Chapter 62: General Mattison

Ty slowly raised his hands towards the sky, wearing a slight smile as he spoke. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you or your crow."

"I was assuming it was someone else I know watching me. Again, sorry to have bothered... Mr.?" Ty's voice trailed off, inviting the mysterious figure to introduce themselves.

The stranger's hand touched the back of Ty's garb, and he felt a slight tinge of warmth.

"The fact that you don't know who I am by my voice alone is an alarming presence. I am a captain in the Royal Guards military. You can call me General Mattison, Commander of the Kingdom's outlands."

General Mattison continued, "Care to tell me where you came from and why you're traveling with an Ogre?"

"Actually," Ty interjected, "I think he might be an Orc or a goblin."

The general's voice grew more intense, and he increased the pressure on Ty's back slightly as he continued to question him. "I have no idea what that is, but the fact you're traveling with a dangerous creature so haphazardly, and bringing him into one of my towns has my attention."

Ty decided to introduce himself and provide some context. "Well, to start, my name is Ty Hockenson, and I come from far away from here. I'm bringing the young girl to the capital. She thinks she is part of one of the houses and requested I be her bodyguard in the meantime. She is paying quite well."

The general seemed skeptical and questioned Ty's ability to defend her. "And you think you can defend her? You and that bloodthirsty Ogre?"

Taking a deep breath, Ty responded, "Well, that is a good question. You can always find out for yourself if you want. But I do have to retort that I am not looking for any fights directly. I have my own goals but do be my guest if you don't think I can protect the lady back home."

After a thoughtful pause, Ty responded, "I'm afraid I don't, but if you give me some of the info, I will make sure to let you know if I do. Does that sound fair?"

The general provided a description, "He was about your height but with much paler skin. He didn't kill anyone, even though he could. That's all the info I've been given from the reports."

It felt almost like a modern snack shop, which brought a small smile to Ty's face.

He picked up some cold waters and approached the checkout counter.

The checkout lady processed the payment by placing the coins into a small metal orb that, surprisingly, spat out the change in return.

She wished Ty a good night with a slight bow, and he reciprocated with a polite nod.

The shop had a unique charm that blended seamlessly with the kingdom's setting, leaving Ty with a sense of appreciation for the little details that made this world different from his own.

The rest of the evening remained uneventful for Ty.

He made his way back to the inn, delivering the drinks to the old innkeeper and gently gesturing her to head to bed.

Then, he returned to the room to find Todd and Nana both fast asleep.

Todd lay sprawled out, taking up most of the bed, while Nana was curled up in a small ball on the couch. Ty noticed her shivering slightly, probably due to the cold.

Not wanting her to be uncomfortable, Ty went to the closet and found an assortment of sheets and replacement blankets.

He selected a thin sheet and gently covered Nana, propping her up on a nearby pillow.

She gave a slight grumble in her sleep, and in that moment, a shock wave of memories came crashing over Ty.