8:40 AM, 22nd of December, 1728.

  They entered the inn, the lighting inside dim but comfortable. Standing behind the wooden counter just in front of the entrance was a woman, her hair blonde and her build average. She looked up as they entered, her face instantly brightening.

  “Leonard, honey! Is this a customer that you’ve brought me?”

  “Yeah, he is. He was looking for a room.”

  She shifted her gaze to look towards Alexander. “Alright then, how long were you planning to stay, young man?”

  “I have no idea yet. I just arrived here.”

  “Alright, let's just say weekly payments then. Each week is twelve coppers, which is actually two coppers cheaper than if you paid each day! I take payments up front.”

  Alexander walked forward, stopping just in front of the counter, and said under his breath, trying to keep his voice low, “What’s a copper? Like the metal?”

  Leonard answered from behind him. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t even think about the fact that you don't have any knowledge of our currency. If you're interested, you can work with me; I've been needing some help around the shop for a while. The pay should be able to cover the costs here, plus some pocket change.”

  He thought for a moment, wondering why Leonard would need help from a supposed blind man.

  “What do you do anyway?”

  “I’m glad you asked! I’m a blacksmith, I make weapons and the like. Though that’s not what I need your help with. I just need someone to organize and take my orders for me, so that I have more time to do what I love.”

  “If it means I have somewhere to sleep, I’ll give it a shot.”

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  “Alright then! Fantastic!”

  He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a heavy bag, fishing through it and placing on the counter a silver coin and two coppers.

  “I’ve got your first week covered. I’ll just deduct it from your pay. I’ll be by tomorrow at eight in the morning to bring you to my shop so we can get started. That's alright with you?”

  He nodded in response, feeling that the situation had no downsides for him. Who would deny a job and a place to sleep at the same time?

  “Anissa, could you show him to his room? I’ve got to get back to work.”

  Leonard left out the front door, the bell ringing as the door swung.

  His wife, Anissa, led Alexander up the stairs and to his room. It was room number twelve, and also the last of the rooms positioned at the very end of the hallway. She gave him a key and guided him to where each part of the room was, as well as showing him the bathroom just outside his room.

  The room was simple but nice, maybe a little better than the room he spent his entire life living in, though, of course, without the nostalgia and personal items. He had a twin-sized bed with an overly fluffy comforter and a single pillow. Just next to the bed was a large desk, a fountain pen, and a few papers in a neat stack on top. Next to that desk, cornering the wall, was a large chest sitting on the floor.

  “I appreciate your guys' help, really. Thank you.”

  “Of course, I’ll leave you to it then.”

  She left the room, closing the door behind her. There was much of the day left, and yet Alexander felt entirely spent, likely exhaustion catching back up to him from the past few days.

  -

  He slept through much of the afternoon, feeling the exhaustion slip away, before waking up, his stomach growling at him in protest at how little it had been fed as of late.

  He had no money and no easy access to food, and so all he could think to do was ask. He left his room and went back down the stairs, stopping at the front counter. One person was sitting at a table doing apparent day drinking.

  “Sorry to bug you, Anissa, but how do I get some food when I have no money?”

  She turned in his direction, drying a cup in her hand with a rag, a frown appearing on her face.

  “Well, we usually just go out to the forest and hunt some boars if we’re in need of a lot of meat; it’s cheaper to run this place that way, but I can’t really recommend that to you…”

  “I can do that. Could I borrow a blade from you?”

  Her eyes narrowed before she replied, seemingly untrusting of his statement. “You can hunt while blind? Does your Authority help with that somehow?”

  “You could say that.” He smiled, technically not lying.

  “Alright then, but don’t blame me if you get hurt,” she continued talking as she walked into a back room, “And I better get this dagger back in one piece.”

  She walked back over to the counter, a small but sturdy dagger in her hand. The blade glistened in the dim lighting of the room, calling attention to the intricate design along the silver blade.

  “I’m holding it out, here.”

  He reached forward, taking hold of the handle, which was covered in a dark, almost black leather.

  “I appreciate it. When I come back, I’ll give you some of whatever I manage to kill as payment if that’s alright.”

  “Don’t even worry about it. We have more than enough food stored in the back. I’m not running a charity here, but I can’t have you helping out my husband on an empty stomach.”

  He gave a slight nod in response before turning and leaving the inn, dagger concealed in his overcoat pocket.

  The street outside was busy, and the sun was setting, covering the horizon in a beautiful pink haze. He walked through the crowded road, finding it difficult not to bump into people he couldn’t see, trying to react to them the second after he saw them. It was rather difficult and a bit confusing. He knew he had to work on his understanding of this new power of his.