The Biologist and Her Bodyguard

“They’ll make it…” Sophia said tired after coming out of the Healing Institute.

“Oh, that is a relieve…” the man next to Kieran said and bowed his head,” Now that this ordeal is over let me introduce myself properly. My name is Eric Ehrlich, merchant in this quaint town of Entfuhr. Let me thank you both for coming to our rescue. And without your brilliant magic there would be two more families I’d have to bring the most dreaded news. For that you have my eternal gratitude, Miss…”

“Silvia…”

“Karl…” Kieran said after Eric looked at him.

“Well met Miss Silvia and Sir Karl! I certainly would like to express my gratitude for what you’ve done, so if there is anything I could help you with or want as compensation, don’t hesitate to ask and I’ll do my best to provide.”

“I don’t help people in need for a potential reward but out of principal,” Sophia replied immediately.

“That’s very noble of you Miss Silvia.”

“But… If you know a place we could stay for the night, preferably for a reasonable price. It’d be much appreciated.”

“In that case, please allow me to host you at my humble abode. You’re free to stay however long you want. It would be my outmost pleasure.”

“That would do nicely.”

“Then let’s get going immediately. It isn’t far from here.”

Sophia accepted the offered hand from Eric to help her climb onto the coach box. Kieran noticed that the young mage looked really exhausted. He climbed back into Giebel’s saddle and followed the wagon rolling down the road.

“So… may I ask what brings you to the beautiful north of List?” Eric asked.

“Oh… I’m a… uhm… researcher from the academy… I came here to study the…” Sophia replied searching for words when she noticed a dog sitting at the side of the road, “animals…”

“Aha… and he is…” Eric looked back at Kieran riding behind them, “your colleague?”

“My bodyguard.”

“Huh…interesting… I didn’t know that the biologist of the academy are so well versed in battle… and I never witnessed a bodyguard hacking a tree apart in such a short time…”

“Oh… uhm…”

“Ah, sorry my curious nature as a merchant came through. I didn’t mean to pry, especially from my saviors. You don’t have to answer. Ah, we’re already here.”

Eric steered the wagon to a stable adjacent to a big house. The two men in front of the gate opened the gate for them and they drove inside.

“You can leave your horse here as well. My stable hand will handle her with the utmost care.” Eric said.

“Thanks,” Kieran replied, got out of the saddle and handed the reins to a young boy who came running.

“What is your business, if you don’t mind me asking, Eric,” Sophia asked after climbing down from the wagon.

“Not at all! My main business these days is textiles and pelts. So, if you want to know more about the wildlife in these parts, I could introduce you to a few hunters who know a lot about it.” Eric replied smiling.

“Thanks, maybe I’ll come back to this offer.”

“Certainly, but first… let’s get something to eat. I bet you two are hungry after the ordeal we just went through.”

“Very much!”

Eric led Sophia and Kieran into the big house and through some corridors. There were a lot of people rushing past them. Eric exchanged a few words with some of them. Then they arrived in a big eating hall.

“Please have a seat. My chef will whip something up for us quickly. May I offer you some wine while we wait?”

“With pleasure.” Sophia answered.

“You have some ale or mead?” Kieran asked.

“Certainly!” Eric replied and gave a servant the order to bring some.

Soon after they sat around the table. Sophia and Eric with a goblet filled with wine in front of them and Kieran with a mug of ale.

“Well then, let me thank you again for saving my and two of my employees from a bloody end to our lives.” Eric said and raised his goblet, “Cheers.”

Sophia and Kieran raised their beverage as well.

“Is there something else I can do for you two?” Eric asked after taking a sip of his wine.

“Can you tell us something about this town?” Sophia asked.

“Certainly! Entfuhr is one of the last bigger settlements before the wild frontier in the north begins. It’s a mercantile town, known for its agricultural and pelt trade, partly because of my humble business. These lands are under the governance of the Oash family, who have their estate a bit further up north in the town called Leiden. They are a bit… well… you know how nobles can be…”

Eric sighed and took a sip of his wine. He then looked towards Sophia and his eyes widened.

“I meant no offense with that, Miss Silvia,” he hastily said.

“None taken… there are bad people in every demographic… unfortunately there seem to be a high percentile in nobility…”, Sophia said and downed her wine.

“That’s true…” Eric noted and filled her goblet up again, “It wasn’t always like this… The old lord was a just ruler… His son is a bit… well… different.”

“How so?”

“He nearly tripled the taxes in the last few years out of nowhere and… well there are some unsavvy rumors about him.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“That he is involved in human trafficking.”

“But that’s outlawed by royal decree!”

“Well… we’re far away from the capital and these are only rumors. There is no proof… at least yet.”

“You believe these rumors?”

“Well let me put it that way… I got the… pleasure… of meeting the young lord a few times and… it would not surprise me…”

“Huh…”

Sophia drank from her goblet again. Kieran, who just silently drank his ale noticed that she seemed very thirsty.

“I have another question,” Sophia said after emptying her goblet.

“Certainly!” Eric said and refilled it for her again.

“Do you know of a place called Meucheln?

“Yeah, that’s a small settlement in the far north, What of it?”

“Before we left the capital there was this rumor that a rogue mage was active in that area. I was just wondering if you heard anything about that?”

“Hmm… I haven’t heard anything about such a case, but it would not surprise me… the far north is full of ne’er-do-wells hiding from justice. I would urge you to avoid the place if I were you. Well not that I think that anyone would pose a threat to you after I saw you both in action.”

“Huh… interesting… Thanks for the warning.”

“Certainly!”

A door opened and a few servants brought in a bunch of food and they began to eat. Sophia scoffed down her food like she hadn’t eaten in days. Eric and Sophia continued to talk, and she drank a few more goblets of wine. Kieran noticed that the young mage began to slur her words slightly after the fifth one.

“I bet you two are exhausted after your travels and today’s skirmish. I’ll show you to your rooms.” Eric said after they finished their meal.

One of the servants came up to him and whispered something into his ear.

“I’m so sorry… I was just informed that there is only one free room available at the moment…” Eric said with a displeased expression, “I’ll arrange two rooms for you at a nearby Inn. I’ll cover the expenses of course!”

“No need… We’ll take the one room,” Sophia remarked slurring her words, “He likes to sleep on the floor anyways…”

Eric looked at Kieran, who had just downed another mug of ale.

“Is that true, Sir Karl?” he asked a bit surprised.

“I’m used to it.” Kieran answered with a shrug.

“He is no Sir…” Sophia mumbled over the edge of her goblet.

“Well, if you insist… I will take you to your room then,” Eric said.

He led them to a spacious room on the second floor. Sophia and Kieran were finally alone together. She wobbled in the direction of the bed and nearly tripped. Kieran quickly supported her.

“You’re drunk…” he noted.

“And? After today I earned it!” Sophia hissed.

“After nearly dying during a battle? Maybe you really should switch your profession to be a biologist…”

Sophia pushed Kieran away and glared at him.

“How dare you! I had everything under control!” she exclaimed.

“No, you did not. You hesitated and it nearly cost you your life!” Kieran said accusingly.

“How do you know that? I would not have died!”

“You called me to your side with the mark…”

“No, I did not!”

“You did… it activates automatically if you’re in mortal danger… even without you pouring magic into it and ordering me.”

“I… He surrendered!”

“And then he nearly stabbed you! You’re too naïve!”

“I… I saved two lives today!”

“You did… that was very noble of you…”

Sophia glared at him. She falsely interpreted his truthful statement as sarcasm.

“I just hope you learned your lesson today… Real battle is no game, Sophia,” Kieran said calmly, looking into her eyes.

“You have no right to lecture me! You think you’re so much better than me, huh? You’re just a fucking criminal bound to me! You have to obey me! Nothing else! Don’t forget your place, Mage Murderer!” Sophia hissed through her teeth.

Then she turned around and went to the door.

“Where are you going?” Kieran asked.

“Going for a walk to clear my head, because I’m fucking drunk!” she exclaimed agitated.

Kieran moved to follow her. She glared at him.

“Don’t you dare and follow me! In fact,” Sophia hissed and held up her arm, “Stay the fuck away from me for a day!”

The mark on her hand glowed and she rushed out of the room. Sophia went past a few confused looking servants on her way out of the house. Outside she just started to wander the streets aimlessly. Sophia had to admit to herself that he was kind of right and that fact irked her tremendously. A few blocks down the road she turned around. Kieran was nowhere to be seen.

“Fucking idiot…” she mumbled and turned a random corner into a small alley.

Sophia was so in thought that she did not notice three men appearing in front of her and bumped into one of them.

“Shit… sorry…”, she mumbled and wanted to go past them.

They barred her way.

“What’s the rush, Missy? Don’t you want to stay for a while?” one of the men said.

Sophia felt someone grab her shoulder from behind.

“Let me fucking go, or…” she hissed and held out her palm upright.

“Or what?” a man behind her asked.

Sophia mumbled a quick incantation to form a fire ball in her palm. Nothing happened. The battle and the stabilization of the two mortally wounded simultaneously had drained her of all magical energy.

“Fuck…” Sophia uttered and everything went black suddenly.