The next morning it was Maxine who was the first to wake up. The first thing that she noticed was that she was still clinging onto Charles's back. Almost immediately she broke free and something else that she noticed was how big he looked now in comparison to herself.

For a moment she was confused but she soon remembered that it wasn't him that was bigger, it was her that was smaller. This caused her to sigh in annoyance as she slowly climbed out of bed and when her feet touched the cold floor it sent a shiver down her spine. It was an uncomfortable feeling for her and she didn't particularly like it. One thing that she did notice was that the rain from the previous night had stopped. It was still a murky day and the ground was likely to still be very wet, but at least it was no longer raining.

For an instant she did touch her face and she could still feel some pain from where she had been struck the previous night. She remembered the man who had attempted to flirt with her but had failed. It made her angry that a man had struck a woman in this regard. If she was still at her full size and strength, she would have broken every single bone in his hand. But when she was like this, she was too small and weak to do anything about it.

Maxine did look over to Charles and she could he was still fast asleep. More than anything she wanted to wake him up so that they could carry on to Flea Bay and regain her lost size. There was a small amount of fear around this as she remembered when her father told her about something similar happening to her mother. It had almost killed her since losing the magic within her also caused her to be afflicted by the same illness that had almost killed her as a baby.

For now, Maxine had not been afflicted by such a thing as it had been around twenty-four hours since she had been shrunk down in the manner that she had been. If she was going to suffer from some kind of illness, it most likely would have happened by now like it had with her mother.

One reason why she didn't wake up Charles immediately was because she couldn't help but think he looked pretty cute sleeping there. She also remembered how much he had helped her the previous night and in general, how much he had put himself at risk in order to ensure her safety. Even though a lot of the time she felt that she didn't need it.

Maxine would allow him to sleep for a little longer and she stepped towards the dress that was drying off in the corner of the room. With some care, she picked it off the rack that it had been hanging over and she could see that it was still a little damp. This was something that she didn't like but as she felt a cool breeze it caused her to shiver. With little choice she put the dress back on.

"M-Maxine," said Charles. It seemed like he was still waking up and he was beginning to sit up in the bed. "I-Is everything alright."

"Besides still being tiny, yes I'm alright," replied Maxine. By then she had put the dress on and she still wasn't used to wearing such clothing. She didn't know how her mother and sisters could wear such an outfit every day.

"T-That's good." He saw an annoyed look on her face which made him realise that he had said something wrong. "I mean, it's good that you're alright, not that you're still like you are right now." He had almost called her short or small but he stopped himself from doing so, any comment about her lack of height as likely to lead to him getting an earful.

"That's better. Now get yourself up, we still have to go to Flea Bay and find the magic that was stolen from me. If we stay here any longer it might get sold off if it hasn't happened already."

"Y-Yes ma'am." He wanted to ask for a little longer in bed but he knew that in this situation it was best to do what he was told. Like her, he wanted her size to be returned to her as soon as possible.

Because time was of the essence the pair skipped breakfast and quickly left the inn as soon as they could. One thing that they did make sure was that they had picked up everything. If they had left anything behind, no matter how important it might be, they were unlikely to ever see it again.

The day was still murky and there were many puddles in the road along with wet mud thanks to the rain that had taken place the night before. Normally such things wouldn't particularly bother Maxine but with everything that had happened she was being more cautious than usual.

One thing that the duo did notice was that there were other people on the road travelling to Flea Bay. A few of them were just people travelling by themselves and others were using a horse and cart as they were going to sell their wares. Seeing people like Maxine and Charles walking to Flea Bay wasn't anything unusual. If she had been her true size then she would have certainly turned heads. As she was now, no one paid any attention to them,

The rest of the journey went without much incident. As they had expected, they hadn't been that far from Flea Bay when they had stopped for the night. It was roughly a couple of hours walking before they finally arrived at their destination. A short time before this, they had been able to see the vastness of the ocean just over the horizon.

For Charles it was a sight to behold, he had seen the ocean once when he was a young boy but seeing it again took his breath away. Over the years he had seen drawings of the ocean but it didn't compare to seeing it in person. He couldn't get over its pure vastness, it truly took his breath away.

Maxine had no time to marvel over such sights as all that was on her mind was regaining her size and then carrying on her quest to become a knight. If she failed then it meant that she would have to drastically change her life. If the night at the inn taught her anything, it was that in her current state she was weak. Normally a man such as the one that had struck her would not have been any kind of issue for her. Now she had a swollen cheek and she thought that she might have a loose tooth. Such a thing she couldn't accept and it only gave her more motivation to carry on with her intentions.

The town of Flea Bay itself was a bustling market town with much merchandise entering and leaving through the port. Even though it was merely a town, many considered it to be a city as it was wealthier than some of the cities in Angleland. Markets were on almost every street and practically anything could be bought or sold there. Even Lords and royalty would come here in order to obtain objects of great value and rarity. It was said that no matter what an item might be, it can be bought or sold in Flea Bay.

As Maxine and Charles entered the streets were packed with merchants and customers, this made it hard to navigate at times and it could be easy to get lost within the mass of people. One thing that she had warned him about were pickpockets that took advantage of such busy streets as they could pick the pocket of an unaware victim and then escape before they even realised that anything was missing.

They also ensured that they stayed close together. It would have been easy for them to get separated in the sea of people. Before Maxine would have been a very easy person to spot in such a crowd, now she was being pushed around and she could barely see where she was going.

Eventually they had to squeeze their way into a side street that was much quieter and it allowed them a moment to catch their breath and collect themselves. Maxine brushed off some dirt that was on her dress while Charles took a sip from the water that they had brought with them.

"T-That was more than I could handle," said Charles after he had finished drinking the water. It might have had a bland taste but right now it was exactly what he needed at that moment in time.

"Keep your head and you'll be alright," replied Maxine. She was speaking from experience but it was the first time that she had been here while she had been such a size. "But in a crowd like that, it's easy for us to get split up."

"Ok ma'am but what do we do now? Do we go to each merchant and ask them one by one?" It was his only idea for the time being but he knew that it was going to take a long time to go through every single one of them.

"No, that would be too time consuming and it isn't the kind of thing that they would freely sell on the street. No, it would be sold in the black market."

"Actually, that isn't too surprising." He chuckled nervously for a moment before he spoke again. "But how do we find it? I'm guessing that it isn't a physical market that you can simply visit."

"You're right there. It is something that we have to tread lightly with. People who deal within the black market are not the kind that you can simply invite around for tea. Even if I was my old size, I would still be careful. Before we go any further, do you remember the name of the man that we're looking for?"

"I-I think it is the Weasel and correct me if I'm wrong but he was missing a finger on his left hand."

"It was his right hand but at least you paid attention. Such a man should hopefully be not too difficult to find. There are some seedier establishments not far from here, I suggest we start our search there."

"You know your way around here?" He was surprised at this but then again there was still aspects of Maxine's history that he didn't know about.

"I used to come here with my Father and Uncles to drop off products from the forgery." Even at a young age she had been bigger and stronger than most men and would help her family with heavy lifting. It was a way for her to earn a little coin and also see the world outside of Morgan.

Maxine did begin to walk through the backstreet with Charles walking alongside her. He followed her as he had no idea where he was going and he couldn't help but feel nervous while he walked. For some reason, he had a fear that someone would suddenly jump out of nowhere and attempt to stab him. He knew that it was something that was unlikely to happen, but it still made him worry.

He wasn't the only one who was keeping their eye out as Maxine did the same. She was looking out for something similar but it wasn't for someone to stab them in particular. Instead it was anyone who was considering trying to mug them. Before, this would have been something that she didn't have to be afraid of. Now it was a concern and this time she didn't have the strength to repel them.

Instead she kept a hand on the handle of the hunting knife that was attached to her belt. Right now, it was the closest thing she had to a sword, it might not have been as useful but right now it was the only weapon she had. She hoped that her own sword and armour had returned to her home by now. If not, then it would be another problem that she'd have to face head on.

On the way through these backstreets Maxine and Charles did notice a few people. However, rather than becoming a threat towards them, they were simply sitting with their backs against the wall and seemed to be in a state. It was likely that they had either been drinking too much ale or were on some kind of substance.

More importantly to the pair was that these people seemed to be keeping to themselves. This was ideal for them as they didn't want to have to deal with drunks and instead simply walked by them. Most of these people didn't even notice them walking by although a few of them did give a wolf whistle to Maxine. She simply ignored them as she carried on walking, not for one moment did she put her guard down. It was likely to lead to trouble and that was the last thing they wanted.

In particular Charles did panic a little as he couldn't help but think about the night at the other inn where he had to fight for not just his own life but also Maxine's. In his own way he had been trying to deal with his trauma but it was difficult. On more than one occasion he just wanted to break out and cry, however he stopped himself as he didn't want to think of himself as weak. Not just that but he also thought that Maxine would not want him to accompany her anymore. It was something that he wasn't going to recover from in the near future and instead it was likely going to be a long road.

Eventually the pair came up to a tavern in one of the backstreets of Flea Bay. This was a small section of the town that was rarely visited by merchants or tourists. It was the kind of place that one would expect to find an operative from the black market. The tavern itself looked pretty run down from the outside and definitely not as pleasing to the eye as the other taverns that they had visited.

"Stay close to me and don't give people unnecessary eye contact," said Maxine. She took a deep breath as she looked at the tavern. There were a few steps that went up to the door but she felt that there was something else that she needed to say to her companion. "At no point are you to refer to me as Maxine Martel. For now, my name is Alexandra Smith."

Charles didn't respond with words and merely nodded at her. He had seen previously that she had made some enemies during her time attempting to become a knight. It would be an obvious opportunity for them to take revenge on her while she was much smaller and weaker than before.

With that the pair walked up the steps and they entered the tavern. If they thought that it looked derelict from the outside, the inside made it much clearer. There were a few people sitting at tables and drinking cheap ale. Some of them were playing cards while there was another few who were talking about business.

There was nothing fancy on the walls at all and it looked like they needed some kind of decoration. There was a beam in the ceiling that looked like it was about to fall and there was broken glass on the floor. Even though the pair were wearing shoes, they were sure that they wouldn't step on it.

Behind the counter of the tavern was a man who had tattoos covered on his arms. This was unusual to see in Angleland but was fairly common amongst sailors. His grey hair and thick beard were clear to see and it was likely that he was retired. Like before no one really gave them much notice as they walked in and they simply walked up to the counter. In her mind, Maxine was thinking of the best thing to say. This time she didn't have her size or strength to back her up. She did feel like she could look out for herself and she did have Charles by her side, even so the odds would not be in their favour.

"So, what will it be little missy," said the Tavern Owner. He was cleaning out one of the cups that was used for ale. The rag that he was using looked to be far from clean and Maxine wouldn't be too thrilled to drink from that particular cup.

"Information if you would be so kind," replied Maxine. Her tone was serious and it showed that she wasn't fooling around.

"Now, now little missy. Information is amongst the most expensive commodity in Flea Bay. You better have good coin if you want such a thing."

"Of course, I would not expect anything less." Although this was something that she was reluctant to do, she did take her hunting knife off her belt and placed it on the counter. It was not an act of aggression but instead an offer. "This knife was created at the Martel forgery in Morgan. It is of excellent quality and should suffice for the information I need."

"Let me take a look." He then picked up the knife and began to examine it. He rubbed his beard as he did so before placing the knife back down. "Doesn't seem like much to me, then again, those Martels don't make very good weapons."

Maxine wanted to strike the man for insulting the work of her family or at least give him a few harsh words. However, for now she would swallow her pride and allow him to say such a thing unpunished. If she didn't then it was likely that she would lose any chance of tracking down the Weasel and eventually her size.

"Be that as it may that is still a good quality blade," said Maxine. "It will be suffice payment for your information."

"I'll be the judge of that little missy." He continued to look over the blade and he didn't seem to be the only one. Charles too was looking at it. In his mind there were mixed feelings about getting rid of the hunting knife. Without it they would be more vulnerable than ever but it was also the same knife that he had used during that eventful night. Getting rid of it was one way that would help him recover from what had happened. "Hmm, it isn't too bad of a blade, I could probably use it for something. Alright, what do you want to know?"

"I'm looking for a man."

"There are plenty of men around here, I suspect some of them would want to be with you. Why not the one that is standing beside you?"

"Not in that way!" She did her best to quell her anger and her fist quivered out of view. "I'm looking for a specific man. He stole something extremely valuable to me and I intend to get it back. He goes by the name, the Weasel."

"So, you're looking for the Weasel?" He began to laugh and from the sound of it, it seemed to be coming from the belly. "Good luck with that, that man's slippery than a watered-down deck."
"But you know how to find him?" There was more hope in her voice than anything else as she had the feeling that she might have wasted a perfectly good knife.

"Oh, you don't find him, he finds you if you have something that he wants. Whatever he stole from you, I suggest that you forget about it and move on. You'll save yourself a lot of pain and trouble."

"That is not an option for me. I must retrieve what was stolen, even at the cost of my life I will take back what is mine."

"You're a braver person than I." He chuckled to himself for a moment. "Your best place is to start down near the pier. Near the far end is a part where not many ships dock. If you want to start looking for him, there is your best bet."

"Thank you for your help. May peace be with you."

Maxine then grabbed onto Charles's wrist and turned around to walk out. She was disappointed to be leaving the knife behind but at least she had gained some useful information. It hadn't been a complete failure but at least she had been pointed in the right direction.

Like before, no one really took notice of them as they stepped out of the tavern and found themselves in the streets again. Charles felt like he hadn't been too much use but then again, he had done exactly what he had been told to do. But he was still nervous over everything that had taken place.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Charles as he looked at the short woman. In a way he still couldn't believe that he was having to look down at her rather than looking way up.

"We keep going, we only stop when my size is returned to me."

"But you said that you were willing to risk your life to get it back. I can't help but ask, but are you serious with that?" His question was met with a glare from the short woman and for a moment he regretted asking.

"Have I once ever joked to you Charles?"

"No ma'am but..."

"Then there's your answer. Don't ask such a stupid question again."

Charles was about to say something but he felt it was best that he didn't say a thing. He could see how annoyed Maxine was and stating anything could increase her anger. The events in the tavern had not gone entirely as planned for her and in a way, he could tell that she was losing hope. To her, the worst fate that she could imagine was remaining small and weak for the rest of her life.

There were some people who watched as they went by. For now, all they could do was ignore them and keep walking. One thing that did save them in a way was their overall appearance. The pair didn't look threatening or intimidating in the slightest but with Maxine's donated dress and Charles's general appearance they didn't look to have much money in particular.

Charles was still carrying his satchel which had important items in it such as the journal and the polish that he had bought for Maxine's armour. These wouldn't be particularly valuable to a thief but his still had his mother's locket that Maxine had given back to him once she felt that his life debt had been repaid. If said thief were able steal it, not only would they be taking something of great value but they would also be taking the last thing that he had of his mother.

Thanks to their appearance, any would be thieves left them alone as they thought that they didn't really have anything of value. Instead Maxine simply led her companion through the streets as she made her way to the pier that had been mentioned to her. In the past she remembered being told about such a place where illegally obtained goods were either imported or exported from. It was a place that pirates generally frequented and it was unwise to deal with such people.

With their options running out the pair had no choice but to keep going. A person with common sense would simply accept their loss and move on with their lives. This was something that Maxine simply couldn't contemplate and thus she carried on with what many would call a fool's errand.

Thankfully she also mostly knew her way around the town so making their way to the correct pier wasn't too much of an issue. She hadn't directly been there in her past but she knew of the location and simply carried on regardless. Even if she was at risk of being stabbed in the heart, she was still willing to go through that to regain her lost size and punish those that she deemed responsible.

Eventually the sight of the pier could be clearly seen. It was funny for them to think that such a bustling town such as Flea Bay could have sections where there were hardly any people. The buildings around the pier didn't look as run down as expected. If anything, they looked as though they had been well looked after and even normal in a way. It made it seem less likely that any illegal activity would be taking place there. This was exactly what someone dealing with illegally obtained goods would want.

Just as the pair stepped closer to the pier, they did notice two men watching them. Neither of them was small and they had muscle to them as well. Both were at least six and a half feet tall and as they saw the pair stepping towards the pier, they quickly got up and walked over to them. Maxine was the first to notice them and she figured that they were acting as guard dogs in a way. Not just anyone was allowed to come here but the men also knew that it was unlikely that the small woman and man were law enforcement. The gangs and pirates who operated there regularly paid off officials to look the other way. It was a system that had been in place long before anyone operating there was born and so far, nothing had rocked that particular boat.

"Hey there," said one of the Men. He had long blonde hair and a short beard. He and his comrade quickly stepped in front of Maxine and Charles. It was clear that they wouldn't simply step aside and let them pass. "Now what are a couple of love birds like you doing in a place like this?"

"We're interested in purchasing something," replied Maxine. She remained cool and collective despite the situation at hand. "My name is Alexandra Smith of House Smith from the Pryde Islands and this is my servant whose name is not important to mention." Charles felt a little insulted through this but he still trusted Maxine. He knew that she wouldn't insult him directly and that this was all part of some kind of trick.

"The Pryde Islands? You're a long way from home little lady." He and the other large man chuckled to one another. It seemed that they had never seen the actual Alexandra Smith before and it worked in her favour. "You don't look like a high born to me."

"You expect me to walk around in a lavish dress and jewels adorning my person?" She chuckled to herself. "A quick and easy way for me to be robbed blind while I make my way here."

"And what's to say that you don't get robbed right now?"

"Because my servant here isn't just here to serve me but he's also my bodyguard. Don't let his appearance fool you, he has trained in a form of hand to hand combat not seen in these lands. If you were to fight him, you'd find yourself on the ground with a fractured skull before you even realised what had hit you. Plus, if harm did come to me, my father would put a price on your head so high that you wouldn't be able to enter a populated area again."

Once again Charles stayed quiet and simply listened. All he could do was hope that these two men bought Maxine's bluff. If they were to fight, they wouldn't stand a chance in the slightest. She knew this but with her calm demeanour and demanding tone made her seem much more important than she actually was.

But what was important was what would happen in the next few seconds. If these men bought the bluff, then they could be on their way and attempt to find the Weasel. On the other hand, if they didn't buy the bluff, the both of them would be in very big trouble.