Chapter 2

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2.

Thalia followed Donner back to city hall, his sword hanging on his belt swinging in tandem with his proud step. "How much was that contract worth? You said it was expensive. That octopus was becoming a big problem for Hillshade, lucky for you to grab it before one of the real- I mean, more seasoned Knights took it on."

"Three hundred gold," Donner said, smiling as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"How much after taxes?" Thalia asked.

"Two hundred sixty," Donner scowled, "Forty gold. Can you believe this? I'm paying more in taxes for one day of work then I would make in a week at my dad's smithery. This system is criminal. If I can earn a place in court someday, I will make my grievances known. You can rest assured of that." He said before turning his head back as the approached town hall. That Stewart McLainian, and all his ilk, these bureaucrats, are parasites earning a living off the coin that real men like me earn."

Thalia rolled her eyes, "You know, for someone who says they're a Knight devoted to serving the country of Kinleath you certainly have a lot of issues with the country's actual governing body,"

"A real Knight fights not for the kingdom, he fights for the people," Donner said, face straight and nodding his head.

"Well, legally the government is whose paying you, so you fight for the government, on paper at least," Thalia said as Donner pushed the double doors to town hall open.

"So, two-hundred-and-forty gold, minus what you owe Lenny for that potion he made for you," Thalia said.

"It's fine, Wizard Vribus has let me open a tab at his shop. And Lenny, my trusty Wizard, has once again given a hero what he needed to bring justice to this land."

Thalia shook her head. She knew what Donner was talking about. Almost every great Knight in history had a trusted Wizard helping him. Donner thought himself a Knight, and he considered Lenny the great ally that he would travel to glory with.

McLainian was busy scribbling away in his bookkeeping as the doors swinging open got his attention. "Ah Sir Donner," he said, greeting the taxpaying citizen just as eagerly as he would if Sir Theodore himself had walked inside. "I remember that the pigeon with your Knighting license came in a few days ago, have you received it yet?"

"Yeah, I got it," Donner nodded, "It came three days after I felled a literal god in single combat," Donner grinned.

"Demigod," Thalia corrected him, "And we were all their helping you," she added.

"I am a Bronze-Ranked Knight, and which allows me to take on Silver-ranked quests. I have taken the quest to rid the lake by Hillshade of the giant octopus menace. It has been dealt with," Donner reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the tentacle suckers that recently had been wrapped around him. He put it down next to the contract and slid them to McLainian. "I've bested the beast under contract and have come for my reward," he smiled.

"Oh, another epic adventure, no doubt."

"Oh, it was epic," Donner smiled, "It had nine tentacles opposed to eight, quite a unique and deadly creature," Donner bragged.

"It had eight, I counted. It was just a standard run of the mill giant octopus," she said, correcting Donner again.

Donner threw his hands up as he looked at Thalia.

Thalia looked to him, and with her eyes scolded him for his bravado, "It's still a giant octopus, still a great victory. You don't have to embellish. You know you have a real problem with that, right?" she said.

"Well, I think this is enough evidence to show you've completed the contract." McLainian said as he looked over the document, "Of course you do acknowledge that in the event you present a falsely completed contract you will be subject to penalties up to and including revocation of your Knighting license."

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