Eli

  I sigh as I accidentally step in a puddle, and soak my shoes. I slip out of the puddle, and keep walking, my extra belt appendage stabilizing itself, by wrapping itself close to me, so as not to bring me off balance.

  I keep walking before I eventually run into Milo walking with that giant fucking grey beast Tom. “Tom.”

  He turns to me, and nods. “Yes.”

  I continue speaking. “What are you?”

  Tom opens his mouth, and closes it again. “I-I don't know how to answer that?”

  I roll my eyes and continue. “What species? I mean Milos human, the people attacking us are Orcs, there are plenty of dwarves living in this city, I've seen elves in adventuring parties too, so what are you?”

  Tom frowns, but then opens his mouth as if to speak, before Milo jumps in. “Hes a Feralith.”

  “The fuck is a Ferralith?” I mouth off, and make a weird face.

  Milo squints. “You told me that dwarves, elves and stuff were something of a fantasy in your world, but known. Do you not know Feraliths?”

  I roll my eyes even more. “If I knew, would I ask?”

  Milo glares at me but responds anyway. “Feraliths are nomadic humanoids, who live splattered throughout the Splintered Countries, and the Herdlands. They have grey skins, live in tribes with each other, and are usually about 7-9 feet tall.”

  I sigh, and shrug. “Ok, whatever, very dictionary definition, but I guess that's what I asked for. Also, there are some earth people who are coming through the portal, and doing some shady stuff. I've been keeping an eye on it, so I thought I'd come tell you.”

  Milo nods. “Should Tom come?”

  I glance up at Tom's face. “Maybe not this time. I just want to show you something.”

  Milo shrugs. “Ok.”

  I nod, and pull Milo along behind me. My leather boots splattering along the wet cobblestone, freshly soaked from the rain last night. I take a deep breath of the cool morning air, and let out a smile.

  Milo chuckles. “Pleasant weather. Should warm up some more by later.”

  I nod, and pull him towards an alley but stop just outside. “So, let me explain. People on the other side, specifically vagrants or criminals, are escaping prison, or committing crimes, and then rushing here. As far as I can tell, guns don't work properly in this universe, so the government has far less power here. So these criminals are coming through, learning just a little bit of magic, and then wreaking havoc back in the earth world, or just causing trouble. As well as carrying the practice of gangs, and drugs into this world. What I've noticed in my circles is an uptick of people from the other side showing up, paying someone to teach them a little bit of magic, rather than causing trouble.”

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  Milo frowns. “Your circles?”

  I roll my eyes. “Dont worry about it, it's not your problem. Anyway, just come on, I'll show you.”

  I pull him through the entrance to the alleyway, and we walk for a while until we get to an open walkway headed into the building. We poke in, and find something akin to a bar, or a gambling hall. Multiple tables set up with a variety of games, dice, cards, anything really, and at the far side of the room there is a large bar, where a well built young lady with long brown hair is pouring drinks, while gently turning drunkards away from her, and into the bouncer.

  Milo shrugs. “Nothing illegal here.”

  I roll my eyes. “Come here.”

  I pull Milo over to a table, where a group of people are playing dice. Two men, and two women. One woman has a staff, and is wearing long flowing robes. The other woman is wearing leather armor, with patches of plate, likely due to budget.

  One of the men is wearing loose leather sandals, and long flowing robes, similar to the female, and the other man, is wearing full plate armor, head to toe, with a visor pulled over his face, and everything. The only thing he doesn't have is gloves, because they are sitting next to his drink, so he can hold his cards.

  Next to the fully plated man, stands a greasy white guy. His hair is pulled back, and he's got tattoos all over his face, and arms. His eyes are swirling back, and forth like a squirrel, or a druggy. “Come on Vitrue, man, how much are you gonna squeeze out of me!? I don't have that much money my man!” The man locks his hands together, and throws them up in front of his face like he's praying.

  Vitrue responds. “Pay up, or don't get the training, I'm already working with some of those other bull shitter Ascendants, or whatever, that's why I'm charging more.”

  The greasy guy falls to his knees. “Come on man, please, im fucking begging, If I dont get some skills, they’ll send me back, and im gonna go back to jail!”

  Vitrue sighs. “Sounds like a you problem, my man. You give me the silver, or don't get a sliver of training.”

  The guy growls before turning to the other warrior lady. “Please Amita?”

  Amita snarls at him. “Why would I charge you any fucking less than he fucking does. Do you think I'm a worse trainer or something than him!?”

  The guy frantically waves his hands, “No! I mean, no, no, no! I just mean, you've beat a couple of the guys sent here to death before, and I mean, I just….” His voice fades down into a mumble quickly, and he lowers his head.

  Amita smirks. “Ask Joel you useless soup meat.” She chuckles, and points at the man who is wearing loose slippers, and a long robe. He also appears to be trying to use magic to alter his cards.

  As all of this is happening Milo just shrugs. “I'm sorry but they aren't doing anything illegal.”

  I roll my eyes. “But if one of them agrees to train him, he gets decently powerful, and then he starts attacking people, and doing crimes.”

  Milo throws his hands up by his head. “What do you want me to do? Put guards around him? There will always be people doing that.”

  I sigh. “I don't know. Just, be aware of it. Also, people are coming through, spreading Earth drugs, or synthesizing new drugs using the materials on this planet.”

  Milo frowns. “Drugs… Like… Opium?”

  I shrug. “Sort of. But also stuff like Ketamine, and Marijuana, and Cocaine. A variety, and some of the smarter people have started to experiment with the materials on this planet to see if they can get similar effects.”

  Milo quirks his lips to the side. “See if you can hire a guard, or a retired guard from earth, so that they can identify samples. We need samples of stuff, so that we can identify it, and outlaw it.”

  I nod. “I'll head to earth now, and start looking.”

  Milo nods, and tosses him a small paper card. “It's the location of what we currently have designated as the guards office. We keep confiscated items there, and people waiting to be transferred to a larger prison by the kingdom. Bring him there, and than look for Lia. Explain the situation, and tell her Milo sent you.”

  I nod. “Got it.”