Game Master in Another World

Travelling on a cart again was not particularly comfortable, but it was certainly a lot less stressful.

“Can you do something about your look?” Toby asked.

“I can turn into an animal,” Juliana suggested.

“But can you be a human?”

I took control. “I may be able to do some basic disguises.” I held memories of my time sharing a body with Drisnil; she was a master of disguise, after all.

“Oh, why haven’t you done that before?”

“Well… being a creature is a lot more effective than some painted-on makeup.”

Toby gave us a hug. “But I want to see you as a human; it makes me feel safer.”

I sighed. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

I tapped Jerome on the shoulder. “Hey, I don’t suppose you have any flour I can use?”

“Flour? Hmm, what are you needing that for?”

“I want to smear it on my face so I can hide my identity somewhat.”

Jerome looked at us with an expression that told me I was being weird. “Sure… will you need anything else?”

“Yes, some charcoal for my white hair.”

Jerome laughed. “Sure, you can find them in the sacks in the back there. Help yourself, but just so you know, I don't think you should need to hide your identity.”

I started searching through the sacks; I found a few filled with grain, but eventually located ones for charcoal and flour.

I began by grabbing a handful of flour and rubbing it over my face, ensuring I got a thick coating. Without a mirror, I had to just guess how my face looked, but memories of my decades with Drisnil gave me a solid idea of where I needed to apply more.

Once I was satisfied with my face, I moved to the charcoal, pulling a lump from the sack. I began to rub it through our hair, working my way from the scalp to the ends to methodically turn it black.

Next, I fossicked through our bag and found a traveller's cloak, slipping it on. It felt a little too warm, but it covered our still-black neck and distinctive druidic clothing.

“How do I look?” I asked Toby.

“Like a different person,” Toby replied with a smile.

“Brilliant. It would be better with actual makeup, but this will have to do.”

Next, I’ll need a name.

I thought for a bit; naming NPCs was always a challenge for me. Helen? Gabriel? Moana? Rangihuia?

“Can you call me Tabatha?” I asked Toby.

“Sure. Where is the name from?” Toby asked.

“Someone I knew a long time ago. I found them amazing; their strength of character and resolve to do right was awesome to behold.”

“I do hope I can meet them, then,” Toby said almost excitedly.

“I’m sorry, but they are long since gone.” They had died nearly eighty years prior, in fact, and I had never physically met them—only observed them.

After a few more hours of slow, uneventful travel, the city of Tyre came into view, its large, imposing white stone walls towering over the landscape. Several buildings could be seen behind those walls; some looked ornately decorated with gothic-style architecture. We could make out several churches, including one with a pure white spire.

Jerome looked back at us. “I suggest you lot go on ahead; it is likely best you go through the gate before us. We should be fine from here.”

Igasnov nodded. “Agreed. I don’t fully trust the others not to inform the guards about us; I would rather avoid being jailed or causing unnecessary bloodshed.”

We dismounted from the wagon and began to walk quickly, easily outpacing the draft horses.

“Goodbye, Jerome. Thank you for allowing us to accompany you on your journey,” we called out, waving back.

Jerome smiled. “It was a pleasure. I hope we meet again.”

As we passed the other wagons, we received cold stares from the passengers and drivers. I felt a pang of displeasure; we had saved them numerous times, but they still insisted on distrusting us.

After another thirty minutes of walking, we had left the caravan behind and stood in front of the large gate leading into Tyre. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the road. Several guards stood at the gate, their well-kept armour bright in the gathering gloom.

As we approached the nearest guard, he greeted us. “Welcome to Tyre, travellers. What is the nature of your visit?”

“We wish to explore your town and everything it has to offer,” Juliana replied.

“Tourism, then. What is your profession?”

“We are mercenaries; we provide much-needed protection to caravans in these dark times,” Juliana said, waving our arms to motion at the landscape behind us.

“Will you do any commerce here?”

“No, that is not our intention; we are only here for information at this time.”

“Okay. If you do decide to change your mind, please make sure you check in with your nearest trade guild to get a business license. You will be fined if you are found conducting business without one.”

The guard then pointed inside the gate. “You will want to head straight down that street to look for accommodation. There are many options to choose from depending on your budget; typically, the further into the centre you go, the more expensive the stay.”

The guard then pointed in the direction of the pure white spire. “As for a recommendation for your first stop, I suggest the main temple of Solvarn. It is our best-looking temple by far in this city, and is well worth a visit.”

The guard now had a big smile on his face. “You are free to enter Tyre. Welcome to our fine city.”

“Thank you for your gracious words, sir. We shall endeavour to enjoy ourselves to the fullest during our stay.”

We walked through the gates, the length of the gateway showing just how thick these walls were. Above us, several portcullises hung, their large metal frames providing an imposing sight.

Once inside the gate, the city was bustling with various people walking through cobbled streets. We stood for a moment at the entrance, taking in the noise of carts and horses moving over the cobbles, and the smell of horse manure mixing with the soot from kitchen stoves.

We looked at Toby; his mouth hung open in awe.

“Enjoying the city scene?” Juliana asked.

“Yes, it is totally different from the city we were in before; it is much livelier.”

“Well, this city is not currently under siege, so people can live a lot freer,” Juliana responded with a smile.

“Shall we go find somewhere to stay, then?” Igasnov asked.

We nodded our head.

“Great, I think I know a place.”

Igasnov walked off with purpose, with Toby and me following.

We weaved through streets and down several narrow alleyways. Each passage was dimly lit, the evening sun unable to penetrate down to the street level.

We turned a corner and were met with a bright orange sign: Vance’s Tavern.

“We’re here,” Igasnov stated proudly.

We opened the door and walked in. The smell of booze and cedar wood hit us immediately. There was a warm glow of light emanating from the room.

There were only a couple of other customers inside, drinking quietly.

Igasnov walked confidently up to the barman. “Hey, Corin. It's been a while; good to see you are still providing a much-needed service.”

“Igasnov! Last I heard you were hanging out with the Devil. I take it this woman with you is she?”

Igasnov smiled. “It seems nothing slips your notice.”

Corin looked directly at us. “Some flour and charcoal can only do so much. If you were that other Nhalyri, I’m quite sure I would have been more fooled.”

“Yes, I am referred to as the Devil by the citizens of this country, but I much prefer the moniker of Juliana.”

Corin smiled, holding out a hand. “Well met, Juliana. I’m quite sure the rumours about you are overblown.”

We took his hand, smiling back.

“I’ll let you stay here, as long as you fill me in on the purpose of your visit and let me know what actually happened in the battle for Freyton City.”

“That is most agreeable to me. I thank you for your hospitality.”

Corin smiled back. “Now, that will be two gold a night.”

“Oh come on, Corin, isn’t that a bit steep?” Igasnov complained.

“No, I don’t think so. I’m housing an extreme fugitive; if she is found, I would likely lose my life for harbouring her.”

Juliana reached into her bag and pulled out some gold coins.

“I received these for the successful defence of Freyton City; I hope they are sufficient.”

Corin started counting the coins on his bar. “It seems you have about ten gold here, but all in a currency that is not valid in this country. Let alone the fact that if you show this to anyone, you will likely be arrested immediately. I can take these at half their real value, so this will buy you three nights, with me being generous.”

“I appreciate your generosity on this matter.”

Toby whispered to Corin, “What about these customers? Won’t they tell the authorities?”

Corin continued to smile. “Oh, them? They aren’t really customers. They will keep Juliana’s presence here in strict confidence.”

Toby looked around at the men. “Oh.”

“Now, with all that settled, I have some complimentary meals ready. You must be hungry.”

We found a table and sat down; the seating was surprisingly comfortable for a place that didn’t really cater to regular patrons.

It wasn’t long before we had hot bowls of mutton stew in front of us. The rich aroma made my hunger even more apparent.

“Enjoy your meals. I’ll be asking my questions tomorrow, Juliana, but for now, just enjoy yourselves.”

We began to eat. The strong flavour of the mutton mixed perfectly with the root vegetables, seeming to satiate our hunger almost immediately.

A few minutes later, Corin brought over some tankards of ale. The brew tasted great with the mutton, complementing the meal perfectly.

After we finished our meals, I felt full and tired, the long day’s travel finally catching up to us.

Juliana yawned. “I think I will head off to bed now; I am very eager for some sleep.”

Toby’s eyes were drooping frequently as he slumped in his seat.

Corin came by as we stood up. “Want to be shown to your rooms, then?”

Igasnov nodded. “Yes, please.”

Igasnov scooped Toby up into his arms, and we followed Corin up a flight of stairs. The upper hallway was dark and narrow, with dim lighting provided by a few flickering candles.

“Juliana, you can have this room here. There is a bath drawn for you, but the water will be cold. I’m sure you can sort that out yourself.”

Corin pointed at the neighbouring room. “Igasnov, I have put you and Toby next door. I’ll just be downstairs should you need anything. Good night.”

“Thank you again, Corin. I look forward to our meeting tomorrow; I bid you a good night.”

Corin nodded as we headed into our room.

The room was small, containing two single beds and a wooden bath in the corner. Fresh towels were laid out at the end of the beds, and a small fireplace remained unlit. There were no windows, just basic wooden panelling. A single lit candle stood on a solitary small writing desk.

Juliana stripped off our clothing and cast a spell on the water to heat it. Steam began to rise from the tub, making it look incredibly inviting.

We dipped a toe into the water; the temperature felt perfect. It seemed many years of practice had granted Juliana near-perfect control over her spells.

We immersed ourselves fully before surfacing again, the black soot and white flour washing off and mixing to create a murky grey layer on the surface.

“I must say, I would have rather not had charcoal in my hair, my lord. It is going to be rather annoying to wash out.”

Juliana laid our head back into the water and began to scrub her hair, the warm bath rapidly becoming a darker shade of grey.

Juliana sighed after looking at the murky bathwater, stepped out, and cast another miracle. Immediately, the water turned crystal clear, appearing as if the soot had never been there.

We stepped back in and continued to scrub our hair, repeating this purification process until it was finally white again. It took three spells before the water stopped turning grey.

Once we were finally clean, Juliana lay back, letting her body fully relax into the warmth.

“I must say, humans are perplexing,” Juliana began. “They seem to stick rigidly to their factions and justify the most egregious atrocities in the name of them. From my memories growing up in Nhalyri society, it was a lot simpler; we never pretended that atrocities weren’t happening, we just committed them. Everyone understood it was a game of survival of the fittest and smartest, and losing meant slavery or death. But at least we didn’t pretend it wasn’t happening.”

“For example, the siege of Freyton City. If it weren’t for us, I suspect there would have been pillaging and genocide on an extreme scale. But the citizens of the country that sent the soldiers pretend their cause is just. Why pretend? Why not simply state that it is for their own base pleasure and nothing more?”

I took control. “Having been a human many years ago, I don’t know if I have an answer for that, other than power corrupts. Give a human enough power, and eventually, they will want more, taking it from others. But politics demands that you claim the moral high ground; otherwise, humans cannot justify supporting you. You have to give them a rationalisation for the cruelty, allowing them to carry out their orders without question.”

Juliana sighed. “It seems human society is doomed to always have conflict, then.”

“Yes, unfortunately so,” I replied quietly, lost in thought about prior conflicts—how they began, and how they ended.

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