+- Day 1 -+

I’ve received word that there was a vicious attack on a
cargo of precious goods, which were making haste for Shilla.
I have been assigned the task of recovering them, this may be
harder than I thought. With little information to go by, I’m
going to have to pull out all the stops.

+- Day 2 -+

Rising early, I visited our local market for some fitting
attire for my job; our kind seamstress provided me with an
old dress and ragged shoes.. perfect.

With me, I carry little gold and no possessions, I do not
want to arouse suspicion. I delicately conseal a dagger with-
in my blouse, “only in emergencies..” I tell myself.

Stepping outside the gates of our City, I inhale hard and
deep, holding it in for a moment. This is it, I need to keep
it together from here on out. Any risk of exposure and I will
be done for.

I find myself at a little village, strung with cheating
gamblers and drunks. If there’s anywhere to get information,
it’s here. A few more brews down their necks, and some shifty
hands of cards, and they’re babbling like maidens! I’ve been
tipped off about a guy named Girro, just North of here.

+- Day 3 -+

Pah.. that brew does daunting things to your head after a
restless night. How do those Barbarians drink on a regular
basis! They’re braver than I thought.

Gathering my things, I head North for this Girro, in hope
he’ll tell me what I need to know. The place is a real dive,
festering with pests and thick in mud. This best not take
long.

+- Day 4.. or 5? -+

Argh.. it was a darn trap! They swamed me from all sides,
I didn’t dare reveal my dagger, incase they did me more harm
than they intended. Where the heck am I? In.. some kind of
cell. Everything has a thick stench of death and decay.

A man in dark heavy robes approaches the door, the shine
of his eyes appear humoured by my situation.. he grunts and
leaves.

No one has come for hours. Is it hours? Is it days? I’m
going to go insane if I stay in here any longer. I begin to
examine the cell.. 3 stone walls and one with metal bars.
There has to be a way out. I push, I pull, I lift.. NOTHING.
I can’t do this anymore.

+- Day.. 8 -+

If by any chance, they pity my dead body and throw me out
to be found.. then I hope you read this journal. Well, first
of all I hope you burn my clothes. I smell like a boar! I
apologise.. my humour is rather morbid. What else have I got
left? Certainly no dashing good looks with this hair!

Why won’t they even tell me why I’m here? I could at least
persuade them to release me. I have seen no one, only that
disgusting man. So hungry. So sleepy. I dare not close my
eyes. I’m slumped against the bars, I fall down to the floor.
Pathetic. My mind wanders, my gaze begins to dance around the
room. Finally resting on these damn bars. I’ve given up.

Wait.. screws? Really?! Why the heck didn’t I see this
before. I remove my dagger, and begin to ease each of the
screws out. My energy is so low, each twist feels like my
last. There’s a force in me, deep within.. the Gods must be
watching over me.

+- Day 9? -+

Haha, I’ve done it! Praise my sweet Kubera, I’ve only gone
and done it! Drenched in sweat and blood from my cut up
hands, I pull the gate. Clean off. No noise, come on Affare,
get it together. We need a clean getaway. We can’t alarm them
before we’ve even left the cell.

Run. I’ve been running for so long.. this place is a maze.
My mind is all over the place. AFFARE, THAT’S ENOUGH. Surely
it can’t be much further. How many corners have I turned?

There’s a big iron door. Is it freedom? I delicately push,
quiet quiet quiet. I know, shush. I’m out. No more stench,
no more darkness. I’m no longer afraid, no longer weak.. I
have anger coarsing through my veins. WHERE ARE THEY?

+- Day 10. Possibly. -+

I must’ve passed out. GET UP, THERE’S WORK TO DO WOMAN.
My body feels like it’s being dragged down by a hundred heavy
arms. I can barely get up. ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO GIVE UP
NOW? I can’t fight the voices in my head. I’m up, I can do
this. My dagger is now crisp with my own blood.. she is now
a part of me more than ever before. We will get through this.

I don’t care about noise. I want them to come. I scream,
with all the anger deep inside. I hear echoes bouncing off
the stone walls. They’re coming. Good.

The first, I slash open her face. She was such a pretty
lass, under all that dirt. Pity eh. Then a male, what a broad
man.. let’s put an end to that. I slip passed his first blow,
and tear at the flesh of his legs. He goes down. His next
blow is weak and pleading, I open up his throat. KEEP ON
BRINGING THEM DOWN. THEY WILL REGRET THIS. I’m not a savage,
my head.. I fall to my knees. I just want to live. Please.

That’s it, two? Where are the rest of them? This is some
kind of abandoned fortress, littered with years of old animal
carcasses and human waste. DO YOU WANT TO STAY HERE? KEEP
MOVING. Shush, I need to remember why I started this journey.
I need to search the place. First.. I need to eat. There’s
bread. It’s almost completely green. It’s food.

+- Day *scibbles out* let’s call this the finale -+

I’m awake and feeling stronger. I chuckle to myself.. I
must be crazy to still be here. My mind has finally cleared,
I widen my ears to adjust.

I begin to search every room in the damned place, pushing
over tables and throwing chests against the floor. They have
to be here somewhere.

This is the last door. Please..

Chests. Endlessly stacked chests. Searching the first, it
contains nothing more than regal clothing. Could fetch a few
but not worth taking. Then the next, beautiful jewels, just
like the ones that were stolen. I rip apart the clothing in
the first to make a sack. The rest of the chests had more
and more jewels, I’m going to need a bigger sack!

After several hours, I have it all. Anything worth taking.
It’s all on my person. I’ll give back everything that these
disgusting people ever stole.

Those big stone walls! I’ve never been more pleased to see
them, I have finally returned home! A kind Monk takes my worn
out body back to my circle to finally get some rest. His
smile is so sincere and full of something.. not pity, but
something beautiful. He has a glow surrounding him, I have
to squint to keep my focus. I feel him gently running his
fingertips along the wounds on my hands. He pulls my head
forward slightly, and feeds me. I sleep soundly. I awake to
my fellow Merchants.

“Wh.. where did the Monk go?”

“What Monk? You need some more rest dear.”