Employee of the Day

Cinder returned to the deer and picked up the bracelet. It turned out to be a necklace that had wrapped itself tightly around the antler. 

It was a simple gold-colored chain with a tiny circular locket. He tried to pry open the locket but it didn't budge. He wasn't sure if it was real gold, but it should be worth a pretty penny.

Kode had mentioned something about treasures having effects, but he didn't know what that meant.

He looked at the necklace in the sunlight for a little more before securing it in his pocket. He was not dirtying it by putting it on his wrist.

Cinder then turned his attention to the deer. The bracelet wasn't the only thing he could make money from. He narrowed his eye and rolled his shoulder.

He had been feeling pretty strong lately, and the deer didn't weigh even half of what a boar weighed. The boars were bigger than in real life, but the deer was the same size or possibly smaller. He was pretty sure of that, at least. If boars were that big in real life, humanity would have gone extinct before they got a chance to invent gunpowder.

Cinder grabbed some string from his backpack and tied up the deer's legs to make it easier to handle. He then grabbed the two pairs of legs before stopping. He wasn't sure how to get the deer up on his shoulders.

"Hmm." He tried lifting it just as it was, but the monster was heavy and unwieldy. All the grace it had while alive was completely gone as its body was like a sack of potatoes, and its smashed head flopping wildly.

Cinder sighed and got down, sliding his hands under the deer on either side. It was small enough that he could do it and still get a decent grip before straining his back by hoisting it up on his shoulder.

Cinder only dropped it once while trying to lay it across his shoulders with the legs hanging in front of him. He was exhausted by the time he managed to get it on right.

Still, this was just the beginning. He had to carry the thing back to the village. It was downhill, though. How hard could it be?

***

Very. It was very hard. Cinder almost stumbled and fell on his face several times. The slope that seemed so gentle before, both on the way up and the way down, suddenly turned into a steep hill when he was carrying at least a hundred pounds on his shoulders. It was far from stable.

But he still managed to make it down the Mountain in one piece. It was one sweaty, panting, exhausted, and dirty piece, but it was a whole one.

The villagers and players gave him a couple of strange looks, but Cinder couldn't be bothered. He headed straight for Bruno's shop. 

Cinder stopped in front of the door. He needed his hands to hold the deer still. But even if the door was open, would it fit? He didn't want to put it down.

Cinder knocked with his forehead. He bonked his head against the door.

"Yes, yes! It's open!" Bruno's irritated and raised voice came moments before the door was yanked open. Cinder was lucky the door opened inward since it meant he didn't get hit in the face. Instead, he fell forward since he wasn't ready for nothing to be there to catch his knock.

"Whoa!"

Fortunately, however, Bruno was strong as an ox and caught the deer that flew over his head when he tipped forward. He didn't catch Cinder, though, and the poor kid face-planted on the ground, too tired to catch himself.

"Oh." Bruno looked at the back of Cinder's head and then at the deer in his arms, quickly putting the pieces together. His eyebrows rose in surprise and respect.

"Stop sleeping in the door. You're hindering traffic."

"Mnmf."

"No excuses. Pick yourself up and get in here. I need to take care of this, so sit down and wait a bit." Bruno held the deer over his shoulder with one hand and bent down, picking Cinder up by the scruff of his neck like a kitten. Bruno stood Cinder up on both two legs before walking into the cold room with the deer.

Cinder swayed in place. He wasn't used to suddenly feeling so light with the deer no longer weighing him down. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and looked around.

Even if he felt light as a feather, he was still dead tired, and Bruno's suggestion about sitting down sounded like a very good idea. But the only place to sit was a stool behind the counter. Figuring Bruno said it knowing that was the only place to sit, Cinder went around and sat there, leaning against the wall with closed eyes until the doorbell chimed.

Cinder opened his eyes and saw the man who entered the shop slightly out of breath. He adjusted the tight cloth tied over his head after entering. 

"Hey, I heard rumors about someone dragging a deer through the village and rushed over since I figured they were coming here…Wait a minute," the man said in a haste before pausing and walking up to the counter and taking a closer look at Cinder.

"Aren't you the one who caught the deer?" He asked.

Cinder nodded, oddly proud.

"Sure am."

"Perfect!" The man beamed.

"I am a cook," the man nodded in the direction of the fields, but to Cinder, it just looked like he was bragging.

"I want to buy that deer. Do you work here?" The man suddenly asked, looking at Cinder's position behind the counter.

He was about to say no, but a flash of inspiration struck Cinder and he stroked his chin.

"I do—"

"He does NOT!" Bruno smacked the back of his head before pushing the stool away from directly behind the counter, almost pushing Cinder off in the process.