Rich People Problems

"And tell the kids I'll be coming to see them in a couple months." The lady seated across from me seemed overjoyed with the final announcement, I left off that she called the children bastards, because well it seemed unneccesary.

"Thank you Mr. Lorentino, and how are you doing?" I have to say I always like when people ask of me after I've done something for them, its nice to be acknowledged.  It had been two months of helping people out and hobbling around, but I'd become a bit of a fixture in Duvein and as I said previously, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it.

"Ankles healing fine, I think I'll be back to being able to walking unaided soon enough." I'd had a crutch constructed by one of my letter people, it was a fine crafted item of a strong dark wood I can't recall the name of.  I still have the crutch even now, I've sadly had to use it for its intended purpose more than I'd like to admit to.

"So you'll be leaving us then?" She was sad, I'd made no hidden agenda that I'm at best a transient, reading letters was fun and as a busy body very rewarding, but my life is pain and suffering and the longer I stayed some place the more dangerous it is (this of course ignores my current residence, I don't mind risking this entire town as it is full of dicks, especially the captain of the guard).

"Yes Agatha, don't worry though I'll make sure to come back from time to time so save your letters!" I put my hand on hers and smiled. I'm happy to report I kept this promise, still do to an extent even though all of the people I originally helped are long dead.  No one ever asks how I'm still alive, I think they either do a happy fantasy that I'm the child of the original Trezlan, or just ignore that I'm alive by dark magic.  Either way I always look forward to my trips to Duvein.

Agatha collected her letter and left her tribute, a delicious pie (I love pie). She was on the way out when my door opened and Watkins greeted her.  I say greeted, when he really just bumped into her, told her to "Watch where you're going you old bitch." And then kind of shoved her out of the way.  Watkins worked for the Loshans, the rich people of the area.  His manners left a lot to be desired, like manners. Agatha was for her part gracious in the face of an exceptional jerk I had to give her that.

"Mrs. Loshan wants me to bring you to him, this is not a request." Watkins lacked any kind of subtley.

"Lets not keep him waiting then, well aside from me having to hobble my way over there." I tried to be accomodating, mostly because I didn't want to have to murder Watkins, as I said I liked Duvein, it made me a bit soft even to the dicks. Thankfully for me the Loshans lived near the inn, and I'd become pretty good at hobbling around (and my ankle had heeled quite well, I was almost off the crutch at this point).  Watkins opened the door, but did not step inside.

The Loshans lived in a fairly large house, double door entry, multiple floors, all pristine craftsmanship (the wokers had been brought in from somewhere else, they did not want the local "rif raf" to ruin their home).  The entryway lead to an overly large living room full of trophy heads taken from beasts of the wild.  I knew most of the creatures from my time with Corli, and knew enough about the Loshans to know they probably hadn't killed any of them that dotted their walls. I don't know how they made their money (if you can sell smarmy self assured dickishness they would have been the rulers of the world) or why they even chose to live in Duvein.  The Loshans were run by Corla Loshan, a particurlaly nasty old bitch, she and I never got along since I took away one of her business opportunities in reading letters.  She had previously even sent Watkins to rough me up to get me to stop, but with a flash of fire it was decided that someone who lives in a wood house shouldn't piss of a pyromancer. So things were tense to say the least. The living room had a couple of couches and one throneish chair, I knew the chair was for Carla so I took my seat at the couch. And I had to wait, part of being rich is making people wait, even if they took all day to meet you, they have to wait. I used the time to wait thinking up excuses for why I could not help the Loshans.

"Trezlan it's lovely to see you, " Carla came walking down the stairs in a gaudy evening gown, her voice dripped venom in a way that you wouldn't immediately detect, but since she was talking I knew it was there. She decended the stairs and took her position on her throne.

"Carla always a pleasure." I tried to make it obvious how much it wasn't a pleasure.  Her eyes never left mine, we weren't engaged in physical combat, but this was another form of martial conduct, the dreaded conversation battle.

"You're probably wondering why I called you here."

"I'd be lying if I wasn't, also I'd be lying if I didn't say how much I don't want to do whatever you it is you want me to do." I tried to cut the bullshit, much like my combat style, I'm straight to the point.

"Straight to the point as always Trezlan, you uncouth savages dispense with pleasantries early."

"And you uptight high society assholes spend way too long beating around the bush." We were at an impasse, any civility was long gone, and so we sat in uneasy silence, which kind of defeated the point of me being blunt in the first place!

"What do you want Carla?" The silence didn't last long, I didn't like the house, with the heads on the wall I always felt she was measuring up mine to join them.

"I need you to go to a mine and find out what happened to the workers."

"Do I look like an idiot? Wait don't answer that, ignoring the fact I have a recovering ankle and I do not like you, why would I ever agree to do that?"

"Money, lots of money, find out what happened with my mine and you'll have enough money to get out of Duvein and back to wherever you really belong." 

"I like it here, might remain forever Carla." It was a lie of course, as nice as it was, I really don't like small towns.

"Oh please, you've been here a couple months, it'll grate on you, and you'll want to roam, I'm giving you that option, also if you don't help me know you aren't safe in this town, sure you know magic and are handy with a sword or so you claim, but you have to sleep sometime, and I have a lot of money Lorentino."

"Point taken Carla, fine I'll do your job, but remember this you made an enemy today and my ankle won't be injured forever." I hobbled my way out (which kind of negated my threat) and went back to my hotel room to prepare for a trip.  Watkins came by later with a map to the mine, he told me they had bought me a horse for the journey and he'd tied it up outside the inn. And so began the end of my time in Duvein, like most good things it was ruined by someone with money.