The Smartphone Saga: A Distracted Journey of Spells and Signals

Chapter 2: Liquidated

Charon didn't speak for most of the ride, for which Jasson was grateful. Partly because Jasson felt a weird tugging in his soul whenever the Ferryman spoke. But most of it was due to the realization that Charon didn't need a tongue to speak. Not a whole one anyway.

Jasson was supposed to have five dollars left in his VenGo after the BlUbber fee. But when one takes a ride with the omnipresent Ferryman of the Dead, one feels inclined to tip. So it was that Jasson embarked into his first village with not a penny in his VenGo.

Not that anyone could accept contactless payment. 'Tap-to-pay' wasn't a sticker on their weighing scales.

Night filled the land, easing into day like the gods were mixing a dark Kool-aid. River Village consisted of a dozen establishments along a wide main street, encircled by a well-maintained wooden wall. The buildings reflected white as the moon peeked above the horizon, their medieval architecture leaning in the night.

A man exited a brightly lit bar near the gate, laughing and waving farewell to his friends. This man was debatably sober and would have been the perfect person for Jasson to talk to. The man even gave Jasson a nod, making brief eye contact.

Jasson needed things. He needed to know where the Adventuring Guild Booth could be. He needed to know where he could stay for the night. But what Jasson needed most of all was the courage to walk up to a complete stranger and ask a question.

Since he didn't have that, Jasson crossed to the opposite side of the road and anxiously swiped on his phone.

I'm such a coward, Jasson thought, but it shouldn't be too hard to find something here. There's just one road. Man, I wish Guugle Maps worked.

Jasson found the Adventures Booth after a couple of minutes of searching, which was a relief. The Adventurer's Booth was a small wooden shed with a board covered in flyers outside. Dressed in red and gold paint, the shack stood as an embodiment of honor and practicality. A large-looking flap lay closed and latched over the front opening, and a door to the side stood firmly shut. There was a sliver of steady light leaking out of an opening in the flap, so Jasson walked up and knocked.

"We are clos-ed," a feminine voice said, "Come again nex' week, if you please."

"All right," Jasson said, social terror spiking, "Sorry."

Jasson turned and got a few steps away before he stopped. He needed to do more than that. She didn't say that she wouldn't talk to him, just that they were closed. It couldn't hurt, right?

"Um," Jasson said, holding his phone tight, "What days are you open? And- erm, what day of the week is it?"

The voice took a moment to respond "Whaht? Did you lose trahck?"

"Uhh," Jasson turned his phone on, "Yes?"

The woman's voice said, "We are open on Wednesdays and on Thursdays, and yes, eet eez Thursday night. Were you hoping for some quests?"

Is that accent French? Jasson thought. Or does she have a lot of phlegm in her throat?

"Kinda," Jasson said, scrolling on his phone as his heart sped up, "I'm mostly hoping for some advice. I'm trying to become an adventurer but I don't know what to do."

"There eez a fee to join," The woman said, "But zere's a fourteen work day free trial. Steell, zat's better done at an active branch, not a leettle stall like zis. We are here to supply ze more remote Adventurers with quests and gold, usually for ze herb gathering."

Jasson had to keep himself from getting too distracted on his phone. She was definitely using a French accent, which only made it harder to pay attention to what she was saying.