After his dealings with the blacksmith's son, Fergus headed back to the Squeaky Wheel. It was starting to get dark, and he was finally feeling the exhaustion of walking for so long on minimal rest. On his way back, he bought up a handful of sugar snacks from one of the village kids selling them outside the bakery. [COLOR=FF8C00][B]"This should help lift everyone's spirits. Thank you, young lady."[/B][/COLOR] said Fergus as he handed her two yen for the treats. It was a small gesture, but sometimes a small act had a big impact. 

Heading inside the Squeaky Wheel, Fergus was greeted by the owner. Giving her a handshake and thanking her, Fergus went upstairs and knocked on each of his companions doors. If the knock was answered, Fergus smiled and handed over a couple of candies. If it wasn't, then that meant more candies for later. And with all that settled, he decided it was time to catch up on sleep. There were still some locals downstairs eating and drinking and having fun, but not him. Mere moments after he hit the bed, Fergus was asleep.

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THE NEXT DAY, APPROXIMATELY 8AM [/CENTER]

Fergus was woken up by a heavy knocking on his door. The owner was here to inform him that the blacksmith's son was here to deliver his order. [COLOR=FF8C00][B]"Yozi's take me, that was fast. I didn't expect things to be done until this afternoon at least."[/B][/COLOR] Upon heading downstairs, Fergus greeted Gareth and was astounded by the quality of the weapons he had bought. When told they were done already, Fergus expected them to be functional but low-quality... but they were each of very fine make. [COLOR=FF8C00][B]"How did you m-"[/B][/COLOR] Gareth chuckled, causing the patrician to pause. [B]"My pops and I run a smithy in a trading town on a river. Everything you asked for was already made ahead of time. The only thing that needed any actual work was this."[/B] At that point, Gareth handed over Axley's sword. The blade was a bit thicker and the grip had been slightly extended to aid in balancing the weapon, but all of the expensive adornments had been preserved.

The breakfast menu at the Squeaky Wheel was as simple and hearty as the dinner menu the night before. The fried onion bread balls were still available, as well as a ham steak with two eggs and corn bread, and lastly a bowl of oat gruel with fresh strawberries and sugar syrup. Fergus ordered the ham, eggs, and cornbread. It was a complete meal, and would keep him satiated for quite a while. He made conversation with a couple of townsfolk who were curious why he was there, but did not disclose the attacks on the ruins. Causing a panic would only complicate matters. It was better to explain things to this "Master Hsu", who was apparently an authority figure in the town. As a local authority, he would be better equipped to explain things to the people he represented.

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APPROXIMATELY 11AM [/CENTER]

The barkeep had gone into the kitchen to help his son get ready for the lunch customers, the owner was upstairs cleaning, and Fergus was picking at an order of the onion bread balls he had bought to share with one of the locals. It was at this point that the daughter of the owner and barkeep returned to the Squeaky Wheel. [B]"Hey, mom! Master Hsu is here! Wasn't there some folks here that needed to talk to him?!"[/B] To this, Fergus smiled and told the local that they could have the rest. [COLOR=FF8C00][B]"I'm one of those folks, dear. Thanks for letting us know he's here."[/B][/COLOR] And so it was that Fergus headed out to meet this "Master Hsu" person. Hopefully he could do something to help these folks stay calm in the face of open war with another Deathlord. It was a faint hope, but Fergus was trying to think positively.