“You bought a dog?” Aleah said. She felt some mix of emotions. She always enjoyed dogs, but they had no use for one. In fact, it could be a loss, needed more food than it can collect.

“Yes,” Rain replied.

“Why?”

“It’s a dog Aleah, you would have done the same.”

“Stop bickering,” Duane said, “We need to get to Piscium and quickly.”

Shock filled Aleah’s face. Rain’s eyes filled with fear. Lucinda was too busy petting Charlie to care.

“We are going to Piscium?” Rain said.

“Yes. I need a few jewels for the hilt. Need to go to Piscium,” Duane said.

“Collis!” Aleah said, “Or any of the small towns surrounding it!”

“We don’t have the money. Even before I picked up you two I was going here.”

“I guess you just needed protection from the city.”

“No, the bandits are the problem. When we get there you’re allowed to leave.”

“Are you seriously planning to bring Lucinda, a child, a female child, into that hole?” Aleah said. Aleah had been to Piscium. It was during a time when Rain was in love, turns out the woman he was dating was a horrible toxic person. During that time however, Aleah adventured into Piscium. She hadn’t told Rain what happened to her at that time, but Rain could visibly notice it was something horrible.

“I’m going in,” said Rain, “I’m not letting you go in alone. I might find something of value.”

“I will not go in there,” Aleah said sternly, “and I will not let you take a child there.”

“Then wait outside with Lucinda, we’ll go in,” Duane said, “Now we'll be on our way.”

Lucinda got tired after about ten minutes of walking. You could still see smoke from the town’s chimneys. Duane lifted her up and tied her into a backpack bed type thing. It was tied around his body so she could lay in the back. She’d have to hang her legs out though, and hold the bag of elixirs close to her body. She laid there and slowly drifted to sleep. Duane was sick. He doesn’t know the disease and he really doesn’t care about beating it. In fact, Duane was more of a nillist. He’ll die eventually, and will be forgotten eventually. So Duane decided to make a name for himself.