Chapter 2: The Pit

One week later, at Union City...

Some time passed after Ayshee and Gene said goodbye to M'hirr, Gene bribed one of the dock workers to get him on board one of the supply ships heading to one of the major cities. The worker wanted him out of town as much as everyone else, but also saw this as an opportunity to get some coin while he was at it. So he gleefully reluctantly accepted the obnoxious human's offer and got him passage aboard a cargo ship delivering fresh produce to Union City so they can turn in a profit there.

The crew of the ship kept a close eye on the two humans, but then remembered that one of them had a sword and looked like he knew how to use it, so they didn't have a lot of room to object. It was easy sailing for the two of them, despite being on a cramped boat with a bunch of salty catmen. They had plenty in the ways of food and drink, but all that rocking can take a toll people.

A week of travel and they finally arrived at the busy harbor of Union City, where merchants and patrons alike were cruising about in the streets and a lot of different products were brought in. Food, drink, tools, weapons, armor, jewelry and other odd curios were brought in, from ships of all kinds. The guy that was paid off started to aggressively shove the two of them down the ramp to the dock. "There, you're here! Now get the hell off our ship, you thieving rats!! Eating and drinking our stock at your own leisure~ I don't want to have to see you lot as long as I live!" Gene drew his sword and brought it up to the Nyanqin's neck with a nasty smirk on his lips. "Oi! I don't think I like your tone! Now why don't you just take your money and walk away, ya' sourpuss." The cat sneered at him as he lowered his weapon and hissed while walking away from the two of them. "Heh, see? You just gotta know how to talk to people." Gene said to Ayshee as he sheathed his blade. 

"So, let's see what we can find here. Maybe along the way we can find a way to get your sorry hide home. If not, you can always become a Grade-A Adventurer, like yours truly. You'll never be bored and you can have all the food, booze and women you could ever want. HYAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAH~!!!" He laughed loud enough for everyone at the docks to hear. "Alright, let's go! ...Actually, let's see if we can find you some better gear. You wouldn't be much help in a fight the way you are now." Gene drawing attention to his ineffectual nature. He then set off for the city, expecting his little tag-along pal to follow his lead.

Location: The Union City

It was dim outside and it had rained the day before. Sir Gene and I rode a ship and sailed across the wide open seas.  It surely was pleasant to be finally walking on dry land once again. Well it was wet and muddy but at least it wasn't swaying around not that sailing bothered me. It felt really good being at sea I never thought sailing would be this fun. The air in this world was fresh and clean. The sky was so blue and clear like the sea. Somehow it still felt like a dream my thoughts flew as I stood on the ship's deck admiring the beauty of this world. How I wish my mother could be here with me I'm sure she would've loved sailing.

During our journey at sea sir Gene was very skeptical with the catmen on board the ship. But I wasn't worried I knew Sir Gene would be there to protect me. He was bigger than the other catmen and I think some of them were even scared of sir Gene. It was sad that Ms. Maria couldn't join us I kinda liked her, she was very kind, she fed us really tasty fish dishes, and she did give me some really cool clothes.

When we made port it left like I was embarking on a field trip only there were no other students and my teacher was sir Gene, a tall knight with a strong fetish for women. But overall he was a nice guy, I kinda idolized him he was very strong and no one dared bully him around... I was the complete opposite.

When sir Gene mentioned home I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my heart. It was like I was scared that I might never see my home ever again and it felt like my heart was going to explode. Then he said I could be an adventurer. I fancied the idea of becoming an adventurer and I dreamt of one day becoming strong like sir Gene. He had really big muscles like his arms were 5 times wider than mine were. I did a little muscle check and flexed my tiny arms but I couldn't even manage a nice solid bulk. It was embarrassing so I rolled my sleeves back down and smiled cheerfully.

Sir Gene was full of energy so I tried to match his enthusiasm by shouting, "Yeah! Let's go!" My voice didn't come out the way I wanted it, it was completely different from how manly sir Gene sounded. I did not know what to say after that so I just closed him mouth and nodded with my eyebrows.

C.S.R., Union City...

While he wasn't a big fan of crowds (unless they were legions of female fans swarming to admire his greatness), It was nice to take a stroll through a bustling marketplace every once in a while. The young chap had a look of both nervousness and excitement about him, which he'd expected from someone that hasn't gotten out much, sitting in front of a box all day and all. There were merchants all about trying to sell their wares to the public, from sales pitches to grand stands; it was like a damn circus, with clowns around every corner. A lot of them were calling out to Ayshee, trying to sucker him into buying their overpriced goods. "Don't listen to a single one of them, kid, they're no good. All they want is your money. Hell, they'd use orphans to sell ya' things and would expect you to buy from them out of sympathy. Hah!" Not that he had any, but to them, everyone was prey. They're the predators of the marketing world. If you didn't notice by now, Gene's not the smartest shopper, past encounters leaving him with a feeling of scorn.

Other than this regularly occurring festival of shopping shenanigans, there were actually quite a few lookers amongst the sea of people. Normal girls, Qin girls, Alf girls and... he didn't even wanna look in the direction of the Delva women, but dammit, there was a whole danged assortment! But out of all of them, he saw a Dragonqin shorty with dark red short wavy hair, horns that curved under her ears like a head ornament and a nice thick tail that swung gently left and right from underneath a rather short flimsy skirt. This gave Gene a wicked idea. "Hey Ayshee, wanna see an awesome trick? Keep an eye on her, over there." He pointed out the girl browsing some produce with her back to the two a dozen meters away. "I've been perfecting this technique for years now! I learned it from the God of Wind himself!" He boastfully lied to the boy.

He took a proper stance; his left foot out in front and his other out to the right of him, with both his arms in front and in back and his palms facing flat out, like he was trying to stop traffic. His expression was a very serious one, using all of his concentration to aim at one spot. All of his muscles clenched as he began to lift up his right foot and stomp it near his right, moving both his arms around in a downward and upward vertical fashion to switch positions with one another. The combined force of his movements and his open palm pushing pushing the air with great force and speed created a small gale that traveled forth, uplifting the girl's skirt to reveal her fanciful undergarments. They were pink with a well-made rose design along the trimming and a low cut in the back so there was room for the tail; her ass filled out the whole thing rather nicely. 

"Oh~" She felt the breeze up her backside, but she didn't seem to give it too much mind. She caught a chill from it and moved on to other stalls. "Gyahahahahahahah!! That was pretty damn impressive, wasn't it? I amaze myself sometimes. No skirt is safe from 'the Uplifting'! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH~!!! Maybe I'll teach you some time, if you wa-" Gene got too caught up in his own bravado to notice a few Imperial grunts eyeing him and froze the second he caught on. "Ehhhhhhhh~ Let's move on, for now." Moving quickly with his hand on Ayshee's back. "Let's see if we can find a good weapon and armor shop around here..." He said as he looked around for anything that might suit him and was inexpensive.

Location: With Sir Gene

I listened to sir Gene about his opinion on the merchants across the street. He said they were practically bad people, tricksters who only want me for my money. But as I look at each and everyone one of them I saw only sadness, poverty and strife. It wasn't easy selling wares on the streets, I know this because I met a man back on earth who was a street vendor and a drug addict...

It was a Wednesday. Classes were finished and I was at school waiting for my mom to come pick me up but she was late. Across the street there was this dirty looking guy who was selling stuff he found unattended on the street and from dumpsters. He had one shoe on his left foot and his right foot was bare. I could see from across the street how he was desperate he was to sell his wares to passerbys. The janitor saw me staring at the man from across the street and he told me.

"You best stay away from that man Eishi. He'd sell anything even his own son just for a bag of dope." said the janitor. At the time I didn't know what dope is or what it was for. But I do know that the man needed it more than his own children.

It was getting dark and my mom still hasn't come by to pick me up. I was starting to get worried that my mom might never show up. It didn't even occur to me that something might have happened to her. Right then all I was thinking about was how lonely it felt to be alone. I saw a group of kids walking towards me. Livingston, Jake and Terry, bullies from my school came by and approached me. I'm guessing they saw me from down the street. I had been waiting in the same spot for almost 3 hours.

They started harassing me verbally at first, telling me that my mom had abandoned me because I was useless. I wanted to answer back but I was scared and the thought did cross my mind, what if she did abandon me? I would hate my mom if she did. Then they started pushing me and pushing me until I fell on the floor and hurt my elbow. Then they started kicking me while they laughed at me and called me names. When they stomped on me it hurt a lot but not as much as the feeling of being alone. Where was my mom? Why didn't she come to get me? Did she really leave me here?

I cried from both the beatings and from the sadness in my heart. All of the sudden they stopped and I heard someone say, "Hey!"

"Hey!"

"Stop that you kids!"

The bullies ran away after that. It was the guy from across the street. He saw me and helped me. Even though everyone thought he was a bad person he turned out to be a really nice fellow. He helped me up and gave me two or three taps on the shoulders then he said, "Are you alright kid? Where's you mum?"

I was still shaking when I replied to him. I said, "My mom didn't come to pick me up... She left me here..."

"Nonsense!" the man said. "I'm sure she just got a very good explanation. Come on! I'll walk you home. Where do you live?"

I was scared he might kidnap me but it was already dark and I was afraid to be alone so I told him where I lived. We walked for about an hour and he was with me every step of the way. We talked mostly about him and who he was before who his now. Until I was finally able to get home safely. He gave me a smile I would never forget. His teeth were crooked and rotten but the expression on his face showed me only glee and kindness. And then he said farewell.

I never saw him again after that. It turns out that the man who people said would sell his own children for dope, turned out to be a nice guy after all.

Sir Gene and I strolled down the busy streets of the Union City. It seemed like sir Gene would be doing most of the talking on this adventure. He hasn't stopped since we met at M'hrr so why stop at all. And he was always up to something silly and dangerous. He got me to focus on a reptilian girl as he approached her with most caution. I was puzzled at what sir Gene wanted to show me. He took a peculiar stance behind the girl and flipped her skirt up. I was... well it was certain not what I expected for my first panty flash but it did get my blood racing.

I was so embarrassed for sir Gene. I didn't want to look but I did and I my face started to get really hot and flushed I finally was able to turn away. Sir Gene had this perverse smile on his face like everything is cool. He called it the Uplifting. I didn't care what it was I was just so embarrassed to have been a part of it.

Sir Gene's mood quickly changed when he was the guards noticing him. He was very quick to push me out of the scene I almost tripped trying to catch up to his pace. I looked back and saw the guards did not follow us. I was relieved somehow I did not want to be an accomplice to such a perverse act... well maybe a little.

It appears that sir Gene was looking for weapons and armor. I saw Dragonheart staring Dennis Quaid this place reminded me of that movie. Just then I saw this guy hammering something metallic from a distance. "There!" I shouted and pointed to sir Gene.

C.S.R., Union City...

As they avoided an encounter with the authorities, Ayshee spotted a blacksmith pounding out some iron, so Gene thought he'd perhaps give him a look. They walked over to his shop to take a gander and he had some pretty decent stuff here; a nice little assortment of gear indeed. the blacksmith himself looked like a crotchety old codger, but his body was very muscular, despite his age and size. The old man noticed the flamboyant man and the squeamish kid next to him. "Well? What'd ya' want?! don't just loiter in front of my shop like a couple a' hooligans! Either buy something or leave." He was blunt and had a bad attitude, not the kind of person you wanna test in patience.

"Sorry, old man, I was just wondering what was good here." He didn't take kindly to what he said. "Everything, ya' damn fool! I don't fool around or do things the easy way when it comes t' smithin'. Can't ya' tell just by lookin', or are ya' blind like the rest of 'em? And the name's Farim, not 'old man'. Now what are ya' lookin' for?" Gene scratched his chin and thought to himself and contemplated for a moment. "(Jeesh~ This guy doesn't beat around the bush, does he? I almost wanna whack 'im, but he's just old and angry, so whatever...) Uhhhhhhh~ I was actually looking for something for him." He pointed at the kid just behind him. 

"Hah! Sorry, but I don't make anything for babes the likes of 'im. Yer' better off goin' to a toy shop, ya' punks." This guy was starting to make Gene a little upset. "*inhale* Come on, the kid's tough. He was stabbed in the chest and he got through that just fine. He can fight, he just needs to learn how. Isn't there anything he can use?" Farim looked at the man for a brief moment before looking at the ground. "Alright, I think I have somethin' just fer 'im." He picks up a small piece of wood the size of a knife and tosses it at Ayshee. "There, is that good enough fer ya'? Hah hah hah hah hah~!!" The smith laughed at the boy in mocking laughter, with Gene ready to clock him right in the face.

He slammed his fist down on the counter and Yelled at the old man. "Oi, oi! Don't you make fun of him! Only I get to do that! Now are you gonna sell me a damn weapon or not, ya' damn geezer!!" Farim did not look happy with Gene. "Ya' want one? Fine, I'll get ya' one. Take yer' pick." He shuffled aside so the two could have their pick of weaponry. Gene looked over at Ayshee. "Well, what'll it be?" He asked the boy, leaving the choice up to him.

C.S.R., Union City...

The old man showed off his wares, but everything was out of Gene's price range and he had less money than he thought he did. He jingled his coin bag and sighed in disgust. He also made mention of a problem the city was having with some black cats and the promise of hard cash for anybody that might get rid of them. Seems like they didn't have much of a choice at this point. "Alright, I get it. I'll be back later. Come on, Ayshee, let's go." They walked away from the shop and strolled through the rest of the city with little problem to reach the front entrance...

Union City Outskirts...

It looked deserted out here, with hardly anyone or anything around. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get inside, like there was trouble afoot. Gene couldn't find high or low of those panthers around, so maybe they retreated to the mountain just outside of town. It was pretty desolate off in the distance, but they were gonna have to risk it to find those wild animals, kill them and come back to accept their hefty reward. "*inhale* *exhale* Okay, let's go put those cats out of their misery!" He threw up his arm with his sword in hand and marched towards the mountains.

Half an hour of walking led them to a crag that was surrounded by ledges and some holes in the walls, like they were carved/dug out by something, or maybe it was a natural formation, he wasn't too sure which. "Stay on guard, 'cause those bastards could be anywhere. We're on their turf now." Gene could feel the coldblooded stares of several somethings accompanied by the sound of pebbles rolling downward onto the dirt-covered ground. He kept his weapon ready just in case they got the jump on them.

Location: Following Sir Gene

There were a bunch of fancy looking swords and shields at the store and I thought they must be really expensive and I did not want owe sir Gene stuff I cannot pay back. Furthermore I was terrified at the sight of blood more or less the idea of fighting. I felt too shy to say anything though. To be honest I kinda liked the idea of having a fancy sword. Not that there was anything wrong with the one Ms. Maria gave me but the one Sir Gene was trying to purchase was just.... newer.

Something was wrong.

Sir Gene shook his coin purse and he looked worried. For some reason he didn't buy anything from the shop. The blacksmith did ask help from Sir Gene whatever it was I knew sir Gene was capable of handling it. Sir Gene was really strong looking and I bet he could take on three hundred men all at once.

I left with Sir Gene and we went near the edge of the city. We traveled on the mountain pass which had many cliffs and dangerous edges. But sir Gene helped me through them. I felt safe with sir Gene with me. The blacksmith said we would be hunting Black Panthers. Panthers? as in big cats? Why do I feel like I'm going to get eaten again. There was something about big cats that always reminded me about the......

Stabbing...

That's right I got stabbed in the heart...

Suddenly I felt a sharp crippling pain in my chest and it dropped me to my hands and knees, brought about by a post traumatic anxiety attack. I knew there was no more hole there. Ms. Maria healed me. I just had to overcome the fear in me. The memories of the red haired woman driving a knife through my chest still haunts me.

Sir Gene was leading and he didn't seem to notice that I fell down. I had to get up before he notices, I didn't want to look like a weakling in front of him. I really wanted to get up but I couldn't, my legs were still trembling. It was then that I saw a convenient excuse to use as an alibi. There was a smelly pile of animal poo in front of me. I called out to sir Gene to show him what I found.

"Sir Gene! Look I saw some animal poopings. Maybe this means we are close?" I didn't watch animal documentaries of anything like that. But I did watch dogs shit on the streets and if the dog shit is still fresh and smelly then that means it wasn't long before it came out of a dog's rectum.

I used the sword Ms. Maria gave me like a cane and helped myself up. I looked all around for any signs of the Black Panther. I did as sir Gene instructed. I braced myself but the only problem was.... I didn't know how. I was clueless as to how to use a sword.

Redwall Mountains, Bloody Crag...

Gene finished off the "panthers", splattering their blood and some of their innards all over Ayshee and himself. The toxin in his system made him feel tired and out of breath, like he'd just ran a hundred miles. Ayshee was bitten too, but was in worse shape than he was. "Ahhh~ damn." He sluggishly stumbled towards the boy and put his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, kid, are you *pant* alright?" He tried his best to keep his cool, but the beads of sweat falling down his brow and haggard breath said otherwise. He picked up one of the eviscerated cats'(?) heads and tucked it under his arm so they'd have proof that they killed the vicious predators. "Okay, *pant* let's go back and collect... eh?" He noticed a glimmering in a small cave next to Ayshee that appeared from the light reflecting off of Gene's armor. "Ayshee, why don't ya' *pant* make yourself useful and go see *pant* what's in there. *phew~*" He'd been poisoned before and got used to it after a while, mostly from eating foreign plants.

Location: Still with Sir Gene and still ALIVE!


I had my eyes closed the entire fight. I hid behind the wide iron blade Ms. Maria gave me. My body was so small that it shielded me from the most severe attacks. The armor Ms. Maria gave me was tough it saved me from a couple of scratches and claw marks. I also had my back against a rock so that helped me by preventing the Black Panthers from attacking me from behind.

Even with my eyes closed I could hear sir Gene fighting. When it was all over I took a peek from behind the sword and saw that there were Black Panther blood and guts everywhere. I didn't even notice that I had some on me. I did sustain some cuts and bruises but nothing serious. I was feeling rather weak and dizzy...

I feel like... I...

*Barf!* 

I vomited yellow juice with chunks of digested bread from breakfast on to the ground. Perhaps it was from all the blood and guts or maybe from the poison, or maybe from both. I didn't stop to think about it, I just wanted to vomit.

"Maybe I'll just rest up for a while here Sir Gene. I don't feel so good."

Red Mountains, Bloody Crag...

After seeing the kid throw up all over the ground, Gene couldn't help but wretch at the sight of it. "Ecgh~ Okay, okay, I'll take care of it then." At this point, it was just starting to becoming irritating to babysit this brat. He had a weapon, but he didn't even attempt to swing it, he just hid behind it like a coward. Maybe the people from his world weren't as great as he thought they were. They created all that technology and the brain-y types tended to be scrawny weaklings. Even when he was a kid, he fought against all kinds of wildlife without any kind of prior combat training. Maybe he was just wasting his time, but he couldn't just leave the kid to die out here, he probably just hasn't ever seen a real fight in person before.

He ducked into the small cave and saw two shiny bobbles among the bones of what were probably victims of these feral beasts. It was a knife and a wand, which both looked expensive. He didn't have any real use for them, but maybe he could sell them at a high price and get Ayshee some better equipment. "Yoink!" He plucked the treasures from the ground and stuffed them in the back of his belt. He exited the cave and picked Ayshee up, placing him on his back, tying the monster's head to his belt by the hair on its neck. "You better not hurl on me, or you get to walk on your own." 

C.S.R., Union City...

The two of them stumbled their way back to the city, Gene swerving around like a drunkard. Onlookers cringed and plugged their noses at the sight and smell of the blood-drenched warrior and his companion. He set Ayshee down against the side of a building and grabbed the head he had on his person, raising it up over his own. "OI!! I took care of the bastards that've been bothering everyone! So who's gonna pay me for it, huh!!?" He shouted loudly so everyone could hear him. "I better get some kind of cash reward for this, or I'm gonna be PISSED!!! *pants*" He continued shouting with a great feeling of entitlement while waving around the terrifying bloody cranium, hoping he wouldn't have to escalate the situation any further.

C.S.R., Union City...

In his fit, one of the guards approached Gene and gave him a bag of coins to shut his trap. He also told him that he should probably bathe and and get some sleep while he was at it, as well as clean his clothes at the smithy. "Well, thank ya' kindly." Pretending he didn't just make an ass out of himself just then. He tossed the head into a nearby barrel and walked back over to Ayshee. "C'mon, pal, let's get some rest and maybe something to eat later." It was still light out, but that poison made him feel dead tired and the little guy was just barely hanging in there. He added the extra coins to his own bag and tossed the other before picking the kid up in his arms. The smell was even starting to get to him, so he sloppily hurried over to the nearest inn, which was made much easier by everyone avoiding him like a filthy animal that wreaked of corpses.

Union City, Local Inn...

He barged through the doors placed the kid in a chair before approaching the clerk behind the front desk. "Hey, can I get a room for two? And also, I'd like to have these cleaned, if ya' would." He looked down at his besmirched attire, followed by Ayshee's. He then placed his coin bag in front of the woman. "I can pay, so don't worry about a thing." Gene was all too used to people thinking he was just a bum and wanted to prove he had money in advance.

Union City, Local Inn...

Well that wasn't too bad for a room, cleaning services and a bath. "Alright, here ya' go." He pulled out 200 Gil and put them in her open palm. "Think I'll go take that bath now~ Keep an eye on the kid 'til he waked up, okay?" Giving the kindly old woman a wink as he stripped himself of everything on him except for a loincloth he wore underneath, showing off his bronzed physique. "I'll be taking these with me. Can't be too careful now." He picked up his bag, the weapons he found and his sword, leaving his other things next to Ayshee. 

He whistled merrily as he marched down the hall. Luckily, no one was occupying it at the time, so he helped himself. He turned one of the handles next to the faucet, letting a bunch of steaming water pour into the tub. "Oooooo~ Steamy~" He slammed the door shut behind him and added some cold water to the soup before taking off his underwear and jumping into the tub, making a big splash. Even even took his sword and his treasures into the tub with him, like they were his bath buddies. He dunked his head underwater and shook his hair out, getting all the bloody mess out.

"Okay, partner, let's get you all cleaned up." He took the sword out of his sheath and washed all the blood off, including the scabbard. "There, all~ clean! Now... how much are you guys worth?" He looked at the two weapons with a look of glee. His coin bag sat on the edge of the tub, like an observer. "Hope you're ready to handle all that coin! Heheheheheh!" He placed his things on the edge alongside his bag, he grabbed a bar of soap and scrubbed himself all over, especially his undercarriage. After that was done, he let out a sigh of relaxation and just slumped back and put his hands behind his head. "I really needed this..."

Union City

---

Unknown to Gene and Eishi, a group of bandits overheard Gene boast about his money at the blacksmith. They have been following Gene and Eishi eversince. They had setup around the Inn, waiting for Gene and Eishi to leave.

Union City is a den for lowlives and thieves who prey on the unweary travellers. One man and a kid were perfect targets for these men.

Location: INN

We're here! We're here! Wake up Eishi!

I heard her again. The girl in my dreams she called out to me. When I opened my eyes I saw that I was inside an INN laying on a soft bed made from animal wool. I looked around and realized that I was alone. Sir Gene wasn't in the room with me but there was another bed next to mine so I thought maybe he went out.

I was already feeling better after we fought those Black Panthers from hell. I finally had the poison out of my system and I felt like I needed to get some fresh air. I hopped out of the bed and walked around the room for six to seven minutes, admiring all the amazing decorations in the room. Then I saw the door, I thought maybe I should go out and find sir Gene. Then I thought, maybe not. So I stayed a few more minutes inside the room, doing nothing. I got really bored so I went against my better judgement and decided to go out of the room. I did wear my armor and brought the sword ms. Maria gave me.

I pushed the door open and walked down the hallway till I found myself in the lobby. It seemed like a normal day and I saw some people in the lobby just sitting there doing their own thing. I couldn't find anyone to talk to so I decided to go outside.

The streets of Union City was just as busy as it was when we first got here. I thought maybe sir Gene went back to the blacksmith to claim the reward. So I did some walking and traveled to where I remembered the blacksmith was.

Union City

---

After hours of waiting, the group of thieves finally spot one of their targets leaving the INN. It was the little boy Eishi and he was alone, the big man wasn't there with him. They immediately signaled their pals to follow the boy. A female wearing a leather attire with a dagger in her hip and a bow and a set of arrows in her back. 



She started tailing Eishi and as soon as she saw the perfect opportunity, she approached the boy.

"Hey there little boy. Are you lost? Need any help?" she asked Eishi with a soft mellow tone and a friendly smile on her face.

Location: Out in the Streets alone (bad idea)

I wonder the Blacksmith's shop is. I tried my best to recall it but I couldn't find the landmarks that we passed earlier to get there. The city was bigger than I thought I felt a bit lost, but I was determined to find that shop without sir Gene's help. I did feel kinda bad not helping sir Gene fight the Black Panthers, but I was really scared as well. The whole time I thought I was going to get eaten for sure. Ever time try to recall that fight I see an image of me being dragged into the bushes and eaten alive. It was so scary my hair started standing up just thinking about it.

I've been walking around for a while now so I stopped. I couldn't recognize anyone from before and I was starting to panic. I looked back and tried to trace back my steps. Fortunately I still remember the way back to the INN. It gave me a little bit of a confidence boost knowing I could turn back at any given time.

I was about to start walking again when suddenly a woman wearing leather armor came up to me and asked me was I lost and did I need help. She seemed like a nice person and she had a pretty smile. So smiled back at her and said, "Umm.. Actually I'm looking for the blacksmith. Do you know where he is?"

I'm sure sir Gene wouldn't mind if I asked for a bit of help. I truly believed that I would find Sir Gene in the Blacksmith's shop. Besides these guys were a lot nicer than the ones in the Cat Island. I never felt welcome there. Majority of my stay in Cat Island felt like I was going to end up inside one or more Catmen bellies. But not all was bad, after all I met ms. Maria who was really kind to me and sir Gene of course who is now like my mentor.