Mistaken for a Returnee

Aldritch followed Sulika from the guild to the far end of the market square without a word.

He wondered if they were returning to the Fancy Dryad, but a quick look around showed they were going in the wrong direction for that.

"Might I ask where we're going?" Aldritch said, following four steps behind Sulika.

"There's a bar in the old quarter called 'The Odd Hawk.' There's a good chance my tea…" She sighed. "Zarud, Oladi, Derrik, and Ralocan are there drinking the evening away. I'd like to speak to them before they get reassigned to a new team."

"Ah, I understand." He nodded his understanding and returned to quietly following.

It took the two of them approximately thirty minutes to walk from the Hunters Guild to the entrance to the Old Quarter.

It wasn't a long trip by any means, yet the city couldn't have changed more drastically.

The Old Quarter was a slower, more relaxed place compared to the rest of the city. Few buildings were more than a single story tall, and each building had much more space separating them than any other two buildings from the newer parts of the city.

Aldritch was soaking in the quiet ambiance when he spotted something in the distance; A nearly hundred-foot-tall cylindrical statue.

It was sitting on a large, square-shaped obsidian floor that kept most of the mud from the roads away from it.

A number of wooden benches had been strategically placed on the obsidian floor, forming a circle around the stone, and providing a place to sit for any who needed it.

"What's that?" He asked, motioning towards the stone.

"Hmm?" Sulika stopped and turned to see what he meant, "Oh, that's the memorial stone. Did you want to check it out?"

"Yes," He nodded absently. "I would."

"Did you want me to go with you or-"

"No, that's okay. You go on ahead. I'll catch up when I'm done."

"You're sure? I don't mind going with you."

"I appreciate the offer, but don't let my curiosity keep you. I'll find my own way to the 'Odd Hawk', was it?"

She nodded. She was curious about his interest in the stone, but didn't feel it was right to pry into it right now.

"Alright then. I'll see you at the bar." She said before waving goodbye and leaving him to explore on his own.

Aldritch couldn't help but stare at the statue.

His feet felt like they were rooted in place for the longest time. And then they finally started to carry him closer to the object of his fixation.

The memorial stone was carved from a pale, almost snow-colored stone that made it an icon of purity amidst the sea of muck and mud that covered the streets.

He noticed a small silver plaque near the base of the statue explaining its purpose in ten different languages.

It read as follows.

"This stone, given to us by the God Zoddon; God of Honor, War, and Justice, stands as a memorial for the lives lost to the dungeons.

Let us never forget their sacrifice and may their souls rest forever in paradise, free from the war that consumes our world to this day."

Aldritch approached the stone with his hands behind his back and took a closer look at its snow-like body.

Thousands of names were carved into the face of the stone. And if the plaque were to be believed, they were the names of everyone who'd died since the dungeons first appeared-

Aldritch's eyes widened a bit as a barren space on the stone began to shift before his eyes.

He watched as an invisible hand carved the name 'Theron Wildthorn' into the stone's surface.

Out of curiosity, Aldritch paced around the circle of benches and read around a hundred of the countless names already carved into the stone. As he walked, he kept an eye on other people visiting the statue.

A squad of twelve armed sentinels stood nearby, watching everyone who approached the stone with a critical eye- while a trio of hunters monitored the area from the second-floor balcony of the tavern across the street.

Each of them paid close attention to Aldritch for the first few minutes of his visit, and only lost interest once it became obvious he was just another visitor.

Aldritch also watched the people who approached the stone while he was there, but not for the same reason as the sentinels or the hunters.

Aldritch assumed they were there to protect it from vandals and to drive away animals, while he was a mere spectator who'd come out of curiosity… Or was it something else that brought him here?

He wasn't certain.

He supposed a part of him was just curious if the people of this strange and wonderful world mourned the same way his people did.

Would they also mourn his people if they knew the truth, or would they look on with the same bland curiosity he did?

A group of three women and one man approached the statue looking distraught; they took a seat almost immediately after arriving and bowed their heads to the stone.

Aldritch could hear them quietly begging the gods to let their loved ones return to them.

A group of men approached not long after the first group had settled in.

This group, led by a large human male who could've easily passed for a grizzly bear, were angry- well, one of them was, the other two men just looked upset.

The bear-like man stormed up to the stone, coming so close Aldritch wondered if he planned to punch it. But the man stopped about a foot away from the stone and stared at a specific spot with a look of indignant rage on his face.

After a solid minute of staring, the man drunkenly swayed away from the stone and brought the half empty glass bottle he'd came with to his lips.

He sucked the contents of the bottle down in one go, and Aldritch chose not to listen as the man spent a few minutes quietly ranting about the stupidity of someone before his two companions were finally able to drag him away from the stone, and towards the city proper.

…But the person who truly captured Aldritch's attention was the lone male Kandis who approached the stone without a sound and sat on a bench. His emerald eyes stared at a spot near the bottom of the stone with the look of a dead fish.

His clothes: an expensive looking three-piece suit was disheveled. The jacket had a rather obvious tear on the left side. The sleeves around his wrists were stained dark brown, as was his knees, shins, and his soft leather shoes. His blonde fur was unkempt and stuck out at odd angles, as if he'd been soaked to the bone and tried to quickly dry himself before he arrived.

Aldritch recognized the look in his eyes.

This was a man who knew they'd lost everything but was holding out hope that it would turn out to be nothing more than a nightmare.

Aldritch felt genuine pity for the Kandis. "They haven't given up hope yet."

"The spirit can be remarkably resilient sometimes… But that isn't always a good thing. Sometimes, holding onto hope only prolongs the suffering." Oakairo replied, his voice quiet and full of sympathy.

"I can't blame him for holding onto whatever hope he can. You never know; that small flame might just be the only thing keeping us around." Aldritch replied, his eyes lingered on the Kandis man for a few seconds more before he ripped them away and stepped away from the memorial.

"Aldritch…"

"Apologies, my Lord." Aldritch muttered. "Do you mind if we move on?"

"It's fine, Aldritch." Oakairo replied, understanding why the giant would have a problem watching them. "We can move on whenever you're ready to go… Hey, do you think the Chocolate Oracle will give us some more chocolate if we ask?"

Aldritch laughed, grateful for the change in subject. "Suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask." He replied and started walking in the approximate direction Sulika had gone. "Chocolate Oracle?" Aldritch asked, amused by Faeyra's new nickname.

"What?" Oakairo replied, he didn't understand the amusement he felt flowing through their bond. Had he said something funny?

"Nothing, My Lord. I just like the name. It's cute." Aldritch shook his head and filed away the nickname for later.

"Of course, you like it. I came up with it." Oakairo said, and Aldritch didn't need the bond to know he was puffing out his chest in satisfaction.

After ten more minutes of wandering, Aldritch found the place he was searching for a few streets over from the Memorial Stone.

Since it was later in the day, the number of people wandering the market square was but a fraction of what he'd seen earlier in the day. Most people had already returned home for the evening or were out getting drinks and dinner with friends-

"Isn't this also the place the Cat mentioned?" Oakairo asked.

The sounds of a live band mixed with a hundred voices reached Aldritch's ears and brought a smile to his face.

Oh, how he missed the sounds of the living.

The octagonal wooden building was four stories tall, with wide balconies wrapping around the exterior of each floor to give the patrons sitting outside just as much room to relax as those on the inside.

Even from the street, Aldritch could see several dozen people sitting or standing on each floor- and that was just on one side of the building.

How many people were actually inside tonight?

Aldritch moved his eyes towards the brightly lit sign mounted above the door. "The Odd Hawk…Yes, I believe this is the place. Suppose we'll run into the cat inside?"

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"It's possible- Hey, maybe they have chocolate milk here!" Oakairo exclaimed, already getting excited over the idea.

"Possibly. But, my Lord, we don't have the money to pay for any drinks." Aldritch replied- He chuckled at the potent wave of dissatisfaction flowing through their bond. "We can still investigate the tavern, my Lord. And if they do have that beautiful beverage, we can come back for it later. Deal?"

"Deal…" Oakairo replied. Aldritch could tell he was still sulking, but the emotions flowing through their bond had lessened a great deal.

Aldritch nodded and wandered over to the door-

"Hey, big fella!" A feminine voice yelled from the second-floor balcony, causing Aldritch to stop walking and glance up.

His eyes landed on a very pretty, and very obviously drunk, human woman in a tight black dress, leaning slightly over the railing surrounding the balcony.

Beside her stood two other equally drunk and pretty human women in similarly tight outfits. "Are you the dancer we hired?" The woman asked, leaning further over the railing to get a better look at Aldritch.

"Hey, would you two shut up, I'm trying to figure it out!" She said, shushing her two friends who were laughing about something Aldritch didn't catch.

"We hired a dancer for my friend's birthday party, and he hasn't shown up yet. The lady I talked to said they were sending over a big hunk of a red head. Is that you?" She explained- earning her an amused smile from Aldritch.

"Sorry, miss. I'm not the giant you're looking for." Aldritch shook his head and resumed walking… Or he tried to.

"Hey, wait a second!" The woman called again, prompting Aldritch to look up at her. "Could you be the dancer?" She asked, leaning even further over the railing to give Aldritch an unobstructed view of her cleavage. "I promised my friend a dancer, and I'd just hate to disappoint her… I'll make it worth your while~" The woman said in a teasing voice. She slightly wiggled her body in an effort to entice Aldritch.

Still smiling at her drunken antics, Aldritch placed his hands on his hips and said, "Unfortunately, miss, I'm not much of a dancer anymore. But I'm certain somewhere in this bar, there's a strapping young lad who'd kill to be your friend's dancer. You, and your beautiful dress, only need to search for a bit longer and I'm positive you'll find him." He finished, tipping his head in goodbye to the three women.

He made to move towards the door- but hesitated at the sound of wood creaking.

"Hey, wait a secOND!?" What started as three women drunkenly giggling turned into a trio of horrified screams as the woman in the black dress fell over the railing.

She screamed as she hurtled towards the ground. Her friends, and a few of the closer patrons, attempted to save her, but only succeeded in ripping the bottom of her dress and pulling off one of her high heeled sandals.

The woman closed her eyes and covered her head to brace for impact- A sudden, intense wind disoriented her, and gave her the impression that she was flying…

A few seconds of not hitting the ground later, she realized something that felt strangely like velvet covered steel was holding her by the waist.

The woman opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Aldritch, who'd reacted to her scream by jumping straight up and catching her before she could build any momentum.

The giant was hanging from the second-floor balcony by his right hand, while his left arm was wrapped snugly around her waist, supporting the weight of her entire body.

Aldritch was intently focused on the amount of strength he was putting into both arms. But that wasn't what the woman noticed- She only saw his stunning golden eyes staring at her, almost like he was looking directly into her soul.

"Um… thank you." The woman muttered, unable to meet his eyes.

She didn't know if it was the alcohol or the intensity in the Giant's gaze, but she felt like her entire body was blushing.

Once he was sure she would be fine, assuming she didn't lean over any more rails, Aldritch deactivated Wisdom of the Great Sage and smiled at the woman. "You're welcome, miss-"

"Rea." The woman said, interrupting him. "Figured if you're already holding me this close, might as well use my name." She replied, a nervous laugh escaping her.

"Rea…" Aldritch repeated. It wasn't a name he'd ever heard before, and he wondered at what it meant, where it came from, and which language it was based in.

He sorted out his questions in only a few seconds before replying "It's a lovely name. It suits you." He said, letting go with his right hand and allowing gravity to do what it does best.

Rea shouted and tightly grabbed his arm as they plummeted towards the ground- After a second or two, she was surprised to find she'd barely felt the impact of them landing.

Aldritch had wrapped his right arm around her body and gently grasped her head at the moment of impact, cocooning her body against the force of the fall.

Once his feet were firmly on the ground, he eased his grip and helped her slide down his body to stand on top of his left boot.

"Would you ladies mind dropping her shoe and that piece of dress down here?" He said, directing his question to the two stupefied ladies staring down at them.

He also noticed the many gazes on them from the patrons of the first two balconies, and a few more from the higher floors. But he didn't care about them, he just wanted to get this over with so he could get inside.

One of Rea's friends snapped out of her shock before Aldritch lost his patience and threw both the shoe and the strip of Rea's dress over the rail.

"Thank you." he said and snatched them both out of the air.

He thought he heard someone on the second-floor balcony say, "Oh, dear gods." but he ignored it in favor of helping Rea step into her sandal. With that done, he motioned for her to step off his boot.

"This was a new dress too." Rea sighed while looking at the nasty tear that ran up the side of her leg.

"I'll have it fixed in a moment." Aldritch muttered, kneeling in front of her.

He gently lifted her foot and placed it atop his thigh, giving him access to the tear. He pinched the ripped fabric together and placed the torn piece on top of the two halves.

"Mend." He cast the spell, allowing his mana to pour into the dress.

He watched as the spell took hold and the dress stitched itself together thread by thread, only stopping when all evidence of the tear was gone.

"There." He nodded and stood up. "I'd still take it to a tailor, but it should hold for tonight. Just don't lean over any more railings, alright?" He said while looking her in the eye.

"Uh huh." Rea nodded, staring down at the top of his head.

"Great." He smiled up at her and waited for her leg to move- he was getting really tired of smiling, but a kind face went a long way to easing the anxiety of the people surrounding you.

So, unless he was given a reason to stop, he would continue to smile. After all, there wasn't much point in making people unnecessarily uncomfortable.

"You should get back to your friends. Oh, and good luck finding your dancer."

"Who?" Rea replied- she suddenly remembered where she was and what she was doing. Her tanned skin turned a shade darker, and she quickly removed her foot from his thigh. "Right, thank you for your help, sir…"

"Aldritch of clan Blackshield. A pleasure to meet you."

"Rea Burke, likewise."

Aldritch dipped his head in greeting and left her to her own devices.

He pushed open the tavern doors and stepped inside, ignoring the various tempered gazes that landed on him; Some seemed hostile, some curious, and some Aldritch couldn't place.

He ignored all of them and took in the room; The first floor had the bar as its main attraction. The rectangular structure took up a huge portion of the first floor, leaving only enough room for a few tables and the stage where the band was still playing that ear shatteringly loud music.

Most patrons on the first floor were sitting on one of the fifty something stools surrounding the stage or were loitering in the area behind the stools.

Despite well over a hundred people being on the first floor, he only saw a handful of people using the tables.

"This could get annoying..." Aldritch sighed and approached the bar.

As he passed through the crowd of patrons, he looked to see which of the seven people inside the huge bar was the least busy- he spotted a male Half-Orc bartender standing off to one side and chatting up a blonde elf woman in a flashy blue dress.

Aldritch approached the bartender with a smile on his face, which prompted the half-orc to frown at the giant intruding on his conversation.

"Can I help you?" The half-orc asked.

Aldritch couldn't tell if the man was growling at him or if his voice was always that raspy.

"Do you sell chocolate milk in this tavern?" Aldritch asked, still maintaining his smile.

The half-orc's jaw dropped slightly at the request… Then he started laughing, loudly.

His laughter attracted the attention of a few of the other bartenders, one of which asked what in the hells was so funny?

"This big bastard wants chocolate milk." He managed to say in between laughing at Aldritch and attempting to breathe.

"Why do you want chocolate milk?" A female goblin bartender asked. It was obvious she was an inch from laughing herself, but she managed to keep her laughter to herself through sheer determination and professionalism.

"Because it's delicious." Aldritch replied, still watching them with a smile on his face.

"Are you sure you don't want anything else? Liquor? Beer, maybe? We might have a barrel of mead in the back." The goblin said, seemingly trying to give Aldritch the chance to change his mind… Which he ignored.

"Nothing you can give me will make me drunk." Aldritch replied, still smiling. "Even if that weren't the case, I'd still rather have the Chocolate milk. It tastes better to me… Also, please ask your coworker to stop laughing at my choice of drink. I find his voice irritating, and it's quite rude in general."

Someone approached on Aldritch's right side and slammed something down on the bar in front of him.

Aldritch glanced over to see Rea glaring at the half-orc, a handful of bronze bits laying on the bar in front of her. "Ortag…" Rea said, her voice dropping into a dangerous tone. "Who do you think you're laughing at, huh?" She asked in a voice that surprised even Aldritch.

Ortag, the half-orc bartender, smacked his lips in irritation and replied, "Tha' hell's your problem, Rea?"

"Your attitude is my problem." Rea snapped back, prompting the other six bartenders to scatter like a bunch of scared mice.

"Do I need to tell Zarud about what a piece of shit you're being?"

That got Aldritch's attention.

"Oh, c'mon Rea! Why are you bringing my brother into this?" Ortag asked in a whiny voice.

"Wait, you two know Zarud?" Aldritch asked, diverting their attention back to him. "I was actually supposed to meet Sulika here. Might you know where she is?"

Ortag's light green skin paled at the mention of Sulika, while Rea's face lit up like she'd just won the lottery. "Yes, I do know her."She replied, wrapping her arm around Aldritch's bicep.

"Zarud's dating my sister and I've had the pleasure of meeting Captain Wysarie a number of times. They're both upstairs with my other friends. If you'll come with me, I'll take you to her. It's the least I can do- Oh, and Ortag, get whatever he wants and put it on my tab."

"He wanted chocolate milk." Ortag replied while smirking at Aldritch. "The big man wants the biggest bitch drink." He laughed.

"You like chocolate milk?" Rea asked Aldritch, rather than being accusatory, her voice sounded interested… And more than a little amused.

"I love it." Aldritch replied.

"Perfect." Rea said, smiling up at him. "Ortag, get the man some chocolate milk and bring it up. Then hurry up and join us, Veta was asking about you earlier."

"Really?" Ortag asked, smiling excitedly.

"Absolutely." Rea said, tugging on Aldritch's arm. He was already used to this from Sulika trying to drag him around, so he just went with it and let her guide him up to the second floor.

"Sorry about him. He's normally not like that, but he and Zarud got into it earlier and… Well, I guess he's still sore about it and needed to let off steam."

"Don't mind it." Aldritch replied. "If I needed him to stop laughing, I would've stopped him. But I do appreciate the assistance- You've saved me from having to clean blood out of my robes tonight."

"Probably." Rea laughed. "But don't worry, I'm sure you could take him." Rea said and gave Aldritch a reassuring wink.

Aldritch returned the smile and nodded.