"Jay slow down.... there's still more to come! This is just the starter." Daisy said to Jay as he carried on stuffing himself.
"But it's so good!" He responded.
"Don't worry, we'll take some with us back to Atlantis" I reassured him.
He looked up at me for the first time since the food landed on the table, "Really?!" He asked.
"Yeah it will be no problem, besides I still need to thank you for saving us earlier." I replied.
What followed was an absolute surprise to me, tears began rolling down his eyes, and "Thank you...." he barely managed to blubber out.
"No No.... it's okay we are friends..." I replied in total shock, his sudden 360 spin in personality from cool and collected to a crying mess, I panicky looked at Daisy mouthing "Did i say something wrong?"
Daisy looked back at me equally in total shock..... "Ummmmm Jay it really not a problem..." She tried to calm him down.
At this point Aunt May came bursting in, "you guys ready for the main course?!" she yelled holding a tray full of food and another round of drinks. "Ohhh My God what happened?" she said placing the tray of food on the table taking a seat near to Jay cuddling him, "I'm sorry for the mean jokes earlier." she said to him, and then mouthing to us "what the hell is going on?"
We sat in silence for what felt like an eternity till Jay managed to calm down and gently pushed himself from Aunt May, "I'm sorry guys..... It's... just..." he began to explain but then stopped.
"It's okay you can tell us dear." Aunt may tried to confine with him.
"Just...….. no one has ever showed me or my family such kindness before, I grew up very poor and people don't treat the beggars and the poor with much respect and dignity..... But we are also people too!" he began explaining.
The three of frowning from hearing the pain in his voice and our eyes began to tear up.
"And my parents they literally gave me all the money they had just so I can get supplies for School, and I don't even know how they are coping without me....." He began to cry again.
"Darling where are your parents staying right now?" Aunt May asked extremely hart broken by what Jay said.
"They live in the outskirts of Arcadia in a small town called Thralkeld." He answered.
"Darling I'll find them and take good care of them okay?" Aunt May reassured him. "Now eat up be strong and do your parents proud okay? And you'll be able to return to them a full-fledged Wizard.
Me and Daisy was absolutely speechless at the revelation, none of us could have imagined that he had such a painful past before Atlantis.
"I'm so sorry to hear that Jay.... On the first chance we get, we'll pay your family a visit. I promise Okay?" Daisy replied.
He nodded in silence wiping away the tears from his face, "And if you need anything just let me know okay? I'm literally sitting on 100 platinum with no idea what to do with it." I offered him. Aunt may look at me in shock surprised how I managed to amass such a fortune.
"Thank you.... Truly." as he sat in silence.
"Here eat and drink as much as you want." Aunt may said portioning out the food for him and placing another bottle for him to drink.
"I'm so... sorry I made you guys feel this way....." He apologized to us.
"No No... We are friends now, we will always be there for each other no matter what happens okay?" Emilia said comforting him.
"Yes we are the Three musketeers now." I reassured him, Aunt May and Daisy looked at me like I just spoke alien to them.... "What I mean is we are family now." I correcting myself.
"Thank you for everything truly....." he said quietly sitting there.
"Come on let's all eat up and get nice and strong." Aunt may tried to lighten the mood.
Jay and Daisy and Aunt May began eating quietly hoping Jay would say something. A big part of me felt sad for jay, and what hurt more is that I'm absolutely powerless to help his situation. 'What if his parents are starving now, or wondering for scraps of food.... or getting beaten for being poor, I can't just let this happen..... Not to jay.'
An idea popped into my head, unsure if it would play out the same way in my head I decided to give it a try. "Umm I'm gonna go outside for a minute" I said shuffling behind Daisy taking my bag with me.
Daisy and Aunt May looked at me in confusion as I walked away, I mouthed to them "trust me".
Hastily exiting the tavern, I came face to face with Calista and a small group of students with her, 'You gotta be joking not now.'
"OHHH hey rank F or G I forgot which it was so damn low, what brings you here? I'm surprised you can even afford anything." She gloated at me her smug face asking to get punched.
I could feel the rage in my body bubbling, 'this silver spooned BITCH thinks she can talk down to me when she was probably born and the world was placed at her feet and earned nothing herself'. "Not right now I'm busy" I managed to contain my seething rage as I tried to make my way around the corner away from view.
"Bitch didn't I tell you before don't turn your back to me." Grasping my wrist again forcing me to turn around.
With my boiling rage and the momentum she generated I threw a punch directly at her face, I could feel something welling up inside me giving me way more strength.
"Ohhh that's quite a punch you got there...." Calista said sarcastically, as she effortlessly caught my punch with her hand. "Did you really think you could hurt me with such a lowly rank?" she laughed throwing my hand to the side effortlessly. "Learn your place scum! Atlantis and Arcadia doesn't need weakling like you tarnishing our reputation." she said turning away. "I'd rather not eat at an establishment that caters to such filth."
The anger still pumping through my veins my blood boiling with rage I lunged at her again throwing two haymakers at her, the second catching her straight in her jaw, when she tried to block the first hit, sending her a few steps back, spitting out some blood she looked up at me with equally angry eyes, you crossed the line now BITCH, as she drew her wand out and whispered something inaudible.
The world slowed again as I saw a surge of energy pass into her wand as a mini tornado manifested from the tip of her wand screaming towards me, I was helpless again unable to react to my situation, just stand here idly waiting for it to hit me.
The moment the spell was about to hit me, I closed my eyes readying myself for the impact. I felt my body forcibly flung several meters off the ground hurtling across the air. I felt my body impact various objects, my back slamming hard into something the pain surging through me like hot lightning forcing me to let out a scream of pain, until I rolled over the ground to an eventual stop.
"Bitch I hope you learnt your lesson." The now blurry Calista spat on the floor and walked away and the group of students following close behind.
I laid there for a little allowing my body to recover and get used to the pain radiating throughout my body. 'Am I in over my head? I'm just gonna die at this rate.' I thought to myself. Few minutes passed as I laid there in defeat, various bystanders looked in horror, but refused to do anything and just walked on by. 'This is what Jay and his family must have felt...'
I slowly pulled myself up, I can feel the burning of cuts and bruise throughout my body. 'One day I swear I will make her PAY!' I began to pull myself together finally standing up, dusting myself off and taking a good look at myself, she really did a number on me, I could feel my hair was in a mess, my dress was tatters, ripped and cut in places, I'm fking missing a shoe and my belt has gone somewhere..... "OHHH SHIT" I gasped as I remembered what I came out to do.
I frantically began rummaging through the debris on my bruised knee's desperately trying find my belt and pouch. All hope seemed to be lost until I caught a glimpse of the bag laying there under remnants of a barrel totally unscathed. "Thank God I said to myself" as I slumped myself on a nearby wall. Opening the bag I thought about the school badge and pulled it out.
"Hello..... Anyone there....." I asked holding the button waiting for a reply.
"Heyyyy Emilia!!! Wassup?!! How's the school trip?!" I heard Ashley speak with enthusiasm.
"Wassup Sis?!" I heard Scarlet also reply.
"Hey everything okay?!" I heard Paul speak also.
"Ummmm Paul I wanted to ask you for a personal favour....." I hesitantly requested.
"Sure? What is it?...." He asked hesitant as always when someone asks from him.
"Ummm is it okay to request some privacy?" I requested hoping not to offend Ashley or Scarlet.
"Guys you heard her." Paul responded.
About 10 seconds followed with complete silence.
"So I wanted to ask-" I began to explain.
"Wait Emilia they are still here..." Paul interrupted me, "Guys.. There is literally a glowing dot showing each of us who's still connected." I heard Paul speak out to them.
"Owww... fine" I heard Scarlet reluctantly agree with a huff and a small blue dot vanished from the badge.
"Damnit, why did I even install that function to begin with?!" I heard Ashley curse himself as another blue dot vanished.
"Okay... you may proceed, it's just you and me now..." He informed me.
"I know you have done so much for me already, but I was hoping you could help a friend of mine...." I began to explain.
"Go on." he replied.
"Well, he's quite poor..... And his parents were quite poor as well..... in fact they gave him all the money they which amounted to only 20 gold, to buy supplies and well I just want to make sure that his family are okay....They live in Thralkeld" I hesitantly requested.
"Consider it sorted, I'll go deal with it personally." Paul replied.
"Thank you...." I hesitantly thanked him.
About 5 seconds passed with no reply..... Looking down at the badge there was only one flashing light left......? 'Did he really just hang up without saying anything?'... Regardless I'm sure Paul has the power and influence to help... I better start making my way back in.
I struggled to stand up as a sharp pain stung my right ankle, 'Ahh crap it must be sprained'.... I began using the wall as support to get myself up and slowly hobbled my way back into the tavern. Opening the front doors, Uncle Ben instantly caught my eye dropping down the glass in his hand and came rushing around the bar towards me.
"Young miss are you okay?" he asked as he helped me back to the table.
"OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" Daisy screamed leaping off her seat allowing me to sit down.
"Yeah I'm okay thank you..." as Uncle Ben helped me sit down as I hissed a little from the pain.
"MY GOD what happened to you?!" Aunt May also screamed when she looked at me.
Jay looked at me instantaneously knowing what happened, "That fucking Calista, I'll make her pay as he dropped his fork and began to stand up knife in hand.
"Oh my god Calista did this?!" Daisy gasped in shock.
"Wait the Princess Calista?!" Aunt May tried to understand the situation.
"Those Fucking Upper Class ass hole!" Uncle Ben shouted in anger rolling up his sleeves.
"EVERYONE CALM DOWN!" Aunt may Shouted.
Ben go back and man the bar, before you do something stupid and get us shut down for good. To which he reluctantly agreed stomping back to the bar.
"And you... Sit your arse back on the chair before I force you to sit." Aunt May instructed Jay, Jay quietly and reluctantly agreeing he sat down still seething with anger strongly gripping the knife in his hands his knuckled becoming white form the strain.
"Okay Daisy darling please sit down and don't let Jay do anything stupid he might regret later" She instructed Daisy.
"Now Emilia come with me upstairs... we'll get you cleaned up and a new set of clothes." She said helping me and supporting me to the stairs. As we walked past the bar a rather muscular young man whistled as us as I limped pass.
"Hold on...." Aunt may whispered to me, as she rested my hands on the bar top and walked up to the man. "You fucked up boy." I heard uncle Ben say before Aunt May grasped the young man by the back of the skull and with no restraint slammed his face into the bar, dazing him in the process as his arms went a little limp and began to slowly raise up to try and defend himself, blood gushing down his nose, and all over the bar where his face impacted it, and with another shocking act of violence she hammered his face into the bar again, this time knocking him completely unconscious his body bouncing off the bar falling onto the floor almost lifeless. She then gave him a giant kick to the kidney, as the young man horrifically screamed in pain back to consciousness. "I SWEAR TO GOD IF I HEAR YOU DISRESPECT A WOMAN LIKE THAT AGAIN I WILL END YOU!" she yelled at the young man withering in pain. She then proceeded to drag his body out the Tavern and reappearing a few seconds later. "ANYONE ELSE WANNA START SOMETHING?!" she yelled as the whole tavern now frozen in fear at the spectacle or gross act of violence. A young girl came running out the kitchen and began to help Uncle Ben clean up the mess.
"Sorry you had to experience that Emilia, men like that need to be taught a lesson." As she grabbed my arm and began helping me up the stairs. "Let's get you cleaned up okay?" she smiled at me.