The smell of charcoal smoke and fried fish hung in the air, mingling with the sweet scent of jasmine flowers that adorned the windows of the houses. Three figures walked through the streets of Lundine, capital of the Talay Empire, their steps firm and determined, despite the hubbub of the city.
Crixus, a tall, thin man with a felt hat muffling his long, black hair like vulture feathers, watched everything with attentive eyes. He wore a traveler's outfit made of raw cotton, leather boots and gloves, and a worn leather backpack. Hethress, with a penetrating gaze hidden under the hood of her heavy cloak, walked beside and slightly behind Crixus with a wooden staff in her hand, ready to face any threat. Hiutotiaco, on the other side of Crixus, observed the shops curiously, his fingers playing with a small dagger that he carried at his waist. The crowd squeezed through the narrow streets, street vendors shouted their wares, horse-drawn carriages crossed the path, forcing the adventurers to dodge nimbly. Crixus, with his shrewd gaze, diverted the curious glances that were fixed on his companions, due to their unusual clothing and the crystal floating at her side. She wore long pants and a jacket, both made of leather, which allowed her to move more freely. Hiutotiaco, with his taciturn spirit, kept the crowd away with his mere presence, observing the people, the customs and the news of the city. He was the calmest of the group, always ready for any adversity. The three “adventurers”, each with their own skills and personalities, continued on.
“It’s a bigger city than I imagined, it reminds me a lot of Victorian style, the city is also cleaner than I expected.”
“Indeed, my husband, this city is much larger than the capital Rashakn, so many beings together, so many races that I have never seen, in addition to those immense flying boats that we saw when we arrived, this must be a very powerful empire. But what are we doing here?”
“Curiosity is the main reason, the second is to learn more about the quest that the Lich spoke about, third, I can travel the world in the blink of an eye, so why not do it? But now I want to find a good inn, drink some good wine and get to know the city before returning to the village.”
We then arrive at a square and see a group of people gathered around something. The crowd is already dispersing and, according to rumors, they are two thieves who were caught by the mob.
But when I get to the reason for the crowd, I see that the two thieves are actually two children, a boy of 10-12 years old, his body broken and his skull open, next to him is a girl of about 5-7 years old, all broken.
Using the magic suggested by Jeannie, I see that the boy has already died but the girl is still alive, but only for a short time. I don't know what they stole, but being beaten drives me crazy, I want to kill the whole square. I take three deep breaths and approach the children, kneel down and touch their arm.
“HEAL”
Magic shines through the girl's body and in the blink of an eye she is intact and healthy like never before, her clothes are still torn and stained with blood, but even her scars have disappeared.
She wakes up and looks at me scared. "AAAAHHHHH!"
"Calm down, it's okay, everything will be okay." And I conjure:
And in an instant she calms down.
She immediately says, “My brother?” and then she sees her brother’s destroyed body.
I repeat, “Calm down, it’s okay, everything will be fine. Your brother will be fine. Hiutotiaco, take the girl and take her to the next street to the north.” Looking at the girl, I say, “Go with your aunt, I’ll be there soon with your brother, I promise.” Hiutotiaco, snorts when called aunt.
“Do you promise?” The girl looks at me with eyes that are already red and swollen from crying.
“Yes.” I nod.
Hiutotiaco picks up the girl and leaves.
Many eyes follow her and many others now focus on me and in the scene that begins to unfold in the square.
As soon as the magic ends, the boy wakes up intact. To avoid unnecessary commotion, I use Charm Person on the boy.
“Hello. It’s okay, your sister is fine, everything will be fine.”
The boy looks at me with wide eyes but remains calm due to the magic. I help him get up.
“Master, armed people are approaching from the other end of the square.” Jeannie says.
I glance over and see 5 people in gray clothes, tabards in the colors of the Empire, armed with batons and long knives at their waists. I pick up the boy and run away, Hethress by my side, we run towards Hiutotiaco.
The guards are surprised and taking advantage of the confusion we run through the crowded streets, a few blocks later we stop, after losing the guards.
“I think we escaped.” I undo the spell.
“My lord, why did you save those thieves?” Hethress says between gasps of air after running through the streets.
“Hethress, they are children, even if they did something wrong they do not deserve to be beaten to death for it. They are children.”
I see that the concept hits a wall. After all, the idea of ??childhood, it seems, in this world, has not yet developed, children are treated like adults.
“Hethress, I hate people who mistreat children, simple as that.”
“I understand, my lord.”
I turn to the children. “Are you hungry?”
The girl just nods and the boy says a simple “Yes.”
“Do you know any good place to eat around here?”
“The Sleepy Dog Inn has the best beer and meat pie in the neighborhood,” the boy says with a vacant look, probably already thinking about the food. This is reinforced by the growling of the girl’s stomach, who, embarrassed, hides her face in Hiutotiaco’s chest.
“Very well, let’s go there then.” Halfway there, he stops to buy 2 travel capes to cover the children’s bloody clothes.
The faded wooden sign, with the gold letters almost faded, announced: “The Sleepy Dog Inn”. Above the sign, a crudely carved figure of a sleeping dog, with its tongue hanging out, seemed to watch the travelers with a sleepy look. The solid wooden door, with rusty hinges, creaked when opened, revealing a cozy and welcoming interior.
The smell of beer and home-cooked food hung in the air, mingling with the aroma of oak wood and smoke from the fireplace. The main dining room was spacious and lit by wrought-iron chandeliers that cast dancing shadows on the brick walls. Solid wooden tables with worn, unupholstered wooden benches were arranged around the dining room, which contained 5 wooden tables with 4 chairs each, some occupied by weary travelers, others by locals enjoying their pints of beer.
At the dark wooden counter, a burly man with a gray beard and piercing brown eyes served the customers with a welcoming smile. He was the inn's owner, Thomas "Big Tom" Higgins, a man known for his generosity and for his fishing stories, which entertained the regulars.
On the floor, a spotted dog slept lazily in a corner, justifying the inn's name. Above the fireplace, a crudely painted painting depicted a sleeping dog, with a look of peace and serenity that seemed to convey the relaxing atmosphere of the place.
The Sleepy Dog Inn was a haven for weary travelers, a place where stories flowed with beer, and where life seemed to move at a slower pace, like the peaceful slumber of the dog that inspired it.
Big Tom looks at the newcomers and asks with a certain air of concern.
“Jiakel, Solen, who are your friends?”
“Uncle, the men beat us up and when we woke up these uncles, they were with us. The handsome uncle did magic and fixed Ji’s head, then we ran away from the guards.” The girl says very quickly and with an air of someone who was on a roller coaster.
Big Tom looks at the girl and us with a piercing gaze.
We head to an empty table while Big Tom finishes serving his customers at the counter and approaches the table.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. What are you going to order?” He looks with some curiosity at Hiutotiaco and Hethress as they lower their hoods behind their heads.
“A jug of your best wine and your best beer, a jug of milk for the children and the dish of the day for everyone."
“I want fried bacon and egg!” Solen says, who apparently has already forgotten the whole event.
I look at Jiakel. “Do you want some too?”
“I want wine too!” He says with hungry eyes. I laugh and say, “Milk.”
Big Tom turns around but first looks at the girl’s bloody clothes and the sword that Hiutotiaco has leaned against the table, shakes his head and leaves.
“While we wait for the food, let’s get to know each other? My name is Crixus, this is Hethress, my wife and Hiutotiaco.”
Solen, the least shy of the siblings, says, “I’m Solen and this is my big brother Ji.”
Jiakel, who was about to speak, looks angrily at the girl, and then looks at me. “Uncle, who are you guys, and what happened? I only remember people beating me, then I fell to the ground and when I woke up, everything was gone.”
“We’re tourists. As for what happened, it seems that you were caught by a mob and they hurt you badly. My companions and I arrived after everything was almost over and saw you both injured. So I healed you both.”
“Ji, your head looked like a split watermelon.” Solen starts to sob. “Uncle did some powerful magic and in an instant you were fine.”
Jiakel looks at me with wide eyes. “Uncle, I don’t have any money, I can’t pay.” The boy looks at his brother’s and exit door. I don’t even need to read his thoughts to know that he’s thinking about running away. Powerful magic isn’t cheap and they’re practically street children. He thinks about slave traders and magicians who make sacrifices. I bring him back to reality. “Of course you do. See, like I said, we’re tourists, and you and your sister seem to know the city well. So, you’re going to pay me for the magic by being my guides. But of course, before that, we have to feed you and change your clothes. My servants can’t look so dirty and hungry.”
“Will you give us food and clothes while we work for you?” Jiakel asks with a suspicious look.
“Yes, where do you live?”
“In the alley of the knife, the white brick orphanage.”
“You are orphans then.”
“Our mother died last winter, winter fever, my father died in the war and my sister’s father never came back.”
A short time later the food arrives, brought by 3 girls from the inn, all 3 of them look at me eagerly, and I hear a low growl coming from Hethress.
We eat and drink, and I confirm, normal food has no taste of anything. Shit, I will never taste pizza or brigadeiro** again.
FFFFFRRRRRAAAAAKKKKK!
Jiakel asks, "Uncle, what are tourists?"
1
condensed milk
(can or box)
3 tablespoons of Chocolate Powder
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of chocolate sprinkles
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1.
In a pan, place the condensed milk with the chocolate and butter.
2.
Mix well and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it comes away from the bottom of the pan (about 10 minutes).
3.
Remove from heat, transfer to a buttered plate and let cool.
4.
With greased hands, roll into balls and roll them in sprinkles. Serve in paper cups.
What can I improve?
