Ashes of the Fallen

"Ah, man, I'm shocked, really."

That was the truth.

Modern clothing in this game seemed counterintuitive but, it wouldn't be the first time a popular MMORPG brought in alternate clothing sets for players to wear casually. Not everyone wanted to dress up like some extra in a safety dance video… though I'm sure some preferred it. They could dress however they wanted to and if they didn't want to… well, they weren't friends of mine, so it didn't really matter.

"Ah yeah, these will work," I said with a bit of a laugh.

The plan was to pick up two articles of clothing as a gift, not that I necessarily needed to buy one but, the girls were running the village while I was gone, so it seemed like the right thing to do. Selene had a tendency to try to flaunt what little curves she had, so a tighter fitting dress seemed like a good fit for her. Katherine on the other hand had ample curves that didn't really need to be accentuated, she was a distraction in every sense of the word… for her a loose and comfortable dress would do.

"Yeah, I'll take these two here," I stated after making up my mind, picking two distinctly different dresses off the shelf. "I suppose, they could use a scarf too."

A few minutes passed as I loitered about, thinking of what I could possibly buy while it was still within reach. Once the return journey started, there wouldn't be any shops along the way or nearby… not in the deserted Northern Triangle.

Eventually, I ended up buying a bit more than I had planned.

Basically, two full summer outfits were purchased along with two sets of nightwear… I figured the girls could use something besides their leather and fur outdoor adventuring gear, seeing as that was their only set of clothes.

I couldn't but wonder if it was weird to buy clothes for my NPCs though.

Eh, I didn't know the answer to that question.

"So, how much do I owe you?" I asked kindly with no reservations.

The store clerk looked over the items and then to my surprise, winked and replied, "all paid for, consider us even for the advice and help you showed me."

"Ah, no it's fine, I can pay," I countered immediately, not wanting a handout. "I made some profit off that deal as well, so it was already mutually beneficial. I'll pay for these, they're expensive. Money isn't an issue, it's fine, really."

"You're insane you know," he stated, repeating a line from the first time we interacted. "You don't just help strangers, that’s not normal, and my business is booming now. This is my thanks to you, take it. I don't want to hear another word."

As he was talking, he put everything into a complimentary cloth bag and pushed it to my side of the counter, holding steady with a serious face that conveyed his intent. He didn't want any more hassling from me, so, my battle was lost.

Well, my loss is a win of free merchandise… so I shouldn't complain.

I wasn't a fan of freebies.

"Alright you win," I said reluctantly with a soft grin, somewhat embarrassed to take the free items. "Thank you for the gift, I appreciate it."

"No thank you," he replied with a loud voice. "You saved my store, this is the least I can do to show my gratitude! Safe travels, I'm sure those girls will be happy to see you."

Leaving the store, there wasn't a whole lot left to do.

My preparation was essentially taken care of, and my shopping was complete.

Heading back towards the inn, the leatherworker was supposed to deliver the saddlebags to the front desk when they were ready, so if good fortune persisted, I would be in and out of the place in a quick minute and be on my way. This town wasn't half bad, but I was tired of the crowds… tired of the noise.

I missed the comfort of my village, the peace and quiet of being surrounded by nothing but the beauty of nature undisturbed. The rolling mountains, flowing river and creeks, bountiful forests, and even the lonely and vast ocean… those were all things that this populated city town didn't, couldn't have.

Sure there were trees, but that was it.

I guess, I was home sick.

The inn itself wasn't too crowded at this time of the day, though the connected tavern was bustling, as it always seemed to be. The food was good, the alcohol was decent, and overall the price was right. I had no complaints there, and if I ever came back I would probably return to this very same inn.

At the end of the trip, I was a satisfied customer.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if anything had arrived for me, under the name of Sigurd?" I asked the lady at the front desk of the inn, as she instantly turned around and checked the board behind her.

"Yes, do you have proof of identity?" she questioned back with a slight smile.

Handing her the inn key that was registered to my name, the process was completed in a matter of seconds. All that was left, was to get a refund on my deposit and to pack.

Then, the nearly hundred mile journey would have to commence.