As I sit on the front porch of the old man's house, Erin comes out behind me. "So what do you think about that story he told?" I scratch my chin and turn around to look at her. "Well, to tell you the truth, I believe it, but what does not make sense to me is who protects this village. Because if you ask me, he has been in possession of this ring for a while now."
Erin sits down next to me and stares off into the distance. "Well, it might be possible he lied, or maybe the ring only chooses people who are able to wield its power until a pure of heart person shows up."
I shrug as I stand up. "I am still not pure of heart if you ask me, but then again I only say that because of how I grew up."
Erin looks at me and smiles. "You are going to have to tell me on the way to Compound City."
I sigh. "Sure, but it is depressing."
Erin stands up and brushes her legs off. "Well, let us go to Compound City."
As we left the village, the old man watched from his house. He walked over to a shrine he had built for his late wife. "Seems like Erin is finally growing up. Wish you were here to see it." The old man said a prayer and lit a candle as he watched Erin and me vanish from the view of the village.
Erin turned to me. "Okay, speak. Why do you not think you are pure of heart?"
I sigh as I look at the trees while we walk past. "Okay, I say I am not pure of heart because in my timeline I was in the military, and we were very talented with magic, so we were always sent on missions. Whether it was to kill someone who could threaten the world or having to destroy a whole town, it was bloodshed that was uncalled for if you ask me."
Erin grabbed my hand as we kept walking, the grass swaying in the background with the wind. "So what else happened?" She looked up at me.
I look back at her and smile, knowing that she cares. "Well, I think this one night messes with me the most in terms of nightmare wise. I remember coming home after a whole mission, and I saw a person with my sister being held hostage with a knife to her neck, and before I could react, he sliced her neck open. As her blood poured out, I could not do anything but just watch. The guy said it was revenge for his family dying. That was the first time in forever I realized I was the problem."
Erin stopped walking and looked at me deep in my eyes like she was trying to read me again. "You do realize it is not your fault, but the military. They should have protected your family better."
I laugh as we keep walking. "I mean yeah, I agree, but at the same time this is why I am kind of glad I am here. I can restart and not have people judge me, or so I think. I am sure someone will disagree with me down the line."
A guy riding a horse races past us, and as he rushes past, a girl with a bag over her head falls off after he makes a sharp right turn. I draw out my sword.
Erin walks over to the girl and takes the bag off her head, and underneath is a girl with brown hair and blue eyes. She looks away after making eye contact with me. "You are the guys who bought me?"
I look at Erin, then back at the girl. "Excuse me, buy you? No, we are just travelers. What do you mean buy you?"
Erin looks at me. "Uhm, Ren, she is a slave. People buy their contracts and do things to them, whether that is farm work or just beating them for personal amusement."
I click my teeth as I stand in the middle of the road. "Hey, slave trader, catch this."
I start tracing my fingers in a circle to summon a magic circle. I then summon a fireball and shoot it at the horse rider as he notices his slave has fallen off.
Not long after the fireball catches up to him, he jumps off his horse and starts rolling on the ground trying to put out the flame. I make another circle and teleport to the man on the ground. "Pathetic." I slash his throat and stab him in the chest so he has a quick death.
I put my sword away as I start digging in his backpack for the contract. So far I find a pair of handcuffs, a leash, and even a whip, and then finally I grab the contract. I put it in my pocket and open a magic circle to teleport back to the group.
Erin looks at me as I hand her the contract. "Do whatever you want with it. I personally think it would be risky if we became a three-man team."
Erin reads the contract. "So your name is Robin, and you were bought for one thousand gold coins."
Robin looks at Erin before sitting on the floor. "I do not like it either."
Robin looks at the trees before speaking again. "I want to go home."
I turn to look at Robin. "Where do you even live? Because it is kind of far from anywhere, I take it. I mean the guy was on a horse after all."
Robin perks up. "I live in Compound City."
Erin looks at Robin. "By any chance, your parents are not bandits, right?"
Robin laughs. "If they were, do you not think I would not have been sold to the black market?"
I turn to look at Robin and pat her head. "Well, we are actually heading to Compound City ourselves."
Robin smiles with glee. "Can I travel with you until we get to Compound City?"
I extend my hand out to Robin. "Let us make this partnership an interesting one."