an ironic laugh.

The sound echoed off the bathroom walls. I was laughing at myself, at the situation I found myself in. Never, not even in my wildest dreams, had I imagined I would end up in such a strange world, surrounded by creatures I had only seen on TV at some point in my past life.

When I finished, I washed my hands and, still stumbling, stepped out of the bathroom. It was then that I accidentally bumped into Nayris, who was on her way to pick up an order. My drunken body caused her to wobble a little, but I quickly grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from falling.

"Sorry for my clumsiness," I muttered, my voice thick with alcohol, as I looked at her with an expression that clearly reflected my state.

Nayris, somewhat surprised but still wearing a kind smile, responded calmly. "Don't worry, it's all good."

I let go of her shoulders, aware that I had held on longer than necessary. As I looked into her eyes, I couldn't help but blurt out a comment.

"You have some pretty striking eyes."

She blushed slightly, lowering her gaze for a moment before thanking me with a shy, "Thank you."

"Well... I won't bother you anymore. I'd just like to talk with you again sometime," I said, feeling the words slip out before I could control them.

Nayris nodded, a little surprised by my comment, but she maintained her composure. Then we both continued on our way, she heading back to her work, and I, still stumbling a bit, returned to the second floor.

When I climbed the stairs, I noticed something strange. Grimmor was no longer there. I looked at Loran, who, seeing me arrive, approached with a more sober expression.

"Grimmor's gone," he informed me. "He said we'll meet tomorrow to talk. Looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer."

I nodded, too tired and drunk to care much about it anymore. We both decided it was time to call it a night. Loran and I said our goodbyes with a hint of camaraderie, making me realize that, despite everything, we had developed some sort of bond.

When I finally reached my inn, exhaustion hit me hard. I collapsed onto the bed, and as my thoughts began to fade, a reflection crossed my mind: I shouldn't have told Nayris that I wanted to keep talking to her. I chalked it up to the alcohol. Yes, it was definitely the alcohol.

But before I could think any further, sleep overtook me.