As the sun rose Valthar sat quietly in the premium room he had rented.

  Just like how he first saw it, it was large, very comfortable and had an excellent view of the city.

  Yet now he just couldn't relax himself no matter how hard he tried.

  According to Marcos the Church had made no declaration during the hours Valthar spent comatosed.

  Not a word about the bodies or the red rings.

  Still, worry coursed through Valthar's veins as if a group of priests were about to bust his door down.

  Troubled, he looked at the coins he had left: 3 gold and 80 silver and a handful of copper.

  A large amount, more than sufficient to sustain him for the next few months.

  But one day it would run out and Valthar had very clear self-awareness that there was only one area he was truly competent.

  Magic!

  On the elemental side he knew a lot, but with a subpar affinity to mana and burned mana veins normal mage jobs were simply out of the picture.

  Yet a light of hope remained, life force obeyed him like a puppy, a substitute for mana that allowed him to act like a healer!

  The problem was, in practice, this was classified as dark magic.

  So his best competency was literally outlawed and viewed poorly by everyone.

  Of course for every problem there are solutions.

  And Valthar could think of three simple ones.

  To find a trusted backer, to affiliate himself with a strong faction or to build reputation from the ground up in places where the need for healers overshadowed the fear of dark magic.

  Of them all Valthar preferred the last one.

  After the Church situation people seemed both dangerous and hard to trust in his eyes.

  And a faction was the choice he disliked the most.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  He had already experienced being exiled from his own family because of things he couldn’t control.

  That his own family did such a thing, showed Valthar that a faction might throw him under a carriage the moment it became profitable.

  Originally such worries could wait another month, till the prepaid lease for the room expired.

  Yet in just a day the situation had changed.

  Marcos, his drinking buddy, is deeply involved with a demon.

  A demon that had already invaded his dream once and guided him to save a person.

  And while Valthar didn’t regret saving Amara, he did not like the way it had happened.

  The Church could have found him near the red rings and taken him to their white rooms.

  And at that time Valthar would still be connected to the demon… meaning a death sentence.

  Such an absurd risk, one he didn't understand before jumping on it? It brought a bitter taste to his mouth.

  So with a heavy heart, Valthar sat down with a pen and paper.

  —----------------

  Dear Marcos,

  Through the time I spent in Emberheart, our drinking nights were high points, truly it was a pleasure to meet you.

  Till yesterday I intended to stay for a while more, yet the events that happened changed everything.

  In all honesty saving that woman felt good, but I fear the Church might knock at my door and take me away at any moment.

  Once burned twice shy, I'm skipping town before lunch, no matter the price.

  Not good with goodbyes so I wont do any.

  Till we meet again if fate allows, Valthar.

  —----------

  Done writing Valthar packed his coins, one of his canes and a change of clothes on a hemp sack.

  He didn't own much more and that was on purpose since he had never planned to stay long in the city anyway.

  With calm steps and rhythmic thumps of his cane he made his way downstairs.

  “Please deliver this to Marcos when he wakes up Little Jack.” Valthar handed the letter to the boy. “Take good care of your old man, alright.”

  “I always take care of him, uncle Valthar.” Little Jack nodded proudly, unaware this was the last time he'd see this new uncle of his for a long while.

  ***

  The caravan going directly to dark mist forest had yet to get into town, so instead Valthar found another merchant ready to depart to a city in that direction and paid 4 silver to hitch a ride.

  In practice paying to go from city to city would cost four to five times more than following a single caravan directly to Deep Bonfire.

  A price Valthar would pay without batting an eye if it meant not risking getting caught by the Church of Burning Light.

  And so the next two months of his life passed without surprise.

  In total it cost him 1 gold and 3 silver to cross all the way to the edge of the dark mist forest, stopping at a city called Last Torchlight.

  From Last Torchlight to Deep Bonfire was only a couple days away.

  Yet since the road there was already within the dangerous forest area, merchant caravans tended to travel there only once a month.

  Gathering multiple caravans at Last Torchlight before departure to ensure that no matter what problems happened on the way, the sheer number of travelers would overwhelm it.

  ‘I have a week to prepare.’ Valthar thought to himself, looking at the tall walls that encircled Last Torchlight.

  In a week the merchants would depart, just enough time for him to look for info on the family that ruled Deep Bonfire and on how dark mages were seen around the area.