Chapter Five: Profiteer[edit | edit source]

Meliu, struggling to sell bread and apples in the Silone refugee encampment outside Inster, faces dwindling profits as coin becomes scarce among merchants and fisherfolk. Her fortunes shift when she encounters Ilpen, a tinker, and Solineus, a wealthy warrior possibly of Emudar Clan-blood, whose generous purchase and charm fluster her. Trading on her charisma, Meliu secures a dagger from a smith in exchange for promised chickens, boosting her confidence. However, her sales falter, and a haunting encounter with a boy she suspects might be the mythical Face of Ulrikt unnerves her. Venturing into Inster to source chickens, Meliu’s unease grows as she senses she’s being watched. At the bakery, the absence of her supplier Karu and the creepy demeanor of Karu’s husband heighten her suspicions. Ignoring warnings, she’s ambushed in an alley, losing her money-filled pack to four men. Using a powerful prayer to Erginle, Goddess of Light, Meliu blinds her attackers and escapes, hiding with a prayer to Kibole’s Dark. As she evades pursuit, an unseen savior kills two of her assailants, leaving her shaken but alive. Bloodied and with the town gates now guarded, Meliu, low on coins and betrayed—possibly by Karu’s husband—faces dwindling options. Determined to survive, she seeks new clothes to evade capture, but her resolve is shattered when another attacker knocks her unconscious, leaving her fate uncertain in a hostile town.

ToP Chapter 04 — The Insiders
ToP Chapter 06 — Returning to the World
Trail of Pyres - Main Chapter Listing