Joe sat down on the beaten up bench and patiently waited for Caleb to return. While sitting down he watched as the townsfolk continued their business around the small town. It was the smallish size of Baz that got him the most. It wasn�t just that fact he had lived in New York City his entire life. Having been to other towns and places across the United State�s there was simply nothing like the town he was in at the moment.
After looking over the place for a few more moments, the thought of actually being in the future crossed his mind. Immediately he forced the idea out of his head and continued to gaze upon the town.
�I just need to get some rest.� Joe reminded himself. �Then I�ll wake up in the morning and everything will be back to normal. Yeah, that�s all I�m going to have to do.�
The door to the inn swung open as Caleb popped his head out and said, �I�ve got us the room for the night, come on in Joe.�
Joe stood up and made his way into the inn. As he first stepped inside he noticed the small counter of the inn and the plump man standing behind it. He appeared to be in his mid forties with long yet thinning gray hair. Just like everything else he had seen so far the man was unique and incredibly abnormal compared to what he was used to.
To the left of the desk was a long hallway that held all the rooms of the inn. After noticing Caleb waving him on Joe began to follow him down the hallway.
�Come on, Joe.� Caleb said. �I want to get to our room already.�
�Alright, alright.� Joe muttered as he started to follow him.
The hallway consisted of ten rooms, the tenth and final one being their room. Once Caleb reached the door he opened it with the key and walked inside. Not too far behind him was Joe. Upon reaching the door he too walked in and took his first look around the room.
�This isn�t too bad.� Caleb said. After selecting his bed he pulled off his cloak and tossed it on the bed. Underneath the cloak he wore a loose dark blue long sleeve shirt accompanied by loose black pants and boots. �You can take that bed.�
�Right�� Joe muttered while looking around the room. The room held two beds separated by a small dresser. Across from the beds rested a larger dresser and a small table with two wooden chairs. The far wall had a large window that gave a decent view of the town. �Hey�wait a second. Where in the hell is the TV!!!�
�TV?� Caleb asked.
�Oh god�please don�t tell me�you don�t have television?!� Joe shouted.
�Oh, yeah we have those.� Caleb replied. �Just not in any of the inn�s.�
�Well, that sucks.� Joe replied. He finally turned around to see Caleb standing near his bed. With his cloak off he certainly did not look like an intimidating figure at all. �Wow�Caleb.�
�What?� Caleb asked.
�When you were wearing that big, black cloak you looked all tough and stuff.� Joe muttered. �Without it, you look completely-�
�Harmless?� Caleb asked, finishing Joe�s sentence.
�Well, no offense but yeah.� Joe replied.
�None taken.� Caleb said. �You see I may not look tough or anything but that�s simply because I�m not physically strong. You see being a Sorcerer I don�t need to use my physical body as much as I need to use my mental body.�
�Oh?� Joe asked.
�Yes, you see our magical comes from our mental strength and abilities.� Caleb explained. �We rarely need to use our physical strength, so I may not look very strong but don�t be surprised I do pack a big punch.�
�I see�� Joe muttered.
�Oh, that�s right you still don�t believe all this huh?� Caleb asked.
�Sorry but no.� Joe replied. �But hey if I wake up tomorrow and I�m still here I might just believe ya.�
Caleb laughed lightly and shook his head. He then turned to his bed and sat down on it taking in a deep breath.
�We�ll see what tomorrow brings then.� Caleb said.
�Yeah.� Joe replied.
�I�m going to try to relax for a bit, do you mind going out there and getting us some ice?� Caleb asked.
�No problem.� Joe replied. He turned around and picked up the ice bucket that rested on the table.
�Just ask the innkeeper.� Caleb said.
�Gotcha.� Joe said. �I�ll be back in a few.�
***
Weazel lead the way into Baz with Edge not far behind him. By the time the duo reached the town night had fallen.
Edge walked to the side of Weazel and slowly scanned through the town. His nose shifted from side to side, as he smelled around the town in an attempt to pick up all the unfamiliar scents. �This place has many different people in it.� Edge commented while he walked deeper into the town. �Very strange.�
�What�s so strange?� Weazel asked. �Most towns have a good mix of different people. It�s only Technico and Chos that are basically only populated by one race.�
Edge shrugged his shoulders while continuing to look around the town.
�Let�s get a room.� Weazel suggested.
�Very well.� Edge replied.
�Don�t worry about paying for the room.� Weazel started. �Before we ran into each other I paid a little visit to a bank.�
Edge raised an eyebrow while he shot a look at Weazel. �Paid a little visit?� he asked.
�Well�� Weazel held his hands up and shrugged. �I hacked a bank and transferred a lot of their money into one of my many accounts. That�s basically why those jackasses were after me before�I think that�s why��
�Those men did not have a good scent.� Edge said while starting towards the inn. �Also, the Demon�s Blade told me they were a definite foe.�
�You talk�to your sword?� Weazel asked.
�If danger grows near my blade glows red.� Edge explained. �It is an ancient Naz-Gumi weapon.�
Weazel�s eyes widened as he looked over Edge more carefully this time. Edge stopped a few feet before the inn as he noticed Weazel now staring at him. �What is wrong?� Edge asked.
�You�re a Naz-Gumi?� Weazel asked.
�Yes.� Edge replied. �I am from the second Naz-Gumi tribe called the Naz-Lycan. We are the warrior�s of our race.�
�Wow, I�ve never really seen a Naz-Gumi before.� Weazel said. He took another long look at Edge and simply shook his head. �You really don�t like all that different from regular humans. I mean yeah you�re a pretty big dude and all but other than that I don�t see a real difference.�
�You have yet to see me transform, nor have you seen my true fighting abilities.� Edge replied with a mild smirk.
�Oh that�s right.� Weazel said. �I forgot about you Naz-Gumi being able to transform into huge werewolf creatures.�
Edge nodded lightly and pointed towards the inn, �Should we go in now?� he asked.
Weazel nodded and entered the inn with Edge. As the two walked in they made their way towards the counter and waited for the innkeeper to come back from the back room.
While Edge and Weazel waited for the innkeeper to return Joe made his way out of the room and started down the hall. As he grew closer to the desk he spotted Edge and Weazel. Instantly he started to look the two over. Weazel was the one who confused him the most; his practically entire cybernetic enhanced body was like nothing he had ever seen before.
�What the hell is he?� Joe asked himself. �He looks like a really messed up android��
Upon reaching the counter Joe placed the bucket down on it. He made sure to stay far away from Edge and Weazel. The two of them were both intimidating figures in their own ways.
�Come on, where the hell is this guy?� Weazel asked as he rang the bell several times.
�Be patient, Weazel.� Edge suggested. �He will come.�
Soon enough Edge and Weazel noticed Joe standing by the end of the desk. Each of them looked him over for a moment in an attempt to size him up. Then finally the innkeeper came out from the backroom.
�Hello and welcome to the Baz inn.� The innkeeper said to Weazel. �It costs one hundred gilds to stay for the night. Would you like to stay here tonight?�
Weazel pulled out a small wad of cash and placed it on the table. �Yeah buddy, of course we wanna stay here.� Weazel said. �Why the hell else would we be in here?�
�Yes�of course.� The innkeeper said as he took the money and handed Weazel a key. �Room nine, straight down the hall and to your left.�
As Weazel grabbed the key Joe said, �Yeah, can I just get some ice please.�
�Yes.� The innkeeper said as he grabbed onto Joe�s bucket and went to fill it up.
�That was a tad rude.� Weazel said while he shot a look at Joe.
�I need ice and you were done.� Joe shot back. �Nothing rude about that.�
�Damn, you talk pretty big for a regular human.� Weazel replied as he smashed his hand into the desk. The desk bent in where Weazel had smashed his hand but neither the sound nor the impact caused Joe to flinch much. �You know that?�
�Yeah, well you talk really mean for a damn android!� Joe shouted back.
�I�m not an android you idiot.� Weazel replied.
The entire time Joe and Weazel talked Edge made his way towards Joe. Upon getting close enough to him he stuck his nose out and began to smell Joe.
�What the hell are you doing!!!� Joe shouted as he spotted Edge sniffing him.
�You have an odd scent.� Edge replied.
�What�the�hell!!� Joe shouted.
�He�s saying, take a shower.� Weazel muttered. �You stink.�
�You people are crazy�� Joe muttered as he noticed Edge smelling him again. �Excuse me!! Are you frickin high or something?!�
Edge looked at Joe oddly and then turned his eyes towards the ground. �No..� Edge muttered. �My feet are very much on the ground.�
�You have GOT to be kidding me�� Joe said in utter shock.
�I kid you not.� Edge said as he pointed to his feet. �You see they are on the ground.�
�Oh god!� Joe shouted out quickly.
The innkeeper finally came back with the bucket of ice. Once Joe spotted him he grabbed the ice bucket quickly nodded to him and then shot a look at Edge and Weazel while he made his way back towards the room.
�A very strange scent�� Edge muttered while watching Joe enter his room.
�Hey!� The innkeeper cried out as he noticed the dent in the desk. �What happened here?!�
�Can it!� Weazel shouted. �Or I�ll just destroy the damn desk.�
With those final words Edge and Weazel started towards their room.
�What was the strange smell?� Weazel asked.
�He smelt like nothing I�ve ever smelled before but it was an odd smell. He smelled as if he was not from here, it was a smell that certainly felt out of place.� Edge explained.
�That�s odd.� Weazel said.
�Indeed.� Edge replied.
The two made their way to their room and entered it. Neither of them were in much of a talking mood any longer they simply wanted to get some rest.
***
Joe knocked on the door three times; on the third knock Caleb swung it open. �That took long.� He said.
�There was two other�s getting a room.� Joe replied. �I had to wait till they were done and then one of them gave me an attitude.�
�Attitude huh?� Caleb said.
�Yeah.� Joe replied as he walked inside of the room. �Look, I�m really tired and all so I think I�m just going to hit the sack.�
�I�ll see you in the morning then.� Caleb said.
�No offense but I really hope not.� Joe replied. �I just want to go back home already.�
Caleb nodded to Joe and watched as he jumped in bed. Joe placed his sword still in its scabbard on the ground next to his bed. The sword intrigued Caleb very much but he resisted looking at it for now. He had decided he�d wait till the morning to look at it, he was certain Joe would still be there then.
***
The night went as quickly as it had come. Still in his bed Joe continued to rest, getting the sleep that he needed. Caleb on the other hand was already up and ready to complete his trip to Calgez.
A small smirk curled onto Caleb�s lips as he watched Joe sleep. Like he had claimed, he was still there.
�Told you, Joe.� Caleb said.
He now patiently watched as Joe opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. The first thing Joe did was take a look at his surroundings, his eyes then fixed on the Sword of War that still rested on the floor. Slowly and in an upset fashion Joe looked towards Caleb to see him standing by the desk waving at him with a big smile.
�SON OF A BITCH!!�
�I told you.� Caleb muttered while watching Joe get out of his bed and slap himself a few times. Joe then reached down and shook his head as he grabbed onto his sword and strapped it on his back. �Come on, let�s go to Calgez.�
�Yeah�� Joe sighed heavily as he spoke. �I hope I can find some answers in Calgez�if I don�t well, I don�t know, I just don�t know.�
Caleb nodded to Joe in an understanding fashion as the two made their way out of the inn.
Outside of the inn it was a beautiful day. The sky was a clear blue and the crisp air, which blew through it, was very comforting. Even with all the beauty surrounding him at the moment Joe couldn�t seem to brighten up at all.
�Don�t worry, I�m sure we�ll find some answers.� Caleb said in an attempt to comfort Joe. �If they told you you�d find something in Calgez and they were sorcerer�s well I�d sure take their word for it.�
�Right�� Joe muttered as he and Caleb exited the town of Baz and began to set out onto the dangerous Baz plains.
�So you�re going to Calgez as well?� Edge said softly while watching the two head out. As soon as Weazel exited the grocery store Edge continued to speak. �It looks like two more from this town are heading to Calgez.�
�Oh?� Weazel asked as he put away the food he bought. The two also exited Baz and entered the Baz plains.
�Yes, the one that has the odd scent and his traveling mate.� Edge replied.
�Hmm�� Weazel muttered as he thought it over for a moment. �This could pose to be pretty interesting or it could be nothing.�
�That�s right.� Edge replied. �Only time will answer that.�
The two began their journey through the Baz plains, keeping a safe distance from Joe and Caleb as they went. As all four of the men headed towards the town for their own reasons the possibility of their path�s crossing yet again began to grow. The chance grew larger and larger with every step each one of them took.