And nothing.

I'm starting to regret my lack of sleep and sustenance...

Our rag-tag group walks up the sloped roads of Bounty; aiming to find lodging, as the local Runacathy would only be able to provide bed and board to myself and Priscilla. The joint effort of my wary body, the inclined traversing, and the long stay in that horrid paperwork dungeon; quickly worked its way through my body, bringing me to near collapse.

"There's a tavern over there." Says Zana, pointing towards a building with a sign; baring a symbol of a spilt mug with bedding atop it.

However, the tavern itself seemed to be in disrepair; it seemed so far that the more central the location was in Bounty, the poorer it got...

Cilla had noticed this as well, it seems, as she says. "Looks seedy. Let's try heading over to another road, and walking back downward."

With no objections spoken, we walk through an alleyway between two buildings; a common sight so far; alleys that allow movement from one road to the next.

"How do they even move their goods? Isn't this a trade city?" I ask; legs worn down by the incline of the road.

"I know. I've been through here once... got stuck in a loop for a while; learned a lot." Says Scott; tugging at the collar of his ragged suit. "Gravity and spacial magics. They shrink the goods, reduce their weight, and have it delivered in secret upward to the carts; or down to the ships, depending on what's needed. Those men in black we saw were from the group that do such deliveries. The Silver Couriers. Seeing as they were listening to that Robert fellow, he must be one of the three Silver Councilmen."

Ashes, asking a question as she steps over some rubbish in the alley. "I thought the people who governed Bounty were those 'Gilded' Council people; not the 'Silver' Council."

"Theres three sets of three seats in the Gilded Council. The Gold Council, the Silver Council, and the Steel Council..." The sand-man then suddenly stops in place, gently poking at his right sleeve and saying. "Hey! Stop it, you little sneak."

"Who are you talking to?" Asks Gabriella, currently trying her best to not let her staff; the Alma especially, touch the filth of the alley.

"One of my spirits; Untor. Little bastard nipped at me..." Explains Scott, holding out his right hand, he allowed the spirit to work its way down his sleeve and into his hand; the sight of which caused Ashes to suddenly sprint halfway down the alley back where we came from.

"AAAAAAH!" Screams Ashes; more terrified than Zana had ever been.

A fuzzy spider, around the size of two fists clenched together, lay silently in the palm of our Tailor. It was the same tan as his suit; with a symbol on its back, colored white. An hourglass. Its many emerald eyes peer up at us as it lounges in its owner's hand.

"So that's where those threads came from." I think aloud.

"Yes, the Threads of Fate; the power granted by little Untor here. Anyone whose killed me in the current week's loop cannot break free from their grasp..." As Scott speaks, his spider scampers about in his palm.

"That seems very specific." I say. "How did you get a spirit that has a power that... uniquely useful for your curse?"

The Sand-Man is quick to answer; his spirit wriggling its way back up his sleeve as we reach the other side of the alley. "Well, it seems you don't know much about Barbarians. The spirit we're born with; like Untor here, changes with us. He used to just make thread for my tailoring, but once I was cursed, he changed with me."

I start asking a question, remembering the butterfly from before, only to be cut off. "What about..."

"No... Don't ask about Kokala..." Demands Scott; clearly disdainful of the subject.

Ashes seemed to have caught up with us after her arachnophobia fueled flight not too long ago; saying. "Hey, yeah, spiders... cool... Oh look! Down there!"

A long ways down the new road, there seemed to be another tavern; this time far cleaner looking. It had the same sign as the previous tavern; some sort of mass produced 'Tavern' sign, prehaps. Walking downhill was a lot easy that going uphill, and we managed to reach this new place of respite just before I felt my legs fully give out. I slumped forward, with Cilla and Gabriella suddenly having to catch me before I slammed fast first into a window. Once we were inside, I could see wooden flooring quite well, as looking up from there was a task harder than slaying any siren queen...

"Need a room?" Asks a deep, grumbling voice; coming from the left, near where drinks and food were audibly being served.

"Yes; four rooms if possible." Says Cilla; I assume she and I are sharing one, as are Ashes and Zana.

"Hm... a Red Hood, and Priestess by the looks of it... Four gold for each room, per day; one less than our going rates." Says the voice; the jingle of keys being tosses can be heard, followed by. "Rooms three, seven, eight, and ten are open. The keys and doors are numbered. If you need something to eat or drink , you know where to go... Oh, and we're being paid to advertise a bakery a few minutes walk up to road, Wun's Buns or something."

I'm dragged up a flight of stairs by a prissy beast-woman and an amazonian priestess; a dream for most men, I'm sure... I'm flopped onto an actual, honest to the Gods, bed. Not a sleeping mat on wooden boards. Not a hammock made of itchy sack cloth. A bed, with a cover, a pillow, blankets...

I think I've died again; because this must be heaven...