“Did you want the armor now?” Trish asked.
“Please.”
“Go flip the sign and latch the door for me,” Trish sighed, taking her hand away from Pawly. “Sorry, Pawly, I’ll be right back.”
Pawly yawned and wiggled a little, but stayed where she was. Stern snorted and went to do what Trish had asked him to do. The open-closed sign covered what would’ve been a small window if it weren’t covered. He glanced out the glass at the darkening street before latching the lock, and flipping the sign.
He made it to the counter in time for Trish to come back. “Where is it?” he asked.
She pointed to the curtained alcove to the side. “Waiting for you to try it on. See if we need to fix anything for you.”
“Ah, right. Thanks.”
Trish went back to petting Pawly. “Go on, already.”
Stern stepped into the alcove and pulled the curtain closed. It took him a bit to get into the soft leather armor, but once he was done with the buckles, he smiled. Opening the curtain, he stepped back into the shop to find half the lights out.
“How does it feel?” Trish asked, still petting Pawly.
“Good. Nothing is pulling or loose. I hadn’t even thought to ask about the metal being blackened, so my thanks for thinking of that.”
“It’d be silly to have dark armor and bright buckles,” Trish grinned. “That odd color scheme, though...” She shook her head.
“It’ll do the job I need it to.”
“You’re going in alone, aren’t you?” Trish asked softly, looking down at Pawly.
“Yeah. I didn’t exactly hit it off with the other people in my class.”
“I wonder why? I still remember you coming in here for the first time.”
Stern chuckled. “What can I say? I am who I am.”
“You’re lucky you had Pawly with you or else I’d have thrown you out.”
“She’s always saving me. Something about needing to keep her staff safe.”
Trish laughed and began scratching Pawly’s belly. “Can’t have you getting hurt, hmm?”
Pawly growled, then snagged Trish’s hand with her large front paws, biting her. Trish snickered as she watched Pawly try to draw blood.
“Iron Skin— one of my perks,” Trish said with a grin.
Pawly wriggled away and huffed, glaring at Trish from the far end of the counter.
“I let you think you could get me the first two times,” Trish grinned at the cat. “Let that be a lesson— monsters might lull you, too. I know you’ll be going with him.”
Pawly came gliding back down the counter, sitting between Trish and Stern, and meowed softly.
“Oh, this dungeon isn’t the one to worry about,” Trish said, “and if you go hit the other two easy ones, you’ll be fine. The ones after that…” Trish shook her head and looked up to meet Stern’s eyes. “Find other people to go with you. You might know tricks and have Pawly, but the curve is sharp and rough.”
“The most deaths for early Walkers happen in dungeons four and five,” Stern said, “even to those who have crews. I know. Finding people who I can tolerate is the problem.”
“You mean who can tolerate you,” Trish said softly. “Best of luck. I won’t forgive you if Pawly dies.”
“She only dies if I do,” Stern said. “She’s one of my perks.”
Trish nodded. “I thought she might be. She’s too smart to be a regular cat, even if she isn’t like any I’ve ever seen or heard of.”
“Pawly, go home,” Stern said softly.
Pawly yawned, then turned in a circle. As she did, she faded away. The last parts to go were her eyes and teeth.
“That was... a little disturbing,” Trish said. “She’s just a cat, though? No humanized form or breath weapon?”
“Not yet, but who knows what the dungeons will offer me?” Stern shrugged. “I’m hoping for something noteworthy in the first three.”
“What about your other perks?”
Stern frowned. It was bad manners to flatly ask unless you were looking to join them. “Nothing martial or spell-based. I have the skills my parents taught me, but that’s all.”
Trish exhaled slowly. “Then you really need to find a crew, Stern.”
“I know, and maybe I will,” Stern said. “The Walkers might have a lead on a crew that can use me.”
“That’s fair,” Trish said before standing up straight. “Best of luck tomorrow. Now get out.”
Laughing, Stern grinned at her. “And people find me hard to deal with.”
“Well, birds of a feather,” Trish winked. “Go. Become a Walker and maybe I won’t shoo you out after dark.”
Stern’s eyebrows rose at the feeling behind her words. “Well damn. I was planning on leaving the city after I finished the dungeon, but now I might need to stick around for a bit.”
“Out,” Trish laughed, pointing.
Stepping back, Stern bowed as formally as he would in a royal court. “As the queen of armor decrees.” He left without looking back. If he had, he would have seen the shock on Trish’s face.
As soon as he was outside, he summoned Pawly back to him. “Let’s go home, huh?”
“Meow.”
Chapter Two
Yawning as he woke up, Stern grumbled about the sun only to get a paw across his mouth. Forcing his eyes open, he found Pawly staring at him with a grumpy expression. With a mischievous gleam in his eyes, Stern grabbed Pawly on either side and gave her a good, rough petting from shoulders to hips. Pawly bopped Stern’s nose with an annoyed growl before standing up from the spot on his chest.
Stern grunted as Pawly managed to do that thing all cats can do where all of her weight was isolated onto a single paw. That paw was just under his sternum, making him wheeze. With a knowing chuff, Pawly jumped off him and strolled away.
“Lucky you’re useful and cute,” Stern mumbled as he sat up, swinging his legs out of bed.
Finally pushing himself to his feet, Stern stretched to his full six-and-a-half-foot height. Arms extended above his head, he touched the ceiling. When he finished stretching, he followed Pawly into the other room, making sure to grab the last of the dry kibble out of the chest he’d stashed it in. If it were anything less than a chest, Pawly would get to it.
“There, fur-face. Dig in,” Stern said, pouring the kibble onto a plate.
Pawly ignored his comment and ate the offered food.
With the cat taken care of, Stern went back to the bedroom. Yawning again, he began the stretching routine his parents had taught him and his siblings. Once he was done, he used up the last of the water in the pitcher to give himself a quick wipe down.
He was putting on his boots when Pawly came back into the room. Sitting in the doorway, she watched him, clearly waiting on him.
“Sorry, your majesty. Some of us don’t come equipped with our own fur coat and knives,” Stern said as he put his daggers on his belt.
Pawly let out an annoyed huff as she continued to wait.
“Okay, let’s go. We have errands to run, and then we’ll find out what the professor made of the test,” Stern said, picking his bag up on the way out the door. Slinging the bag onto his right shoulder, he followed the cat down the stairs.
“Today’s the day,” Jensen said from the nook by the door. “You cleaned out?”
“All yours. If needed, I’ll see if you have one later.”
“Fine by me. Next set won’t be in until tomorrow.”
“Appreciate you not having a problem with her,” Stern said, nodding his head toward Pawly.
“That sweet thing?” Jensen grinned. “Best cat ever, and doesn’t make a mess. Still don’t understand where the food she eats goes.”
“Got me,” Stern shrugged.
“Make sure he keeps you in good comfort, Pawly,” Jensen said to the cat.
Pawly meowed, strutting right past Jensen.
Jensen looked a little more serious when he looked at Stern. “First ones are never difficult, but people make m
istakes. Be careful.”
“I’ll be going in alone,” Stern said. “No one to blame but myself if I fuck it up.”
“Yeah, but even then...” Jensen said, trailing off.
“I’ll be fine. Pawly’ll keep me safe,” Stern said with a sardonic smile. “Have a good one.”
Leaving the inn behind, Stern started walking. Pawly fell in step behind him, as she wasn’t sure where he was going. The sun was now fully over the horizon, and he knew the most eager were already at the dungeon. He still had a few places to stop before he’d be ready to put his life on the line.
Reaching the first shop, Pawly stopped on the porch and let out an angry yowl. She sat down and glared at Stern.
“What? She’s just friendly.”
Pawly turned her back on him and yowled again.
“Fine, stay out here, but I need to replenish some stuff. Your kibble, for instance.”
Pawly had started to yowl again, but cut off and groomed her left paw.
“Yeah, I thought so,” Stern snorted, entering the general store. “Matt, how are you?”
“I thought that was you,” the old man said from behind the counter. “Still hasn’t forgiven Sugar, huh?”
“Her highness is still upset,” Stern chuckled. “Kibble will quell her ire some. A pound in a stoppered jug, please? I have a few other things to get for me.”
“I’ll have the kibble waiting,” Matt chuckled as he leveraged himself to his feet, nearly tripping over the old white and brown dog next to him. “Sugar, I told you to not lay there,” Matt sighed before shuffling around the dog.
“Nice to know she listens as well as my cat,” Stern said, going over to the travel food.
“She’s just deaf, not ornery like a cat,” Matt laughed.
“Fair enough,” Stern said. Not like I asked for a perk that summoned a cat, he thought, but I wouldn’t trade her for anything at this point.
He retrieved the items he needed and made his way over to the counter. Matt was already back in his chair, and a stoppered jug was on the counter in front of him. Placing his things on the counter, he waited for Matt to give him a price.
“Hmm… a dozen copper,” Matt said. “Looks like you plan on heading out as soon as you’re done.”
“Goddess willing,” Stern said. “Ten?”
Matt chuckled. “Fine, son. Ten, but only because I don’t wish to upset her highness by keeping you longer.”
Stern laughed as he set a large copper in front of Matt. “Yeah, she’ll be annoyed, but I’ve got to pack it all.” Putting his bag on the counter, he started packing his new goods inside.
“Oiled leather,” Matt said, looking at the bag. “Bedding, pan, and other camping goods... You plan on not being on the main road?”
“Eventually, I won’t be,” Stern said. “All of this came from my parents when I left. I wasn’t going to turn down things I’d need eventually.”
“Surprised you wanted to keep carrying it all. It has to weigh a good amount.”
“Fully loaded, it’ll hold fifty pounds or more,” Stern said. He turned the bag to face Matt. “It has braces to help settle the weight onto my hips, if needed.”
“That a new Walker trick?”
“It’s newish. Anyway, that’s what I’ll be doing,” Stern said. “Today is just the first step.”
Matt rubbed at his chin. “Family didn’t try to talk you out of it?”
“No. My parents are big on following your dreams, and this is mine.”
“Must be if they sent you off with that gear. I’d ask to buy it off of you, but I figure you won’t part with it.”
“Not a chance,” Stern said, his lips forming a thin smile.
“Best of luck in your run,” Matt said, extending his hand. “I only made it through the fourth before… well, you know how it is.”
“Friend?” Stern asked.
“Billy... good kid. We called him ‘Fail-Totem,’ on account of one of his perks being a totem that could draw things to it.” Matt’s eyes grew distant as the memory came back to him, the pain rising sharply. “Blasted fool took an increase to its range in the third dungeon and didn’t tell us... in the first room of our next dungeon, it pulled a third of the monsters to us. Billy died first and we got the monsters under control, but Franklin wasn’t doing good. We lost him before the end. Just me and Norma made it out.”
“How is she?” Stern asked, trying to ignore the pain of loss as he slung the bag over his shoulders.
“Good. She’s visiting our grandkids today. I’ll let her know you said goodbye. She’ll be disappointed she missed seeing Pawly, though.”
“Such is life,” Stern said, shaking the old man’s hand. “Hope you two have a good life.”
“Already have,” Matt chuckled. “Stay safe, Walker.”
“Not yet, but by tonight, I will be,” Stern said, heading out.
Pawly gave him a chuff and bumped his leg when he walked outside.
“I’ve got your food, but you’ll have to wait before you get more. We have to visit more places before we head to the academy.”
Pawly sat down and waved a paw at him.
“Really?” Stern asked, surprised. “Okay. See you later. Go home.”
Pawly smiled and faded away, her teeth and eyes lingering a bit longer than the rest of her.
“Okay...” Stern sighed. “Temple to see the sisters, first.”
The temple of the Goddess was made of white marble that glowed in the sunlight. The front held spiraling columns with red and black veins in each spiral. Entering the temple, he felt the tingle he always felt when entering one. The room was large, with marble slabs laid out in rows along both walls. A handful of slabs had people sleeping peacefully upon them. The slab directly across the room from the door was illuminated in golden light, but it was empty. Three women in white gowns of the Goddess were tending to those in the room.
One of them gave him a worried look and came his way. “What’s wrong? What happened? Have you taken anything for it?”
“I came to receive a blessing before entering the dungeon,” Stern said softly, looking down at the acolyte radiating worry for him.
“Ah, one of the class,” she exhaled, glad he wasn’t sick. “Of course. Approach the altar, kneel, and offer up your words to the Goddess,” she advised him.
“Thank you, Sister,” Stern said softly.
She nodded and made her way back to tend to those resting.
“What’s wrong with him?” one of the others asked when she got closer.
“Nothing. He sounds healthy and said he just wishes to pray.”
Stern glanced at the people on the slabs, but never stared, even at the man missing a leg. The stump of his severed leg had the vestiges of a foot regrowing already, which always made Stern feel squicky.
Taking a deep breath when he reached the glowing golden altar, he knelt and rested his elbows on it. “Goddess,” he said softly, “today is the first step of my journey as a Walker. I go to do your work to bring out the lost souls and give them another chance. You graced me with my perks and while I don’t know what may come, I hope you will help guide me.”
A peacefulness radiated off the altar, and Stern exhaled as his slight anxiety faded away. A faint whisper tickled at his ear for a second, but the words weren’t audible. Shaking his head, he frowned and looked back to find all of the acolytes across the room from him. With a deep exhale, he pushed himself to his feet. He gave the sister a smile and nod as he passed her. She nodded back to him, her eyes following him all the way out of the room.
Back on the street, Stern exhaled again. Looking around, he saw a food vendor starting to cook and headed toward them.
“What’re you cooking?” Stern asked when he got close to the stall.
“Lamb pockets,” the woman replied, but her smile faded when she saw him. “Umm... maybe you should see the sisters first?”
“I’m not sick,” Stern sighed, doing his best to hold in his annoyance. “Can
I have two, please?”
“Oh, uh... sure,” she said, uncertain as she looked him up and down. “Are you sure you don’t want three?”
“I could eat fifty, and I’d still be this thin,” Stern said with a pained smile. “My mother tried to bulk me up. It never worked.”
“Very well. Two coppers, please,” she replied, touching her long bunny ears flopped over the back of her head.
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