“Do you want me to get you out?” the old man asked.

  “We do,” Thorin said. “Since you always have a good stock of spellbooks in the shop, you must have a stable channel of supply. You also buy all the ‘Ashes of Death’ we sell. You alone can't possibly consume that much, so you must be exporting them out. Please, let us use that route and help us get out of this mess.”

  “We’ll do whatever you ask of us in return, grandpa,” Quin said.

  “Within reason,” Clay hurriedly stepped forward and added.

  The old man hummed as he mulled over their request. “I do have a secured supply route,” he said. “Even the guilds can't find it easily. But why should I let you use it? We aren’t that close, are we?” He chuckled and brought out a bag of salted cashews, munching on a handful at times.

  “Grandpa.” Thorin got behind and massaged his shoulders. Clay and Quin got to his legs and kneaded his calves. “We’ve known each other for so long now. We’re your loyal customers. You even feed us every time we come visit you. How can you say we aren’t close?”

  “Get my back too,” the old man said and adjusted on the chair to let Thorin massage his spine.

  Thorin cleared his throat and applied more pressure. “Grandpa, please let us use it,” he said. “It’s really important that we get out, it’s a matter of life and death for me. I must get to the Southern Whispers. I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”

  “Within reason,” Clay added again.

  “I can let you use it,” the old man said. “But you need to agree to my condition.”

  “Okay,” Thorin said, crouching beside the old man.

  “Within reason,” Clay muttered by the side.

  “You’re seventeen this year?” the old man asked.

  “I’ll be eighteen soon,” Thorin replied.

  “I have a granddaughter,” the old man said. “If you agree to marry her, I’ll let you use the supply route.”

  “Marry her?” Thorin asked in alarm and almost sat on his ass.

  “Why? Do you not like my granddaughter?” the old man asked. “Or do you have someone you want to marry already?”

  “N-no, but… I haven’t even met your granddaughter. How can I like or not like her?” Thorin grumbled. “And I’m far too young for marriage.”

  “You won't get married right away,” the old man said. “Consider this just a promise of consideration. We’ll finalize things when it’s time for the deed.”

  “Is that all?” Clay asked with a smile, his eyes sparkling. “That’s very much within reason.”

  “Yes,” the old man said, flicking Thorin’s forehead as he was in a daze. “What do you say?”

  “Grandpa, I won't be a good match for her,” Thorin said, glaring at Clay who sold him without batting an eyelid.

  He lived on borrowed time. Though he could fix his heart by eating stronger Ghosts, the possibility still hung in the air after all. If he couldn’t, he would be a guest on Eldeth for mere heartbeats. He didn’t want to drag her down with him with such a burden. “How about these two? They’ll be a far better husband than I’ll ever be. How about you pick one of them?” Since his brothers stabbed him, he had to return the favor.

  “N-No, I can't. I already have someone,” Clay said.

  “You don’t,” Thorin retorted.

  “Liz counts,” Clay said and shut him up.

  “I can't get married either,” Quin said. “I’ve vowed to be celibate.”

  “Fuck off! When did you do that?” Thorin snapped back.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “Just now,” Quin said, pulling away with a smile.

  “I don't want them,” the old man said. “They’re too old for her. They can have my grandnieces if they want. I only want you for my granddaughter.”

  “We’d rather not,” Clay said and backed off with Quin.

  “They’re not that much older than me,” Thorin murmured helplessly. “How old is she?” he asked.

  “She’s younger than you,” the old man said.

  “What if she doesn’t like me?” he asked.

  The old man rubbed his head and brushed his hair with a kind smile. “That won't happen,” he said.

  “You’ll probably regret it in the future, grandpa,” Thorin said under his breath.

  “Don’t sell yourself too short, child,” the old man said. “You caught my eye. That’s not a small accomplishment in itself. Own the confidence and the pride you deserve. You’re already a man now. You must never look down and despair, always strive to move forward with your head held high.”

  After minutes of silence reigned over the conversation, Thorin took a deep breath. He steeled his conviction beyond a storm of thoughts and looked up at the old man. If the feebleness of his heart was the indelible wall in his path, he just had to topple it. He would become strong and capable enough to be an anchor rather than a burden. “Alright,” he said. “I agree.”

  “Good,” the old man said, grinning. “This will be a verbal agreement between us. Neither side can back off.”

  Thorin nodded. “What’s her name, grandpa?” he asked.

  “Avril Haden,” the old man said. “You’ll like her, don’t worry. You two will be a good match. She’s a bubbly child.”

  “What’s your name, grandpa?” Clay asked. “We never thought to ask.”

  “Rayliegh Jaegar Haden,” the old man said.

  “How soon can we leave, grandpa?” Thorin asked.

  “Go back and pack your stuff,” Rayliegh said. “You’ll depart for the meeting point after sunset.”

  “Meeting point?” Quin asked. “Where is it?”

  “Not now. It’s a secret supply route, so we need to keep its traces clean,” Rayliegh said. “I’ll give you my token and the items you need to transport. You three will be acting as my carriers. The token will guide you to the meeting point. Prepare for battles though, it won't be a peaceful journey, especially under these circumstances.”

  “What about Byram?” Clay asked. “Can he and his bulls come with us too?”

  “It won't do him any good if he does,” Rayliegh said. “Don’t worry. Guilds have an unspoken rule. They won't deliberately hurt or trouble mortals. They’ll even try to protect their mortal establishments during war time. He’ll be fine. Just tell him to leave the market normally and settle in the town outside.”

  “He’s going to be sad,” Quin sad, looking a bit despondent. Among the three, he’d mingled with the bulls the most.

  “Alright,” Rayliegh said, clapping his hands. “Don’t look so glum. If chance will have it, you’ll meet again. Now, come inside and help me sort out the items you need to transport.”

  The old man used his seniority as leverage and ordered the three cousins around with a hearty grin and some guffaws. Besides gathering the items, he also had them clean the shelves while they were at it, much to Quin’s annoyance. In the end, he handed Clay a storage bag that brimmed with supplies. There was a heap of vials with ashes as well—the vials of “Ashes of Death’ that the three brothers sold to the old man.

  “This is for you,” Rayliegh said and handed Thorin another storage bag. “Consider it my granddaughter’s dowry in advance. There’ll be a lot more when you two get married.”

  When Thorin scanned it with his mana, the pile of items had him gaping in disbelief. About a hundred mana shards hilled in the center. A few booster rings sat in a stack by their side with a blueprint of a spell array. And a book lay to the front, gleaming with opulence. It was the book that the old man had introduced with pride. The book he priced at a thousand mana shards. It was the ‘How to’ book that explained the method of learning spells from the Arcanas directly.

  “Grandpa, it’s too much,” Thorin said, hesitant to hold the bag. It was light as a feather, yet it weighed on him.

  “It’s not nearly enough but make do with it for now,” Rayliegh said. “Use it to become stronger and make sure you survive. I don’t want my chosen grandson-in-law to die in some obscure corner.”

  “Thank you, grandpa,” Clay said and bowed to the old man, pushing Thorin’s head down too.

  “Thank you,” Thorin said as well.

  “Go now,” Rayliegh said and shooed them away. “Prepare what you can and pack your stuff. Try not to say farewell to anyone you know, just in case.”

  “We’ll see you on the other side then, grandpa,” Quin said, and the three brothers walked away, leaving the old man to reminisce in the quiet of his shop.

  “The Ashnard branch of the Aether House,” Rayliegh murmured. “Oh, old weasel, I won't give up this time. One way or the other, you’ll have to fulfill your promise.”

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