"I'd almost fallen for it" i say evenly, Delilah stops in her tracks "if my intelligence wasn't greatly increased I'd have died already right?" i say. "can't you die in a dream Lucky?"
"How'd you know?" she croaked, Delilah's now adopting Lucky's hunched posture. His power was quite convincing, the dumb and luck-reliant version of myself would have died in his sleep. "well killing you would have been a bonus anyway, we have your location now. So I'll see you in the real world very soon Josef" Lucky said seemly much more confident wearing my aunts appearance. The dream dissolves around me like paint running from the canvas. Lucky gave me one last triumphant smile as i awake leaning against the same tree slightly off the road to town. The tree i leaned against right before the scream lured me deeper in the forest. The dream left me mentally drained as images of mother in a ball gown and flashes of the dying maid stick with me even after I've awaken.
"How did you know Little Jester?" Perry asks while floating in front of my now crouched figure. "I was getting far too much luck" i say while standing a brushing my clothes clean. "Lets try this again" i say while walking back to the entrance of Wanning, the same gruff guard spots me and says "I remember you" and extends his hand awaiting identification. After confirming, he stands aside and allows me entrance.
"High intelligence makes processing your emotions a bit easier, but is staying here a bright idea?" Perry asks telepathically "they want me to panic and make mistake so that my moves are easy to track, but i don't plan on making it easy on them" i say while walking through the bustling port town briskly. "hmm the smart version of you is scary hehe" Perry says with a short laugh.
"You must really hate this place" Perry says as we walk through the bustling port town, fast enough to make my distaste obvious. "Its not the town" I reply as fast as I walk "It's-…Wait! Don't you have my memories?" "Its not exactly memories, I know what role people play in your story. Like mommy for example Giorgia Grey played her role so well the audience might actually hate her" Perry says while staring off into the distance seemingly at nothing. I ignore her rambling about things I hardly understand like "review scores" and "hate comments" and make my way to the docks. Eventually I find the Travel Office a medium sized stone building located right across from the shipyard. I walk in into the lively building, pass several tables filled with adventurers and sailors. To the back where 3 counters were located, I approach the counter labeled "Departure" were a petite blonde sat.
"Hello welcome to the Travel Office! My name is Domino Varella, how may i help you?" Domino was short, blond, and full of life. Her bright blue eyes locked onto to me, subtlety studying me. "Nice to meet you Domino, I'm Josef. I'm in need of passage off this continent." i reply. "All the ships are stuck in the harbor, we've received word of a large storm approaching from the west. So only carriages are available, is that alright with you Josef? Domino says while looking through various documents. "Yes that is alright with me" i say with a disarming smile. But without Charisma it seems to unsettle the friendly receptionist instead. "O-okay, we have 3 currently scheduled. Candela, Satanet, and Jerzy." Satanet was out for obvious reasons, Aasir would have to work if he wanted me dead and walking around his hometown hardly qualified as work. Candela was mountainous region home of the mercenary alliance. Jerzy was free nation founded by escaped slave fighters and wronged merchants, making it best option. No big houses that want me dead " passage to Jerzy please" i say. She completes all the necessary paper work with practiced efficiency, and sends me off with a smile.
I find the carriage rather easy and settle in for the two day journey, hoping for a chance to rest my body. After sitting down for a while it became apparent the past three days had taken quite the toll on me, as sleep came for me the second the carriage started moving.
"Wake up you little shit" that voice, I blink away the sleep to find mother standing over my cot. "don't you have work to do?" I inherited many of here physical traits dark brown hair, grey eyes, and olive skin. She was long legged with a beauty mark above her full pink lips her appearance didn't match our surroundings she was beautiful, on the outside at least. Her client saw the best of her, when she "entertained guests" I had to vanish. "Maybe my clients want something….younger you should stick around this time hehe" she made that joke often, she enjoyed watching scramble to get away "oh c'mon that's no fun hehe we could make this a family business" she'd yell out the door as I ran away.
"Boy" she named me Josef apparently after her grandfather, but she never used that name "BOY!" she yelled again this time accompanied by a high heeled shoe aimed between my eyes. Somehow they always hit, even when I saw them coming. I look at her whipping fresh blood from my brow "yes mother?" I say trying my best not to sound annoyed "Tomorrow you have wake up at first light and vanish until sundown. I don't care what you do just don't cause me any trouble. Am I clear?" I nod at her "USE.YOUR.WORDS" she barks "heheh yes mother, vanish from first light to nightfall. Don't make trouble" mother had me trained like a beaten dog. "You're so damn creepy always laughing. Am I joke to you boy?" she ask while drawing closer slowly like a stalking lion "khahah no mother jokes are funny " WHACK TWACK SLAM
My ears ring and taste iron. She beat her own child like I had stolen from her, she raised her hand for one last hit, before I'm suddenly jolted from sleep.
"Sounded like quite the unpleasant dream young man, so i thought to wake you." an older man with greying long hair, pleasant smile, and charcoal suit had shaken me from sleep "ahem thank you sir, I'm Josef and you?" i extend my hand to greet the warm stranger, he grips my hand with surprising strength "Pierre Marten! It's nice to finally put a face to the name" he said with a wide smile.