Tears welled in my eyes as I pointed a finger at Kalie.

  “I’m tired! I’m tired of it all and I just wanna go home. I don’t want to be here! I didn’t ask to be here!”

  “Lafayette—“

  “No! No you’re gonna listen to my grievances! After what you put me through you owe me that much!” I tightened my fists. “I don’t like losing, it hurts. I try to be strong, but I’m not.”

  I wiped my tears on my sleeve. “I’m hungry, I’m tired and I’m broke. How could you even humiliate me like that?”

  My vision blurred as my knees nearly buckled. “What do you gain? What do you…” My voice softened and was overpowered by my sobs.

  I just want to go home.

  I hicked, “I feel like a fraud. I told Meridian that I’d never leave her. And I meant it, because before I knew she was a girl I had made that promise. I gave her my ring and she gave me hers. That was supposed to be my future.”

  I placed a hand over my eyes and gripped my face.

  “When Lilith stripped me from her, I tried to be tough. To pretend like I didn't need anyone, but look at me, it’s only been two days and I’m crying like a baby. I’m still a loser, aren’t I?”

  My question was met with a long silence. I expected Kalie to laugh or mock me. I was waiting for the speech about how I should man up because the world doesn’t care about my feelings.

  That’s what Lilith would’ve done. She’d have been disgusted seeing me like this. I was disgusted with myself. Even in a new world, in a new body with powerful abilities, I’m still the loser I’ve always been.

  Because of course I was.

  You don’t become a different person no matter what changes.

  I’ll always be—

  “Lafayette.”

  Kalie stepped forward and removed my hand from my face. She took my hand in hers and squeezed it.

  I looked up to meet her gaze.

  “You are not a loser,” She said. “Honestly the fact that it took you this long to have a breakdown says the opposite.”

  She rubbed her calloused thumb against the back of my hand. “That joke I made, it was in poor taste. And after living here for so long you start to lose perspective on things.”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  She glanced at the war hounds, who were back in their pens and resting.

  “At first, I thought you were some haughty noble who was in way over his head. But now, I see a young man who has lost his way and only wants to get back to the one he loves.”

  She shifted her gaze to the pipe on the opposite side of the room.

  “And you’re willing to work hard to do it. There aren’t many I know who’re willing to get their hands dirty like that if it doesn’t benefit them immediately.”

  She looked back at me.

  “You’re a good kid in a bad situation, so I’m gonna do something that usually gets people killed. I’m taking you in and I’ll help you get home, okay?”

  I blinked.

  Did she just say what I think she did? “You mean… You mean you’ll really adopt me?” I asked hopefully.

  Kalie nodded. “Yes, but don’t get excited yet, you’ll help with the chores and you’ll work at the guild to make your money. That means no missions outside the city walls, got it?”

  “Are you kidding me? I didn’t even wanna be a mercenary, that was all Jax's idea, you know?”

  Kalie sighed. “Figured but it’s good to have clarity. Anyway, I have something for you.”

  She reached into her pouch and produced six copper pieces. She then flipped my hand over and placed the money firmly in my palm.

  “There, that brings you a little closer to your goal.”

  I looked down at the money, the weight of it made everything feel better. I was this much closer to getting back to Meridian.

  I tightened my hand. “Thank you.”

  Kalie smirked.

  “Don’t thank me yet, you need about two hundred of those to get back home. Plus there’s food, and fare between cities, clothes, all in all you’ll need about five gold pieces to get home.”

  “Five gold pieces?” I repeated. “That means I’ll need five hundred copper?”

  “Correct. Which means you’ll be here for a few months. On the bright side, you can spend that time learning the language and honing your fighting skills.” She chuckled softly, “You know, so you won’t blow up a city block trying to kill a rat.”

  I laughed and gently pushed her back. “Hey, that rat must’ve had it coming if I’m fighting it.”

  Kalie rolled her eyes as she stood to her feet. She walked over the pens of the war hounds and closed each one. She then turned to me.

  “Come on, let’s go.”

  I followed behind her as she led us back upstairs into the lobby. She turned to one of the receptionists.

  “I’m clocking out early.”

  It was the nonchalant guy from earlier.

  “Alright,” he grumbled, resting his head on his counter.

  Kalie signed her name on a paper and had it stamped by the receptionist. After that, she grabbed her coat, threw on her hood and we headed outside.

  Outside, Kalie took my hand in hers and we began our walk.

  We couldn’t have been walking for more than a few minutes before I broke the silence with a question.

  “So where do you stay?”

  Kalie shook her head. “We never talk outside, you don’t know who’s listening and what they’re plotting.”

  I sighed.

  “This place had so many damn rules. What if I just wanted to do a funny walk, is there a rule against that too?”

  “Yes, someone would think you’re a cripple and attack you.”

  “She’s right, boy.” The dragon in my head spoke. “Look how they stare at us already. A woman and a child, easy prey for anyone desperate enough. Or so they would assume.”

  I went silent immediately as I noticed the people who stared at us. Mostly sketchy men who gave us long side eyes.

  I even noticed a few guys who changed their route to follow us from a distance.

  If it came down to it I’d flood this whole street before I let Kalie get hurt. But it would be best to avoid the trouble altogether.

  Kalie kept to well-populated streets and shifted the side of the road she was on often.

  When she did catch someone looking at us, she’d look in their direction and they’d quickly look away.

  It wasn’t long before we entered a sort of shopping district. A place packed with stores, guards, and street merchants.

  Kalie approached a blacksmith's shop, where an older and a younger man were bickering about something.

  “I told you, ya old bastard, that sword would never resell.” The younger man was livid. He was wrapped in a leather apron and had short black hair.

  The older man he was shouting at, just stood there, hunched over with a smile as he used a sword as a cane. “Ah, young Felix, you have much to learn.”

  “I’ll show you something to–“ Felix stopped talking when he noticed us approaching. He dusted himself off and relaxed his face. “Sup.”

  Kalie ignored him and walked up the steps that led to a room above the blacksmith’s shop.

  She pulled three keys from her pocket and unlocked three separate locks on the door, before pushing it open.

  She placed a hand on my back and pushed me inside before following behind me.

  Outside, Felix grinned.

  “She wants me.”

  The old man massaged a chin, “How can you be so talented yet so blind? Truly a fascinating conundrum.”

  Once Kalie and I were inside her home, she took off her coat. She placed it on the coat rack on the door, before pointing a finger at the ceiling.

  She did two hand gestures and fired a small gust of wind at an Ouro stone. It illuminated the room in a soft, pink glow.

  “Now we can talk.”