A Mythical Match Up IV - Futures Market Part II (Patreon)

Nathan turned to shut the door as he and Melinanatha entered the chamber. Like everything else in the castle, the door was oversized relative to him. Nathan pushed it with one hand and then two. The thick, massive wooden frame creaked and moved slightly - possibly an inch. Melinanatha giggled. The pit in Nathan's stomach widened. He pressed his shoulder against the door, dug his heels into the stone floor and finally managed to close it. He then turned and regarded Melinanatha with a smile that felt horribly false.

             He paused for a moment to look around. The chamber was fifty to sixty feet in width and length and had a low, vaulted ceiling. The walls were finished stone and mortar. A small yet elegant square table stood in the middle of the room with four padded chairs situated at each side. A wooden cabinet decorated with intricate whorl carvings stood against the wall opposite the door. Plates, glassware and other assorted crockery lined the cabinet's shelves. Nathan surmised the room served as some kind of tea room or private dining area for guests. He noted a thin membrane of dust on the surface of the table; the room hadn't been used for a while.

            "...Can we sit?" said Nathan, gesturing at the chairs.

            Melinanatha cocked her head and placed her claws on her enormous hips.

            "What ever is the matter, Nathan?" she asked in a jovial voice albeit one tinged with concern. "You appear almost despondent. We snatched victory, my domain, and my sire and dam's favor from Coskitrask's greedy grasping claws!"

            "Yeah, no, it's great. Wonderful!" said Nathan, forcing enthusiasm.

            He took a deep breath and steeled himself. He needed to do this. He needed to be firm, sincere and pragmatic. And a little bit selfish. He looked up at Melinanatha and saw that her lips had curved into a pout. He almost gave up right there and then, but pressed on.

            "Melinantha, we..."  He'd intended to say 'need to talk' but stopped mid-sentence. Even though he was addressing an eight-foot tall green-scaled anthropomorphic dragoness with the physique of an Olympian weightlifter and curves befitting a fertility goddess who hailed from another dimension straight out of the wet dream of the most demanding isekai fanboy, as one of his friends had put it; who hadn't even heard of humans until half a year ago, Nathan knew how she would interpret those particular words. There was an unmistakable, universal implication inherent in the phrase. And while it came close to what he wanted to convey, it wasn't everything.

            "...I wanted to discuss what our next move should be."

            Melinanatha looked nonplussed for a moment, but then smiled.

            "Ah, very well," she said.

            With that she walked towards the table, pulled out a chair and took a seat. Nathan followed her. He selected a chair on the side facing her and sat. It was not a particularly comfortable chair - not so much because it was hard or stiff but because it was simply too big for him. He looked up at Melinanatha and felt like a toddler sitting at the adult table. Not for the first time.

            "While reverting to your human form did add a certain dramatic flair to our audience with my parents, I think it will make your stay here less...comfortable, my love," remarked Melinanatha, chuckling.

            Nathan nodded, grinning foolishly. He tried to ignore the fact she had called him 'my love' for the first time. He absently wiped the dust from the table with his sleeves.

            "Of course, we could always procure another metamorphosis madras," she added mischievously.

            "Melinanatha..." began Nathan "When we first met I had no idea I'd essentially signed a marriage contract. But we worked things out and came to an arrangement. We'd stay technically engaged and marry and I would help you with your domain's finances. In exchange, you wouldn't enforce the contract that would have trapped me here forever and agreed to a...amicable divorce." He spoke carefully and deliberately as though reading from a script. He had in fact been silently rehearsing the speech in his mind for the last hour. "At the time, it wasn't entirely clear to me why you wanted to get married but now I understand. The...ruling made by the counsel and your family's obligation to Coskitrask - you were looking for a way to keep your domain and independence." He took a breath and exhaled. "But all of that is moot now. Your parents don't want you to marry Coskitrask. Hell, they hate the guy as much as you do now. And he won't make a move against your family now that we have some dirt on him. And...well, nothing is certain in finance, but I think your domain's economy is on the mend."

            "I...ah, yes," said Melinanatha, smiling nervously. "Er, forgive me, but where are you going with all of this?"

            Nathan's lips tightened. Then, he spoke.

            "Do we even have to get married now?"

            Melinanatha stared at him. Her smiled slowly faded.

            "What?" she croaked.

            "Please, just think about it," said Nathan. He felt utterly miserable but pushed on. "You don't need to marry me anymore to get around the council's ruling or your family. You're free."

            "Yes! Thanks to you. And I am grateful. Most grateful!" cried Melinanatha desperately. "You...do not wish to wed me?"

            "We've talked about this before, Melinanatha," said Nathan. "I have a life back on Earth - school, friends, family, a future career. I don't want to give all of that up. It's been tough enough balancing college with these trips to the Realms and giving you financial advice. I literally can't live in two worlds at the same time." He paused. "And I hate having to chose, believe me..." he added softly.

            There was silence.

            "So...you intend to leave me?" quivered Melinanatha. Tears were budding in the corners of her expressive blue eyes.

            "No!" exclaimed Nathan quickly. "Nothing like that."

            "Then what?" cried Melinanatha, wiping her eyes with a clawed finger.

            "That's what I want to talk about," said Nathan between gritted teeth. "I...don't think I'm ready to get married. Not yet. I was willing to do it when it was only a...a temporary, pretend political marriage, I guess, but things have changed. It'd be the real deal now."

            Melinanantha stared at him. Her expression fluctuated between despair, fury and irritation. She rose from her seat, looming over Nathan in all of her draconic glory.

            "Do you want to marry me or not?" she bellowed, wings flaring.

            Nathan leaned back, cringing slightly. Melinanatha, upon noticing his reaction, froze, and then slowly sat back down. Another, far more awkward and far longer silence followed.

            "Melinanatha," began Nathan quietly after a while. "If you think about it, we've never actually gone on more than one date. Just about every other time we've seen each other since we first met was because you needed help with something. We've chatted a bit on the Mythic Match app, but other than that..." he trailed off.

            "So, your concern is that we have not courted properly?" said Melinanatha.

            "I...I guess," said Nathan, shrugging. "At least I don't want to...to rush into anything." He sighed and leaned forward. "Here's what I'm proposing. We take our time and get to know each other. For real. Go on....dates - court, I guess. See what happens."

            "But we are hardly strangers! True, it has not been a traditional courtship, but even so..."

            "Every time we've met it's been to discuss accounting methods, types of capital, investment strategies, loan terms...you get the idea. Do you know what my favorite ba-...music is? What kind of food I hate? I know you like puzzle-sticks and talking political philosophy, but that's about it. We should...see if there's something here when we're not talking business. I'll keep helping you out with your domain's finances, of course. But let's schedule everything ahead of time from now on. No offense, but uh, I'm a little tired of you popping up with no warning and causing a scene."

            "If you're referring to the incident at the party where that corn-haired slattern dared suggest I was some kind of harlot-"

            "Just text ahead of time and give me a day's warning," interrupted Nathan. "Please?"

            "Oh, very well, pet," said Melinanatha. Her mood seemed to have improved slightly. "What are we to tell my sire and dam?"

            "Uh, tell them?"

            "They are still under the impression we are engaged to be wed soon, remember?" said Melinanatha.

            "Oh, well, er, tell them we...need time more time to court. It's the truth." Nathan decided to take a risk. "Maybe we could tell them you're even considering other, er, suitors? I mean, wouldn't another Draco still be more acceptable than me?"

            "What?" said Melinanatha, bewildered. "No, no, no," she said, dismissively waiving a claw. "You forget the dictate of the Vassal Council."

            "But your parents don't want you to marry Coskitrask now," said Nathan, confused. "That was the whole point."

            "Nathan, Nathan, Nathan," sighed Melinanatha wearily. "There is still much you do not understand. Any proclamation made by the Council is eternal and sacrosanct and may not be voided by any being save the Eastern Regent. Because the ruling made no exception for any contingency wherein my parents would no longer wish me to marry Coskitrask, I am still forbidden from wedding anyone of the Realms save him."

            "But that's crazy," said Nathan. "Couldn't you appeal? Point out that your parents don't even want you to marry him anymore?"

            "One could, in theory, petition the Council to reverse their ruling, yes," said Melinanatha uneasily. "But as I have explained, the Vassal Council's decisions can be...unpredictable." She hesitated. "No. In truth, this is one of the rare instances where I have some inkling of how they might rule. They do not like revisiting matters they considered settled, particularly when brought forth by the same party. They might even find cause to punish the petitioner by invoking some obscure edict to their detriment. No, an appeal would be particularly risky."

            "Gezz, what a bunch of-" Nathan caught himself just in time."...Fine, fine, not an option."

            "Even if it was, I suspect my sire and dam would now insist I wed you instead," added Melinantha.  

            "Really?" said Nathan, somewhat flattered despite everything. "I guess I did make a good impression on them."

            "Oh yes," said Melinanatha in a strangely ominous voice. "More than you know."

            "O-kay," said Nathan slowly.

            "Make no mistake, the way you untangled Coskitrask's devious ploy to usurp my domain won their favor," she smiled faintly. "And mine." She sighed. "However, I suspect it was your family's riches that ultimately persuaded them to bless our engagement."

            "My family's ri-...oh come on," groaned Nathan.

            "Your father's early income nearly equals that of their entire domain's," said Melinanatha matter-of-factly. "They likely seek to access that wealth and influence through our union. If not my father, my mother certainly."

            "What? Like, steal from them?"

            "Of course not!" exclaimed Melinanatha, sounding hurt. "Though they might...ask to borrow some monies for enterprise or propose some joint venture. Perhaps exchange wisdom regarding pecuniary matters." She gave him a look. "Why else do you think they expressed an interest in meeting your sire and dam? Hm?"

            Nathan sighed and massaged his temples. This just kept getting better and better.

            "Okay, fine, let's put a pin on that," he said. Hopefully forever, he thought. "We'll tell them we need more time - to fix up the damage Coskitrask caused and to court properly. Again, it's not really a lie. But uh, will they buy it?"

            "Yes, I believe they will 'buy it,'" harrumphed Melinanatha. "However, do not be surprised when they start demanding we set a wedding date."

            It took no small amount of composure on Nathan's part not to flinch at this. Instead, he nodded. "Okay. Fine. We'll just...take it one day at a time."

            Melinanatha returned his nod. She then regarded him with a strange, penetrating intensity - the kind one might make while appraising a dirty or gently damaged object one might nonetheless purchase, if the price was right. Eventually, she sighed, a note of disappointment evident in her exhalation.

            "Let us return to my sire and dam," she said, rising. "I am certain they wish to learn more about you and your family," she said, businesslike.

            Nathan got up and followed the dragoness. He felt even smaller than before walking in her wake.

***

            "Nathan?...Nathan!"

            Nathan stirred. His eyelids flickered. It was warm. A firm velvety plush cradled his lower body. It took a few seconds for his thoughts to coalesce and a few more for him to recall where he was and what he was doing. He opened his eyes and peered up. It was dark but not pitch-black in the dusty interior of the palanquin he had been snoozing in. Thin shards of golden light gleamed between the thick curtains on either side. He spied Melinanatha sitting in corner opposite his. Unlike him, the massive draco dominatrix had to hunch slightly or recline to fit comfortably inside the palanquin. She wore a puffy-sleeved off-white blouse under a dark-green short-skirt dress laced with golden threads. It was, by her standards, quite conservative. She was looking at him with an expression of mild annoyance.

            "Yeah?" said Nathan, sitting up. He yawned and stretched.

            "We approach Do va Iesk," she said, gesturing at the curtains.

            Nathan nodded. Then, he grew suddenly excited. This is the first time he'd seen an actual city in the Realms of Shaltae. He'd visited Snail's Rest - the largest settlement in Melinanatha's small domain - but the village was hardly larger than a strip mall.  He leaned over, pulled the curtain back and peered out, squinting, as he had spent the last six hours in the gloom of the palanquin. He saw an expanse of shallow rolling hills covered in a long green grass. The sky above was a brilliant blue speckled with a few wispy white clouds.

            "It lies west, not east of us," said Melinanatha.

            Nathan moved over to her side of the palanquin and peaked out the curtain. He gasped.

            According to Melinanatha's castellan Zeszintha, Do va Iesk meant 'City of Bridges' or, translated more literally, 'Our Home Upon the Many Bridges.' The name was entirely appropriate. The city straddled a wide, meandering river that fed into a coastal bog to the south where the land was too soft to support any structure heavier than a wooden shack. Here, however, the ground was solid. A squat stone wall surrounded the city proper. Beyond the fortifications lay a breathtaking cityscape. Clusters of square towers capped with stately curved roofs decked with colorful heraldic banners loomed over sprawling warehouses, densely packed townhouses, manor homes, temples, marketplaces and plazas. Most of the buildings were white while the roofs were tan, orange or bronze. Even more striking, dozens of bridges - some multiple stories high at their apex - spanned the river, supported by enormous stone columns. The largest bridges had homes and businesses built directly upon them yet still could have easily accommodated multiple wagons moving abreast. Some bridges had gatehouses the size of small keeps. If one looked carefully through the urban landscape, one would spy another city - or rather, the rest of the city - on the opposite shore. But in truth the river itself was practically a continuation of the metropolis, for it was crowded with boats, barges, canoes, rafts, sloops, and other watercraft, some of which had been tied together, forming floating neighborhoods. Myriad grey wisps - smoke from the city's forges, ovens, kilns and fireplaces - spiraled up into the morning sky.

            Nathan whistled.

            "Damn," he breathed.

            "A mere thorp when compared to Hoardhome, but yes, Do va Iesk is not without its charms," said Melinanatha absently.

            As Nathan surveyed the city, the wind shifted. He wrinkled his nose.

            "Oh yeah," he said, shutting the curtain. "Pre-industrial settlements - not exactly the most hygienic places," he murmured.

            In truth, it hadn't smelled that bad - less like an open sewer and more like a zoo mixed with a fishery - musty and pungent.

            He looked at Melinanatha.

            "So..." he began awkwardly, sitting back down "Where will be staying in the city? Some kind of inn?"

            "An inn?" said Melinanatha, her own reptilian snout wrinkling with disgust. "We are no mongrel vagabonds, adventurers or mercenaries!" she huffed. "As is custom, I sent word to the gentry of Do va Iesk and a noble family graciously invited us to stay at their estate while we seek - what did you call it? - investors in this little enterprise of yours."

            "Oh, good," said Nathan. "How long have you known them? This, uh, noble family?"

            "The Vasarians? I hadn't even heard of them before receiving their invitation."

            "Huh. Then, why are they letting us stay? Are we paying them or-"

            "Of course not," said Melinanatha, sounding confused and offended. "Do you not have the custom of hospitality on Earth, hm? Were another noble family to visit Snail's Rest I would open the gates of the keep to them." She snorted. "So long as they weren't Coskitrask."

            "Oh yeah yeah," said Nathan. "Yeah, we used to have that," he said, scratching his head.

            "Used to? Hmph. And you consider your kind civilized," said Melinanatha, folding her broad, scaly arms.

            Nathan sighed, turned and looked out the curtains again. The city grew steadily closer. They started passing small farmsteads. Nathan spotted a few figures tending their gardens or walking along the muddy road. All were anthropomorphic animals - sheep people, a dog (or wolf) person, and what he assumed was a raccoon person. They wore simple, plain-colored garb that would have not looked out of place in a renaissance faire save for the general lack of shoes. Some wrapped their legs and feet with thick fabric while others went barefoot, which honestly made sense since many had either padded soles or hooves.

            The smell got steadily worse but never grew outright revolting.

            A half-hour later the palanquin slowed. One of the Draco bearers approached the curtains.

            "We have reached the city gate, Lady Melinanatha," he intoned in a deep baritone. "However, a small crowd impedes our path."

            "A crowd?" said Melinanatha. "Elaborate."

            "Peasants, my lady. A gaggle of peasants queue to enter the city. The city watch seems to be in no haste to grant them passage."

            "Ridiculous!" snorted Melinanatha. "Putting aside the sheer effrontery of permitting commoners to bar our progress, I thought Do va Iesk prided itself on being a 'free' city."

            "Forgive us, Lady Melinanatha, I will see what is-"

            "Do not bother," snapped Melinanatha. "Proceed to the gate. Push your way through if need be. The road has been long and hard."

            The Draco bearer hesitated.

            "Very good, Lady Melinanatha."

            "Er, Melinanatha, you think that's a good idea?" said Nathan, as the palanquin began moving again.

            Melinanatha shot him a look that Nathan had grown to recognize. It meant it was not a good time to disagree with her, let alone argue. He nodded dumbly.

            A few seconds later, sounds of protest and curses started emanating from beyond the curtains, some in languages that Nathan did not understand yet sounded disconcertingly familiar to him. He wondered if the seemingly cosmic coincidence that English was nearly identical with what passed for the common tongue in the Realms meant that other human languages had close analogs here.

            Eventually, the palanquin stopped again. Nathan heard the low murmur of Melinantha's servant over the din of the crowd.

            "What is going on?" growled Melinanatha. "I have visited Do va Iesk thrice before and not once was my reception so...disrespectful!"

            Suddenly, the curtain swept open. Melinanatha hissed and shaded her eyes from the sudden radiance.

            A stout anthropomorphic badger wearing an iron cap and studded leather armor decorated with the arms of the city leered down at them.  

            "How dare you," exclaimed Melinanatha, nostrils flaring.

            "Pardon, yer ladyship," said the badger in a throaty voice, making no attempt to disguise his disdain. "But ye cannan' skip the queue."

            "Why not? Why is there a queue in the first place? Do you now dare extract a toll to enter this...glorified wharf?"

            "Nay. There be an outbreak of riddlepest north o' here," explained the badger, pointing a thumb behind him. "By order of th' council all newcomers must be inspected for pox. Na exceptions."

            "By the Eastern Reg-...Draco cannot be afflicted with riddlepest, fool!" snapped Melinanatha.

            "Just followin' orders, yer ladyship, and orders said nuthin' about lettin' draggos through without inspection," said the badger, grinning from furry ear to furry ear. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of Melinanatha's retinue. "And by the looks of it, not all of ye be draggos. I ken those lil'l ones might be susceptible to th' pox." Then, he noticed Nathan. His little black eyes narrowed. "Ah, and is that a damned elf I see squattin' back there?" He leaned even closer. "I ken for a fact those pointy-eared fops can catch th' pox."

            "Uh, hi," said Nathan diffidently, waiving from his seat.

            The badger inspected Nathan closely.

            "Na pointy-ears, roundish eyes...by th' Progenitors," he gasped. "Be ye...human?"

            "Uh, yeah," said Nathan. "That's not...that's not a problem, right?"

            The badger opened his mouth and shut it. His eyes darted back and forth. Then, he turned and waived to his men.

            "Let 'em through! Aye! You heard me!" he bellowed.

            He turned back to Nathan and Melinanatha. "Apologies, milord and...milady," he said earnestly. "Go right in. Welcome to Do va Iesk!"

            "Uh, thanks," said Nathan, thoroughly bewildered.

            The badger saluted and then closed the curtain. After a brief pause, the palanquin lurched slightly and continued moving.

            "What was that?" said Nathan, looking at Melinantha.

            "I...haven't the faintest idea," said Melinanatha, her confused expression mirroring his.

***

            Nathan placed his luggage on the massive goose-feather bed. He gazed down at the hastily assembled sets of clothing and toiletries stuffed inside his suitcase and then up and around at his room.

            In contrast to the rather chilly environs of Northkeep, the Vasarian family home was pleasantly warm and neither arid nor particularly humid. It very much resembled what Nathan fancied a 17th century Italian mansion would look like. The walls were built from sandstone blocks - irregular in size yet finely hewn - coated with thick white lime plaster. The hallways and rooms were adorned with finely woven tapestries and baroque oil paintings. Exquisitely carven dark wood furniture rested on smooth marble floors. A single large arched window to his left provided a spectacular view of the river and a few of the massive bridges spanning it. A soft, refreshing breeze issued from it. If it had been a hotel room or Airbnb Nathan would have happily given the place four out of five stars were it not for the complete lack of electricity, WiFi and running water. Fortunately, there WAS a toilet - well, a privy. And the one other thing Nathan had packed was plenty of toilet paper.

            There was a knock.

            "Yeah?" said Nathan, looking over his shoulder.

            The door opened and a small figure - barely five foot - entered his room. He - no, she - wore an embroidered brown corset over a puffy white blouse and an olive green long skirt. She sported a thin yet dense layer of chestnut fur, a cute walnut-shaped black leathery nose and tiny cup-like ears, for she was an anthropomorphic river otter.

            "Pardon the intrusion, sir," she squeaked, curtseying. "Lord Vasarian wished to see if there was anything you needed."

            "Uh, no, thank you," said Nathan, bemused by the little creature.

            "Very well. Is there anything I could do for you?" she said, fluttering her eyebrows.

            Nathan swallowed. Seriously?

            "N-No, thank you." Then, something occurred to him. "Hang on. Do you know where Melinanatha is? I haven't seen her since we met Lord Vasarian. She said she was going to look around the place."

            "I believe the dominatrix has left the house to visit Master Fowlgolse's studio."

            "Who?"

            "Master Suliss Fowlgolse - a renowned artist, artisan and inventor - particularly famed for his puzzle sticks."

            "Of course he is," grumbled Nathan, rubbing his forehead. "Let's just hope she doesn't end up trading the palanquin for another set."

            "Will there be anything else?"

            "Nope. Thanks."

            The otter girl curtsied again and left the room. Nathan swore he heard her giggling as she shut the door.

            Nathan unpacked, tucking his clothing into a small single-drawer cabinet near the bed and placing his toiletries next to a porcelain basin near the window. According to Melinanatha, servants would be supplying him with a bucket of fresh water twice a day. He then plopped down on the bed (which other than being a bit dusty proved quite comfortable) and stared up at the ceiling. For fifteen minutes.

            Now what?

            He absently pulled his out phone. He swiped the screen to unlock it but then realized there was no cell signal or WiFi. Feeling a tad foolish, he put the phone down on the bed with a sigh.

            Another five minutes passed. Nathan considered going out to explore the place but he'd already been given a full tour of the estate. He wasn't exactly bored. Just...restless. He idly wondered what Melinanatha was doing.

            "Hang on," said Nathan, sitting up.

            He grabbed his phone and tapped the Mythic Matches app. Sure enough, the app fired up without a hitch. The funny thing was it DID need WiFi or a cell signal to function on Earth. He started composing a message.

            'hey Melinanatha. they told me you were going to look at some puzzle sticks. when will you be back?'

            He tapped send. A minute or so passed. Nathan wondered if she had remembered to bring the small mirror she used to access Mythic Matches. Then, she replied.

            'Yes. Lord Vasarian offered to introduce us and I could never forgive myself if I missed such an opportunity! I will be back within a demi-hour or so.'

            A demi-hour was two hours.

            'do you want me to come over? I don't have anything to do here,' tapped Nathan.

            'No no no! The master is a notorious recluse and dislikes entertaining more than one or two guests at a time. Go out and see the city if you cannot wait for me. Just be back by sundown! We must discuss the upcoming audience with the merchant venturers this evening. I have retained the services of a guide and escort. They wait below in the servant quarters.'

            'okay. see you then,' replied Nathan after a thoughtful pause.

            He pocketed his phone, stood and left the room. He walked down a short hallway and descended a flight of curved stairs. A maid at the bottom - a beastfolk otter, different from the one who had visited him in his room - curtsied as he passed. He entered the foyer - a long arched hallway - and stepped out through the main doors into a small courtyard, blinking in the early afternoon sunlight. The muted din of the surrounding city hung in the air.

            A tingle of excitement ran down Nathan's spine as he walked along the white gravel path, tiny stones crunching beneath his feet. He was about to explore a living, breathing fantasy city - complete with elves, dwarves, swords, magic and, well, furries! The trip itself had been a long, dull, uncomfortable haze - mile after mile, hour after hour, cramped inside the dark recess of the palanquin. Worse, Melinanatha had barely spoken with him the whole way. However, now that he was on his own everything - the city, the world - felt...more real! His thoughts turned to the escort Melinanatha had hired. Though she'd made no mention of it before, it made sense to hire a local. Nathan wondered who the guide would be.

            Ahead near the main gate lay a small, single-story outbuilding of simple yet sturdy build. Nathan opened the front door and peered inside. He saw a short gloomy hallway with four doors, two on each side.

            "Hello?" he said, stepping inside.

            Some ancient animal sense told him there was something standing behind him.

            "You Nathan?"

            The voice was deep and gruff. Nathan slowly turned.

            The figure stood nearly as tall as Melinanatha and was nearly as muscular; though lacking scales they were almost as green as her too. He - yes, most likely a he - wore an enormous dark brown leather cuirass over a chainmail shirt, thick padded pants and black boots with knee-high shafts. His long, unkempt black hair, square jaw, piggish nose, sloped forehead and - not to put too fine a point on it - two-inch tusks protruding from his lips leant him a brutish, almost monstrous countenance. He carried no weapon save for sheathed dagger but looked no less dangerous for this. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded - an expression of boredom on his craggy green face.

            Strangely enough, he smelt of...apples?

            Nathan swallowed. "Uhhhh..." he said, taking a step back.

            The large stranger sighed wearily.

            "The Draco kn-...noblewoman hired me," he explained. "Name's Gnesh. Gonna show you 'round the city, make sure no one bothers you, dat sort o' thing."

            "Oh, yeah, of course," said Nathan, embarrassed.

            Gnesh unfolded his burly arms and detached himself from the wall. He looked down at Nathan.

            "You human, huh," he said in an odd tone.

            "Yeah," said Nathan. He hesitated. "Is that...a good thing?"

            "Huh?"

            "Sorry, it's just that there was some trouble at the gate," said Nathan. "The guard wouldn't let us through until they saw I was human. Then they waved us through."

            "Dunno," said Gnesh, shrugging. "Dey like having humans here. Dey spend lotsa coin."

            Nathan considered this.

            "Guess it makes sense," he conceded. "But Melinanatha's a noble. They're big spenders too, right?"

            "Yeah, but dey don't like Draco here," said Gnesh. "Not as much as dey don't like elves. Maybe as much as dey don't like orcs. Me."

            "Oh...sorry."

            "Why? Makes no difference to me 'less they try to kick me around or don't pay me. Don't have to like me."

            "Well...okay," said Nathan, for lack of anything to add. "So, uh, Gnesh, I was thinking about taking a walk around the city."

            "Where you wanna go?" asked Gnesh.

            "Uh...you're a guide, right?"

            "Yeah."

            "...Do you have any recommendations? I mean, places you think I'd like to see?"

            Gnesh rubbed his chin through his beard.

            "Yeah," he said. He turned, opened the door and motioned for Nathan to follow him. "Dis way, sir."