We both rode along for a good while after that as he told me of his travels as a merchant. He has lived an interesting life. However, as he told his story, he said he was sad that he never could find a lover to travel with him. Delviner had once been engaged but she left before the wedding to the capital and married a noble. He was sad about it but he understood that he can’t control everything and that she could do as she pleased. He just wished that she had told him she didn’t love him or had at least said goodbye before she left.

I felt sorry for him. He was a kind man and deserved better but instead, he kept traveling in hopes he might meet someone. Someone to travel beside him whom he could love but as he got older he doubted it more and more. According to him he had maybe twenty years left before he died.

“Well, I hope you find someone before you die.”

“Thanks, I do too.”

We continued on and eventually, we arrived at the town. It was smaller than I expected it to be, it was more like a village. There were about ten buildings that looked like log cabins. Most of them had the same shape where there was a large porch usually covered in split wood and the door was straight from the entrance of the porch. The houses were wide with a room sticking straight out on the left side. These lined a main road that was formed with something similar to cobblestone. A few children ran by the cart as we went through but the only adult I saw was an old woman sitting in a chair on her porch smoking from some kind of pipe.

Once we passed these houses there were three buildings that were much different. All three had two stories. The first one had metal plates lining the sides and its windows had thick bars over them. The second looked inviting unlike the other but it didn’t seem like anyone was inside. The third had noises of a lot of people, the windows were emanating a glow of candlelight and had many shadows of people behind them. Delviner stopped the cart in front of the second building I described and started to get off.

“We need to speak to the Judge about selling some things and after that, we can talk to him about getting you into a guild.”

“Thank you, I don’t know how I can repay you. This doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Ha, those Naran berries are going to get me a lot more than you realize. I am buying them off you for the cheapest price I can get while being fair. You get enough coin to keep you alive for a while and I get profit.”

“Fair enough.” I said before we walked inside. The inside wasn’t that grand there was a stairway to the right and lining the back wall were a few doors. In the open space there was a table with a few chairs and candles all around but none were lit. It gave off a creepy vibe that made me wonder who the Judge was. Delviner walked up the stairs and I followed. Up the stairs there was a hallway that stretched from one end to the other also not lit like downstairs. There were doors lining the left side of the hallway and windows lining the right. I followed Delviner to the farthest door where he knocked and a muffled voice said come in.

We walked in to see a woman in her late teens standing before us. I was shocked as to how young the Judge was and it seemed Delviner was too.

“Where is the Judge?” he asked.

“I am the Judge.” she said before walking behind her desk and taking a seat. She was not what I was expecting with her unkempt auburn hair and disheveled clothes. She had brown eyes and many dimples on her face. Her clothes looked similar to mine only hers were dark brown with no other colors and the sleeves had been ripped off. It also looked as if she had ripped the robe from her knees down except on the back which was only ripped at the ankles. “Are you here to see me or gauk at me?”

“No miss, but I was not expecting you to be the Judge is all.”

“Well, I am not officially the Judge yet. My father, the Judge before, has retired and has left me his duties while he goes fishing. We are awaiting word from the Capitol on the official announcement but I am still in charge. Mainly because my father won’t wait and has already left.” she said with a grumble.

“I see, then excuse my rudeness. I am Delviner Tilmann of the Merchants Guild.”

“And I am Legion.”

“It is good to meet your acquaintance, I am Artis Montiff of the Knights Guild. Now let us get to business. What purpose have you come.”

“I am looking to sell some supplies as well as buy some. I am a traveling Merchant and will pay the necessary taxes to do so. I also have met this man who was lost in the Demonkin lands for several days and has no idea what happened to him.”

“You may sell your goods as well as buy what you need. For the Merchant Guild, the taxes are reduced here as we want as many of you as possible. It will only be a flat rate of five soft Learins. As for you…” she rubbed her temples and leaned back in her chair. “You will be permitted to join a Guild for the sake of identification but I will be sending a letter to the capitol to verify that you exist and are not some criminal looking for a new start..”

“Thank you,” I said.

“The Guild representative is over in the tavern next door, go speak to him about joining a Guild.”

“I must discuss the items I wish to sell to you before I do so, Miss Montiff. I will meet you at the Tavern soon Legion.”

“Okay see you there,” I replied as I headed out the door.