Chapter 2

Ryzer scratched his head as he began to descend the stairs. To his surprise, a soft voice from behind him called him back. He turned, seeing the person assigned to read Edward's Will. An elderly beastkin, with graying catkin ears.

"Forgive me for calling you back. Those three... ugh, well they are discussing their gains. Your Master, ahem, your grandfather..."

The kind smile she had as she spoke caused Ryzer to smile back.

"...he has left you with a couple of select gifts from his early days as an adventurer. Back when he delved into the Dungeons himself."

Ryzer raised an eyebrow as he approached the elderly lady.

"He asked me to make sure those three know you were added into the Will as a beneficiary, specifically by giving you these items before you leave."

Taking a look over the paper she brought out with her, she had a small smirk on her lips.

"One Ring of Storage, three spaces, as well as anything still inside. One Bangle of Concealment, capable of concealing your abilities. One Black Dragonskin Coat, with a hood. According to Mr. Ward, the robe may not have the intended effect for some time. And finally, he has paid for ten nights at an inn. Just something to give you a start once you enter the world as a free man."

Just as she finished speaking, an earsplitting voice shrieked.

"A FREE MAN?! HE IS MEANT TO BE ONE OF OURS!"

Standing in the doorway was a middle aged woman. Time treated her poorly, leaving her ragged. Her gray hair was frizzy and unkempt while her eyes were a faded blue. In her prime, she could easily have been a beauty.

"Lady Hailee, with all do respect, I'm already free and I have no plans on letting you back into my life once I leave. I only have respect for your father, as he put up with you for all these years and still took the time to care for me. Even after all of that, he took me in as his own grandson. Now, I'll be leaving. Goodbye and good riddance."

Taking the items that the catkin had grabbed for him, Ryzer followed Heinz out of the building.

"How does it feel?"

Ryzer smiled to himself as he spoke.

"Better than I expected. Being able to tell them off makes me feel truly free."

Heinz let out a small laugh, much quieter than Edward's.

"Well, might I make a suggestion? After you put on your new toys, go check the dungeon out. It'll be good for you, especially if Edward was right about putting all that faith in you."

Heinz seemed to be reminiscing for a moment.

"I had my doubts when he explained everything to me, last month. When I first met you, all I saw was a broken husk of a human. A boy, honestly. Broken and unable to move on. I'm truly glad that I was wrong. You've grown. Heh. Even I have a small gift for you, kid."

Ryzer stared in shock as Heinz pulled out a coin pouch.

"I bought you, sold you then allowed you to be freed. I feel like I should return some of my wealth. Five gold is nowhere near what I earned, but it should be a good starter fund."

Before Ryzer could speak, the pouch was tossed into his hands. Heinz sped off, the old man seemingly embarrased.

"Thank you, Mr. Heinz."

Ryzer smiled as he began to slip on his new gear. The robe was a bit large, while the ring and bangle fit decently. Slipping the coin pouch into a pocket inside of the robe, Ryzer pulled out a slip of paper. Written on it was the address of the inn that was set up for him.

"Pretty close. I should go there first."

Ryzer lifted his eyes, finally choosing to look forward to what was to come. The inn was exactly where he thought, allowing him to slip inside before the heat of the Sun took its toll.

'This robe is a bad choice in hot weather.'

A voice quickly caught his attention.

"Welcome! I was told to expect a younger looking man today. You Ryzer?"

A cheery looking lady was smiling at him. She had rosy cheeks and bright blond hair. Her blue eyes twinkled as she spoke more.

"I'm Maddie, the owner of The Fang Inn. Named it after our fair city, Fang. Yes I'm a widow, no I'm not looking to remarry."

She flashed a smile just before Ryzer had to stop himself from laughing. Maddie was a beautiful, mature woman with a teasing sense of humor. Any man would be smitten in an instant.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Ryzer. It's nice to meet you."

Ryzer bowed respectfully, taking Maddie by surprise.

"Well mannered! Alright, I'll show you the room. Meals are included, but any extra nights after the tenth are on you. I'll make an exception, allowing you the extra morning. Breakfast is from the first hour to the fourth, you can request something or let me make it to my specifics. Lunch is seventh hour until tenth, same specifics. Dinner is thirteenth until the final hour. You know how to tell the time?"

Ryzer nodded.

"The bell will toll as soon as the Sun peeks over the horizon, then on the hour. Final hour is roughly two hours after the Sun falls behind the opposite horizon."

Maddie nodded, leading Ryzer up the steps.

"You can upgrade your room if you need or wish, plus we have Silence Stone's built into the doors. Some people are very loud, so we try to help the other that don't need that."

Ryzer nodded, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"The floor is also magic nullifying. No one can enter with magic, though break-ins were never an issue here. This is your room."

Maddie opened a door on the second floor. Ryzer knew that this inn was four stories, so he was glad to only be on the second floor. Looking into the room, he was pleased with way it reminded him of his room at Edward's.

"So you like it? Good. Get you some rest, I'll prep dinner soon."

Ryzer nodded, trying to stop his slight smile as he entered the room.

"Oh, how much are extra nights?"

"One silver! Meals are still included!"

Maddie had already walked away, but she still was able throw back her voice. Ryzer closed the door, dropped his robe at the foot of the bed and laid across it.

"Not a lot happened, but I'm exhausted."

---

Thank you,

Anna Haig!