Golem of the Crimson Heart

--------------------3rd day in Elth------------------

Time had passed quickly throughout the night. I could hear the wind blowing along the road through the buildings, a few gutters and windows rattling. Strange. The night before I hadn't noticed it because of the water sound. But everything seemed clearer now. The part of my brain that was standing guard seemed to have grown. I couldn't see with my eyes, but I might as well now see through my ears.

The sun was beaming straight through the window. It was not as high as in summer, fall only a few weeks away. 

Grabbing my things, I consider whether I need the spears. Now remembering, Antoni wasn't too thrilled to have walked around the town hall with them. Daggers will do.

Downstairs, as yesterday, all was empty. At the other end of the reception was another hall. Turning the corner, I spot two long tables. To the left was a nice-sized stove and oven. Probably a dining room. Also empty.

"Ah, good morning." greeted the man. The inn's host. I wave gently to him. "Breakfast is included." he mentions stirring in a pot. "Although it's not a choice what. Stew. Potatoes and smoked meat. Delicious." the man proudly states of his food. 

I shake my hands and nod. 

"Aren't you hungry? I don't think you've been out of your room since yesterday afternoon." the man speaks curiously to me. 

I nod no again. This management between people and me is sure to give me a headache. Now pointing at me, "I", crossing my hands in an x,"DON'T" and pretending to eat something, "EAT".

"Like now or never?" asks the now curious man, resting his head on his hand over the counter.

Wagging two fingers at him, I hope he gets the message.

"Ok, ok. No problem." Now done with the stew he pulls it from the stove's hot spot to the edge. He goes around the counter and sits opposite me. "And what brings you to town, Nyx?" 

I sit down across from him.I flex my left hand and tap my muscles, trying to formulate an answer. 

" Aaah..Looking for work eh? As an adventurer?" 

As an adventurer? I nod no. 

"Oh sorry, I thought with all those spears and knives you were one." he smiles "I used to be one, I retired 10 years ago." He points behind his back.

Over his shoulder I see a sword and shield hanging behind the counter over a door.

" Name's George." 

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Even though I should have gone to the town hall early, I enjoyed talking to George. 

I was curious about what it's like to be an adventurer.

Pretty shitty. The country's big and there's lots of places to find work, but saving money is hard. We used to sleep outside all the time if we didn't have our own place. Hunting was our mainly food source while on the road. Yeah we drunk and slept in towns waiting for winter to end, but hey, money is sometimes short.

He talked about how he and his friends had retired. Most went back to their birthplace, others went abroad. He said he only came here because he wanted to.

Back at the town hall this time, two men were at the entrance. "Business?" he asked under his mustache. Another fucking interpretation between men and I. I scribble in the air, pretending to hold a pencil.

"Is this all you have with you?" he points to my daggers, attached to my hips. I shake my head yes. "Well you can go." He turns away, minding his own business.

I don't bother waiting at the desk and walk straight to the department space from yesterday. I knock on the door and enter. Simple. 

"OH ANTONI! Yesterday's girl is back." 

"Her papers are on your desk! I'll be there in a sec!" says a male voice from somewhere behind another door. 

Without sitting down, I wait in front of the woman searching through several identical notebooks.

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AAAAAAAAHHH!! My head is buzzing so hard. She's hot!

July had a hard time with strangers. Especially the ones she found pretty, women or men or any other species. 

She looks at me so intense. What should I do? 

All Nyx did was wait for the girl. Her expression was no different than someone walking down the street looking for a drink.

She is looking like she's waiting for me to bark!!!

KYYAAAAAHHHH!!!

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"Eeeh...Look, here." she holds out a notebook. She shakes a little and I could see her sweating lightly by now.

I nod my thanks. The notebook was a berry blue with an insignia on the cover. A heavy hammer with short handle. 

"Hi Nyx." Carrying some kind of box was Antoni. "I hope you like the picture."

True, the picture on the first page was good-looking, black and white, but so was I, it was not distorting my face.

"Any thoughts? Or did you find something?"

I stretch out my hand to his desk, looking for yesterday's sheet."Wait, it's here." Antoni corrects, turning over some papers left under a different folder. "Here."

The paper says. "Disabled person applications" Turning and glaring at Antoni, I try not to be little offended. I read again, but find only yesterday's options. Guard, lumberjack and dockworker. Like hell I'm gonna choose guard. I've killed dozens. That just leaves lumberjack and the dock. 

"Well?"

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The lumberjack option was the best choice. It was outside the city, free from the squalor of the buildings. 

"Well, the guys who own the company, I know them. With the war in south, his short on manpower." 

That's what Antoni said. Even if the kingdom ordered the recruitment of as many men as possible, the world has changed a lot in the last decades. State structures and laws that if broken, would have pushed people to the bare minimum, so those going to war are only the willing. Offer money and prizes of course. People's freedom was on the rise.

"Recently ,he cuts down trees north of the river. It's easy for transportation and it's just a wilderness there."

So now, back in the woods, far from the city, in search of my future employer. The woods. Maybe I'll find the bear. Cute fluffy hairball. 

"Come on skinny, put your back into it!" 

There was a group of people by the river. Tall men. Dressed in wool and leather. Shouting to each other. "Floyd, I told you to leave my boy alone!"

"Well, it ain't my fault he can't lift that much! Why did you bring him anyway?" yells the man named Floyd. He was short, with a noticeable beard and a big nose. A midget? No, wait...a dwarf.

"Dad, please. I want to help." grumbled the boy, trying to stop the two men from arguing.

"Yes Finn, listen to your son. Hard work makes you tough." praises Floyd, probably to himself.

Neither of them wanting to spoil their day, they get back to it. Well, no better time to introduce myself before I interrupt them again. Walking down between the trees, one of the workers sees me, he nudges the dwarf, now turned to me.

"Who the devil are you?" commands a reply in a nonchalant manner, folding his hands over the chest. 

Successfully predicted situation. A million coins for me!

I pull a paper out of my pocket and hand it to him.

"What the fuck is this?" He clutches the paper violently. 

"Floyd, this is from Antoni. This girl's looking for work and I thought, "Maybe Floyd would like someone like her." ..All the best."

"Heeeh?!!!!? You!? Work here?! Don't make me laugh. Get lost. This is a man's work!" declares Floyd. Now looking more clearly at me. "Even though I see you've got some muscle, I don't trust little Antoni's judgment."

This guy's an ass. Maybe I should go. Just a waste of time.

"Floyd, you redneck! She's the first person looking to fucking work here in three weeks! Let her do something."

"Like what?! Gather twigs for the fire?" laughs Floyd, apparently in charge of the whole team.

Having had enough of his loud mouth, I turn around to a fallen tree. The cut was smooth and it was big, about 30 inches in diameter. Grabbing the end, I pick it up.. Massive. Lifting more, I push it over my head and support it with one hand.

Everyone was frozen in place, shocked by the strength of the strange woman. " Dude Floyd, you'd have to be an absolute moron not to hire her." remarked one of the men. Probably sick of all his boss's stupid bullshit.

"You're hired!" yells the dwarf.

------------------4th day in Elth----------------

A new day, with a new job. Courtesy of that asshole Floyd. Yesterday after we rounded up the logs, we came back to city hall, signing our contract.

"Ah, everything that's now must be recorded. Bloody bureaucracy. When I was young, you work, you get paid, and that's it!" he complained all the way from the city gate all the way back to the town hall. He loved to talk, mostly about the city and himself. "Tomorrow's Friday, so me and the boys are going out. Can girl like you keep up with us?" he asks, grinning. He sure had a habit of teasing people.

"Timbeeer!" 

 The loud thump of a tree hitting the ground was to be expected every time I heard someone yell that. And then it was my turn to do my job. Cut the branches down and pull the wood down the river with the boys.

"Sure you don't need a break? You've been doing this for hours." the voice of a coworker, Phill, with whom I've been assigned today, asks worriedly." I've been where you are. First day, pumped up. Trust me, it'll get worse. Your back will hurt for a week!" he laughs at his own hint. 

I give him an assuring look and a thumbs up. Yes, our dialog was still lousy. But at least these people were average. The Duke's court staff, fuck him, they were always on high alert, like they'd die if they lost the job for some reason. 

Heh... Now that I think about it... Neither there nor here... I could say whatever I wanted. This is just gonna happen again?!?!?! Stuck as the world's doormat!?

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"Come on Finn! Don't lose my money!!!" yells Floyd in a rage."We need that new saw!!!"

Now this is interesting. 

All the loggers and their boss and myself went out to a pub. It was a beautiful tavern, big, decorated in flowers and various weapons. After refusing several drinks from the boys and other... suitors... I just stayed to enjoy the ambiance.

They were about three ladies serving drinks and food around. One even gave me a wink. 

Soon after... everyone got piss drunk. The whole parlor was noisy and the waitresses were happy, even though they were making more of an effort holding everything together. Now... some guys were assholes. They interrupted us, sitting uninvited at our table. At first I thought they were going to rob us. But Floyd yelled at the top of his lungs. They worked in town, fixing roads and the harbor, apparently had a bad history with Floyd. Like everybody else, apparently.

And now, they were in a skandenberg match. For money. Our money. Floyd's money. OUR MONEY!

Finn was big. The sturdiest of us all. But so was his opponent. Guy had tough hands, more likely from carrying rocks all day and whatever else was doing on sides. But Finn was tired. He'd been sweating all day and on and on.

And this guy pushed him hard. Hard enough for Finn to lose with one hard smack of his hand against the table, he lost.

"KYYYYAA NOO!!!" cried Floyd to the sky. As if someone in heaven would save him from a bad drinking decision. "We're broke."

"Your fault, boss." one of my coworkers snorts, gulping from his mug of liquor.

"You agreed Krill! We all did!"

Not me. Not saying anything I roll my eyes. 

"HAHAHAHA Floyd. You blew it. Pay up!" orders the man, backed up by his own coworkers.

"KYYYYAA!!! Double or nothing!" yells Floyd. "HEE? What you say?"

"Sure, sure. But with what? You just said you're broke! HAHA!"

"Bastard... Finn! Come and do it again." orders Floyd to Finn, probably the only man who would listen to him in this situation.

"No way! My hand hurts." Finn complained, squeezing his shoulder. Probably a strained muscle from the sudden force.

"Okay. Nyx, you're next!"

I turn around looking for another Nyx, as if I was drunk and talking nonsense. I point at myself with a puzzled look on my face.

"Yes, you! Now come on!"

"HA! This is your salvation? This little girl?" the man grunts. He looks me up and down for a second. "Sure, I'll even triple it.. if the girl sleeps with me tonight." he speaks in a gruff voice.

Seconds later. " Deal!"

Now wait a fucking second! Why do I have to pick up your mess? That's what my face said, looking at Floyd.

"No bullshit! Now make daddy proud!!" Floyd comments without a shame.

I sigh..Ok.

Sitting in the chair across the man, I copy Finn. Elbow down and other hand on edge of table. Anything else?

"Keep your shoulder up!" says Phill, the only one who still had two bolts screwed right in his skull.

"Now, believe me, even though I'm tough...I'm firm..." the man purses his lips at me. 

I kill him.

"Ok...ready?" we both just nod. "Then go!"

Now we were both stuck, neither without an advantage over the other. For the first few seconds, he couldn't believe what was happening. The others were cheering me on, but I couldn't really understand what they were saying. Next thing I know, the guy was sweating. The table began to shake, as if a little earthquake was supposed to shake the whole building, but it came upon just us. Now he was gasping for air. Slowly pushing on his hand, I press it donw the table.

"HOORAY!!!" yelled my coworkers. 

"HAHAHAHAHA!!! Now you pay up!" rebuked Floyd.

The man was holding his arm tightly, as if he was injured now. "Fine... take it..." says some last words before he throws a bag of money and walks away.

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