The day started the same way as it did every week.

A whistle would blow, indicating it was time to wake, Jack and Bel would get up, put on their clothes, and head to work.

Jack sold Fido about a week ago, since living in these conditions couldn't afford a donkey. And the work schedule was grueling.

Jack wanted to leave, but knew he couldn’t, at least not yet. Bel seemed content with staying, despite backbreaking work and little to no food. Jack couldn’t keep doing this, he had to escape.

But how?

The gate Jack had passed earlier was heavily guarded. Spears and swords glimmered in the distance. Jack had no weapons, well unless his shovel counted, it had a higher level than his sword, which surprised him, considering it wasn’t even supposed to be used as a weapon.

Jack got a small amount of fruit and vegetables, He didn’t see Bel anywhere. Maybe she went home early.

When Jack arrived at Bel’s house, he noticed the lights were off.

He wandered a bit, looking for a candle. He was stopped by Bel’s voice.

He turned around. Bel leveled a Knife at his face.

Jack backed up. He knew it, Bel had to be a witch.

She growled at him, picking up a name tag. “Jack, Guild member of the Autumn Branch.” She glared at him, “So you’re a hero huh?”

Jack didn’t know how to respond, but he wanted to see where this went. “Yeah I am,” he responded.

“Get out.” Bel seethed. “Take your stuff and go.”

“Why?” Jack asked.

She only got angrier. “Because people like you killed my parents.”

Jack was shocked, “What?”

Bel continued glaring at him. “One thing I don’t get, why are you here with me?” She said, “Answer me before I kill you where you stand.”

“Bel,” Jack said, calmly, “I’m not a hero.”

“Yes you are.”

“No I’m not.”

As the tension hung thick in the air, Jack could feel the weight of Bel's accusations bearing down on him like a heavy burden. He met her steely gaze with a mixture of defiance and understanding, his mind racing with the need to explain himself, to bridge the gap between their disparate worlds.

"I may be a member of the Autumn Branch, but I'm not like the Aldarians who hurt you," Jack asserted, his voice tinged with earnestness. "I joined the guild to make a difference, to fight for justice. But I've seen firsthand the corruption that festers within its ranks, and I won't stand for it."

Bel's grip on the knife tightened, her eyes narrowing as she studied Jack's face for any hint of deception. "You expect me to believe that?" she spat, her voice laced with bitterness. "After everything they've done to me, to my family?"

“What did they do?”

Bel shook her head, “I don’t remember much, but when I was just a small child, they were killed by a hero, they did nothing wrong, but alas, they were slaughtered before my very eyes.”

“Why?” Jack asked.

“Because my mother was a witch, and my father an alchemist.” She responded, “They were seen as threats to be exterminated, for a bounty I can only assume.”

When Jack said nothing, Bel continued.

“I see people starving every day!” she cried, beginning to break down. “I know who’s in charge and I want to bring them to their knees! For this was the village my parents perished in, I am sure of it!”

For a moment, Bel wavered, her resolve faltering as she struggled to reconcile Jack's words with her own experiences. But then, with a heavy sigh, she lowered the knife, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

Jack gritted his teeth, he knew there were people who had experienced the same things as him, but he had not come across such a person until now.

“They took things from me too”, Jack said. “My wife and daughter were killed by Aldarians .”

She nodded, “I will help you, but you must return to help me expose this corruption.”

“Then it’s a deal.”

Jack slipped through the winding alleys of Keywark, his footsteps muffled by the soft padding of dirt beneath his boots. The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow upon the deserted streets as he made his way toward the edge of the village.

Bel had brewed him a few potions to mask his appearance, they weren't the best, as they required higher quality ingredients for maximum efficiency, but it would have to do. Besides, the air was so thick with pollution, that he highly doubted they could spot him.

He held his shovel close, for his life would surely depend on it. Originally Jack had planned to dig a hole underneath the walls, but ultimately scrapped the idea, it would simply be too difficult to create a person-sized hole without being noticed,

His heart pounded in his chest as he approached the line of coal carriages, their dark silhouettes looming ominously against the starlit sky. With a quick glance around to ensure that no guards were watching, Jack darted forward, his movements fluid and precise as he climbed aboard one of the waiting carriages.

As the carriage lurched into motion, Jack's pulse quickened with a heady mix of excitement and fear. He knew he was leaving Bel behind, but couldn't afford to let sentimentality cloud his judgment. With a silent vow to return for her, he settled in for the journey ahead, his sights set on the distant city of Gavhin.

The night passed in a blur as the carriage rattled along the winding roads, the steady rhythm of hooves and wheels lulling Jack into a fitful sleep. But as the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, he awoke with a start, his senses on high alert as he prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

As the carriage rolled to a stop on the outskirts of the village, Jack seized his chance, slipping out into the cool morning air with the stealth of a seasoned thief. With a final glance back at the village he was leaving behind, he set off into the wilderness, his resolve as unyielding as the steel of his shovel.

Jack ran into the wilderness. The men driving the cart did not bother to chase him. But he kept running until he was sure they could not find him. Something rustled in the bushes, just next to him. Jack knew better than to stray from a well lit path or clearing. Now he would have to defend himself from whatever lurked in the brush.

With a grim determination, Jack readied his shovel, his muscles tensing as he prepared to face a beast.

A slime flung itself forward. Jack leaped backward to doge its attack, this was no ordinary slime, It was a fire slime, practically incinerating the ground beneath it.

Jack swung his weapon with practiced precision, the metal blade slicing through the air with a satisfying whoosh as it connected with its target. The slime responded by belching gooey lava towards him. It melted through the ground near him. He felt the immense heat even through his layers of clothing.

He slammed the shovel down onto the slime, dealing the finishing blow. At this point the shovel felt like a well balanced weapon in his hand, despite the fact that any person would laugh if you approached them with one. Monsters were no different, he was sure the slime could have easily killed him, It was a large slime, after all.

Jack continued walking several miles before he saw a light in the distance, which was lucky considering how foggy it was.

Jack practically dragged his shovel behind him. He dragged it, not just because he was tired of carrying it, but to ward off potential threats. He heard that slimes and worms wouldn't attack if they knew you were armed.

Jack swived his head, scouting the tall grass on either side of the road. Nothing, at least as far as he could tell.

The road was straight and flat, which relieved Jack. But the sheer distance between him and the town was surely painful to think about.

He eventually made it to the outskirts of the village. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pear he had saved from Keywark. The pear seemed almost too ripe, feeling soft to the touch. Nevertheless, he ate it, juice running down his lip. After a few more bites, he finished. Then, hefting his shovel, he continued.

When Jack arrived at the gate, he was surprised to find no one guarding it. Just over the fence, the village seemed lively, bigger than Quow, so why weren't there any guards?

Jack gripped the bars of the gate, then put his foot on one of them, preparing to climb the gate.

He paused for a second, remembering he was a wanted criminal. Climbing the gate could get him arrested or deported, but it didn’t seem very likely.

Cities like Gavhin usually accepted immigrants with open arms, with the exception of criminals.

Still, it was a risk not worth taking.

Jack lowered himself back down to the ground, and swiveled his head, in an attempt to look for any opening. There it was.

Near the edge of where the stone section of the wall began, was a small gate, unguarded, that he could easily enter.

Jack began making his way over to the gate, when he felt something beneath his feet.

He looked down. A small metallic cylinder, half buried, sat under his leg. Confused, he lifted his leg to further inspect the object. As he lifted his leg it clicked, apparently a response to his movement.

Jack lifted his gaze slowly, metal glittered in the moonlight across the ground. He looked down again, perhaps this could be a grave of some sort.

He moved slowly, careful not to disturb the metal gravestones.

He made his way through the gate, He walked through the streets, there would have to be an inn somewhere.

Finally, he spotted an inn, Called the Sleepy Frog Identifiable by its large sign with a frog sitting on a bed chiseled into it.

The man inside greeted him with a hello, engrossed in a book laid across the counter in front of him. Jack put down a few coins. He didn’t bother calculating change, just leaving whatever there was there. He was too tired for any calculations.

The man tossed him a key with faded numbers across it. And a

Jack walked up the stairs, the inn was small, only about forty rooms. There were other inns, but they were closer to the center of the city, and Jack didn’t want to walk any further.

Jack opened his room, the door creaking. He kicked off his muddy boots, then dove headfirst into the soft mattress that laid in front of him.